A football player cannot be an All-American without both superior athletic talent and an unusual work ethic. Most football players have an unusual work ethic. However, most people with superior athletic talent do not play football, but rather other sports such as basketball. Most basketball players with superior athletic talent do not have an unusual work ethic.

If the statements above are true, which one of the following statements must also be true?

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TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Most basketball players with superior athletic talent, if they played football, could not be All-Americans.. The passage specifically states two necessary conditions for being an All-American in football: 1) superior athletic talent, and 2) an unusual work ethic. Because the passage notes that most basketball players who have (1) lack (2), it logically follows that most basketball players could not qualify as All-Americans in football, under the conditions stated. Note that the passage does not state the conditions sufficient to become an All-American football player; it merely states some necessary conditions. Nor does the passage tell us anything that would allow drawing a conclusion regarding “most football players” or “at least some All-American football players.”

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