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A decade can be characterized just like an individual. Decades have specific character and unique quirks. They all start with a departure from the past decade and develop their personality throughout their timespans. Just as people in their twilight years start to look back on the events of their lives, people at decad... | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"Focus on what the next decade will bring.",
"Throw a big party.",
"Become very interested in evaluating the events of the last decade.",
"Reminisce about their lives."
] | 2 | train_1400 |
When interviewing job candidates, personnel managers not only evaluate a candidate' s work experience and educational background but also inquire about hobbies. Personnel managers try to justify these inquiries by noting that the enthusiasm someone shows for a hobby may well carry over to enthusiasm for a job. But such... | The argument is flawed because it overlooks each of the following possibilities EXCEPT: | [
"Inquiries about a hobby may put candidates at ease, eliciting more honest responses about important questions.",
"Candidates who have no hobbies may pretend that they have one when asked in an interview.",
"A candidate's involvement in particular hobbies may indicate a capacity to make longterm commitments.",
... | 1 | train_1401 |
Ferber's syndrome, a viral disease that frequently affects cattle, is transmitted to these animals through infected feed. Even though chickens commercially raised for meat are often fed the type of feed identified as the source of infection in cattle, Ferber's syndrome is only rarely observed in chickens. This fact, ho... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"resistance to some infectious organisms such as the virus that causes Ferber's syndrome can be acquired by exposure to a closely related infectious organism",
"chickens and cattle take more than a year to show symptoms of Ferber's syndrome, and chickens commercially raised for meat, unlike cattle, are generally ... | 1 | train_1402 |
Demand levels for some categories of products are closely interdependent. When one type of a product can serve as a complement for another product, the levels of demand for these goods are positively related. An increase in the demand for one product usually increases the demand for its complementary product. Similarly... | Which of the following statements provides an example of the relationship between product demands described above? | [
"A decrease in the demand for CD players results in a decrease in the demand for CD's.",
"An increase in the demand for butter results in an increase in the demand for margarine.",
"A decrease in the demand for cable television results in an increase in the demand for satellite antennas.",
"An increase in the... | 0 | train_1403 |
Since it has become known that <b> several of a bank' s top executives have been buying shares in their own bank </b>, the bank' s depositors, who had been worried by rumors that the bank faced impending financial collapse, have been greatly relieved. They reason that, since top executives evidently have faith in the b... | In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles? | [
"The first provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument; the second states that conclusion.",
"The first describes the circumstance that the argument as a whole seeks to explain; the second provides evidence in support of the explanation that the argument seeks to establish.",
"The first ... | 3 | train_1404 |
Rail Executive: Five years ago we discontinued train service between Lamberton and its suburbs because low ridership caused total fares collected to be substantially lower than the cost of operating the service. It is true that recent population growth in the suburban communities suggests increased potential ridership.... | Which of the following , if true casts the most serious doubt on the rail executive's argument? | [
"Recently there have been sharp increases in parking fees in Lamberton and in highway tolls on major commuter routes",
"A survey conducted last year showed that few people living in Lamberton or its suburbs support increased public funding for mass transportation",
"Most of the new residents of Lamberton's subu... | 0 | train_1405 |
Most of Earth' s surface is ocean. The ocean floor is inaccessible for extensive research without equipment of greater technological sophistication than is currently available. It must ttherefore be true that scientists know less about the ocean floor environment than about almost any other environment on Earth. | Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the conclusion? | [
"Strong water currents circulate on the ocean floor, but the general pattern of their movement is not so well understood as is the pattern of air currents that circulate over land.",
"Many mountain ranges lie entirely beneath the ocean surface, yet new underwater surveying equipment has produced three-dimensional... | 0 | train_1406 |
J. J. Thomson, the discoverer of the electron and a recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics, trained many physicists, among them seven Nobel Prize winners, 32 fellows of the Royal Society of London, and 83 professors of physics. This shows that the skills needed for creative research can be taught and learned. | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"At least one of the eminent scientists trained by J. J. Thomson was not a creative researcher before coming to study with him.",
"Scientists who go on to be the most successful researchers often receive their scientific education in classes taught by renowned research scientists.",
"J. J. Thomson was an intern... | 0 | train_1407 |
A naturally occurring deposit of radioactive material similar in composition to the dangerous waste produced by applications of nuclear technology has been found deep within the Earth' s crust. No ill effects have been traced to this naturally occurring deposit. Since engineers have now developed a way to store manufac... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Continued production of nuclear waste at the current rate will eventually outstrip available capacity for safe storage.",
"The total amount of dangerous waste produced annually has been declining in recent years.",
"It cannot currently be determined what the geological conditions are under which the naturally ... | 2 | train_1408 |
Certain companies require their managers to rank workers in the groups they supervise from best to worst, giving each worker a unique ranking based on job performance. The top 10 percent of the workers in each group are rewarded and the bottom 10 percent are penalized or fired. But this system is unfair to workers. Goo... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the argument? | [
"Under the ranking system, the top 10 percent of the workers in each group are rewarded and the bottom 10 percent are penalized or fired.",
"The ranking system is not a fair way to determine penalties or rewards for workers.",
"Some companies require their managers to give unique rankings to the workers they su... | 1 | train_1409 |
Over the past twenty-five years the introduction of laborsaving technologies has greatly reduced the average amount of time a worker needs to produce a given output, potentially both reducing the number of hours each worker works each week and increasing workers' leisure time correspondingly. The average amount of leis... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following is most strongly supported by them? | [
"The average hourly output per worker has not risen as much as had been anticipated when modern labor-saving technologies were first introduced.",
"The percentage of the population that is in the work force has grown over the past twenty-five years.",
"Twenty-five years ago the average weekly output per worker ... | 2 | train_1410 |
"Good hunter" and "bad hunter" are standard terms in the study of cats. Good hunters can kill prey that weigh up to half their body weight. All good hunters have a high muscle-to-fat ratio. Most wild cats are good hunters, but some domestic cats are good hunters as well. | If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"All cats that have a high muscle-to-fat ratio can kill prey that weigh up to half their body weight.",
"Some cats that have a high muscle-to-fat ratio are domestic.",
"A smaller number of domestic cats than wild cats have a high muscle-to-fat ratio.",
"All cats that are bad hunters have a low muscle-to-fat r... | 1 | train_1411 |
English and the Austronesian language Mbarbaram both use the word "dog" for canines. These two languages are unrelated, and since speakers of the two languages only came in contact with one another long after the word "dog" was first used in this way in either language, neither language could have borrowed the word fro... | The argument requires that which one of the following be assumed? | [
"Usually when two languages share a word, those languages are related to each other.",
"English and Mbarbaram share no words other than \"dog. \"",
"There is no third language from which both English and Mbarbaram borrowed the word \"dog. \"",
"If two unrelated languages share a word, speakers of those two la... | 2 | train_1412 |
The Frauenkirche in Dresden, a historic church destroyed by bombing in World War II, has been reconstructed to serve as a place for church services and cultural events. The foundation doing the reconstruction took extraordinary care to return the church to its original form. It is a puzzle, then, why the foundation cho... | Which one of the following, if true, would most help to resolve the puzzle described above? | [
"An eighteenth-century baroque organ cannot adequately produce much of the organ music now played in church services and concerts.",
"By the time the church was destroyed in World War II, the eighteenth-century baroque organ had been modified several times.",
"The organ originally designed for the church had so... | 0 | train_1413 |
Psychotherapy has been described as a form of moral coercion. However, when people are coerced, their ability to make choices is restricted, and the goal of psychotherapy is to enhance people' s ability to make choices. Hence, psychotherapy cannot possibly be a form of coercion. | Which one of the following describes a flaw in the argument? | [
"The goals of psychotherapy are taken to justify any means that are used to achieve those goals.",
"Psychotherapy is unfairly criticized for having a single goal, rather than having many complex goals.",
"It offers no argument to show that moral coercion is always undesirable.",
"No allowance is made for the ... | 3 | train_1414 |
The new perfume Aurora smells worse to Joan than any comparably priced perfume, and none of her friends likes the smell of Aurora as much as the smell of other perfumes. However, she and her friends must have a defect in their sense of smell, since Professor Jameson prefers the smell of Aurora to that of any other perf... | The reasoning is flawed because it | [
"misrepresents the position against which it is directed",
"calls into question the truthfulness of the opponent rather than addressing the point at issue",
"ignores the well-known fact that someone can prefer one thing to another without liking either very much",
"makes an illegitimate appeal to the authorit... | 3 | train_1415 |
Networks of blood vessels in bats' wings serve only to disperse heat generated in flight. This heat is generated only because bats flap their wings. Thus paleontologists' recent discovery that the winged dinosaur Sandactylus had similar networks of blood vessels in the skin of its wings provides evidence for the hypoth... | In the passage, the author develops the argument by | [
"speculating about how structures observed in present-day creatures might have developed from similar structures in creatures now extinct",
"using an analogy with a known phenomenon to draw a conclusion about an unknown phenomenon",
"reinterpreting evidence that had been used to support an earlier theory",
"f... | 1 | train_1416 |
Raising the tax rate on essential goods -- a traditional means of increasing government revenues -- invariably turns low- and middle-income taxpayers against the government. Hence government officials have proposed adding a new tax on purchases of luxury items such as yachts, private planes, jewels, and furs. The offic... | The answer to which one of the following questions would be the most relevant in evaluating the accuracy of the government officials' prediction? | [
"Will luxury goods be taxed at a higher rate than that at which essential goods are currently taxed?",
"Will the revenues generated by the proposed tax be comparable to those that are currently being generated by taxes on essential goods?",
"Will purchases of luxury items by corporations account for more of the... | 3 | train_1417 |
Seemingly inconsequential changes in sea temperature due to global warming eventually result in declines in fish and seabird populations. A rise of just two degrees prevents the vertical mixing of seawater from different strata. This restricts the availability of upwelling nutrients to phytoplankton. Since zooplankton,... | Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the statement that zooplankton feed upon phytoplankton? | [
"It helps show how global temperature changes affect larger sea animals indirectly.",
"It is intended to provide an example of the ways in which the vertical mixing of seawater affects feeding habits.",
"It is offered in support of the idea that global warming poses a threat to all organisms.",
"It is offered... | 0 | train_1418 |
To date, most of the proposals that have been endorsed by the Citizens League have been passed by the city council. Thus, any future proposal that is endorsed by the Citizens League will probably be passed as well. | The pattern of reasoning in which one of the following arguments is most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"Most of the individual trees growing on the coastal islands in this area are deciduous. Ttherefore, most of the tree species on these islands are probably deciduous varieties.",
"Most of the stone artifacts that have been found at the archaeological site have been domestic tools. Thus, if the next artifact found... | 1 | train_1419 |
The official listing of an animal species as endangered triggers the enforcement of legal safeguards designed to protect endangered species, such as tighter animal export and trade restrictions and stronger antipoaching laws. Nevertheless, there have been many cases in which the decline in the wild population of a spec... | Which one of the following, if true, does most to account for the increase in the rate of population decline described above? | [
"Public campaigns to save endangered animal species often focus only on those species that garner the public's affection.",
"Poachers find it progressively more difficult to locate animals of a particular species as that species' population declines.",
"Animals are more desirable to collectors when they are per... | 2 | train_1420 |
Mel: The official salary for judges has always been too low to attract the best candidates to the job. The legislature' s move to raise the salary has done nothing to improve the situation, because it was coupled with a ban on receiving money for lectures and teaching engagements. Pat: No, the raise in salary really do... | Pat's response to Mel is inadequate in that it | [
"simply denies Mel's claim without putting forward any evidence in support of that denial",
"assumes that changes that benefit the most able members of a group necessarily benefit all members of that group.",
"mistakenly takes the cause of a certain change to be an effect of that change",
"attempts to assess ... | 3 | train_1421 |
The milk of many mammals contains cannabinoids, substances that are known to stimulate certain receptors in the brain. To investigate the function of cannabinoids, researchers injected newborn mice with a chemical that is known to block cannabinoids from reaching their receptors in the brain. The injected mice showed f... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Newborn mice do not normally ingest any substance other than their mothers' milk.",
"The chemical that blocks cannabinoids from stimulating their brain receptors does not independently inhibit the appetite.",
"The mothers of newborn mice do not normally make any effort to encourage their babies to feed.",
"C... | 1 | train_1422 |
Consumer advocate: Ephedra is a naturally occurring compound that some people use as a weight-loss aid. Recently, the government prohibited the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedra on the grounds that ephedra has been shown to have grave side effects. This prohibition is unreasonable. Echinacea is another nat... | The consumer advocate's argument depends on which of the following assumptions? | [
"The side effects of echinacea and ephedra are comparably serious.",
"All natural compounds are safe for human consumption.",
"The government should not hav the authority to prohibit natural compounds.",
"Before the prohibition, ephedra had been available in health food stores."
] | 0 | train_1423 |
Astronomers have found new evidence that the number of galaxies in the universe is not 10 billion, as previously believed, but 50 billion. This discovery will have an important effect on theories about how galaxies are formed. But even though astronomers now believe 40 billion more galaxies exist, many astronomers' est... | Which one of the following, if true, does most to explain why the estimates remain virtually unchanged? | [
"The overwhelming majority of galaxies are so far from Earth that their mass can be only roughly estimated.",
"The number of galaxies that astronomers believe exist tends to grow as the instruments used to detect galaxies become more sophisticated.",
"The mass of galaxies is thought to make up only a tiny perce... | 2 | train_1424 |
Heavy salting of Albritten' s roads to melt winter ice and snow began about 20 years ago. The area' s groundwater now contains approximately 100 milligrams of dissolved salt per liter. Groundwater in a nearby, less highly urbanized area, where little salt is used and where traffic patterns resemble those of Albritten 2... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Salting of Albritten's roads is likely to decrease over the next few decades.",
"Even water that contains up to 5, 000 milligrams of dissolved salt per liter is safe to drink.",
"Albritten's groundwater contained roughly 90 milligrams of dissolved salt per liter 20 years ago.",
"Salting icy roads is the simp... | 2 | train_1425 |
Consumer advocate: Businesses are typically motivated primarily by the desire to make as great a profit as possible, and advertising helps businesses to achieve this goal. But it is clear that the motive of maximizing profits does not impel businesses to present accurate information in their advertisements. It follows ... | Each of the following, if true, would strengthen the consumer advocate's argument EXCEPT: | [
"Many consumers have a cynical attitude toward advertising.",
"Those who create advertisements are less concerned with the accuracy than with the creativity of advertisements.",
"The laws regulating truth in advertising are not applicable to many of the most common forms of inaccurate advertising.",
"Business... | 0 | train_1426 |
Candidate: The children in our nation need a better education. My opponent maintains that our outdated school system is the major impediment to achieving this goal. In fact our school system does need reform. Nonetheless, my opponent' s position places far too much blame on our schools, for it seems to equate education... | The statement that the school system needs reform figures in the candidate's argument in which one of the following ways? | [
"It is offered as an example of one of the social problems for which the argument proposes a solution.",
"It is used to indicate how the failings of the school system are partially responsible for society's problems.",
"It is the main conclusion that the argument is attempting to establish about the position of... | 3 | train_1427 |
Lawyer: In a risky surgical procedure that is performed only with the patient' s informed consent, doctors intentionally cause the patient' s heart and brain functions to stop by drastically reducing the patient' s body temperature. When the procedure is completed, body temperature is quickly restored. Because the doct... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the lawyer's analysis? | [
"Deliberately bringing about the cessation of a person's life functions is manslaughter if and only if the cessation is permanent.",
"One is guilty of manslaughter only when one intends to cause irreversible loss of a person's life functions.",
"Any time a medical procedure could result in the patient's death, ... | 0 | train_1428 |
Health officials claim that because the foods and beverages mentioned or consumed on many television programs are extremely low in nutritional value, watching television has a bad influence on the dietary habits of television viewers. | The claim by health officials depends on the presupposition that | [
"television viewers are only interested in the people on television programs who have the same eating and drinking habits as they do",
"seeing some foods and beverages being consumed on, or hearing them mentioned on, television programs increases the likelihood that viewers will consume similar kinds of foods and... | 1 | train_1429 |
Though Earth' s human population is increasing, it currently uses only a relatively small fraction of the supply of fresh water. Thus, claims that water shortages will plague humankind in the near future unless population growth trends change are simply mistaken. | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above? | [
"The percentage of fresh water used for agriculture is likely to grow more quickly than is the percentage used for industry.",
"Not all of Earth's population will adopt water conservation methods in the near future.",
"Population growth trends are notoriously hard to predict with reasonable accuracy.",
"The a... | 3 | train_1430 |
Maude is incessantly engaging in diatribes against people who are materialistic. But her hypocrisy is evinced by the sentimental treatment of the watch her grandmother gave her. She certainly is very fond of the watch -- she worries about damaging it; in fact she always sets it carefully in a special box before going t... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"People who are not materialistic tend to have merely sentimental attachments to things.",
"Maude's watch is not the only material thing she especially cares for.",
"Possessions that come from relatives are treated with better care than those that do not.",
"Sentimental attachment to a single possession indic... | 3 | train_1431 |
Fluoride enters a region' s groundwater when rain dissolves fluoride-bearing minerals in the soil. In a recent study, researchers found that when rainfall, concentrations of fluoride-bearing minerals, and other relevant variables are held constant, fluoride concentrations in groundwater are significantly higher in area... | Which one of the following can most reasonably be concluded on the basis of the researchers' findings? | [
"Sodium in groundwater increases the rate at which fluoride-bearing minerals dissolve.",
"Fluoride-bearing minerals are not the primary source of fluoride found in groundwater.",
"Rainfall does not affect fluoride concentrations in groundwater.",
"Sodium-bearing minerals dissolve at a faster rate than fluorid... | 0 | train_1432 |
During the past year, Pro-Tect Insurance Company' s total payout on car-theft claims has been larger than the company can afford to sustain. <b> Pro-Tect cannot reduce the number of car-theft policies it carries, so it cannot protect itself against continued large payouts that way. </b> Ttherefore, Pro-Tect has decided... | In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is a development that the argument seeks to explain; the second is a prediction the argument makes in support of the explanation it offers.",
"The first presents a problem a response to which the argument assesses; the second is the judgment reached by that assessment.",
"The first and the second are... | 1 | train_1433 |
Electric washing machines, first introduced in the United States in 1925, significantly reduced the amount of time spent washing a given amount of clothes, yet the average amount of time households spent washing clothes increased after 1925. This increase is partially accounted for by the fact that many urban household... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the time spent washing clothes increased in rural areas? | [
"People with access to an electric washing machine typically wore their clothes many fewer times before washing them than did people without access to electric washing machines.",
"The earliest electric washing machines required the user to spend much more time beside the machine than do modern electric washing m... | 0 | train_1434 |
Although most smoking-related illnesses are caused by inhaling the tar in tobacco smoke, it is addiction to nicotine that prevents most smokers from quitting. In an effort to decrease the incidence of smoking-related illnesses, lawmakers in Sandonia plan to reduce the average quantity of nicotine per cigarette by half ... | The information above most strongly supports which of the following predictions about the effects of implementing the Sandonian government's plan? | [
"The annual number of Sandonian smokers developing smoking-related illnesses will probably decrease during the next five years.",
"The number of Sandonians who quit smoking during the next five years will probably exceed the number who quit during the last five years.",
"The average quantity of tar inhaled by S... | 2 | train_1435 |
Cable TV stations have advantages that enable them to attract many more advertisers than broadcast networks attract. For example, cable stations are able to target particular audiences with 24-hour news, sports, or movies, whereas broadcast networks must offer a variety of programming. Cable can also offer lower advert... | The statements above, if true, provide support for each of the following EXCEPT: | [
"The audiences that some advertisers prefer to target watch 24-hour news stations.",
"Low costs are often an important factor for advertisers in selecting a station or network on which to run a TV ad.",
"Some advertisers prefer to have the opportunity to address a worldwide audience.",
"Some broadcast network... | 3 | train_1436 |
Mouth guards are increasingly becoming required equipment for contact sports. Besides the obvious benefit of protecting an athlete' s teeth, mouth guards also prevent concussions. Youth league referees should penalize teams with players participating without a sanctioned mouth guard. | Which of the following most accurately expresses the argument's main conclusion? | [
"It is generally preferable to wear mouth guards while playing contact sports.",
"Mouth guards protect teeth and prevent concussions.",
"Mouth guards should always be worn during contact sports.",
"Mouth guards save lives."
] | 2 | train_1437 |
The pharmaceutical industry argues that because new drugs will not be developed unless heavy development costs can be recouped in later sales, the current 20 years of protection provided by patents should be extended in the case of newly developed drugs. However, in other industries new-product development continues de... | Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the pharmaceutical industry's argument against the challenge made above? | [
"Clinical trials of new drugs, which occur after the patent is granted and before the new drug can be marketed, often now take as long as 10 years to complete.",
"Much recent industrial innovation has occurred in products-for example, in the computer and electronics industries-for which patent protection is often... | 0 | train_1438 |
Jenkins maintains that the movie Firepower was not intended to provoke antisocial behavior, arguing that, on the contrary, it is in the interest of Firepower' s director to prevent such behavior. Yet Jenkins' s conclusion must be rejected, because the movie has clearly produced antisocial behavior among many of those w... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed in that it | [
"concludes from the mere fact that an action had a certain effect that the effect was intended by the person who performed the action",
"rejects an argument on the grounds that it was offered by a person who was biased",
"infers that something is true of a whole solely on the grounds that it is true of a part o... | 0 | train_1439 |
Geologist: A geological fault in the mountain under which the proposed nuclear waste storage facility would be buried could, after a few thousand years, cause the contents to seep out or water to seep in. Since nuclear waste remains dangerous for up to 25, 000 years, such seepage would be disastrous. So we should not p... | Which one of the following arguments, if true, most strengthens the geologist's argumentation? | [
"The scientists' investigation would conclusively show whether or not the mountain has any geological faults.",
"Nuclear waste could be stored in the proposed facility on a temporary basis.",
"The proposed facility was not initially intended to be used for the storage of nuclear waste.",
"The scientists' inve... | 0 | train_1440 |
In order to withstand tidal currents, juvenile horseshoe crabs frequently burrow in the sand. Such burrowing discourages barnacles from clinging to their shells. When fully grown, however, the crabs can readily withstand tidal currents without burrowing, and thus they acquire substantial populations of barnacles. Surpr... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the surprising finding? | [
"Until they are fully grown, horseshoe crabs shed their shells and grow new ones several times a year.",
"The strength of the tidal currents in a given location varies widely over the course of a day.",
"A very large barnacle population can significantly decrease the ability of a horseshoe crab to find food.",
... | 0 | train_1441 |
High-technology medicine is driving up the nation' s health care costs. Recent advances in cataract surgery illustrate why this is occurring. Cataracts are a major cause of blindness, especially in elderly people. Ten years ago, cataract surgery was painful and not always effective. Thanks to the new technology used in... | Which one of the following can be inferred from the passage? | [
"Ten years ago, cataract surgery was affordable for more people than it was last year.",
"The total amount spent on cataract surgery has increased because the increased number of people electing to have the surgery more than offsets the decrease in cost per operation.",
"Ten years ago, few people had successful... | 1 | train_1442 |
When uncontrollable factors such as lack of rain cause farmers' wheat crops to fail, fertilizer and seed dealers, as well as truckers and mechanics, lose business, and fuel suppliers are unable to sell enough diesel fuel to make a profit. | Which one of the following claims follows logically from the information above? | [
"Farmers are not responsible for the consequences of a wheat crop's failing if wheat growth has been affected by lack of rain.",
"The consequences of a drought are not restricted to the drought's impact on farm productivity.",
"A country's dependence on agriculture can lead to major economic crises.",
"If sev... | 1 | train_1443 |
Superconductors are substances that conduct electricity without resistance at low temperatures. Their use, however, will never be economically feasible, unless there is a substance that superconducts at a temperature above minus 148 degrees Celsius. If there is such a substance, that substance must be an alloy of niobi... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"The use of superconductors will never be economically feasible.",
"The use of superconductors could be economically feasible if there is a substance that superconducts at temperatures below minus 148 degrees Celsius.",
"No use of alloys of niobium and germanium will ever be economically feasible.",
"Alloys o... | 0 | train_1444 |
Frankie: If jelly makers were given incentives to make a certain percentage of their jellies from cloudberries, income for cloudberry gatherers would increase. Anna: That plan would fail. Cacao, like cloudberries, was once harvested from wild plants. When chocolate became popular in Europe, the cacao gathers could not ... | Anna's argument proceeds by | [
"proposing a general theory as a way of explaining a specific market situation",
"giving a reason why a proposed course of action would be beneficial to all those affected by it",
"projecting the result of following a proposal in a given situation by comparing that situation with a past situation",
"contendin... | 2 | train_1445 |
Depression is a serious problem for residents of nursing homes. However, a recent study has found that residents who developed personal bonds with pets had significantly lower rates of depression than did residents who did not develop personal bonds with pets. | Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"The best method for helping a nursing-home resident to overcome depression is to provide access to a pet.",
"High rates of depression among nursing-home residents may result at least in part from a lack of companionship.",
"Allowing free access to pets in nursing homes would eliminate problems relating to depr... | 1 | train_1446 |
From 1980 to 1989, total consumption of fish in the country of Jurania increased by 4. 5 percent, and total consumption of poultry products there increased by 9. 0 percent. During the same period, the population of Jurania increased by 6 percent, in part due to immigration to Jurania from other countries in the region. | If the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true on the basis of them? | [
"Per capita consumption of fish in Jurania was lower in 1989 than in 1980",
"During the 1980's in Jurania, profits of wholesale distributors of poultry products increased at a greater rate than did profits of wholesale distributors of fish",
"In 1989 Juranians consumed twice as much poultry as fish",
"For peo... | 0 | train_1447 |
Company Spokesperson: This year, more than 70% of the guests who stayed with us over the past summer are planning to return to our resorts for a summer vacation. Ttherefore, I believe that we are well-positioned for another strong and profitable quarter. Industry Analyst: This is not necessarily true. Nearly three quar... | Which of the following statements, if true, would support the criticism of the Industry Analyst? | [
"The company's management possesses more accurate financial information than is accessible to industry analysts.",
"The vast majority of guests who visit the company's resorts attend its theme parks only once, usually during their first week of stay.",
"The industry analyst represents an independent investment ... | 1 | train_1448 |
A commonly held belief is that cracking one' s knuckles causes arthritis. But this is, in fact, false, as indicated by the fact that most people with arthritis never cracked their knuckles. | The reasoning is flawed because the argument | [
"concludes that knuckle-cracking does not cause arthritis by appealing to an applicable principle",
"treats the absence of a condition in some people afflicted with a disorder as evidence that the condition never causes the disorder",
"ignores the possibility that arthritis is caused by genetic factors",
"mak... | 1 | train_1449 |
History student: It is unfair for the History Department to prohibit students from citing certain online encyclopedias in their research papers merely because these sources are not peer reviewed. In their research, students should be allowed to read whatever they wish; otherwise, it is censorship. History professor: St... | The dialogue provides most support for the claim that the student and the professor disagree over whether | [
"students should be allowed to read whatever they wish to in preparing to write a research paper for a history class",
"sources that are not peer reviewed often have solid support for the claims that they make",
"prohibiting a certain sort of online source material from being cited as a research reference amoun... | 2 | train_1450 |
Bacteria from food can survive for several days on the surface of plastic cutting boards, but bacteria can penetrate wooden cutting boards almost immediately, leaving the surface free of contamination. Ttherefore, wooden cutting boards, unlike plastic cutting boards, need not be washed in order to prevent their contami... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Bacteria that penetrate into wooden cutting boards do not reemerge on the surface after the cutting boards have been used.",
"Washing plastic cutting boards does not remove all bacteria from the surface.",
"Prevention of bacteria contamination is the only respect in which wooden cutting boards are superior to ... | 0 | train_1451 |
Auto industry executive: Statistics show that cars that were built smaller after 1977 to make them more fuel-efficient had a higher incidence of accident-related fatalities than did their earlier, larger counterparts. For this reason we oppose recent guidelines that would require us to produce cars with higher fuel eff... | Which one of the following, if true, would constitute the strongest objection to the executive's argument? | [
"New computerized fuel systems can enable large cars to meet fuel efficiency standards established by the recent guidelines.",
"Fuel efficiency in models of large cars rose immediately after 1977 but has been declining ever since.",
"Modern technology can make small cars more fuel-efficient today than at any ot... | 0 | train_1452 |
The consumer price index is a measure that detects monthly changes in the retail prices of goods and services. The payment of some government retirement benefits is based on the consumer price index so that those benefits reflect the change in the cost of living as the index changes. However, the consumer price index d... | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to the criticism that the argument | [
"presumes, without providing warrant, that retirement benefits are not generally used to purchase unusual goods",
"fails to consider the possibility that there are years in which there is no change in the consumer price index",
"makes an irrelevant shift from discussing retail prices to discussing production co... | 2 | train_1453 |
Efraim: The popular press continually advises people to avoid various health risks. Yet by seeking to avoid health risks, people inevitably become anxious, and anxiety, in turn, poses a major health risk. Thus, paradoxical as it seems, simply disregarding journalists' advice about reducing health risks is bound to pose... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the point at issue between Efraim and Felicity? | [
"whether people can reduce risks to their health by heeding the advice of articles in the popular press",
"whether there are any people who ignore journalists' advice about avoiding health risks",
"whether products and practices described by journalists as posing health risks do in fact pose health risks",
"w... | 0 | train_1454 |
Tariffs on particular products tend to protect the small percentage of the population that works in industries that make those products while hurting everyone else through higher costs. Polls show that in fact most people oppose such tariffs. So politicians would be more likely to be reelected if they voted against the... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? | [
"Supporters of tariffs on particular products are not significantly more likely than opponents to base their vote for a politician on the politician's stand on this issue.",
"Politicians should support only general tariffs, since such tariffs would be more widely popular with voters than tariffs on particular pro... | 0 | train_1455 |
If the government increases its funding for civilian scientific research, private patrons and industries will believe that such research has become primarily the government' s responsibility. When they believe that research is no longer primarily their responsibility, private patrons and industries will decrease their ... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? | [
"Private donations toward research are no longer welcomed by researchers whose work receives government funding.",
"Funding for civilian scientific research is currently at the highest possible level.",
"Governments should bear the majority of the financial burden of funding for civilian scientific research.",
... | 3 | train_1456 |
Letter to the editor: I was shocked to learn that Judge Mosston was convicted of criminal assault, but I disagree with my fellow citizens who believe that he should be forced to resign. I have played cards with Judge Mosston for many years, and he has always shown himself to be fair toward me and our fellow cardplayers... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the letter writer's argument? | [
"Individuals who have interacted with a judge outside that judge's courtroom are the most objective assessors of that judge's fairness.",
"Judge Mosston is a fair judge.",
"Judge Mosston should not be forced to resign.",
"Fairness is the most important quality in a judge."
] | 2 | train_1457 |
Principle: Any person or business knowingly aiding someone' s infringement on a copyright is also guilty of copyright infringement. Application: Grandview Department Store, which features a self-service photo-printing kiosk, is guilty of copyright infringement since a customer using the kiosk infringed on a wedding pho... | Which one of the following, if assumed, most helps to justify the application of the principle? | [
"A person or business providing a service that can be expected to be used to infringe on a copyright should be considered to knowingly aid any copyright infringer using the service.",
"Owners of self-service facilities should monitor those facilities in order to ensure that they are not used for illegal or unethi... | 0 | train_1458 |
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 isol... | Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument's conclusion to be properly drawn? | [
"If it is currently impossible to reproduce the environmental supports and chemical signals in dense, interdependent communities of microbe species, then it is also impossible to cultivate any microbe species from such a community in isolation.",
"At least some microbiologists lack complete knowledge of any micro... | 3 | train_1459 |
Increases in the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)in the human bloodstream lower bloodstream cholesterol levels by increasing the body' s capacity to rid itself of excess cholesterol. Levels of HDL in the bloodstream of some individuals are significantly increased by a program of regular exercise and weight reduc... | Which of the following can be correctly inferred from the statements above? | [
"A program of regular exercise and weight reduction lowers cholesterol levels in the bloodstream of some individuals.",
"Individuals who are underweight do not run any risk of developing high levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream.",
"Exercise and weight reduction are the most effective methods of lowering bl... | 0 | train_1460 |
When a major record label signs a contract with a band, the label assumes considerable financial risk. It pays for videos, album art, management, and promotions. Hence, the band does not need to assume nearly as much risk as it would if it produced its own records independently. For this reason, it is only fair for a m... | Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that a band signed with a major label does not need to assume nearly as much risk as it would if it produced its own records independently? | [
"Premises are used to support it, and it is used to support the main conclusion.",
"It is a general principle from which the argument's conclusion follows as a specific instance.",
"It describes a phenomenon for which the rest of the argument offers an explanation.",
"It is one of two unrelated conclusions, e... | 0 | train_1461 |
Several years ago, the number of wood bison became so low that conservationists began breeding the wood bison in an enclosed refuge. In this time, the number of wood bison has tripled and, according to conservationists, this number is enough for a species to remain viable in the wild. Yet since the wood bison's habitat... | Which of the following, if true, calls into question the conservationist's prediction? | [
"No wood bison has ever been within 1, 000 miles of the area in which the conservationists are planning to move the herd.",
"American buffalo once shared territory with the wood bison, but the American buffalo's territory slowly moved south so that now the American buffalo no longer inhabits the same area as the ... | 3 | train_1462 |
Striking newspaper carrier: The fact that this subscriber canceled her newspaper subscription is a triumph for the striking workers. It shows that the subscriber supports the striking worker' s claim that they are not getting paid enough. Newspaper company X' s president: That is ridiculous! The canceled subscription d... | The reasoning in newspaper company X's president's argument is flawed because the argument | [
"gives a detailed analogy to show how his opponent has mischaracterized the situation",
"overlooks the possibility that the subscriber's proffered reasons for canceling her subscription may themselves show support for the striking workers",
"fails to consider that any subscriber may wish to cancel his subscript... | 1 | train_1463 |
When students receive negative criticism generated by computer programs, they are less likely to respond positively than when the critic is a human. Since the acceptance of criticism requires that one respond positively to it, students are more likely to learn from criticism by humans than from criticism by computers. | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Unlike human critics, computers are incapable of showing compassion.",
"Students always know whether their critics are computers or humans.",
"Criticism generated by computers is likely to be no more or less favorable than that produced by human critics in response to the same work.",
"Students are more like... | 3 | train_1464 |
Irrigation runoff from neighboring farms may well have increased the concentration of phosphorus in the local swamp above previous levels, but the claim that the increase in phosphorus is harming the swamp' s native aquatic wildlife is false; the phosphorus concentration in the swamp is actually less than that found in... | The argument is vulnerable to criticism on the ground that it | [
"makes a generalization that is unwarranted because the sources of the data on which it is based have not been specified",
"bases its conclusion on two contradictory claims",
"relies on evidence the relevance of which has not been established",
"concedes the very point that it argues against"
] | 2 | train_1465 |
Engineer: Thermophotovoltaic generators are devices that convert heat into electricity. The process of manufacturing steel produces huge amounts of heat that currently go to waste. So if steel-manufacturing plants could feed the heat they produce into thermophotovoltaic generators, they would greatly reduce their elect... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the engineer's argument depends? | [
"There is no other means of utilizing the heat produced by the steel-manufacturing process that would be more cost effective than installing thermophotovoltaic generators.",
"Using current technology, it would be possible for steel-manufacturing plants to feed the heat they produce into thermophotovoltaic generat... | 2 | train_1466 |
Brianna: It would have been better to buy a tree last summer rather than this summer. The one we bought this summer is struggling to survive this summer' s drought. If we had bought one last summer, it would have been able to survive this summer' s drought, because last summer' s normal rainfall would have enabled it t... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion drawn in Brianna's argument? | [
"Trees with established roots can better withstand droughts.",
"It would have been better to buy a tree last summer rather than this summer.",
"If a tree had been purchased last summer, it would be better able to survive this summer's drought.",
"The tree purchased this summer is struggling to survive this su... | 1 | train_1467 |
The odds of winning any major lottery jackpot are extremely slight. However, the very few people who do win major jackpots receive a great deal of attention from the media. Thus, since most people come to have at least some awareness of events that receive extensive media coverage, it is likely that many people greatly... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Very few people other than those who win major jackpots receive a great deal of attention from the media.",
"If it were not for media attention, most people who purchase lottery tickets would not overestimate their chances of winning a jackpot.",
"Most people who overestimate the likelihood of winning a major ... | 3 | train_1468 |
Researcher: Dinosaur fossils come in various forms, including mineralized bones and tracks in dried mud flats. However, mineralized dinosaur bones and dinosaur tracks in dried mud flats are rarely found together. This isn' t surprising, because creatures that scavenged dinosaur carcasses most likely frequented mud flat... | Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the researcher's argument? | [
"Dinosaur fossils other than mineralized bone or tracks in dried mud flats are quite common.",
"Scavengers commonly drag a carcass away from the site where it was found.",
"Dinosaur tracks are also found in locations other than mud flats.",
"Researchers have found more fossil dinosaur tracks than fossil dinos... | 1 | train_1469 |
A mosquito bite can transmit to a person the parasite that causes malaria, and the use of mosquito nets over children' s beds can significantly reduce the incidence of malarial infection for children in areas where malaria is common. Yet public health officials are reluctant to recommend the use of mosquito nets over c... | Which of the following, if true, would provide the strongest grounds for the public health officials' reluctance? | [
"Early exposure to malaria increases the body's resistance to it and results in a lesser likelihood of severe life-threatening episodes of malaria.",
"Although there are vaccines available for many childhood diseases, no vaccine has been developed that is effective against malaria.",
"Mosquito nets provide prot... | 0 | train_1470 |
Sparva, unlike Treland' s other provinces, requires automobile insurers to pay for any medical treatment sought by someone who has been involved in an accident; in the other provinces, insurers pay for nonemergency treatment only if they preapprove the treatment. Clearly, Sparva' s less restrictive policy must be the e... | Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Different insurance companies have different standards for determining what constitutes emergency treatment.",
"There are fewer traffic accidents annually in Sparva than in any of the provinces of comparable or greater population.",
"The cost of medical care in Sparva is higher than the national average.",
"... | 1 | train_1471 |
Sales manager: Last year the total number of meals sold in our company' s restaurants was much higher than it was the year before. Obviously consumers find our meals desirable. Accountant: If you look at individual restaurants, however, you find that the number of meals sold actually decreased substantially at every on... | If the sales figures cited by the accountant and the sales manager are both accurate, which one of the following must be true? | [
"The market share captured by the company's restaurants fell last year.",
"The prices of the company's meals have changed over the past two years.",
"The company opened at least one new restaurant in the last two years.",
"The quality of the company's meals has not improved over the past two years."
] | 2 | train_1472 |
Maria: Calling any state totalitarian is misleading: it implies total state control of all aspects of life. The real world contains no political entity exercising literally total control over even one such aspect. This is because any system of control is inefficient, and, ttherefore, its degree of control is partial. J... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses Maria's main conclusion? | [
"No existing state currently has even one aspect of society under total control.",
"No state can be called totalitarian without inviting a mistaken belief.",
"The degree of control exercised by a state is necessarily partial.",
"To be totalitarian, a state must totally control society."
] | 1 | train_1473 |
Economist: The most economically efficient way to reduce emissions of air pollutants is to tax them in proportion to the damage they are likely to cause. But in Country Y, many serious pollutants are untaxed and unregulated, and policy makers strongly oppose new taxes. Ttherefore, the best way to achieve a reduction in... | Which of the following is an assumption of the economist's argument? | [
"Policy makers in Country Y oppose all new taxes equally strongly, regardless of any benefits they may provide.",
"Policy makers in Country Y strongly favor reductions in air pollutant emissions.",
"Country Y's policy makers believe that air pollutant emissions should be reduced with maximum economic efficiency... | 3 | train_1474 |
Perception cannot be a relationship between a conscious being and a material object that causes that being to have beliefs about that object. For there are many imperceptible material objects about which we have beliefs. | Which one of the following is most closely parallel in its flawed reasoning to the flawed reasoning in the argument above? | [
"Physics cannot be the science that investigates the ultimate principles of nature. For human beings are finite, and the ultimate principles cannot be understood by finite beings.",
"Art cannot be an artifact created by someone with the express purpose of causing an aesthetic reaction in its audience. For we ofte... | 1 | train_1475 |
Offshore oil-drilling operations entail an unavoidable risk of an oil spill, but importing oil on tankers presently entails an even greater such risk per barrel of oil. Ttherefore, if we are to reduce the risk of an oil spill without curtailing our use of oil, we must invest more in offshore operations and import less ... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above? | [
"Tankers can easily be redesigned so that their use entails less risk of an oil spill.",
"Offshore operations usually damage the ocean floor, but tankers rarely cause such damage.",
"Importing oil on tankers is currently less expensive than drilling for it offshore.",
"Oil spills caused by tankers have genera... | 0 | train_1476 |
Restaurant owner: The newspaper reporter who panned my restaurant acknowledges having no special expertise about food and its preparation. His previous job was as a political reporter. He is a good writer, but he is not a true restaurant critic. A newspaper would never call someone a drama critic who had no special tra... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the restaurant owner's argument? | [
"The newspaper reporter who panned the restaurant acknowledges having no special expertise about food and its preparation.",
"The newspaper reporter who panned the restaurant is a good writer.",
"The newspaper reporter who panned the restaurant is not a true restaurant critic.",
"A newspaper would never call ... | 2 | train_1477 |
United States hospitals have traditionally relied primarily on revenues from paying patients to offset losses from unreimbursed care. Almost all paying patients now rely on governmental or private health insurance to pay hospital bill. Recently, insurers have been strictly limiting what they pay hospitals for the care ... | Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the information above? | [
"If hospitals do not find ways of raising additional Income for unreimbursed care, they must either deny some of that care or suffer losses if they give it.",
"Some patients have incomes too, high for eligibility for governmental health insurance but are unable to afford private insurance for hospital care.",
"... | 0 | train_1478 |
The only physical factor preventing a human journey to Mars has been weight. Carrying enough fuel to propel a conventional spacecraft to Mars and back would make even the lightest craft too heavy to be launched from Earth. A device has recently been invented, however, that allows an otherwise conventional spacecraft to... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"A conventional spacecraft equipped with the device would not be appreciably more expensive to construct than current spacecraft typically are.",
"The device for manufacturing fuel from the Martian atmosphere would not take up any of the spaceship crew's living space.",
"The device for manufacturing fuel for th... | 2 | train_1479 |
A common genetic mutation that lowers levels of the enzyme cathepsin C severely reduces a person' s ability to ward off periodontitis, or gum disease. The enzyme triggers immunological reactions that destroy diseased cells and eliminate infections in the mouth. But researchers are developing ways to restore the enzyme ... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"A person whose cathepsin C level has been restored to normal will not suffer from periodontitis.",
"Genetic mutation is the only cause of lowered levels of cathepsin C.",
"Researchers will soon succeed in finding means of restoring cathepsin C to normal levels.",
"Persons who do not have the genetic mutation... | 0 | train_1480 |
Some ornithologists believe that many species of songbirds are threatened by deforestation. Yet they also claim that, despite recent reforestation, matters continue to worsen, since it is fragmentation of forest rather than reduction of forest size that endangers songbird species. The introduction of open spaces and co... | The claim that there has recently been reforestation plays which one of the following roles in the ornithologists' argument? | [
"It is presented as evidence for the claim that songbirds' predators are threatened by extinction unless they have open spaces and corridors that give them access to their prey.",
"It is presented as a phenomenon that is compatible with the ornithologists' claim that the threat to songbirds continues to worsen.",... | 1 | train_1481 |
Policy: The factory' s safety inspector should not approve a new manufacturing process unless it has been used safely for more than a year at another factory or it will demonstrably increase safety at the factory. Application: The safety inspector should not approve the proposed new welding process, for it cannot be sh... | Which one of the following, if true, justifies the above application of the policy? | [
"The factory at which the new welding process was first introduced has had several problems associated with the process.",
"The safety inspector will not approve any new process that has not been used extensively elsewhere.",
"Some of the manufacturing processes currently in use at the factory are not demonstra... | 3 | train_1482 |
From 1973 to 1986, growth in the United States economy was over 33 percent, while the percent growth in United States energy consumption was zero. The number of barrels of oil being saved per day by energy efficiency improvements made since 1973 is now 13 million. | If the information above is correct, which of the following conclusions can properly be drawn on the basis of it? | [
"A reduction in the consumption of gasoline was the reason overall energy consumption remained steady.",
"Oil imports cannot be reduced unless energy consumption does not grow at all.",
"The development of nontraditional energy sources will make it possible for the United States economy to grow even faster.",
... | 3 | train_1483 |
Since the 1970s, environmentalists have largely succeeded in convincing legislators to enact extensive environmental regulations. Yet, as environmentalists themselves not only admit but insist, the condition of the environment is worsening, not improving. Clearly, more environmental regulations are not the solution to ... | The argument's reasoning is flawed because the argument | [
"fails to justify its presumption that reducing excessive regulations is more important than preserving the environment",
"presumes, without providing warrant, that only an absence of environmental regulations could prevent environmental degradation",
"attacks the environmentalists themselves instead of their p... | 3 | train_1484 |
Gardener: The design of Japanese gardens should display harmony with nature. Hence, rocks chosen for placement in such gardens should vary widely in appearance, since rocks found in nature also vary widely in appearance. | The gardener's argument depends on assuming which one of the following? | [
"In the selection of rocks for Japanese gardens, imitation of nature helps to achieve harmony with nature.",
"The selection of rocks for placement in a Japanese garden should reflect every key value embodied in the design of Japanese gardens.",
"The only criterion for selecting rocks for placement in a Japanese... | 0 | train_1485 |
Twenty professional income-tax advisors were given identical records from which to prepare an income-tax return. The advisors were not aware that they were dealing with fictitious records compiled by a financial magazine. No two of the completed tax returns agreed with each other, and only one was technically correct. | If the information above is correct, which one of the following conclusions can be properly drawn on the basis of it? | [
"People are more likely to have an incorrectly prepared tax return if they prepare their own tax returns than if they hire a professional income-tax advisor.",
"All professional income-tax advisors make mistakes on at least some of the tax returns they prepare.",
"In order to insure that tax returns are correct... | 3 | train_1486 |
Computers perform actions that are closer to thinking than anything nonhuman animals do. But computers do not have volitional powers, although some nonhuman animals do. | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"Having volitional powers need not involve thinking.",
"It is necessary to have volitional powers in order to think.",
"Things that are not animals do not have volitional powers.",
"Computers will never be able to think as human beings do."
] | 0 | train_1487 |
Critic: Political utility determines the popularity of a metaphor. In authoritarian societies, the metaphor of society as a human body governed by a head is pervasive. Ttherefore, the society-as-body metaphor, with its connection between society' s proper functioning and governance by a head, promotes greater acceptanc... | Which one of the following statements, if true, most weakens the critic's argument? | [
"In authoritarian societies, the metaphor of society as a family is just as pervasive as the society-as-body metaphor.",
"The metaphor of society as a human body is sometimes used in nonauthoritarian societies.",
"Every society tries to justify the legitimacy of its government through the use of metaphor.",
"... | 0 | train_1488 |
The Biocarb Company wants to build a sterilization plant to treat contaminated medical waste in a city neighborhood where residents and environmental activists fear that such a facility will pollute the area. Biocarb' s president argues that the operation of the plant cannot cause pollution because the waste would be s... | The president's argument depends on which one of the following assumptions? | [
"Treatment by superheated steam represents the surest method of sterilization.",
"Fear of pollution is the only argument against construction of an autoclave facility for medical waste.",
"No others besides environmental activists are concerned about pollution hazards that can result from processing medical was... | 3 | train_1489 |
Forester: The great majority of the forests remaining in the world are only sickly fragments of the fully functioning ecosystems they once were. These fragmented forest ecosystems have typically lost their ability to sustain themselves in the long term, yet they include the last refuges for some of the world' s most en... | The forester's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"At present, resource managers intervene regularly in only some of the world's fragmented forest ecosystems.",
"A fragmented forest ecosystem cannot sustain itself in the long term if it loses any of its plant or animal species.",
"Most of the world's forests will lose at least some of their plant or animal spe... | 2 | train_1490 |
In the two years following the unification of Germany in 1989, the number of cars owned by residents of East Germany and the total distance traveled by cars in East Germany both increased by about 40 percent. In those two years, however, the number of East German residents killed each year as car occupants in traffic a... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the disproportionate increase in traffic fatalities? | [
"After unification, many people who had been living in East Germany relocated to West Germany.",
"Drivers who had driven little or not at all before 1989 accounted for much of the increase in the total distance traveled by cars.",
"After unification, a smaller proportion of the cars being purchased by East Germ... | 1 | train_1491 |
Walter: Although cigarette smoking is legal, it should be banned on all airline flights. Cigarette smoking in the confines of an aircraft exposes nonsmokers to harmful secondhand smoke that they cannot avoid. | Which one of the following principles, if established, would justify the proposal put forth by Walter? | [
"People should be prohibited from engaging in an otherwise legal activity in those situations in which that activity would unavoidably expose others to harm.",
"A legal activity that has the potential for causing harm to others in certain situations should be modified in those situations to render it harmless.",
... | 0 | train_1492 |
Researcher: Any country can determine which type of public school system will work best for it by investigating the public school systems of other countries. Nationwide tests could be given in each country and other countries could adopt the system of the country that has the best scores on these tests. | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the researcher's argument? | [
"If two countries performed differently on these nationwide tests, further testing could determine what features of the school systems account for the differences.",
"A type of school system that works well in one country will work well in any other country.",
"Most countries in the research sample already admi... | 1 | train_1493 |
Legislator: The recently released crime statistics clearly show that the new laws requiring stiffer punishments for violators have reduced the crime rate. In the areas covered by those laws, the incidence of crime has decreased by one-fourth over the four years since the legislation was enacted. Analyst: The statistics... | Which one of the following most accurately describes the strategy used by the analyst to call into question the legislator's argument? | [
"arguing that the legislator has unreasonably concluded that one event has caused another without ruling out the possibility that both events are effects of a common cause",
"implying that the legislator has drawn a conclusion about cause and effect without considering how often the alleged effect has occurred in... | 1 | train_1494 |
After purchasing a pot-bellied pig at the pet store in Springfield, Amy was informed by a Springfield city official that she would not be allowed to keep the pig as a pet, since city codes classify pigs as livestock, and individuals may not keep livestock in Springfield. | The city official's argument depends on assuming which one of the following? | [
"Pigs are not classified as pets in Springfield.",
"Any animal not classified as livestock may be kept in Springfield.",
"Amy lives in Springfield.",
"Dogs and cats are not classified as livestock in Springfield."
] | 2 | train_1495 |
Most people who shop for groceries no more than three times a month buy prepared frozen dinners regularly. In Hallstown most people shop for groceries no more than three times a month. Ttherefore, in Hallstown most people buy prepared frozen dinners regularly. | Which one of the following arguments has a flawed pattern of reasoning most like the flawed reasoning in the argument above? | [
"It is clear that Fernando's friends usually drive to school, since all of his friends can drive and all of his friends go to school.",
"It is clear that John cannot drive, since he does not own a car and no one in his family who does not own a car can drive.",
"It is clear that most people in Highland County d... | 2 | train_1496 |
In the year following an eight-cent increase in the federal tax on a pack of cigarettes, sales of cigarettes fell ten percent. In contrast, in the year prior to the tax increase, sales had fallen one percent. The volume of cigarette sales is ttherefore strongly related to the after-tax price of a pack of cigarettes. | Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument above? | [
"During the year following the cigarette tax increase, many consumers had less income, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than they had had in the previous year.",
"Most consumers were unaware that the tax on cigarettes was going to increase.",
"The information available to consumers on the health risks of smoking ... | 2 | train_1497 |
A customer returning defective merchandise should be given an immediate refund if the merchandise was defective when purchased and was not on sale; if the customer is returning merchandise that is not defective or was damaged by customer negligence or customer abuse, the customer should be referred to the manager. | Which one of the following judgments conforms most closely to the principle stated above? | [
"A customer purchased a lawn mower, which became inoperative after the customer used it only five times. Even though the lawn mower was not on sale when purchased, the customer should be referred to the manager.",
"A customer purchased a set of wrought-iron patio furniture at the regular price. The welding on two... | 1 | train_1498 |
Medical school professor: Most malpractice suits arise out of patients' perceptions that their doctors are acting negligently or carelessly. Many doctors now regard medicine as a science rather than an art, and are less compassionate as a result. Harried doctors sometimes treat patients rudely, discourage them from ask... | The medical school professor's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"Doctors foster, by their actions, the perception that they do not really care about their patients.",
"Malpractice suits brought against doctors are, for the most part, unjustified.",
"The scientific outlook in medicine should be replaced by an entirely different approach to medicine.",
"Economic incentives ... | 0 | train_1499 |
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