context stringlengths 94 1.14k | question stringlengths 24 342 | answers listlengths 4 4 | label int64 0 3 | id_string stringlengths 7 10 |
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Provinces and states with stringent car safety requirements, including required use of seat belts and annual safety inspections, have on average higher rates of accidents per kilometer driven than do provinces and states with less stringent requirements. Nevertheless, most highway safety experts agree that more stringe... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to reconcile the safety experts' belief with the apparently contrary evidence described above? | [
"The roads in provinces and states with stringent car safety requirements are far more congested and ttherefore dangerous than in other provinces and states.",
"Provinces and states with stringent car safety requirements have, on average, many more kilometers of roads than do other provinces and states.",
"Annu... | 0 | train_1500 |
Although marathons are 26. 2 miles (42. 2 kilometers) long and take even world-class marathoners over 2 hours to run, athletes who train by running 90 minutes a day fare better in marathons than do those who train by running 120 minutes or more a day. | Each of the following, if true, contributes to an explanation of the difference in marathon performances described above EXCEPT: | [
"The longer the run, the more frequent is the occurrence of joint injuries that significantly interfere with overall training.",
"The longer the period of time that one runs daily, the easier it is to adjust to different race lengths.",
"Runners who train over 90 minutes per day grow bored with running and beco... | 1 | train_1501 |
Contrary to Malthus' s arguments, human foodproducing capacity has increased more rapidly than human population. Yet, agricultural advances often compromise biological diversity. Ttherefore, Malthus' s prediction that insufficient food will doom humanity to war, pestilence, and famine will likely be proven correct in t... | The statement that human food-producing capacity has increased more rapidly than human population plays which one of the following roles in the argument? | [
"It is a part of the evidence used in the argument to support the conclusion that a well-known view is misguided.",
"It is a general fact that the argument offers reason to believe will eventually change.",
"It is an observation that the argument suggests actually supports Malthus's position.",
"It is a hypot... | 1 | train_1502 |
It would be wrong to conclude that a person has a Streptococcus infection if there is no other evidence than the fact that Streptococcus bacilli are present in the person' s throat; after all, infection does not occur unless the host is physically run down. | The reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to the reasoning in the argument above? | [
"When a bee colony fails to survive the winter, it would be wrong to conclude that low temperatures were the cause. Bees have very good defense mechanisms against extreme cold which are designed to ensure survival of the colony, though not of individual bees.",
"Even if a healthy lavender plant receives six or mo... | 1 | train_1503 |
Area resident: Childhood lead poisoning has declined steadily since the 1970s, when leaded gasoline was phased out and lead paint was banned. But recent statistics indicate that 25 percent of this area' s homes still contain lead paint that poses significant health hazards. Ttherefore, if we eliminate the lead paint in... | The area resident's argument is flawed in that it | [
"takes for granted that children reside in all of the homes in the area that contain lead paint",
"relies on an assumption that is tantamount to assuming that the conclusion is true",
"fails to consider that there may be other significant sources of lead in the area's environment",
"relies on statistical clai... | 2 | train_1504 |
A just government never restricts the right of its citizens to act upon their desires except when their acting upon their desires is a direct threat to the health or property of other of its citizens. | Which one of the following judgments most closely conforms to the principle cited above? | [
"A just government would not censor writings of Shakespeare, but it could censor magazines and movies that criticize the government.",
"A just government would not ban the sale of sports cars, but it could prohibit unrestricted racing of them on public highways.",
"An unjust government would incarcerate one of ... | 1 | train_1505 |
In an experiment, each volunteer was allowed to choose between an easy task and a hard task and was told that another volunteer would do the other task. Each volunteer could also choose to have a computer assign the two tasks randomly. Most volunteers chose the easy task for themselves and under questioning later said ... | Which of the following is an assumption required by this argument? | [
"The most moral choice for the volunteers would have been to have the computer assign the two tasks randomly.",
"At least some volunteers given the choice between assigning the tasks themselves and having the computer assign them felt that they had made the only fair choice available to them.",
"On average, the... | 3 | train_1506 |
Hatfield Airport, the closest airport to the city of Hatfield, has recently opened a new terminal for AirJet International, a popular low-cost airline. Since the terminal has opened, Hatfield Airport has welcomed significantly more customers, to the extent that airline staff members have complained that they can no lon... | Which of the following is an assumption that supports drawing the conclusion above from the reasons given for that conclusion? | [
"AirJet customers would not mind traveling further from Hatfield, since AirJet's low fares save them money.",
"The increased traffic at the airport is due to the popularity of AirJet's flights.",
"Customers are unhappy with the slowness of service at Hatfield Airport.",
"Other airlines based at Hatfield Airpo... | 1 | train_1507 |
Hine' s emerald dragonflies are an endangered species that live in wetlands. The larvae of these dragonflies can survive only in the water, where they are subject to predation by several species including red devil crayfish. Surprisingly, the dragonfly populations are more likely to remain healthy in areas where red de... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the surprising fact? | [
"Populations of red devil crayfish in a wetland do not drop significantly if the local population of Hine's emerald dragonflies dies out.",
"Red devil crayfish dig chambers that remain filled with water even when the surrounding wetlands dry up.",
"Red devil crayfish present no threat to adult Hine's emerald dr... | 1 | train_1508 |
Algorpal Industries produces high quality pneumatic filters. For years, they have primarily served manufacturers of domestic agricultural equipment, and over time, this market has been decreasing. A consultant recommended that, with a minor modification, Algorpal could expand into pneumatic filters for biomedical resea... | Which of the following would be the most useful to establish in evaluating the consultant's recommendation? | [
"Whether the number of biomedical devices at any single research center is greater than the number of pieces of equipment requiring filters on a single farm.",
"Whether other markets, such as food processing and food service, would offer greater opportunities for potential profits.",
"Whether the competition in... | 2 | train_1509 |
At the end of the year, Wilson' s Department Store awards free merchandise to its top salespeople. When presented with the fact that the number of salespeople receiving these awards has declined markedly over the past fifteen years, the newly appointed president of the company responded, "In that case, since our award ... | Which one of the following is an assumption that would allow the company president's conclusion to be properly drawn? | [
"Wilson's calculates its salespeople's sales figures in the same way as it did fifteen years ago.",
"Policies at Wilson's with regard to hiring salespeople have not become more lax over the past fifteen years.",
"The number of salespeople at Wilson's has increased over the past fifteen years.",
"The criterion... | 3 | train_1510 |
People cannot devote themselves to the study of natural processes unless they have leisure, and people have leisure when resources are plentiful, not when resources are scarce. Although some anthropologists claim that agriculture, the cultivation of crops, actually began under conditions of drought and hunger, the earl... | The argument is structured to lead to the conclusion that | [
"early societies could have discovered by accident how the plants they cultivated reproduced and grew",
"agriculture first began in societies that at some time in their history had plentiful resources",
"early agricultural societies knew more about the natural sciences than did early nonagricultural societies",... | 1 | train_1511 |
The emission of sulfur dioxide when high-sulfur coal is burned is restricted by law. New coal-burning plants usually comply with the law by installing expensive equipment to filter sulfur dioxide from their emissions. These new plants could save money by installing instead less expensive cleaning equipment that chemica... | Which of the following, if known, would be most relevant to evaluating the claim above about how new coal-burning plants could save money? | [
"Whether the expense of installing the cleaning equipment in a new plant is less than the expense of installing the cleaning equipment in an older plant",
"Whether the process of cleaning the coal is more expensive than the process of filtering the emissions",
"Whether existing oil-burning plants are required t... | 1 | train_1512 |
A manager cannot extract the best performance from employees by threatening them with termination or offering financial rewards for high productivity. Rather, employees must come to want to do a good job for its own sake. One of the best ways for a manager to achieve this is to delegate responsibility to them, especial... | Which one of the following propositions is best illustrated by the situation described in the passage? | [
"Increased responsibility can improve a person's sense of how power should be used.",
"People who carry out decisions are in the best position to determine what those decisions should be.",
"In some cases one's effectiveness in a particular role can be enhanced by a partial relinquishing of control.",
"Busine... | 2 | train_1513 |
People who say that Dooney County is flat are clearly wrong. On flat land, soil erosion by water is not a problem. Consequently, farmers whose land is flat do not build terraces to prevent erosion. Yet I hear that the farms in Dooney County are dotted with terraces. | The author's conclusion in the passage depends on the assumption that | [
"on flat land there is no soil erosion",
"the only terraces in Dooney County are on farmland",
"there are terraces on farmland in Dooney County which were built to prevent soil erosion",
"the only cause of soil erosion is water"
] | 2 | train_1514 |
Situation: Sometimes people follow unhealthy diets to lose weight more quickly. Analysis: People sometimes prioritize perceived beauty over health. | The analysis provided for this situation is most similar to which of the following situations? | [
"An actor starts brushing his teeth with new special whitening toothpaste that contains several known carcinogens.",
"A musician buys a new leather jacket in preparation for an upcoming show.",
"A couple joins a gym to start running more.",
"A model undergoes an elective cosmetic procedure to appear thinner."... | 0 | train_1515 |
A study of 8, 000 randomly chosen adults in a European country found that 75 percent of those who consumed alcohol an average of twice or more per week over a six-month period suffered at least one cold during that period. We can tentatively conclude from this that consuming alcohol tends to increase one' s susceptibil... | Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument? | [
"Sixty percent of those in the study who did not suffer any colds over the six-month period consumed alcohol once per week or more.",
"Seventy-five percent of those in the study who never consumed alcohol suffered at least one cold over the six-month period.",
"Fifty percent of those in the study who consumed a... | 1 | train_1516 |
The body of anyone infected by virus X will, after a week, produce antibodies to fight the virus; the antibodies will increase in number for the next year or so. There is now a test that reliably indicates how many antibodies are present in a person' s body. If positive, this test can be used during the first year of i... | Which one of the following conclusions is best supported by the statements above? | [
"If a person remains infected by virus X indefinitely, there is no limit to the number of antibodies that can be present in the person's body.",
"Anyone infected by virus X will for a time fail to exhibit infection if tested by the antibody test.",
"Antibodies are produced only for viral infections that cannot ... | 1 | train_1517 |
Political Analyst: "Although citizens of this state normally oppose any new taxes, they are overwhelmingly in favor of taxes that support the medical initiative. Candidate Johnson vowed to cut these taxes, and he was trounced in the primary elections. <b> Furthermore, in a poll that asked citizens, "Would you pay highe... | In the political analyst's argument, the portion in boldface plays which of the following roles? | [
"It is an explanation that the argument concludes is correct.",
"It is a finding that calls the main conclusion into question.",
"It provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument.",
"It is the main conclusion of the argument."
] | 2 | train_1518 |
Environmentalist: The United Kingdom recently instituted a law requiring that foods containing genetically altered ingredients be labeled accordingly. Food producers, fearing that consumers would understand the labels as warnings and thus avoid their products, rushed to rid those products of genetically altered ingredi... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the environmentalist's argument depends? | [
"Countries that institute new food labeling regulations often experience a change in consumer eating habits.",
"The reactions of food producers in other countries to laws requiring labeling of foods containing genetically altered ingredients are likely to be similar to the reactions of food producers in the Unite... | 1 | train_1519 |
Omega Corporation has hired two management consultant firms, ManageFix! and EfficiencyRun, to help cut unnecessary costs by streamlining its corporate structure. By following ManageFix! ' s plan, Omega Corp. will save more money than it would by following EfficiencyRun' s plan. Ttherefore, by following ManageFix! ' s p... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Omega Corp. has not yet determined with certainty that it wishes to make changes in its corporate structure.",
"Unnecessary costs cannot be reduced more by implementing both plans together than by implementing ManageFix! 's alone.",
"Omega Corp. can implement ManageFix! 's plan in one of several ways, some of ... | 1 | train_1520 |
Since John Lindy was named vice president of sales, the highest ranked salespeople have been successfully recruited by rival companies, sales in all departments have plummeted, and company morale is down. This information clearly provides proof that John Lindy was named vice president of sales to ruin the company. | The reasoning in the argument is weak because the argument | [
"presupposes that because conditions resulted from a change, the change was made to create those conditions",
"fails to show proof that the company has been ruined by John Lindy being named vice president of sales",
"fails to show how company morale is related to sales plummeting in all departments",
"bases i... | 0 | train_1521 |
Meteorologist: The number of tornadoes reported annually has more than doubled since the 1950s. But their actual number has probably not increased. Our ability to find tornadoes has improved, so we' re probably just finding a higher percentage of them than we used to. | Which one of the following, if true, provides the most support for the meteorologist's argument? | [
"The annual number of deaths due to tornadoes has increased steadily since the 1950s.",
"The number of tornadoes hitting major population centers annually has more than doubled since the 1950s.",
"The geographic range in which tornadoes are most prevalent has remained roughly constant since the 1950s.",
"The ... | 3 | train_1522 |
Zachary: One would have to be blind to the reality of moral obligation to deny that people who believe a course of action to be morally obligatory for them have both the right and the duty to pursue that action, and that no one else has any right to stop them from doing so. Cynthia: But imagine an artist who feels mora... | Cynthia's response to Zachary's claim is structured to demonstrate that | [
"Zachary's principle is untenable on its own terms",
"Zachary's principle is based on an understanding of moral obligation that is too narrow to encompass the kind of moral obligation artists feel toward works of art",
"because the term \"moral obligation\" is understood differently by different people, it is i... | 0 | train_1523 |
Economist: If the belief were to become widespread that losing one' s job is not a sign of personal shortcomings but instead an effect of impersonal social forces (which is surely correct), there would be growth in the societal demand for more government control of the economy to protect individuals from these forces, ... | The economist's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"In general, people should feel no more responsible for economic disasters than for military invasions.",
"Increased knowledge of the causes of job loss could lead to economic disaster.",
"Governments should never interfere with economic forces.",
"Societal demand for government control of the economy is grow... | 1 | train_1524 |
Hana said she was not going to invite her brothers to her birthday party. However, among the gifts Hana received at her party was a recording in which she had expressed an interest. Since her brothers had planned to give her that recording, at least some of Hana' s brothers must have been among the guests at Hana' s bi... | A reasoning error in the argument is that the argument | [
"uses a term that is intrinsically evaluative as though that term was purely descriptive",
"fails to establish that something true of some people is true of only those people",
"disregards the possibility that a change of mind might be justified by a change in circumstances",
"overlooks the possibility that a... | 1 | train_1525 |
Editor: When asked to name a poet contemporaneous with Shakespeare, 60 percent of high school students picked a twentieth-century poet. Admittedly, it is hard to interpret this result accurately. Does it show that most high school students do not know any poets of Shakespeare' s era, or do they just not know what "cont... | The statement that the majority of students picked a twentieth-century poet functions primarily in the argument | [
"as evidence that something is deeply wrong with the educational system",
"as evidence that the educational system is producing students who are ignorant of the history of poetry",
"as evidence of the ambiguity of some questions",
"to illustrate that research results are difficult to interpret"
] | 0 | train_1526 |
Dr. Z: Many of the characterizations of my work offered by Dr. Q are imprecise, and such characterizations do not provide an adequate basis for sound criticism of my work. | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from Dr. Z's statement? | [
"Some of Dr. Q's characterizations of Dr. Z's work provide an adequate basis for sound criticism of Dr. Z's work.",
"At least one of Dr. Q's characterizations of Dr. Z's work fails to provide an adequate basis for sound criticism of that work.",
"All of Dr. Q's characterizations of Dr. Z's work that are not imp... | 1 | train_1527 |
Market analyst: According to my research, 59 percent of consumers anticipate paying off their credit card balances in full before interest charges start to accrue, intending to use the cards only to avoid carrying cash and writing checks. This research also suggests that in trying to win business from their competitors... | Which one of the following most logically completes the market analyst's argument? | [
"most consumers would be indifferent about which company's credit card they use",
"credit card companies would not make the interest rates they charge on cards the main selling point",
"most consumers would prefer paying interest on credit card debts over borrowing money from banks",
"the most intense competi... | 1 | train_1528 |
The postmodern view involves the rejection of modern assumptions about order and the universality of truth. The grand theories of the modern era are now seen as limited by the social and historical contexts in which they were elaborated. Also, the belief in order has given way to a belief in the importance of irregular... | The argument's reasoning is questionable because the argument | [
"uses the term \"order\" ambiguously",
"relies on the use of emotional terms to bolster its conclusion",
"infers that something is the case because it is believed to be the case",
"uses the term \"universal\" ambiguously"
] | 2 | train_1529 |
The number of serious traffic accidents (accidents resulting in hospitalization or death) that occurred on Park Road from 1986 to 1990 was 35 percent lower than the number of serious accidents from 1981 to 1985. The speed limit on Park Road was lowered in 1986. Hence, the reduction of the speed limit led to the decreas... | Which one of the following statements, if true, most weakens the argument? | [
"Until 1986 accidents were classified as \"serious\" only if they resulted in an extended hospital stay.",
"The annual number of accidents on Park Road that did not result in hospitalization remained roughly constant from 1981 to 1990.",
"The annual number of vehicles using Park Road decreased significantly and... | 2 | train_1530 |
All of John' s friends say they know someone who has smoked 40 cigarettes a day for the past 40 years and yet who is really fit and well. John does not know anyone like that and it is quite certain that he is not unique among his friends in this respect. | If the statements in the passage are true, then which one of the following must also be true? | [
"Some of John's friends are not telling the truth.",
"Most of John's friends are not telling the truth.",
"Smokers often lie about how much they smoke.",
"All John's friends know the same lifelong heavy smoker."
] | 0 | train_1531 |
Ethicist: On average, animals raised on grain must be fed sixteen pounds of grain to produce one pound of meat. A pound of meat is more nutritious for humans than a pound of grain, but sixteen pounds of grain could feed many more people than could a pound of meat. With grain yields leveling off, large areas of farmland... | Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the ethicist's argument? | [
"Often, cattle or sheep can be raised to maturity on grass from pastureland that is unsuitable for any other kind of farming.",
"Although prime farmland near metropolitan areas is being lost rapidly to suburban development, we could reverse this trend by choosing to live in areas that are already urban.",
"If a... | 0 | train_1532 |
A local group had planned a parade for tomorrow, but city hall has not yet acted on its application for a permit. The group had applied for the permit well in advance, had made sure their application satisfied all the requirements, and was clearly entitled to a permit. Although the law prohibits parades without a permi... | Which one of the following actions would be justified by the principle to which the leader of the group appealed in defending the decision to proceed? | [
"A real-estate developer obtained a permit to demolish a historic apartment building that had not yet been declared a governmentally protected historic landmark. Despite the protests of citizens' groups, the developer then demolished the building.",
"The law requires that no car be operated without a certain amou... | 2 | train_1533 |
A person' s personality is linked to that person' s genes. And since a person' s genes do not ordinarily change over time, it follows that a person' s personality remains unchanged with the passing of time. | Which one of the following is most closely parallel in its reasoning to the flawed reasoning in the argument above? | [
"The levels of certain hormones control body temperature. Ttherefore, if one has a high fever, the levels of one's hormones must be elevated as well.",
"Market forces are to some degree influenced by governmental actions. Hence, a change in the government's policies could result in a change in the economy.",
"I... | 3 | train_1534 |
To allay public concern about chemicals that are leaking into a river from a chemical company' s long-established dump, a company representative said, "Federal law requires that every new chemical be tested for safety before it is put onto the market. This is analogous to the federal law mandating testing of every phar... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the representative's implied argument that the public need not be concerned about the leak? | [
"Leakage from the dump has occurred in noticeable amounts only in the last few months.",
"Before the federal law requiring testing of nonpharmaceutical chemicals went into effect recently, there were 40, 000 such chemicals being manufactured, many of them dangerous.",
"When pharmaceutical substances are tested ... | 1 | train_1535 |
The companies that are the prime purchasers of computer software will not buy a software package if the costs of training staff to use it are high, and we know that it is expensive to teach people a software package that demands the memorization of unfamiliar commands. As a result, to be successful, commercial computer... | The conclusion above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"The more difficult it is to learn how to use a piece of software, the more expensive it is to teach a person to use that software.",
"If the initial cost of computer software is high, but the cost of training users is low, prime purchasers will still buy that software.",
"Commercial computer software will not ... | 2 | train_1536 |
Red admiral butterflies fly in a highly irregular fashion, constantly varying their speed, wing strokes, and flight path. While predators avoid poisonous butterfly species, nonpoisonous butterflies like the red admiral need to elude predators to survive. Scientists ttherefore hypothesize that the red admiral' s flight ... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the support for the scientists' hypothesis? | [
"Attacks from predators are not the most common cause of death for butterflies.",
"All of the predators that prey on the red admiral also prey on other species of nonpoisonous butterflies.",
"It is much more energy efficient for butterflies to fly in an irregular fashion than it is for heavier varieties of inse... | 3 | train_1537 |
Most people feel that they are being confused by the information from broadcast news. This could be the effect of the information' s being delivered too quickly or of its being poorly organized. Analysis of the information content of a typical broadcast news story shows that news stories are far lower in information de... | Which one of the following is an assumption that the argument requires in order for its conclusion to be properly drawn? | [
"Poor organization of information in a news story makes it impossible to understand the information.",
"Being exposed to more broadcast news stories within a given day would help a person to better understand the news.",
"It is not the number of broadcast news stories to which a person is exposed that is the so... | 2 | train_1538 |
Magazine article: Sugar consumption may exacerbate attention deficit disorder (ADD) in children. A recent study found that children produce large amounts of adrenaline within hours after consuming large amounts of sugar. This increase in adrenaline is especially noticeable if the source of sugar is candy, in which case... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument in the magazine article depends? | [
"Increased adrenaline production can make ADD more severe in children.",
"Sugar consumed with food substances other than candy does not substantially increase the level of adrenaline in the bloodstream of children with ADD.",
"The adrenaline level of children who do not have ADD is not increased by excessive su... | 0 | train_1539 |
Those who have the ability to fully concentrate are always of above-average intelligence. Also, being successfully trained in speed-reading will usually be accompanied by an increased ability to concentrate. | If the statements above are true, then each of the following could be true EXCEPT: | [
"All people who can speed-read are able to concentrate to some extent.",
"Some people can speed-read, and are able to fully concentrate, but are of below-average intelligence.",
"All people who can speed-read are of above average intelligence.",
"Many people of above-average intelligence are unable to fully c... | 1 | train_1540 |
Manager: I recommend that our company reconsider the decision to completely abandon our allegedly difficult-to-use computer software and replace it companywide with a new software package advertised as more flexible and easier to use. Several other companies in our region officially replaced the software we currently u... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the manager's statements? | [
"The employees of the manager's company would find that the new software package lacks some of the capabilities of the present software.",
"The familiarity that employees have with a computer software package is a more important consideration in selecting software than flexibility or initial ease of use.",
"Ado... | 3 | train_1541 |
Scientist: All other things being equal, the intensity of heat increases as the distance from the heat source decreases. Knowing this, <b> most people conclude that the Earth's seasons are caused by the Earth's changing distance from the sun. </b> In other words, winter occurs when the Earth is far from the sun, and su... | In the argument, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first describes a common belief that the scientist later deems to be ill conceived; the second is evidence against this belief.",
"The first describes a commonly held belief that is contrary to the scientist's final conclusion; the second is evidence in support of this belief.",
"The first is a statement p... | 0 | train_1542 |
Psychologist: There are theories that posit completely different causal mechanisms from those posited by Freudian psychological theory and that are more successful at predicting human behavior. Ttherefore, Freudian theories of behavior, no matter how suggestive or complex they are, ought to be abandoned in favor of the... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the psychologist's argument depends? | [
"Freudian theories have offered interesting suggestions, which have been shown to be false, about the causes of human behavior.",
"Freudian theory has had little success in predicting how people will behave in various situations.",
"Measuring the predictive success of a psychological theory involves considering... | 3 | train_1543 |
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 eas... | Which one of the following best illustrates the principle illustrated by the argument above? | [
"To overcome a fear of water that prevents one from swimming, one should paddle about in shallow water with a trusted friend who is a good swimmer.",
"One should travel through North America by train rather than by automobile, because train travel imparts the same sense of open space as does automobile travel, wh... | 2 | train_1544 |
Consumer advocate: Last year' s worldwide alarm about a computer "virus" -- a surreptitiously introduced computer program that can destroy other programs and data -- was a fraud. Companies selling programs to protect computers against such viruses raised worldwide concern about the possibility that a destructive virus ... | The reasoning in the consumer advocate's argument is flawed because this argument | [
"overlooks the possibility that the protective steps taken did work and, for many computers, prevented the virus from causing damage",
"restates its conclusion without attempting to offer a reason to accept it",
"asserts that the occurrence of one event after another shows that the earlier event was the cause o... | 0 | train_1545 |
Proponents of the electric car maintain that when the technical problems associated with its battery design are solved, such cars will be widely used and, because they are emission-free, will result in an abatement of the environmental degradation caused by auto emissions. But unless we dam more rivers, the electricity... | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"will have worse environmental consequences than its proponents may believe",
"will probably remain less popular than other types of cars",
"will not produce a net reduction in environmental degradation",
"requires that purely technical problems be solved before it can succeed"
] | 0 | train_1546 |
Research indicates that 90 percent of extreme insomniacs consume large amount of coffee. Since Tom drinks a lot of coffee, it is quite likely that he is an extreme insomniac. | Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the argument's reasoning? | [
"It draws an inference about one specific individual from evidence that describes only the characteristics of a class of individuals",
"It fails to consider the possible contribution to extreme insomnia of other causes of insomnia besides coffee.",
"It fails to acknowledge the possibility that Tom is among the ... | 3 | train_1547 |
An experiment was done in which human subjects recognize a pattern within a matrix of abstract designs and then select another design that completes that pattern. The results of the experiment were surprising. The lowest expenditure of energy in neurons in the brain was found in those subjects who performed most succes... | Which of the following hypotheses best accounts for the findings of the experiment? | [
"The energy expenditure of the subjects' brains increases when a design that completes the initially recognized pattern is determined.",
"Those who performed best in the experiment experienced more satisfaction when working with abstract patterns than did those who performed less well.",
"The task of completing... | 3 | train_1548 |
Dr. Schilling: Those who advocate replacing my country' s private health insurance system with. nationalized health insurance because of the rising costs of medical care fail to consider the high human costs that consumers pay in countries with nationalized insurance: access to high-technology medicine is restricted. K... | In responding to Dr. Schilling, Dr. Laforte employs which one of the following argumentative strategies? | [
"demonstrating that Dr. Schilling's reasoning is persuasive only because of his ambiguous use of the key word \"consumer\"",
"producing counterexamples to Dr. Schilling's claims that nationalized health insurance schemes extract high human costs from consumers",
"showing that the objections raised by Dr. Schill... | 3 | train_1549 |
A major chemical spill occurred five years ago at Baker' s Beach, the world' s sole nesting ground for Merrick sea turtles, and prevented nearly all the eggs laid that year from hatching. Yet the number of adult female Merricks returning to lay their eggs at Baker' s Beach has actually increased somewhat since five yea... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the argument offered in refutation of the environmentalists' prediction? | [
"Under normal conditions, only a small proportion of hatchling female Merrick sea turtles survive in the ocean until adulthood and return to lay their eggs at Baker's Beach.",
"Environmental pressures unrelated to the chemical spill have caused a significant decline in the population of one of the several species... | 3 | train_1550 |
Editorial: The roof of Northtown Council' s equipment-storage building collapsed under the weight of last week' s heavy snowfall. The building was constructed recently and met local building-safety codes in every particular, except that the nails used for attaching roof supports to the building' s columns were of a sma... | Which of the following, if true, most strongly weakens the editorial's argument? | [
"Because the equipment-storage building was not intended for human occupation, some safety-code provisions that would have applied to an office building did not apply to it.",
"The amount of snow that accumulated on the roof of the equipment-storage building was greater than the predicted maximum that was used in... | 1 | train_1551 |
Tent caterpillars' routes between their nests and potential food sources are marked with chemical traces called pheromones that the caterpillars leave behind. Moreover, routes from food sources back to the nest are marked more heavily than are merely exploratory routes that have failed to turn up a food source. Thus, t... | Which one of the following, if true, adds the most support to the argument? | [
"Sometimes individual tent caterpillars will not return to the nest until a food source is located.",
"The pheromones that tent caterpillars leave behind are detectable by certain other species of caterpillars.",
"A hungry tent caterpillar is more likely to follow heavily marked routes than lightly marked route... | 2 | train_1552 |
An unknown simian virus recently killed off nearly half the human population of a remote jungle town. Because the disease spread at an alarming rate-victims usually exhibited signs within 8 hours of exposure, and many died within 36 hours-the simian virus, if an outbreak occurs again, is likely to cause more deaths tha... | Which of the following pieces of information most effectively calls into question the validity of the conclusion? | [
"Viruses tend to be most destructive in densely populated areas, oftentimes spreading amongst thousands of people before any quarantine can be put in place.",
"The Zairean strain of the Ebola virus, known as Zaire ebolavirus, has a mortality rate of nearly 75%.",
"The town in which the outbreak occurred had onl... | 3 | train_1553 |
A person reading a new book for pleasure is like a tourist traveling to a new place. The reader reads, just as the tourist travels, to enlarge understanding rather than simply to acquire information. Thus, it is better to read fewer books and spend more time on each rather than to quickly read as many as one can, just ... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Tourists gain much more understanding of a place once they have spent several days at that place than they do in their first few days there.",
"Tourists typically learn something about the places they visit even when they are there only to relax.",
"Many people report that they can learn far more about a place... | 0 | train_1554 |
Some scientists believe that small humanoid skeletons found on an Indonesian island are the remains of human beings with a growth disorder. It is more likely that they represent a distinct human species that became smaller over time due to environmental pressure. These skeletons do not fit the pattern of known growth d... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the argument? | [
"Certain fox and mouse species on an Indonesian island have evolved into smaller versions of their common counterparts.",
"Environmental pressure can cause species living on islands to become smaller over time.",
"The humanoid skeletons do not fit the pattern of known growth disorders.",
"It is more likely th... | 3 | train_1555 |
In countries where automobile insurance includes compensation for whiplash injuries sustained in automobile accidents, reports of having suffered such injuries are twice as frequent as they are in countries where whiplash is not covered. Some commentators have argued, correctly, that since <b> there is presently no obj... | In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is evidence that has been used to support a conclusion that the argument criticizes; the second is that conclusion.",
"The first is a claim that has been used to support a conclusion that the argument accepts; the second is the position that the argument defends.",
"The first is an intermediate concl... | 0 | train_1556 |
Astrologer: Although some scientists have claimed that there is no correlation between people' s astrological signs and their personality types, this claim is scientifically unjustified. Since science does not have precise criteria for distinguishing one personality type from another, scientific studies cannot be used ... | Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the astrologer's argument by the statement that scientific studies cannot be used to disprove a correlation between personality type and any other phenomenon? | [
"It is a claim offered as support for a conclusion that is in turn offered as support for the overall conclusion drawn in the argument.",
"It summarizes a position that the argument as a whole is directed toward discrediting.",
"It is a conclusion for which support is offered and that in turn is offered as supp... | 2 | train_1557 |
Deirdre: Many philosophers have argued that the goal of every individual is to achieve happiness -- that is, the satisfaction derived from fully living up to one' s potential. They have also claimed that happiness is elusive and can be achieved only after years of sustained effort. But these philosophers have been undu... | Which one of the following most accurately describes a reasoning flaw in Deirdre's argument? | [
"It allows the key term \"happiness\" to shift in meaning illicitly in the course of the argument.",
"It fails to take into account that what brings someone happiness at one moment may not bring that person happiness at another time.",
"It makes a generalization based on the testimony of a group whose views hav... | 0 | train_1558 |
When workers do not find their assignments challenging, they become bored and so achieve less than their abilities would allow. On the other hand, when workers find their assignments too difficult, they give up and so again achieve less than what they are capable of achieving. It is, ttherefore, clear that no worker' s... | Which one of the following is an error of reasoning contained in the argument? | [
"assuming without warrant that a situation allows only two possibilities",
"depending on the ambiguous use of a key term",
"mistakenly equating what is actual and what is merely possible",
"relying on subjective rather than objective evidence"
] | 0 | train_1559 |
The cost of a semester' s tuition at a certain university is based on the number of courses in which a student enrolls that semester. Although the cost per course at that university has not risen in four years, many of its students who could afford the tuition when they first enrolled now claim they can no longer affor... | Each of the following, if true, helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy above EXCEPT: | [
"The university awards new students a large number of scholarships that are renewed each year for the students who maintain high grade averages.",
"The cost of living in the vicinity of the university has risen over the last two years.",
"Faculty salaries at the university have risen slightly over the past four... | 2 | train_1560 |
High blood cholesterol levels are bad for the heart. Like meat, eggs, and poultry, shellfish contains cholesterol. But shellfish is not necessarily bad for the heart; it is very low in saturated fat, which affects blood cholesterol levels much more than dietary cholesterol does. | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Small quantities of foods high in saturated fat are not bad for the heart",
"A serving of meat or poultry is typically larger than a serving of shellfish.",
"Shellfish has less cholesterol per gram than meat, eggs, and poultry do.",
"Foods low in saturated fat promote low blood cholesterol."
] | 3 | train_1561 |
Switching to "low-yield"cigarettes, those that yield less nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide than regular cigarettes when tested on a standard machine, does not, in general, reduce the incidence of heart attack. This result is surprising, since nicotine and carbon monoxide have been implicated as contributing to heart ... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy? | [
"Smoking low-yield cigarettes has become fashionable, as relatively healthier styles of life have become more popular than those that have been identified as risky.",
"People who switch from high-yield to low-yield cigarettes often compensate by increasing the number and depth of puffs in order to maintain their ... | 1 | train_1562 |
The higher the level of certain vitamins and minerals in the bloodstream, the better a person' s lung function, as measured by the amount of air the person can expel in one second. The lung function of smokers is significantly worse, on average, than that of nonsmokers. Clearly, ttherefore, one way for smokers to impro... | Which of the following is an assumption on which this argument depends? | [
"Smokers are less likely than nonsmokers to have diets that are rich in vitamins and minerals.",
"Smoking does not introduce into the body chemicals that prevent the helpful vitamins and minerals from entering the bloodstream.",
"People whose diets are deficient in those vitamins and minerals do not typically h... | 1 | train_1563 |
Government official: A satisfactory way of eliminating chronic food shortages in our country is not easily achievable. Direct aid from other countries in the form of food shipments tends to undermine our prospects for long-term agricultural self-sufficiency. If external sources of food are delivered effectively by exte... | The claim that foreign capital funneled into the economy would cause inflation plays which one of the following roles in the government official's argument? | [
"It is supported by the claim that food producers and suppliers in the official's country may be forced out of business by donations of food from other countries.",
"It is supported by the claim that the official's country must someday be agriculturally self-sufficient.",
"It supports the claim that the officia... | 3 | train_1564 |
In January of last year the Moviemania chain of movie theaters started popping its popcorn in canola oil, instead of the less healthful coconut oil that it had been using until then. Now Moviemania is planning to switch back, saying that the change has hurt popcorn sales. That claim is false, however, since according t... | That claim is false, however, since according to Moviemania's own sales figures, Moviemania sold 5 percent more popcorn last year than in the previous year. <br>Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the argument against Moviemania's claim? | [
"Total sales of all refreshments at Moviemania's movie theaters increased by less than 5 percent last year.",
"Moviemania's customers prefer the taste of popcorn popped in coconut oil to that of popcorn popped in canola oil.",
"Total attendance at Moviemania's movie theaters was more than 20 percent higher last... | 0 | train_1565 |
Lobsters and other crustaceans eaten by humans are more likely to contract gill diseases when sewage contaminates their water. Under a recent proposal, millions of gallons of local sewage each day would be rerouted many kilometers offshore. Although this would substantially reduce the amount of sewage in the harbor whe... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Lobsters, like other crustaceans, live longer in the open ocean than in industrial harbors.",
"Lobsters breed as readily in sewage-contaminated water as in unpolluted water.",
"Contaminants in the harbor other than sewage are equally harmful to lobsters.",
"Humans often become ill as a result of eating lobst... | 3 | train_1566 |
Safety consultant: Judged by the number of injuries per licensed vehicle, minivans are the safest vehicles on the road. However, in carefully designed crash tests, minivans show no greater ability to protect their occupants than other vehicles of similar size do. Thus, the reason minivans have such a good safety record... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the safety consultant's argument? | [
"Minivans generally have worse braking and emergency handling capabilities than other vehicles of similar size.",
"When choosing what kind of vehicle to drive, low-risk drivers often select a kind that they know to perform particularly well in crash tests.",
"Judged by the number of accidents per licensed vehic... | 0 | train_1567 |
Half of the subjects in an experiment-the experimental group-consumed large quantities of a popular artificial sweetener. Afterward, this group showed lower cognitive abilities than did the other half of the subjects-the control group who did not consume the sweetener. The detrimental effects were attributed to an amin... | Which of the following, if true, would best support the conclusion that some ingredient of the sweetener was responsible for the experimental results? | [
"The two groups of subjects were evenly matched with regard to cognitive abilities prior to the experiment.",
"A second experiment in which subjects consumed large quantities of the sweetener lacked a control group of subjects who were not given the sweetener.",
"The amino acid referred to in the conclusion is ... | 0 | train_1568 |
Art restorers who have been studying the factors that cause Renaissance oil paintings to deteriorate physically when subject to climatic changes have found that the oil paint used in these paintings actually adjusts to these changes well. The restorers ttherefore hypothesize that it is a layer of material called gesso,... | Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the restorers' hypothesis? | [
"Oil paint expands and contracts readily in response to changes in temperature, but it absorbs little water and so is little affected by changes in humidity.",
"Renaissance oil paintings are often painted on wooden panels, which swell when humidity increases and contract when it declines.",
"Renaissance oil pai... | 2 | train_1569 |
How do the airlines expect to prevent commercial plane crashes? Studies have shown that pilot error contributes to two-thirds of all such crashes. To address this problem, the airlines have upgraded their training programs by increasing the hours of classroom instruction and emphasizing communication skills in the cock... | Which one of the following is an assumption upon which the argument depends? | [
"The number of airline crashes will decrease if pilot training programs focus on increasing actual flying time.",
"Lack of actual flying time is an important contributor to pilot error in commercial plane crashes.",
"Training programs can eliminate pilot errors.",
"Commercial pilots routinely undergo addition... | 1 | train_1570 |
Radio stations with radio data system (RDS) technology broadcast special program information that only radios with an RDS feature can receive. Between 1994 and 1996, the number of RDS radio stations in Verdland increased from 250 to 600. However, since the number of RDS-equipped radios in Verdland was about the same in... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"The RDS radio stations in Verdland in 1996 did not all offer the same type of programming.",
"In 1996 Verdlanders who did not own radios equipped to receive RDS could not receive any programming from the RDS radio stations that began broadcasting in Verdland after 1994.",
"Few if any of the RDS radio stations ... | 2 | train_1571 |
Few politicians will support legislation that conflicts with their own self-interest. A case in point is August Frenson, who throughout his eight terms in office consistently opposed measures limiting the advantage incumbents enjoy over their challengers. Ttherefore, if such measures are to be enacted, they must result... | The case of August Frenson plays which one of the following roles in the argument? | [
"It demonstrates the extent to which incumbents have the advantage over challengers.",
"It provides evidence, the falsity of which would guarantee the falsity of the author's conclusion.",
"It gives essential background information concerning a measure being advocated.",
"It is cited as an example illustratin... | 3 | train_1572 |
In a study of tropical forests it was found that while the species of trees that is most common in a particular forest also reproduces the most, trees of the species that is rarest there tend to survive longer. This pattern holds regardless of which species of trees is the most common and which is the rarest. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why trees of the rarest species tend to survive longer than trees of the most common species? | [
"The study tracked preexisting tree species but did not introduce any new species to the tropical forests.",
"Older trees tend to reproduce the least.",
"The trees of the common species have more competition for the resources they need than do the trees of the rare species.",
"The survival of the trees of the... | 2 | train_1573 |
To classify a work of art as truly great, it is necessary that the work have both originality and far-reaching influence upon the artistic community. | The principle above, if valid, most strongly supports which one of the following arguments? | [
"The piece of art in the lobby is clearly not classified as truly great, so it follows that it fails to be original.",
"Some of the most original art being produced today is found in isolated communities, but because of this isolation these works have only minor influence, and hence cannot be considered truly gre... | 1 | train_1574 |
Astronomer: Earlier estimates of the distances of certain stars from Earth would mean that these stars are about 1 billion years older than the universe itself, an impossible scenario. My estimates of the distances indicate that these stars are much farther away than previously thought. And the farther away the stars a... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the astronomer's estimates of the stars' distances from Earth help resolve the earlier conflict between the ages of these stars and the age of the universe? | [
"How bright celestial objects appear to be depends on how far away from the observer they are.",
"The brighter a star is, the younger it is.",
"New telescopes allow astronomers to see a greater number of distant stars.",
"The younger the universe is, the more bright stars it is likely to have."
] | 1 | train_1575 |
In a recent study, a group of subjects had their normal daily caloric intake increased by 25 percent. This increase was entirely in the form of alcohol. Another group of similar subjects had alcohol replace nonalcoholic sources of 25 percent of their normal daily caloric intake. All subjects gained body fat over the co... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"The proportion of calories from alcohol in a diet is more significant for body fat gain than are the total calories from alcohol.",
"Body fat gain is not dependent solely on the number of calories one consumes.",
"In the general population, alcohol is the primary cause of gains in body fat.",
"An increased a... | 1 | train_1576 |
No mathematical proposition can be proven true by observation. It follows that it is impossible to know any mathematical proposition to be true. | The conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Knowing a proposition to be true is impossible only if it cannot be proven true by observation.",
"Observation alone cannot be used to prove the truth of any proposition.",
"If a proposition can be proven true by observation, then it can be known to be true.",
"Knowing a proposition to be true requires provi... | 3 | train_1577 |
Microscopic plants called algae grow inside the top layer of sea ice in the Antarctic if enough sunlight reaches that layer of ice and enough seawater, which contains nutrients, reaches that layer after splashing onto the surface. Even though moderate snow cover reduces the sunlight that filters into the top layer, sea... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the apparent discrepancy? | [
"The nutrients on which algae rely are common in seawater throughout the Antarctic.",
"Seawater in the Antarctic often contains higher concentrations of nutrients than does seawater in more temperate regions.",
"More sunlight filters through a layer of ice than through an equally thick layer of snow.",
"As th... | 3 | train_1578 |
All the stretch limousines owned by Elegant are more than 20 feet long, and all the town cars owned by Elegant are less than 20 feet long. Most of the vehicles owned by Elegant were manufactured before 2000. All the stretch limousines and town cars owned by Style were built after 2000, and all are less than 20 feet lon... | If all the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true? | [
"All the vehicles owned by Elegant were manufactured before any of the vehicles owned by Style.",
"The carwash at Newport does more business with Style than with Elegant.",
"Stretch limousine #217 was manufactured after 2000.",
"The carwash at Newport only services stretch limousines."
] | 2 | train_1579 |
Plantings of cotton bioengineered to produce its own insecticide against bollworms, a major cause of crop failure, sustained little bollworm damage until this year. This year the plantings are being seriously damaged by bollworms. Bollworms, however, are not necessarily developing resistance to the cotton' s insecticid... | In evaluating the argument, which of the following would it be most useful to establish? | [
"Whether plantings of cotton that does not produce the insecticide are suffering unusually extensive damage from bollworms this year",
"Whether corn could be bioengineered to produce the insecticide",
"Whether there are insecticides that can be used against bollworms that have developed resistance to the insect... | 0 | train_1580 |
Biologist: Some computer scientists imagine that all that is required for making an artificial intelligence is to create a computer program that encapsulates the information contained in the human genome. They are mistaken. The operation of the human brain is governed by the interactions of proteins whose structures ar... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the biologist's argument? | [
"The interactions of the proteins that govern the operation of the human brain are not determined by the information contained in the human genome.",
"The functions of the human brain are governed by processes that cannot be simulated by a computer.",
"The only way to create an artificial intelligence is to mod... | 0 | train_1581 |
As air-breathing mammals, whales must once have lived on land and needed hind limbs capable of supporting the mammals' weight. Whales have the bare remnants of a pelvis. If animals have a pelvis, we expect them to have hind limbs. A newly discovered fossilized whale skeleton has very fragile hind limbs that could not h... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following, if also true, would most strongly support the conclusion that the fragile hind limbs are remnants of limbs that land-dwelling whales once had? | [
"Scientists are uncertain whether the apparently nonfunctioning limbs of other early mammals derived from once-functioning limbs of their ancestors.",
"Some smaller sea-dwelling mammals, such as modern dolphins, have no visible indications of hind limbs.",
"No skeletons of ancient whales with intact hind limbs ... | 3 | train_1582 |
If a dietician gives a client only a few options for a weight-loss plan, the client is more likely to adhere to the dietician' s advice than if the dietician gives the client many options. | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the principle illustrated above? | [
"Most people are unlikely to follow their dietician's advice unless they can vividly imagine the consequences of not following the advice.",
"People dislike calculating the best of a variety of choices unless they can see a clear difference among the benefits that would result from each choice.",
"People are es... | 3 | train_1583 |
A mathematical theorem proved by one mathematician should not be accepted until each step in its proof has been independently verified. Computer-assisted proofs generally proceed by conducting a vast number of calculations -- surveying all the possible types of instances in which the theorem could apply and proving tha... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? | [
"Most attempts to construct proofs of mathematical theorems do not result in demonstrations that the theorems are true.",
"Computers cannot be used to assist in generating proofs of mathematical theorems that involve only a very limited number of steps.",
"The use of the computer to assist in the proof of mathe... | 3 | train_1584 |
A person with an antique to sell can entrust a certain online brokerage company to sell it online. Since the Internet company will only give the seller 75% of the antique' s fair market value regardless of what the antique sells for, a person trying to get the most money for his antique should try to sell the antique h... | The argument depends on the assumption that | [
"a person selling an antique on his own can typically sell it for more than 75% of its fair market value",
"at least 25% of the buyers in the antique market prefer to shop online for antiques",
"if the brokerage company gave the seller more than 75% of the antique's fair market value, it would go out of busines... | 0 | train_1585 |
Researchers put two electrodes in a pool that a dolphin swam in. When the dolphin swam near the electrodes, the researchers would sometimes create a weak electric field by activating the electrodes. The dolphin would swim away if the electrodes were activated; otherwise it acted normally. The researchers then placed a ... | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"In the wild, dolphins sometimes encounter strong electric fields.",
"Under normal circumstances, dolphins are unable to sense electric fields.",
"Vibrissal crypts enable dolphins to sense electric fields.",
"Electric fields interfere with the normal functioning of dolphins' vibrissal crypts."
] | 2 | train_1586 |
If the government institutes criminal justice reform, then the percentage of citizens in prison will decrease. If the government does not institute criminal justice reform during this legislative session, then the government will go bankrupt. All attempts at criminal justice reform require 60 Purple Party politicians t... | According to the passage above, what must follow? | [
"The percentage of citizens in prison will decrease during this legislative session.",
"The government will go bankrupt during this legislative session.",
"A bipartisan compromise will prevent the government from going bankrupt during this legislative session.",
"Criminal justice reform will be enacted when f... | 1 | train_1587 |
The frozen, well-preserved body of a man was recently discovered in a glacier as the glacier melted. Artifacts found on the body reveal that the man lived at least 4, 000 years ago. The nature of the glacier indicates that the man died on virtually the same spot where his body was discovered. If the body had not been s... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported if all of the statements above are true? | [
"The man whose body was discovered in the glacier did not freeze to death.",
"The artifacts found on the frozen body would not have been preserved if they had not also been frozen.",
"The glacier that melted to reveal the ancient is at least 4, 000 years old.",
"None of the artifacts found on the body were mo... | 2 | train_1588 |
The mainstream news media emphasize violence occurring in the Middle East at the expense of covering violence occurring in many other areas of the world. Although the media focus is on violence in the Middle East, the problem of violence is much greater in Central Africa. Yet the public tends to interpret the amount of... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following conclusions is most strongly supported by them? | [
"The emphasis given to violence in the Middle East is dictated by the public's interest in that region.",
"The Internet is more influential than print media in most areas of the world.",
"Where news media are the main source of information, public opinion regarding the severity of a problem is swayed by coverag... | 2 | train_1589 |
Since Professor Smythe has been head of the department, the most distinguished member of the faculty has resigned, fewer new courses have been developed, student enrollment has dropped, and the reputation of the department has gone down. These facts provide conclusive evidence that Professor Smythe was appointed to und... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"bases a general claim on a few exceptional instances",
"overlooks the fact that something can have the reputation for being of poor quality without being of poor quality",
"fails to distinguish between a decline in quantity and a decline in quality",
"assumes that because an action was followed by a change, ... | 3 | train_1590 |
Throughout a certain nation, electricity has actually become increasingly available to people in urban areas while energy production has been subsidized to help residents of rural areas gain access to electricity. However, even with the subsidy, many of the most isolated rural populations still have no access to electr... | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"fails to take into account that the subsidy could have helped many of the rural residents in the nation gain access to electricity even if many other rural residents in the nation were not helped in this way",
"presumes, without providing justification, that the intended purpose of the subsidy was to benefit not... | 0 | train_1591 |
Spring Mountain College recently sent out a survey to the graduating class of 2003 asking that the graduates provide their class rank. Surprisingly, the survey results revealed that most of the students ranked in the top third of the class. | The survey results would most likely be explained by which one of the following? | [
"All the graduates of 2003 responded to the survey.",
"Many of the respondents ranked in the lower half of the class.",
"A majority of the respondents ranked high in the graduating class.",
"All the graduates of 2003 had a positive experience while at Spring Mountain College."
] | 2 | train_1592 |
Most commentators on Baroque painting consider Caravaggio an early practitioner of that style, believing that his realism and novel use of the interplay of light and shadow broke sharply with current styles of Caravaggio' s time and significantly influenced seventeenth-century Baroque painting. One must ttherefore eith... | The conclusion of the argument can be properly drawn if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Opulence, heroic sweep, and extravagance are not present in Caravaggio's paintings.",
"A painter who makes use of the interplay of light and shadow need not for that reason be considered a nonrealistic painter.",
"A realistic painting usually does not depict the world as opulent, heroic, or extravagant.",
"R... | 0 | train_1593 |
Ming: Since trans fat is particularly unhealthy, it' s fortunate for the consumer that so many cookie manufacturers have completely eliminated it from their products. Carol: Why do you say that? Even without trans fat, desserts do not make for healthy eating. | Carol's response indicates that she interpreted Ming's remarks to mean that | [
"if a food is not healthy, then it is unhealthy",
"food that doesn't contain trans fat is healthy food",
"the more trans fat a cookie contains, the more unhealthy it is",
"consumers should purchase cookies only if they do not contain trans fat"
] | 1 | train_1594 |
A developing country can substantially increase its economic growth if its businesspeople are willing to invest in modern industries that have not yet been pursued there. But being the first to invest in an industry is very risky. Moreover, businesspeople have little incentive to take this risk since if the business su... | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following claims? | [
"A developing country can increase its prospects for economic growth by providing added incentive for investment in modern industries that have not yet been pursued there.",
"In developing countries, there is greater competition within modern industries than within traditional industries.",
"Investments in a mo... | 0 | train_1595 |
Franklin: It is inconsistent to pay sports celebrities ten times what Nobel laureates are paid. Both have rare talents and work hard. Tomeka: What you' ve neglected to consider is that unlike Nobel laureates, sports celebrities earn millions of dollars for their employers in the form of gate receipts and TV rights. | Franklin's and Tomeka's statements provide the most support for holding that they disagree about the truth of which one of the following? | [
"Sports celebrities and Nobel laureates work equally hard for their employers.",
"Nobel laureates should be paid more than sports celebrities.",
"Nobel laureates should be taken more seriously.",
"There is no rational basis for the salary difference between sports celebrities and Nobel laureates."
] | 3 | train_1596 |
Brick and Mortar Bookstore Owner: Bookstores are the backbone of our country. Democracies depend on a literate population, and reading fosters the creativity necessary to drive innovation. Brick and mortar bookstores introduce people to new books and entice people to expand their literary preferences. Without brick and... | What is the main point of dispute in the two arguments? | [
"Customers prefer paper books.",
"Digital bookstores depend on the existence of brick and mortar bookstores.",
"Digital books are cheaper than paper books.",
"Digital books will someday replace paper books altogether."
] | 1 | train_1597 |
Anatomical bilateral symmetry is a common trait. It follows, ttherefore, that it confers survival advantages on organisms. After all, if bilateral symmetry did not confer such advantages, it would not be common. | The pattern of reasoning in which one of the following arguments is most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"Since it is Sawyer who is negotiating for the city government, it must be true that the city takes the matter seriously. After all, if Sawyer had not been available, the city would have insisted that the negotiations be deferred.",
"Clearly, no candidate is better qualified for the job than Trumbull. In fact, ev... | 3 | train_1598 |
A well-known Native American story -- depicting Native American literature -- contains several inconsistencies. Some scholars argue that because the story contains inconsistencies, the original storyteller must have gotten information from more than one source. | The conclusion cited above does not follow unless | [
"storytellers generally try to reconcile discrepancies between sources",
"the original storyteller used no source of information that contained inconsistencies repeated in the original story",
"the storyteller attempted to tell an accurate story",
"the storyteller was aware of the kind of inconsistencies that... | 1 | train_1599 |
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