What does Alex lie about when Zoe comes into the library?

What does Alex lie about when Zoe comes into the library?

• A. The doors are locked
• B. The doors are open
• C. The doors are jammed
• D. The doors are unlocked

Answer: (A)

The key idea is spotting what would be false given the event that Zoe has just entered the library. If Zoe is able to come into the library, the doors can’t be in a state that blocks entry. Saying the doors are locked would be a lie in this moment because being locked would normally prevent entry, contradicting the fact that she has entered. The other door states—open, jammed, or unlocked—could all be true and wouldn’t be false given her arrival (a jammed door would also block entry, but the statement that the doors are jammed doesn’t fit the moment Zoe comes in as the stated fact). So the falsehood Alex tells in this context is that the doors are locked.

The key idea is spotting what would be false given the event that Zoe has just entered the library. If Zoe is able to come into the library, the doors can’t be in a state that blocks entry. Saying the doors are locked would be a lie in this moment because being locked would normally prevent entry, contradicting the fact that she has entered. The other door states—open, jammed, or unlocked—could all be true and wouldn’t be false given her arrival (a jammed door would also block entry, but the statement that the doors are jammed doesn’t fit the moment Zoe comes in as the stated fact). So the falsehood Alex tells in this context is that the doors are locked.