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It is characteristic of great artists generally, and of great writers in particular, to have a discerning view of the basic social and political arrangements of the society in which they live. Therefore, the greater a writer one is, the more astute one will be in perceiving the basic social and political arrangements of one's society. | 200506_3-LR2_13_13 | [
"It assumes, without providing justification, that members of a group that is part of a larger group possess all of the characteristics possessed by members of the larger group.",
"It assumes, without providing justification, that because something is sometimes the case it must always be the case.",
"It assumes... | 4 | Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the reasoning above? |
Political scientist: The economies of a number of European countries are currently in severe difficulty. Germany is the only neighboring country that has the resources to resuscitate these economies. Therefore, Germany should begin aiding these economically troubled countries. | 200506_3-LR2_14_14 | [
"Any nation that alone has an obligation to economically resuscitate neighboring countries ought to be the only nation to provide any economic aid.",
"Any nation that alone has the capacity to economically resuscitate neighboring countries should exercise that capacity.",
"Any nation that can afford to give eco... | 1 | Which one of the following principles most helps to justify the political scientist's reasoning? |
Critic: Works of literature often present protagonists who scorn allegiance to their society and who advocate detachment rather than civic-mindedness. However, modern literature is distinguished from the literature of earlier eras in part because it more frequently treats such protagonists sympathetically. Sympathetic treatment of such characters suggests to readers that one should be unconcerned about contributing to societal good. Thus, modern literature can damage individuals who appropriate this attitude, as well as damage society at large. | 200506_3-LR2_15_15 | [
"Some individuals in earlier eras were more concerned about contributing to societal good than is any modern individual.",
"It is to the advantage of some individuals that they be concerned with contributing to societal good.",
"Some individuals must believe that their society is better than most before they ca... | 1 | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the critic's argument relies? |
Psychologist: Some people contend that children should never be reprimanded. Any criticism, let alone punishment, they say, harms children's self-esteem. This view is laudable in its challenge to the belief that children should be punished whenever they misbehave, yet it gives a dangerous answer to the question of how often punishment should be inflicted. When parents never reprimand their children, they are in effect rewarding them for unacceptable behavior, and rewarded behavior tends to recur. | 200506_3-LR2_16_16 | [
"is designed to discredit entirely",
"is designed to establish as true",
"is designed to establish as well intentioned",
"claims has a serious flaw though is not without value",
"claims is less reasonable than any other view mentioned"
] | 3 | The view that children should never be reprimanded functions in the psychologist's argument as a statement of a position that the psychologist's argument |
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. Therefore, evaluations under the new system will accurately reflect the distribution of student opinion about teaching performance. | 200506_3-LR2_17_17 | [
"Professors who distribute the paper evaluation forms selectively distribute them only to students they personally like.",
"Students can wisely and insightfully assess a professor's performance before the end of the semester.",
"The traditional system for evaluating teaching performance should not be used at an... | 4 | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? |
A seriously maladaptive trait is unlikely to persist in a given animal population for long, since there is enough genetic variation in populations that some members will lack the trait. Those lacking the trait will compete more successfully for the available resources. Hence these members of the population survive and reproduce at a higher rate, crowding out those with the maladaptive trait. | 200506_3-LR2_18_18 | [
"It expresses a view that the argument as a whole is designed to discredit.",
"It is the argument's main conclusion.",
"It is a premise of the argument.",
"It presents evidence that the argument attempts to undermine.",
"It is an intermediate conclusion of the argument."
] | 2 | The proposition that those lacking a maladaptive trait will compete more successfully for the available resources figures in the argument in which one of the following ways? |
Tanya would refrain from littering if everyone else refrained from littering. None of her friends litter, and therefore she does not litter either. | 200506_3-LR2_19_19 | [
"All residents of the same neighborhood have some goals in common. One group of neighborhood residents wants improvements made to a local park, so some other residents of that neighborhood must share this goal.",
"If a talented artist is willing to starve for her career, then her friends should take her choice of... | 4 | Which one of the following uses flawed reasoning most similar to the flawed reasoning in the argument above? |
Scientist: Genetic engineering has aided new developments in many different fields. But because these techniques require the manipulation of the genetic codes of organisms, they are said to be unethical. What the critics fail to realize is that this kind of manipulation has been going on for millennia; virtually every farm animal is the result of selective breeding for desired traits. Since selective breeding is genetic engineering of a crude sort, genetic engineering is not unethical. | 200506_3-LR2_20_20 | [
"The manipulation of the genetic code of organisms is never unethical.",
"Anything that is accomplished by nature is not unethical to accomplish with science.",
"The manipulation of the genetic code through selective breeding for desired traits is not unethical.",
"The manipulation of the genetic code through... | 2 | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the scientist's argument depends? |
Baumgartner's comparison of the environmental hazards of gasoline-powered cars with those of electric cars is misleading. He examines only production of the cars, whereas it is the product's total life cycle—production, use, and recycling—that matters in determining its environmental impact. A typical gasoline-powered car consumes 3 times more resources and produces 15 to 20 times more air pollution than a typical electric car. | 200506_3-LR2_21_21 | [
"Baumgartner makes a deceptive comparison between the environmental hazards of gasoline-powered and electric cars.",
"The use of a typical gasoline-powered car results in much greater resource depletion than does the use of a typical electric car.",
"Baumgartner uses inaccurate data in his comparison of the env... | 0 | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the argument? |
Over the last 10 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people over the age of 65 living in this region. This is evident from the fact that during this time the average age of people living in this region has increased from approximately 52 to 57 years. | 200506_3-LR2_22_22 | [
"The number of people in the region under the age of 18 has increased over the last 10 years.",
"The birth rate for the region decreased significantly over the last 10 years.",
"The total number of people living in the region has decreased over the last 10 years.",
"The number of people who moved into the reg... | 0 | Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument? |
Editorial: A recently passed law limits freedom of speech in order to silence dissenters. It has been said that those who are ignorant of history will repeat its patterns. If this is true, then those responsible for passing the law must be ignorant of a great deal of history. Historically, silencing dissenters has tended to promote undemocratic policies and the establishment of authoritarian regimes. | 200506_3-LR2_23_23 | [
"the law may have other purposes in addition to silencing dissenters",
"certain freedoms might sometimes need to be limited in order to ensure the protection of certain other freedoms",
"some historical accounts report that legal restrictions on freedom of speech have occasionally undermined the establishment o... | 4 | The editorialist's reasoning is flawed in that it fails to take into account that |
Editorialist: Despite the importance it seems to have in our lives, money does not really exist. This is evident from the fact that all that would be needed to make money disappear would be a universal loss of belief in it. We witness this phenomenon on a small scale daily in the rises and falls of financial markets, whose fluctuations are often entirely independent of concrete causes and are the results of mere beliefs of investors. | 200506_3-LR2_24_24 | [
"Anything that exists would continue to exist even if everyone were to stop believing in it.",
"Only if one can have mistaken beliefs about a thing does that thing exist, strictly speaking.",
"In order to exist, an entity must have practical consequences for those who believe in it.",
"If everyone believes in... | 0 | The conclusion of the editorialist's argument can be properly drawn if which one of the following is assumed? |
False chicory's taproot is always one half as long as the plant is tall. Furthermore, the more rain false chicory receives, the taller it tends to grow. In fact, false chicory plants that receive greater than twice the average rainfall of the species' usual habitat always reach above-average heights for false chicory. | 200506_3-LR2_25_25 | [
"If two false chicory plants differ in height, then it is likely that the one with the shorter taproot has received less than twice the average rainfall of the species' usual habitat.",
"If a false chicory plant has a longer-than-average taproot, then it is likely to have received more than twice the average rain... | 4 | If the statements above are true, then which one of the following must also be true? |
Fossilized teeth of an extinct species of herbivorous great ape have on them phytoliths, which are microscopic petrified remains of plants. Since only phytoliths from certain species of plants are found on the teeth, the apes' diet must have consisted only of those plants. | 200506_3-LR2_26_26 | [
"None of the plant species that left phytoliths on the apes' teeth has since become extinct.",
"Plants of every type eaten by the apes left phytoliths on their teeth.",
"Each of the teeth examined had phytoliths of the same plant species on it as all the other teeth.",
"Phytoliths have also been found on the ... | 1 | The argument assumes which one of the following? |
While it might be expected that those neighborhoods most heavily patrolled by police have the least crime, the statistical evidence overwhelmingly supports the claim that such neighborhoods have the most crime. This shows that the presence of police does not decrease crime in a neighborhood. | 200510_1-LR1_1_1 | [
"attempts to support its conclusion by making an appeal to emotions",
"fails to consider the possibility that criminals may commit crimes in more than one neighborhood",
"draws a general conclusion from too small a sample of data",
"fails to consider the possibility that police presence in a particular area i... | 3 | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument |
Despite increasing international efforts to protect the natural habitats of endangered species of animals, the rate at which these species are becoming extinct continues to rise. It is clear that these efforts are wasted. | 200510_1-LR1_2_2 | [
"Scientists are better able to preserve the habitats of endangered species now than ever before.",
"Species that would have become extinct have been saved due to the establishment of animal refuges.",
"Scientists estimate that at least 2000 species become extinct every year.",
"Many countries do not recognize... | 1 | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument? |
When a lawmaker spoke out against a research grant awarded to a professor in a university's psychology department as a foolish expenditure of public money, other professors in that department drafted a letter protesting the lawmaker's interference in a field in which he was not trained. The chair of the psychology department, while privately endorsing the project, refused to sign the protest letter on the ground that she had previously written a letter applauding the same legislator when he publicized a senseless expenditure by the country's military. | 200510_1-LR1_3_3 | [
"A person should not publicly criticize the actions of a lawmaker in different cases without giving careful consideration to the circumstances of each particular case.",
"The chair of an academic department has an obligation to ensure that public funds allocated to support projects within that department are spen... | 2 | Which one of the following principles, if established, provides the strongest justification for the department chair's refusal, on the ground she gives, to sign the protest letter? |
Aaron:A prominent judge, criticizing "famous lawyers who come before courts ill-prepared to argue their cases," recently said, "This sort of cavalier attitude offends the court and can do nothing but harm to the client's cause." I find the judge's remarks irresponsible. Belinda:I find it natural and an admirable display of candor. Letting people know of the damage their negligence causes is responsible behavior. | 200510_1-LR1_4_4 | [
"ill-prepared lawyers damage their clients' causes",
"the judge's criticism of lawyers is irresponsible",
"a lawyer's being ill-prepared to argue a client's case constitutes negligence",
"famous lawyers have a greater responsibility to be well prepared than do lawyers who are not famous",
"it is to be expec... | 1 | The point at issue between Aaron and Belinda is whether |
The human emotional response presents an apparent paradox. People believe that they can be genuinely moved only by those things and events that they believe to be actual, yet they have genuine emotional responses to what they know to be fictional. | 200510_1-LR1_5_5 | [
"Fred was watching a horror movie. Although he did not expect to be bothered by make-believe monsters, he nonetheless felt frightened when they appeared on the screen.",
"Tamara was reading Hamlet. Although she knew that it was a work of fiction, she still made statements such as \"Hamlet was born in Denmark\" an... | 0 | Which one of the following situations most closely conforms to the principle cited above? |
Recent investigations of earthquakes have turned up a previously unknown type of seismic shock, known as a displacement pulse, which is believed to be present in all earthquakes. Alarmingly, high-rise buildings are especially vulnerable to displacement pulses, according to computer models. Yet examination of high-rises within cities damaged by recent powerful earthquakes indicates little significant damage to these structures. | 200510_1-LR1_6_6 | [
"Displacement pulses travel longer distances than other types of seismic shock.",
"Scientific predictions based on computer models often fail when tested in the field.",
"While displacement pulses have only recently been discovered, they have accompanied all earthquakes that have ever occurred.",
"The displac... | 1 | Which one of the following, if true, contributes to a resolution of the apparent paradox? |
Terry: Months ago, I submitted a claim for my stolen bicycle to my insurance company. After hearing nothing for several weeks, I contacted the firm and found they had no record of my claim. Since then, I have resubmitted the claim twice and called the firm repeatedly, but I have yet to receive a settlement. Anyone can make mistakes, of course, but the persistence of the error makes me conclude that the company is deliberately avoiding paying up. | 200510_1-LR1_7_7 | [
"Consumers should avoid attributing dishonesty to a corporation when the actions of the corporation might instead be explained by incompetence.",
"Consumers should attempt to keep themselves informed of corporate behavior that directly affects their interests.",
"In judging the quality of service of a corporati... | 0 | Which one of the following principles is violated by Terry's reasoning? |
Fortune-teller: Admittedly, the claims of some self-proclaimed "psychics" have been shown to be fraudulent, but the exposure of a few charlatans cannot alter the fundamental fact that it has not been scientifically proven that there is no such thing as extrasensory perception (ESP). Furthermore, since the failed attempts to produce such a proof have been so numerous, one must conclude that some individuals do possess ESP. | 200510_1-LR1_8_8 | [
"takes for granted that proof that many people lack a characteristic does not establish that everyone lacks that characteristic",
"takes for granted that the number of unsuccessful attempts to prove a claim is the only factor relevant to whether one should accept that claim",
"overlooks the possibility that som... | 4 | The reasoning in the fortune-teller's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument |
Film historians have made two major criticisms of Depression-era filmmakers: first, that they were too uncritical of the economic status quo; and second, that they self-indulgently created films reflecting their own dreams and desires. However, these filmmakers made their movies with an eye to profit, and so they provided what their audiences most wanted in a film: a chance to imagine being wealthy enough not to have a care in the world. Thus, the second criticism cannot be accurate. | 200510_1-LR1_9_9 | [
"To avoid self-indulgence, filmmakers should take a critical stance toward the existing economic system and should allow audiences to form their own personal aspirations.",
"It is unjustified to demand of all filmmakers that their films engage in criticism of the economic status quo.",
"The people who regularly... | 4 | The conclusion of the argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? |
Editorial: Many observers note with dismay the decline in the number of nongovernmental, voluntary community organizations. They argue that this decline is caused by the corresponding growth of government services once provided by these voluntary community groups. But this may not be true. The increase in government services may coincide with a decrease in volunteerism, but the former does not necessarily cause the latter; the latter may indeed cause the former. | 200510_1-LR1_10_10 | [
"showing that there is no causality involved",
"offering a counterexample to the alleged correlation",
"proving that no generalization can properly be drawn about people's motives for volunteering",
"offering an alternate explanation of the correlation cited",
"proving that governments must do what communit... | 3 | The editorial undermines the conclusion of the causal argument by |
In contemplating major purchases, businesses often consider only whether there is enough money left from monthly revenues after paying monthly expenses to cover the cost of the purchase. But many expenses do not occur monthly; taking into account only monthly expenses can cause a business to overexpand. So the use of a cash-flow statement is critical for all businesses. | 200510_1-LR1_11_11 | [
"Only a cash-flow statement can accurately document all monthly expenses.",
"Any business that has overexpanded can benefit from the use of a cash-flow statement.",
"When a business documents only monthly expenses it also documents only monthly revenue.",
"A cash-flow statement is the only way to track both m... | 3 | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? |
All known living things are made of the same basic kinds of matter, are carbon based, and are equipped with genetic codes. So human life has the same origin as all other known life. | 200510_1-LR1_12_12 | [
"Without the existence of other life forms, human life would never have come into existence.",
"There are not any living beings that have genetic codes but are not carbon based.",
"There can never be any living thing that does not have a genetic code.",
"Many yet-to-be-discovered types of living things will a... | 4 | The conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? |
All societies recognize certain rules to be so crucial that they define those rules as duties, such as rules restricting violence and those requiring the keeping of agreements. Contained in the notion of a duty is the idea that its fulfillment is so fundamental to a properly functioning society that persons obligated by it cannot be excused on the ground that its fulfillment would be harmful to their self-interest. This shows that ____. | 200510_1-LR1_13_13 | [
"all societies overrate the benefits of certain rules, such as those governing the keeping of agreements",
"all societies have certain rules that no people are capable of following",
"all societies recognize the possibility of clashes between individual self-interest and the performance of duty",
"a properly ... | 2 | Which one of the following most reasonably completes the argument? |
Linguist: Regional dialects, many of which eventually become distinct languages, are responses by local populations to their own particular communicative needs. So even when the unification of the world economy forces the adoption of a universal language for use in international trade, this language itself will inevitably develop many regional dialects. | 200510_1-LR1_14_14 | [
"No two local populations have the same communicative needs as each other.",
"In some regions of the world, at least some people will not engage in international trade after the unification of the world economy.",
"A universal language for use in international trade will not arise unless the world economy is un... | 4 | Which one of the following is an assumption that the linguist's argument requires? |
Often, a product popularly believed to be the best of its type is no better than any other; rather, the product's reputation, which may be independent of its quality, provides its owner with status. Thus, although there is no harm in paying for status if that is what one wants, one should know that one is paying for prestige, not quality. | 200510_1-LR1_15_15 | [
"Often, choosing the best job offer is a matter of comparing the undesirable features of the different jobs. Thus, those who choose a job because it has a desirable location should know that they might be unhappy with its hours.",
"Most people have little tolerance for boastfulness. Thus, although one's friends m... | 3 | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above? |
Essayist: Many people are hypocritical in that they often pretend to be more morally upright than they really are. When hypocrisy is exposed, hypocrites are embarrassed by their moral lapse, which motivates them and others to try to become better people. On the other hand, when hypocrisy persists without exposure, the belief that most people are good is fostered, which motivates most people to try to be good. | 200510_1-LR1_16_16 | [
"The existence of hypocrisy encourages people to believe that no one is morally blameless.",
"The existence of hypocrisy encourages people to make efforts to live by moral standards.",
"The existence of hypocrisy in some people encourages others to fall into moral lapses.",
"The hiding of hypocrisy is a bette... | 1 | The essayist's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? |
"Multiple use" refers to the utilization of natural resources in combinations that will best meet the present and future needs of the public. Designating land as a wilderness area does not necessarily violate the multiple-use philosophy, for even when such use does not provide the greatest dollar return, it can provide the greatest overall benefit from that site. | 200510_1-LR1_17_17 | [
"Natural resources should be used in combinations that will most greatly benefit present and future generations.",
"Designating a wilderness area prevents any exploitation of natural resources in that area.",
"The present and future needs of the public would best be met by designating greater numbers of wildern... | 3 | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? |
In the troposphere, the lowest level of the earth's atmosphere, the temperature decreases as one progresses straight upward. At the top, the air temperature ranges from -50 degrees Celsius over the poles to -85 degrees Celsius over the equator. At that point the stratosphere begins, and the temperature stops decreasing and instead increases as one progresses straight upward through the stratosphere. The stratosphere is warmed by ozone. When an ozone particle absorbs a dose of ultraviolet sunlight, heat is generated. | 200510_1-LR1_18_18 | [
"The troposphere over the poles is thicker than the troposphere over the equator.",
"It is warmer at the top of the stratosphere over the poles than it is at the top of the stratosphere over the equator.",
"The temperature in the middle part of the stratosphere over the North Pole is at least as great as the te... | 3 | If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true? |
There have been no new cases of naturally occurring polio in North America in recent years. Yet there are approximately 12 new cases of polio each year in North America, all caused by the commonly administered live oral polio vaccine (OPV). Substituting inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) for most childhood polio immunizations would cut the number of cases of vaccination-caused polio about in half. Clearly it is time to switch from OPV to IPV as the most commonly used polio vaccine for North American children. | 200510_1-LR1_19_19 | [
"If IPV replaces OPV as the most commonly used polio vaccine, at least a few new cases of naturally occurring polio in North America will result each year.",
"The vast majority of cases of polio caused by OPV have occurred in children with preexisting but unsuspected immunodeficiency disorders.",
"A child's ris... | 0 | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument? |
Professor: Each government should do all that it can to improve the well-being of all the children in the society it governs. Therefore, governments should help finance high-quality day care since such day care will become available to families of all income levels if and only if it is subsidized. | 200510_1-LR1_20_20 | [
"Only governments that subsidize high-quality day care take an interest in the well-being of all the children in the societies they govern.",
"Government subsidy of high-quality day care would not be so expensive that it would cause a government to eliminate benefits for adults.",
"High-quality day care should ... | 3 | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the professor's argument depends? |
Opposition leader: Our country has the least fair court system of any country on the continent and ought not to be the model for others. Thus, our highest court is the least fair of any on the continent and ought not to be emulated by other countries. | 200510_1-LR1_21_21 | [
"The residents of medium-sized towns are, on average, more highly educated than people who do not live in such towns. Therefore, Maureen, who was born in a medium-sized town, is more highly educated than Monica, who has just moved to such a town.",
"At a certain college, either philosophy or engineering is the mo... | 1 | The flawed reasoning in which one of the following arguments is most similar to that in the opposition leader's argument? |
Columnist: There are certain pesticides that, even though they have been banned for use in the United States for nearly 30 years, are still manufactured there and exported to other countries. In addition to jeopardizing the health of people in these other countries, this practice greatly increases the health risk to U.S. consumers, for these pesticides are often used on agricultural products imported into the United States. | 200510_1-LR1_22_22 | [
"Trace amounts of some of the pesticides banned for use in the United States can be detected in the soil where they were used 30 years ago.",
"Most of the pesticides that are manufactured in the United States and exported are not among those banned for use in the United States.",
"The United States is not the o... | 2 | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the columnist's argument? |
Columnist: Neuroscientists have found that states of profound creativity are accompanied by an increase of theta brain waves, which occur in many regions of the brain, including the hippocampus. They also found that listening to music increases theta waves dramatically. Thus, one can attain a state of profound creativity merely by listening to a tape of recorded music. | 200510_1-LR1_23_23 | [
"takes for granted that there is a causal connection between the hippocampus and being in a state of profound creativity",
"fails to consider that music is not necessary for one to be in a state of profound creativity",
"does not rule out the possibility that listening to music by means other than a tape record... | 3 | The columnist's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it |
Consumer advocate: The manufacturer's instructions for assembling a product should be written in such a way that most consumers would find it much easier to put the product together if the instructions were available than if they were not. | 200510_1-LR1_24_24 | [
"The typical consumer who assembles a product does so using the manufacturer's instructions, but still has great difficulty.",
"Often the store at which a consumer purchases an unassembled product will offer, for a fee, to assemble the product and deliver it.",
"For the typical product, most consumers who assem... | 2 | Which one of the following, if true, would provide the strongest reason for thinking that the principle advanced by the consumer advocate cannot always be followed? |
Claude: Because of the relatively high number of middle-aged people in the workforce, there will be fewer opportunities for promotion into upper-management positions. Since this will decrease people's incentive to work hard, economic productivity and the quality of life will diminish. Thelma: This glut of middle-aged workers will lead many people to form their own companies. They will work hard and thus increase economic productivity, improving the quality of life even if many of the companies ultimately fail. | 200510_1-LR1_25_25 | [
"The quality of life in a society affects that society's economic productivity.",
"The failure of many companies will not necessarily have a negative effect on overall economic productivity.",
"How hard a company's employees work is a function of what they think their chances for promotion are in that company."... | 4 | On the basis of their statements, Claude and Thelma are committed to agreeing about which one of the following? |
Researchers gave 100 first-graders after-school lessons in handwriting. They found that those whose composition skills had improved the most had learned to write letters the most automatically. This suggests that producing characters more automatically frees up mental resources for other activities. | 200510_1-LR1_26_26 | [
"Among the first-graders who received the after-school lessons in handwriting, those who practiced the most learned to write letters the most automatically.",
"The first-graders who wrote letters the most automatically before receiving the after-school lessons in handwriting showed the greatest improvement in the... | 2 | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? |
Although fiber-optic telephone cable is more expensive to manufacture than copper telephone cable, a telephone network using fiber-optic cable is less expensive overall than a telephone network using copper cable. This is because copper cable requires frequent amplification of complex electrical signals to carry them for long distances, whereas the pulses of light that are transmitted along fiber-optic cable can travel much farther before amplification is needed. | 200510_3-LR2_1_1 | [
"The material from which fiber-optic cable is manufactured is more expensive than the copper from which copper cable is made.",
"The increase in the number of transmissions of complex signals through telephone cables is straining those telephone networks that still use copper cable.",
"Fiber-optic cable can car... | 4 | The above statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? |
Being near woodlands, the natural habitat of bees, promotes the health of crops that depend on pollination. Bees, the most common pollinators, visit flowers far from woodlands less often than they visit flowers close to woodlands. | 200510_3-LR2_2_2 | [
"The likelihood that a plant is pollinated increases as the number of visits from pollinators increases.",
"Many bees live in habitats other than woodlands.",
"Woodlands are not the natural habitat of all pollinators.",
"Some pollinators visit flowers far from their habitats more often than they visit flowers... | 0 | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? |
According to the rules of the university's housing lottery, the only students guaranteed dormitory rooms are fourth-year students. In addition, any fourth-year student on the dean's list can choose a dormitory room before anyone who is not a fourth-year student. | 200510_3-LR2_3_3 | [
"Benizer is a fourth-year student who is not on the dean's list, so she is not guaranteed a dormitory room.",
"Ivan and Naomi are both fourth-year students but only Naomi is on the dean's list. Therefore, Ivan can choose a dormitory room before Naomi.",
"Halle, a third-year student, is on the dean's list. Thus,... | 3 | Which one of the following inferences is most strongly supported by the rules described above? |
To the editor: For generations, magnificent racehorses have been bred in our area. Our most valuable product, however, has been generations of children raised with the character that makes them winners in the contests of life. Gambling is wrong, and children raised in an atmosphere where the goal is to get something for nothing will not develop good character. Those who favor developing good character in children over gambling on horses should vote against allowing our first racetrack to be built. L.E. | 200510_3-LR2_4_4 | [
"If good character is developed in children early, the children continue to have good character in different environments.",
"In other areas with gambling, parents are able to raise children of good character.",
"In most areas with horse racing, the percentage of adults who gamble increases gradually from year ... | 1 | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens L.E.'s argument? |
Azadeh: The recent increase in the amount of organically produced food indicates that consumers are taking a greater interest in the environment. Thus, there is new hope for a healthier planet. Ben: No, Azadeh, if you interviewed people who buy organic produce, you'd see that they're actually as selfish as everyone else, since they're motivated only by worries about their own health. | 200510_3-LR2_5_5 | [
"it is likely that a healthy planet can be maintained if most people continue in their present eating habits",
"people can become healthier by increasing their consumption of organic foods",
"people ought to be more concerned about the environment than they currently are",
"the rise in organic food production... | 3 | Azadeh's and Ben's statements provide the most support for holding that they disagree about whether |
Citizen: The primary factor determining a dog's disposition is not its breed, but its home environment. A bad owner can undo generations of careful breeding. Legislation focusing on specific breeds of dogs would not address the effects of human behavior in raising and training animals. As a result, such breed-specific legislation could never effectively protect the public from vicious dogs. Moreover, in my view, the current laws are perfectly adequate. | 200510_3-LR2_6_6 | [
"The public would not be effectively protected from violent dogs by breed-specific legislation.",
"A good home environment is more important than breeding to a dog's disposition.",
"The home environment of dogs would not be regulated by breed-specific legislation.",
"Irresponsible dog owners are capable of pr... | 0 | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn by the citizen? |
Legislator: To keep our food safe, we must prohibit the use of any food additives that have been found to cause cancer. Commentator: An absolute prohibition is excessive. Today's tests can detect a single molecule of potentially cancer-causing substances, but we know that consuming significantly larger amounts of such a chemical does not increase one's risk of getting cancer. Thus, we should instead set a maximum acceptable level for each problematic chemical, somewhat below the level at which the substance has been shown to lead to cancer but above zero. | 200510_3-LR2_7_7 | [
"The level at which a given food additive has been shown to lead to cancer in children is generally about half the level at which it leads to cancer in adults.",
"Consuming small amounts of several different cancer-causing chemicals can lead to cancer even if consuming such an amount of any one cancer-causing che... | 1 | Of the following, which one, if true, is the logically strongest counter the legislator can make to the commentator's argument? |
Consumer advocate: There is ample evidence that the model of car one drives greatly affects the chances that one's car will be stolen. The model of car stolen most often in our country last year, for example, was also the model stolen most often in the preceding year. | 200510_3-LR2_8_8 | [
"fails to address adequately the possibility that the model of car that was stolen most often last year was the most common model of car in the consumer advocate's country",
"fails to address adequately the possibility that the age of a car also greatly affects its chances of being stolen",
"fails to address ad... | 0 | The consumer advocate's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it |
Laird: Pure research provides us with new technologies that contribute to saving lives. Even more worthwhile than this, however, is its role in expanding our knowledge and providing new, unexplored ideas. Kim: Your priorities are mistaken. Saving lives is what counts most of all. Without pure research, medicine would not be as advanced as it is. | 200510_3-LR2_9_9 | [
"derives its significance in part from its providing new technologies",
"expands the boundaries of our knowledge of medicine",
"should have the saving of human lives as an important goal",
"has its most valuable achievements in medical applications",
"has any value apart from its role in providing new techn... | 3 | Laird and Kim disagree on whether pure research |
Naturalist: To be dependable, the accounting framework used by national economists to advise the government must take into account all of our nation's assets; but the current accounting framework used by our national economists assigns no value to government-owned natural resources, which are clearly assets. | 200510_3-LR2_10_10 | [
"Economists' indifference toward the destruction of natural resources will lead policymakers to make poor decisions.",
"Naturalists and economists disagree about whether natural resources have value.",
"The accounting framework used by national economists is not reliable.",
"Natural resources are a vital econ... | 2 | The naturalist's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? |
Carrots are known to be one of the best sources of naturally occurring vitamin A. However, although farmers in Canada and the United States report increasing demand for carrots over the last decade, the number of people diagnosed with vitamin A deficiency in these countries has also increased in that time. | 200510_3-LR2_11_11 | [
"The population has significantly increased in every age group.",
"The purchase of peeled and chopped carrots has become very popular, though carrots are known to lose their vitamins quickly once peeled.",
"Certain cuisines that have become popular use many more vegetable ingredients, including carrots, than mo... | 2 | Each of the following, if true of Canada and the United States over the last decade, helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy described above EXCEPT: |
Critics have argued that because Freudianism holds that people have unconscious desires that can defeat their attempts to follow rational life plans, it is incompatible with the predominantly rationalistic spirit of Western philosophical and psychological thought. But it is a central tenet of Freudianism that through psychoanalysis one can become conscious of one's previously unconscious desires, enabling one to avoid being defeated by them. Therefore, ____. | 200510_3-LR2_12_12 | [
"Freudianism does not run counter to the rationalistic mainstream of Western philosophical and psychological thought",
"Freudianism holds that people can always achieve happiness through psychoanalysis",
"Freudianism may be the beginning of a new trend in Western philosophical and psychological thought",
"psy... | 0 | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? |
Writer: In the diplomat's or lawyer's world, a misinterpreted statement can result in an international incident or an undeserved prison term. Thus, legal and diplomatic language is stilted and utterly without literary merit, since by design it prevents misinterpretation, which in these areas can have severe consequences. | 200510_3-LR2_13_13 | [
"Language that has literary value is more likely to be misunderstood than language without literary value.",
"Literary documents are generally less important than legal or diplomatic documents.",
"Lawyers and diplomats are much less likely to be misunderstood than are novelists.",
"The issues that are of inte... | 0 | The writer's argument requires assuming which one of the following? |
Overexposure to certain wavelengths of strong sunlight is the main cause of melanoma, a virulent form of skin cancer. For this reason, doctors now urge everyone to put adequate sunblock on skin exposed to strong sunlight. Adequate sunblock, according to doctors, is any preparation that prevents sunburn even if the person is exposed to strong sunlight for a significant length of time. | 200510_3-LR2_14_14 | [
"There is no evidence that there are wavelengths of sunlight that lead to both sunburn and melanoma.",
"There are people who have allergic reactions to certain chemicals found in many sunblocks.",
"Many sunblocks need repeated applications to remain effective for a significant length of time.",
"Toxins contai... | 0 | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the recommendation that people wear adequate sunblock? |
In a study, parents were asked to rate each television program that their children watched. The programs were rated for violent content on a scale of one to five, with "one" indicating no violence and "five" indicating a great deal. The number of times their children were disciplined in school was also recorded. Children who watched programs with an average violence rating of three or higher were 50 percent more likely to have been disciplined than other children. | 200510_3-LR2_15_15 | [
"Children who are excited by violent action programs on television tend to become bored with schoolwork and to express their boredom in an unacceptable fashion.",
"When parents watch violent programs on television with their children, those children become more likely to regard antisocial behavior as legitimate."... | 2 | Each of the following, if true, helps to explain the statistical relationship described above EXCEPT: |
In the last election, 89 percent of reporters voted for the incumbent. The content of news programs reveals that reporters allowed the personal biases reflected in this voting pattern to affect their news coverage: 54 percent of coverage concerning the challenger was negative, compared with only 30 percent of that concerning the incumbent. | 200510_3-LR2_16_16 | [
"presumes, without providing justification, that both candidates received equal amounts of coverage overall",
"ignores the possibility that there was more negative news worthy of reporting concerning the challenger than there was concerning the incumbent",
"presumes, without providing justification, that allowi... | 1 | The argument is logically most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it |
Art critic: Abstract paintings are nonrepresentational, and so the only measure of their worth is their interplay of color, texture, and form. But for a painting to spur the viewer to political action, instances of social injustice must be not only represented, but also clearly comprehensible as such. Therefore, abstract painting can never be a politically significant art form. | 200510_3-LR2_17_17 | [
"Abstract painting cannot stimulate people to act.",
"Unless people view representations of social injustice, their political activity is insignificant.",
"Only art that prompts people to counter social injustice is significant art.",
"Paintings that fail to move a viewer to political action cannot be politic... | 3 | Which one of the following is an assumption that is required by the art critic's argument? |
North Americans who travel to Europe for the first time should include significant time in Italy on their itinerary. To develop an appreciation of a continent that goes beyond the mere accumulation of impressions, one needs to acquire a thorough knowledge of at least one country, and North Americans seem to find it easier to get to know Italy than other European countries. | 200510_3-LR2_18_18 | [
"A person who wants to learn to play the piano should study classical music, because though it is more difficult to play than is popular music, mastery of its techniques enables one to quickly master popular pieces.",
"To overcome a fear of water that prevents one from swimming, one should paddle about in shallow... | 2 | Which one of the following best illustrates the principle illustrated by the argument above? |
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. | 200510_3-LR2_19_19 | [
"It fails to consider the possibility that lipoprotein(a) raises cholesterol levels.",
"It provides no evidence for a link between lipoprotein(a) and heart disease.",
"It presents but ignores evidence that, for some people, high cholesterol contributes to heart disease.",
"It fails to consider the possibility... | 2 | Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the argument? |
Philosopher: It is absurd to argue that people are morally obligated to act in a certain way simply because not acting in that way would be unnatural. An unnatural action is either a violation of the laws of nature or a statistical anomaly. There is no possibility of acting as one cannot, nor does the mere fact that something is not usually done provide any good reason not to do it. | 200510_3-LR2_20_20 | [
"undermining a concept by showing that its acceptance would violate a law of nature",
"stating the definition of a key term of the argument",
"using statistical findings to dispute a claim",
"undermining a claim by showing that the claim is self-contradictory",
"using empirical evidence to support one defin... | 1 | Which one of the following most accurately describes a technique used in the philosopher's argument? |
Clearly, fitness consultants who smoke cigarettes cannot help their clients become healthier. If they do not care about their own health, they cannot really care for their clients' health, and if they do not care for their clients' health, they cannot help them to become healthier. | 200510_3-LR2_21_21 | [
"Anyone who does not care for his or her own health cannot help others become healthier.",
"Anyone who cares about the health of others can help others become healthier.",
"Anyone who does not care for the health of others cannot help them become healthier.",
"Anyone who does not smoke cares about the health ... | 4 | The conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? |
If one does not have enough information to make a well-informed decision, one should not make a decision solely on the basis of the information one does possess. Instead, one should continue to seek information until a well-informed decision can be made. | 200510_3-LR2_22_22 | [
"Economists should not believe the predictions of an economic model simply because it is based on information about the current economy. Many conflicting models are based on such information, and they cannot all be accurate.",
"When deciding which career to pursue, one needs to consider carefully all of the infor... | 3 | Of the following, which one most closely conforms to the principle stated above? |
Television network executive: Some scientists have expressed concern about the numerous highly popular television programs that emphasize paranormal incidents, warning that these programs will encourage superstition and thereby impede the public's scientific understanding. But these predictions are baseless. Throughout recorded history, dramatists have relied on ghosts and spirits to enliven their stories, and yet the scientific understanding of the populace has steadily advanced. | 200510_3-LR2_23_23 | [
"It fails to consider that one phenomenon can steadily advance even when it is being impeded by another phenomenon.",
"It takes for granted that if a correlation has been observed between two phenomena, they must be causally connected.",
"It fails to consider that the occurrence of one phenomenon can indirectly... | 0 | The television network executive's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? |
Police commissioner: Last year our city experienced a 15 percent decrease in the rate of violent crime. At the beginning of that year a new mandatory sentencing law was enacted, which requires that all violent criminals serve time in prison. Since no other major policy changes were made last year, the drop in the crime rate must have been due to the new mandatory sentencing law. | 200510_3-LR2_24_24 | [
"Studies of many other cities have shown a correlation between improving economic conditions and decreased crime rates.",
"Prior to the enactment of the mandatory sentencing law, judges in the city had for many years already imposed unusually harsh penalties for some crimes.",
"Last year, the city's overall cri... | 4 | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the police commissioner's argument? |
A corporation created a new division. To staff it, applicants were rigorously screened and interviewed. Those selected were among the most effective, efficient, and creative workers that the corporation had ever hired. Thus, the new division must have been among the most effective, efficient, and creative divisions the corporation had ever created. | 200510_3-LR2_25_25 | [
"In order to obtain the best players for its country's Olympic team, a committee reviewed the performance of its country's teams. After reviewing statistics and reading reports, the committee chose one player from each of the six best teams, thus assuring that the six best players in the country had been chosen.",
... | 3 | The flawed pattern of reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the argument above? |
Students in a college ethics class were asked to judge whether two magazines had been morally delinquent in publishing a particular classified advertisement that was highly offensive in its demeaning portrayal of some people.They were told only that the first magazine had undertaken to screen all classified advertisements and reject for publication those it found offensive,whereas the second magazine's policy was to publish any advertisement received from its subscribers. Most students judged the first magazine,but not the second,to have been morally delinquent in publishing the advertisement. | 200510_3-LR2_26_26 | [
"It is wrong to publish messages that could cause direct or indirect harm to innocent people.",
"Anyone regularly transmitting messages to the public has a moral responsibility to monitor the content of those messages.",
"If two similar agents commit two similar actions, those agents should be held to the same ... | 3 | Which one of the following principles, if established, provides the strongest justification for the judgment that the first magazine and not the second was morally delinquent? |
The effort involved in lying produces measurable physiological reactions such as a speedup of the heartbeat. Since lying is accompanied by physiological reactions, lie-detector tests that can detect these reactions are a sure way of determining when someone is lying. | 200512_1-LR1_1_1 | [
"Lie-detector tests can measure only some of the physiological reactions that occur when someone is lying.",
"People are often unaware that they are having physiological reactions of the sort measured by lie-detector tests.",
"Lying about past criminal behavior does not necessarily produce stronger physiologica... | 3 | Which one of the following statements, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? |
Publishing executive: Our company must sell at least 100,000 books to make a profit this year. However, it is unlikely that we will sell that many, since of the twelve titles we will sell, the one with the best sales prospects, a novel, is unlikely to sell as many as 100,000 copies. | 200512_1-LR1_2_2 | [
"the publishing company will sell considerably fewer than 100,000 copies of the novel",
"the publishing company will not make a profit even if it sells more than 100,000 books",
"what is true of the overall profitability of a publishing company is not true of its profitability in a particular year",
"what is ... | 3 | The publishing executive's argument is most vulnerable to criticism because it overlooks the possibility that |
A recent study proves that at least some people possess an independent "sixth sense" that allows them to detect whether someone is watching them. In the study, subjects were seated one at a time in the center of a room facing away from a large window. On average, subjects decided correctly 60 percent of the time whether or not they were being watched through the window. | 200512_1-LR1_3_3 | [
"Most of the time, subjects said they were being watched.",
"The person recording the experimental results was careful not to interact with the subjects after the experiment ended.",
"A similar result was found when the subjects were watched from another room on a video monitor.",
"The room in which the subje... | 2 | Which one of the following, if true, most supports the conclusion drawn from the study mentioned above? |
Philosopher: We should not disapprove of the unearthing of truths that we would rather not acknowledge or that, by their dissemination, might influence society in pernicious ways. | 200512_1-LR1_4_4 | [
"A law enforcement officer should not act upon illegally obtained information, even though such action might, in some cases, result in a benefit to society.",
"Scientific research should not be restricted even if it could lead to harmful applications, such as the manufacture of sophisticated weapons.",
"A physi... | 1 | Which one of the following conforms most closely to the principle stated by the philosopher? |
Compact discs (CDs) offer an improvement in artistic freedom over vinyl records. As the record needle moves in toward a vinyl record's center, it must fight centrifugal force. Wide, shallow, or jagged grooves will cause the needle to jump; consequently, the song nearest the center—the last song on the side—cannot have especially loud, high-pitched, or low-pitched passages. The CD suffers no such limitations, leaving artists free to end recordings with any song. | 200512_1-LR1_5_5 | [
"CDs provide greater artistic latitude than do vinyl records.",
"On vinyl records, the song farthest from the center can have loud, high-pitched, or low-pitched passages.",
"As the record needle moves in toward the vinyl record's center, the centrifugal force on the needle becomes stronger.",
"CDs represent a... | 0 | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument? |
The public interest comprises many interests and the broadcast media must serve all of them. Perhaps most television viewers would prefer an action show to an opera. But a constant stream of action shows on all channels is not in the public interest. Thus, ____. | 200512_1-LR1_6_6 | [
"broadcasters' obligations are not satisfied if they look only to popularity to decide their programming schedules",
"television networks should broadcast more artistic and cultural shows and fewer action shows",
"the public interest should be considered whenever television producers develop a new program",
"... | 0 | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? |
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, therefore, makes it reasonable to restrict their use. | 200512_1-LR1_7_7 | [
"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.",
"It is much more important th... | 2 | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? |
Commentator: Most journalists describe their individual political orientations as liberal, and it is often concluded that there is therefore a liberal bias in current journalism. This is not the case, however, because newspapers, magazines, radio, and television are all in the business of selling news and advertising, and therefore face market pressures that tend to keep them impartial, since in order to maximize profits they must target the broadest customer base possible. | 200512_1-LR1_8_8 | [
"The individual political orientations of journalists do not constitute acceptable evidence regarding media bias.",
"Major media face significant market pressures.",
"Current journalism does not have a liberal political bias.",
"Major media must target the broadest customer base possible in order to maximize ... | 2 | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion drawn by the commentator's argument? |
Theories generated by scientific research were used to develop several products that, although useful, damage the environment severely. The scientists who conducted the research, however, should not be held responsible for that damage, since they merely generated the theories and could neither foresee nor restrict the kinds of products that might be designed using those theories. | 200512_1-LR1_9_9 | [
"Individuals who develop something that has desirable characteristics should not be held responsible for any undesirable characteristics that the thing has if improperly used.",
"Individuals are justified in performing an activity that has both desirable and undesirable foreseeable consequences only if they alone... | 3 | Which one of the following principles, if established, justifies the conclusion above? |
The administration at a certain university has explained this year's tuition increase by citing increased spending on faculty salaries and on need-based aid to students. However, this year's budget indicated that faculty salaries constitute a small part of the university's expenditure, and the only significant increases in scholarship aid have gone to academic scholarships awarded regardless of need. The administration's explanation is not believable. | 200512_1-LR1_10_10 | [
"With this year's budget, the university has increased its total spending on scholarship aid by 5 percent.",
"With this year's budget, the university increased the allotment for faculty salaries by 5 percent while tuition was increased by 6 percent.",
"Faculty salaries at the university have increased in line w... | 3 | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument that the administration's explanation is not believable? |
Students asked by a psychologist to tell a lie before discussion groups vastly overestimated how many people in the discussion groups could tell they were lying. Other research has found that when volleyball players perform unusually poorly on the court, teammates notice this far less often than the players expect. Finally, in one research experiment a student wearing a funny T-shirt entered a room full of people. Questioning revealed that only a small fraction of the people in the room noticed the shirt, contrary to the student's expectations. | 200512_1-LR1_11_11 | [
"People tend to be far less aware of their own appearance and behavior than are other people.",
"People tend not to notice the appearance or behavior of others.",
"We are actually less observant of the appearance and behavior of others than we think ourselves to be.",
"People will notice the appearance or beh... | 4 | Which one of the following is best illustrated by the statements above? |
Extinction is inevitable for all biological species. In fact, the vast majority of all species that have ever lived are now extinct. Since all species die out eventually, there is no justification for trying to protect species that are presently endangered, even those that can be saved from extinction now. | 200512_1-LR1_12_12 | [
"look for a book in the library because it is sometimes checked out",
"spend money on preventive maintenance of a car because no car can last indefinitely",
"reinforce bridges against earthquakes in earthquake-prone areas because earthquakes occur only very infrequently",
"take a route that will avoid the nor... | 1 | The reasoning in the argument above is most closely paralleled by the argument that there is no reason to |
Psychology professor: Applied statistics should be taught only by the various social science departments. These departments can best teach their respective students which statistical methodologies are most useful for their discipline, and how best to interpret collected data and the results of experiments. Mathematics professor: I disagree. My applied statistics course covers much of the same material taught in the applied statistics courses in social science departments. In fact, my course uses exactly the same textbook as those courses! | 200512_1-LR1_13_13 | [
"The response gives no evidence for its presumption that students willing to take a course in one department would choose a similar course in another.",
"The response gives no evidence for its presumption that social science students should have the same competence in statistics as mathematics students.",
"The ... | 2 | Which one of the following most accurately describes a questionable aspect of the reasoning in the mathematics professor's response to the psychology professor? |
Among a sample of diverse coins from an unfamiliar country, each face of any coin portrays one of four things: a judge's head, an explorer's head, a building, or a tree. By examining the coins, a collector determines that none of them have heads on both sides and that all coins in the sample with a judge's head on one side have a tree on the other. | 200512_1-LR1_14_14 | [
"All those with an explorer's head on one side have a building on the other.",
"All those with a tree on one side have a judge's head on the other.",
"None of those with a tree on one side have an explorer's head on the other.",
"None of those with a building on one side have a judge's head on the other.",
... | 3 | If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true of the coins in the sample? |
There are two supposedly conflicting hypotheses as to what makes for great national leaders: one is that such leaders successfully shape public opinion, and the other is that they are adept at reacting to it. However, treating these hypotheses as mutually exclusive is evidently a mistake. All leaders who have had success getting their programs passed by their country's legislature have been adroit both in shaping and reacting to public opinion. | 200512_1-LR1_15_15 | [
"Having success getting programs passed by the legislature is indicative of being a great national leader.",
"It is impossible to successfully shape public opinion without in some way reacting to it.",
"To lead, one must either successfully shape public opinion or be adept at reacting to it, or both.",
"Havin... | 0 | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? |
Most business ethics courses and textbooks confine themselves to considering specific cases and principles. For example, students are often given lists of ethical rules for in-class discussion and role-playing. This approach fails to provide a framework for understanding specific principles and should thus be changed to include abstract ethical theory. | 200512_1-LR1_16_16 | [
"A moralizing approach that fails to recognize the diversity of the ethical rules in use is unacceptable.",
"Courses that concentrate mainly on role-playing are undesirable because students must adopt alien personae.",
"People have no obligation to always behave ethically unless they are acquainted with abstrac... | 3 | Which one of the following, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning above? |
Some classes of animal are so successful that they spread into virtually every ecosystem, whereas others gradually recede until they inhabit only small niches in geographically isolated areas and thereby become threatened. Insects are definitely of the former sort and ants are the most successful of these, ranging from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego. Hence, no species of ant is a threatened species. | 200512_1-LR1_17_17 | [
"the Arctic Circle and Tierra del Fuego do not constitute geographically isolated areas",
"because ants do not inhabit only a small niche in a geographically isolated area, they are unlike most other insects",
"the only way a class of animal can avoid being threatened is to spread into virtually every ecosystem... | 4 | The argument is flawed because it takes for granted that |
Advocate: You claim that it is wrong to own gasoline-powered cars because they pollute too much; you have an electric car, which pollutes far less. But the company that made your car also makes millions of gasoline-powered vehicles, so your patronage benefits a producer of products to which you object. Thus, if you are right about gasoline-powered cars, you should not have your electric car either. | 200512_1-LR1_18_18 | [
"An action can be wrong even if it has fewer negative consequences than another action.",
"One should purchase a product only if it pollutes less than any competing product.",
"One should purchase every product whose use has no negative consequences.",
"One should not support an organization that does anythin... | 3 | Which one of the following principles, if valid, would most help to justify the advocate's reasoning? |
Analyst: A recent survey showed that although professors of biology who teach but do not pursue research made up one twentieth of all science professors, they were appointed to fewer than one twentieth of all the scientific administrative positions in universities. We can conclude from this survey that failing to pursue research tends to bias university administrators against appointing these professors to scientific administrative positions. | 200512_1-LR1_19_19 | [
"In universities there are fewer scientific administrative positions than there are nonscientific administrative positions.",
"Biologists who do research fill a disproportionately low number of scientific administrative positions in universities.",
"Biology professors get more than one twentieth of all the scie... | 1 | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the support for the analyst's conclusion? |
Researcher: We have found that some cases of high blood pressure can be treated effectively with medicine. Since it is generally accepted that any illness caused by stress is treatable only by the reduction of stress, some cases of high blood pressure must not be caused by stress. | 200512_1-LR1_20_20 | [
"The correlation between stress and all cases of high blood pressure is merely coincidental.",
"The reduction of stress in a person's life can at times lower that person's blood pressure.",
"Reduced stress does not reduce a person's responsiveness to medicine used to treat high blood pressure.",
"Some conditi... | 4 | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the researcher's argument? |
Catmull: Although historians consider themselves to be social scientists, different historians never arrive at the same conclusions about specific events of the past. Thus historians never determine what actually happened; like novelists, they merely create interesting fictional stories about the many different problems that people have faced. | 200512_1-LR1_21_21 | [
"draws a conclusion that simply restates a claim presented in support of that conclusion",
"concludes, solely on the basis of the claim that different people have reached different conclusions about a topic, that none of these conclusions is true",
"presumes, without providing justification, that unless histori... | 1 | The reasoning in Catmull's argument is flawed because the argument |
In a poll conducted by interviewing eligible voters in their homes just before the recent election, incumbent candidate Kenner was significantly ahead of candidate Muratori. Nonetheless, Muratori won the recent election. | 200512_1-LR1_22_22 | [
"The positions taken by Muratori and Kenner on many election issues were not very similar to each other.",
"Kenner had held elected office for many years before the recent election.",
"In the year leading up to the election, Kenner was implicated in a series of political scandals.",
"Six months before the rec... | 4 | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy described by the statements above? |
Statistical analysis is a common tool for explanation in the physical sciences. It can only be used, however, to explain events that can be replicated to the last detail. Since human mental events never precisely recur, statistical analysis cannot be employed to explain these events. Therefore, they cannot be explained by the physical sciences. | 200512_1-LR1_23_23 | [
"Computer modeling is used to try to explain the way in which wind resistance affects the movement of bicycles. To use computer modeling, the phenomenon being modeled must be predictable. But wind resistance is not predictable. Therefore, the way in which wind resistance affects the movement of bicycles cannot be e... | 4 | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its flawed reasoning to the argument above? |
Journalist: Although a recent poll found that more than half of all eligible voters support the idea of a political party whose primary concern is education, only 26 percent would like to join it, and only 16 percent would be prepared to donate money to it. Furthermore, there is overwhelming historical evidence that only a party that has at least 30 percent of eligible voters prepared to support it by either joining it or donating money to it is viable in the long run. Therefore, it is unlikely that an education party is viable in the long run. | 200512_1-LR1_24_24 | [
"some of those who said they were willing to donate money to an education party might not actually do so if such a party were formed",
"an education party could possibly be viable with a smaller base than is customarily needed",
"the 16 percent of eligible voters prepared to donate money to an education party m... | 4 | The reasoning in the journalist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument fails to consider that |
Almost all microbe species live together in dense, interdependent communities, supporting the environment for each other, and regulating the population balances for their different species through a complex system of chemical signals. For this reason, it is currently impossible to cultivate any one such species in isolation. Thus, microbiologists lack complete knowledge of most microbe species. | 200512_1-LR1_25_25 | [
"It is currently impossible for microbiologists to reproduce the complex systems of chemical signals with which microbe communities regulate the population balances for their different species.",
"If it is currently impossible to reproduce the environmental supports and chemical signals in dense, interdependent c... | 2 | Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument's conclusion to be properly drawn? |
Reza: Language requires the use of verbal signs for objects as well as for feelings. Many animals can vocally express hunger, but only humans can ask for an egg or an apple by naming it. And using verbal signs for objects requires the ability to distinguish these objects from other objects, which in turn requires conceptual thought. | 200512_1-LR1_26_26 | [
"Conceptual thought is required for language.",
"Conceptual thought requires the use of verbal signs for objects.",
"It is not possible to think conceptually about feelings.",
"All humans are capable of conceptual thought.",
"The vocal expressions of animals other than humans do not require conceptual thoug... | 0 | If all of Reza's statements are true, then which one of the following must also be true? |
While 65 percent of the eligible voters who were recently polled favor Perkins over Samuels in the coming election, the results of that poll are dubious because it was not based on a representative sample. Given that Perkins predominantly advocates the interests of the upper-middle class and that the survey was conducted at high-priced shopping malls, it is quite probable that Perkins's supporters were overrepresented. | 200512_4-LR2_1_1 | [
"The poll was intentionally designed to favor Perkins over Samuels.",
"Samuels's supporters believe that they were probably not adequately represented in the poll.",
"The poll's results probably do not accurately represent the opinions of the voters in the coming election.",
"Samuels is quite likely to have a... | 2 | Which one of the following statements most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument? |
Sleep research has demonstrated that sleep is characterized by periods of different levels of brain activity. People experience dreams during only one of these periods, known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Test subjects who are chronically deprived of REM sleep become irritable during waking life. This shows that REM sleep relieves the stresses of waking life. | 200512_4-LR2_2_2 | [
"Test subjects who are chronically deprived of non-REM sleep also become irritable during waking life.",
"Chronically having bad dreams can cause stress, but so can chronically having pleasant but exciting dreams.",
"During times of increased stress, one's REM sleep is disturbed in a way that prevents one from ... | 4 | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? |
Since 1989 the importation of ivory from African elephants into the United States and Canada has been illegal, but the importation of ivory from the excavated tusks of ancient mammoths remains legal in both countries. Following the ban, there was a sharp increase in the importation of ivory that importers identified as mammoth ivory. In 1989 customs officials lacked a technique for distinguishing elephant ivory from that of mammoths. Just after such a technique was invented and its use by customs officials became widely known, there was a dramatic decrease in the amount of ivory presented for importation into the U.S. and Canada that was identified by importers as mammoth ivory. | 200512_4-LR2_3_3 | [
"Customs officials still cannot reliably distinguish elephant ivory from mammoth ivory.",
"Most of the ivory currently imported into the U.S. and Canada comes from neither African elephants nor mammoths.",
"In the period since the technique for distinguishing elephant ivory from mammoth ivory was implemented, t... | 3 | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? |
My suspicion that there is some truth to astrology has been confirmed. Most physicians I have talked to believe in it. | 200512_4-LR2_4_4 | [
"Professor Smith was convicted of tax evasion last year. So I certainly wouldn't give any credence to Smith's economic theories.",
"I have come to the conclusion that several governmental social programs are wasteful. This is because most of the biology professors I have discussed this with think that this is tru... | 1 | The flawed pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following? |
The best explanation for Mozart's death involves the recently detected fracture in his skull. The crack, most likely the result of an accident, could have easily torn veins in his brain, allowing blood to leak into his brain. When such bleeding occurs in the brain and the blood dries, many of the brain's faculties become damaged, commonly, though not immediately, leading to death. This explanation of Mozart's death is bolstered by the fact that the fracture shows signs of partial healing. | 200512_4-LR2_5_5 | [
"It shows that Mozart's death could have been avoided.",
"It shows that the fracture did not occur after Mozart's death.",
"It shows that the dried blood impaired Mozart's brain's faculties.",
"It shows that Mozart's death occurred suddenly.",
"It suggests that Mozart's death was accidental."
] | 1 | The claim that the fracture shows signs of partial healing figures in the argument in which one of the following ways? |
In the first phase of the Industrial Revolution, machines were invented whose main advantage was that they worked faster than human workers. This technology became widely used because it was economically attractive; many unskilled workers could be replaced by just a few skilled workers. Today managers are looking for technology that will allow them to replace highly paid skilled workers with a smaller number of less-skilled workers. | 200512_4-LR2_6_6 | [
"Employers utilize new technology because it allows them to reduce labor costs.",
"Workers will need to acquire more education and skills to remain competitive in the labor market.",
"In seeking employment, highly skilled workers no longer have an advantage over less-skilled workers.",
"Technology eliminates ... | 0 | The examples presented above best illustrate which one of the following propositions? |
For many types of crops, hybrid strains have been developed that have been found in test plantings to produce significantly higher yields than were produced by traditional nonhybrid strains of those crops planted alongside them. However, in many parts of the world where farmers have abandoned traditional nonhybrid strains in favor of the hybrid strains, crop yields have not increased. | 200512_4-LR2_7_7 | [
"Most farmers who plant the hybrid strains of their crops have larger farms than do farmers who continue to plant traditional nonhybrid strains of the same crops.",
"Hybrid strains of crops produced higher yields in some areas than did nonhybrid strains in those areas.",
"The hybrid strains were tested under si... | 2 | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy? |
This stamp is probably highly valuable, since it exhibits a printing error. The most important factors in determining a stamp's value, assuming it is in good condition, are its rarity and age. This is clearly a fine specimen, and it is quite old as well. | 200512_4-LR2_8_8 | [
"The older a stamp is, the more valuable it is.",
"Printing errors are always confined to a few individual stamps.",
"Most stamps with printing errors are already in the hands of collectors.",
"Rarity and age are of equal importance to a stamp's value.",
"Even old and rare stamps are usually not valuable if... | 1 | The conclusion is properly inferred if which one of the following is assumed? |
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