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Leslie: I' ll show you that your quest for the treasure is irrational. Suppose you found a tablet inscribed, "Whoever touches this tablet will lose a hand, yet will possess the world. " Would you touch it? Erich: Certainly not. Leslie: Just as I expected! It is clear from your answer that your hands are more important ... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion drawn in Leslie's argument? | [
"Erich would not sacrifice one of his hands in order to possess the world.",
"Erich is irrationally risking something that is precious to him for something that is of no value.",
"Erich is engaging in irrational behavior by pursuing his quest for the treasure.",
"Erich should not risk his physical well-being ... | 2 | val_300 |
A minor league baseball franchise experienced a drop in attendance this week after they suffered three losses by margins of ten runs or more last week. Many spectators of those games wrote letters to the editors of the local sporting news, complaining of the poor play of the team in those three losses. Nevertheless, th... | Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the position held by the front office of the baseball franchise? | [
"This minor league team is over four hours from the closest major league team, so many of the minor league team's fans do not often attend major league games.",
"Other minor league teams in that region of the state reported a similar drop in attendance this week.",
"Many minor league baseball franchises attribu... | 1 | val_301 |
People who have spent a lot of time in contact with animals often develop animal-induced allergies, a significant percentage of which are quite serious. In a survey of current employees in major zoos, about 30 percent had animal-induced allergies. However, a zoo employee who develops a serious animal-induced allergy is... | Which of the following hypotheses receives the strongest support from the information given? | [
"The incidence of serious animal-induced allergies among current zoo employees is lower than that among the general population.",
"Among members of the general population who have spent as much time with animals as zoo employees typically have, the percentage with animal-induced allergies is significantly more th... | 1 | val_302 |
Selena claims to have psychic powers. So if we find out whether Selena' s claim is true, we will thereby determine whether it is possible to have psychic powers. | The conclusion drawn above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"No one else has yet been found to have psychic powers.",
"It is possible to determine whether Selena has psychic powers.",
"We will not be able to determine whether it is possible to have psychic powers unless we find out whether Selena's claim is true.",
"If it is possible to have psychic powers, then Selen... | 3 | val_303 |
First legislator: Medical research is predominantly done on groups of patients that include only men. For example, the effects of coffee drinking on health are evaluated only for men, and studies are lacking on hormone treatments for older women. Government-sponsored medical research should be required to include studi... | Which one of the following rejoinders, if true, most directly counters the second legislator's objection? | [
"Serving as a subject for medical research can provide a patient access to new treatments but also can subject the patient to risks.",
"Restriction to males of the patient base on which data are collected results in inadequate science.",
"Government-sponsored medical research is often done in military hospitals... | 1 | val_304 |
Researchers recently studied the relationship between diet and mood, using a diverse sample of 1, 000 adults. It was found that those who ate the most chocolate were the most likely to feel depressed. Ttherefore, by reducing excessive chocolate consumption, adults can almost certainly improve their mood. | The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? | [
"It improperly infers from the fact that a substance causally contributes to a condition that a reduction in the consumption of the substance is likely to eliminate that condition.",
"It draws a conclusion about a causal relationship between two phenomena from evidence that merely suggests that there is a correla... | 1 | val_305 |
Mayor of Smalltown: Instituting high taxes on sodas, which are currently untaxed in Smalltown, has been shown in the past year to encourage people to reduce their intake of soda and live healthier lifestyles. Because the effects of such taxes on local businesses have not yet been determined, though, I believe we should... | The activist's argument is flawed because it fails to consider that | [
"the effects of taxes on local businesses may not be immediately apparent in all cases.",
"the health effects of some types of sodas may be different than the health effects of others.",
"it is possible to weigh known drawbacks against known benefits, but not possible to weigh unknown drawbacks in the same way.... | 2 | val_306 |
A new type of shaving cream has gotten excellent reviews, but there is a worry that an ingredient in the cream can cause a severe allergic reaction. If consumers test the product on a small area of skin before using it, however, a painful allergic reaction can certainly be prevented. Ttherefore, the fear of the cream c... | The argument depends on which one of the following assumptions? | [
"All consumers of the shaving cream will test the product on a small area of skin before using it.",
"None of the consumers who have yet to use the shaving cream are allergic to it.",
"The shaving cream will come with a money-back guarantee if consumers find they are allergic to it.",
"The shaving cream can b... | 0 | val_307 |
Game show winners choosing between two equally desirable prizes will choose either the one that is more expensive or the one with which they are more familiar. Today' s winner, Ed, is choosing between two equally desirable and equally unfamiliar prizes, A and B. He will thus choose A, which is more expensive. | The reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to the reasoning above? | [
"With a book contract, an academic writer receives either an advance or a guarantee of royalties. Professor al-Sofi received an advance for a book contract, so al-Sofi did not receive a guarantee of royalties.",
"When entering this amusement park, children always choose to take their first ride on either the Rock... | 3 | val_308 |
Letter to the editor: When your newspaper reported the (admittedly extraordinary) claim by Mr. Hanlon that he saw an alien spaceship, the tone of your article was very skeptical despite the fact that Hanlon has over the years proved to be a trusted member of the community. If Hanlon claimed to have observed a rare natu... | The argument in the letter conflicts with which one of the following principles? | [
"People who think they observe supernatural phenomena should not publicize that fact unless they can present corroborating evidence.",
"A newspaper should not publish a report unless it is confirmed by an independent source.",
"If a media outlet has trusted a source in the past and the source has a good reputat... | 3 | val_309 |
The folktale that claims that a rattlesnake' s age can be determined from the number of sections in its rattle is false, but only because the rattles are brittle and sometimes partially or completely break off. So if they were not so brittle, one could reliably determine a rattlesnake' s age simply from the number of s... | Which one of the following is an assumption the argument requires in order for its conclusion to be properly drawn? | [
"Rattlesnakes molt as often when food is scarce as they do when food is plentiful.",
"Rattlesnakes molt more frequently when young than when old.",
"Rattlesnakes molt exactly once a year.",
"The rattles of rattlesnakes of different species are identical in appearance."
] | 0 | val_310 |
Recycling is the best possible way for people to preserve the environment. Recycling conserves finite natural resources, protects forests, and reduces fossil fuel. If recycling achieves a 75% conversion rate, it would be the equivalent of removing 55 million cars from the road per year. | Which one of the following statements, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Recycling benefits the economy, as manufacturers can reuse materials at lower costs.",
"Recycling reduces carbon emissions more than green energy programs.",
"Recycling prevents waste from entering the oceans -- the leading producer of oxygen.",
"Recy cling one aluminum can saves the equivalent amount of ene... | 1 | val_311 |
One way to compare chess-playing programs is to compare how they perform with fixed time limits per move. Given any two computers with which a chess-playing program is compatible, and given fixed time limits per move, such a program will have a better chance of winning on the faster computer. This is simply because the... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"If a chess-playing program is run on two different computers and is allotted more time to examine possible moves when running on the slow computer than when running on the fast computer, it will have an equal chance of winning on either computer.",
"How fast a given computer is has no effect on which chess-playi... | 2 | val_312 |
In an experiment, biologists repeatedly shone a bright light into a tank containing a sea snail and simultaneously shook the tank. The snail invariably responded by tensing its muscular "foot, " a typical reaction in sea snails to ocean turbulence. After several repetitions of this procedure, the snail tensed its "foot... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"The sea snail used in the experiment did not differ significantly from other members of its species in its reaction to external stimuli.",
"Tensing of the muscular \"foot\" in sea snails is an instinctual rather than a learned response to ocean turbulence.",
"All sea snails react to ocean turbulence in the sam... | 3 | val_313 |
In the past the country of Malvernia has relied heavily on imported oil. Malvernia recently implemented a program to convert heating systems from oil to natural gas. Malvernia currently produces more natural gas each year than it uses, and oil production in Malvernian oil fields is increasing at a steady pace. If these... | Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in evaluating the argument? | [
"Is Malvernia among the countries that rely most on imported oil?",
"Is the amount of oil used each year in Malvernia for generating electricity and fuel for transportation increasing?",
"What proportion of Malvernia's total energy needs is met by hydroelectric, solar, and nuclear power?",
"When, if ever, wil... | 1 | val_314 |
Jeneta: Increasingly, I' ve noticed that when a salesperson thanks a customer for making a purchase, the customer also says "Thank you" instead of saying "You' re welcome. " I' ve even started doing that myself. But when a friend thanks a friend for a favor, the response is always "You' re welcome. " | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the discrepancy that Jeneta observes in people's responses? | [
"The way that people respond to being thanked is generally determined by habit rather than by conscious decision.",
"In a commercial transaction, as opposed to a favor, the customer feels that the benefits are mutual.",
"Salespeople are often instructed by their employers to thank customers, whereas customers a... | 1 | val_315 |
If Patricia eats a heavy, spicy meal tonight, she will get a bad case of heartbum later. If Patricia gets a bad case of heartbum later, she will be grouchy tomorrow morning. So if Patricia eats a heavy, spicy meal tonight, she will be grouchy tomorrow morning. | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its logical features to the argument above? | [
"Maria plants either petunias or geraniums in her garden. If Maria plants petunias, she plants purple ones. If Maria plants geraniums, she plants red ones. Since both petunias and geraniums are flowers, Maria will have either purple or red flowers in her garden.",
"If Shawn starts gardening in early spring, he ca... | 3 | val_316 |
The growing popularity of computer-based activities was widely expected to result in a decline in television viewing, since it had been assumed that people lack sufficient free time to maintain current television-viewing levels while spending increasing amounts of free time on the computer. That assumption, however, is... | In order to evaluate the argument, it would be most useful to determine which of the following? | [
"Whether the amount of time spent watching television is declining among people who report that they rarely or never use computers",
"Whether the survey respondents' reports of time spent using computers included time spent using computers at work",
"Whether a large majority of the computer owners in the survey... | 1 | val_317 |
A certain type of prehistoric basket has been found in only two locations, one on private property and the other on a protected archaeological site. An electron microscope was used to examine one such basket. Unless an artifact has been thoroughly cleaned, an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals cha... | The information in the passage, if correct, most strongly supports which one of the following? | [
"Some minerals characteristic of the soil of the protected site are also contained in the soil of the private site.",
"The basket was too encrusted with soil to be examined accurately.",
"The basket was excavated on private property.",
"No minerals characteristic of the soil of the private site were detected ... | 2 | val_318 |
One of the things lenders do in evaluating the risk of a potential borrower defaulting on a loan is to consider the potential borrower' s credit score. In general, the higher the credit score, the less the risk of default. Yet for mortgage loans, the proportion of defaults is much higher for borrowers with the highest ... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the statements above? | [
"Mortgage lenders are much less likely to consider risk factors other than credit score when evaluating borrowers with the highest credit scores.",
"Most potential borrowers have credit scores that are neither very low nor very high.",
"Credit scores reported to mortgage lenders are based on collections of data... | 0 | val_319 |
No one in the French department to which Professor Alban belongs is allowed to teach more than one introductory level class in any one term. Moreover, the only language classes being taught next term are advanced ones. So it is untrue that both of the French classes Professor Alban will be teaching next term will be in... | The pattern of reasoning displayed in the argument above is most closely paralleled by that in which one of the following arguments? | [
"New buildings that include public space are exempt from city taxes for two years and all new buildings in the city's Alton district are exempt for five years, so the building with the large public space that was recently completed in Alton will not be subject to city taxes next year.",
"All property on Overton R... | 0 | val_320 |
Without information that could only have come from someone present at the secret meeting between the finance minister and the leader of the opposition party, the newspaper story that forced the finance minister to resign could not have been written. No one witnessed the meeting, however, except the minister' s aide. It... | The argument commits which one of the following errors of reasoning? | [
"treating evidence that a given action contributed to bringing about a certain effect as though that evidence established that the given action by itself was sufficient to bring about that effect",
"drawing a conclusion on the basis of evidence that provides equally strong support for a competing conclusion",
"... | 1 | val_321 |
Physician: In comparing our country with two other countries of roughly the same population size, I found that even though we face the same dietary, bacterial, and stress-related causes of ulcers as they do, prescriptions for ulcer medicines in all socioeconomic strata are much rarer here than in those two countries. I... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the physician's argument? | [
"The two countries that were compared with the physician's country had approximately the same ulcer rates as each other.",
"The physician's country has a much better system for reporting the number of prescriptions of a given type that are obtained each year than is present in either of the other two countries.",... | 2 | val_322 |
Power Plant Spokesperson: "The water quality of the Phage River as it passes through Praseopolis is below federal standards. <b> The citizens of Praseopolis often blame the poor water quality on our coal-burning power plant, which is upstream from Praseopolis. </b> But Vulcan Refinery, along a tributary of the Phage Ri... | In the power plant spokesperson's argument, the portion in boldface plays which of the following roles? | [
"It is a finding the argument seeks to explain.",
"It is the main conclusion of the argument.",
"It introduces a judgment that the argument opposes.",
"It is an explanation that the argument concludes is correct."
] | 2 | val_323 |
In essence, all rent-control policies involve specifying a maximum rent that a landlord may charge for a dwelling. The rationale for controlling rents is to protect tenants in situations where limited supply will cause rents to rise sharply in the face of increased demand. However, although rent control may help some t... | Which one of the following, if true, best explains the landlords' reluctance described above? | [
"Rent control is a common practice even though it does nothing to alleviate shortages in rental housing.",
"Rent control is generally introduced for political reasons and it takes political action to have it lifted again.",
"Tenants prefer rent control to the alternative of receiving direct government subsidies... | 3 | val_324 |
Shark teeth are among the most common vertebrate fossils; yet fossilized shark skeletons are much less common -- indeed, comparatively rare among fossilized vertebrate skeletons. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox described above? | [
"The physical and chemical processes involved in the fossilization of sharks' teeth are as common as those involved in the fossilization of shark skeletons.",
"Unlike the bony skeletons of other vertebrates, shark skeletons are composed of cartilage, and teeth and bone are much more likely to fossilize than carti... | 1 | val_325 |
Students in a first-year undergraduate course were divided into two groups. All the students in both groups were given newspaper articles identical in every respect, except for the headline, which was different for each group. When the students were later asked questions about the contents of the article, the answers g... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"Newspaper headlines influence a reader's interpretation of the corresponding articles.",
"Newspaper headlines hamper a reader's ability to comprehend the corresponding articles.",
"Newspaper headlines tend to be highly misleading.",
"Careless reading is more common among first- year undergraduates than among... | 0 | val_326 |
Although wood-burning stoves are more efficient than open fireplaces, they are also more dangerous. The smoke that wood-burning stoves release up the chimney is cooler than the smoke from an open flame. Thus it travels more slowly and deposits more creosote, a flammable substance that can clog a chimney -- or worse ign... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Open fireplaces pose more risk of severe accidents inside the home than do woodburning stoves.",
"Open fireplaces also produce a large amount of creosote residue.",
"The amount of creosote produced depends not only on the type of flame but on how often the stove or fireplace is used.",
"The most efficient wo... | 0 | val_327 |
In a study of honesty conducted in various retail stores, customers who paid in cash and received change were given an extra dollar with their change. Few people who received an extra dollar returned it. So, among those who received an extra dollar, most behaved dishonestly. | The answer to which one of the following questions would most help in evaluating the argument? | [
"What percentage of the retail transactions studied were cash transactions?",
"Does increasing the extra change to five dollars have an effect on people's behavior?",
"Did those who received an extra dollar count their change?",
"Did the people who returned the extra dollar suspect that it was given to them i... | 2 | val_328 |
Letter to the editor: The Planning Department budget increased from $100, 000 in 2001 to $524, 000 for this year. However, this does not justify your conclusion in yesterday' s editorial that the department now spends five times as much money as it did in 2001 to perform the same duties. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to support the claim made in the letter regarding the justification of the editorial's conclusion? | [
"A restructuring act, passed in 2003, broadened the duties of the Planning Department.",
"Departments other than the Planning Department have had much larger budget increases since 2001.",
"The budget figures used in the original editorial were adjusted for inflation.",
"In some years between 2001 and this ye... | 0 | val_329 |
Tamika: Many people have been duped by the claims of those who market certain questionable medical products. Their susceptibility is easy to explain: most people yearn for easy solutions to complex medical problems but don' t have the medical knowledge necessary to see through the sellers' fraudulent claims. However, t... | Tamika's argument proceeds by | [
"arguing against a hypothesis by showing that the hypothesis cannot account for the behavior of everyone",
"arguing that since two groups are disanalogous in important respects, there must be different explanations for their similar behavior",
"explaining the susceptibility of medical professionals to the fraud... | 1 | val_330 |
Although Jaaks is a respected historian, her negative review of Yancey' s new book on the history of coastal fisheries in the region rests on a mistake. Jaaks' s review argues that the book inaccurately portrays the lives of fishery workers. However, Yancey used the same research methods in this book as in her other hi... | The reasoning above is flawed in that it | [
"presumes, without providing justification, that the methods used by Yancey are the only methods that would produce accurate results",
"relies on the word of a scholar who is unqualified in the area in question",
"attacks the person making the claim at issue rather than addressing the claim",
"takes for grant... | 3 | val_331 |
Economist: Tropicorp, which constantly seeks profitable investment opportunities, has been buying and clearing sections of tropical forest for cattle ranching, although pastures newly created there become useless for grazing after just a few years. The company has not gone into rubber tapping, even though greater profi... | In the economist's argument, the two <b> boldface </b> portions play which of the following roles? | [
"The first states the conclusion of the economists' argument: the second supports that conclusion.",
"The first supports the conclusion of the environmentalists' argument; the second states that conclusion.",
"Each supports the conclusion of the economist's argument.",
"The first states the conclusion of the ... | 3 | val_332 |
According to a widely held economic hypothesis, imposing strict environmental regulations reduces economic growth. This hypothesis is undermined by the fact that the states with the strictest environmental regulations also have the highest economic growth. This fact does not show that environmental regulations promote ... | Which of the following, if true, provides evidence that most logically completes the argument below? | [
"those states with the strictest environmental regulations invest the most in education and job training",
"after introducing stricter environmental regulations, many states experienced increased economic growth",
"even those states with very weak environmental regulations have experienced at least some growth"... | 0 | val_333 |
A small collection of copper-alloy kitchen implements was found in an abandoned Roman-era well. Beneath them was a cache of coins, some of which dated to 375 A. D. The implements, ttherefore, were dropped into the well no earlier than 375 A. D. | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Items of jewelry found beneath the coins were probably made around 300 A. D.",
"The coins were found in a dense cluster that could not have been formed by coins slipping through an accumulation of larger objects.",
"The coins had far more value than the kitchen implements did.",
"The coins used in the Roman ... | 1 | val_334 |
The only way that bookstores can profitably sell books at below-market prices is to get the books at a discount from publishers. Unless bookstores generate a high sales volume, however, they cannot get discounts from publishers. To generate such volume, bookstores must either cater to mass tastes or have exclusive acce... | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the passage? | [
"If a bookstore receives discounts from publishers, it will profitably sell books at below-market prices.",
"A bookstore that caters to mass tastes or has exclusive access to a large specialized market will have a high sales volume.",
"A bookstore that not only caters to mass tastes but also has exclusive acces... | 3 | val_335 |
Consumer advocate: The toy-labeling law should require manufacturers to provide explicit safety labels on toys to indicate what hazards the toys pose. The only labels currently required by law are labels indicating the age range for which a toy is intended. For instance, a "three and up" label is required on toys that ... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the consumer advocate's argument? | [
"Many parents do not pay attention to manufacturers labels when they select toys for their children.",
"Most parents believe that the current labels are recommendations regarding level of cognitive skill.",
"The majority of children injured by toys are under three years of age.",
"Choking is the most serious ... | 1 | val_336 |
In Europe, many large animal species, such as mammoths, became extinct soon after humans first migrated to the animals' areas of habitation. The spread of such extinctions closely followed the pattern of human migration. However, since humans tended to migrate to areas as the climate in those areas began to warm, the e... | Which of the following, if true, provides the best evidence that it was human migration and not climatic change that precipitated the extinctions? | [
"Many animal species, such as deer and bison, continued to thrive in Europe even after humans migrated there.",
"Many animal species that became extinct in Europe survived longer in areas that were isolated from human populations but that experienced intense climatic warming.",
"Several periods of marked climat... | 1 | val_337 |
Political advocacy groups have begun to use information services to disseminate information that is then accessed by the public via personal computer. Since many groups are thus able to bypass traditional news sources, whose reporting is selective, and to present their political views directly to the public, informatio... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument above depends? | [
"People could get a thorough understanding of a particular political issue by sorting through information provided by several traditional news sources, each with differing editorial biases.",
"Most people who get information on political issues from newspapers and other traditional news sources can readily identi... | 2 | val_338 |
In an experiment, two groups of mice -- one whose diet included ginkgo extract and one that had a normal diet -- were taught to navigate a maze. The mice whose diet included ginkgo were more likely to remember how to navigate the maze the next day than were the other mice. However, the ginkgo may not have directly enha... | Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument? | [
"The doses of ginkgo in the diet of the mice in the experiment were significantly higher than the doses that have been shown to reduce stress in mice.",
"Scientists have not yet determined which substances in ginkgo are responsible for reducing stress in mice.",
"Some chemical substances that reduce stress in m... | 3 | val_339 |
About two million years ago, lava dammed up a river in western Asia and caused a small lake to form. The lake existed for about half a million years. Bones of an early human ancestor were recently found in the ancient lake-bottom sediments that lie on top of the layer of lava. Ttherefore, ancestors of modern humans liv... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"The bones were already in the sediments by the time the lake dried up.",
"The lake contained fish that the human ancestors could have used for food.",
"The lake was deep enough that a person could drown in it.",
"There were no other lakes in the immediate area before the lava dammed up the river."
] | 0 | val_340 |
Rosen: One cannot prepare a good meal from bad food, produce good food from bad soil, maintain good soil without good farming, or have good farming without a culture that places value on the proper maintenance of all its natural resources so that needed supplies are always available. | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from Rosen's statement? | [
"Any society with good cultural values will have a good cuisine.",
"Good soil is a prerequisite of good farming.",
"The creation of good meals depends on both natural and cultural conditions.",
"Natural resources cannot be maintained properly without good farming practices."
] | 2 | val_341 |
Until now, only injectable vaccines against influenza have been available. Parents are reluctant to subject children to the pain of injections, but adults, who are at risk of serious complications from influenza, are commonly vaccinated. A new influenza vaccine, administered painlessly in a nasal spray, is effective fo... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"The nasal spray vaccine is most effective when administered to adults.",
"The injectable vaccine is affordable for all adults.",
"Any person who has received the injectable vaccine can safely receive the nasal-spray vaccine as well.",
"Adults do not contract influenza primarily from children who have influen... | 3 | val_342 |
When people show signs of having a heart attack an electrocardiograph (EKG) is often used to diagnose their condition. In a study, a computer program for EKG diagnosis of heart attacks was pitted against a very experienced, highly skilled cardiologist. The program correctly diagnosed a significantly higher proportion o... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument? | [
"Experts agreed that the cardiologist made few obvious mistakes in reading and interpreting the EKG data.",
"The cardiologist in the study was unrepresentative of cardiologists in general with respect to skill and experience.",
"The cardiologist correctly diagnosed a significantly higher proportion of the cases... | 2 | val_343 |
Pedro: Unlike cloth diapers, disposable diapers are a threat to the environment. Sixteen billion disposable diapers are discarded annually, filling up landfills at an alarming rate. So people must stop buying disposable diapers and use cloth diapers. Maria: But you forget that cloth diapers must be washed in hot water,... | Maria objects to Pedro's argument by | [
"indicating that Pedro draws a hasty conclusion, based on inadequate evidence about cloth diapers",
"claiming that Pedro overstates the negative evidence about disposable diapers in the course of his argument in favor of cloth diapers",
"demonstrating that cloth diapers are a far more serious threat to the envi... | 0 | val_344 |
Coffee shop owner: A large number of customers will pay at least the fair market value for a cup of coffee, even if there is no formal charge. Some will pay more than this out of appreciation of the trust that is placed in them. And our total number of customers is likely to increase. We could ttherefore improve our ne... | which of the following, if true, would best support the owner's plan, in light of the manager's concern? | [
"The shop makes a substantial profit from pastries and other food bought by the coffee drinkers.",
"No other coffee shop in the area has such a system.",
"The new system, if implemented, would increase the number of customers.",
"By roasting its own coffee, the shop has managed to reduce the difficulties (and... | 0 | val_345 |
Marcus: For most ethical dilemmas the journalist is likely to face, traditional journalistic ethics is clear, adequate, and essentially correct. For example, when journalists have uncovered newsworthy information, they should go to press with it as soon as possible. No delay motivated by the journalists' personal or pr... | The point made by Anita's statements is most accurately expressed by which one of the following? | [
"There are common situations in which a journalist must make a decision and in which no principle of journalistic ethics can be of help.",
"The ethical principle that Marcus cites does not help the journalist in a typical kind of situation in which a decision needs to be made.",
"Marcus' claim that traditional ... | 1 | val_346 |
Columnist: Raising the minimum wage to the level recently proposed will actually hurt, rather than help, workers with low incomes. As the minimum wage increases, businesses must compensate for higher wage costs by increasing prices for the goods and services that low-income workers must buy but can already barely affor... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the columnist's argument depends? | [
"Changes in the minimum wage are generally not as beneficial to the economy as is commonly believed.",
"Any increase to the minimum wage smaller than the one proposed would not substantially affect prices of goods and services.",
"The proposed minimum-wage increase would not wholly compensate low-income workers... | 2 | val_347 |
In 1883, the Indonesian island Krakatoa, home to a massive volcano, seemingly disappeared overnight as an eruption rent the entire island apart, catapulting rock and debris into the atmosphere. For the next few years, as ash circled the entire globe, the average world temperature dropped by several degrees Fahrenheit. ... | Which of the following, if true, best challenges the main claim of the argument? | [
"The eruption of the Indonesian island of Tambora was even larger than that of Krakatoa, yet the average world temperature did not drop as much as it did following the eruption of Krakatoa.",
"In 1883, the ocean-atmospheric phenomenon La Nina occurred, an event that is always followed by a drop of several degrees... | 1 | val_348 |
When demand for a factory's products is high, more money is spent at the factory for safety precautions and machinery maintenance than when demand is low. Thus the average number of on-the-job accidents per employee each month should be lower during periods when demand is high than when demand is low and less money is ... | Which of the following, if true about a factory when demand for its products is high, casts the most serious doubt on the conclusion drawn above? | [
"Its management sponsors a monthly safety award for each division in the factory.",
"Its old machinery is replaced with modern, automated models.",
"Its management hires new workers but lacks the time to train them properly.",
"Its employees are less likely to lose their jobs than they are at other times."
] | 2 | val_349 |
Newsletter: <b> A condominium generally offers more value for its cost than an individual house because of economies of scale. </b> The homeowners in a condominium association can collectively buy products and services that they could not afford on their own. And since a professional management company handles maintena... | The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles in the newsletter's argument? | [
"Both are premises, for which no evidence is provided, and both support the argument's only conclusion.",
"The first is the argument's main conclusion; the second is another conclusion supporting the first.",
"The first is a conclusion supporting the second; the second is the argument's main conclusion.",
"Th... | 1 | val_350 |
Dietitian: High consumption of sodium increases some people' s chances of developing heart disease. To maintain cardiac health without lowering sodium consumption, ttherefore, these people should eat fresh, rather than canned or frozen, fruit and vegetables, since the potassium in plant foods helps to prevent sodium' s... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the dietitian's argument? | [
"Food processing businesses often add sodium to foods being canned or frozen.",
"Potassium is the only mineral that helps to prevent sodium's malign effects.",
"Fresh fruits and vegetables contain more potassium than do canned or frozen ones.",
"Fresh fruits and vegetables contain more potassium than sodium."... | 2 | val_351 |
Manatees, aquatic mammals inhabiting Florida' s rivers and coastal waters, swim close to the surface and are frequently killed in collisions with boats. To address the problem, boat traffic in manatee-populated waters is being required to maintain very low speeds. Unfortunately, manatees are unable to hear low-pitched ... | Which of the following, if true, casts most doubt on the conclusion? | [
"The areas where boats would have to maintain low speeds were decided partly on the basis of manatee-population estimates and partly from numbers of reported collisions between manatees and boats.",
"When experimenters exposed manatees to the recorded sounds of boats moving at various speeds, the creatures were u... | 1 | val_352 |
Cognitive psychologist: In a recent survey, citizens of Country F were asked to state which one of the following two scenarios they would prefer: (1) Country F is the world economic leader, with a gross national product (GNP) of $100 billion, and Country G is second, with a GNP of $90 billion; or (2) Country G is the e... | Which one of the following, if true, would most help to explain the survey results described by the cognitive psychologist? | [
"Most citizens of Country F want their country to be more economically powerful than Country G.",
"Most citizens of Country F want their country to have a GNP higher than $120 billion.",
"Most citizens of Country F believe GNP is a poor measure of a nation's economic health.",
"Most citizens of Country F beli... | 0 | val_353 |
Environment minister: Because of our concern about global warming, this country has committed itself to reducing its emissions of carbon dioxide substantially over the next ten years. Since trees absorb carbon dioxide, planting large numbers of trees will help us fulfill our commitment. | Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the environment minister's argument? | [
"When ground is disturbed in the course of planting trees, more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere by rotting organic matter in the soil than the new trees will absorb in ten years.",
"Owners of large tracts of private land are usually unwilling to plant trees unless they are given a financial incenti... | 0 | val_354 |
Antoine: The alarming fact is that among children aged 19 years and younger, the number taking antipsychotic medicines soared 73 percent in the last four years. That is greater than the increase in the number of adults taking antipsychotic medicines during the same period. Lucy: But the use of antipsychotic drugs by ad... | Lucy's argument is structured to lead to which of the following as a conclusion? | [
"The fact that the number of children taking antipsychotic medicines increased 73 percent over the last four years is not an indication that the current level of use is abnormally high.",
"The current level of antipsychotic drug use in children is abnormally high.",
"It is unlikely that the increase in the use ... | 0 | val_355 |
Nearly all employees of the factory who have completed their high school diploma have earned their factory safety certificate, having easily completed the eight week training course. The high school graduates who haven' t earned the certificate are ones who have evening obligations that have prevented them from taking ... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following also must be true? | [
"A large proportion of the factory workers have not graduated from high school.",
"A large proportion of students with high school diplomas have evening obligations that have prevented them from taking the eight week training course.",
"Most of the workers who have earned the certificate are high school graduat... | 0 | val_356 |
Criminologist: According to a countrywide tabulation of all crimes reported to local police departments, the incidence of crime per 100, 000 people has risen substantially over the last 20 years. However, a series of independent surveys of randomly selected citizens of the country gives the impression that the total nu... | Which one of the following, if true, would most help to resolve the apparent discrepancy described by the criminologist? | [
"Most crimes committed in the country are not reported to local police departments.",
"Of crimes committed in the country, a much greater proportion have been reported to local police departments in recent years than were reported 20 years ago.",
"Not all of the citizens selected for the series of independent s... | 1 | val_357 |
Jill: State funding has been recommended to encourage the automobile industry to create vehicles that will better withstand collisions. Unless new vehicles are made that can better withstand collisions, highway safety cannot be improved. The automobile industry does not have the funds to conduct the research needed to ... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which Mark's argument depends? | [
"Drivers realize that driving at excessive speeds is the main cause of collisions on highways.",
"The state has the financial means to install more highway patrol forces and give funding to the automobile industry.",
"The cost to install more highway patrol forces will be less than the amount of funding that wo... | 3 | val_358 |
One way to judge the performance of a company is to compare it with other companies. This technique, commonly called "benchmarking, " permits the manager of a company to discover better industrial practices and can provide a justification for the adoption of good practices. | Any of the following, if true, is a valid reason for benchmarking the performance of a company against companies with which it is not in competition rather than against competitors EXCEPT: | [
"Getting \"inside\" information about the unique practices of competitors is particularly difficult.",
"Comparisons with competitors are most likely to focus on practices that the manager making the comparisons already employs.",
"Managers are generally more receptive to new ideas that they find outside their o... | 3 | val_359 |
Researcher: Hard water contains more calcium and magnesium than soft water contains. Thus, those who drink mostly soft water incur an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and hypertension, for people being treated for these conditions tend to have lower levels of magnesium in their blood. | Which one of the following, if true, most undermines the researcher's argument? | [
"Magnesium is needed to prevent sodium from increasing blood pressure.",
"The ingestion of magnesium supplements inhibits the effectiveness of many medicines used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease.",
"Compounds commonly used to treat hypertension and heart disease diminish the body's capacity to ab... | 2 | val_360 |
Fortune-teller: Admittedly, the claims of some self-proclaimed "psychics" have been shown to be fraudulent, but the exposure of a few charlatans cannot alter the fundamental fact that it has not been scientifically proven that there is no such thing as extrasensory perception (ESP). Furthermore, since the failed attemp... | The reasoning in the fortune-teller's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"takes for granted that the fact that a claim has not been demonstrated to be false establishes that it is true",
"overlooks the possibility that some of the scientific studies mentioned reached inaccurate conclusions about whether ESP exists",
"takes for granted that proof that many people lack a characteristi... | 0 | val_361 |
A photograph of the night sky was taken with the camera shutter open for an extended period. The normal motion of stars across the sky caused the images of the stars in the photograph to appear as streaks. However, one bright spot was not streaked. Even if the spot were caused, as astronomers believe, by a celestial ob... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"the spot was not the brightest object in the photograph",
"stars in the night sky do not appear to shift position relative to each other",
"the spot could have been caused by an object that emitted a flash that lasted for only a fraction of the time that the camera shutter was open",
"if the camera shutter h... | 2 | val_362 |
Judicial punishment' s power to deter people from committing crimes is a function of the severity of the penalty and the likelihood of one' s actually receiving the penalty. Occasionally, juries decide that a crime' s penalty is too severe and so refuse to convict a person they are convinced has committed that crime. T... | The pattern of reasoning in which one of the following arguments is most similar to the pattern of reasoning in the argument above? | [
"People who drive cars having many safety features are likely to drive more aggressively than do people who drive cars having few safety features. Thus, the people who drive the safest cars are likely to be the most dangerous drivers on the road.",
"To be attractive to tourists, it is best for a city to have both... | 3 | val_363 |
For pollinating certain crops such as cranberries, bumblebees are far more efficient than honeybees. This is because a bumblebee tends to visit only a few plant species in a limited area, whereas a honeybee generally flies over a much broader area and visits a wider variety of species. | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"The greater the likelihood of a given bee species visiting one or more plants in a given cranberry crop, the more efficient that bee species will be at pollinating that crop.",
"The number of plant species other than cranberries that a bee visits affects the efficiency with which the bee pollinates cranberries."... | 1 | val_364 |
Members of the VideoKing Frequent Viewers club can now receive a special discount coupon. Members of the club who have rented more than ten videos in the past month can receive the discount coupon only at the VideoKing location from which the member last rented a movie. Members of the Frequent Viewers club who have not... | If all of the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true? | [
"Some members of the Frequent Viewers club can receive the special discount coupon at more than one location of VideoKing.",
"If Pat rents a movie from the Main Street location, then she will not receive the special discount coupon.",
"The only people who can receive the special discount coupon at the Main Stre... | 3 | val_365 |
<b> Environmental organizations want to preserve the land surrounding the Wilgrinn Wilderness Area from residential development. </b> They plan to do this by purchasing that land from the farmers who own it. That plan is ill-conceived: if the farmers did sell their land, they would sell it to the highest bidder, and de... | In the argument as a whole, the two boldface proportions play which of the following roles? | [
"The first presents a goal that the argument concludes cannot be attained; the second is a reason offered in support of that conclusion.",
"The first presents a goal that the argument rejects as ill-conceived; the second is evidence that is presented as grounds for that rejection.",
"The first presents a goal, ... | 2 | val_366 |
Professor: This year, Texas A&M University has added to its faculty in the English department in order to escalate its rating in the World University Rankings by Subject. However, this obviously has not worked out too well for the department. The English department is still two rankings below its biggest rivalry, Unive... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the professor's conclusion? | [
"Texas A&M pays its faculty lower salaries than its competitor.",
"Texas A&M is slightly older than University of Texas.",
"Texas A&M used to be seven rankings behind University of Texas.",
"There has been a decrease in the department staff since the added faculty."
] | 2 | val_367 |
Advertisement: Among popular automobiles, Sturdimades stand apart. Around the world, hundreds of longtime Sturdimade owners have signed up for Sturdimade' s "long distance" club, members of which must have a Sturdimade they have driven for a total of at least 100, 000 miles or 160, 000 kilometers. Some members boast of... | Construed as an argument, the advertisement's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? | [
"The evidence given to support the conclusion actually undermines that conclusion.",
"Its conclusion merely restates the evidence given to support it.",
"It treats popular opinion as if it constituted conclusive evidence for a claim.",
"It draws a general conclusion from cases selected only on the basis of ha... | 3 | val_368 |
An antidote for chicken pox has been developed, but researchers warn that its widespread use could be dangerous, despite the fact that this drug has no serious side effects and is currently very effective at limiting the duration and severity of chicken pox. | Which one of the following, if true, helps most to reconcile the apparent discrepancy indicated above? | [
"The drug is extremely expensive and would be difficult to make widely available.",
"The drug has to be administered several times a day, so patient compliance is likely to be low.",
"When misused by taking larger-than-prescribed doses, the drug can be fatal.",
"Use of the drug contributes to the development ... | 3 | val_369 |
Many artists claim that art critics find it is easier to write about art that they dislike than to write about art that they like. Whether or not this hypothesis is correct, most art criticism is devoted to art works that fail to satisfy the critic. Hence it follows that most art criticism is devoted to works other tha... | The conclusion above is properly drawn if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"All art critics find it difficult to discover art works that truly satisfy them.",
"A work of art that receives extensive critical attention can thereby become more widely known than it otherwise would have been.",
"The greatest works of art are works that inevitably satisfy all critics.",
"No art critic enj... | 2 | val_370 |
Essayist: Many people are hypocritical in that they often pretend to be more morally upright than they really are. When hypocrisy is exposed, hypocrites are embarrassed by their moral lapse, which motivates them and others to try to become better people. On the other hand, when hypocrisy persists without exposure, the ... | The essayist's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"The hiding of hypocrisy is a better way of motivating people to try to be good than is the exposing of it.",
"The existence of hypocrisy encourages people to make efforts to live by moral standards.",
"The existence of hypocrisy encourages people to believe that no one is morally blameless.",
"There is no st... | 1 | val_371 |
Life in an urban center, with daily experiences of subways, crowded sidewalks and dense living, provides countless opportunities for social contact and connection. Exurban life, by contrast, exists in the openness of freeways and one-acre lots, exhibiting little that would suggest social commonality. Yet studies show t... | Which of the following, if true, contributes most to an explanation of the difference in the reported feelings of connectedness between urban and exurban dwellers? | [
"The cost of living in exurbia is significantly lower than that in urban areas.",
"Exurban school districts often spend more per capita on their students than do those in urban areas.",
"Rates of attendance at houses of worship are much higher in exurban areas than in urban ones.",
"Many people who live in ex... | 2 | val_372 |
In one state, all cities and most towns have antismoking ordinances. A petition entitled "Petition for Statewide Smoking Restriction" is being circulated to voters by campaign workers who ask only, "Do you want to sign a petition for statewide smoking restriction? " The petition advocates a state law banning smoking in... | Which of the following circumstances would make the petition as circulated misleading to voters who understand the proposal as extending the local ordinances statewide? | [
"The state law would supersede the local antismoking ordinances, which contain stronger bans than the state law does.",
"Health costs associated with smoking cause health insurance premiums to rise for everyone and so affect nonsmokers.",
"There is considerable sentiment among voters in most areas of the state ... | 0 | val_373 |
Larew: People in the lowest income quintile had a much higher percentage increase in average income over the last ten years than did those in the highest quintile. So their economic prosperity increased relative to the highest quintile' s. Mendota: I disagree. The average income for the lowest quintile may have increas... | Larew and Mendota disagree about whether | [
"change in the economic prosperity of the lowest income quintile is more accurately measured in terms relative to the highest income quintile than in terms relative only to the lowest income quintile",
"changes in the average income of people in the lowest quintile should ever be compared to changes in the averag... | 2 | val_374 |
A prominent investor who holds a large stake in the Burton Tool Company has recently claimed that <b> the company is mismanaged </b>, citing as evidence the company' s failure to slow production in response to a recent rise in its inventory of finished products. It is doubtful whether an investor' s sniping at manageme... | In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles? | [
"The first states the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second states the conclusion of the argument as a whole.",
"The first states the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second provides evidence to undermine the support for the position being opposed.",
"The first states the p... | 0 | val_375 |
Attacks on an opponent' s character should be avoided in political debates. Such attacks do not confront the opponent' s argument; instead they attempt to cast doubt on the opponent' s moral right to be in the debate at all. | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning above? | [
"Questions of character should be raised in political debate if they are relevant to the opponent's argument.",
"Debating techniques that do not confront every argument should be avoided.",
"Attacks on an opponent's character result from an inability to confront the opponent's argument properly.",
"Attacking ... | 1 | val_376 |
In 1990 major engine repairs were performed on 10 percent of the cars that had been built by the National Motor Company in the 1970s and that were still registered. However, the corresponding figure for the cars that the National Motor Company had manufactured in the 1960s was only five percent. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the discrepancy? | [
"The older a car is, the more likely it is to be discarded for scrap rather than repaired when major engine work is needed to keep the car in operation.",
"Government motor vehicle regulations generally require all cars, whether old or new, to be inspected for emission levels prior to registration.",
"Many of t... | 0 | val_377 |
Journalism professor: Since the number of reportable facts confronting any journalist is extraordinarily large, every journalist must employ a principle of selection. However, any such principle of selection is bound to be subjective, for it involves value judgments. Ttherefore, the view that there is any degree of obj... | The journalism professor's argument is flawed because it | [
"fails to justify its presumption that judgments about fact and judgments about value are indistinguishable",
"draws a conclusion regarding what is right or wrong entirely on the basis of evidence regarding matters of fact",
"concludes that a practice completely lacks a quality on the basis of evidence for its ... | 2 | val_378 |
Chlorofluorocarbons are the best possible solvents to have in car engines for cleaning the electronic sensors in modern automobile ignition systems. These solvents have contributed significantly to automakers' ability to meet legally mandated emission standards. Now automakers will have to phase out the use of chlorofl... | If under the circumstances described above cars continue to meet emission standards, which one of the following is the most strongly supported inference? | [
"Car engines will be radically redesigned so as to do away with the need for cleaning the electronic ignition sensors.",
"Something other than the cleansers for electronic ignition sensors will make a relatively greater contribution to meeting emission standards than at present.",
"The solvents developed to rep... | 1 | val_379 |
In order to reduce dependence on imported oil, the government of Jalica has imposed minimum fuel-efficiency requirements on all new cars, beginning this year. The more fuel-efficient a car, the less pollution it produces per mile driven. As Jalicans replace their old cars with cars that meet the new requirements, annua... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"In Jalica, domestically produced oil is more expensive than imported oil.",
"Jalicans who get cars that are more fuel-efficient tend to do more driving than before.",
"The Jalican government did not intend the new fuel-efficiency requirement to be a pollution-reduction measure.",
"Some pollution-control devi... | 1 | val_380 |
It is morally praiseworthy to be honest only if one is honest out of respect for morality. Strictly speaking, ttherefore, Downing did not act in a manner worthy of such praise when he told the judge the truth about his business partner ' s fraudulence. Downing was motivated by concern for his own well-being---even thou... | The conclusion drawn above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"An action performed out of respect for morality cannot also be an action motivated by concern for oneself.",
"An action motivated by concern for oneself cannot be deserving of moral condemnation.",
"The moral praiseworthiness of an action can be judged only according to standards that refer to the circumstance... | 0 | val_381 |
In speech, when words or sentences are ambiguous, gesture and tone of voice are used to indicate the intended meaning. Writers, of course, cannot use gesture or tone of voice and must rely instead on style; the reader detects the writer' s intention from the arrangement of words and sentences. | Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"The intended meaning of a piece of writing is indicated in part by the writer's arrangement of words and sentences.",
"The writer's arrangement of words and sentences completely determines the aesthetic value of his or her writing.",
"It is easier for a listener to detect the tone of a speaker than for a reade... | 0 | val_382 |
The commercial news media emphasize exceptional events such as airplane crashes at the expense of those such as automobile accidents, which occur far more frequently and represent a far greater risk to the public. Yet the public tends to interpret the degree of emphasis the news media give to these occurrences as indic... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following conclusions is most strongly supported by them? | [
"Print media, such as newspapers and magazines, are a better source of information than are broadcast media.",
"Where commercial news media constitute the dominant source of information, public perception of risk does not reflect actual risk.",
"A massive outbreak of cholera will be covered more extensively by ... | 1 | val_383 |
In an effort to boost sales during the summer months, which are typically the best for soft-drink sales, Foamy Soda lowered its prices. In spite of this, however, the sales of Foamy Soda dropped during the summer months. | Each of the following, if true, contributes to reconciling the apparent discrepancy indicated above EXCEPT: | [
"Foamy Soda's competitors lowered their prices even more drastically during the summer months.",
"The weather during the summer months was unseasonably cool, decreasing the demand for soft drinks.",
"The soft-drink industry as a whole experienced depressed sales during the summer months.",
"Because of an incr... | 3 | val_384 |
Henry: Engines powered by electricity from batteries cause less pollution than internal combustion engines. Ttherefore, to reduce urban pollution, we should replace standard automobiles with battery-powered vehicles. Umit: I disagree. Battery-powered vehicles have very short ranges and must be recharged often. Their wi... | Of the following, which one, if true, is the strongest counter Henry could make to Umit's objection? | [
"Electric motors could be restricted to lighter vehicles such as compact cars, which have smaller batteries and ttherefore require less power to charge than do the larger batteries needed to power larger vehicles.",
"The increased air pollution resulting from a greater demand for electricity would be offset by th... | 2 | val_385 |
Studies in restaurants show that the tips left by customers who pay their bill in cash tend to be larger when the bill is presented on a tray that bears a credit card logo. Consumer psychologists hypothesize that simply seeing a credit-card logo makes many credit card holders willing to spend more because it reminds th... | Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the psychologists' interpretation of the studies? | [
"Patrons who are under financial pressure from their credit-card obligations tend to tip less when presented with a restaurant bill on a tray with a credit-card logo than when the tray has no logo.",
"The effect noted in the studies is not limited to patrons who have credit cards.",
"In virtually all of the cas... | 0 | val_386 |
Archaeologist: The earliest evidence of controlled fire use in Europe dates to just 400, 000 years ago. This casts doubt on the commonly held view that, because of Europe' s cold winter climate, mastery of fire was a necessary prerequisite for humans' migration there. | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"There were humans inhabiting Europe prior to 400, 000 years ago.",
"The humans who first mastered fire used it for heat but not for cooking.",
"The climate in Europe was significantly colder 400, 000 years ago than it is today.",
"Humans would not have mastered fire were it not for the need for heat in a col... | 0 | val_387 |
Most adults in country X consume an increasing amount of fat as they grow older. However, for nearly all adults in country X, the percentage of fat in a person' s diet stays the same throughout adult life. | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following conclusions about adults in country X? | [
"They generally eat more when they are older than they did earlier in their adulthood.",
"They generally have diets that contain a lower percentage of fat than do the diets of children in country X.",
"They generally consume more fat than do people of the same age in other countries.",
"They tend to eat more ... | 0 | val_388 |
Currently, no satellite orbiting Earth is at significant risk of colliding with other satellites or satellite fragments, but the risk of such a collision is likely to increase dramatically in the future. After all, once such a collision occurs, it will probably produce thousands of satellite fragments, each large enoug... | Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that the risk of a satellite orbiting Earth colliding with other satellites or satellite fragments is likely to increase dramatically in the future? | [
"It is a claim that serves as the argument's conclusion.",
"It is a claim that provides nonessential background information for the argument's conclusion.",
"It is an unsupported claim that is used to provide support for the argument's conclusion.",
"It is a claim for which the argument provides some support,... | 0 | val_389 |
It is common to respond to a person who is exhorting us to change our behavior by drawing attention to that person' s own behavior. This response, however, is irrational. Whether or not someone in fact heeds his or her own advice is irrelevant to whether that person' s advice should be heeded. | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above? | [
"Other countries argue that if we are serious about disarming we should go ahead and disarm to show our good intentions, but this is irrational, for we could make the same argument about them.",
"We should not be too severe in our condemnation of the salesperson; we have all lied at one point or another. It is ir... | 2 | val_390 |
Capuchin monkeys often rub their bodies with a certain type of millipede. Laboratory tests show that secretions from the bodies of these millipedes are rich in two chemicals that are potent mosquito repellents, and mosquitoes carry parasites that debilitate capuchins. Some scientists hypothesize that the monkeys rub th... | Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the scientists' hypothesis? | [
"The two chemicals that repel mosquitoes also repel several other varieties of insects.",
"The capuchins rarely rub their bodies with the millipedes except during the rainy season, when mosquito populations are at their peak.",
"Although the capuchins eat several species of insects, they do not eat the type of ... | 1 | val_391 |
Sharon, a noted collector of fine glass, found a rare glass vase in a secondhand store in a small town she was visiting. The vase was priced at $10, but Sharon knew that it was worth at least $1, 000. Saying nothing to the storekeeper about the value of the vase, Sharon bought the vase for $10. Weeks later the storekee... | Which one of the following principles, if established, most helps to justify Sharon's position? | [
"A seller is not obligated to inform a buyer of anything about the merchandise that the seller offers for sale except for the demanded price.",
"It is the responsibility of the seller, not the buyer, to make sure that the amount of money a buyer gives a seller in exchange for merchandise matches the amount that t... | 3 | val_392 |
Journalist: One reason many people believe in extrasensory perception (ESP) is that they have heard of controlled experiments in which ESP is purportedly demonstrated. However, ESP is a myth and the public is deluded by these experiments, for a prominent researcher has admitted to falsifying data on psychic phenomena i... | The reasoning in the journalist's argument is flawed because this argument | [
"overgeneralizes from the example of one deceptive researcher",
"uses an irrelevant personal attack on the integrity of someone",
"infers that something must be a myth from the fact that the general public believes it",
"presupposes that, in general, only evidence from experiments can support beliefs"
] | 0 | val_393 |
The recent cleaning of frescoes in the Sistine Chapel has raised important asthetic issues. Art historians are now acutely aware that the colors of the works they study may differ from the works' original colors. Art historians have concluded from this that interpretations of the frescoes that seemed appropriate before... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the art historians' reasoning? | [
"Art historians are the best judges of the value of an artwork.",
"The appropriateness of an interpretation of an artwork is relative to the general history of the period in which the interpretation is made.",
"Interpretations of an artwork are appropriate if they originated during the period when the work was ... | 3 | val_394 |
Mastitis is an infection of the udder in cows that, although not dangerous, causes them to give poor-quality milk. Most cases of mastitis are caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, against which antibiotics are ineffective. However, a related bacterium, Staphylococcus simulans, quickly clears up even severe inf... | Which of the following most logically completes the passage? | [
"the milk from cows infected with S. aureus is generally not of such poor quality as to be entirely unusable",
"certain dangerous bacteria that normally cannot take hold can do so in the presence of S. simulans",
"the only symptom of mild cases of mastitis is the deterioration in the quality of the milk produce... | 1 | val_395 |
Scientists typically do their most creative work before the age of forty. It is commonly thought that this happens because aging by itself brings about a loss of creative capacity. However, studies show that <b> of scientists who produce highly creative work beyond the age of forty, a disproportionately large number en... | In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is evidence that has been used to support an explanation that the argument challenges; the second is that explanation.",
"The first is a claim, the accuracy of which is at issue in the argument; the second is a conclusion drawn on the basis of that claim.",
"The first is an objection that has been ra... | 3 | val_396 |
A person' s cholesterol level will decline significantly if that person increases the number of meals eaten per day, but only if there is no significant increase in the amount of food eaten. However, most people who increase the number of meals they eat each day will eat a lot more food as well. | If the statements above are true, which of the following is most strongly supported by them? | [
"For most people, the total amount of food eaten per day is unaffected by the number of meals eaten per day.",
"For most people, increasing the number of meals eaten per day will result in a significant change in the types of food eaten.",
"For most people, increasing the number of meals eaten per day will not ... | 2 | val_397 |
The authorship of the Iliad and the Odyssey has long been debated. Some traditional evidence suggests that Homer created both works, or at least large portions of them, but there is equally forceful evidence that he had nothing to do with either. Since there is no overwhelming evidence for either claim, we ought to acc... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the principle underlying the argumentation above? | [
"One should accept the authority of tradition only if one has nontraditional evidence for the traditional hypothesis.",
"If there is no overwhelming evidence for or against a hypothesis, then one should suspend judgment as to its truth.",
"If there is no overwhelming evidence for or against a hypothesis, one sh... | 3 | val_398 |
The dwarf masked owl, a rare migratory bird of prey, normally makes its winter home on the Baja peninsula, where it nests in the spiny cactus. In fact, there are no other suitable nesting sites for the dwarf masked owl on the Baja peninsula. But a blight last spring destroyed all of the spiny cacti on the Baja peninsul... | The argument depends on assuming which one of the following? | [
"If the Baja peninsula contains spiny cacti, then the dwarf masked owl makes its winter home there.",
"On occasion the dwarf masked owl has been known to make its winter home far from its normal migratory route.",
"Suitable nesting sites must be present where the dwarf masked owl makes its winter home.",
"No ... | 2 | val_399 |
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