Official Explanation

Argument Evaluation

Among the answer choices given, which one describes the most significant flaw in the reasoning, given the information provided?

Note that not all nonsmokers are healthy in every respect. This raises the possibility that tobacco-smoke exposure of some nonsmokers—those who already have some medical condition—could either worsen existing illnesses or cause new ones such as lung cancer or heart disease.

The risks in such exposure could be significantly greater for those unhealthy nonsmokers than for the healthy nonsmokers.

A. This choice is outside the scope of the argument. The argument addresses the issue of illnesses that could be caused by exposure to other people's smoke in the workplace. In this context, cancer-causing factors other than smoking are irrelevant.

B. Correct. The information provided does not mention health risks to unhealthy nonsmokers that exposure to other people's tobacco smoke in the workplace might cause.

C. This choice is outside the scope of the argument. The argument addresses the issue of illnesses that could be caused by exposure to other people's smoke in the workplace. It does not address general risk factors that contribute to anybody's risk of getting heart disease.

D. The argument does not consider whether nonsmokers might become concerned about their health risks in workplaces where they breathe smoke. The argument is about health risks, not about workers' attitudes to health risks.

E. The argument suggests that healthy nonsmokers are not unduly affected by cigarette smoke in the workplace. While possibly true, this claim is not a valid criticism of the argument as stated. The argument has no explicit comparison of the health levels of smokers and nonsmokers.

The correct answer is B.