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Dietitian: Many diet-conscious consumers are excited about new "fake fat" products designed to give food the flavor and consistency of fatty foods, yet without fat' s harmful effects. Consumers who expect the new fat substitute to help them lose weight arc likely to be disappointed, however. Research has shown that whe... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the dietitian's argument? | [
"People tend to take in a certain number of daily calories, no matter what types of food they eat",
"\"Fake fat\"in foods is probably not going to help consumers meet weight loss goals.",
"Most consumers who think that foods with \"fake fat\" are more nutritious than fatty foods are destined to be disappointed.... | 1 | train_1900 |
The Testament of William Thorpe was published around 1530 as an appendix to Thorpe's longer Examination. Many scholars, however, doubt the attribution of the Testament to Thorpe because, whereas the Examination is dated 1406, the Testament is dated 1460. One scholar has recently argued that the 1460 date be amended to ... | Which of the following, if true, would most support the scholar's hypothesis concerning the date of the Testament? | [
"In the preface to the 1530 publication, the editor attributes both works to William Thorpe.",
"The Testament contains few references to historical events that occurred later than 1406.",
"The Testament alludes to a date, \"Friday, September 20, \" as apparently contemporaneous with the writing of the Testament... | 2 | train_1901 |
In 1998, archaeologists found a forty-million-year-old baby bird frozen in amber. Although the sample was not large enough to determine its flying habits at such a young age, scientists guessed that the three-day-old bird would have been able to fly from birth and might have been hunting at the time the tree sap fell o... | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"does not consider the possibility that immediate flight was a risk to the species.",
"draws its conclusion from data that cannot be proven true.",
"confuses the cause of death with the effects of death.",
"takes an inconsistent stance regarding its premise and conclusion."
] | 1 | train_1902 |
Harry Trevalga: You and your publication have unfairly discriminated against my poems. I have submitted thirty poems in the last two years and you have not published any of them! It is all because I won the Fenner Poetry Award two years ago and your poetry editor thought she deserved it. Publisher: Ridiculous! Our edit... | The publisher makes which one of the following assumptions in replying to Trevalga's charges of unfair discrimination? | [
"The poetry editor cannot recognize the poems submitted by Harry Trevalga as his unless Trevalga's name is attached to them.",
"It is not unusual for poets to contribute many poems to the publisher's publication without ever having any accepted for publication.",
"The poetry editor's decisions on which poems to... | 0 | train_1903 |
No projects that involve historical restorations were granted building permits this month. Since some of the current projects of the firm of Stein and Sapin are historical restorations, at least some of Stein and Sapin' s projects were not granted building permits this month. | The pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following? | [
"None of the doctors working at City Hospital were trained abroad. So, although some hospitals require doctors trained abroad to pass an extra qualifying exam, until now, at least, this has not been an issue for City Hospital.",
"None of the new members of the orchestra have completed their paperwork. Since only ... | 3 | train_1904 |
The number of fat grams in a cup of butter is the same as in an equal amount of margarine. Ttherefore, any baked good made with a given amount of butter is no higher in fat than a baked good made with an equal amount of margarine. | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"fails to realize that butter or margarine might not be the only fat-containing ingredient in a baked good",
"fails to consider that baked goods differ in the amount of protein and carbohydrates they contain",
"mistakenly believes that all baked goods contain the same amount of butter or margarine",
"tries to... | 0 | train_1905 |
From 1973 to 1989 total energy use in this country increased less than 10 percent. However, the use of electrical energy in this country during this same period grew by more than 50 percent, as did the gross national product -- the total value of all goods and services produced in the nation. | If the statements above are true, then which one of the following must also be true? | [
"In 1989 electrical energy constituted a larger proportion of the energy used to produce the gross national product than did any other form of energy.",
"From 1973 to 1989 there was a decline in the use of energy other than electrical energy in this country.",
"Most of the energy used in this country in 1989 wa... | 3 | train_1906 |
Career consultant: The most popular career advice suggests emphasizing one' s strengths to employers and downplaying one' s weaknesses. Research shows this advice to be incorrect. A study of 314 managers shows that those who use self-deprecating humor in front of their employees are more likely to be seen by them as ev... | The career consultant's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"bases a conclusion about certain popular career advice on a critique of only one part of that advice",
"bases a conclusion about how one group will respond to self-deprecation on information about how a different group responds to it",
"infers from the fact that self-deprecating humor was viewed positively tha... | 1 | train_1907 |
One should not intentionally misrepresent another person' s beliefs unless one' s purpose in doing so is to act in the interest of that other person. | Which one of the following actions most clearly violates the principle stated? | [
"Ann told someone that Bruce thought the Apollo missions to the moon were elaborate hoaxes, even though she knew he did not think this; she did so merely to make him look ridiculous.",
"Claude told someone that Thelma believed in extraterrestrial beings, even though he knew she believed no such thing; he did so s... | 0 | train_1908 |
Psychologist: In a study, researchers gave 100 volunteers a psychological questionnaire designed to measure their self-esteem. The researchers then asked each volunteer to rate the strength of his or her own social skills. The volunteers with the highest levels of self-esteem consistently rated themselves as having muc... | The psychologist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which of the following grounds? | [
"It relies on evidence from a group of volunteers that is too small to provide any support for any inferences regarding people in general.",
"It overlooks the possibility that people with very high levels of self-esteem may tend to have a less accurate perception of the strength of their own social skills than do... | 1 | train_1909 |
Gabriella: By raising interest rates, the government has induced people to borrow less money and ttherefore to spend less, thereby slowing the country' s economy. Ivan: I disagree with your analysis. The country' s economy is tied to the global economy. Whatever happens to the global economy also happens here, and the ... | Gabriella and Ivan disagree about whether | [
"the global economy has slowed",
"raising interest rates caused the country's economy to slow",
"the economic slowdown in the country has caused people to spend less",
"raising interest rates caused a significant decrease in borrowing"
] | 1 | train_1910 |
In 1980 there was growing concern that the protective ozone layer over the Antarctic might be decreasing and thereby allowing so much harmful ultraviolet radiation to reach the Earth that polar marine life would be damaged. Some government officials dismissed these concerns, since statistics indicated that global atmos... | The relevance of the evidence cited by the government officials in support of their position would be most seriously undermined if it were true that | [
"quantities of atmospheric ozone shifted away from the polar caps, correspondingly increasing ozone levels in other regions",
"decreases in the amount of atmospheric ozone over the Antarctic ice cap tend to be seasonal rather than constant",
"decreases in the amount of atmospheric ozone were of little concern b... | 0 | train_1911 |
The stable functioning of a society depends upon the relatively long-term stability of the goals of its citizens. This is clear from the fact that unless the majority of individuals have a predictable and enduring set of aspirations, it will be impossible for a legislature to craft laws that will augment the satisfacti... | The claim that a society is stable only if its laws tend to increase the happiness of its citizens plays which one of the following roles in the argument? | [
"It is used to illustrate the general principle that the argument presupposes.",
"It is a claim that must be refuted if the conclusion is to be established.",
"It is the conclusion of the argument.",
"It helps to support the conclusion of the argument."
] | 3 | train_1912 |
Automobile Dealer' s Advertisement: The Highway Traffic Safety Institute reports that the PZ 1000 has the fewest injuries per accident of any car in its class. This shows that the PZ 1000 is one of the safest cars available today. | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument in the advertisement? | [
"In recent years many more PZ 1000's have been sold than have any other kind of car in its class.",
"Cars in the class to which the PZ 1000 belongs are more likely to be involved in accidents than are other types of cars.",
"The Highway Traffic Safety Institute issues reports only once a year",
"The differenc... | 1 | train_1913 |
A poem is any work of art that exploits some of the musical characteristics of language, such as meter, rhythm, euphony, and rhyme. A novel, though it may be a work of art in language, does not usually exploit the musical characteristics of language. A symphony, though it may be a work of art that exploit the musical c... | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"If a novel exploits meter and rhyme while standing as a work of art, then it is both a novel and a poem.",
"If a symphony does not exploit the musical characteristics of sound, then it is not a work of art.",
"An example of so-called blank verse, which does not rhyme, is not really a poem.",
"Limericks const... | 0 | train_1914 |
Sheila: Health experts generally agree that smoking a tobacco product for many years is very likely to be harmful to the smoker' s health. Tim: On the contrary, smoking has no effect on health at all: although my grandfather smoked three cigars a day from the age of fourteen, he died at age ninety-six. | A major weakness of Tim's counterargument is that his counterargument | [
"tacitly assumes that those health experts who are in agreement on this issue arrived at that agreement independently of one another",
"presupposes that longevity and health status are unrelated to each other in the general population",
"attempts to refute a probabilistic conclusion by claiming the existence of... | 2 | train_1915 |
Eating garlic reduces the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood and so helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Evidence that eating garlic reduces these levels is that a group of patients taking a garlic tablet each day for four months showed a 12 percent reduction in cholesterol and a 17 percen... | It would be most important to determine which one of the following in evaluating the argument? | [
"whether the garlic tablets are readily available to the public",
"what the diets of the two groups were during the period",
"what effect taking the garlic tablets each day for a period of less than four months had on the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides",
"whether large amounts of garlic are well tole... | 1 | train_1916 |
Inventor: All highly successful entrepreneurs have as their main desire the wish to leave a mark on the world. Highly successful entrepreneurs are unique in that whenever they see a solution to a problem, they implement that idea. All other people see solutions to problems but are too interested in leisure time or job ... | If the inventor's statements are true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"All people who invariably implement their solutions to problems have at least some interest in leisure time or job security.",
"All people whose main desire is to implement their solutions to problems leave a mark on the world.",
"The main desire of all people who implement solutions whenever they detect them ... | 2 | train_1917 |
On Pacific islands, a newly arrived gecko species, the house gecko, is displacing the previously established mourning gecko in urban areas, but populations of the two species are more stable in rural areas far from human settlement. The house gecko does not attack the mourning gecko, but in areas where insects congrega... | Which of the following contributes most to an explanation of the difference between gecko populations in urban and rural areas? | [
"Mourning geckos are all females and reproduce asexually, but house geckos reproduce sexually.",
"In urban areas, geckos are valued because they eat so many insects.",
"Geckos defend territories against other members of the same species.",
"In places where there are lighted buildings, insects tend to gather a... | 3 | train_1918 |
Columnist: A government-owned water utility has received approval to collect an additional charge on water bills and to use that additional revenue to build a dam. A member of the legislature has proposed not building the dam but instead spending the extra money from water bills to build new roads. That proposal is una... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the columnist's judgment that the legislator's proposal is unacceptable? | [
"Customers of a utility have a right to know how the money they pay to the utility will be used.",
"An additional charge on water bills should not be imposed unless it is approved by the legislature.",
"A water utility should not collect an additional charge unless the money collected is used for water-related ... | 2 | train_1919 |
All parrots can learn to speak a few words and phrases. Not all parrots have equally pleasant dispositions, though some of those native to Australia can be counted on for a sweet temper. Almost any parrot, however, will show tremendous affection for an owner who raised the bird from a chick by hand-feeding it. | If the statements above are true, then which one of the following must be true? | [
"If a parrot is not native to Australia, then it will be sweet tempered only if it is hand-fed as a chick.",
"Some parrots that can learn to speak are sweet tempered.",
"All species of pet birds that are native to Australia can be counted on for a sweet temper.",
"The sweetest-tempered parrots are those nativ... | 1 | train_1920 |
Professor: Politicians should only be required to abide by the strict letter of the law -- not the spirit of the law -- since they need flexibility to govern. Trading political favors for a politician' s personal financial gain is illegal under an anti-corruption statute. A state governor awarded a contract to a local ... | Which one of the following most logically completes the professor's argument? | [
"the state governor should have followed the usual bidding process.",
"the state governor is guilty of violating the anti-corruption statute.",
"the state governor is not guilty of violating the anti-corruption statute.",
"the state governor broke the spirit of the law, while abiding by the strict letter of t... | 2 | train_1921 |
Since it has become known that several of a bank' s top executives have been buying shares in their own bank, the bank' s depositors, who had been worried by rumors that the bank faced impending financial collapse, have been greatly relieved. They reason that since <b> top executives evidently have faith in the bank' s... | <b> They might well be overoptimistic </b>, however, since corporate executives have sometimes bought shares in their own company in a calculated attempt to dispel negative rumors about the company's health. In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is an intermediate conclusion that forms part of the reasoning called into question by the argument; the second is evidence that undermines the support for this intermediate conclusion.",
"The first summarizes the evidence used in the reasoning called into question by the argument; the second is an int... | 2 | train_1922 |
Patricia: During Japan' s Tokugawa period, martial arts experts known as ninjas were trained for the purposes of espionage and assassination. Yet at that time there was actually very little ninja activity in Japan, and most Japanese did not fear ninjas. Tamara: That is not true. Many wealthy Japanese during the Tokugaw... | Of the following, which one, if true, is the strongest counter Patricia can make to Tamara's objection? | [
"As part of their secret training, ninjas learned to walk on squeaky floors without making a sound.",
"The fighting prowess of ninjas was exaggerated to mythic proportions in the years following the Tokugawa period.",
"Many poor Japanese during the Tokugawa period also had houses constructed with intentionally ... | 3 | train_1923 |
Special kinds of cotton that grow fibers of green or brown have been around since the 1930s but only recently became commercially feasible when a long-fibered variety that can be spun by machine was finally bred. Since the cotton need not be dyed, processing plants avoid the expense of dyeing and the ecological hazards... | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the passage? | [
"Green and brown cottons that can be spun only by hand are not commercially viable.",
"Hand-spun cotton is more ecologically safe than machine-spun cotton.",
"Short-fibered regular cottons are economically competitive with synthetic fabrics.",
"Garments made of green and brown cottons are less expensive than ... | 0 | train_1924 |
Kris: Years ago, the chemical industry claimed that technological progress cannot occur without pollution. Today, in the name of technological progress, the cellular phone industry manufactures and promotes a product that causes environmental pollution in the form of ringing phones and loud conversations in public plac... | Terry responds to Kris's argument by doing which one of the following? | [
"questioning the strength of the analogy on which Kris's argument is based",
"rejecting Kris's interpretation of the term \"technological progress\"",
"attacking the accuracy of the evidence about the chemical industry that Kris puts forward",
"questioning the reliability of the source of crucial information ... | 0 | train_1925 |
Within the earth's core, which is iron, pressure increases with depth. Because the temperature at which iron melts increases with pressure, the inner core is solid and the outer core is molten. Physicists can determine the melting temperature of iron at any given pressure and the pressure for any given depth in the ear... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument below? | [
"some of the heat from the earth's core flows to the surface of the earth",
"the temperatures within the earth's inner core are higher than in the outer core",
"the depth beneath the earth's surface of the boundary between the outer and inner cores is known",
"nowhere in the earth's core can the temperature b... | 2 | train_1926 |
Viruses can have beneficial effects. For example, some kill more-complex microorganisms, some of which are deadly to humans. But viruses have such simple structures that replacing just a few of a beneficial virus' s several million atoms can make it deadly to humans. Clearly, since alterations of greater complexity tha... | If the statements above are true, than each of the following statements could also be true EXCEPT: | [
"No virus that is deadly to organisms of greater complexity than itself is beneficial to humans.",
"Random mutation makes some deadly viruses beneficial to humans.",
"Some microorganisms that are more complex than viruses are beneficial to humans.",
"Some viruses that fail to kill other viruses that are deadl... | 0 | train_1927 |
Television allows us to transmit images of ourselves that propagate into space. The earliest of these transmissions have by now reached all of our neighboring star systems. None of these transmissions, so far as we know, has been recognized; we have yet to receive any messages of extraterrestrial origin. We must conclu... | The reasoning in the argument is questionable because the argument | [
"assigns too little importance to the possibility that there is extraterrestrial intelligence beyond our neighboring star systems",
"neglects to mention that some governments have sent meticulously prepared messages and recordings on spacecraft",
"infers that there is no extraterrestrial intelligence in neighbo... | 2 | train_1928 |
Medical researcher: As expected, records covering the last four years of ten major hospitals indicate that babies born prematurely were more likely to have low birth weights and to suffer from health problems than were babies not born prematurely. These records also indicate that mothers who had received adequate prena... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the medical researcher's argument? | [
"The hospital records indicate that low birth weight babies were routinely classified as having been born prematurely.",
"Mothers giving birth prematurely are routinely classified by hospitals as having received inadequate prenatal care when the record of that care is not available.",
"The hospital records indi... | 1 | train_1929 |
Sascha: The attempt to ban parliament' s right to pass directed-spending bills-bills that contain provisions specifically funding the favorite projects of some powerful politicians-is antidemocratic. Our nation' s constitution requires that money be drawn from our treasury only when so stipulated by laws passed by parl... | Which of the following most logically completes Sascha's argument? | [
"only officials who are motivated by concerns for reelection should retain that power",
"exercising the power to spend public resources is in most cases-but not all-protected by the constitution",
"designating funding specifically for the favorite projects of some powerful politicians should be considered antid... | 3 | train_1930 |
When a group is unable to reach a consensus, group members are often accused of being stubborn, bull-headed, or unyielding. Such epithets often seem abusive, are difficult to prove, and rarely help the group reach a resolution. Those who wish to make such an accusation stick, however, should choose "unyielding, " becau... | Which one of the following most accurately describes the argumentative technique employed above? | [
"conditionally advocating a tactic on the grounds that it results in an accusation that is less offensive than the alternatives",
"conditionally advocating a tactic on the grounds that it results in an argument that would help the group to reach a consensus on the issue in question",
"conditionally advocating a... | 2 | train_1931 |
<b> 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. </b> Some commentators have argued, correctly, that since there is presently n... | In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is a claim that has been used to support a conclusion that the argument accepts; the second is that conclusion.",
"The first is a finding whose accuracy is evaluated in the argument; the second is an intermediate conclusion drawn to support the judgment reached by the argument on the accuracy of that f... | 3 | train_1932 |
Scientist: Some colonies of bacteria produce antibiotic molecules called phenazines, which they use to fend off other bacteria. We hypothesize that phenazines also serve as molecular pipelines that give interior bacteria access to essential nutrients in the environment surrounding the colony. | Which one of the following, if true, provides the most support for the scientist's hypothesis? | [
"Within bacteria colonies that produce phenazines, interior bacteria are more likely to die than are bacteria along the edges.",
"When bacteria colonies that do not produce phenazines are buried in nutrient-rich soil, they grow as quickly as colonies that do produce phenazines.",
"Bacteria colonies that do not ... | 2 | train_1933 |
A safety report indicates that, on average, traffic fatalities decline by about 7 percent in those areas in which strict laws requiring drivers and passengers to wear seat belts have been passed. In a certain city, seat belt laws have been in effect for two years, but the city' s public safety records show that the num... | Which one of the following, if true, does NOT help resolve the apparent discrepancy between the safety report and the city's public safety records? | [
"Because the city's seat belt laws have been so rarely enforced, few drivers in the city have complied with them.",
"Two years ago speed limits in the city were increased by as much as 15 kph (9 mph).",
"In the last two years, most of the people killed in car accidents in the city were not wearing seat belts.",... | 2 | train_1934 |
There are two kinds of horror stories: those that describe a mad scientist' s experiments and those that describe a monstrous beast. In some horror stories about monstrous beasts, the monster symbolizes a psychological disturbance in the protagonist. Horror stories about mad scientists, on the other hand, typically exp... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following would also have to be true? | [
"Most stories about mad scientists express the author's antiscientific views.",
"Some stories that employ symbolism describe violations of the laws of nature.",
"Horror stories of any kind usually describe characters who are psychologically disturbed.",
"All descriptions of monstrous beasts describe violation... | 1 | train_1935 |
In a transportation company, a certain syndrome often attributed to stress by medical experts afflicts a significantly higher percentage of workers in Department F than in any other department. We can conclude, ttherefore, that the work done in Department F subjects workers to higher stress levels than does the work in... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to support the argrument? | [
"Some experts believe that the syndrome can be caused by various factors, only one of which is high stress.",
"Job-related stress has been the most frequently cited cause for dissatisfaction among workers at the company.",
"Many workers who transfer into Department F from elsewhere in the company soon begin to ... | 2 | train_1936 |
Car accidents that happen at excessive speeds are more likely than other car accidents to result in fatalities. However, the majority of accidents that happen at excessive speeds do not result in fatalities. Ttherefore, there is no need to enact laws that address car accidents at excessive speeds as being distinct from... | The pattern of flawed reasoning displayed in the argument above most closely resembles that in which one of the following? | [
"Foods rich in cholesterol and fat pose a serious health threat to most people. However, many people are reluctant to give up eating foods that they greatly enjoy. Ttherefore, people who refuse to give up rich foods need to spend more time exercising than do other people.",
"Most physicians recommend a balanced d... | 3 | train_1937 |
Proponents of the recently introduced tax on sales of new luxury boats had argued that a tax of this sort would be an equitable way to increase government revenue because the admittedly heavy tax burden would fall only on wealthy people and neither they nor anyone else would suffer any economic hardship. In fact, howev... | The information given, if true, most strongly supports which of the following? | [
"Before the tax was instituted, luxury boats were largely bought by people who were not wealthy.",
"The market for luxury boats would have collapsed even if the new tax on luxury boats had been lower.",
"Taxes can be equitable only if their burden is evenly distributed over the entire population.",
"The new t... | 3 | train_1938 |
Electronic computer chips made of tiny silicon wafers now regularly contain millions of electronic switches. Unfortunately, electronic switches that are this small cannot withstand intense radiation. Micro-Mechanics plans to produce a chip that, because it uses only microscopic mechanical switches, will be invulnerable... | For there to be a market for Micro-Mechanics' chip as a result of the apparent advantage described above, each of the following would have to be true EXCEPT: | [
"There will be applications for computer chips in environments where the chips may have to survive intense radiation",
"Some devices in which computer chips will be used will have other components that will be able to function during or after exposure to radiation",
"There will be applications in which the spee... | 3 | train_1939 |
Mayor: Our city faces a difficult environmental problem caused by the enormous amount of garbage that we must dispose of. Although new recycling projects could greatly reduce this amount, these projects would actually be counterproductive to the goal of minimizing the overall amount of environmental damage. | Which one of the following, if true, would most help to resolve the apparent inconsistency in the mayor's claims about new recycling projects? | [
"More recycling would give industries in the mayor's city a greater incentive to use recycled materials in their manufacturing processes.",
"The vehicles that pick up materials for recycling create less pollution than would be caused by incinerating those materials.",
"The great costs of new recycling projects ... | 2 | train_1940 |
Professor: Economists argue that buying lottery tickets is an unwise use of resources, because the average payoff for the tickets sold in a lottery is much lower than the cost of a ticket. But this reasoning is faulty. The average amount paid out on individual insurance policies is much lower than the average cost of a... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the professor's argument? | [
"The protection against loss that insurance provides is more important to one's well-being than is the possibility of a windfall gain.",
"Individuals spend, on average, much more on insurance than on lottery tickets.",
"Taking small financial risks can often greatly increase one's chances of obtaining much larg... | 0 | train_1941 |
High school class president: Honor students are more responsible and law-abiding than other students and, ttherefore, cause far fewer problems at night. Ttherefore, the city should not consider changing the curfew from 11: 00 p. m. to 10: 00 p. m. because that will have the undesirable effect of forcing some responsibl... | The thing at issue between the high school class president and the mayor is whether | [
"non-honor students will obey the proposed curfew change",
"changing the curfew would cause some honor students to break the law",
"honor students are more responsible and law-abiding than other students",
"all students hope the curfew will not be changed from 11:00 p. m. to 10:00 p. m."
] | 1 | train_1942 |
In Europe, schoolchildren devote time during each school day to calisthenics. North American schools rarely offer a daily calisthenics program. Tests prove that North American children are weaker, slower, and shorter-winded than European children. We must conclude that North American children can be made physically fit... | Which one of the following is assumed in the passage? | [
"School calisthenics are an indispensable factor in European children's superior physical fitness.",
"All children can be made physically fit by daily calisthenics.",
"Superior physical fitness produces superior health.",
"North American children can learn to eat a more nutritious diet as well as to exercise ... | 0 | train_1943 |
Some critics argue that an opera' s stage directions are never reflected in its music. Many comic scenes in Mozart' s operas, however, open with violin phrases that sound like the squeaking of changing scenery. Clearly Mozart intended the music to echo the sounds occurring while stage directions are carried out. Hence,... | In the argument, the statement that many comic scenes in Mozart's operas open with violin phrases that sound like the squeaking of changing scenery is offered in support of the claim that | [
"a variety of stage directions can be reflected in an opera's music",
"the most frequent relation between an opera's music and its stage directions is one of musical imitation of the sounds that occur when a direction is carried out",
"a change of scenery is the stage direction most frequently reflected in an o... | 0 | train_1944 |
Police commissioner: Last year our city experienced a 15 percent decrease in the rate of violent crime. At the beginning of that year a new mandatory sentencing law was enacted, which requires that all violent criminals serve time in prison. Since no other major policy changes were made last year, the drop in the crime... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the police commissioner's argument? | [
"Last year, the city's overall crime rate decreased by only 5 percent.",
"At the beginning of last year, the police department's definition of \"violent crime\" was broadened to include 2 crimes not previously classified as \"violent. \"",
"The city enacted a policy 2 years ago requiring that 100 new police off... | 2 | train_1945 |
Only people who are willing to compromise should undergo mediation to resolve their conflicts. Actual litigation should be pursued only when one is sure that one' s position is correct. People whose conflicts are based on ideology are unwilling to compromise. | If the statements above are true, then which one of the following must be true? | [
"People whose conflicts are not based on ideology should attempt to resolve their conflicts by means of litigation.",
"People whose conflicts are based on ideology are not people who should undergo mediation to resolve their conflicts.",
"People whose conflicts are based on ideology are not always sure that the... | 1 | train_1946 |
After all, most doctors do eat meat, and who knows more about health than doctors do? Which one of the following is a flaw in Smith' s reasoning? | Smith: Meat in the diet is healthy, despite what some people say. | [
"attacking the opponents' motives instead of their argument",
"taking for granted that experts do not act counter to what, according to their expertise, is in their best interest",
"generalizing on the basis of a sample consisting of atypical cases",
"assuming at the outset what the argument claims to establi... | 1 | train_1947 |
Ticks attach themselves to host animals to feed. Having fed to capacity, and not before then, the ticks drop off their host. Deer ticks feeding off whitefooted mice invariably drop off their hosts between noon and sunset, regardless of time of attachment. White-footed mice are strictly nocturnal animals that spend all ... | Which one of the following conclusions can be properly drawn from the statements above? | [
"Deer ticks all attach themselves to whitefooted mice during the same part of the day, regardless of day of attachment.",
"Deer ticks that feed off white-footed mice drop off their hosts in the hosts' nests.",
"White-footed mice to which deer ticks have attached themselves are not aware of the ticks.",
"Deer ... | 1 | train_1948 |
Linda: During the summer months, people normally take vacations. Ttherefore, during the summer months, the local economy suffers since local residents spend their money at their vacation destinations. Billy: Why do you think that the local economy would be suffering? During the summer months, tourists who come to our c... | Which of the following most correctly explains how Billy's reply is related to Linda's argument? | [
"The reply offers another reason why the local economy suffers during the summer months that is unrelated to vacations.",
"The reply shows that Linda fails to realize that people often are forced by their employers to take their vacations in the summer.",
"The reply argues that Linda's conclusion is correct, bu... | 3 | train_1949 |
Rossi: It is undemocratic for people to live under a government in which their interests are not represented. So children should have the right to vote, since sometimes the interests of children are different from those of their parents. Smith: Granted, children' s interests are not always the same as their parents' ; ... | Which one of the following most accurately describes Rossi's argument? | [
"It makes an appeal to a general principle.",
"It employs a term on two different occasions in different senses.",
"It relies on evaluating the predictable consequences of a proposal.",
"It substitutes description for giving a rationale for a policy."
] | 0 | train_1950 |
Native speakers perceive sentences of their own language as sequences of separate words. But this perception is an illusion. This is shown by the fact that travelers who do not know a local language hear an unintelligible, uninterrupted stream of sound, not sentences with distinct words. | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Native speakers' perceptions of their own language are not more accurate than are the perceptions of persons who do not know that language.",
"Accomplished non-native speakers of a language do not perceive sentences as streams of sound.",
"It is impossible to understand sentences if they are in fact uninterrup... | 0 | train_1951 |
Health officials now recommend that people reduce their intake of foods that are high in cholesterol, such as red meat. The recent decline in the total consumption of beef indicates that many people are following this recommendation. But restaurants specializing in steak are flourishing despite an overall decline in th... | The argument is vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? | [
"It presupposes that the popularity of restaurants that specialize in steaks is a result of a decrease in the price of beef.",
"It assumes without warrant that people who eat steak at steak restaurants do not need to reduce their intake of foods that are high in cholesterol.",
"It neglects to consider whether r... | 3 | train_1952 |
Grow-Again ointment is a proven treatment for reversing male hereditary baldness. Five drops daily is the recommended dose, and exceeding this quantity does not increase the product' s effectiveness. Ttherefore, offering a manufacturer' s rebate on the purchase price of Grow-Again will not increase sales and consequent... | Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument? | [
"When using an ointment, people tend to believe that applying it in greater quantities can make it more effective.",
"Grow-Again is a product whose per-unit manufacturing cost does not fall significantly when the product is produced in large quantities.",
"The rebate, if offered, would not attract purchasers wh... | 2 | train_1953 |
As part of a survey, approximately 10, 000 randomly selected individuals were telephoned and asked a number of questions about their income and savings. Those conducting the survey observed that the older the person being queried, the more likely it was that he or she would refuse to answer any of the questions. This f... | The argument above is vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"assumes without warrant that age is the main determinant of personal income and savings levels",
"offers no evidence that the individuals queried would have responded differently had they been asked the same questions in years prior to the survey",
"provides no reason to believe that what is true of a given ag... | 1 | train_1954 |
As part of major renovations to Flowertown' s Main Street train station, consultants to the train company proposed moving the station' s entrance from its current valuable Main Street location to a low-rent adjoining side street and then leasing the high-rent entrance space to retail businesses. In that way, the train ... | Which of the following, if true, would most strongly support the consultants' proposal? | [
"The high-rent block of Flowertown's Main Street includes several buildings whose owners currently seek to replace long-standing tenants lost in recent months.",
"Ridership on Flowertown trains declined only slightly from 1970 to 1985 while other train companies lost large numbers of commuters.",
"A reliable su... | 2 | train_1955 |
Criminologist: A judicial system that tries and punishes criminals without delay is an effective deterrent to violent crime. Long, drawn-out trials and successful legal maneuvering may add to criminals' feelings of invulnerability. But if potential violent criminals know that being caught means prompt punishment, they ... | Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the criminologist's argument? | [
"It is in the nature of violent crime that it is not premeditated.",
"Everyone accused of a crime has the right to a trial.",
"About one-fourth of all suspects first arrested for a crime are actually innocent.",
"Many violent crimes are committed by first- time offenders."
] | 0 | train_1956 |
M: The Greek alphabet must have been invented by some individual who knew the Phoenician writing system and who wanted to have some way of recording Homeric epics and thereby preserving expressions of a highly developed tradition of oral poetry. P: Your hypothesis is laughable! What would have been the point of such a ... | Which one of the following is an argumentative strategy that P uses in responding to M? | [
"providing an alternative interpretation of evidence put forward by M",
"attempting to undermine M's hypothesis by making it appear absurd",
"disagreeing with M's thesis without attempting to refute it",
"challenging M's knowledge of the Phoenician writing system"
] | 1 | train_1957 |
Educator: Only those students who are genuinely curious about a topic can successfully learn about that topic. They find the satisfaction of their curiosity intrinsically gratifying, and appreciate the inherent rewards of the learning process itself. However, almost no child enters the classroom with sufficient curiosi... | Which one of the following most logically completes the educator's argument? | [
"requires for the fulfillment of its goals the stimulation as well as the satisfaction of curiosity",
"becomes easier if students realize that some learning is not necessarily enjoyable",
"is facilitated by students' taking responsibility for their own learning",
"necessitates the creative use of rewards that... | 0 | train_1958 |
Some argue that laws are instituted at least in part to help establish a particular moral fabric in society. But the primary function of law is surely to help order society so that its institutions, organizations, and citizenry can work together harmoniously, regardless of any further moral aims of the law. Indeed, the... | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"The best way to promote cooperation among a society's institutions, organizations, and citizenry is to institute order in that society by means of law.",
"The law has as one of its functions the ordering of society but is devoid of moral aims.",
"The way a society is ordered by law should not reflect any moral... | 3 | train_1959 |
Animal feed should not include genetically modified plants. A study found that laboratory rats fed genetically modified potatoes for 30 days tended to develop intestinal deformities and a weakened immune system, whereas rats fed a normal diet of foods that were not genetically modified did not develop these problems. | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument? | [
"The researchers conducting the study were unable to explain how the genetic modifications of the potatoes would have caused the intestinal deformities or a weakened immune system in the rats.",
"Potatoes are not normally a part of the diet of laboratory rats.",
"The rats tended to eat more of the genetically m... | 1 | train_1960 |
The human emotional response presents an apparent paradox. People believe that they can be genuinely moved only by those things and events that they believe to be actual, yet they have genuine emotional responses to what they know to be fictional. | Which one of the following situations most closely conforms to the principle cited above? | [
"Fred was watching a horror movie. Although he did not expect to be bothered by make-believe monsters, he nonetheless felt frightened when they appeared on the screen.",
"Tamara was reading Hamlet. Although she knew that it was a work of fiction, she still made statements such as \"Hamlet was born in Denmark\" an... | 0 | train_1961 |
Although 90 percent of the population believes itself to be well informed about health care, only 20 percent knows enough about DNA to understand a news story about DNA. So apparently at least 80 percent of the population does not know enough about medical concepts to make well-informed personal medical choices or to m... | The argument's reasoning is questionable because the argument fails to demonstrate that | [
"one's being able to make well-informed personal medical choices ensures that one makes good public policy decisions about health care",
"since 90 percent of the population believes itself to be well informed about health care, at least 70 percent of the population is mistaken in that belief",
"more than 20 per... | 3 | train_1962 |
For the past several years, a certain technology has been widely used to transmit data among networked computers. Recently two data transmission companies, Aptron and Gammatech, have each developed separate systems that allow network data transmission at rates ten times faster than the current technology allows. Althou... | Which of the following most logically completes the passage? | [
"unlike many data transmission companies, Aptron and Gammatech develop computers in addition to data transmission systems",
"it is easier for users of the current data transmission technology to switch to Aptron's product than to Gammatech's",
"Gammatech has been in the business of designing data transmission s... | 1 | train_1963 |
We are taught that pedestrians should cross the street at a corner and that jaywalking, in the sense of crossing other than at a corner, is dangerous and illegal. It also seems true that drivers anticipate people crossing at corners more than drivers anticipate people crossing elsewhere. Thus we might infer that crossi... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the statistical claim cited above? | [
"Drivers are often unfamiliar with the laws concerning jaywalking.",
"Good drivers anticipate jaywalkers as much as they anticipate pedestrians crossing at corners.",
"Traffic laws in most locations state that the pedestrian always has the right of way, whether or not the pedestrian is crossing at a corner.",
... | 3 | train_1964 |
To qualify as a medical specialist, one must usually graduate from a university, then complete approximately four years of medical school, followed by a residency of two to six years in one' s specialty. Finally, a physician who desires to become a recognized specialist must complete an evaluation program directed by a... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"People who are not highly motivated will not complete the demanding course of study and examination required to become qualified as a recognized medical specialist.",
"Only the most talented people will successfully complete the rigorous course of study necessary for qualification as a recognized medical special... | 3 | train_1965 |
The ends of modern centuries have been greeted with both apocalyptic anxieties and utopian fantasies. It is not surprising that both reactions have consistently proven to be misplaced. After all, the precise time when a century happens to end cannot have any special significance, since the Gregorian calendar, though wi... | Which one of the following, if true, could be substituted for the reason cited above while still preserving the force of the argument? | [
"The firm expectation that something extraordinary is about to happen can make people behave in a manner that makes it less likely that something extraordinary will happen.",
"Since a century far exceeds the normal human life span, people do not live long enough to learn from mistakes that they themselves made on... | 2 | train_1966 |
Reviewer: Many historians claim, in their own treatment of subject matter, to be as little affected as any natural scientist by moral or aesthetic preconceptions. But we clearly cannot accept these proclamations of objectivity, for it is easy to find instances of false historical explanations embodying the ideological ... | The reviewer's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"takes for granted that the model of objectivity offered by the natural sciences should apply in other fields",
"takes for granted that some historical work that embodies prejudices is written by historians who purport to be objective",
"offers evidence that undermines rather than supports the conclusion it rea... | 1 | train_1967 |
In order to reduce dependence on imported oil, the government of Jalica has imposed minimum fuel-efficiency requirements on all new cars, beginning this year. The more fuel-efficient a car, the less pollution it produces per mile driven. As Jalicans replace their old cars with cars that meet the new requirements, annua... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Jalicans who get cars that are more fuel-efficient tend to do more driving than before.",
"In Jalica, domestically produced oil is more expensive than imported oil.",
"The new regulation requires no change in the chemical formulation of fuel for cars in Jalica.",
"The Jalican government did not intend the ne... | 0 | train_1968 |
Benson: In order to maintain the quality of life in our city, we need to restrict growth. That is why I support the new zoning regulations. Willett: I had heard such arguments ten years ago, and again five years ago. Each time the city council was justified in deciding not to restrict growth. Since there is nothing new... | Which one of the following most accurately describes a way in which Willett's reasoning is questionable? | [
"It fails to take into account the variety of factors that contribute to the quality of life in a city.",
"It is based on attacking Benson personally rather than responding to Benson's reasoning.",
"It overlooks the possibility that the city council of ten years ago was poorly qualified to decide on zoning regu... | 3 | train_1969 |
Many banks have a drive-through automated teller machine, built into the wall flanking the driver' s side of a narrow aisle. Even though blind people obviously do not drive, these machines nonetheless invariably feature Braille -- the system of raised dots used by the blind for reading and writing -- in addition to the... | Which of the following, if true, does the most to explain the situation described? | [
"Moderately visually impaired people who are still allowed to drive typically do not use Braille to read or write.",
"Blind people can often read Braille just as quickly and accurately as sighted people can read regular writing.",
"The embossing technique used to form the raised dots does not typically add much... | 3 | train_1970 |
The average cost of groceries will rise again next month. Consequently, butter and eggs can be expected to cost more next month. | The flawed reasoning in the argument above most closely parallels the reasoning in which one of the following? | [
"The average amount of time spent by people younger than 20 in watching television has recently risen rapidly. Ttherefore, the amount of time fourth graders spend watching television must have risen recently.",
"Since sugar is a major ingredient in ice cream, the price of ice cream increases whenever the price of... | 0 | train_1971 |
When a caterpillar emerges from the egg on a tree branch, it immediately climbs upward until it finds a leaf bud to eat. Biologists thought that this behavior displayed an innate tendency to move in the direction opposite to the pull of gravity. In a recent experiment, a strong light source was placed at the bottom of ... | Which of the following hypotheses is best supported by the statements given? | [
"Newly hatched caterpillars move toward the leaf bud nearest to them.",
"Caterpillars have an innate tendency to move in the direction of gravity.",
"Newly hatched caterpillars move towards the strongest light source in the environment.",
"Newly hatched caterpillars are unable to see in the dark."
] | 2 | train_1972 |
The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is found inside the noses of various animals. While its structural development and function are clearer in other animals, most humans have a VNO that is detectable, though only microscopically. When researchers have been able to stimulate VNO cells in humans, the subjects have reported exper... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument? | [
"Relative to its occurrence in certain other animals, the human VNO appears to be anatomically rudimentary and underdeveloped.",
"For many animal species, the VNO is thought to subtly enhance the sense of smell.",
"Certain chemicals that play a leading role in the way the VNO functions in animals in which it is... | 3 | train_1973 |
Despite a steady decrease in the average number of hours worked per person per week, the share of the population that reads a daily newspaper has declined greatly in the past 20 years. But the percentage of the population that watches television daily has shown a similarly dramatic increase over the same period. Clearl... | Which one of the following, if true, would be most damaging to the explanation given above for the decline in newspaper reading? | [
"Of those members of the population who do not watch television, the percentage who read a newspaper every day has also shown a dramatic decrease.",
"The time people spend with the books and newspapers they read has increased, on average, from 1 to 3 hours per week in the past 20 years.",
"People who spend larg... | 0 | train_1974 |
Spokesperson: The major school lunch vendors recently agreed to stop selling high-calorie beverages in elementary and middle schools because studies show that children of ages 7 to 8 who substitute one low-calorie beverage for one high-calorie soft drink in their daily diets will, on average, weigh 20 pounds less than ... | The spokesperson assumes which of the following to be true? | [
"The companies will resume selling high-calorie beverages to schools in eight years.",
"All low-calorie beverages are better for children than any high-calorie beverages.",
"Elementary and middle school students who used to buy high-calorie soft drinks at school will not bring them to school or drink extra high... | 2 | train_1975 |
Dried parsley should never be used in cooking, for it is far less tasty and healthful than fresh parsley is. | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most clearly helps to justify the argument above? | [
"Ingredients that should never be used in cooking are generally neither tasty nor healthful.",
"Parsley that is not both tasty and healthful should never be used in cooking.",
"Fresh ingredients should be used in cooking whenever possible.",
"Only the tastiest ingredients should ever be used in cooking."
] | 3 | train_1976 |
In recent years, networks of fiber-optic cable have been replacing electrical wire for transmitting telecommunications signals. Signals running through fiber-optic cables deteriorate, and so the signals must be run through a piece of equipment called a regenerator before being transmitted farther. Light-Line is the lea... | Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the prediction about Light-Line's prospects? | [
"Several manufacturers are developing regenerator technologies that will allow signals to be transmitted many times farther than at present before requiring regeneration.",
"The volume of signals that a fiber-optic cable can carry is several thousand times greater than the volume that can be carried by an electri... | 0 | train_1977 |
The number of calories in a gram of refined cane sugar is the same as in an equal amount of fructose, the natural sugar found in fruits and vegetables. Ttherefore, a piece of candy made with a given amount of refined cane sugar is no higher in calories than a piece of fruit that contains an equal amount of fructose. | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"presupposes what it sets out to establish, that fruit does not differ from sugar-based candy in the number of calories each contains",
"fails to consider the possibility that fruit might contain noncaloric nutrients that candy does not contain",
"overlooks the possibility that sugar might not be the only calor... | 2 | train_1978 |
Herons must eat large numbers of fish to survive. Ttherefore, according to naturalists, when many herons nest near each other in a marsh, large numbers of fish must be available to them. But many herons successfully nest in the Pahargaon marsh, and that marsh has been nearly empty of fish for many years. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to reconcile the apparent discrepancy described above? | [
"The herons in the Pahargaon marsh have been successfully raising unusually large families, with an average of almost two offspring surviving from each nesting.",
"Herons nesting in the Pahargaon marsh normally feed on fish living in nearby marshes.",
"The Pahargaon marsh has been growing saltier over the years... | 1 | train_1979 |
People who are good at playing the game Drackedary are invariably skilled with their hands. Mary is a very competent watchmaker. Ttherefore, Mary would make a good Drackedary player. | The flawed pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following? | [
"The role of Santa Claus in a shopping mall is often played by an experienced actor. Erwin has played Santa Claus in shopping malls for years. Ttherefore, Erwin must be an experienced actor.",
"All race car drivers have good reflexes. Chris is a champion table tennis player. Ttherefore, Chris would make a good ra... | 1 | train_1980 |
Livestock is a major contributor to climate change, accounting for 18 percent of the greenhouse gas released every year. In addition, livestock accounts for eight percent of global water use, and as much as 70 percent of deforestation is driven by the need for more pastures and feed crops. Dietary changes can dramatica... | Which one of the following most accurately represents the author's conclusion? | [
"The Earth will be destroyed unless everyone stops eating meat.",
"People can reduce their environmental impact by adopting dietary changes.",
"Dietary changes are the only way to decrease humanity's environmental footprint.",
"Deforestation contributes to climate change."
] | 1 | train_1981 |
Curator: If our museum lends Venus to the Hart Institute for their show this spring, they will lend us their Rembrandt etchings for our print exhibition next fall. Having those etchings will increase attendance to the exhibition and hence increase revenue from our general admission fee. Museum Administrator: But Venus ... | The point of the administrator's response to the curator is to question | [
"whether, if Venus is lent, the museum's revenue from general admission fees during the print exhibition will exceed its revenue from general admission fees during the Hart Institute's exhibition",
"whether getting the Rembrandt etchings from the Hart Institute is likely to increase attendance at the print exhibi... | 3 | train_1982 |
Executives at the Fizzles Beverage Company plan to boost profits in Country X on their range of fruit-flavored drinks by introducing new flavors based on tropical fruits that are little known there. The executives reason that since the fruit drinks of other companies have none of these flavors, Fizzles will not have to... | Which of the following, if true, presents the most serious potential weakness of the plan? | [
"The new fruit drinks would be priced significantly higher than other Fizzles fruit drinks with more conventional flavors.",
"Few consumers who are loyal to a specific brand of fruit-flavored drinks would willingly switch to another brand that costs more.",
"To build widespread demand for the new flavors, Fizzl... | 3 | train_1983 |
Proposals for extending the United States school year to bring it more in line with its European and Japanese counterparts are often met with the objection that curtailing the schools' three-month summer vacation would violate an established United States tradition dating from the nineteenth century. However, this obje... | Which one of the following principles, if accepted, would provide the strongest justification for the conclusion? | [
"The actual tradition embodied in a given practice can be accurately identified only by reference to the reasons that originally prompted that practice.",
"Traditional principles should be discarded when they no longer serve the needs of the economy.",
"Because appeals to tradition often serve to mask the real ... | 0 | train_1984 |
Nick: The Pincus family and their construction company have supported our university financially for decades. The university should not give the contract for building its new library to the family' s main competitor. Doing so would be disloyal to a friend of the university. Pedro: Accepting a donation does not oblige t... | The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Nick and Pedro disagree over whether | [
"the Pincus family and their construction company donated money for the purpose of acquiring special privileges from the university",
"the acceptance of donations places a university under a special obligation to the donor",
"the university should be more grateful to donors with a long history of financial supp... | 1 | train_1985 |
Godinez: In the past, land was sometimes measured by the amount of time required to plow it. Thus, two plots of equal physical dimensions were considered unequal if one was more difficult to plow than the other. However, knowing how long an area takes to plow reveals little about how many apartment complexes it can hol... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion drawn in Godinez's argument? | [
"Some plots of land that would have been considered unequal by plowing-time measurements are of equal physical dimensions.",
"The advent of diversified land uses made new measures of land necessary.",
"Modem measures of land were adopted when people realized that plowing time was an inadequate measure for some ... | 1 | train_1986 |
Wild cheetahs live in the African grasslands. Previous estimates of the size that the wild cheetah population must be in order for these animals to survive a natural disaster in the African grasslands region were too small, and the current population barely meets the previous estimates. At present, however, there is no... | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following conclusions? | [
"The principal threat to the endangered wild cheetah population is neither pollution nor hunting, but a natural disaster.",
"Previous estimates of the size of the existing wild cheetah population were inaccurate.",
"The cheetah's natural habitat is decreasing in size at a faster rate than is the size of the wil... | 3 | train_1987 |
A survey of historians shows that most believe written texts to be the best source for historical understanding. None of the historians regarded painting, architecture, music, dance, or culinary arts as the best source for historical understanding. So these historians neglect many important repositories of historical k... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument takes for granted that | [
"something other than written texts is the best source for historical understanding",
"there are no sources for historical understanding that are neither considered best by historians nor neglected by them",
"the other sources for historical understanding mentioned by the historians surveyed are not important r... | 1 | train_1988 |
The male sage grouse has air sacs that, when not inflated, lie hidden beneath the grouse' s neck feathers. During its spring courtship ritual, the male sage grouse inflates these air sacs and displays them to the female sage grouse. Some scientists hypothesize that this courtship ritual serves as a means for female sag... | Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the scientists' hypothesis? | [
"When diseased male sage grouse were treated with antibiotics, they were not selected by female sage grouse during the courtship ritual.",
"The sage grouse is commonly afflicted with a strain of malaria that tends to change as the organism that causes it undergoes mutation.",
"Some healthy male sage grouse do n... | 3 | train_1989 |
The local agricultural official gave the fruit growers of the District 10 Farmers' Cooperative a new pesticide that they applied for a period of three years to their pear orchards in place of the pesticide they had formerly applied. During those three years, the proportion of pears lost to insects was significantly les... | Each of the following, if true, weakens the official's argument EXCEPT: | [
"Some of the species of insects in District 10 that infest pear trees are water breeders, and the reservoirs and marshlands in this district have been shrinking rapidly over the past three years.",
"The amount of fruit that an orchard can potentially produce depends in part on how many mature trees it contains, a... | 1 | train_1990 |
If newly hatched tobacco hornworms in nature first feed on plants from the nightshade family, they will not eat leaves from any other plants thereafter. However, tobacco hornworms will feed on other sorts of plants if they feed on plants other than nightshades just after hatching. To explain this behavior, scientists h... | Which one of the following, if true, adds the most support for the hypothesis? | [
"Indioside D is not the only chemical that occurs only in nightshade plants.",
"Tobacco hornworm eggs are most commonly laid on nightshade plants.",
"Tobacco hornworms that first fed on nightshade leaves show no preference for any one variety of nightshade plant over any other.",
"If taste receptors are remov... | 3 | train_1991 |
Notice to subscribers: In order for us to provide you with efficient and reliable newspaper service, please note the following policies. You will be billed for home delivery every four weeks, in advance. If you do not receive delivery, call us promptly to receive a replacement copy. Credit can be given only if the miss... | The Daily Gazette If The Daily Gazette denies each of the following subscriber's requests, each of the denials could be justified solely on the basis of the policy stated above EXCEPT: | [
"Mr. Rathanan did not send in his advance payment two weeks ago; he states that his inaction was intended as cancellation and requests that he not be charged for the past two weeks of delivery of The Daily Gazette.",
"Ms. Silverman was out of town on Sunday and Monday and when she returned on Tuesday she found th... | 3 | train_1992 |
Sanderson intentionally did not tell his cousin about overhearing someone say that the factory would close, knowing that if he withheld this information, his cousin would assume it would remain open. Clearly this was morally wrong. After all, lying is morally wrong. And making a statement with the intention of misleadi... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"Sanderson believed that the factory would in fact be closing.",
"Sanderson had something to gain by his cousin's continuing to believe that the factory would remain open.",
"Sanderson would have lied to his cousin if his cousin had asked him whether the factory would be closing.",
"No one ever told Sanderson... | 0 | train_1993 |
Sviatovin is a medieval Moringian text whose author and exact date of composition are unknown. However, the events in the life of Prince Sviatov that the text describes occurred in 1165, and in the diagram of Sviatov' s family that accompanies the text his father, who died in 1167, is identified as still living. Thus S... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"Sviatovin was not written by Sviatov's father himself",
"the life of Prince Sviatov is not the subject of any other medieval Moringian texts",
"the author of Sviatovin intended it to provide as accurate a report about Prince Sviatov's exploits as possible",
"the diagram accurately represents the composition ... | 3 | train_1994 |
One method of dating the emergence of species is to compare the genetic material of related species. Scientists theorize that the more genetically similar two species are to each other, the more recently they diverged from a common ancestor. After comparing genetic material from giant pandas, red pandas, raccoons, coat... | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the passage? | [
"Giant pandas and red pandas are more closely related than scientists originally thought they were.",
"Scientists now count the giant panda as the eighth species of bear.",
"It is possible to determine, within a margin of just a few years, the timing of divergence of various species.",
"Scientists have found ... | 3 | train_1995 |
Researcher: Overhearing only one side of a cell-phone conversation diverts listeners' attention from whatever they are doing. Hearing only part of a conversation leaves listeners constantly trying to guess what the unheard talker has just said. Listeners' attention is also diverted because cell-phone talkers speak abno... | The researcher's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"The risk that a driver will cause an accident is increased when the driver is talking on a cell phone.",
"People who overhear one side of a cell-phone conversation inevitably lose track of their thoughts.",
"When a driver hears a passenger in the driver 's vehicle talking on a cell phone, that detracts from th... | 2 | train_1996 |
Botanist: In an experiment, scientists raised domesticated radishes in a field with wild radishes, which are considered weeds. Within several generations, the wild radishes began to show the same flower color as the domesticated ones. This suggests that resistance to pesticides, which is often a genetically engineered ... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the botanist's argument? | [
"It is more difficult for flower color to be transferred between domesticated and wild radishes than it is for almost any other trait to be passed between any two similarly related plant species.",
"When the ratio of domesticated radishes to wild radishes in the field increased, the speed with which the flower co... | 0 | train_1997 |
A coffee manufacturer wants more restaurant chains to serve its brands of coffee. The manufacturer is considering a plan to offer its coffee to large chains at a significantly lower price, at least for a certain period. This lower price initially will reduce the manufacturer' s profits, but they hope to get into enough... | In evaluating the plan's chances of success, it would be most helpful to know which of the following? | [
"Whether the prices of some mixes of coffee will be discounted more than the prices of others.",
"Whether an alternate plan would allow the coffee manufacturer to take greater profits from the restaurant chains to which it currently provides coffee.",
"Whether their discounted price is lower than the prices of ... | 2 | train_1998 |
A company that produces men' s cologne had been advertising the product in general-circulation magazines for several years. Then one year the company decided to advertise its cologne exclusively in those sports magazines with a predominantly male readership. That year the company sold fewer bottles of cologne than it h... | Which one of the following, if true, best helps to explain why the sale of the company's cologne dropped that year? | [
"The general-circulation magazines in which the company had placed its advertisements experienced a large rise in circulation recently.",
"Successful advertisements for men's cologne often feature well-known athletes.",
"Most men do not wear cologne on a regular basis.",
"Women often buy cologne as gifts for ... | 3 | train_1999 |
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