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[
"The nonacademic readership of a scholarly or scientific journal can be accurately gauged by the number of times articles appearing in it are cited in daily newspapers and popular magazines.",
"Researchers often will not cite a journal article that has influenced their work if they think that the journal in which it appears is not highly regarded by the leading researchers in the mainstream of the discipline.",
"The increasingly expensive scholarly journals are less and less likely to be available to the general public from nonacademic public libraries.",
"In some academic disciplines, controversies which begin in the pages of one journal spill over into articles in other journals that are widely read by researchers in the discipline."
] |
The soaring prices of scholarly and scientific journals have forced academic libraries used only by academic researchers to drastically reduce their list of subscriptions. Some have suggested that in each academic discipline subscription decisions should be determined solely by a journal' s usefulness in that discipline, measured by the frequency with which it is cited in published writings by researchers in the discipline.
| 1
|
train_3800
|
Which one of the following, if true, most seriously calls into question the suggestion described above?
|
[
"According to many child-rearing books, poinsettias are dangerous.",
"Poinsettias are not dangerously poisonous.",
"The belief that households with children or pets should not have poinsettias is mistaken.",
"Poinsettias pose no risk to children or pets."
] |
Botanist: It has long been believed that people with children or pets should keep poinsettia plants out of their homes. Although this belief has been encouraged by child-rearing books, which commonly list poinsettias as poisonous and ttherefore dangerous, it is mistaken. Our research has shown, conclusively, that poinsettias pose no risk to children or pets.
| 2
|
train_3801
|
Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the botanist's argument?
|
[
"confuses an absence of evidence that the legislator's constituents oppose a bill with the existence of evidence that the legislator's constituents support that bill",
"treats a result that proves that the public supports a bill as a result that is merely consistent with public support for that bill",
"fails to establish that the opinions of the legislator's constituents are representative of the opinions of the country's population as a whole",
"fails to consider whether the legislator's constituents consider the current corporate income tax a high tax"
] |
Legislator: My staff conducted a poll in which my constituents were asked whether they favor high taxes. More than 97 percent answered "no. " Clearly, then, my constituents would support the bill I recently introduced, which reduces the corporate income tax.
| 3
|
train_3802
|
The reasoning in the legislator's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument
|
[
"even those bicyclists who regularly wear helmets have a poor understanding of the degree and kind of protection that helmets afford",
"among the bicyclists included in the study's sample of head injuries, only a very small proportion had been wearing a helmet at the time of their accident",
"the bone in the temple area is relatively thin and impacts in that area are thus very likely to cause brain injury",
"bicyclists generally land on their arm or shoulder when they fall to the side, which reduces the likelihood of severe impacts on the side of the head"
] |
Most bicycle helmets provide good protection for the top and back of the head, but little or no protection for the temple regions on the sides of the head. A study of head injuries resulting from bicycle accidents showed that a large proportion were caused by blows to the temple area. Ttherefore, if bicycle helmets protected this area, the risk of serious head injury in bicycle accidents would be greatly reduced especially since __.
| 2
|
train_3803
|
Which of the following most logically completes the passage?
|
[
"Confidence in one's own abilities gives one confidence in the trustworthiness of others.",
"People who are not threatened by difficult tasks tend to find such tasks challenging.",
"People who tend to trust others do not believe that others distrust them.",
"People tend to distrust those who they believe lack self-confidence."
] |
People who do not believe that others distrust them are confident in their own abilities, so people who tend to trust others think of a difficult task as a challenge rather than a threat, since this is precisely how people who are confident in their own abilities regard such tasks.
| 2
|
train_3804
|
The conclusion above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?
|
[
"citing apparently incontestable evidence that leads to absurd consequences when conjoined with the view in question",
"arguing that a particular technique of analysis can never be effective when the people analyzed know that it is being used",
"demonstrating that an apparently controversial and interesting claim is really just a platitude",
"showing that proponents of the view have no theoretical justification for the view"
] |
Graphologists claim that it is possible to detect permanent character traits by examining people' s handwriting. For example, a strong cross on the "t"is supposed to denote enthusiasm. Obviously, however, with practice and perseverance people can alter their handwriting to include this feature. So it seems that graphologists must hold that permanent character traits can be changed.
| 0
|
train_3805
|
The argument against graphology proceeds by
|
[
"No explanation is given for why the revenue shares of different sectors of the industry changed.",
"No matter what changes the automobile industry's overall revenues undergo, the total of all shares of these revenues must be 100 percent.",
"The possibility is left open that the statistics for manufacturers' share of revenues come from a different source than the other statistics.",
"Manufacturers and parts companies depend for their revenue on dealers' success in selling cars."
] |
Rumored declines in automobile-industry revenues are exaggerated. It is true that automobile manufacturers' share of the industry' s revenues fell from 65 percent two years ago to 50 percent today, but over the same period suppliers of automobile parts had their share increase from 15 percent to 20 percent and service companies (for example, distributors, dealers, and repairers) had their share increase from 20 percent to 30 percent.
| 1
|
train_3806
|
Which one of the following best indicates why the statistics given above provide by themselves no evidence for the conclusion they are intended to support?
|
[
"The feed for farmed ocean fish is largely made from small wild-caught fish, including the young of many popular food species.",
"There are large expanses of ocean waters that do not contain enough nutrients to support substantial fish populations.",
"Some of the species that are now farmed extensively were not commonly eaten when they were only available in the wild.",
"Some fish farming, particularly of shrimp and other shellfish, takes place in enclosures in the Ocean."
] |
Nutritionists are advising people to eat more fish, since the omega-3 fatty acids in fish help combat many diseases. If everyone took this advice, however, there would not be enough fish in oceans, rivers, and lakes to supply the demand; the oceans are already being overfished. The obvious method to ease the pressure on wild fish populations is for people to increase their consumption of farmed fish.
| 0
|
train_3807
|
Which of the following, if true, raises the most serious doubt concerning the prospects for success of the solution proposed above?
|
[
"Whether loading the freight cars onto barges is very time consuming",
"Whether the average number of vehicles traveling over the bridge into Burland has been relatively constant in recent years",
"Whether most trucks transporting goods into Burland return to the mainland empty",
"Whether there are boats that can make the trip between the mainland and Burland faster than barges can"
] |
Trancorp currently transports all its goods to Burland Island by truck. The only bridge over the channel separating Burland from the mainland is congested, and trucks typically spend hours in traffic. Trains can reach the channel more quickly than trucks, and freight cars can be transported to Burland by barges that typically cross the channel in an hour. Ttherefore, to reduce shipping time, Trancorp plans to switch to trains and barges to transport goods to Burland.
| 0
|
train_3808
|
Which of the following would be most important to know in determining whether Trancorp's plan, if implemented, is likely to achieve its goal?
|
[
"whether it is unreasonable to require people who do not benefit from certain governmental programs to share the costs of those programs",
"whether the politician's proposal for financing the health-awareness campaign is an unreasonable one",
"whether the proposed increase on cigarette taxes is an efficient means of financing the health-awareness campaign",
"whether smokers are more aware of the harmful effects of their habit than are people who regularly eat high-fat, high-cholesterol foods"
] |
Politician: The funding for the new nationwide health-awareness campaign should come from an increase in taxes on cigarettes. It is well established that cigarette smoking causes many serious health problems, and it is only reasonable that people whose unhealthful habits cause so many health problems should bear the costs of that campaign. Smoker: But it is equally well established that regularly eating high-fat, high-cholesterol foods causes as many serious health problems as does smoking, yet is would be manifestly unreasonable to force those who purchase such foods to bear the burden of financing this campaign.
| 1
|
train_3809
|
Which one of the following is the point at issue between the politician and the smoker?
|
[
"Female rats that have given birth are more affected by olfactory cues than are female rats that have never given birth.",
"A female rat that has given birth shows maternal behavior toward rat pups that she did not bear more quickly than does a female rat that has never given birth.",
"The development of a female rat's maternal interest in a rat pup that she did not bear is inhibited by the odor of the pup.",
"The amount of scent produced by rat pups increases when they are in the presence of a female rat that did not bear them."
] |
Adult female rats who have never before encountered rat pups will start to show maternal behaviors after being confined with a pup for about seven days. This period can be considerably shortened by disabling the female' s sense of smell or by removing the scent-producing glands of the pup.
| 2
|
train_3810
|
Which of the following hypotheses best explains the contrast described above?
|
[
"Every problem that is solvable by following more than one set of mechanically applicable rules is solvable by almost every human mind.",
"At least one problem not solvable by following any set of mechanically applicable rules is solvable]e by at least one human mind.",
"At least one problem solvable by following some set of mechanically applicable rules is not solvable by any human mind.",
"Every problem that is solvable by following at least one set of mechanically applicable rules is solvable by at least one human mind."
] |
No computer will ever be able to do everything that some human minds can do, for there are some problems that cannot be solved by following any set of mechanically applicable rules. Yet computers can only solve problems by following some set of mechanically applicable rules.
| 1
|
train_3811
|
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
|
[
"foods containing fiber also contain other substances that, when consumed, tend to prevent colon cancer",
"the fiber in fruits and vegetables and the fiber in cereals have cancer-fighting properties to different degrees",
"the consumption of fiber in many countries is rising appreciably",
"the risk of many types of cancer is reduced by high-fiber diets"
] |
Numerous studies have demonstrated a pronounced negative correlation between high-fiber diets and the incidence of colon cancer. For example, the colon cancer rate in Western countries is much higher than in many non-Western countries where people eat more fiber-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, in Scandinavia it has been conclusively shown that the higher the colon cancer rate in a given area, the lower the consumption in that area of cereals, which, like fruits and vegetables, are high in fiber. All of this shows that insufficient consumption of fiber causes colon cancer, and sufficient consumption of fiber prevents it.
| 0
|
train_3812
|
The argument's reasoning is vulnerable to criticism because the argument overlooks the possibility that
|
[
"Technical language tends to be more precise than nontechnical language.",
"The way in which a judge instructs a jury can influence the jury's verdict.",
"A person's influence is proportional to that person's perceived status.",
"Real trials are better suited for experimentation than are mock trials."
] |
At mock trials in which jury instructions were given in technical legal jargon, jury verdicts tended to mirror the judge' s own opinions. Jurors had become aware of the judge' s nonverbal behavior: facial expressions, body movements, tone of voice. Jurors who viewed the same case but were given instruction in clear, nontechnical language, however, were comparatively more likely to return verdicts at odds with the judge' s opinion.
| 1
|
train_3813
|
Which one of the following is best illustrated by the example described above?
|
[
"Because producers of generic medicines are not involved in research and development their products can be sold at lower prices.",
"The inactive ingredients and fillers, which differ in different versions of a medicine, can affect the rate at which the medicine is absorbed and its concentration in the bloodstream.",
"When the patent on an original brand-name medicine expires, federal law permits the production of a generic version without further studies on the effectiveness of the active ingredients.",
"Older persons, who are more likely to require prescription medicines, are more sensitive than younger persons are to slight variations in dosage levels."
] |
Generic medicines contain the same active ingredients, in the same quantity, as the original brand-name medicines for which they are designed to be substituted. Nonetheless, there are sometimes important differences in the effects produced in a patient by generic medicines as compared to the brand-name equivalents.
| 1
|
train_3814
|
Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the seeming discrepancy described above?
|
[
"Homes in this city, close to downtown, cost on average 40% more than a home of comparable size in the surrounding suburbs.",
"In a recent survey, almost three-quarters of the professionals who live in the suburbs and work in the city say that they would prefer to live in the city.",
"Recent studies confirm that the crime-rate in the city is no higher than the average crime-rate in the surrounding suburbs.",
"The commuting costs in this metropolitan region, in dollar per mile, are among the highest in the entire country."
] |
A certain city has had many vacant homes in the downtown neighborhoods. The city loses significant tax revenue each year because those houses stand unoccupied. The city felt that the fear of crime was keeping professionals from moving into these houses. Over 80% of the city' s professional work force live outside of the city, in nearby suburbs, and commute daily. Plan: Five years ago, the city tripled the size of the municipal police force, increasing patrols throughout the city. All studies have confirmed that crime has dropped substantially. Result: the vacancy rate in these single-family houses has not changed substantially in five years. Further information: Almost all of the vacant houses are in excellent condition, ready for occupancy. The city supports a number of high-paying professional jobs, and the state economy has been booming over the past five years.
| 0
|
train_3815
|
In light of the further information, which of the following, if true, does most to explain the result that followed the implementation of the plan?
|
[
"charging Walter with stopping short of recognizing the full implications of his position",
"questioning Walter's authority to address matters of social policy",
"drawing implausible consequences from Walter's assumptions",
"providing an alternative reason for accepting the truth of Walter's conclusion"
] |
Walter: For the economically privileged in a society to tolerate an injustice perpetrated against one of society' s disadvantaged is not just morally wrong but also shortsighted: a system that inflicts an injustice on a disadvantaged person today can equally well inflict that same injustice on a well-to-do person tomorrow. Larissa: In our society, the wealthy as well as the well-educated can protect themselves against all sorts of injustices suffered by the less well-off. Allowing such injustices to persist is bad policy not because it places everyone at equal risk of injustice but because it is a potent source of social unrest.
| 3
|
train_3816
|
Larissa responds to Walter by doing which one of the following?
|
[
"All stars move at exactly the same speed when they are revolving around Earth.",
"Earth does not remain motionless while the stars revolve around it.",
"Stars do not move at tremendously great speeds.",
"If the stars do not revolve around Earth, it is possible for at least some stars to be more than a few million miles from Earth."
] |
At one time, many astronomers assumed that Earth remains motionless while the stars revolve around it. They concluded from this that the stars were not more than a few million miles from Earth. They reasoned that if the stars were farther away, they would have to move at tremendously great speeds in order to circle Earth during the day and reappear in roughly the same positions each night.
| 2
|
train_3817
|
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the reasoning described above?
|
[
"Bacterial species X is more resistant to at least some antibiotics that have been used against it than it was before those antibiotics were used against it.",
"Bacterial species X will inevitably become more virulent in the course of time.",
"If any antibiotic now on the market is used against bacterial species X, that species will develop greater resistance to it within a few years.",
"It is unlikely that any antibiotic can be developed that will completely eliminate bacterial species X."
] |
A bacterial species will inevitably develop greater resistance within a few years to any antibiotics used against it, unless those antibiotics eliminate that species completely. However, no single antibiotic now on the market is powerful enough to eliminate bacterial species X completely.
| 2
|
train_3818
|
Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the statements above?
|
[
"Kenta accepted Gus's offer to buy a shipment of goods, but Gus, unknown to Kenta, made the offer in jest. Thus, the contract was not valid.",
"Frank's offer to buy Mindy's business from her was legitimate. Thus, if Mindy is a reasonable person, she will accept the offer.",
"The only offer that Sal made to Veronica was not a legitimate one. Thus, regardless of whether Sal made the offer in jest, there is no valid contract between them.",
"Joe made a legitimate offer to buy Sandy's car and Sandy has not rejected the offer. Thus, there was a valid contract."
] |
A contract between two parties is valid only if one party accepts a legitimate offer from the other; an offer is not legitimate if someone in the position of the party to whom it was made would reasonably believe the offer to be made in jest.
| 2
|
train_3819
|
The principle stated above, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in which one of the following arguments?
|
[
"In most schools, if not all, the homework assignments given are of a length that does not diverge widely from the average.",
"The free-time activities that ten year olds engage in most are all approximately equally effective at fostering development",
"Individual teachers are not the best judges of how much homework to assign the children they teach",
"Free-time activities rarely teach children skills or information that they can use in their academic work."
] |
Educational Theorist: Recent editorials have called for limits on the amount of homework assigned to children. They point out that free-time activities play an important role in childhood development and that large amounts of homework reduce children' s free time, hindering their development. But the average homework time for a ten year old, for example, is little more than 30 minutes per night. Clearly, ttherefore, there is no need to impose the limits these editorials are calling for.
| 0
|
train_3820
|
Which of the following is an assumption on which the educational theorist's argument relies?
|
[
"The amount of gas and dust emitted steadily increased during the period from September through November.",
"Gas and dust can be released by cracks in a comet even if the comet is not broken all the way through.",
"Comets often do not emit gas and dust until several weeks after they have begun to break up.",
"The reason comets become brighter when they break up is that the gas and dust that they emit refract light."
] |
When astronomers observed the comet Schwassman - Wachmann 3 becoming 1, 000 times brighter in September 1995, they correctly hypothesized that its increased brightness was a result of the comet' s breaking up -- when comets break up, they emit large amounts of gas and dust, becoming visibly brighter as a result. However, their observations did not reveal comet Schwassman-Wachmann 3 actually breaking into pieces until November 1995, even though telescopes were trained on it throughout the entire period.
| 1
|
train_3821
|
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent conflict in the statements above?
|
[
"Neither the subjects nor the doctors in either group (the control group or the Freloxamine group) knew which drug they were receiving.",
"At dosages two-fold of those employed in the trial, Freloxamine has been shown to cause brief episodes of psychosis.",
"Since subjects in both groups were debriefed on the potential side effects of SSRI, which can often be pronounced, many in the Freloxamine group, upon exhibiting side effects, concluded that they were being administered the SSRI.",
"Freloxamine does not exhibit a uniform effect in all subjects, with many reporting little improvement in symptoms of depression, even after several months of taking the drug."
] |
Scientists have created double-blind studies so that neither the subjects of the experiment nor scientists know whether the subject is receiving an actual drug or a placebo, which is nothing more than a sugar pill. Essentially, if one knows whether one is receiving actual medicine or a placebo, such knowledge can affect the outcome of a study. A recent double-blind study on the effectiveness of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) Freloxamine on depression found that those subjects administered the drug were 15% more likely to have a decrease in symptoms than the control group, which was comprised of those who received a placebo. Since neither group knew which they were receiving, the placebo or the SSRI, the observed drop in depression can only be attributed to Freloxamine.
| 2
|
train_3822
|
Which of the following, if true, best calls into question the conclusion of the argument?
|
[
"The new medication has various other side effects, but none as serious as that of exacerbating heart disease.",
"No migraine sufferers with heart disease will take the new medication except under careful medical supervision.",
"The new medication actually is effective when taken by patients with heart disease.",
"The new medication will displace all migraine medications currently being used."
] |
A new medication for migraine seems effective, but there is concern that the medication might exacerbate heart disease. If patients with heart disease take the medication under careful medical supervision, however, harmful side effects can definitely be averted. The concern about those side effects is thus unfounded.
| 1
|
train_3823
|
The argument depends on which one of the following assumptions?
|
[
"The government's claim about the safety of the country's nuclear power plants is false.",
"Unlimited financial liability in the case of nuclear accidents poses no threat to the financial security of the country's nuclear industry.",
"The government's position on nuclear power plants is inconsistent.",
"The government misrepresented its reasons for acting to limit the nuclear industry's liability."
] |
Editorial: The government claims that the country' s nuclear power plants are entirely safe and hence that the public' s fear of nuclear accidents at these plants is groundless. The government also contends that its recent action to limit the nuclear industry' s financial liability in the case of nuclear accidents at power plants is justified by the need to protect the nuclear industry from the threat of bankruptcy. But even the government says that unlimited liability poses such a threat only if injury claims can be sustained against the industry; and the government admits that for such claims to be sustained, injury must result from a nuclear accident. The public' s fear, ttherefore, is well founded.
| 2
|
train_3824
|
If all of the statements offered in support of the editorial's conclusion correctly describe the government's position, which one of the following must also be true on the basis of those statements?
|
[
"rejecting a proposal on the grounds that a particular implementation of the proposal is likely to fail",
"trying to win support for a proposal by playing on people's fears of what could happen otherwise",
"criticizing the source of a claim rather than examining the claim itself",
"presupposing what it sets out to establish"
] |
Editorial: The premier' s economic advisor assures her that with the elimination of wasteful spending the goal of reducing taxes while not significantly decreasing government services can be met. But the premier should not listen to this advisor, who in his youth was convicted of embezzlement. Surely his economic advice is as untrustworthy as he is himself, and so the premier should discard any hope of reducing taxes without a significant decrease in government services.
| 2
|
train_3825
|
Which one of the following is a questionable argumentative strategy employed in the editorial's argument?
|
[
"Some people that an employee of a telemarketing agency calls to ask them to buy the product of a client of the agency will refuse to do so even though they are not predisposed to dislike the client.",
"Any employee of a telemarketing agency who tries to get someone to buy the product of a client of the agency after the person has said that he or she does not want to will engender animosity toward the client.",
"Some employees of telemarketing agencies are unlikely to be certain about whether trying to talk someone into buying the product of a client of the agency after the person has said that he or she does not want to will likely engender animosity toward the client.",
"People who are already predisposed to dislike the client of a telemarketing agency are more likely to refuse to buy the product of that client than are people who are predisposed to like the client."
] |
Principle: Employees of telemarketing agencies should never do anything that predisposes people to dislike the agencies' clients. Application: If an employee of a telemarketing agency has been told by a person the employee has called that he or she does not want to buy the product of a client of the agency, the employee should not try to talk that person into doing so.
| 1
|
train_3826
|
Which one of the following, if true, justifies the given application of the principle above?
|
[
"Because some of the duties that police officers carry out have no connection to human health or safety, police officers should not be subject to a licensing requirement.",
"Because there are no realistic circumstances in which poor work by an interior designer poses a danger to human beings, interior designers should not be subject to a licensing requirement.",
"Because hospital administrators routinely make decisions that affect the health of hundreds of people, hospital administrators should be subject to a licensing requirement.",
"Because hair stylists regularly use substances that can pose a threat to human health if handled improperly, hair stylists should be subject to a licensing requirement."
] |
No occupation should be subject to a licensing requirement unless incompetence in the performance of tasks normally carried out within that occupation poses a plausible threat to human health or safety.
| 1
|
train_3827
|
The principle stated above, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in which one of the following arguments?
|
[
"Certain other species of black ants are more effective than Loma ants in competing with rodents for seeds.",
"The sting of Loma ants can also be fatal to rodents.",
"Ant flies do not attack black ants other than Loma ants.",
"The use of pesticides to control Loma ants could have harmful effects on the environment."
] |
By competing with rodents for seeds, black ants help control rodent populations that pose a public health risk. However, a very aggressive species of black ant, the Loma ant, which has recently invaded a certain region, has a venomous sting that is often fatal to humans. Ttherefore, the planned introduction into that region of ant flies, which prey on Loma ants, would benefit public health.
| 2
|
train_3828
|
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
|
[
"Consumers' purchasing power decreases during periods of protracted inflation since salaries do not keep pace with prices.",
"There is usually a lag between the leading economic indicators' first signaling the onset of an inflationary period and consumers' recognition of its onset.",
"If significant numbers of consumers are unable to make purchases, prices will eventually fall but salaries will not be directly affected.",
"No generalization that describes human behavior will be true of every type of human behavior."
] |
Once consumers recognize that a period of inflation has begun, there is generally an increase in consumer spending. This increase can be readily explained by consumers' desire not to postpone purchases that will surely increase in price. But during protracted periods of inflation, consumers eventually begin to put off making even routine purchases, despite the fact that consumers continue to expect prices to rise and despite the fact that salaries also rise during inflationary periods.
| 0
|
train_3829
|
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the apparent inconsistency in consumer behavior described above?
|
[
"Expanding production in such companies would usually require more funds than would paying off debts.",
"Banks are reluctant to lend money to any company that is already heavily in debt and chronically unprofitable.",
"Paying off debts, by saving a company the money it would otherwise owe in interest, decreases the company's overall expenses and thereby increases its profits.",
"Investors usually choose to reinvest their returns on such investments."
] |
Owners of deeply indebted and chronically unprofitable small businesses sometimes try to convince others to invest money in their companies. Since the money thus acquired will inevitably be used to pay off debts, rather than to expand operations, this money will not stimulate sales growth in such companies. Thus, most people are reluctant to make these investments. Surprisingly, however, such investments often earn handsome returns in the very first year they are made.
| 2
|
train_3830
|
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the surprising results of suchs investments?
|
[
"It is a generalization based on the claim that the crime rate has increased over the past ten years.",
"It is presented as evidence that the media decide what to cover and to what extent to cover it depending on the interests of the public.",
"It is offered as an alternative explanation of why the media devote more coverage to crime now than they did ten years ago.",
"It supports the conclusion that the media now devote more coverage to crime than the crime rate alone justifies."
] |
The media now devote more coverage to crime than they did ten years ago. Yet this is not because the crime rate has increased, but rather because the public is now more interested in reading and hearing about crime. After all, a crucial factor in the media' s decisions about what issues to cover and to what extent to cover them is the interests of their audiences.
| 2
|
train_3831
|
The proposition that the public is now more interested in reading and hearing about crime plays which one of the following roles in the argument?
|
[
"Most of the students at the high school suffered from the decrease in air humidity.",
"Modifying the air-conditioning system proved to be an ineffective way to cut costs.",
"It takes 24 hours after a person is infected with a virus for that person to exhibit symptoms.",
"At least some of the visits to the school nurse after the system was modified were due to illness."
] |
To cut costs, a high school modified its airconditioning system to increase its efficiency. The modified system, however, caused the humidity in the school air to decrease by 18 percent. Twenty-four hours after the decrease in air humidity, a 25 percent increase in the number of visits to the school nurse was reported. This shows that a decrease in humidity can make people ill.
| 3
|
train_3832
|
The argument depends on assuming which one of the following?
|
[
"The club's previous president acted appropriately in hiring the tax accountant without first consulting other club members.",
"At the time the previous club president hired the tax accountant, most club members did not expect to be consulted about such matters.",
"The previous club president had also invited speakers without first consulting other club members.",
"Dr. Hines accepted the president's invitation to speak at the club's annual awards banquet."
] |
Some members have criticized the club' s president for inviting Dr. Hines to speak at the annual awards banquet without consulting other club members beforehand. But a few years ago the previous club president hired a tax accountant even though he had not discussed it with club members beforehand. So the current president acted appropriately in the way in which she invited Dr. Hines.
| 0
|
train_3833
|
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?
|
[
"Over the past six years, numerous businesses have left the spokesperson's state, but about as many businesses have moved into the state.",
"In general, the number of miles of road in a state's road system depends on both the area and the population of the state.",
"Only states with seriously inadequate road systems need to spend large amounts of money on road improvements.",
"Adequacy of a state's road system is generally less important to a businessperson considering doing business there than is the availability of qualified employees."
] |
State spokesperson: Many businesspeople who have not been to our state believe that we have an inadequate road system. Those people are mistaken, as is obvious from the fact that in each of the past six years, our state has spent more money per mile on road improvements than any other state.
| 2
|
train_3834
|
Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the reasoning in the spokesperson's argument?
|
[
"If the soft drink vending machines were placed in the cafeteria, students would consume more soft drinks as a result.",
"The school's primary concern should be to promote good health among its students.",
"The amount of soft drinks that most students at the school currently drink is not detrimental to their health.",
"Students will not simply bring soft drinks from home if the soft drink vending machines are not placed in the cafeteria."
] |
Although the school would receive financial benefits if it had soft drink vending machines in the cafeteria, we should not allow them. Allowing soft drink machines there would not be in our students' interest. If our students start drinking more soft drinks, they will be less healthy.
| 0
|
train_3835
|
The argument depends on which of the following?
|
[
"All of the lowest-paid corporate employees in the economist's country are employed at corporations at which the executives earn more than 50 times what the corporations' lowest-paid employees in the economist's country earn.",
"If such a maximum wage law were enacted in the economist's country, one or more corporate executives would not cut the pay and benefits of their corporations' lowest-paid employees in the economist's country.",
"If corporate executives could not increase their own salaries by cutting the pay and benefits of their corporations' lowest-paid employees in the economist's country, they would never change the wages of those employees.",
"No corporate executives in the economist's country would raise the wages of their corporations' lowest-paid employees in the economist's country unless such a maximum wage law linked executive wages to those of their corporations' lowest-paid employees in the economist's country."
] |
Economist: The wages of many of the lowest-paid corporate employees in this country would be protected from cuts by enacting a maximum wage law that prohibits executives at any corporation from earning more than, say, 50 times what the corporation' s lowest-paid employees in this country earn. Currently, some executives try to increase corporate profits -- and their own salaries -- by cutting the pay and benefits of their corporations' employees. A maximum wage law would remove this incentive for these executives to cut the wages of their lowest-paid employees.
| 1
|
train_3836
|
Which one of the following is an assumption the economist's argument requires?
|
[
"Drinking juice from home juicers is less healthy than is eating fruits and vegetables because such juice does not contain the fiber that is eaten if one consumes the entire fruit or vegetable.",
"Most people find it much easier to consume a given quantity of nutrients in liquid form than to eat solid foods containing the same quantity of the same nutrients.",
"To most people who would be tempted to buy a home juicer, $300 would not be a major expense.",
"The nutritionist was a member of a panel that extensively evaluated early prototypes of home juicers."
] |
Nutritionist: Recently a craze has developed for home juicers, $300 machines that separate the pulp of fruits and vegetables from the juice they contain. Outrageous claims are being made about the benefits of these devices: drinking the juice they produce is said to help one lose weight or acquire a clear complexion, to aid digestion, and even to prevent cancer. But there is no indication that juice separated from the pulp of the fruit or vegetable has any properties that it does not have when unseparated. Save your money. If you want carrot juice, eat a carrot.
| 1
|
train_3837
|
Which one of the following, if true, most calls into question the nutritionist's argument?
|
[
"fails to recognize that there may be medical criteria relevant to the choice between the two drugs other than their effectiveness as a treatment",
"neglects to compare the marketing practices of drug Y's manufacturer with those of drug Z's manufacturer",
"confuses economic reasons for selecting a treatment with medical reasons",
"does not consider drugs or treatments other than drug Y and drug Z that may be used to prevent blood clotting in heart-attack patients"
] |
Two alternative drugs are available to prevent blood clots from developing after a heart attack. According to two major studies, drug Y does this no more effectively than the more expensive drug Z, but drug Z is either no more or only slightly more effective than drug Y. Drug Z' s manufacturer, which has engaged in questionable marketing practices such as offering stock options to doctors who participate in clinical trials of drug Z, does not contest the results of the studies but claims that they do not reveal drug Z' s advantages. However, since drug Z does not clearly treat the problem more effectively than drug Y, there is no established medical reason for doctors to use drug Z rather than drug Y on their heart-attack victims.
| 0
|
train_3838
|
A major flaw in the argument is that the argument
|
[
"concludes that one event caused another merely because that event occurred immediately prior to the other",
"criticizes a column merely by invoking the personal characteristics of its author",
"employs a tactic at one point that it elsewhere objects to",
"fails to rule out the possibility that a purported cause of a phenomenon is actually an effect of that phenomenon"
] |
Commentator: Unfortunately, Roehmer' s opinion column has a polarizing effect on national politics. She has always taken a partisan stance, and lately she has taken the further step of impugning the motives of her adversaries. That style of argumentation is guaranteed not to change the minds of people with opposing viewpoints; it only alienates them. But that is likely not a problem for Roehmer, since her column is just an attempt to please her loyal readers.
| 2
|
train_3839
|
The reasoning in the commentator's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument
|
[
"neglects to consider those people who have parachuted more than once but fewer than ten times",
"takes for granted that the greater the number of dangerous activities one engages in the less one is frightened by any one of them",
"takes for granted that people do not know how frightening something is unless they have tried it",
"overlooks the possibility that most people who have parachuted many times did not find it frightening initially"
] |
A good way to get over one' s fear of an activity one finds terrifying is to do it repeatedly. For instance, over half of people who have parachuted only once report being extremely frightened by the experience, while less than 1 percent of those who have parachuted ten times or more report being frightened by it.
| 3
|
train_3840
|
The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument
|
[
"The more modern an English word or phrase, the less likely that modern grammarians will consider it acceptable for formal usage.",
"In his plays, Shakespeare intentionally had some of his characters use phrases he considered ungrammatical.",
"The phrase \"between you and I\" appears infrequently in Shakespeare's writings.",
"Most native speakers of English who choose to say \"between you and I\" do so because they know that Shakespeare used that phrase."
] |
Grammarians have for years condemned as ungrammatical the English phrase "between you and I", insisting that the correct phrasing is "between you and me, " with the objective case after a preposition. Such condemnations, however, are obviously unfounded, because Shakespeare himself, in The Merchant of Venice, wrote, "All debts are cleared between you and I. "
| 1
|
train_3841
|
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?
|
[
"The plaintiff accuses the defendant of violating campaign laws, but the accusations are ill founded. While the defendant's actions may violate certain laws, they are not immoral, because the laws in question are unjust.",
"The plaintiff accuses the defendant of voting only for campaign laws that would favor the defendant's party. This accusation is ill founded, however, because it attacks the defendant's motivations instead of addressing the arguments the defendant has put forth justifying these votes.",
"The plaintiff accuses the defendant of violating campaign laws, but these accusations show the plaintiff to be hypocritical, because the plaintiff has engaged in similar conduct.",
"The plaintiff accuses the defendant of violating campaign laws, and, in the past, courts have declared such violations illegal. Nevertheless, because the plaintiff recently engaged in actions that were similar to those of the defendant, the plaintiff's accusations are ill founded."
] |
Party X has recently been accused by its opposition, Party Y, of accepting international campaign contributions, which is illegal. Such accusations are, however, ill founded. Three years ago, Party Y itself was involved in a scandal in which it was discovered that its national committee seriously violated campaign laws.
| 3
|
train_3842
|
Which one of the following contains flawed reasoning most similar to the flawed reasoning in the argument above?
|
[
"Waterbirds are typically much more abundant in areas that serve as nurseries for juvenile waterbirds than in areas that do not.",
"Waterbirds use still waters as nurseries for juveniles whenever possible.",
"The waters around the islands neighboring Shooter's Island are much rougher than the waters around Shooter's Island.",
"The number of juvenile waterbirds around Shooter's Island, as well as the number around each neighboring island, does not fluctuate dramatically throughout the year."
] |
The waters surrounding Shooter' s Island have long been a dumping ground for ruined ships and boats, and the wreckage there has caused these waters to be exceptionally still. An ornithologist found that the overall abundance of waterbirds around Shooter' s Island is similar to that around each of the neighboring islands, but that juvenile waterbirds are much more abundant around Shooter' s Island than around those other islands. This suggests that the still waters around Shooter' s Island serve as a nursery for the juveniles.
| 1
|
train_3843
|
Which one of the following, if true, provides the most support for the argument's conclusion?
|
[
"The first is a judgment made by the argument about a certain explanation; the second is that explanation.",
"The first sums up the argument's position with regard to a certain hypothesis; the second provides grounds for that position.",
"The first is a concession by the argument that its initial formulation of the position it seeks to establish requires modification; the second presents that position in a modified form.",
"The first expresses the argument's dismissal of an objection to the position it seeks to establish; the second is that position."
] |
At a certain period in Earth' s history, its atmosphere contained almost no oxygen, although plants were producing vast quantities of oxygen. As a way of reconciling these two facts, scientists have hypothesized that nearly all of the oxygen being produced was taken up by iron on Earth' s surface. Clearly, however, this explanation is inadequate. New studies show that the amount of iron on Earth' s surface was not sufficient to absorb anywhere near as much oxygen as was being produced. Ttherefore, something in addition to the iron on Earth' s surface must have absorbed much of the oxygen produced by plant life.
| 1
|
train_3844
|
In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
|
[
"Releasing a general announcement that tulu plants less than 30 weeks old cannot be effectively tested for fungal rot",
"Ensuring that tulu plants not be sold before they are 30 weeks old",
"Researching possible ways to test tulu plants less than 24 weeks old for fungal rot",
"Quarantining all tulu plants from horticultural companies at which any case of fungal rot has been detected until those tulu plants can be tested for fungal rot"
] |
The tulu, a popular ornamental plant, does not reproduce naturally, and is only bred and sold by specialized horticultural companies. Unfortunately, the tulu is easily devastated by a contagious fungal rot. The government ministry plans to reassure worried gardeners by requiring all tulu plants to be tested for fungal rot before being sold. However, infected plants less than 30 weeks old have generally not built up enough fungal rot in their systems to be detected reliably. And many tulu plants are sold before they are 24 weeks old.
| 1
|
train_3845
|
Which of the following, if performed by the ministry, could logically be expected to overcome the problem with their plan to test for the fungal rot?
|
[
"It assumes that if the means to achieve an objective are humanitarian in character, then the objective is also humanitarian in character.",
"It overlooks the possibility that the university made its promise specifically in order to induce the foundation to withdraw its threat.",
"It overlooks the possibility that the physics department's weapons research is not the only one of the university's research activities with other than purely humanitarian purposes.",
"It overlooks the possibility that the availability of the foundation's money for humanitarian uses will allow the university to redirect other funds from humanitarian uses to weapons research."
] |
Scientific research at a certain university was supported in part by an annual grant from a major foundation. When the university' s physics department embarked on weapons-related research, the foundation, which has a purely humanitarian mission, threatened to cancel its grant. The university then promised that none of the foundation' s money would be used for the weapons research, whereupon the foundation withdrew its threat, concluding that the weapons research would not benefit from the foundation' s grant.
| 3
|
train_3846
|
Which one of the following describes a flaw in the reasoning underlying the foundation's conclusion?
|
[
"there is a single best way to educate students",
"in selecting schools parents would tend to prefer a reasonable level of academic quality to greater sports opportunities or more convenient location",
"children are able to recognize which schools are better and would influence their parents' decisions",
"schools would each improve all of their academic offerings and would not tend to specialize in one particular field to the exclusion of others"
] |
The reforms to improve the quality of public education that have been initiated on the part of suppliers of public education have been insufficient. Ttherefore, reforms must be demanded by consumers. Parents should be given government vouchers with which to pay for their children' s education and should be allowed to choose the schools at which the vouchers will be spent. To attract students, academically underachieving schools will be forced to improve their academic offerings.
| 1
|
train_3847
|
The argument assumes that
|
[
"students should not be presumed by their teachers to have a particular goal or purpose in taking a class",
"users of statistics do not need to understand the underlying theory in order to solve real problems",
"statistics should be considered as a discipline that is distinct from mathematics",
"statistics teachers should focus on providing their students with the skills that they are most likely to use"
] |
Statistics teachers often debate whether to teach the mathematical theories underlying statistics or to focus on the use of statistical methods to solve real problems. This is like the difference between learning to build a car and learning to drive one. Almost all statistics courses teach "building, " and if there is extra time, they may cover a tip or two on "driving. " But, just as ordinary drivers do not need to know how to build a car in order to drive one, __
| 1
|
train_3848
|
Which one of the following most logically completes the argument?
|
[
"The best way to overcome a serious mistake is to continue on confidently as though all is well. After all, one can overcome a serious mistake by succeeding in new challenges, and dwelling on one's errors usually distracts one's mind from new challenges.",
"Often, the best way to achieve happiness is to pursue other things besides wealth and fame, for there are wealthy and famous people who are not particularly happy, which suggests that true happiness does not consist in wealth and fame.",
"The best way to cope with sorrow or grief is to turn one's attention to those who are experiencing even greater hardship, for in many circumstances this will make our own troubles seem bearable by comparison.",
"The best way to fall asleep quickly is to engage in some mental diversion like counting sheep, because frequently the more one concentrates on falling asleep the lower the chance of falling asleep quickly."
] |
Psychologist: The best way to recall a certain word or name that one is having trouble remembering is to occupy one' s mind with other things, since often the more we strive to remember a certain word or name that we can' t think of, the less likely it becomes that the word will come to mind.
| 3
|
train_3849
|
The principle that underlies the psychologist's argument underlies which one of the following arguments?
|
[
"Piers Plowman is one of Langland's major works, whereas House of Fame is a minor work of Chaucer's",
"Many of the themes and structures of Piers Plowman are also found in Latin, Italian, French works with which Chaucer could well have been familiar.",
"House of Fame survives in only three manuscript copies, substantially fewer than the number of manuscript copies that exist of Piers Plowman.",
"Because Piers Plowman became a well-known work in its day, it is likely that the similarities between it and House of Fame were detected by many of the people who read House of Fame soon after Chaucer wrote it."
] |
There are many structural and thematic similarities between Piers Plowman by Langland (1330-1400) and House of Fame by Chaucer (1342-1400), two Middle English poems relating dream visions. Some critics have argued that because a number of the shared elements are uncommon in Middle English poetry, and because Langland' s poem probably predates Chaucer' s by a few years, Chaucer was most likely influenced by Piers Plowman when writing House of Fame.
| 1
|
train_3850
|
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the critics' argument?
|
[
"There is strong evidence to suggest that Shakespeare relied on Latin translations of Greek plays as sources for some of his other works.",
"The only English language version of Alcestis available in Shakespeare's time differed drastically from the original in ways The Winter s Tale does not.",
"Latin phrases that were widely used in England during Shakespeare's time appear in a number of his plays.",
"Paul Buchanan's 1539 Latin translation of Alcestis was faithful to the original and widely available during the 1600s."
] |
That Shakespeare' s The Winter s Tale ( 1610-1611) is modeled after Euripides' Alcestis (fifth century B. C. ) seems undeniable. However, it is generally accepted that Shakespeare knew little or no Greek, so Euripides' original play would be an unlikely source. Thus, it seems most likely that Shakespeare came to know Euripides' play through a Latin translation.
| 2
|
train_3851
|
Which one of the following, if true, LEAST strengthens the argument?
|
[
"everyone who is poor is honest",
"every honest farmer is poor",
"everyone who is dishonest is a rich farmer",
"every honest person is a farmer"
] |
A poor farmer was fond of telling his children: "In this world, you are either rich or poor, and you are either honest or dishonest. All poor farmers are honest. Ttherefore, all rich farmers are dishonest. "
| 1
|
train_3852
|
The farmer's conclusion is properly drawn if the argument assumes that
|
[
"Increasing dietary oxalate while reducing dietary calcium does not reduce the chances of kidney stone recurrence.",
"Kidney stone development is sometimes the result of an inherited disorder that can result in excessive production of calcium and oxalate.",
"Some kidney stones are composed of uric acid rather than a combination of calcium and oxalate.",
"Increasing calcium intake increases the amount of calcium eliminated through the intestines, which decreases the amount to be filtered by the kidneys."
] |
One way kidney stones can form is when urine produced in the kidneys is overly concentrated with calcium or oxalate. Reducing dietary calcium has been thought, ttherefore, to decrease the likelihood that calcium will concentrate and form additional stones. Oddly enough, for many people the chances of recurrence are decreased by increasing calcium intake.
| 3
|
train_3853
|
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy described above?
|
[
"Widely available commercial fertilizers are not alone sufficient to maintain a healthy balance of nutrients in soil for lawns where grass clippings are not allowed to decay and return to the soil.",
"Homeowners who rake up their grass clippings are unable to maintain the long-term health of the soil in their lawns and gardens.",
"There is no single fertilizer that provides both the macronutrients and micronutrients necessary for maintaining soil's long-term health.",
"For soil to remain healthy in the long term, it requires the regular addition of both commercial fertilizers and a source of micronutrients such as grass clippings that are allowed to decay and return to the soil."
] |
Many homeowners regularly add commercial fertilizers to their lawns and gardens to maintain a healthy balance of nutrients in soil. The widely available commercial fertilizers contain only macronutrients -- namely, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. To remain healthy in the long term, soil for lawns requires the presence of these macronutrients and also trace amounts of micronutrients such as zinc, iron, and copper, which are depleted when grass clippings are raked up rather than allowed to decay and return to the soil.
| 0
|
train_3854
|
Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the statements above?
|
[
"There is no indication that the orbit of any planet orbiting our sun has been affected by a close encounter with another planet orbiting our sun.",
"In most cases in which planets have been discovered orbiting a distant star, more than one planet has been found orbiting the star.",
"When two planets or other large objects in orbit have a close encounter, usually the smaller of the two is the more greatly affected.",
"For each distant star that has been found to have a planet, no other object large enough to affect the planet's orbit has been found orbiting the star."
] |
Astronomer: In most cases in which a planet has been detected orbiting a distant star, the planet' s orbit is distinctly oval, whereas the orbits of Earth and several other planets around our sun are approximately circular. However, many comets orbiting our sun have been thrown into oval orbits by close encounters with planets orbiting our sun. So some of the planets in oval orbits around distant stars were probably thrown into those orbits by close encounters with other planets orbiting the same stars.
| 1
|
train_3855
|
Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the astronomer's argument?
|
[
"During long breaks children have a tendency to forget what they have learned.",
"A change in the present school calendar that shortened breaks would serve the interests of agricultural life.",
"A school calendar made up of periods of study without long breaks would serve the interests of children more than a school calendar with long breaks.",
"Long breaks in the school calendar should be replaced with breaks that are no longer than workers' average vacations."
] |
Editorial: The structure of the present school calendar was established to satisfy the requirements of early-twentieth-century agricultural life. In those days, farmers needed their children to have long breaks during which they could remain at home and help with the harvest. The contemporary school year is thus made up of periods of study interspersed with long breaks. But agricultural life no longer occupies most of our citizens, so we can now make changes that serve the interests of children. Ttherefore, long breaks should be removed from the school calendar.
| 2
|
train_3856
|
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the editorial's argument depends?
|
[
"The volunteers who were the least comparatively inclined had no greater desire to win the $1, 000 than those who were the most comparatively inclined.",
"The most comparatively inclined volunteers believed that they were significantly less likely to finish in the top 10 percent in the race against 500 than in the race against 50.",
"The volunteers who were most comparatively inclined were also those that had the greatest desire to win a $1, 000 prize.",
"The volunteers who were most comparatively inclined were likely to indicate that they would run the two races at the same speed."
] |
Researchers asked volunteers to imagine they were running a five-kilometer race against 50 people and then against 500 people, races in each of which the top 10 percent would receive a $1, 000 prize. Asked about the effort they would apply in the respective cases, the volunteers indicated, on average, that they would run slower in the race against the greater number of people. A likely explanation of this result is that those of the volunteers who were most comparatively inclined-those who most tended to compare themselves with others in the social environment-determined (perhaps unconsciously) that extreme effort would not be worthwhile in the 500-competitor race.
| 1
|
train_3857
|
Which of the following would, if known to be true, most help justify the explanation offered above?
|
[
"treating an issue that requires resolution through political processes as if it were merely a matter of opinion",
"speaking only in abstract terms about matters that involve contingencies and that must be judged on a case-by-case basis",
"concluding that a definition is fully applicable to a situation when it is known only that the situation conforms partially to that definition",
"attempting to justify a rule of conduct on the grounds that it confers benefits on all of the parties involved"
] |
A contract, whether expressed or unexpressed, exists when two parties engage with each other for the reciprocal transfer of benefits. Thus, in accepting support from public funds, an artist creates at least an unexpressed contract between himself or herself and the public, and the public can rightly expect to benefit from the artist' s work.
| 2
|
train_3858
|
Which one of the following most accurately describes an error in reasoning in the passage?
|
[
"does not acknowledge that the effects of the treatment may not be of the same severity in all cases",
"fails to consider the consequences of not administering the treatment",
"does not consider the length of time needed for the treatment to begin taking effect",
"fails to specify what is meant by \"normal functioning of the human body\""
] |
Researcher: The use of the newest drug in treating this disease should be discontinued. The treatment usually wreaks havoc with the normal functioning of the human body, causing severe side effects such as total loss of hair, debilitating nausea, and intense pain in the joints.
| 1
|
train_3859
|
The argument's reasoning is flawed because the argument
|
[
"The studies found that psychotherapy by a trained counselor does not result in any greater improvement, on average, among clients than does simple counseling by an untrained layperson.",
"On average, clients improve more dramatically when they receive long-term psychotherapy, a year or longer in duration, than when clients receive short-term psychotherapy.",
"More-experienced therapists tend to use a wider range of techniques and interventions in psychotherapy than do inexperienced therapists.",
"The methods by which the studies measured whether clients improved primarily concerned immediate symptom relief and failed to address other important kinds of improvement."
] |
Researcher: A number of studies have suggested that, on average, clients in short-term psychotherapy show similar levels of improvement regardless of the kind of psychotherapy they receive. So any client improvement in short-term psychotherapy must be the result of some aspect or aspects of therapy that are common to all psychotherapies -- for example, the presence of someone who listens and gives attention to the client.
| 3
|
train_3860
|
Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the researcher's argument?
|
[
"All anthropologists study one kind or another of modern-day society.",
"Most ancient forager societies either dissolved or made a transition to another way of life.",
"Even those modern-day forager societies that have not had significant contact with modern societies are importantly different from ancient forager societies.",
"All forager societies throughout history have had a number of important features in common that are absent from other types of societies."
] |
Some anthropologists study modern-day societies of foragers in an effort to learn about our ancient ancestors who were also foragers. A flaw in this strategy is that forager societies are extremely varied. Indeed, any forager society with which anthropologists are familiar has had considerable contact with modern, non-forager societies.
| 3
|
train_3861
|
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the criticism made above of the anthropologists' strategy?
|
[
"It presents but ignores evidence that, for some people, high cholesterol contributes to heart disease.",
"It provides no evidence for a link between lipoprotein(a) and heart disease.",
"It fails to consider the possibility that lipoprotein(a) raises cholesterol levels.",
"It fails to consider the possibility that poor diets cause some people to develop health problems other than heart disease."
] |
Although high cholesterol levels have been associated with the development of heart disease, many people with high cholesterol never develop heart disease, while many without high cholesterol do. Recently, above average concentrations of the blood particle lipoprotein(a) were found in the blood of many people whose heart disease was not attributable to other causes. Dietary changes that affect cholesterol levels have no effect on lipoprotein(a) levels. Hence, there is no reason for anyone to make dietary changes for the sake of preventing heart disease.
| 0
|
train_3862
|
Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the argument?
|
[
"whether the dating of the wooden tools by the scientists could be correct",
"whether the scientists' attribution of tools could be correct in light of Jones's evidence",
"whether all prehistoric tools that are 13, 000 years or older were made of wood",
"how long ago the peoples who crossed into the Americas from Siberia to Alaska first did so"
] |
Jones: Prehistoric wooden tools found in South America have been dated to 13, 000 years ago. Although scientists attribute these tools to peoples whose ancestors first crossed into the Americas from Siberia to Alaska, this cannot be correct. In order to have reached a site so far south, these peoples must have been migrating southward well before 13, 000 years ago. However, no such tools dating to before 13, 000 years ago have been found anywhere between Alaska and South America. Smith: Your evidence is inconclusive. Those tools were found in peat bogs, which are rare in the Americas. Wooden tools in soils other than peat bogs usually decompose within only a few years.
| 1
|
train_3863
|
The point at issue between Jones and Smith is
|
[
"Artistic representation is used solely to preserve and reinforce objects.",
"An artist's work should not merely represent objects from outside the psyche.",
"Artists should not base all their work on mere representation.",
"Great art can confer beauty even upon very vulgar external objects."
] |
Surrealist: Many artists mistakenly think that models need be taken only from outside the psyche. Although human sensibility can confer beauty upon even the most vulgar external objects, using the power of artistic representation solely to preserve and reinforce objects that would exist even without artists is an ironic waste.
| 1
|
train_3864
|
Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the surrealist's argument?
|
[
"does not supply information about homeowners in age groups other than 40 to 50",
"does not specify the precise amount of ice cream purchased by any demographic group",
"fails to distinguish between purchasing and consuming",
"discusses ice cream rather than more nutritious and healthful foods"
] |
Homeowners aged 40 to 50 are more likely to purchase ice cream and are more likely to purchase it in larger amounts than are members of any other demographic group. The popular belief that teenagers eat more ice cream than adults must, ttherefore, be false.
| 2
|
train_3865
|
The argument is flawed primarily because the author
|
[
"What a country produces and in what quantities is not always completely controlled by corporate executives.",
"Making decisions about patterns of work organization, resource allocation, and location of industry is not the core of a public official's job.",
"Public officials and business executives often cooperate in making decisions of national importance.",
"The salaries of business executives are commensurate with the salaries of high-ranking public officials."
] |
Economist: In free market systems, the primary responsibility of corporate executives is to determine a nation' s industrial technology, the pattern of work organization, location of industry, and resource allocation. They also are the decision makers, though subject to significant consumer control, on what is to be produced and in what quantities. In short, a large category of major decisions is turned over to business executives. Thus, business executives have become public officials.
| 1
|
train_3866
|
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the economist's argument?
|
[
"The more weights added to an exercise machine, the greater the muscle strength needed to work out on the machine. Up to a point, using more muscle strength can make a person stronger. Thus an exercise machine with more weights can, but does not necessarily, make a person stronger.",
"Pine is a less expensive wood than cedar but is more susceptible to rot. Outdoor furniture made from wood susceptible to rot must be painted with more expensive paint. Ttherefore, building outdoor furniture from pine rather than cedar could increase the total cost of building and painting the furniture.",
"The more skill required to operate a machine, the harder it is to find people able to do it, and thus the more those people must be paid. Ttherefore, if a factory installs machines that require highly skilled operators, it must be prepared to pay higher wages.",
"The more people who work in the library's reading room, the noisier the room becomes; and the noisier the working environment, the less efficiently people work. Ttherefore, when many people are working in the reading room, those people are working less efficiently."
] |
New types of washing machines designed to consume less energy also extract less water from laundry during their final spin cycles than do washing machines that consume somewhat more energy. The wetter the laundry, the more energy required to dry it in an automatic dryer. Thus using these new types of washing machines could result in an overall increase in the energy needed to wash and dry a load of laundry.
| 1
|
train_3867
|
In which one of the following is the pattern of reasoning most parallel to that in the argument above?
|
[
"show that something is the case by ruling out the only alternative",
"substitute a claim about what invariably occurs for a claim about what typically occurs",
"demonstrate that certain possibilities are not exclusive",
"assert that if something is true, it will be known to be true"
] |
For Juanita to get to the zoo she must take either the number 12 bus or else the subway. Everyone knows that the number 12 bus is not running this week; so although Juanita generally avoids using the subway, she must have used it today, since she was seen at the zoo this afternoon.
| 0
|
train_3868
|
The method of the argument is to
|
[
"Compound movements are the only way to increase strength and size.",
"Regular weightlifting is necessary for good health.",
"Performing compound movements is the only way to break down and rebuild stronger muscle fibers.",
"Strength and size gains are indicators of good health."
] |
Regular weightlifting is necessary for good health. Weightlifting with heavy resistance, especially with compound movements, helps break down and rebuild stronger muscle fibers, resulting in strength and size gains.
| 3
|
train_3869
|
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
|
[
"Because of a vigorous market in used cars, the average age of cars on the road has actually increased throughout the years of steady growth in automobile ownership.",
"The increases in traffic volume have been most dramatic on Sabresia's highways, where speeds are well above those of other roads.",
"Automobile ownership is still much less common in Sabresia than it is in other countries.",
"With more and more people owning cars, the average number of passengers in a car on the road has dropped dramatically."
] |
Automobile ownership was rare in Sabresia as recently as 30 years ago, but with continuing growth of personal income there, automobile ownership has become steadily more common. Consequently, there are now far more automobiles on Sabresia' s roads than there were 30 years ago, and the annual number of automobile accidents has increased significantly. Yet the annual number of deaths and injuries resulting from automobile accidents has not increased significantly.
| 3
|
train_3870
|
Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why deaths and injuries resulting from automobile accidents have not increased significantly?
|
[
"Psychotherapists should never attempt to provide psychological help in a manner that makes it unlikely to be of high quality.",
"Most members of radio and television talk show audiences are seeking entertainment rather than high-quality psychological help.",
"Psychotherapy should never be provided in a context in which there is any chance that the therapy might be of less than high quality.",
"It is never appropriate for psychotherapists to attempt to entertain a broad audience."
] |
Psychologist: Psychotherapists who attempt to provide psychotherapy on radio or television talk shows are expected to do so in ways that entertain a broad audience. However, satisfying this demand is nearly always incompatible with providing high-quality psychological help. For this reason, psychotherapists should never provide psychotherapy on talk shows.
| 0
|
train_3871
|
Which one of the following principles must be assumed in order for the psychologist's conclusion to be properly drawn?
|
[
"Periodically switching the type of insecticide used",
"Leaving a few fields fallow every year",
"Breeding higher-yielding varieties of crop plants",
"Gradually increasing the quantities of pesticides used"
] |
The sustained massive use of pesticides in farming has two effects that are especially pernicious. First, it often kills off the pests' natural enemies in the area. Second, it often unintentionally gives rise to insecticide-resistant pests, since those insects that survive a particular insecticide will be the ones most resistant to it, and they are the ones left to breed.
| 0
|
train_3872
|
From the passage above, it can be properly inferred that the effectiveness of the sustained massive use of pesticides can be extended by doing which of the following, assuming that each is a realistic possibility?
|
[
"Earth's moon consists primarily of elements that differ from those inside the Earth.",
"Comets and large meteoroids normally move at very high speeds.",
"The craters on the surface of Earth's moon show that it has been struck by many thousands of large meteoroids.",
"The moons of some planets in Earth's solar system were not formed primarily from the planets' outer shells."
] |
There are just two ways a moon could have been formed from the planet around which it travels: either part of the planet' s outer shell spun off into orbit around the planet or else a large object such as a comet or meteoroid, struck the planet so violently that it dislodged a mass of material from inside the planet. Earth' s moon consists primarily of materials different from those of the Earth' s outer shell.
| 0
|
train_3873
|
If the statements above are true, which one of the following, if also true, would most help to justify drawing the conclusion that Earth's moon was not formed from a piece of the Earth?
|
[
"Ten years ago the residents of area L were not aware that their living conditions were below the national average.",
"Living conditions in an area generally improve only if residents perceive their situation as somehow in need of improvement.",
"Optimal living conditions were established in the survey by taking into account governmental policies and public demands on three continents.",
"Between the times that the two surveys were conducted, the average living conditions in L's country had substantially declined."
] |
A survey taken ten years ago of residents of area L showed that although living conditions were slightly below their country' s average, most residents of L reported general satisfaction with their living conditions. However, this year the same survey found that while living conditions are now about the same as the national average, most residents of L report general dissatisfaction with their living conditions.
| 3
|
train_3874
|
Which one of the following, if true, would most help to resolve the apparent conflict between the results of the surveys described above?
|
[
"The political leader's side has a desire to compromise with the opposition.",
"The opposition is rarely willing to compromise with the political leader's side.",
"The opposition will compromise if the political leader's side shows a desire to compromise.",
"The political leader's side will benefit if a compromise is reached."
] |
Political leader: In this political dispute, our side will benefit from showing a desire to compromise with the opposition. If the opposition responds positively, then a compromise will be reached. If they do not, then they will be held responsible for the failure to reach a compromise and our side will benefit.
| 3
|
train_3875
|
The conclusion of the political leader's argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?
|
[
"The first introduces evidence to support the main conclusion of the argument; the second is the main conclusion stated in the argument.",
"The first introduces the phenomenon that the argument as a whole seeks to explain; the second gives a reason to rule out one possible explanation.",
"The first introduces the phenomenon that the argument as a whole seeks to explain; the second presents a position to which the argument is opposed.",
"The first introduces evidence to support the main conclusion of the argument; the second presents a position to which the argument is opposed."
] |
Most of Western music since the Renaissance has been based on a seven-note scale known as the diatonic scale, but when did the scale originate? <b> A fragment of a bone flute excavated at a Neanderthal campsite has four holes, which are spaced in exactly the right way for playing the third through sixth notes of a diatonic scale. </b> The entire flute must surely have had more holes, and the flute was made from a bone that was long enough for these additional holes to have allowed a complete diatonic scale to be played. <b> Ttherefore, the Neanderthals who made the flute probably used a diatonic musical scale. </b>
| 0
|
train_3876
|
In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
|
[
"It is based on an appeal to the views of someone with questionable authority on the subject matter.",
"It rejects an argument solely on the grounds that the argument could serve the interests of the person making that argument.",
"It bases its conclusion on claims that are inconsistent with one another.",
"It takes a necessary condition for something's being harmful to be a sufficient condition for being harmful."
] |
Critic: Fillmore, an influential television executive, argues that watching television regularly is not detrimental to very young children. Fillmore bases this on the claim, which I grant, that children can learn much that is beneficial from television. But we should reject Fillmore' s argument, because clearly it is to Fillmore' s benefit to convince parents that television is not harmful to their children.
| 1
|
train_3877
|
Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the critic's reasoning?
|
[
"Some students who know how to use calculators also thoroughly understand the mathematical principles that calculators obey.",
"Slide rules, which are less technologically sophisticated analogues of calculators, were widely used in the learning of mathematics several decades ago.",
"Habits that are acquired by laborious and sometimes tedious practice are not as valuable as those that are painlessly mastered.",
"It is much more important that students retain the knowledge of general principles than that this knowledge be easily acquired."
] |
Enthusiasm for the use of calculators in the learning of mathematics is misplaced. Teachers rightly observe that in some cases calculators enable students to focus on general principles rather than the tedious, largely rote calculations that constitute the application of these principles. But principles are more likely to be remembered when knowledge of them is grounded in habits ingrained by painstaking applications of those principles. The very fact that calculators make calculation easier, ttherefore, makes it reasonable to restrict their use.
| 3
|
train_3878
|
Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
|
[
"A characteristic found in half of a given sample of the population might not occur in half of the entire population.",
"A factor that is not in itself sufficient to produce a certain effect may nonetheless be partly responsible for that effect in some instances.",
"A factor that need not be present in order for a certain effect to arise may nonetheless be sufficient to produce that effect.",
"An effect that occurs in the absence of a particular phenomenon might not occur when that phenomenon is present."
] |
Doctor: Medical researchers recently examined a large group of individuals who said that they had never experienced serious back pain. Half of the members of the group turned out to have bulging or slipped disks in their spines, conditions often blamed for serious back pain. Since these individuals with bulging or slipped disks evidently felt no pain from them, these conditions could not lead to serious back pain in people who do experience such pain.
| 1
|
train_3879
|
The reasoning in the doctor's argument is most vulnerable to the criticism that it fails to consider which one of the following possibilities?
|
[
"The tree frog's croak is high-pitched and clearly identifiable while the croaks of most other frogs are low-pitched and indistinguishable.",
"While many varieties of jungle amphibian will frequently move from plant to plant, the tree frog will often stay on the same tree for hours at a time without moving.",
"Most amphibians in the Tropicalico jungle exhibit some sort of communal behavior and often gather around common water sources, but the tree frog takes in water through its skin so it has no need to congregate near a water source.",
"Almost all of the trees within the Tropicalico jungle are covered in vines that bear a remarkable similarity to the patterns on the skin of the tree frog."
] |
The most common amphibian in the Tropicalico jungle is a unique variety of tree frog, but this variety is almost never seen, even by trained researchers studying the amphibian. Surprisingly, this frog is seen even less than tinier and less populous amphibian varieties, possibly less than any other amphibian type within the jungle.
| 0
|
train_3880
|
Each of the following, if true, helps to reconcile the statements above EXCEPT:
|
[
"All etching tools that are not used for engraving are bladed.",
"No etching tool is both pin-tipped and bladed.",
"All tools used for engraving are etching tools as well.",
"There are as many pin-tipped etching tools as there are bladed etching tools."
] |
All etching tools are either pin-tipped or bladed. While some bladed etching tools are used for engraving, some are not. On the other hand, all pin-tipped etching tools are used for engraving. Thus, there are more etching tools that are used for engraving than there are etching tools that are not used for engraving.
| 3
|
train_3881
|
The conclusion of the argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?
|
[
"Elephants do not lick clay at times when their diet consists almost entirely of toxin-free foods.",
"Some of the clay that elephants lick contains minerals that are nutritionally essential for any animal.",
"The clay that elephants ingest does not contain any compounds that are toxic to them.",
"Elephants typically drink water immediately before or after they lick clay."
] |
Elephants are often observed licking clay from mud holes. There is ample evidence that other animals ingest clay because it neutralizes toxins in their diets. Since elephants eat many plants that contain toxic compounds, their licking of clay is probably triggered by toxins too.
| 0
|
train_3882
|
Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
|
[
"A diet low in calcium can cause a drop in egg production in poultry. When chickens on a local farm were let out in the spring to forage for food, their egg production dropped noticeably. So the food found and eaten by the chickens is undeniably low in calcium.",
"The bacteria that cause tetanus live in the digestive tract of horses. Tetanus is a highly infectious disease. Consequently it must be that horses contract tetanus more frequently than do most other animals.",
"Animals that are undernourished are very susceptible to infection. Animals in the largest metropolitan zoos are not undernourished, so they surely must not be very susceptible to disease.",
"The only animal that could have produced a track similar to this one is a bear. But there are no bears in this area of the country, so this animal track is a fake."
] |
A local chemical plant produces pesticides that can cause sterility in small mammals such as otters. Soon after the plant began operating, the incidence of sterility among the otters that swim in a nearby river increased dramatically. Ttherefore, pesticides are definitely contaminating the river.
| 0
|
train_3883
|
Which one of the following arguments contains a flaw in reasoning that is similar to one in the argument above?
|
[
"leaves open the possibility that the head of the department never, in fact, authorizes any announcements",
"overlooks the possibility that people other than the head of the department have the authority to authorize announcements",
"assumes without warrant that just because satisfying a given condition is enough to ensure an announcement's importance, satisfying that condition is necessary for its importance",
"fails to distinguish between the importance of the position someone holds and the importance of what that person may actually be announcing on a particular occasion"
] |
Any announcement authorized by the head of the department is important. However, announcements are sometimes issued, without authorization, by people other than the head of the department, so some announcements will inevitably turn out not to be important.
| 2
|
train_3884
|
The reasoning is flawed because the argument
|
[
"The editorial dismisses a particular view while offering evidence feat actually supports that view.",
"The editorial overlooks the possibility that the nation is neither thriving nor in decline.",
"The editorial compares two situations without considering the obvious differences between them.",
"The editorial dismisses a claim without considering any reasons presented in arguments for that claim."
] |
Editorial: It is common to find essays offering arguments that seem to show that our nation is in decline. There is no cause for alarm, however. The anxious tone of these essays shows that the problem is with the psychological state of their writers rather than with the actual condition of our nation.
| 3
|
train_3885
|
Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the editorial' s reasoning?
|
[
"Converting the branches into wood chips at the logging site would require transporting a fully assembled wood-chipping machine to and from the site.",
"The debranching of trees and the conversion of the branches into chips are the only stages in the processing of branches that it would be in United's economic advantage to perform at the logging site.",
"It would be more economical to debranch the trees at the factory where the fiberboard is manufactured.",
"Transportation costs from the logging site to the factory that are determined by volume of cargo would be lower if the conversion into chips is done at the logging site rather than at the factory."
] |
United Lumber will use trees from its forests for two products. The tree trunks will be used for lumber and the branches converted into wood chips to make fiberboard. The cost of this conversion would be the same whether done at the logging site, where the trees are debranched, or at United' s factory. However, wood chips occupy less than half the volume of the branches from which they are made.
| 3
|
train_3886
|
The information given, if accurate, most strongly supports which of the following?
|
[
"Modern tree-dwelling kangaroos must back down tree trunks slowly and carefully, but the common ancestors of modern tree-and land-dwelling kangaroos used their opposable thumbs to descend trees quickly headfirst.",
"Modern tree-dwelling kangaroos' tails cannot grasp branches, but they are somewhat longer and more flexible than those of modern land-dwelling kangaroos.",
"Modern tree-dwelling kangaroos are descended from species of land-dwelling kangaroos that had been land-dwellers for many generations before modern treedwelling kangaroos started to develop.",
"Modern tree-dwelling kangaroos are smaller than most modern land-dwelling kangaroos but larger than their common ancestors."
] |
The common ancestors of Australian land- and treedwelling kangaroos had prehensile (grasping) tails and long opposable thumbs, attributes that are well-adapted to tree-dwelling but offer kangaroos few advantages on land. It is hardly surprising, ttherefore, that land-dwelling kangaroos eventually lost these attributes; what is puzzling is the fact that all modern tree-dwelling kangaroos now lack them as well.
| 2
|
train_3887
|
Which one of the following, if true, most helps explain the puzzling fact cited above?
|
[
"In today's world the production and analysis of visual images is of major importance in communications, business, and recreation.",
"Several of the fundamental principles of physics are involved in producing and analyzing visual images.",
"Equipment that a large producer of photographic equipment has donated to the high school could be used in the proposed curriculum.",
"The number of students interested in physics today is much lower than the number of students interested in physics 50 years ago."
] |
The local board of education found that, because the current physics curriculum has little direct relevance to today's world, physics classes attracted few high school students. So to attract students to physics classes, the board proposed a curriculum that emphasizes principles of physics involved in producing and analyzing visual images.
| 0
|
train_3888
|
Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest reason to expect that the proposed curriculum will be successful in attracting students?
|
[
"Professors who distribute the paper evaluation forms selectively distribute them only to students they personally like.",
"Dissatisfied students are in general not more likely than satisfied students to submit a computerized evaluation.",
"Students can wisely and insightfully assess a professor's performance before the end of the semester.",
"Nearly all professors who fail to distribute the paper evaluation forms do so because they believe the students will evaluate them unfavorably."
] |
Traditionally, students at Kelly University have evaluated professors on the last day of class. But some professors at Kelly either do not distribute the paper evaluation forms or do so selectively, and many students cannot attend the last day of class. Soon, students will be able to use school computers to evaluate their professors at any time during the semester. Ttherefore, evaluations under the new system will accurately reflect the distribution of student opinion about teaching performance.
| 1
|
train_3889
|
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
|
[
"Dolphins, like other marine mammals, have a higher proportion of body fat than do most land mammals.",
"As dolphins age, they accumulate toxins from the environment more slowly than when they were young.",
"The rate at which adult dolphins living in the waters along Florida's Gulf Coast accumulate toxins is no higher than that of adult dolphins in comparably polluted waters elsewhere.",
"The survival rate of firstborn dolphin calves in the area along Florida's Gulf Coast is highest for those whose mothers were killed before they were weaned."
] |
In polluted environments, dolphins gradually accumulated toxins in their body fat, and the larger the dolphin the more accumulated toxin it can tolerate. Nearly 80 percent of the toxins a female dolphin has accumulated pass into the fat-rich milk her nursing calf ingests. Ttherefore, the unusually high mortality rate among dolphin calves in the industrially contaminated waters along Florida' s Gulf Coast is probably the result of their being poisoned by their mother' s milk.
| 3
|
train_3890
|
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
|
[
"Physical education should include noncompetitive activities.",
"Children should be taught the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.",
"The mental aspects of exercise are as important as the physical ones.",
"Competition causes most students to turn away from sports."
] |
Physical education should teach people to pursue healthy, active lifestyles as they grow older. But the focus on competitive sports in most schools causes most of the less competitive students to turn away from sports. Having learned to think of themselves as unathletic, they do not exercise enough to stay healthy.
| 0
|
train_3891
|
Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the statements above, if they are true?
|
[
"Bolivia would have a lower infant mortality rate than Great Britain and France if its government agencies overseeing postnatal medical programs worked in rural and suburban areas.",
"Infant mortality rates have always been better in Western European nations than in Bolivia.",
"The requirement that government agencies overseeing post-natal medical program work in rural and suburban areas may help decrease infant mortality rates in Bolivia.",
"Government agencies that oversee post- natal medical programs in Bolivia would voluntarily begin working in rural and suburban areas."
] |
Bolivia ranks far behind Western European nations such as Great Britain and France when it comes to infant mortality rates. In all three countries, government agencies that oversee postnatal medical programs have been very successful in reducing the number of infants who are unvaccinated. In Bolivia, these government agencies are only active in urban areas. However, in Great Britain and France, government agencies are required by law to work in rural and suburban areas as well.
| 2
|
train_3892
|
Which one of the following is supported by the information above?
|
[
"presupposes in a premise the conclusion that it purports to establish",
"fails to establish that economists claim to be able to accurately predict global recessions",
"fails to address the possibility that the techniques available to economists for the prediction of global recessions will significantly improve",
"implicitly bases an inference that something will not occur solely on the information that its occurrence is not predictable"
] |
Economist: Global recessions can never be prevented, for they could be prevented only if they were predictable. Yet economists, using the best techniques at their disposal, consistently fail to accurately predict global recessions.
| 2
|
train_3893
|
The economist's argument is most vulnerable to the criticism that it
|
[
"All of the ships of the Blue Star Line are older than any of the ships of the Gold Star Line.",
"The S. S. Coral belongs to the Blue Star Line.",
"The S. S. Coral was built after 1980.",
"Port Tropica is served only by cargo ships."
] |
All of the cargo ships of the Blue Star Line are over 100 meters long, and all of its passenger ships are under 100 meters long. Most of the ships of the Blue Star Line were built before 1980. All of the passenger and cargo ships of the Gold Star line were built after 1980, and all are under 100 meters long. The dockside facilities of Port Tropica, which is open only to ships of these two lines, can accommodate only those ships that are less than 100 meters long. The S. S. Coral is a cargo ship that is currently docked at Port Tropica.
| 2
|
train_3894
|
If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true on the basis of them?
|
[
"Employers generally have to pay financial compensation to employees who suffer work-related injuries.",
"In the last five years, there has been no decline in the number of workplace injuries leading to immediate admission to a hospital emergency room.",
"Employers who have instituted safety-incentive programs do not in general have a lower proportion of reported workplace injuries among their employees than do employers without such programs.",
"Many injuries that happen on the job are injuries that would be impossible to conceal and yet would not be severe enough to require any change to either the employee's work schedule or the employee's job responsibilities."
] |
In Gilavia, the number of reported workplace injuries has declined 16 percent in the last five years. However, perhaps part of the decline results from injuries going unreported: many employers have introduced safety-incentive programs, such as prize drawings for which only employees who have a perfect work-safety record are eligible. Since a workplace injury would disqualify an employee from such programs, some employees might be concealing injury, when it is feasible to do so.
| 1
|
train_3895
|
Which of the following, if true in Gilavia, most strongly supports the proposed explanation?
|
[
"Not all of the employees of the Tedenco Company are salaried employees of that company. Since Mr. Lopez and Ms. Allen are both salaried employees of the Tedenco Company, it follows that they are not the only employees of the Tedenco Company.",
"No corporate attorney represents both the Dumone Company and the Tedenco Company. Since Ms. Tseung is a corporate attorney who represents the Dumone Company, it follows that she does not also represent the Tedenco Company.",
"No company can have its headquarters in both Canada and Mexico. Since neither the Dumone Company nor the Tedenco Company has its headquarters in Mexico, it follows that both have their headquarters in Canada.",
"No member of the board of directors of the Dumone Company is also a member of the board of directors of the Tedenco Company. Since neither company has fewer than five board members, it follows that both boards together include at least ten members."
] |
No member of the Richardson Theater Group is both a performer and an administrator. Since Leon and Marta are both members of the Richardson Theater Group but neither is an administrator, it follows that both are performers.
| 2
|
train_3896
|
Which one of the following arguments displays a flawed pattern of reasoning most similar to that in the argument above?
|
[
"Compared with the muscles in the tongues of most cold-blooded animals, the retraction muscles in the veiled chameleon's tongue are considerably stronger.",
"Most cold-blooded animals are much more active in warmer weather than in cooler weather.",
"In the veiled chameleon, tongue retraction is powered by muscles, whereas tongue extension is driven by energy stored in a rubber band-like sheath.",
"Veiled chameleons are found in a wide range of habitats, including ones with wide variations in temperature and ones with moderate climates."
] |
Cool weather typically weakens muscle power in cold-blooded creatures. In the veiled chameleon, a cold-blooded animal, the speed at which the animal can retract its tongue declines dramatically as the temperature falls. However, the speed at which this chameleon can extend its tongue does not decline much as the temperature falls.
| 2
|
train_3897
|
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above?
|
[
"Realism is an essential criterion for evaluating the performances of both traditional actors and Method actors.",
"The behavior that results when a Method actor feels a certain emotion will conform to the behavior that is generally associated by audiences with that emotion.",
"Traditional actors do not aim to produce performances that are realistic representations of a character's emotional states.",
"Performances based on an actor's own experience of emotional states are more likely to affect an audience's emotions than are performances based on imitations of the behaviors generally associated with those emotional states."
] |
Stage performances are judged to be realistic to the degree that actors reproduce on stage the behaviors generally associated by audiences with the emotional states of the characters portrayed. Traditional actors imitate those behaviors, whereas Method actors, through recollection of personal experience, actually experience the same emotions that their characters are meant to be experiencing. Audiences will ttherefore judge the performances of Method actors to be more realistic than the performances of traditional actors.
| 1
|
train_3898
|
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
|
[
"Hydro buyers are more likely to have neighbors who also drive Hydros.",
"Hydro buyers have less interest in environmental causes than buyers of other highly fuel-efficient automobiles.",
"The Hydro is recognizable as environmentally friendly in a way that its competitors are not.",
"The Hydro is the most popular highly fuel-efficient automobile available."
] |
While sales of other highly fuel-efficient automobiles are in decline, sales of the Hydro are rising. The Hydro' s manufacturers attribute its success to the Hydro' s price and very low fuel consumption. However, the Hydro is comparable in price and fuel efficiency to its competitors, so it is more likely that its success is due to the fact that people want to appear environmentally conscious to their neighbors.
| 2
|
train_3899
|
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
|
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