26. CR Resolve the paradox
Find the choice that lets BOTH facts stay true at once.
Core ideas
- State the two facts that clash; the answer must let BOTH remain true.
- Never pick a choice that denies or weakens one of the facts; that is not resolving, that is arguing.
- Look for a hidden difference: different groups, times, places, or definitions behind the two facts.
- Pre-phrase the missing piece: "both can be true if..." then match.
Worked example 1
Over the past decade, the average fuel efficiency of cars in Merrivale has improved by 25 percent, yet total gasoline consumption in Merrivale has risen over the same period.
Which best resolves the discrepancy?
(A) Gasoline prices in Merrivale fell slightly over the decade.
(B) The number of cars in Merrivale and the average distance each car is driven have both increased substantially.
(C) Fuel efficiency ratings are measured under laboratory conditions.
Show solution
Fact 1: each car burns less fuel per mile. Fact 2: total fuel burned went up. Both are true if total miles driven grew faster than efficiency improved. Choice (B) supplies exactly that: many more cars driving many more miles can outweigh a 25 percent per-car improvement, so consumption rises even as efficiency rises. (A) hints at a mechanism but does not itself state that driving increased. (C) attacks the efficiency fact instead of reconciling it. Answer: (B).
Worked example 2
The Norwick Public Library doubled its collection of e-books last year, and e-book checkouts rose sharply. Yet checkouts of printed books at Norwick also increased last year.
Which best resolves the apparent paradox?
(A) Many patrons who discovered the library through its expanded e-book catalog began visiting branches and borrowing printed books as well.
(B) E-books are more convenient than printed books.
(C) The library reduced its printed book collection last year.
Show solution
The tension: we expect e-books to substitute for print, yet both went up. Both facts stand if e-books recruit new patrons rather than cannibalize print readers. Choice (A) gives that mechanism: the e-book expansion drew in people who then also borrowed print, so both categories rise together. (B) deepens the puzzle by making substitution more likely. (C) makes rising print checkouts harder to explain, not easier. Answer: (A).
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