Advertisement: Fabric-Soft leaves clothes soft and fluffy, and its fresh scent is a delight. We conducted a test using over 100 consumers to prove Fabric-Soft is best. Each consumer was given one towel washed with Fabric-Soft and one towel washed without it. Ninety-nine percent of the consumers preferred the Fabric-Soft towel. So Fabric-Soft is the most effective fabric softener available.
The advertisement’s reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it fails to consider whether
(A) any of the consumers tested are allergic to fabric softeners
(B) Fabric-Soft is more or less harmful to the environment than other fabric softeners
(C) Fabric-Soft is much cheaper or more expensive than other fabric softeners
(D) the consumers tested find the benefits of using fabric softeners worth the expense
(E) the consumers tested had the opportunity to evaluate fabric softeners other than Fabric-Soft
A. One consumer’s allergy isn’t relevant—especially if the allergy applies to all fabric softeners equally. That doesn’t help determine which product is most effective.
B. The argument doesn’t address environmental impact; it focuses solely on which softener best softens fabric. "Most effective" should be taken literally.
C. Same issue as B. Price isn’t part of the discussion. Effectiveness is the only factor the argument considers.
D. The question is about how well Fabric-Soft works, not whether people are inclined to use it. Even someone who doesn't use fabric softener can still judge its performance.
E. Correct. The argument only mentions a towel washed without Fabric-Soft. There’s no comparison with towels washed using other brands, so we can’t judge which softener is most effective.
