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During the 1980' s Japanese collectors were very active in the market for European art, especially as purchasers of nineteenth-century Impressionist paintings. This striking pattern surely reflects a specific preference on the part of many Japanese collectors for certain aesthetic attributes they found in nineteenth-ce... | Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the explanation above? | [
"Several nineteenth-century Impressionist painters adopted certain techniques and visual effects found in Japanese prints that are highly esteemed in Japan.",
"Impressionist paintings first became popular among art collectors in Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century.",
"During the 1980s, the Japanese... | 0 | train_2000 |
Well-intentioned people sometimes attempt to resolve the marital problems of their friends. But these attempts are usually ineffectual and thereby foster resentment among all parties. Thus, even well-intentioned attempts to resolve the marital problems of friends are usually unjustified. | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most strongly supports the reasoning above? | [
"The intentions of an action are irrelevant to whether or not that action is justified.",
"One should get involved in other people's problems only with the intention of producing the best overall consequences.",
"No actions based on good intentions are justified unless they also result in success.",
"Interper... | 2 | train_2001 |
Since 1945 pesticide use in the United States has increased tenfold despite an overall stability in number of acres planted. During the same period, crop loss from insects has approximately doubled, from about seven to thirteen percent. | Which one of the following, if true, contributes most to explaining the paradoxical findings above? | [
"Extension agents employed by state governments to advise farmers have recently advocated using smaller amounts of pesticide, though in past years they promoted heavy pesticide use.",
"While pesticide-resistant strains of insects were developing, crop rotation, which for insects disrupts a stable food supply, was... | 1 | train_2002 |
Anne: Halley' s Comet, now in a part of its orbit relatively far from the Sun, recently flared brightly enough to be seen by telescope. No comet has ever been observed to flare so far from the Sun before, so such a flare must be highly unusual. Sue: Nonsense. Usually no one bothers to try to observe comets when they ar... | Sue challenges Anne's reasoning by | [
"presenting evidence that directly contradicts Anne's evidence",
"offering an alternative explanation for the evidence Anne cites",
"undermining some of Anne's evidence while agreeing with her conclusion",
"pointing out that Anne's use of the term \"observed\" is excessively vague"
] | 1 | train_2003 |
Price: A corporation' s primary responsibility is to its shareholders. They are its most important constituency because they take the greatest risks. If the corporation goes bankrupt, they lose their investment. Albrecht: Shareholders typically have diversified investment portfolios. For employees, however, the well-be... | On the basis of their statements, Price and Albrecht are committed to disagreeing about whether | [
"corporations are responsible for the welfare of their employees",
"the livelihood of some of the shareholders depends on the corporation's success",
"a corporation's shareholders have more at stake than anyone else does in the corporation's success or failure",
"means should be provided for a corporation's i... | 2 | train_2004 |
1990 editorial: Local pay phone calls have cost a quarter apiece ever since the 1970s, when a soft drink from a vending machine cost about the same. The price of a soft drink has more than doubled since, so phone companies should be allowed to raise the price of pay phone calls too. | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the editorial's argument? | [
"A pay phone typically cost less than a soft- drink machine in the 1970s.",
"Between the 1970s and 1990 the cost of ingredients for soft drinks increased at a greater rate than the cost of telephone equipment.",
"Technological advances made telephone equipment more sophisticated between the 1970s and 1990.",
... | 1 | train_2005 |
Consumer: If you buy a watch at a department store and use it only in the way it was intended to be used, but the watch stops working the next day, then the department store will refund your money. So by this very reasonable standard, Bingham' s Jewelry Store should give me a refund even though they themselves are not ... | The consumer's argument relies on the assumption that | [
"a seller should refund the money that was paid for a product if the product does not perform as the purchaser expected it to perform",
"the consumer did not use the watch in a way contrary to the way it was intended to be used",
"a watch bought at a department store and a watch bought at Bingham's Jewelry Stor... | 1 | train_2006 |
Catmull: Although historians consider themselves to be social scientists, different historians never arrive at the same conclusions about specific events of the past. Thus historians never determine what actually happened; like novelists, they merely create interesting fictional stories about the many different problem... | The reasoning in Catmull's argument is flawed because the argument | [
"presumes, without providing justification, that unless historians' conclusions are objectively true, they have no value whatsoever",
"bases its conclusion on premises that contradict each other",
"draws a conclusion that simply restates a claim presented in support of that conclusion",
"concludes, solely on ... | 3 | train_2007 |
Lawmaker: Raising taxes is not the only means of reducing government debt. The government' s stockpile of helium is worth 25 percent more, at current market prices, than the debt accumulated in acquiring and storing it. Ttherefore, by selling the helium, the government can not only pay off that debt but reduce its over... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Attempts to sell the government's helium will not depress the market price of helium by more than 25 percent.",
"It is not in the lawmaker's interest to advocate raising taxes as a means of reducing government debt.",
"Twenty-five percent of the debt the government has accumulated in stockpiling helium is not ... | 0 | train_2008 |
At a gathering at which bankers, athletes, and lawyers are present, all of the bankers are athletes and none of the lawyers are bankers. | If the statements above are true, which one of the following statements must also be true? | [
"Some of the lawyers are not athletes.",
"Some of the athletes are not lawyers.",
"None of the lawyers are athletes.",
"All of the athletes are bankers."
] | 1 | train_2009 |
In most industrial waste products that contain the toxic chemical XTX, the concentration of this chemical is approximately 1, 000 parts per million. A federal law intended to reduce the harm that can result from the introduction of XTX into the environment permits a company to dispose of these waste products in a dump ... | Which one of the following, if true, argues most strongly for the inclusion of the antidilution provision of the law? | [
"Most owners of dumps for hazardous waste are willing to accept XTX for disposal in their facilities only in concentrations below 800 parts per million.",
"If present in the environment in sufficient quantities, the diluted XTX is as harmful as the more concentrated XTX.",
"If improperly incinerated, waste prod... | 1 | train_2010 |
If the recording now playing on the jazz program is really "Louis Armstrong recorded in concert in 1989, " as the announcer said, then Louis Armstrong was playing some of the best jazz of his career years after his death. Since the trumpeter was definitely Louis Armstrong, somehow the announcer must have gotten the dat... | The pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following arguments? | [
"This painting titled La Toilette is Berthe Morisot's La Toilette only if a painting can be in two museums at the same time. Since nothing can be in two places at once, this painting must some how have been mistitled.",
"Only if a twentieth-century Mexican artist painted in Japan during the seventeenth century ca... | 1 | train_2011 |
Curator: Since ancient times, the fine arts were developed and sustained with the aid of large subsidies from the aristocracies and religious institutions that were the public sectors of their day; it is doubtful that the arts would have survived without these subsidies. Clearly, contemporary societies should fulfill t... | The curator's argument depends on assuming which one of the following? | [
"In contemporary societies, aristocracies and religious institutions are not willing to help finance the fine arts.",
"Maintenance, advancement, and enrichment of the fine arts in any era require governmental subsidies.",
"If contemporary governments help to maintain and enrich the fine arts, private support fo... | 3 | train_2012 |
Standard aluminum soft-drink cans do not vary in the amount of aluminum that they contain. Fifty percent of the aluminum contained in a certain group (M) of standard aluminum soft-drink cans was recycled from another group (L) of used, standard aluminum softdrink cans. Since all the cans in L were recycled into cans in... | The conclusion of the argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"The aluminum in the cans of M cannot be recycled further.",
"None of the soft-drink cans in group L had been made from recycled aluminum.",
"Aluminum soft-drink cans are more easily recycled than are soft-drink cans made from other materials.",
"All of the aluminum in an aluminum can is recovered when the ca... | 3 | train_2013 |
The percentage of households with an annual income of more than $40, 000 is higher in Merton county than in any other county. However, the percentage of households with an annual income of $60, 000 or more is highest in Sommer county. | If the statements above are true, which of the following can properly be concluded on the basis of them? | [
"Some households in Merton county have an annual income between $40, 000 and $60, 000.",
"No household in Merton county has an annual income of $60, 000 or more.",
"The percentage of households with an annual income of $80, 000 is higher in Sommer than in Merton county.",
"The number of households with an ann... | 0 | train_2014 |
Columnist: Almost anyone can be an expert, for there are no official guidelines determining what an expert must know. Anybody who manages to convince some people of his or her qualifications in an area -- whatever those may be -- is an expert. | The columnist's conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Every expert has convinced some people of his or her qualifications in some area.",
"Convincing certain people that one is qualified in an area requires that one actually be qualified in that area.",
"Some experts convince everyone of their qualifications in almost every area.",
"Almost anyone can convince s... | 3 | train_2015 |
A new law gives ownership of patents-documents providing exclusive right to make and sell an invention-to universities, not the government, when those patents result from government-sponsored university research. Administrators at Logos University plan to sell any patents they acquire to corporations in order to fund p... | Which of the following, if true, would cast the most doubt on the viability of the college administrators' plan described above? | [
"Government-sponsored research conducted at Logos University for the most part duplicates research already completed by several profit-making corporations.",
"Profit-making corporations interested in developing products based on patents held by universities are likely to try to serve as exclusive sponsors of ongo... | 0 | train_2016 |
In Asia, where palm trees are nonnative, the trees' flowers have traditionally been pollinated by hand, which has kept palm fruit productivity unnaturally low. When weevils known to be efficient pollinators of palm flowers were introduced into Asia in 1980, palm fruit productivity increased-by up to 50 percent in some ... | Which of the following statements, if true, would best explain the 1984 decrease in productivity? | [
"Prices for palm fruit fell between 1980 and 1984 following the rise in production and a concurrent fall in demand.",
"Prior to 1980 another species of insect pollinated the Asian palm trees, but not as efficiently as the species of weevil that was introduced in 1980.",
"Rapid increases in productivity tend to ... | 2 | train_2017 |
Even though trading in ivory has been outlawed by international agreement, some piano makers still use ivory, often obtained illegally, to cover piano keys. Recently, experts have devised a synthetic ivory that, unlike earlier ivory substitutes, has found favor with concert pianists throughout the world. But because pi... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to strengthen the argument? | [
"The most common use for natural ivory is in ornamental carvings, which are prized not only for the quality of their workmanship but also for the authenticity of their materials.",
"The new synthetic ivory can be manufactured to resemble in color and surface texture any of the various types of natural ivory that ... | 0 | train_2018 |
Consumer: The latest Chintan Report suggests that Omkar prepackaged meals are virtually devoid of nutritional value. But the Chintan Report is commissioned by Dilip Foods, Omkar' s largest corporate rival, and early drafts of the report are submitted for approval to Dilip Foods' public relations department. Because of ... | The reasoning in the consumer's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"treats evidence that there is an apparent bias as evidence that the Chintan Report's claims are false",
"presumes, without providing justification, that Dilip Foods' public relations department would not approve a draft of a report that was hostile to Dilip Foods' products",
"fails to take into account the pos... | 0 | train_2019 |
The number of aircraft collisions on the ground is increasing because of the substantial increase in the number of flights operated by the airlines. Many of the fatalities that occur in such collisions are caused not by the collision itself, but by an inherent flaw in the cabin design of most aircraft, in which seats, ... | Which one of the following, if true, provides the most support for the proposal? | [
"The number of deaths that occurred in theater fires because theater patrons could not escape was greatly reduced when theaters were required to have aisles leading to each exit.",
"In the event of fire, public buildings equipped with smoke detectors have fewer fatalities than do public buildings not so equipped.... | 0 | train_2020 |
Editorial: A recent survey shows that 77 percent of people feel that crime is increasing and that 87 percent feel the judicial system should be handing out tougher sentences. Ttherefore, the government must firmly address the rising crime rate. | The reasoning in the editorial's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"presumes, without providing justification, that there is a correlation between criminal offenders being treated leniently and a high crime rate",
"fails to distinguish between the crime rate's actually rising and people's believing that the crime rate is rising",
"presumes, without providing justification, tha... | 1 | train_2021 |
Few animals brave the midday heat of the Sahara desert. An exception is the silver ant, which chooses this time of day to leave its nest and scout for food, typically the corpses of heat-stricken animals. Even the silver ant, however, must be careful: at such times they can become victims of the heat themselves. | Which one of the following, if true, LEAST helps to explain the silver ant's choice of scavenging times? | [
"The chief predators of the silver ant must take cover from the sun during midday.",
"The cues that silver ants use to navigate become less reliable as the afternoon progresses.",
"Silver ants cool themselves by climbing onto small pieces of dried vegetation to take advantage of random light breezes.",
"Other... | 2 | train_2022 |
Cezanne' s art inspired the next generation of artists, twentieth-century modernist creators of abstract art. While most experts rank Cezanne as an early modernist, a small few reject this idea. Fran^oise Cachin, for example, bluntly states that such an ascription is "overplayed, " and says that Cezanne' s work is "too... | Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"Cezanne was an early creator of abstract art.",
"Modern art owes less to Cezanne than many experts believe.",
"Cezanne's work helped to develop modernism.",
"Cezanne's work tends to be misinterpreted as modernist."
] | 2 | train_2023 |
Letter to the editor: According to last Thursday' s editorial, someone who commits a burglary runs almost no risk of being caught. This is clearly false. Police reports show that at least 70 percent of people who commit crimes are caught. All burglars are criminals, so although some burglars will undoubtedly escape, a ... | Which one of the following arguments exhibits a flawed pattern of reasoning parallel to that exhibited in the argument that a large percentage of burglars will be caught? | [
"Since a large percentage of professional persons have changed their careers, and since career changes require new training, all professional persons who have changed their careers required new training.",
"A large percentage of professional persons are self-employed. Thus, since nurses are professional persons, ... | 1 | train_2024 |
North American eastern white cedars grow both on cliff faces and in forests. Cedars growing on exposed cliff faces receive very few nutrients, and rarely grow bigger than one-tenth the height of cedars growing in forests, where they benefit from moisture and good soil. Yet few eastern white cedars found in forests are ... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the difference in the ages of the cedars on cliff faces and those in forests? | [
"Trees that are older than a few hundred years start to lose the protective outer layer of their bark.",
"The conditions on cliff faces are similar to those in most other places where there are few tall trees.",
"In areas where eastern white cedars grow, forest fires are relatively frequent, but fires cannot re... | 2 | train_2025 |
Challenger: The mayor claims she has vindicated those who supported her in the last election by fulfilling her promise to increase employment opportunities in our city, citing the 8 percent increase in the number of jobs in the city since she took office. But during her administration, the national government relocated... | As a response to the challenger, the mayor's answer is flawed in that it | [
"does not consider whether the number of unemployed persons within the city represents more than 8 percent of the eligible voters",
"explicitly attributes to the challenger beliefs that the challenger has neither asserted nor implied",
"fails to address the challenger's objection that the 8 percent increase did... | 2 | train_2026 |
Elena: The best form of government is one that fosters the belief among its citizens that they have a say in how the government is run. Thus, democracy is the best form of government. Marsha: But there are many forms of government under which citizens can be manipulated into believing they have a say when they don' t. | Marsha's claim that it is possible for governments to manipulate people into thinking that they have a say when they do not is used to | [
"suggest that the premise Elena uses to support her conclusion could be used to support a conflicting conclusion",
"concur with Elena's claim that democracy is the best form of government",
"reject Elena's conclusion that the best form of government is democracy",
"support Marsha's unstated conclusion that th... | 0 | train_2027 |
The quality of unrefined olive oil is not actually defined in terms of acidity, yet extensive tests have shown that the less free oleic acid an unrefined olive oil contains per liter, the higher its quality. The proportion of free oleic acid that an olive oil contains is an accurate measure of the oil' s acidity. | If the statements above are all true, which of the following conclusions is best supported by them ? | [
"Free oleic acid is the only acid that unrefined olive oil contains.",
"When an olive oil is refined, the concentration of oleic acid in the oil is reduced.",
"The quality of an unrefined olive oil can be determined only by accurately measuring its acidity.",
"If an unrefined olive oil is intermediate in acid... | 3 | train_2028 |
Most of the students who took Spanish 101 at the university last semester attended every class session. However, each student who received a grade lower than B minus missed at least one class session. | Which one of the following statements about the students who took Spanish 101 at the university last semester can be properly inferred from the information above? | [
"Most, if not all, of the students who missed at least one class session received a grade lower than B minus.",
"At least some of the students who received a grade of A minus or higher attended every class session.",
"More than half of the students received a grade of B minus or higher.",
"Most of the student... | 2 | train_2029 |
Country X' s recent stock-trading scandal should not diminish investors' confidence in the country's stock market. For one thing, <b> the discovery of the scandal confirms that Country X has a strong regulatory system </b>, as the following considerations show. In any stock market, some fraudulent activity is inevitabl... | In the argument, the portion in boldface plays which of the following roles? | [
"It is the argument's main conclusion and is supported by another explicitly stated conclusion for which further support is provided.",
"It is a compound statement containing both the argument's main conclusion and an assumption used to support that conclusion.",
"It is a conclusion for which the argument provi... | 2 | train_2030 |
Naturalist: For decades we have known that the tuatara, a New Zealand reptile, have been approaching extinction on the South Island. But since South Island tuatara were thought to be of the same species as North Island tuatara there was no need to protect them. But new research indicates that the South Island tuatara a... | Which one of the following principles most helps to justify the naturalists' argumentation? | [
"In order to maximize the number of living things on Earth, steps should be taken to preserve all local populations of animals.",
"Human activities that either intentionally or unintentionally threaten the survival of an animal species ought to be curtailed.",
"The threat of local extinction imposes no obligati... | 2 | train_2031 |
Ringtail opossums are an Australian wildlife species that is potentially endangered. A number of ringtail opossums that had been orphaned and subsequently raised in captivity were monitored after being returned to the wild. Seventy-five percent of those opossums were killed by foxes, a species not native to Australia. ... | Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the conservationists' argument? | [
"Ringtail opossums that grow to adulthood in the wild defend themselves against foxes no more successfully than do ringtail opossums raised in captivity.",
"Foxes, which were introduced into Australia over 200 years ago, adapted to the Australian climate less successfully than did some other foreign species.",
... | 0 | train_2032 |
Wind farms, which generate electricity using arrays of thousands of wind-powered turbines, require vast expanses of open land. County X and County Y have similar terrain, but the population density of County X is significantly higher than that of County Y. Ttherefore, a wind farm proposed for one of the two counties sh... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the planner's argument? | [
"Some of the electricity generated by wind farms in County Y would be purchased by users outside the county.",
"Wind farms require more land per unit of electricity generated than does any other type of electrical-generation facility.",
"Nearly all of County X's population is concentrated in a small part of the... | 2 | train_2033 |
The goblin fern, which requires a thick layer of leaf litter on the forest floor, is disappearing from North American forests. In spots where it has recently vanished, the leaf litter is unusually thin and, unlike those places where this fern still thrives, is teeming with the European earthworm Lumbricus rubellus, whi... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"None of the earthworms that are native to North America eat leaf litter.",
"Wherever there is a thick layer of leaf litter in North American forests, goblin ferns can be found.",
"L. rubellus does not favor habitats where the leaf litter layer is considerably thinner than what is required by goblin ferns.",
... | 2 | train_2034 |
Substantial economic growth must be preceded by technological innovations that expanding industries incorporate into their production or distribution procedures. Since a worldwide ban on the use of fossil fuels would surely produce many technological innovations, it is obvious that such a ban would be followed by an ec... | Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the argument's reasoning? | [
"The argument confuses a necessary condition for a phenomenon with a sufficient condition for that phenomenon .",
"The argument assumes the truth of the conclusion for which it purports to be providing evidence.",
"The argument attempts to establish the falsehood of a proposition by criticizing the reasoning of... | 0 | train_2035 |
Not all certified loan consultants have college degrees. Ttherefore, although every loan consultant at the local bank is certified, it must be the case that not all the loan consultants at the local bank have college degrees. | The flawed pattern of reasoning exhibited by the argument above is most similar to that exhibited by which of the following? | [
"Although some paintings created by great artists remain unfinished, all paintings in this museum were done by great artists. Ttherefore, some of the paintings in this museum are unfinished.",
"All government agencies are large, but not all government agencies are well funded. Ttherefore, large government agencie... | 0 | train_2036 |
Dr. Godfrey: Now that high school students are allowed to work more than 15 hours per week at part-time jobs, those who actually do so show less interest in school and get lower grades than those who do not work as many hours at part-time jobs. Obviously, working long hours at part-time jobs during the school year cont... | The answer to which one of the following would be the most helpful in determining whether the conclusion that Dr. Godfrey draws could be logically defended against Dr. Nash's counterargument? | [
"whether people who have had academic problems in high school are ultimately less successful in their careers than people who have not had such problems",
"whether employers and high school students typically obey all the laws that regulate the conditions under which young people may legally be employed",
"whet... | 3 | train_2037 |
Studies have shown that highway drivers are less likely to drive at speeds greater than the posted speed limit if houses or buildings are in some way visible from the road. Assuming similar car, road and traffic conditions, highway drivers are more likely to drive at speeds in excess of the posted speed limit if the na... | Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the psychologists' interpretation of the study? | [
"Highway drivers passing a large plowed and cultivated field are more likely to obey the speed limit than those passing a large field of wild flowers.",
"Highway police officers are more densely located close to towns and cities, and ttherefore most citations for speeding are issued in these locations.",
"Drive... | 0 | train_2038 |
Because a large disparity in pay between the public and private sectors has developed in recent years, many experienced and extremely capable government administrators have quit their posts and taken positions in private-sector management. Government will be able to recapture these capable administrators by raising sal... | The position taken above presupposes which one of the following? | [
"If the disparity in pay between government administration and private-sector management increases, administrators will move to the public sector in large numbers.",
"Experience gained from private-sector management will be very valuable in government administration.",
"People who moved from jobs in government ... | 2 | train_2039 |
Robyn: A new line of designer imposter cosmetics could be very successful in certain markets. Manufacturers developing a new line of designer imposter cosmetics should focus on matching the packaging of the new line as closely as possible to the name brand cosmetic because the packaging is a significant part of brand r... | The claim that generic food brands whose packaging closely resembles the name brand versions are not successful at luring the name brand products' customers unless the quality of the product is the same plays which one of the following roles in Linda's argument? | [
"It provides background information related to manufacturing generic cosmetic lines.",
"It provides a specific example that illustrates her general claim.",
"It is a secondary conclusion used to support the main conclusion.",
"It is the main conclusion of her argument."
] | 1 | train_2040 |
Many professional economists describe economics as a science. Sciences, however, are by definition non-normative: they describe but they do not prescribe. Yet economists are often called on to recommend a course of action for governments and financial institutions. Ttherefore, since economists play a prescriptive role ... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"attacks the proponents of a claim rather than addressing the merits of the claim itself",
"overlooks the necessity of divisions of labor within society",
"fails to recognize the significance of the distinction between a discipline and the people who work within that discipline",
"insists on a change in termi... | 2 | train_2041 |
Generally scientists enter their field with the goal of doing important new research and accept as their colleagues those with similar motivation. Ttherefore, when any scientist wins renown as an expounder of science to general audiences, most other scientists conclude that this popularizer should no longer be regarded... | The explanation offered above for the low esteem in which scientific popularizers are held by research scientists assumes that | [
"serious scientific research is not a solitary activity, but relies on active cooperation among a group of colleagues",
"research scientists believe that those who are well known as popularizers of. science are not motivated to do important new research",
"a scientist can become a famous popularizer without hav... | 1 | train_2042 |
Various studies have concluded that song overlapping, the phenomenon where one bird begins a song while another of its species is singing, is a signal of aggression. These studies are based solely on receiver-response tests, which seek to derive conclusions about the intent of a signal based on how others respond to it... | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"receiver-response tests can provide no insight into bird behavior",
"the conclusion of these studies is unconvincing",
"song overlapping is likely not a signal of aggression",
"birds do not respond in a predictable manner to signals of aggression"
] | 1 | train_2043 |
A recent survey conducted in one North American city revealed widespread concern about the problems faced by teenagers today. Seventy percent of the adults surveyed said they would pay higher taxes for drug treatment programs, and 60 percent said they were willing to pay higher taxes to improve the city' s schools. Yet... | Which one of the following factors, if true, would LEAST contribute to an explanation of the discrepancy described above? | [
"Many of the people who were surveyed did not respond truthfully to all of the questions put to them.",
"A proposition for increasing funds for local drug treatment centers also failed to win approval.",
"The proposition to raise taxes for schools was couched in terminology that many of the voters found confusi... | 1 | train_2044 |
When hypnotized subjects are told that they are deaf and are then asked whether they can hear the hypnotist, they reply, "No. " Some theorists try to explain this result by arguing that the selves of hypnotized subjects are dissociated into separate parts, and that the part that is deaf is dissociated from the part tha... | Which of the following challenges indicates the most serious weakness in the attempted explanation described above? | [
"Why does the part that replies not answer, \"Yes\"?",
"Why do the subjects appear to accept the hypnotist's suggestion that they are deaf?",
"Why do hypnotized subjects all respond the same way in the situation described?",
"Why are the observed facts in need of any special explanation?"
] | 0 | train_2045 |
With a record number of new companies starting up in Derderia, and with previously established companies adding many new jobs, a record number of new jobs were created last year in the Derderian economy. This year, previously established companies will not be adding as many new jobs overall as such companies added last... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? | [
"This year, the new companies starting up will not provide substantially more jobs per company than did new companies last year.",
"The number of people seeking employment is no larger this year than it was last year.",
"In a given year, new companies starting up create more new jobs on average than do previous... | 0 | train_2046 |
Linda: The governor' s proposal to raise taxes to improve carpool lanes is unjust. Why should commuters who never use carpool lanes be forced to subsidize them? Mario: You are mistaken. The state government has always designated more funding to noncarpool lanes. The additional revenue raised from the tax increase will ... | Mario uses which of the following argumentative strategies in answering Linda? | [
"pointing out that his opponent's arguments are based on self-contradictory premises",
"expanding the context of the problem in order to make the governor's proposal appear more equitable",
"disagreeing that arbitrary concerns like fairness are relevant to the discussion",
"arguing that programs that benefit ... | 1 | train_2047 |
With seventeen casinos, Moneyland operates the most casinos in a certain state. Although intent on expanding, it was outmaneuvered by Apex Casinos in negotiations to acquire the Eldorado chain. To complete its acquisition of Eldorado, Apex must sell five casinos to comply with a state law forbidding any owner to operat... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the prediction? | [
"Moneyland already operates casinos in the majority of the state's counties.",
"Apex, Eldorado, and Moneyland are the only organizations licensed to operate casinos in the state.",
"Apex will use funds it obtains from the sale of the five casinos to help fund its acquisition of the Eldorado chain.",
"Some of ... | 1 | train_2048 |
The more demand there is for something, the easier it is to sell. Any junkyard will buy a used car that is less than ten years old, because the parts can easily be resold. However, because there is little demand for car parts that are ten years old or older, junkyards tend not to buy those cars. Thus, used cars that ar... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"The salability of something is not influenced by any factors other than the level of demand for it.",
"All used cars that are ten years old or older are sold to junkyards.",
"When determining the selling price of cars less than ten years old, the lack of demand would not be offset by a lack of supply.",
"The... | 3 | train_2049 |
It is easy to see that the board of directors of the construction company is full of corruption and should be replaced. There are many instances of bribery by various persons on the staff of board member Wagston that are a matter of public record. These bribes perniciously influenced the awarding of government contract... | The argument's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that | [
"the argument fails to show that corruption is not limited to Wagston's staff",
"the argument presumes without giving justification that all of Wagston's staff have engaged in corruption",
"the argument attempts to deflect attention away from substantive issues by attacking the character of the board",
"the a... | 0 | train_2050 |
The water of Lake Laberge, in Canada, currently contains high levels of the pesticide toxaphene. Authorities are puzzled because toxaphene was banned in North America in the early 1980s and now is used only in a few other parts of the world. | Which one of the following, if true, does most to explain why the water of Lake Laberge currently contains high levels of toxaphene? | [
"North American manufacturers opposed banning toxaphene.",
"Levels of pesticides in the environment often continue to be high for decades after their use ends.",
"Toxic chemicals usually do not travel large distances in the atmosphere.",
"Toxic chemicals become more readily detectable once they enter organism... | 1 | train_2051 |
Scientist: The FDA is yet to weigh in on the effects of electronic cigarettes on long-term health. Electronic cigarettes heat up a liquid and produce the vapor inhaled by the user. The liquid consists of vegetable glycerin and propylene glycerol at varying ratios. Artificial flavoring is also added to the liquid. Altho... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the scientist's main point? | [
"The FDA is inefficient and ineffective at protecting public health.",
"Although all of the information is not yet available, electronic cigarettes are promising alternatives to tobacco since the former does not produce tar.",
"Smokers should quit tobacco and start using electronic cigarettes.",
"Tar is the r... | 1 | train_2052 |
One way to furnish a living room is with modular furniture. Instead of buying a standard sofa, for example, one can buy a left end, a right end, and a middle piece that can be combined to create an L-shaped sofa. Modular furniture, however, is far more expensive than standard furniture. On average, a three-piece modula... | Each of the following, if true, helps to account for the greater cost of modular furniture EXCEPT: | [
"Modular sofas, on average, have a greater area of upholstered surfaces than do standard sofas.",
"Modular furniture, unlike standard furniture, is not mass-produced.",
"The consumer demand for sofas sometimes increases more quickly than the supply.",
"Because modular furniture pieces are custom ordered, they... | 2 | train_2053 |
Economist: Historically, sunflower seed was one of the largest production crops in Kalotopia, and it continues to be a major source of income for several countries. The renewed growing of sunflowers would provide relief to Kalotopia' s farming industry, which is quite unstable. Further, sunflower oil can provide a vari... | The economist's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"Stabilizing Kalotopia's farming industry would improve the economy without damaging the environment.",
"Kalotopia's farming industry would be better off now if it had never ceased to grow any of the crops that historically were large production crops.",
"Kalotopia's farming industry will deteriorate if sunflow... | 3 | train_2054 |
Since 1995, Congress has exempted oil companies that have leases issued by the federal government allowing them to drill for deep-water oil off the Gulf of Mexico from royalty payments as an incentive to spur development in times of low oil and gas prices. These leases were supposed to have included a provision that re... | Which of the following statements best reflects the position of the oil company executives? | [
"Opportunity seldom knocks twice.",
"One man's loss is another man's gain.",
"You don't change the rules in the middle of the game.",
"Revenge is so sweet."
] | 2 | train_2055 |
The administration at a certain university has explained this year' s tuition increase by citing increased spending on faculty salaries and on needbased aid to students. However, this year' s budget indicated that faculty salaries constitute a small part of the university' s expenditure, and the only significant increa... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument that the administration's explanation is not believable? | [
"Faculty salaries at the university have increased in line with the national average, and substantial cuts in government student-loan programs have caused financial difficulties for many students at the university.",
"Of the substantial items in the budget, the greatest increase was in administrative costs, facil... | 1 | train_2056 |
Researcher: We have found that some cases of high blood pressure can be treated effectively with medicine. Since it is generally accepted that any illness caused by stress is treatable only by the reduction of stress, some cases of high blood pressure must not be caused by stress. | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the researcher's argument? | [
"Some conditions that are treated effectively by medicines are not also treatable through the reduction of stress.",
"The reduction of stress in a person's life can at times lower that person's blood pressure.",
"Reduced stress does not reduce a person's responsiveness to medicine used to treat high blood press... | 3 | train_2057 |
Critic to economist: In yet another of your bumbling forecasts, last year you predicted that this country' s economy would soon go into recession if current economic policies were not changed. Instead, economic growth is even stronger this year. Economist: There was nothing at all bumbling about my warning. Indeed, it ... | The economist responds to the critic by | [
"offering a particular counterexample to a general claim asserted by the critic",
"indicating that the state of affairs on which the economist's prediction was conditioned did not obtain",
"distinguishing between a prediction that has not yet turned out to be correct and one that has turned out to be incorrect"... | 1 | train_2058 |
Junior biomedical researchers have long assumed that their hirings and promotions depend significantly on the amount of their published work. People responsible for making hiring and promotion decisions in the biomedical research field, however, are influenced much more by the overall impact that a candidate' s scienti... | The information above, if accurate, argues most strongly against which of the following claims? | [
"Even biomedical researchers who are just beginning their careers are expected already to have published articles of major significance to the field.",
"Biomedical researchers can substantially increase their chances of promotion by fragmenting their research findings so that they are published in several journal... | 1 | train_2059 |
Economist: Unemployment will soon decrease. If total government spending significantly increases next year, the economy will be stimulated in the short term and unemployment will decrease. If, on the other hand, total government spending significantly decreases next year, businesses will retain more of their earnings i... | The conclusion drawn by the economist is properly inferred if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Government officials are currently implementing policies that are intended to reduce unemployment.",
"If there is a significantly increased demand for workers, then there will be a significant decrease in unemployment.",
"If the economy is not stimulated and businesses do not retain more of their earnings, the... | 3 | train_2060 |
In Europe, many large animal species, such as mammoths, became extinct soon after humans first migrated to the animals' areas of habitation. The spread of such extinctions closely followed the pattern of human migration. However, since humans tended to migrate to areas as the climate in those areas began to warm, the e... | Which of the following, if true, provides the best evidence that it was human migration and not climatic change that precipitated the extinctions? | [
"Several periods of marked climatic warming have occurred in Europe, during which many large animal species that lived there became extinct.",
"Many animal species, such as deer and bison, continued to thrive in Europe even after humans migrated there.",
"Many animal species that became extinct in Europe surviv... | 2 | train_2061 |
The use of phrases like "as so-and-so said" or "as the saying goes" suggests that the quote that follows has just been illustrated. Such phrases are inappropriately used when an apparent counterexample has just been given. | Which one of the following contains an inappropriate usage of a phrase, according to the principle stated above? | [
"The best model of vacuum cleaner was the most expensive on the market, but it would have made Roger unhappy to purchase it. For although he never wanted anything but the best, he was also quite frugal, and would never have forgiven himself for spending the money. As the saying goes, \"A penny saved is a penny earn... | 3 | train_2062 |
Dr. Bradshaw: Gastric bypass surgery will provide sustained health and weight-loss benefits in morbidly obese patients, since it allows morbidly obese patients to have the size of their stomachs reduced to allow them to consume less food, and also allows food to bypass part of the small intestine, ensuring that fewer c... | Which one of the following is the point at issue between Dr. Bradshaw and Dr. Hobbes? | [
"whether the technology of gastric bypass surgery will benefit patients in the long run",
"whether gastric bypass surgery in general is more beneficial to health than other health care plans",
"whether gastric bypass surgery should be used for all morbidly obese patients",
"whether gastric bypass surgery is l... | 0 | train_2063 |
Archaeologists working in the Andes Mountains recently excavated a buried 4, 000-year-old temple containing structures that align with a stone carving on a distant hill to indicate the direction of the rising sun at the summer solstice. Alignments in the temple were also found to point toward the position, at the summe... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument is based? | [
"In the region around the temple, the summer solstice marks the time for planting.",
"The constellation known as the Fox has the same position at the summer solstice as it did 4, 000 years ago.",
"Other structural alignments at the temple point to further constellations with agricultural significance.",
"The ... | 1 | train_2064 |
Any student who is not required to hand in written homework based on the reading assignments in a course will not complete all of the reading assignments. Even highly motivated students will neglect their reading assignments if they are not required to hand in written homework. Ttherefore, if the students in a course a... | The conclusion of the argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Any student who completes all of the reading and written assignments for a course will earn a high grade in that course.",
"No student who completes anything less than all of the reading assignments for a course will earn a high grade for that course.",
"All highly motivated students who complete all of the re... | 1 | train_2065 |
All works of art are beautiful and have something to teach us. Thus, since the natural world as a whole is both beautiful and instructive, it is a work of art. | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"uses the inherently vague term \"beautiful\" without providing an explicit definition of that term",
"concludes, simply because an object possesses two qualities that are each common to all works of art, that the object is a work of art",
"attempts to establish an evaluative conclusion solely on the basis of c... | 1 | train_2066 |
The current proposal to give college students a broader choice in planning their own courses of study should be abandoned. The students who are supporting the proposal will never be satisfied, no matter what requirements are established. Some of these students have reached their third year without declaring a major. On... | A flaw in the argument is that it does which one of the following? | [
"distorts the proposal advocated by opponents",
"avoids the issue by focusing on supporters of the proposal",
"uses the term \"student\" equivocally",
"argues circularly by assuming the conclusion is true in stating the premises"
] | 1 | train_2067 |
Reconstructing ships so that they have a double hull can protect them from serious damage in the roughly 20 percent of shipping accidents that unavoidably result from severe weather conditions. Avoidable human error, however, causes about 80 percent of shipping accidents. It would ttherefore be far more cost-effective ... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Reconstructing ships would provide protection from damage in accidents caused by human error.",
"One should always try to reduce the severity of the damage caused by each individual accident rather than try to minimize the number of accidents.",
"The least expensive course of action in the long term is the one... | 3 | train_2068 |
Although the earliest surviving Greek inscriptions written in an alphabet date from the eighth century B. C. , <b> the fact that the text of these Greek inscriptions sometimes runs from right to left and sometimes from left to right </b> indicates that the Greeks adopted alphabetic writing at least two centuries before... | In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first and the second each describe evidence that has been used to challenge the position that the argument seeks to establish.",
"The first provides evidence in support of the position that the argument seeks to establish; the second is that position.",
"The first is evidence that forms the basis for an ob... | 3 | train_2069 |
The expansion of large-scale farming in Africa and Asia has destroyed much of the natural vegetation on which elephants have historically depended, forcing them to turn to cultivated land to satisfy their enormous appetites. As a result, farmers have lost millions of dollars worth of crops annually. Yet even if elephan... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument below? | [
"when elephants forage for food, they typically travel in herds.",
"Elephants tend to prefer cultivated crops to wild vegetation as a food source.",
"Some of the land where crops have suffered extensive damage from elephants has been allowed to return to its natural state.",
"Elephant sanctuaries are usually ... | 1 | train_2070 |
Aid workers have worried that residents of the Eastern Gobi Refugee Camp might be at risk for beriberi, a severe deficiency of Thiamine, a B vitamin. <b> Thiamine is found in high concentrations in cereal grains, and many of the residents have grain free diets because of allergies. </b> Doctors and nutritionists assign... | In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is evidence that seems to contradict the conclusion of the argument; the second is that conclusion.",
"The first is evidence in support of the conclusion of the argument; the second is evidence that contradicts the conclusion of the argument.",
"The first is evidence in support of the conclusion of t... | 0 | train_2071 |
After the first bite, the Mystery Recipe Contest judge has detected cumin, red pepper flakes, and lemon grass in the winning dish. These seasonings have a tendency to be potent, producing distinct flavors. Since the quantity of any seasoning in a recipe depends directly on how potent that seasoning tastes in the dish, ... | The judge's argument relies on which of the following assumptions? | [
"The winning dish contains at least one other seasoning ingredient besides cumin, lemon grass, and red pepper flakes.",
"The judge was unable to detect any other seasonings in the winning dish.",
"The bite that the judge took was representative of the whole dish.",
"Recipes that contain cumin generally contai... | 2 | train_2072 |
A society in which there are many crimes, such as thefts and murders, should not be called "lawless. " That is an abuse of the meaning of words. As a suffix, "-less" means "without, " so "lawless" means "without laws. " However, a society that has no laws has no crimes, because no laws can be broken. A lawless society ... | If the statements in the passage are true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"A society that has many laws has many crimes.",
"A society that has some crimes has some laws.",
"A society that has no crimes has no laws.",
"A society that has many crimes has many laws."
] | 1 | train_2073 |
The "suicide wave" that followed the United States stock market crash of October 1929 is more legend than fact. Careful examination of the monthly figures on the causes of death in 1929 shows that the number of suicides in October and in November was comparatively low. In only three other months were the monthly figure... | Which one of the following, if true, would best challenge the conclusion of the passage? | [
"Because of seasonal differences, the number of suicides in October and November of 1929 would not be expected to be the same as those for other months.",
"During the years surrounding the stock market crash, suicide rates were typically lower at the beginning of any calendar year than toward the end of that year... | 3 | train_2074 |
Naresh: In the near future we will be able to construct machines capable of conversing as humans do. Teaching computers English syntax is not as problematic as once thought, and we are making great strides in discovering what background knowledge these machines will require. Ashok: But being able to converse as humans ... | Naresh and Ashok most clearly disagree on whether | [
"there will ever be a computer capable of conversing as humans do",
"only humans communicate emotional and confused knowledge",
"computers will become more adept at communicating emotional and confused knowledge",
"in the near future humans and machines will be able to converse with one another"
] | 0 | train_2075 |
Expert witness: Ten times, and in controlled circumstances, a single drop of the defendant' s blood was allowed to fall onto the fabric. And in all ten cases, the stained area was much less than the expected 9. 5 cm2. In fact, the stained area was always between 4. 5 and 4. 8 cm2. I conclude that a single drop of the d... | Which one of the following, if true, most undermines the value of the evidence for the expert witness's conclusion? | [
"Expert witnesses have sometimes been known to fudge their data to accord with the prosecution's case.",
"Not all expert witnesses are the authorities in their fields that they claim to be.",
"If similar results had been found after 100 test drops of the defendant's blood, the evidence would be even stronger.",... | 3 | train_2076 |
According to a government official involved in overseeing airplane safety during the last year, over 75 percent of the voice-recorder tapes taken from small airplanes involved in relatively minor accidents record the whistling of the pilot during the fifteen minutes immediately preceding the accident. Even such minor a... | The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"ignores the fact that in nearly one-quarter of these accidents following the recommendation would not have improved passengers' safety",
"fails to specify the percentage of all small airplane flights that involve relatively minor accidents",
"provides no information about the percentage of all small airplane f... | 2 | train_2077 |
Computer modeling of reasoning tasks is far easier than computer modeling of other cognitive tasks, such as the processing of sense images. Computers can defeat chess champions, but cannot see. So, it appears that we understand the analytical capabilities of our minds much better than we understand our senses. | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning above? | [
"The degree of difficulty of constructing computer models of cognitive tasks is a good index of the degree of difficulty of performing those tasks.",
"A computer's defeat of a chess champion should count as an indication that the computer possesses true intelligence.",
"The less difficult it is to construct a c... | 2 | train_2078 |
The public is aware of the possibility of biases in the mass media and distrusts the media as too powerful. The body of information against which the public evaluates the plausibility of each new media report comes, however, from what the public has heard of through the mass media. | If the view above is correct, it provides a reason for accepting which one of the following conclusions? | [
"News reporters and their public hold largely the same views about what is most important in society, because news reporters come out of that society.",
"The biases that news media impose on reporting tend not to be conscious distortions but rather part of a sense they share about what is interesting and believab... | 2 | train_2079 |
Certain genetically modified strains of maize produce a powerful natural insecticide. The insecticide occurs throughout the plant, including its pollen. Maize pollen is dispersed by the wind and frequently blows onto milkweed plants that grow near maize fields. Caterpillars of monarch butterflies feed exclusively on mi... | Which of the following would it be most useful to determine in order to evaluate the argument? | [
"Whether the natural insecticide is as effective against maize-eating insects as commercial insecticides typically used on maize are",
"Whether monarch butterfly caterpillars are actively feeding during the part of the growing season when maize is releasing pollen",
"Whether insects that feed on genetically mod... | 1 | train_2080 |
The people most likely to watch a televised debate between political candidates are the most committed members of the electorate and thus the most likely to have already made up their minds about whom to support. Furthermore, following a debate, uncommitted viewers are generally undecided about who won the debate. Henc... | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism because the argument fails to consider the possibility that | [
"people's voting behavior may be influenced in unpredictable ways by comments made by the participants in a televised debate",
"people who are committed to a particular candidate will vote even if their candidate is perceived as having lost a televised debate",
"the voting behavior of people who do not watch a ... | 2 | train_2081 |
Over the last 25 years, the average price paid for a new car has steadily increased in relation to average individual income. This increase indicates that individuals who buy new cars today spend, on average, a larger amount relative to their incomes buying a car than their counterparts did 25 years ago. | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument? | [
"Allowing for inflation, average individual income has significantly declined over the last 25 years.",
"There has been a significant increase over the last 25 years in the proportion of individuals in households with more than one wage earner.",
"During the last 25 years, annual new-car sales and the populatio... | 3 | train_2082 |
Voting records regularly show that people over 65 vote in the highest percentages while young adults are least likely to vote. This indicates that citizens are becoming increasingly disconnected from the political system with each passing generation. | The argument's reasoning is questionable in that the argument | [
"overlooks the possibility that voting patterns among age groups will change in the future",
"compares an early stage of one generation to a later stage of another",
"fails to take into account the relative sizes of the generations compared",
"confuses the cause of an effect with the effect itself"
] | 1 | train_2083 |
A park' s user fees are employed to maintain the park. When fewer people use the park, it suffers less wear. Thus raising user fees improves park maintenance even if the number of people who stop using the park because of higher fees is great enough to reduce the revenues devoted to maintenance. | Which one of the following conforms most closely to the principle illustrated by the statements above? | [
"By spending more on zoo maintenance, a city increases the number of zoo patrons. The extra revenue generated by the sale of memorabilia more than makes up for the extra costs of maintenance.",
"Road taxes are raised to encourage more people to use mass transit. But since the fee paid by each commuter does not eq... | 3 | train_2084 |
Alan: Government subsidies have been proposed in Cariana to encourage farmers in Rochelle, the country' s principal agricultural region, to implement certain new farming techniques. Unless these techniques are implemented, erosion of productive topsoil cannot be controlled. Unfortunately, farmers cannot afford to shoul... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which Betty's argument depends? | [
"Building a dam across Rochelle's major river will not reduce any recurrent flooding that occurs in regions of Cariana other than Rochelle.",
"The cost to the government of Cariana to operate the hydroelectric dam will not be greater than the projected cost of subsidizing the farmers of Rochelle in the implementa... | 2 | train_2085 |
Residents at a retirement community always play card games for two hours, starting at 3: 00 p. m. every afternoon. Although it is clear that the residents take pleasure in this activity, they never continue their games for longer than two hours. Caregivers assume that since card games require great concentration and st... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously calls into question the caregivers' explanation? | [
"Experts have proven that playing card games has tremendous health benefits for elderly people.",
"Residents at the retirement community are served dinner at 5:00 p. m. every evening.",
"Playing bingo takes just as much concentration and causes equal strain on the eyes as card games.",
"Most of the residents ... | 1 | train_2086 |
Any fruit that is infected is also rotten. No fruit that was inspected is infected. Ttherefore, any fruit that was inspected is safe to eat. | The conclusion of the argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"It is safe to eat any fruit that is uninfected.",
"It is not safe to eat any fruit that is rotten.",
"It is not safe to eat any fruit that is infected.",
"It would have been safe to eat infected fruit if it had been inspected."
] | 0 | train_2087 |
Television network executive: Some scientists have expressed concern about the numerous highly popular television programs that emphasize paranormal incidents, warning that these programs will encourage superstition and thereby impede the public' s scientific understanding. But these predictions are baseless. Throughou... | The television network executive's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? | [
"It fails to consider that one phenomenon can steadily advance even when it is being impeded by another phenomenon.",
"It fails to consider that the occurrence of one phenomenon can indirectly affect the pervasiveness of another even if the former does not impede the latter.",
"It fails to consider that just be... | 0 | train_2088 |
Most of the employees of the Compujack Corporation are computer programmers. Since most computer programmers receive excellent salaries from their employers, at least one Compujack employee must receive an excellent salary from Compujack. | Which one of the following arguments exhibits a flawed pattern of reasoning most similar to the flawed pattern of reasoning exhibited by the argument above? | [
"Most of Molly's classmates are gardeners with a great deal of patience. Since most of Molly's classmates are women, at least one female classmate of Molly's must be a gardener with a great deal of patience.",
"Most gardeners are people with a great deal of patience. Since most of Molly's classmates are gardeners... | 1 | train_2089 |
According to promotional material published by the city of Springfield, more tourists stay in hotels in Springfield than stay in the neighboring city of Harristown. A brochure from the largest hotel in Harristown claims that more tourists stay in that hotel than stay in the Royal Arms Hotel in Springfield. If both of t... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument below? | [
"some hotels in Harristown have fewer tourist guests each year than the Royal Arms Hotel has",
"more tourists stay in hotel accommodations in Harristown than stay in the Royal Arms Hotel",
"the Royal Arms Hotel is the only hotel in Springfield",
"some of the tourists who have stayed in hotels in Harristown ha... | 2 | train_2090 |
Extinction is inevitable for all biological species. In fact, the vast majority of all species that have ever lived are now extinct. Since all species die out eventually, there is no justification for trying to protect species that are presently endangered, even those that can be saved from extinction now. | The reasoning in the argument above is most closely paralleled by the argument that there is no reason to | [
"spend money on preventive maintenance of a car because no car can last indefinitely",
"look for a book in the library because it is sometimes checked out",
"take a route that will avoid the normal traffic jams because traffic jams can occur along any route",
"plant a flower garden in soil that is not benefic... | 0 | train_2091 |
It is theoretically possible that bacteria developed on Mars early in its history and that some were carried to Earth by a meteorite. However, strains of bacteria from different planets would probably have substantial differences in protein structure that would persist over time, and no two bacterial strains on Earth a... | The argument is most vulnerable to which of the following criticisms? | [
"It fails to consider whether all bacteria now on Earth could have arisen from transported Martian bacteria.",
"It fails to consider whether there could have been strains of bacteria that originated on Earth and later died out.",
"It fails to consider whether there were means other than meteorites by which Mart... | 0 | train_2092 |
In Brindon County, virtually all of the fasteners-such as nuts, bolts, and screws-used by workshops and manufacturing firms have for several years been supplied by the Brindon Bolt Barn, a specialist wholesaler. In recent months many of Brindon County' s workshops and manufacturing firms have closed down, and no new on... | The argument depends on assuming which of the following? | [
"The workshops and manufacturing firms that have remained open have a smaller volume of work to do this year than they did last year.",
"Last year the Brindon Bolt Barn's sales volume and revenue were significantly higher than they had been the previous year.",
"The Brindon Bolt Barn is not a company that gets ... | 2 | train_2093 |
Studies show that the most creative engineers get their best and most useful ideas only after doodling and jotting down what turn out to be outlandish ideas. Now that many engineers do their work with computers instead of on paper, however, doodling is becoming much less common, and some experts fear that the result wi... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the experts' reasoning depends? | [
"No engineers who work with computers keep paper and pencils near their computers in order to doodle and jot down ideas.",
"The physical act of working on paper is not essential in providing engineers with the benefits that can be gained by doodling.",
"Simulated notepads would not be used by engineers for any ... | 1 | train_2094 |
University budget committee: Athletes experience fewer injuries on artificial-turf athletic fields than on natural-grass fields. Additionally, natural-grass fields are more expensive to maintain than fields made of artificial turf. Nevertheless, this committee recommends replacing the university' s current artificial-t... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the committee's position? | [
"The university's current artificial-turf athletic field has required extensive maintenance since its original installation.",
"Maintaining artificial-turf fields involves the occasional replacement of damaged sections of turf, whereas natural-grass fields require daily watering and periodic fertilization.",
"M... | 2 | train_2095 |
Copyright laws protect the rights of writers to profits earned from their writings, whereas patent laws protect inventors' rights to profits earned from their inventions. In Jawade, when computer-software writers demanded that their rights to profit be protected, the courts determined that information written for a mac... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Computer-software writers are not an influential enough group in Jawade for the government to consider modifying existing copyright laws in order to protect this group's profit rights.",
"No laws exist, other than copyright laws and patent laws, that would protect the profit rights of computer-software writers i... | 1 | train_2096 |
Although Pluto has an atmosphere and is much larger than any asteroid, Pluto is not a true planet. Pluto formed in orbit around the planet Neptune and was then ejected from orbit around Neptune when Triton, Neptune' s largest moon, was captured by Neptune' s gravity. | The conclusion of the argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"If Pluto had not been ejected from its orbit around Neptune, Pluto would not have its current orbit around the sun and would still be a moon.",
"For a celestial body to be a true planet it must have formed in orbit around the sun exclusively.",
"No celestial body can simultaneously be a moon and a planet.",
... | 1 | train_2097 |
Polling data reveal that an overwhelming majority of nine-year-olds can correctly identify the logos of major cigarette brands. However, of those nine-year-olds who recognize such logos, less than 1 percent smoke. Ttherefore, there is little or no connection between recognition of cigarette brand logos and smoking. | Which one of the following uses flawed reasoning most similar to the flawed reasoning above? | [
"A large percentage of men exercise moderately throughout their lives, but the average life span of those who do so is not significantly greater than of those who get little or no exercise. So there is little or no correlation between moderate exercise and good health.",
"The concern about the long-term effect on... | 1 | train_2098 |
Gigantic passenger planes currently being developed will have enough space to hold shops and lounges in addition to passenger seating. However, the additional space will more likely be used for more passenger seating. The number of passengers flying the air-traffic system is expected to triple within 20 years, and it w... | Which one of the following most accurately states the conclusion drawn in the argument? | [
"Gigantic planes currently being developed will have enough space in them to hold shops and lounges as well as passenger seating.",
"The additional space in the gigantic planes currently being developed is more likely to be filled with passenger seating than with shops and lounges.",
"The number of passengers f... | 1 | train_2099 |
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