Taking advanced mathematics courses should increase a student’s grade point average, for, as numerous studies have shown, students who have taken one or more advanced mathematics courses are far more likely to have high grade point averages than students who have not taken such courses.
Question: The flawed pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following?
Options:
A. Fur color is in large measure hereditary, for, as many studies have shown, black cats are more likely than others to have black kittens, and orange cats are more likely to have orange kittens.
B. Water can cause intoxication. After all, imbibing scotch and water, whiskey and water, bourbon and water, gin and water, and vodka and water all cause intoxication.
C. Eating a diet consisting primarily of fats and carbohydrates may cause weight gain in some people. Studies have shown that many overweight people eat such diets.
D. Buying running shoes should increase the frequency with which a person exercises, since those who buy two or more pairs of running shoes each year tend to exercise more often than those who buy at most one pair.
E. Reading to children at an early age should inspire them to read on their own later, since studies have shown that children who have not been read to are less likely to develop an interest in reading than children who have been read to.
Answer: D