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Researchers wanted to know if secondhand tobacco smoke is a significant factor in contracting lung diseases. They conducted a study comparing the health of a group of nonsmoking spouses of smokers with that of a group of nonsmoking spouses of nonsmokers. It was discovered that the spouses of smokers were significantly ... | Which one of the following, if true, most calls into question the researchers' conclusion? | [
"Significantly more of the spouses of smokers were raised by smokers than were the spouses of nonsmokers.",
"The group of spouses of smokers was selected from a heavily industrialized urban area, while the group of spouses of nonsmokers was chosen from a rural area.",
"The members of the group of spouses of smo... | 1 | train_1600 |
Brochure: Help conserve our city' s water supply. By converting the landscaping in your yard to a water-conserving landscape, you can greatly reduce your outdoor water use. A water-conserving landscape is natural and attractive, and it also saves you money. Criticism: For most people with yards, the savings from conver... | Which of the following, if true, provides the best basis for a rebuttal of the criticism? | [
"A conventional landscape generally requires a much greater expenditure on fertilizer and herbicide than does a water-conserving landscape.",
"Even homeowners whose yards do not have water-conserving landscapes can conserve water by installing water-saving devices in their homes.",
"A significant proportion of ... | 0 | train_1601 |
Anders: The physical structure of the brain plays an important role in thinking. So researchers developing "thinking machines" -- computers that can make decisions based on both common sense and factual knowledge -- should closely model those machines on the structure of the brain. Yang: Important does not mean essenti... | The statement "thinking machines closely modeled on the brain are also likely to fail" serves which one of the following roles in Yang's argument? | [
"a particular example illustrating a general claim",
"the main conclusion of the argument",
"a subsidiary conclusion used in support of the main conclusion",
"a principle of research invoked in support of the conclusion"
] | 2 | train_1602 |
From 1900 until the 1930s, pellagra, a disease later discovered to result from a deficiency of the vitamin niacin, was common among poor cotton farmers in the United States whose diet consisted mostly of corn, the least costly food they could buy. Corn does not contain niacin in usable form. Curiously, during the Depre... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the decline in the incidence of pellagra? | [
"In parts of Mexico, where people subsisted on corn but pellagra was uncommon, corn was typically processed with alkaline substances, which make the niacin in the corn absorbable.",
"Until the discovery of pellagra's link with niacin, it was widely believed that the disease was an infection that could be transmit... | 3 | train_1603 |
Art critic: Criticism focuses on two issues: first, whether the value of an artwork is intrinsic to the work; and second, whether judgments about an artwork' s quality are objective rather than merely matters of taste. These issues are related, for if an artwork' s value is not intrinsic, then it must be extrinsic, and... | The art critic's reasoning is most vulnerable to the criticism that it takes for granted that | [
"judgments about the quality of an artwork are always a matter of taste",
"an artwork's value is sometimes intrinsic to it",
"judgments about intrinsic value are always objective",
"judgments about extrinsic value cannot be objective"
] | 3 | train_1604 |
Terry: Some actions considered to be bad by our society have favorable consequences. But an action is good only if it has favorable consequences. So, some actions considered to be bad by our society are actually good. Pat: I agree with your conclusion, but not with the reasons you give for it. Some good actions actuall... | Which one of the following correctly describes both an error in Terry's reasoning and an error in Pat's reasoning? | [
"presupposing that if a certain property is shared by two types of action, then that property is the only property distinguishing the two types of action from actions of other types",
"presupposing that if a certain property is shared by actions of a certain type in a given society, then that property is shared b... | 2 | train_1605 |
Columnist: Much of North America and western Europe is more heavily forested and has less acid rain and better air quality now than five decades ago. Though this may be due largely to policies advocated by environmentalists, it nonetheless lends credibility to the claims of people who reject predictions of imminent eco... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the columnist's reasoning? | [
"The more advanced the technology used in a nation's industries, the greater is that nation's ability to devote a portion of its resources to social programs.",
"The concern demonstrated by a nation for the health and integrity of its natural ecosystems leads to an increase in that nation's wealth.",
"Nations s... | 2 | train_1606 |
Something must be done to ease traffic congestion. In traditional small towns, people used to work and shop in the same town in which they lived; but now that stores and workplaces are located far away from residential areas, people cannot avoid traveling long distances each day. Traffic congestion is so heavy on all r... | Which one of the following proposals is most supported by the statements above? | [
"Residents of the remaining traditional small towns should be encouraged to move to the suburbs.",
"People who now travel on major highways should be encouraged to travel on secondary roads instead.",
"The maximum speed limit on major highways should be increased.",
"New businesses should be encouraged to loc... | 3 | train_1607 |
A number of measures indicate the viability of a nation' s economy. The level and rate of growth of aggregate output are the most significant indicators, but unemployment and inflation rates are also important. Further, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Ireland, Denmark, and Finland all have viable economics, but none has ... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"A nation's population is the most significant contributor to the level and rate of growth of aggregate output.",
"A nation's population affects the level and rate of growth of aggregate output more than it affects unemployment and inflation rates.",
"Having a population larger than seven million ensures that a... | 3 | train_1608 |
Communism is the greatest source of evil on the planet. In the twentieth century, communism was the leading cause of death, killing more than 90 million people in the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Eastern Europe. The death toll even surpasses the number of people who died during either World War. T... | The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following? | [
"Communism caused both World Wars.",
"Some people cannot be trusted to decide what system their government should adopt.",
"Communism failed in the twentieth century only because countries failed to follow it properly.",
"Every country should adopt capitalism."
] | 1 | train_1609 |
Professor: The best users of a language are its great authors. However, these authors often use language in ways that are innovative and idiosyncratic, and are ttherefore less respectful of the strictures of proper usage than most of us are. | The Professor's statements, if true, most support which one of the following? | [
"People who want to become great writers should not imitate great authors' use of language.",
"Those most talented at using a language are not as likely as most other people to observe proper language usage.",
"People who use an innovative or idiosyncratic writing style often incur criticism of their language u... | 1 | train_1610 |
A certain airport security scanner designed to detect explosives in luggage will alert the scanner' s operator whenever the piece of luggage passing under the scanner contains an explosive. The scanner will erroneously alert the operator for only one percent of the pieces of luggage that contain no explosives. Thus in ... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"fails to acknowledge the possibility that the scanner will not be equally sensitive to all kinds of explosives",
"ignores the possibility of human error on the part of the scanner's operator once the scanner has alerted him or her",
"draws a general conclusion about reliability on the basis of a sample that is... | 3 | train_1611 |
The number of applications for admission reported by North American Ph. D. programs in art history has declined in each of the last four years. We can conclude from this that interest among recent North American college and university graduates in choosing art history as a career has declined in the last four years. | Each of the following, if true, weakens the argument EXCEPT: | [
"The average age of applicants for admission to North American Ph. D. programs in art history has increased in each of the last four years.",
"The percentage of applications for admission received from outside North America by North American Ph. D. programs in art history has declined substantially in the last fo... | 0 | train_1612 |
Professor Donnelly' s exams are always more difficult than Professor Curtis' s exams. The question about dinosaurs was on Professor Donnelly' s last exam. Ttherefore, the question must be difficult. | Which one of the following exhibits both of the logical flaws exhibited in the argument above? | [
"Mathematics is more difficult than history. Ttherefore, my calculus test will be more difficult than my history test.",
"Shield's first novel has a more complicated plot than any other that she has written. Hence, that plot must be very complex.",
"Porter's new book of poetry is better than any of her other bo... | 2 | train_1613 |
Among people who live to the age of 100 or more, a large proportion have led "unhealthy" lives: smoking, consuming alcohol, eating fatty foods, and getting little exercise. Since such behavior often leads to shortened life spans, it is likely that exceptionally long-lived people are genetically disposed to having long ... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Nearly all people who live to 100 or more have siblings who are also long-lived.",
"Some of the exceptionally long-lived people who exercise regularly and avoid fatty foods do smoke or consume alcohol.",
"Some people who do not live to the age of 100 also lead unhealthy lives.",
"Some of the exceptionally lo... | 0 | train_1614 |
Student: If a person has an immunity to infection by a microorganism, then that microorganism does not cause them to develop harmful symptoms. Since many people are exposed to staphylococcus without developing any harmful symptoms, it follows that they have an immunity to infection by this microorganism. | The student's argument is most similar in its flawed pattern of reasoning to which one of the following? | [
"Isabel said that she would take the medication. Obviously, though, she did not do so, because medication either cures disease or alleviates its symptoms, and Isabel is still quite ill.",
"Everything morally right is just, but some actions that best serve the interests of everyone are not just. Thus, some morally... | 3 | train_1615 |
Columnist: George Orwell' s book 1984 has exercised much influence on a great number of this newspaper' s readers. One thousand readers were surveyed and asked to name the one book that had the most influence on their lives. The book chosen most often was the Bible; 1984 was second. | The answer to which one of the following questions would most help in evaluating the columnist's argument? | [
"How many books had each person surveyed read?",
"How many people chose books other than 1984?",
"How many people read the columnist's newspaper?",
"How many of those surveyed had actually read the books they chose?"
] | 1 | train_1616 |
Magazine Publisher: Our magazine does not have a liberal bias. It is true that when a book review we had commissioned last year turned out to express distinctly conservative views, we did not publish it until we had also obtained a second review that took a strongly liberal position. Clearly, however, our actions demon... | Determining which of the following would be most useful in evaluating the cogency of the magazine publisher's response? | [
"Whether in the event that a first review commissioned by the magazine takes a clearly liberal position the magazine would make any efforts to obtain further reviews",
"Whether the book that was the subject of the two reviews was itself written from a clearly conservative or a clearly liberal point of view",
"W... | 0 | train_1617 |
Critic: Emily Dickinson' s poetry demonstrates that meaning cannot reside entirely within a poem itself, but is always the unique result of an interaction between a reader' s system of beliefs and the poem; and, of course, any two readers from different cultures or eras have radically different systems of beliefs. | If the critic's statements are true, each of the following could be true EXCEPT: | [
"A reader's interpretation of a poem by Dickinson is affected by someone else's interpretation of it.",
"A reader's enjoyment of a poem is enhanced by knowing the poet's interpretation of it.",
"A modern reader and a nineteenth-century reader interpret one of Shakespeare's sonnets in the same way.",
"A reader... | 2 | train_1618 |
Ostrich farming requires far less acreage than cattle ranching requires, and ostriches reproduce much faster than cattle. Starting out in cattle ranching requires a large herd of cows, one bull, and at least two acres per cow. By contrast, two pairs of yearling ostriches and one acre of similar land are enough to begin... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"Ostrich farmers typically lose money during their first year.",
"Two pairs of yearling ostriches are more expensive than a herd of cows and a bull.",
"A cow consumes no more feed than an ostrich does.",
"Cattle ranching is not a good source of income."
] | 1 | train_1619 |
Journalist: There is no downside to journalists using anonymous sources. National newspapers require journalists to use multiple sources to corroborate anonymous tips, and corroboration removes any possibility of abuse. Any failure to corroborate sources would risk national security through the publication of misleadin... | The strength of the argument depends upon which one of the following? | [
"Journalists should only use anonymous sources.",
"All journalists work for national newspapers.",
"Journalists should only use anonymous sources under extraordinary circumstances.",
"The government has never infringed on the freedom of press."
] | 1 | train_1620 |
The ancient Nubians inhabited an area in which typhus occurs, yet surprisingly few of their skeletons show the usual evidence of this disease. The skeletons do show deposits of tetracycline, an antibiotic produced by a bacterium common in Nubian soil. This bacterium can flourish on the dried grain used for making two s... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? | [
"Typhus is generally fatal",
"Typhus cannot be transmitted by ingesting bread or beer contaminated with the infectious agents of this disease",
"Infectious diseases other than typhus to which the ancient Nubians were exposed are unaffected by tetracycline",
"Tetracycline is not rendered ineffective as an anti... | 3 | train_1621 |
Scientists removed all viruses from a seawater sample and then measured the growth rate of the plankton population in the water. They expected the rate to increase dramatically, but the population actually got smaller. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the unexpected result described above? | [
"Viruses in seawater help to keep the plankton population below the maximum level that the resources in the water will support.",
"Plankton and viruses in seawater compete for some of the same nutrients.",
"Plankton utilize the nutrients released by the death of organisms killed by viruses.",
"The absence of ... | 2 | train_1622 |
For over two centuries, no one had been able to make Damascus blades-blades with a distinctive serpentine surface pattern-but a contemporary sword maker may just have rediscovered how. Using iron with trace impurities that precisely matched those present in the iron used in historic Damascus blades, this contemporary s... | Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest support for the hypothesis that trace impurities in the iron are essential for the production of Damascus blades? | [
"The iron with which the contemporary sword maker made Damascus blades came from a source of iron that was unknown two centuries ago.",
"Although Damascus blades were renowned for maintaining a sharp edge, the blade made by the contemporary sword maker suggests that they may have maintained their edge less well t... | 2 | train_1623 |
The more television children watch, the less competent they are in mathematical knowledge. More than a third of children in the United States watch television for more than five hours a day; in South Korea the figure is only 7 percent. But whereas less than 15 percent of children in the United States understand advance... | Which one of the following is an assumption upon which the argument depends? | [
"A child's ability in advanced measurement and geometry increases if he or she watches less than one hour of television a day.",
"South Korean children are more disciplined about doing schoolwork than are children in the United States.",
"Children in the United States are less interested in advanced measurement... | 3 | train_1624 |
A study at a company found that most meetings showed diminishing returns after 30 minutes, and little could be expected after 60 minutes. Moreover, the most productive meetings were those for which a clear time frame was established. For a meeting at the company to achieve maximum productivity, then, it needs to have a... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the argument? | [
"Most meetings at the company show diminishing returns after 30 minutes, according to a study.",
"In general, a meeting at the company that is no more than 30 minutes long and has a clear time frame will achieve maximum productivity.",
"A meeting at the company will be maximally productive only if it has a clea... | 2 | train_1625 |
The spacing of the four holes on a fragment of a bone flute excavated at a Neanderthal campsite is just what is required to play the third through sixth notes of the diatonic scale--the seven-note musical scale used in much of Western music since the Renaissance. Musicologists ttherefore hypothesize that the diatonic m... | Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the hypothesis? | [
"The cave-bear leg bone used to make the Neanderthal flute would have been long enough to make a flute capable of playing a complete diatonic scale.",
"No musical instrument that is known to have used a diatonic scale is of an earlier date than the flute found at the Neanderthal campsite.",
"Flutes are the simp... | 0 | train_1626 |
Economist: As should be obvious, raising the minimum wage significantly would make it more expensive for businesses to pay workers for minimum-wage jobs. Ttherefore, businesses could not afford to continue to employ as many workers for such jobs. So raising the minimum wage significantly will cause an increase in unemp... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the economist's argument? | [
"A modest increase in unemployment is acceptable because the current minimum wage is not a livable wage.",
"The unemployment rate has been declining steadily in recent years.",
"Most workers are earning more than the current minimum wage.",
"Businesses typically pass the cost of increased wages on to consumer... | 3 | train_1627 |
Letter to the editor: Allowing everyone to voice personal views can have the effect of inhibiting some from voicing their concerns. Thus, allowing unrestricted free speech really inhibits free speech. | Which one of the following, if true, does most to justify the apparently contradictory conclusion above? | [
"When free speech is unrestricted, people offended by the views of others are likely to voice their disagreement, leading toward a resolution of conflict.",
"Since unrestricted free speech can be offensive, free speech should be restricted when the pain that it causes is great.",
"Claiming that unrestricted fre... | 3 | train_1628 |
Every fall Croton' s jays migrate south. The jays always join flocks of migrating crookbeaks with which they share the same summer and winter territories. If a jay becomes separated from the crookbeaks it is accompanying, it wanders until it comes across another flock of crookbeaks. Clearly, ttherefore, Croton' s jays ... | Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Croton's jays lay their eggs in the nests of crookbeaks which breed upon completing their southern migration",
"Species other than Croton's jays occasionally accompany flocks of migrating crookbeaks",
"The three species most closely related to crookbeaks do not migrate at all",
"In the spring, Croton's jays ... | 3 | train_1629 |
In 1712 the government of Country Y appointed a censor to prohibit the publication of any book critical of Country Y' s government; all new books legally published in the country after 1712 were approved by a censor. Under the first censor, one half of the book manuscripts submitted to the censor were not approved for ... | It the statements in the passage are true, which one of the following can be properly concluded from them? | [
"The first censor and the second censor prohibited the publication of the same number of book manuscripts.",
"More books critical of Country Y's government were published before the appointment of the first censor than after it.",
"The second censor allowed some book manuscripts to be published that the first c... | 3 | train_1630 |
Building a space station, in which astronauts would live for a considerable time, is essential even if the space station project were to contribute no new knowledge about space or Earth that could not otherwise be obtained. For future missions to explore Mars, we will need the medical knowledge that the space station p... | The argument makes the assumption that | [
"the capacities of astronauts are typical of those of ordinary human beings",
"the exploration of Mars will be carried out by people traveling in spacecraft and not by robots alone",
"living in a spaceship for an extended time presents insurmountable medical problems",
"a mission to Mars will be the first of ... | 1 | train_1631 |
In order to reduce traffic congestion and raise revenue for the city, the mayor plans to implement a charge of $10 per day for driving in the downtown area. Payment of this charge will be enforced using a highly sophisticated system that employs digital cameras and computerized automobile registration. This system will... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends for its conclusion to be properly drawn? | [
"The mayor's plan to charge for driving downtown will be implemented before the end of next year.",
"A daily charge for driving downtown is the most effective way to reduce traffic congestion.",
"The plan to charge for driving downtown should be implemented as soon as payment of the charge can be effectively en... | 0 | train_1632 |
Macrophages are cells that play a role in the response of the immune system of mice and other mammals to invasive organisms such as bacteria. Unlike other mice, mice that are genetically incapable of making these particular cells do not show elevated levels of nitrates when infected with bacteria. | The statements above, if true, provide the most support for which of the following conclusions? | [
"Injections of nitrates into mice that lack macrophages will not enhance the ability of these animals' immune systems to fight off infection.",
"In mice, macrophages play a role in the production of nitrates or inhibit a process by which nitrates are broken down or otherwise eliminated.",
"When a healthy mouse ... | 1 | train_1633 |
Unless the building permit is obtained by February 1 of this year or some of the other activities necessary for construction of the new library can be completed in less time than originally planned, the new library will not be completed on schedule. It is now clear that the building permit cannot be obtained by Februar... | The conclusion drawn follows logically from the premises if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"The officials in charge of construction of the new library have admitted that it probably will not be completed on schedule.",
"It is not possible to convince authorities to allow construction of the library to begin before the building permit is obtained.",
"The application for a building permit was rejected ... | 3 | train_1634 |
Ambiguity inspires interpretation. The saying, "We are the measure of all things, " for instance, has been interpreted by some people to imply that humans are centrally important in the universe, while others have interpreted it to mean simply that, since all knowledge is human knowledge, humans must rely on themselves... | The claim that ambiguity inspires interpretation figures in the argument in which one of the following ways? | [
"It sets out a difficulty the argument is intended to solve.",
"It is a view that other statements in the argument are intended to support.",
"It is an illustration of the claim that we are the measure of all things.",
"It is compatible with either accepting or rejecting the argument's conclusion."
] | 1 | train_1635 |
Senator: Jones is highly qualified for appointment as a judge, as evidenced by Jones' s receiving a unanimous vote of "qualified" on the formal rating scale used by the Lawyers' Committee. That committee advises the Senate on judicial appointments. | Which of the following, if true, is the best reason for dismissing the senator's claim that Jones is highly qualified? | [
"The Lawyers' Committee gives a unanimous vote of \"qualified\" only to those candidates for judicial appointments who meet the committee's stringent standards for appropriate prior experience and ethical conduct.",
"Jones, like most lawyers, is a member of the professional organization that originally suggested ... | 3 | train_1636 |
Farmers who use genetically engineered plants on a large scale are at great financial risk because at any time a study could be published that would undermine what little confidence consumers have in genetically engineered foods. It is unwise for farmers to grow such crops. They do not fetch a high enough price to comp... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the argument as a whole? | [
"A study could come out at any time that would greatly undermine public confidence in genetically engineered foods.",
"A farmer who grows genetically engineered crops on a large scale is taking a financial risk.",
"It is not prudent for a farmer to grow genetically engineered crops.",
"The price paid for gene... | 2 | train_1637 |
Dr. Jones: The new technology dubbed "telemedicine" will provide sustained improvement in at least rural patient care since it allows rural physicians to televise medical examinations to specialists who live at great distances -- specialists who will thus be able to provide advice the rural patient would otherwise not ... | Dr. Carabella uses which one of the following strategies in responding to Dr. Jones? | [
"citing evidence that Dr. Jones lacks the professional training to judge the case at issue",
"listing a set of considerations to show that a prescribed treatment that seems to be benefiting a patient in fact harms that patient",
"describing the application of the technology discussed by Dr. Jones as one step th... | 2 | train_1638 |
Pure science -- research with no immediate commercial or technological application -- is a public good. Such research requires a great amount of financial support and does not yield profits in the short term. Since private corporations will not undertake to support activities that do not yield short-term profits, a soc... | The claim about private corporations serves which one of the following functions in the argument? | [
"It distracts attention from the point at issue by introducing a different but related goal.",
"It expresses the conclusion of the argument.",
"It explains what is meant by the expression \"pure research\" in the context of the argument.",
"It supports the conclusion by ruling out an alternative way of achiev... | 3 | train_1639 |
Psychologist: Substance abuse, in a sense, is both genetic and learned. Some families may have a predisposition to depression or anxiety, which is known to increase an individual' s use of substances. Children who have parents who abused substances are four times more likely than the average person to abuse substances.... | Which of the following is most strongly supported by the statements above? | [
"The proof for the genetic factor in substance abuse lies in the fact that children with parents who abused substances are four times more likely to use substances themselves.",
"The proof for the environmental factor in substance abuse lies in the fact that children with parents who abused substances are four ti... | 2 | train_1640 |
Accountant: Shareholder profits are down 30 percent because of a lack of interest in our services. If our stock continues to decline, the corporation might have to consider merging with a larger organization. We must increase interest in our services. Accordingly, we must revamp our marketing department and hire new ad... | The shareholder's suggestion that the corporation could consider changing its services to better meet the needs of the corporation's twenty-first-century clients plays which one of the following roles in the argument? | [
"It presents supporting arguments that strengthen the accountant's proposal.",
"It is a claim that must be corroborated if the accountant's conclusion is to be established.",
"It highlights a potential flaw in the accountant's argument.",
"It is used to illustrate the general principle that the accountant's a... | 2 | train_1641 |
Scientist: A number of errors can plague a data-collection process. Since examining the collected data enables researchers to detect many of these errors, it is standard practice for researchers to correct collected data. However, in my field, there is a striking tendency for such corrections to favor Jones' s theory; ... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the tendency of corrections in the scientist's field to favor Jones 's theory? | [
"Even if researchers fail to detect errors in a data-collection process when they examine the data that they collected, that does not guarantee that no such errors exist.",
"Researchers in the scientist's field have formulated several other theories that attempt to explain the same range of phenomena that Jones's... | 3 | train_1642 |
When machines are invented and technologies are developed, they alter the range of choices open to us. The clock, for example, made possible the synchronization of human affairs, which resulted in an increase in productivity. At the same time that the clock opened up some avenues, it closed others. It has become harder... | Which one of the following propositions is best illustrated by the example presented in the passage? | [
"Most new machines and technologies make our lives more synchronized and productive.",
"People should make a concerted effort to free themselves from the clock.",
"New machines and technologies can enslave as well as liberate us.",
"Some new machines and technologies bring no improvement to our lives."
] | 2 | train_1643 |
In a recent study, researchers collected current prices for the 300 most common pharmaceutical drugs from the leading wholesalers specializing in bulk sales. It was found that these prices average 60 to 80 percent below the suggested wholesale prices listed for the same drugs in the current annual edition of a widely u... | Each of the following, if true, would help to explain the situation described above EXCEPT: | [
"Suggested wholesale prices for the most common pharmaceutical drugs tend to be less than those for less common pharmaceutical drugs.",
"Wholesale prices for pharmaceutical drugs often fluctuate dramatically from one month to the next.",
"The prices suggested by the independently published pharmaceutical price ... | 0 | train_1644 |
Everyone sitting in the waiting room of the school' s athletic office this morning at nine o' clock had just registered for a beginners tennis clinic. John, Mary, and Teresa were all sitting in the waiting room this morning at nine o' clock. No accomplished tennis player would register for a beginners tennis clinic. | It the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true on the basis of them? | [
"John, Mary, and Teresa were the only people who registered for a beginners tennis clinic this morning.",
"John, Mary, and Teresa were the only people sitting in the waiting room of the school's athletic office this morning at nine o'clock.",
"Neither John nor Teresa is an accomplished tennis player.",
"None ... | 2 | train_1645 |
Coach: Our team has often been criticized for our enthusiasm in response to both our successes and our opponents' failures. But this behavior is hardly unprofessional, as our critics have claimed. On the contrary, if one looks at the professionals in this sport, one will find that they are even more effusive. Our criti... | The coach's argument is most vulnerable to the charge that it | [
"misleadingly equates enthusiasm with unethical play",
"misinterprets the critics' claim that the team is unprofessional",
"shifts the blame for the team's behavior to professional players",
"too quickly generalizes from the sport at one level to the sport at a different level"
] | 1 | train_1646 |
When researchers discovered that cuttlefish have the ability to make themselves suddenly appear larger, they presumed that this behavior, called a "startle display, " was used to scare off predators. A long-term study, however, reveals that cuttlefish never use startle displays to scare off predators but instead only u... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why cuttlefish use startle displays? | [
"Cuttlefish have acute senses and are able to change colors.",
"Groups of small fish are likely to attract a cuttlefish's predators .",
"Unlike insects that use startle displays, cuttlefish are usually able to move faster than their predators .",
"Small fish are more easily scared off by a startle display tha... | 1 | train_1647 |
Most plants have developed chemical defenses against parasites. The average plant contains about 40 natural pesticides -- chemical compounds toxic to bacteria, fungi, and other parasites. Humans ingest these natural pesticides without harm every day. Ttherefore, the additional threat posed by synthetic pesticides spray... | Each of the following, if true, weakens the argument EXCEPT: | [
"The synthetic pesticides sprayed on crop plants by humans usually have chemical structures similar to those of the natural pesticides produced by the plants.",
"Natural plant pesticides generally serve only as defenses against specific parasites, whereas synthetic pesticides are often harmful to a wide variety o... | 0 | train_1648 |
University president: Our pool of applicants has been shrinking over the past few years. One possible explanation of this unwelcome phenomenon is that we charge too little for tuition and fees. Prospective students and their parents conclude that the quality of education they would receive at this institution is not as... | The university president's argument requires the assumption that | [
"the proposed explanation for the decline in applications applies in this case",
"there is no additional explanation for the university's shrinking applicant pool",
"the quality of a university education is dependent on the amount of tuition charged by the university",
"the amount charged by the university fo... | 0 | train_1649 |
Legal activist: The opportunities for presenting flawed science in the courtroom are numerous, and, over time, such flawed testimony in trials can influence procedural requirements for entire professions. For example, so-called expert witnesses in medical malpractice suits have testified that the use of electronic feta... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion drawn in the legal activist's argument? | [
"Unreliable scientific testimony given in trials can have marked effects on the procedures used by the experts in certain fields.",
"Scientists who are engaged in good science should not allow so-called experts to give deceptive courtroom testimony.",
"The scientific testimony at many trials is not as reliable ... | 0 | train_1650 |
All poets, aside from those who write only epigrams, have wit. All lyrical composers are poets. Azriel does not write epigrams, though he is a lyrical composer. So Azriel has wit. | The pattern of reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"All visas are assigned by this office, except for those that are issued through diplomatic channels. All visit permits are visas. Thus, the visit permit in Will's passport was assigned through diplomatic channels.",
"All squeeze toys, except those designed for cats, are safe for infants. All squeeze toys are sol... | 2 | train_1651 |
Critic: Most chorale preludes were written for the organ, and most great chorale preludes written for the organ were written by J. S. Bach. One of Bach' s chorale preludes dramatizes one hymn' s perspective on the year' s end. This prelude is agonizing and fixed on the passing of the old year, with its dashed hopes and... | If the critic's statements are true, then on the basis of them which one of the following CANNOT be true? | [
"In composing music about a particular subject, Bach did not write the music in order to express his own attitude toward the subject.",
"Most of Bach's chorale preludes were written for instruments other than the organ.",
"Bach believed that the close of the year was not a time for optimism and joyous celebrati... | 3 | train_1652 |
Historian: One traditional childrearing practice in the nineteenth century was to make a child who misbehaved sit alone outside. Anyone passing by would conclude that the child had misbehaved. Nowadays, many child psychologists would disapprove of this practice because they believe that such practices damage the child'... | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the historian's statements? | [
"With the traditional childrearing practice, passersby did not always make correct inferences about children's behavior by observing them outdoors.",
"The beliefs of many present-day child psychologists about the consequences of loss of self-esteem are incorrect.",
"The most confident adults are those who devel... | 3 | train_1653 |
Kernland' s government restricts the export of unprocessed cashew nuts in order to ensure a low-cost supply for domestic processing plants. Though the policy constrains farm income and limits the number of farmers who can profitably grow cashews, the government defends it on the grounds that, since the processing plant... | Which of the following, if true, most logically completes the reasoning in the passage? | [
"some of the by-products of cashew processing are used as raw materials by other industries located in Kernland's cities",
"a lack of profitable crops is driving many small cashew farmers in Kernland off their land and into the cities",
"the government does not place similar restrictions on the export of any cr... | 1 | train_1654 |
Sociologist: Television, telephones, and other electronic media encourage imprecise, uncritical thinking. Yet critical thinking is the only adequate protection against political demagogues, who seek to exploit people by presenting emotionally loaded language as an objective description of reality. | If the sociologist's statements are true, then each of the following statements could be true EXCEPT: | [
"The mere presence of an orderly system of government in a society provides adequate protection against political demagogues.",
"There are no political demagogues in some highly technological societies.",
"Political demagogues are not the only ones who seek to exploit people by presenting emotionally loaded lan... | 0 | train_1655 |
Aisha: Vadim is going to be laid off. Vadim' s work as a programmer has been exemplary since joining the firm. But management has already made the decision to lay off a programmer. And this firm strictly follows a policy of laying off the most recently hired programmer in such cases. | Aisha's conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Vadim is the most recently hired programmer at the firm.",
"Every other programmer at the firm has done better work than Vadim.",
"When Vadim was hired, the policy of laying off the most recently hired programmer was clearly explained.",
"The firm values experience in its programmers more highly than any oth... | 0 | train_1656 |
Rainfall in the drought-plagued metropolitan area was heavier than usual for the month of June. Nevertheless, by the first of July the city' s water shortage was more severe than ever, and officials proposed drastic restrictions on the use of water. | Which one of the following, if true, helps to explain why the city's water shortage was not alleviated by the first of July? | [
"Moderate restrictions on the industrial use of water had gone into effect in the metropolitan area several months earlier.",
"People in the metropolitan area who had voluntarily reduced their use of water in earlier months when officials voiced alarm used greater than normal amounts of water when rainfall seemed... | 1 | train_1657 |
Herbalist: While standard antibiotics typically have just one active ingredient, herbal antibacterial remedies typically contain several. Thus, such herbal remedies are more likely to retain their effectiveness against new, resistant strains of bacteria than are standard antibiotics. For a strain of bacteria, the diffi... | In the analogy drawn in the argument above, which one of the following corresponds to a standard antibiotic? | [
"several dozen guests",
"a cook",
"a single guest",
"the ingredients available to a cook"
] | 2 | train_1658 |
Four randomly chosen market research companies each produced population estimates for three middle-sized cities; the estimates of each company were then compared with those of the other companies. Two of the cities had relatively stable populations, and for them estimates of current population and of projected populati... | The passage provides the most support for which one of the following? | [
"It is more difficult to estimate the population of middle-sized cities than of smaller cities.",
"The market research companies are likely to be equally reliable in estimating the population of stable cities.",
"Estimates of a city's future population are likely to be more accurate than are estimates of that c... | 1 | train_1659 |
Many bird and reptile species use hissing as a threat device against potential predators. The way these species produce hissing sounds is similar enough that it is likely that this behavior developed in an early common ancestor. At the time this common ancestor would have lived, however, none of its potential predators... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above? | [
"The production of a hissing sound would have increased the apparent body size of the common ancestor of bird and reptile species.",
"Like its potential predators, the common ancestor of bird and reptile species would have lacked the anatomy necessary to hear hissing sounds.",
"The common ancestor of bird and r... | 0 | train_1660 |
Dairy farmer: On our farm, we have great concern for our cows' environmental conditions. We have recently made improvements that increase their comfort, such as providing them with special sleeping mattresses. These changes are intended to increase blood flow to the udder. This increased blood flow would boost milk out... | Of the following propositions, which one is best illustrated by the dairy farmer's statements? | [
"Farming practices introduced for the sake of maximizing profits can improve the living conditions of farm animals.",
"More than other farm animals, dairy cows respond favorably to improvements in their living environments.",
"Dairy cows cannot have comfortable living conditions unless farmers have some knowled... | 0 | train_1661 |
Prime minister: Our nation' s government should give priority to satisfying the needs of our nation' s people over satisfying the needs of people of any other nation. This is despite the fact that the people of other nations are equal in worth to the people of our nation, which means that it is objectively no more impo... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to reconcile the apparent conflict among the prime minister's claims? | [
"When the people of two nations are equally worthy, the needs of the people of each of those nations should be satisfied primarily by the people's own governments.",
"The priority a nation's government should place on satisfying the needs of a group of people depends mainly on how objectively important it is for ... | 0 | train_1662 |
On May first, in order to reduce the number of overdue books, a children' s library instituted a policy of forgiving fines and giving bookmarks to children returning all of their overdue books. On July first there were twice as many overdue books as there had been on May first, although a record number of books had bee... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the apparent inconsistency in the results of the library's policy? | [
"The children were allowed to borrow a maximum of five books for a two-week period, and hence each child could keep a maximum of fifteen books beyond their due date within a two-month period.",
"Although the library forgave overdue fines during the grace period, the amount previously charged the children was mini... | 3 | train_1663 |
Human beings can exhibit complex, goal-oriented behavior without conscious awareness of what they are doing. Thus, merely establishing that nonhuman animals are intelligent will not establish that they have consciousness. | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Some intelligent human behavior is neither complex nor goal-oriented.",
"All forms of conscious behavior involve the exercise of intelligence.",
"Complex, goal-oriented behavior requires intelligence.",
"The possession of intelligence entails the possession of consciousness."
] | 2 | train_1664 |
Caffeine can kill or inhibit the growth of the larvae of several species of insects. One recent experiment showed that tobacco hornworm larvae die when they ingest a preparation that consists, in part, of finely powdered tea leaves, which contain caffeine. This result is evidence for the hypothesis that the presence of... | The argument assumes that | [
"caffeine-producing plants grow wherever insect larvae pose a major threat to indigenous plants or once posed a major threat to the ancestors of those plants",
"the tobacco plant is among the plant species that produce caffeine for their own defense",
"caffeine-producing plants or their ancestors have at some t... | 2 | train_1665 |
Voter: Our prime minister is evidently seeking a job at an international organization. Anyone seeking a job at an international organization would surely spend a lot of time traveling abroad, and our prime minister has spent more days abroad than at home so far this year. | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its flawed reasoning to the voter's argument? | [
"Kao must be a golfer. Kao is planning to run for office, and most people who run for office play golf.",
"Thompson must be negotiating a personal loan. Thompson was at the bank yesterday, and people who are negotiating a personal loan go to the bank to meet with a loan agent.",
"McKinsey must have committed a ... | 1 | train_1666 |
In a highly publicized kidnapping case in Ontario, the judge barred all media and spectators from the courtroom. Her decision was based on the judgment that the public interest would not be served by allowing spectators. A local citizen argued, "They pleaded with the public to help find the victim; they pleaded with th... | The reasoning in the local citizen's argument is flawed because this argument | [
"attempts to support its conclusion by making sensationalistic appeals",
"generalizes from an atypical case",
"presumes that the public's right to know is obviously more important than the defendant's right to a fair trial",
"trades on an ambiguity with respect to the term \"public interest\""
] | 3 | train_1667 |
Music critic: Some people argue that, unlike certain works of Handel, which set to music familiar religious texts, the organ symphonies of Louis Vieme are not religious music. Quite the contrary. Sitting in Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and hearing his organ symphonies demonstrates that Vierne' s works are divinely ins... | The music critic's reasoning is vulnerable to criticism on the ground that it | [
"takes for granted that all organ symphonies are religious music",
"confuses two different meanings of the term \"religious\"",
"confuses two different meanings of the term \"symphonies\"",
"overlooks the possibility that some organ music is not divinely inspired"
] | 1 | train_1668 |
Which of the following, if true, provides the most logical completion of the passage below? Cars fueled by methanol have a much lower level of emissions of pollutants such as carbon monoxide and environmentally harmful hydrocarbons than gasoline-fueled cars do. Methanol fuel does produce somewhat higher formaldehyde em... | Nevertheless, a methanol-powered car actually produces less atmospheric formaldehyde pollution than a comparable gasoline-powered car, because . | [
"compared to carbon monoxide and some hydrocarbons produced by gasoline-powered cars, formaldehyde pollution is not a serious threat to the environment",
"measuring a car's emissions is generally an accurate method of assessing that car's contribution to atmospheric pollution",
"most formaldehyde pollution gene... | 2 | train_1669 |
Insectivorous plants, which unlike other plants have the ability to trap and digest insects, can thrive in soils that are too poor in minerals to support noninsectivorous plants. Yet the mineral requirements of insectivorous plants are not noticeably different from the mineral requirements of noninsectivorous plants. | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following hypotheses? | [
"Insectivorous plants can get some of the minerals they require from the insects they trap and digest.",
"Insectivorous plants thrive only in soils that are too poor in minerals to support noninsectivorous plants.",
"The insects that insectivorous plants trap and digest are especially abundant where the soil is... | 0 | train_1670 |
In a study of patients who enrolled at a sleep clinic because of insomnia, those who inhaled the scent of peppermint before going to bed were more likely to have difficulty falling asleep than were patients who inhaled the scent of bitter orange. Since it is known that inhaling bitter orange does not help people fall a... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above? | [
"Some of the patients who enrolled in the sleep clinic also had difficulty staying asleep once they fell asleep.",
"Several studies have revealed that in many cases inhaling certain pleasant scents can dramatically affect the degree to which a patient suffers from insomnia.",
"Because the scents of peppermint a... | 3 | train_1671 |
Last year a large firm set a goal of decreasing its workforce by 25 percent. Three divisions, totaling 25 percent of its workforce at that time, were to be eliminated and no new people hired. These divisions have since been eliminated and no new people have joined the firm, but its workforce has decreased by only 15 pe... | Which one of the following, if true, contributes most to an explanation of the difference in the planned versus the actual reduction in the workforce? | [
"Some of the employees in the eliminated divisions were eligible for early retirement and chose that option.",
"The three divisions that were eliminated were well run and had the potential to earn profits.",
"Normal attrition in the retained divisions continued to reduce staff because no new people were added t... | 3 | train_1672 |
Advertisement: When your car's engine is running at its normal operating temperature, any major brand of motor oil will protect it about as well as Tuff does. When the engine is cold, it is a different story: Tuff motor oil flows better at lower temperatures than its major competitors do. So, if you want your car's eng... | which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument in the advertisement? | [
"Tuff motor oil provides above-average protection for engines that happen to overheat.",
"Tuff motor oil's share of the engine oil market peaked three years ago.",
"Tuff motor oil, like any motor oil, is thicker and flows less freely at cold temperatures than at hot temperatures.",
"Tuff motor oil is manufact... | 0 | train_1673 |
Acme Corporation offers unskilled workers excellent opportunities for advancement. As evidence, consider the fact that the president of the company, Ms. Garon, worked as an assembly line worker, an entry-level position requiring no special skills, when she first started at Acme. | Which one of the following statements, if true, most weakens the reasoning above? | [
"Acme's vice president of operations also worked as an assembly line worker when he first started at Acme.",
"Acme pays entry-level employees slightly higher wages than most other businesses in the same industry.",
"Acme regularly hires top graduates of business schools and employs them briefly in each of a suc... | 2 | train_1674 |
Bowers: A few theorists hold the extreme view that society could flourish in a condition of anarchy, the absence of government. Some of these theorists have even produced interesting arguments to support that position. One writer, for example, contends that anarchy is laissez-faire capitalism taken to its logical extre... | The reasoning in Bowers's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that | [
"the argument fails to show that laissez-faire capitalism deserves to be rejected as a social philosophy",
"the truth or falsity of a view is not determined by the number of people who accept it as true",
"the meaning of a key term shifts illicitly during the course of the argument",
"it is unreasonable to re... | 2 | train_1675 |
Editorialist: The positions advanced by radical environmentalists often contain hypotheses that are false and proposals that are economically infeasible. But there is a positive role to be played even by extremists, for the social and political inertia that attends environmental issues is so stubborn that even small ar... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the editorialist's argument? | [
"Radical environmentalists advocate positions without regard for factual support or economic feasibility.",
"Radical environmentalists often put forth untenable positions in order to produce the fear that is required to bring about moderate reforms.",
"Radical environmentalists, by promoting their views, stimul... | 2 | train_1676 |
Long-term and short-term relaxation training are two common forms of treatment for individuals experiencing problematic levels of anxiety. Yet studies show that on average, regardless of which form of treatment one receives, symptoms of anxiety decrease to a normal level within the short-term-training time period. Thus... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument? | [
"Recipients of long-term training are much less likely than recipients of short-term training to have recurrences of problematic levels of anxiety.",
"A decrease in symptoms of anxiety often occurs even with no treatment or intervention by a mental health professional.",
"Short-term relaxation training conducte... | 0 | train_1677 |
A computer equipped with signature-recognition software, which restricts access to a computer to those people whose signatures are on file, identifies a person' s signature by analyzing not only the form of the signature but also such characteristics as pen pressure and signing speed. Even the most adept forgers cannot... | Which of the following can be logically concluded from the passage above? | [
"Signature-recognition software has taken many years to develop and perfect.",
"The time it takes to record and analyze a signature makes the software impractical for everyday use.",
"In many cases even authorized users are denied legitimate access to computers equipped with the software.",
"Nobody can gain a... | 3 | train_1678 |
The cafeteria at Acme Company can offer only four main dishes at lunchtime, and the same four choices have been offered for years. Recently mushroom casserole was offered in place of one of the other main dishes for two days, during which more people chose mushroom casserole than any other main dish. Clearly, if the ca... | The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it fails to consider | [
"what foods other than main dishes are regularly offered at lunchtime by the cafeteria",
"a desire for variety as a reason for people's choice of mushroom casserole during the days it was offered",
"the proportion of Acme Company employees who regularly eat lunch in the company cafeteria",
"whether other meal... | 1 | train_1679 |
Using broad-spectrum weed killers on weeds that are competing with crops for sunlight, water, and nutrients presents a difficulty: how to keep the crop from being killed along with the weeds. For at least some food crops, specially treated seed that produces plants resistant to weed killers is under development. This r... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument below? | [
"provide, as they approach maturity, shade dense enough to keep weeds from growing",
"produce large seeds that are easy to treat individually, as corn and beans do",
"are cultivated specifically for the seed they produce rather than for their leaves or roots",
"produce their crop over an extended period of ti... | 0 | train_1680 |
Polls have shown that a higher percentage of graduating university students are against proposals to reduce government social services than are students entering their first year at a university. These polls lead us to the conclusion that people with a university education are more likely to favor retaining or increasi... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Polls of retired persons who have not graduated from a university show a higher percentage of persons in favor of reducing government social services than do polls of retired persons who have graduated from a university.",
"Polls of those who graduated from a university more than five years before being polled s... | 1 | train_1681 |
Legal theorist: Governments should not be allowed to use the personal diaries of an individual who is the subject of a criminal prosecution as evidence against that individual. A diary is a silent conversation with oneself and there is no relevant difference between speaking to oneself, writing one' s thoughts down, an... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, provides the most support for the legal theorist's argument? | [
"Governments should not be allowed to compel corporate officials to surrender interoffice memos to government investigators.",
"Governments should not have the power to confiscate an individual's personal correspondence to use as evidence against the individual in a criminal trial.",
"When crime is a serious pr... | 3 | train_1682 |
High levels of fertilizer and pesticides, needed when farmers try to produce high yields of the same crop year after year, pollute water supplies. Experts ttherefore urge farmers to diversify their crops and to rotate their plantings yearly. To receive governmental price-support benefits for a crop, farmers must have p... | The statements above, if true, best support which of the following conclusions? | [
"Farmers can continue to make a profit by rotating diverse crops, thus reducing costs for chemicals, but not by planting the same crop each year.",
"The rules for governmental support of farm prices work against efforts to reduce water pollution.",
"The only solution to the problem of water pollution from ferti... | 1 | train_1683 |
Medical doctor: Sleep deprivation is the cause of many social ills, ranging from irritability to potentially dangerous instances of impaired decision making. Most people today suffer from sleep deprivation to some degree. Ttherefore we should restructure the workday to allow people flexibility in scheduling their work ... | Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the medical doctor's argument? | [
"Employees would get more sleep if they had greater latitude in scheduling their work hours.",
"The primary cause of sleep deprivation is overwork.",
"More people would suffer from sleep deprivation today than did in the past if the average number of hours worked per week had not decreased.",
"Individuals var... | 0 | train_1684 |
One-year-olds ordinarily prefer the taste of sweet food to that of salty food. Yet if one feeds a one-year-old salty food rather than sweet food, then over a period of about a year he or she will develop a taste for the salty flavor and choose to eat salty food rather than sweet food. Thus, a young child' s taste prefe... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"A child's taste preferences usually change between age one and age two.",
"Sweet food is better for infant development than is salty food.",
"Two-year-olds do not naturally prefer salty food to sweet food.",
"The salty food fed to infants in order to change their taste preferences must taste pleasant."
] | 2 | train_1685 |
The public in the United States has in the past been conditioned to support a substantial defense budget by the threat of confrontation with the Eastern bloc. Now that that threat is dissolving, along with the Eastern bloc itself, it is doubtful whether the public can be persuaded to support an adequate defense budget. | Which one of the following indicates a weakness in the position expressed above? | [
"It hinges on the term \"adequate, \" the precise meaning of which requires reevaluation in the new context.",
"It assumes as fact what it seeks to establish by reasoning.",
"It presupposes that public opinion can be manipulated indefinitely, without the public's becoming aware of that manipulation.",
"It ref... | 0 | train_1686 |
Whenever a company loses a major product-liability lawsuit, the value of the company' s stocks falls significantly within hours after the announcement. Cotoy has long been involved in a major product-liability lawsuit, and its stocks fell significantly in value today. Ttherefore, we can be sure that an unfavorable judg... | Which one of me following contains flawed reasoning that most closely parallels that in the argument above? | [
"Whenever an entering student at Cashman College wins the Performance Fellowship, he or she receives $10, 000. Ttherefore, Eula, a student who has enrolled at Cashman, must have won the Performance Fellowship, because she just received $10, 000 from the college.",
"Whenever the large airlines decrease fares, the ... | 0 | train_1687 |
In recent years the climate has been generally cool in northern Asia. But during periods when the average daily temperature and humidity in northern Asia were slightly higher than their normal levels the yields of most crops grown there increased significantly. In the next century, the increased average daily temperatu... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox in the information above? | [
"Crop yields in southern Asia are expected to remain constant even after the average daily temperature and humidity there increase from recent levels.",
"The climate in northern Asia has generally been too cool and dry in recent years for populations of many crop insect pests to become established.",
"Any incre... | 1 | train_1688 |
For the average person who needs a transfusion, blood from a relative is more likely to be infected with hepatitis than is blood from a blood bank. Ttherefore, the risk of contracting hepatitis from a transfusion is higher for people receiving blood from relatives than for people receiving blood from blood banks. | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Blood transfusions only rarely result in the recipient being infected with hepatitis.",
"Donors to blood banks are always asked whether they have ever been infected with hepatitis.",
"Blood taken from a relative is highly likely to match a transfusion recipient's blood type.",
"Blood that is to be used in a ... | 3 | train_1689 |
Societies cannot dedicate themselves to the study of fine arts unless they have spare time, and people only have spare time when food, shelter, and water are abundant. Although some archeologists believe that the first paintings were actually made to illustrate the plight of starving prehistoric man during the dry seas... | The argument leads to the conclusion that | [
"prehistoric man could have accidentally discovered how to mix minerals to make paint colors",
"the study of fine art began in societies that at some time had abundant food, shelter, and water",
"whenever people have food, shelter, and water, they will dedicate themselves to the study of fine arts",
"the stud... | 1 | train_1690 |
The only vehicles that have high resale values are those that are well maintained. Thus any well-maintained vehicle has a high resale value. | The flawed nature of the argument can most effectively be demonstrated by noting that, by parallel reasoning, we could argue that | [
"since the best mediators have the longest track records, the worst mediators have the shortest track records",
"since one's need for medical care decreases as one's health improves, a person who is in an excellent state of health has no need of medical care",
"since all city dwellers prefer waterfalls to traff... | 2 | train_1691 |
Essayist: If Earth' s population continues to grow geometrically, then in a few centuries there will be ten people for every square meter (approximately one person per square foot) of Earth' s surface. Some people have claimed that this will probably not be a problem, since humans will have learned by then how to colon... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the essayist's argument? | [
"Learning how to colonize other planets would, at best, be a temporary solution to the overcrowding of Earth.",
"The population of Earth's surface will probably continue to grow geometrically even if temporary solutions to population growth, such as colonizing other planets, are adopted.",
"If Earth's populatio... | 0 | train_1692 |
All highly successful salespersons are both well organized and self-motivated, characteristics absent from many salespersons who are not highly successful. Further, although only those who are highly successful are well known among their peers, no salespersons who are self-motivated regret their career choices. | If all of the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true? | [
"All salespersons who are well organized but not highly successful are self-motivated.",
"No self-motivated salespersons who are not highly successful are well organized.",
"All salespersons who do not regret their career choices are highly successful.",
"No salespersons who are well known among their peers r... | 3 | train_1693 |
Experts hired to testify in court need to know how to make convincing presentations. Such experts are evaluated by juries in terms of their ability to present the steps by which they arrived at their conclusions clearly and confidently. As a result, some less expert authorities who are skilled at producing convincing t... | Which one of the following most closely conforms to the principle illustrated by the passage above? | [
"Trial lawyers often use the techniques employed by actors to influence the emotions of jurors. Many lawyers have studied drama expressly for the purpose of improving their courtroom skills.",
"The opera singer with the best voice is the appropriate choice even for minor roles, despite the fact that an audience m... | 2 | train_1694 |
Robert: Speed limits on residential streets in Crownsbury are routinely ignored by drivers. People crossing those streets are endangered by speeding drivers, yet the city does not have enough police officers to patrol every street. So the city should install speed bumps and signs warning of their presence on residentia... | Sheila's response depends on the presupposition that | [
"with speed bumps and warning signs in place, there would still be drivers who would not slow down to a safe speed",
"Robert's proposal is intended to address a problem that Robert does not in fact intend it to address",
"most of the people who are affected by the problem Robert describes would be harmed by the... | 0 | train_1695 |
John: You told me once that no United States citizen who supports union labor should buy an imported car. Yet you are buying an Alma. Since Alma is one of the biggest makers of imports, I infer that you no longer support unions. Harry: I still support labor unions. Even though Alma is a foreign car company, the car I a... | Harry's method of defending his purchase of an Alma is to | [
"show that John's argument involves a false unstated assumption",
"disown the principle he formerly held",
"point out that one of the statements John makes in support of his argument is false",
"claim that his is a special case in which the rule need not apply"
] | 0 | train_1696 |
Scientists typically do their most creative work before the age of forty. It is commonly thought that this happens because aging by itself brings about a loss of creative capacity. However, studies show that <b> of scientists who produce highly creative work beyond the age of forty, a disproportionately large number en... | In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is an objection that has been raised against a position defended in the argument; the second is that position.",
"The first is evidence that has been used to support an explanation that the argument challenges; the second is a competing explanation that the argument favors.",
"The first provides evid... | 2 | train_1697 |
When an ordinary piece of steel is put under pressure, the steel compresses; that is, its volume slightly decreases. Glass, however, is a fluid, so rather than compressing, it flows when put under pressure; its volume remains unchanged. Any portion of a sheet of glass that is under sustained pressure will very slowly f... | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"flow toward the point at which the pressure of the object is greatest",
"be thinner in the portion of the glass that is under the pressure of the object than in those portions of the glass that are not under that pressure",
"compress, although not as much as a piece of steel would",
"become larger in size ye... | 1 | train_1698 |
The sense of delayed gratification, of working now for later pleasure, has helped shape the economic behavior of our society. However, that sense is no longer nurtured as consistently in our children as it once was. For example, it used to take a bit of patience to put together the toys that children got in cereal boxe... | Which of the following is an assumption of the passage above? | [
"The influence of promotion gimmicks on the economic behavior of our society has increased over the years.",
"The toys in cereal boxes have changed partly because the economic conditions of our society have improved.",
"The toys that used to come in cereal boxes were put together by the same children who played... | 2 | train_1699 |
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