Correct Answer: E
Explanation:
- Let us arrange the letters in two separate categories. The first category will be for age—older and younger.
The second category will be for height—taller and shorter. We represent older with the mathematical “greater than” sign > .
We represent taller with a double mathematical “greater than” sign > >. From the first statement (L is older than M and taller than N),
we get this representation:
- L > M and L > > N
- The second statement (O is younger than P, older than N and shorter than Q) translates mathematically as
- P > O > N and Q > > O
- The third statement (R is older than S, younger than N, shorter than S, and taller than Q) gives us
- N > R > S and S > > R > > Q
- The fourth statement (S is older than L and shorter than N) gives us
- S > L and N > > S
- Thus consolidating, we have
- L > M ---------------------------- L > > N
- P > O > N------------------------- Q > > O
- N > R > S ------------------------ S > > R > > Q
- S > L ---------------------------- N > > S
- Again with the mathematical inequality sign we can further consolidate the above in two separate inequality statements:
- P > O > N > R > S > L > M
- and
- L > > N > > S > > R > > Q > > O
- Now we can proceed to answer questions 5-8 with reference to the mathematical representation above.
(Note that the correct choice must be a false choice. We see that the only choices that deal with younger-older people are Choices C and E. Choice C is a true statement, so it is incorrect. Now let us go to the shorter-taller choices—that is, Choices A, B and D. Choice A is a true statement, so it is an incorrect choice. Choice B is a true statement, so it is an incorrect choice. Choice D is a true statement, so it is an incorrect choice. As for Choice E, we cannot determine whether Q is the third oldest of the group because Q