1.1 The Fundamental Difference
The key to success is to immediately identify your role based on the column headers of the answer choices.
The Detective
- Mission: Verify if a statement is provably true using ONLY the table.
- Role of Statement: A conclusion to be tested.
- Key Question: "Can I prove this with the data?"
The Theorist
- Mission: Decide if a statement provides a plausible reason for a pattern.
- Role of Statement: A new fact to be accepted.
- Key Question: "If true, does this explain the data?"
1.2 Variant 1: The Detective Work
Let's look at an example from a table on Brazilian Agricultural Products. You are asked to evaluate: "No individual country produces more than 1/4 of the world's sugar."
How to Solve:
- Identify Key Terms: "Sugar", "Country", "1/4 of world".
- Gather Evidence: Scan the table. Brazil is Rank 1 with 21%.
- Draw Conclusion: Since the #1 producer has 21% (which is < 25%), no other country can have more. The case is closed.
| Commodity | Prod Share (%) | Prod Rank | Exp Share (%) | Exp Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef | 16 | 2 | 22 | 1 |
| Chickens | 15 | 3 | 38 | 1 |
| Coffee | 40 | 1 | 32 | 1 |
| Corn | 8 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
| Cotton | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 |
| Orange Juice | 56 | 1 | 82 | 1 |
| Pork | 4 | 4 | 12 | 4 |
| Soybeans | 27 | 2 | 40 | 2 |
| Sugar | 21 | 1 | 44 | 1 |
For each statement, select Yes if the statement can be shown to be true. Otherwise select No.
No individual country produces more than one-fourth of the world's sugar.
If Brazil produces < 20% of supply, it is NOT the top exporter.
1.3 Variant 2: The Theorist Work
Consider the statement: "The proportion of population of Brazil that lives in close proximity to at least one museum is larger than that of Russia."
How to Solve:
- Observe a Pattern: Brazil has higher visit rates than Russia in the museum category Why?
- Accept the Premise: Assume it is TRUE that Brazilians live closer to museums.
- Evaluate Connection: Does proximity explain higher visits? Yes. It is a plausible cause.
| Country | Library | Zoo/Aquarium | Nat. History Museum | Science Museum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
| Brazil | 25 | 28 | 7 | 4 |
| EU | 35 | 27 | 20 | 18 |
| S. Korea | 35 | 37 | 30 | 10 |
| China | 41 | 51 | 13 | 19 |
| Japan | 48 | 45 | 20 | 12 |
| US | 65 | 48 | 27 | 26 |
For each statement, select Would help explain if it would help explain the data. Otherwise select Would not help explain.
The proportion of the population of Brazil that lives in close proximity to at least one museum is larger than that of Russia.
Of the countries/political unions in the table, the three that spend the most money to promote their natural history museums are the ones where science is most highly valued.
