context stringlengths 94 1.14k | question stringlengths 24 342 | answers listlengths 4 4 | label int64 0 3 | id_string stringlengths 7 10 |
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While the total enrollment of public elementary and secondary schools in Sondland is one percent higher this academic year than last academic year, the number of teachers there increased by three percent. Thus, the Sondland Education Commission' s prediction of a teacher shortage as early as next academic year is unfou... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the claim that the prediction of a teacher shortage as early as next academic year is unfounded? | [
"Because of reductions in funding, the number of students enrolling in teacher-training programs in Sondland is expected to decline beginning in the next academic year.",
"Funding for public elementary schools in Sondland is expected to increase over the next ten years.",
"A new law has mandated that there be t... | 2 | train_2200 |
Some political thinkers hope to devise a form of government in which every citizen' s rights are respected. But such a form of government is impossible. For any government must be defined and controlled by laws that determine its powers and limits; and it is inevitable that some individuals will learn how to interpret ... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"In any form of government, if anybody gains a greater share of political power than others have, then somebody's rights will be violated.",
"A government can ensure that every citizen's rights are respected by keeping the citizens ignorant of the laws.",
"In any form of government that leads to unequal distrib... | 0 | train_2201 |
Researcher: People who participate in opinion surveys often give answers they believe the opinion surveyor expects to hear, and it is for this reason that some opinion surveys do not reflect the actual views of those being surveyed. However, in well-constructed surveys, the questions are worded so as to provide respond... | The reasoning in the researcher's argument is questionable in that the argument overlooks the possibility that | [
"an opinion survey that disguises the surveyor's expectations may be flawed in a number of ways, some of which have nothing to do with the surveyor's expectations",
"some people who know what answers an opinion surveyor expects to hear will purposefully try to thwart the surveyor's expectations",
"many opinion ... | 3 | train_2202 |
John: In 80 percent of car accidents, the driver at fault was within five miles of home, so people evidently drive less safely near home than they do on long trips. Judy: But people do 80 percent of their driving within five miles of home. | How is Judy's response related to John's argument? | [
"It suggests that John's conclusion is merely a restatement of his argument's premise.",
"It restates the evidence that John presents in different terms.",
"It gives additional evidence that is needed by John to support his conclusion.",
"It shows that the evidence that John presents, by itself, is not enough... | 3 | train_2203 |
Newspaper editors should not allow reporters to write the headlines for their own stories. The reason for this is that, while the headlines that reporters themselves write are often clever, what typically makes them clever is that they allude to little-known information that is familiar to the reporter but that never a... | Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"The reporter who writes a story is usually better placed than the reporter's editor is to judge what 'the story's most newsworthy features are.",
"Most reporters rarely bother to find out how other reporters have written stories and headlines about the same events that they themselves have covered.",
"The kind... | 2 | train_2204 |
Myrna: People should follow diets in which fat represents no more than 30 percent of total calories, not the 37 percent the average diet in this country contains. Roland: If everyone in the country followed your recommendation during his or her entire life, just 0. 2 percent would lengthen their lives at all, and then ... | Myrna responds to Roland by | [
"showing that the factors considered by Roland are not the only ones relevant in evaluating her recommendation",
"demonstrating that the statistics used by Roland to dispute her recommendation are inaccurate",
"pointing out that Roland's argument assumes the very proposition it sets out to prove",
"disputing ... | 0 | train_2205 |
The highest-ranking detectives in the city' s police department are also the most adept at solving crimes. Yet in each of the past ten years, the average success rate for the city' s highest-ranking detectives in solving criminal cases has been no higher than the average success rate for its lowest-ranking detectives. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox? | [
"The police department generally give the criminal cases that it expects to be the easiest to solve to its lowest-ranking detectives.",
"It generally takes at least ten years for a detective to rise from the lowest to the highest ranks of the city's detective force.",
"None of the lowest-ranking detectives in t... | 0 | train_2206 |
Engineer: Wide roads free of obstructions have been shown to encourage drivers to take more risks. Likewise, a technical fix to slow or reverse global warming by blocking out a portion of the sun' s rays would encourage more carbon dioxide emissions, which might cause more global warming in the future. | The engineer's argument can most reasonably be interpreted as invoking which one of the following principles? | [
"Problems created by humans require human-created solutions.",
"Conditions that create a feeling of security also encourage risk taking.",
"Technical fixes cannot discourage risk-taking behavior.",
"Technical fixes are inevitably temporary."
] | 1 | train_2207 |
Employee: My boss says that my presentation to our accounting team should have included more detail about profit projections. But people' s attention tends to wander when they are presented with too much detail. So, clearly my boss is incorrect. | The reasoning in the employee's argument is flawed because the argument | [
"infers a generalization based only on a single case",
"fails to consider that an audience's attention might wander for reasons other than being presented with too much detail",
"confuses two distinct meanings of the key term \"detail\"",
"fails to distinguish between more of something and too much of it"
] | 3 | train_2208 |
Albert: Swenson' s popular book, which argues that sun exposure does not harm skin cells, is a model of poor scholarship. Nonetheless, it is valuable because it has stimulated new research on sun exposure. Yvonne: You' re kidding me! You might as well say that a virus is valuable because it stimulates epidemiologists. | The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Albert and Yvonne disagree over whether | [
"sun exposure harms skin cells",
"something that does not stimulate new research can have value",
"Swenson's book should be considered valuable",
"Swenson's book is a model of poor scholarship"
] | 2 | train_2209 |
Political candidates' speeches are loaded with promises and with expressions of good intention, but one must not forget that the politicians' purpose in giving these speeches is to get themselves elected. Clearly, then, these speeches are selfishly motivated and the promises made in them are unreliable. | Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the argument above? | [
"The argument presumes, without providing justification, that promises made for selfish reasons are never kept.",
"The argument overlooks the fact that a candidate who makes promises for selfish reasons may nonetheless be worthy of the office for which he or she is running.",
"The argument presumes, without pro... | 3 | train_2210 |
High cholesterol levels are highly correlated with cardiovascular disease. In the Italian town of Limone, however, each of the residents has had high cholesterol levels for many years, and yet they have not developed cardiovascular disease. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the unusual health condition of the residents of Limone? | [
"The residents of Limone inherited from common ancestors a blood protein that prevents vascular blockage, which is a cause of cardiovascular disease.",
"Olive oil is a staple of the diet in some parts of Italy, but unlike butter, olive oil is a monosaturated fat, and monosaturated fats do not contribute to cardio... | 0 | train_2211 |
Several critics have claimed that any contemporary poet who writes formal poetry -- poetry that is rhymed and metered -- is performing a politically conservative act. This is plainly false. Consider Molly Peacock and Marilyn Hacker, two contemporary poets whose poetry is almost exclusively formal and yet who are themse... | The conclusion drawn above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"No one who is politically progressive is capable of performing a politically conservative act.",
"Anyone who sometimes writes poetry that is not politically conservative never writes poetry that is politically conservative.",
"The content of a poet's work, not the work's form, is the most decisive factor in de... | 0 | train_2212 |
It has long been thought that lizards evolved from a group of amphibians called anthracosaurs, no fossils of which have been found in any rocks older than 300 million years. However, a fossil of a lizard was recently found that is estimated to be 340 million years old. Lizards could not have evolved from creatures that... | An assumption made in the argument is that there are no | [
"unknown anthracosaur fossils older than 340 million years",
"known anthracosaur fossils that predate some lizard fossils",
"known lizard fossils that predate some anthracosaur fossils",
"unknown lizard fossils older than 340 million years"
] | 0 | train_2213 |
The law firm of Sutherlin, Perez, and Associates is one of the most successful law firms whose primary specialization is in criminal defense cases. In fact, the firm has a better than 90 percent acquittal rate in such cases. Dalton is an attorney whose primary specialization is in divorce cases, so Dalton certainly can... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"states a generalization based on a selection that is not representative of the group about which the generalization is supposed to hold true",
"takes a high rate of success among the members of a group to indicate that the successes are evenly spread among the members",
"concludes that someone is not a member ... | 2 | train_2214 |
In recent years, the Holdsville Transportation Authority (HTA) has noted consistent delays on its Holdsville-River Valley bus, which runs from downtown Holdsville to the suburb of River Valley. In order to decrease the commuting time from Holdsville to River Valley, the HTA recently eliminated the James Street stop on ... | Which of the following provides the best explanation for the increase in commuting time from Holdsville to River Valley? | [
"Almost all of the commuters who previously used the James Street stop now use the adjacent Green Street stop, causing overcrowding and excessive boarding and de-boarding delays at the Green Street stop.",
"The Holdsville-River Valley bus route runs along River Street, which is always congested with heavy automob... | 0 | train_2215 |
Carter: Our hypothesis is that drivers in rural areas are guilty of more frequently texting while driving compared to urban drivers, so we need to make sure our demographics survey includes a question about the subject' s town of residence' s population size. Olga: It' s doubtful that most people know the exact populat... | Which of the following principles, if valid, best justifies Olga's position? | [
"Subjects are less likely to answer survey questions accurately if they inquire about sensitive personal information.",
"Surveys that collect de mographic information about participants should be as detailed as possible to achieve the necessary information for the hypothesis.",
"Surveys that collect de mographi... | 2 | train_2216 |
Last year, the composite El-Hi education (CEHE) ranking for Silver County was its lowest score on record, since composite were first calculated in 1964. The CEHE ranking is a sophisticated weighed average of standardized testing results from Grade 1 to Grade 12. This year, the testing result for grades 1-6 in Silver Co... | In the argument, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is an objection that the main argument rejects; the second present a conclusion that could be drawn if that object were allowed to stand.",
"The first is a claim that has been advanced in support of a position the argument opposes; the second is a claim advanced in support of the main conclusions of th... | 3 | train_2217 |
Terry: If You want to get a decent job, you should go to college. Mark: That is not true. There are other reasons to go to college than wanting to get a good job. | Mark's response shows that he interpreted Terry's remarks to mean that | [
"all people who want decent jobs go to college",
"training for decent jobs is available only at colleges",
"college is one of many places to get trained for a job",
"wanting to get a decent job is the only reason for going to college"
] | 3 | train_2218 |
Many office buildings designed to prevent outside air from entering have been shown to have elevated levels of various toxic substances circulating through the air inside, a phenomenon known as sick building syndrome. Yet the air in other office buildings does not have elevated levels of these substances, even though t... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why not all office buildings designed to prevent outside air from entering have air that contains elevated levels of toxic substances? | [
"Certain adhesives and drying agents used in particular types of furniture, carpets, and paint contribute the bulk of the toxic substances that circulate in the air of office buildings.",
"The toxic substances that are found in the air of \"sick\" office buildings are substances that are found in at least small q... | 0 | train_2219 |
Environmentalist: Pollution from gasoline burned by cars contributes to serious environmental problems. But the cost of these problems is not reflected in gasoline prices, and hence usually does not affect consumers' decisions about how much to drive. Heavier taxes on gasoline, however, would reflect this cost, and as ... | The environmentalist's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"The cost of pollution from driving should not be reflected in the price of gasoline unless the amount of pollution produced would be reduced as a result.",
"The only cost considered by most consumers when they are deciding how much to drive is the cost of gasoline.",
"Consumers would purchase less gasoline, on... | 2 | train_2220 |
Psychologist: A study of 436 university students found that those who took short naps throughout the day suffered from insomnia more frequently than those who did not. Moreover, people who work on commercial fishing vessels often have irregular sleep patterns that include frequent napping, and they also suffer from ins... | The reasoning in the psychologist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"fails to consider the possibility that frequent daytime napping is an effect rather than a cause of insomnia",
"presumes, without providing justification, that university students suffer from insomnia more frequently than do members of the general population",
"presumes, without providing justification, that t... | 0 | train_2221 |
Essayist: Some researchers criticize British governmental security agencies for not releasing enough information about sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) made by these military and intelligence agencies. Requests for information by civilian researchers are brushed aside. This leads one to suspect that ther... | Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the essayist's argument? | [
"The British government would deny the requests by civilian researchers to have access to the data only if this government had something to hide.",
"The British government is less trusting of civilian researchers than it is of military researchers.",
"The British government would withhold information pertaining... | 2 | train_2222 |
Occultist: If there are ghosts, then they are supernatural beings. But science studies only natural phenomena. Ttherefore, there can be no scientific basis for criticizing the evidence that leads people to believe in ghosts. | The occultist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it takes for granted that | [
"other supernatural beings are not responsible for the evidence that leads people to believe in ghosts",
"people who believe in ghosts do so on the basis of evidence",
"the evidence that leads people to believe in ghosts cannot consist of natural phenomena",
"there are no methods for ascertaining the truth or... | 2 | train_2223 |
Scientist: There is a lot of concern that human behavior may be responsible for large-scale climate change. But this should be seen as more of an opportunity than a problem. If human behavior is responsible for climate change, then we can control future climate change to make it less extreme than previous climate shift... | The scientist's argument requires assuming which one of the following? | [
"At least some previous large-scale climate changes have been caused by human behavior.",
"Human beings can control the aspects of their behavior that have an impact on climate change.",
"It is easier to identify the human behaviors that cause climate change than it is to change those behaviors.",
"The same d... | 1 | train_2224 |
Typically during thunderstorms most lightning strikes carry a negative electric charge; only a few carry a positive charge. Thunderstorms with unusually high proportions of positive-charge strikes tend to occur in smoky areas near forest fires. The fact that smoke carries positively charged smoke particles into the air... | Which of the following, if discovered to be true, most seriously undermines the hypothesis? | [
"The positive-charge strikes that occur near forest fires tend to be no more powerful than positive strikes normally are.",
"Other kinds of rare lightning also occur with unusually high frequency in the vicinity of forest fires.",
"Thunderstorms that occur in drifting clouds of smoke have extra positive-charge ... | 2 | train_2225 |
Viewers surveyed immediately after the televised political debate last year between Lopez and Tanner tended to think that Lopez had made the better arguments, but the survey respondents who reported that Lopez' s arguments were better may have been biased in favor of Lopez. After all, Lopez eventually did win the elect... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the argument? | [
"Lopez won the election over Tanner by a very narrow margin.",
"Most of the viewers surveyed immediately prior to the debate said that they would probably vote for Tanner.",
"Most people in the live audience watching the debate who were surveyed immediately afterward said that they thought that Tanner was more ... | 1 | train_2226 |
If Juan went to the party, it is highly unlikely that Maria would have enjoyed the party. But in fact it turned out that Maria did enjoy the party; ttherefore, it is highly unlikely that Juan was at the party. | The pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following? | [
"This year's election will probably be fair. But Popov probably will not win unless the election is unfair. So, Popov will not win the election.",
"Kapinski, our new neighbor, is probably friendly, for Kapinski sells insurance and most people who sell insurance are friendly.",
"If Clarissa missed the bus today,... | 2 | train_2227 |
In countries in which new life-sustaining drugs cannot be patented, such drugs are sold at widely affordable prices; those same drugs, where patented, command premium prices because the patents shield patent-holding manufacturers from competitors. These facts show that future access to new life-sustaining drugs can be ... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"In some countries specific processes for the manufacture of pharmaceutical drugs can be patented even in cases in which the drugs themselves cannot be patented.",
"Countries that grant patents on life-sustaining drugs almost always ban their importation from countries that do not grant such patents.",
"Countri... | 3 | train_2228 |
The Sumpton town council recently voted to pay a prominent artist to create an abstract sculpture for the town square. Critics of this decision protested that town residents tend to dislike most abstract art, and any art in the town square should reflect their tastes. But a town council spokesperson dismissed this crit... | The statements above most strongly suggest that the main point of disagreement between the critics and the spokesperson is whether | [
"abstract sculptures by the same sculptor have truly been popular in other cities",
"it would have been reasonable to consult town residents on the decision",
"a more traditional sculpture in the town square would be popular among local residents",
"most Sumpton residents will find the new sculpture to their ... | 3 | train_2229 |
In a study conducted in Pennsylvania, servers in various restaurants wrote "Thank you" on randomly selected bills before presenting the bills to their customers. Tips on these bills were an average of three percentage points higher than tips on bills without the message. Ttherefore, if servers in Pennsylvania regularly... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? | [
"Virtually all patrons of the Pennsylvania restaurants in the study who were given a bill with \"Thank you\" written on it left a larger tip than they otherwise would have.",
"Regularly seeing \"Thank you\" written on their bills would not lead restaurant patrons to revert to their earlier tipping habits.",
"Th... | 1 | train_2230 |
Reza: Language requires the use of verbal signs for objects as well as for feelings. Many animals can vocally express hunger, but only humans can ask for an egg or an apple by naming it. And using verbal signs for objects requires the ability to distinguish these objects from other objects, which in turn requires conce... | If all of Reza's statements are true, then which one of the following must also be true? | [
"All humans are capable of conceptual thought.",
"Conceptual thought requires the use of verbal signs for objects.",
"Conceptual thought is required for language.",
"The vocal expressions of animals other than humans do not require conceptual thought."
] | 2 | train_2231 |
When the Hurricane Research Institute first determined that 2005 would be the most active hurricane season in recorded history, the researchers at the Institute alerted the federal government. The federal government sent out an alert to at risk communities within two weeks of receiving the alert from the Institute. Alt... | The conclusion above would be most undermined if it were true that | [
"because of the power and frequency of the hurricanes, the damage caused could not have been prevented",
"the damage from hurricanes in areas not at risk was negligible",
"hurricanes cannot be prevented",
"the federal government offered all available resources to help protect the communities"
] | 0 | train_2232 |
The government has no right to tax earnings from labor. Taxation of this kind requires the laborer to devote a certain percentage of hours worked to earning money for the government. Thus, such taxation forces the laborer to work, in part, for another' s purpose. Since involuntary servitude can be defined as forced wor... | The argument uses which one of the following argumentative techniques? | [
"citing the authority of an economic theory in order to justify a moral principle",
"inferring that since two institutions are similar in one respect, they are similar in another respect",
"deriving a general principle about the rights of individuals from a judgment concerning the obligations of governments",
... | 1 | train_2233 |
Reporter: A team of scientists has recently devised a new test that for the first time accurately diagnoses autism in children as young as 18 months old. When used to evaluate 16, 000 children at their 18-month checkup, the test correctly diagnosed all 10 children later confirmed to be autistic, though it also wrongly ... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the reporter's argument depends? | [
"There was no reliable evidence that autism could affect children so young until the advent of the new test.",
"The new test can be used to evaluate all children, regardless of the level of development of their verbal skills.",
"A diagnostic test that sometimes falsely gives a positive diagnosis can still provi... | 2 | train_2234 |
Conservationist: The risk to train passengers from collisions between trains using the train station and deer from the wildlife refuge is insignificant. In the 12 years since the refuge was established, only 15 trains have been damaged in collisions with deer, and no passenger has been injured as a result of such a col... | The conductor counters the conservationist by | [
"attempting to show that the conservationist's description of the facts is misleading",
"asserting that dangerous situations inevitably become more dangerous with the passage of time",
"discrediting the moral principle on which the conservationist's argument is based",
"questioning the conservationist's motiv... | 0 | train_2235 |
The lobbyist accused of offering a large cash bribe to the senator defended himself: "When I left the house that day, I was carrying no money with me, so I could not possibly have had anything to offer to the senator. Moreover, immediately before I met with the senator, I spent all my cash on lunch with a colleague at ... | This argument is most vulnerable to what criticism? | [
"It offers a conclusion that is no more than a paraphrase of one piece of the pieces of information provided in its support.",
"It presents as evidence in support of a claim information that is inconsistent with other evidence presented in support of the same claim.",
"It does not preserve the proper time relat... | 1 | train_2236 |
While it is true that bees' vision is well suited to the task of identifying flowers by their colors, it is probable that flowers developed in response to the type of vision that bees have, rather than bees' vision developing in response to flower color. | Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the statement above? | [
"Many insects that have vision very similar to that of bees do not depend on perceiving an object's color.",
"Present-day bees rely exclusively on flowers for their food.",
"The number of different species of flowers is greater than the number of different species of bees.",
"Many nonflowering plants rely on ... | 0 | train_2237 |
Columnist: The advent of television helps to explain why the growth in homicide rates in urban areas began significantly earlier than the growth in homicide rates in rural areas. Television sets became popular in urban households about five years earlier than in rural households. Urban homicide rates began increasing i... | Which one of the following, if true, most supports the columnist's argument? | [
"The portrayal of violence on television is a cause, not an effect, of the violence in society.",
"There were no violent television programs during the early years of television.",
"Increasing one's amount of leisure time increases one's inclination to act violently.",
"The earlier one is exposed to violence ... | 0 | train_2238 |
Economist: Although obviously cuts in personal income tax rates for the upper income brackets disproportionately benefit the wealthy, across-the-board cuts for all brackets tend to have a similar effect. Personal income tax rates are progressive (i. e. , graduated), and if total revenue remains constant, then across-th... | Which one of the following statements most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the economist's argument? | [
"It is the wealthy who are favored by generating a high amount of revenue through nonprogressive taxes.",
"Across-the-board personal income tax rate cuts generally benefit the wealthy more than they benefit others.",
"Across-the-board cuts in personal income tax rates do not generate enough additional economic ... | 1 | train_2239 |
Chiu: The belief that a person is always morally blameworthy for feeling certain emotions, such as unjustifiable anger, jealousy, or resentment, is misguided. Individuals are responsible for only what is under their control, and whether one feels such an emotion is not always under one' s control. | Chiu's conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"The emotions for which a person is most commonly blamed are those that are under that person's control.",
"Although a person may sometimes be unjustifiably angry, jealous, or resentful, there are occasions when these emotions are appropriate.",
"Individuals do not have control over their actions when they feel... | 3 | train_2240 |
A moderately large city is redesigning its central downtown area and is considering a plan that would reduce the number of lanes for automobiles and trucks and increase those for bicycles and pedestrians. The intent is to attract more workers and shoppers to downtown businesses by making downtown easier to reach and mo... | Which of the following would, if true, most strongly support the prediction that the plan would achieve its goal? | [
"Most people who prefer to shop at suburban malls instead of downtown urban areas do so because parking is easier and cheaper at the former.",
"If the proposed lane restrictions on drivers are rigorously enforced, more people will likely be attracted to downtown businesses than would otherwise be.",
"In other m... | 2 | train_2241 |
The use of money causes a civilization to decline. That this is true is shown by the way the troubles of Western civilization began with the invention of money. While real money (gold and silver) is bad enough, imitation money (paper money) is a horror. The decline of Western civilization exactly parallels the increasi... | Which one of the following, if true, could contribute most to a refutation of the argument? | [
"Eastern cultures have used money, and Eastern civilizations have not declined.",
"Some employers exchange goods for their employees' services in order to avoid the exchange of money.",
"People prefer using money to having a system in which goods are bartered for other goods of equal intrinsic value.",
"The r... | 0 | train_2242 |
If retail stores experience a decrease in revenues during this holiday season, then either attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed or prices have risen beyond the level most people can afford. If attitudes have changed, then we all have something to celebrate this season. If prices have risen beyond the l... | If salaries have kept pace with rising prices during the past year, which one of the following must be true? | [
"Attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed.",
"Prices in retail stores have not risen beyond the level that most people can afford during this holiday season.",
"Attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have not changed, and stores will not experience a decrease in revenues during this holiday seaso... | 1 | train_2243 |
Nearly everyone has complained of a mistaken utility bill that cannot easily be corrected or of computer files that cannot readily be retrieved. Yet few people today would tolerate waiting in long lines while clerks search for information that can now be found in seconds, and almost no one who has used a word processor... | The information above conforms most closely to which one of the following principles? | [
"The fact that people complain about some consequences of technology cannot be taken as a reliable indication that they would choose to live without it.",
"If people do not complain about some technology, then it is probably not a significant factor in their daily lives.",
"The complaints people make about tech... | 0 | train_2244 |
Raj: Dogs that have been traditionally used for violent tasks should not be kept as pets. Hardly a day goes by when the newspapers do not feature a story where a child has been mauled by a Pit Bull or a Rottweiler. These animals' innate desire to attack and guard make them an unmitigated danger to young children who mi... | The statement that Bloodhounds have been trained to not attack rabbits or squirrels plays which of the following roles in Melanie's argument? | [
"It offers a counterexample to illustrate the general conclusion.",
"It is offered as supplementary proof that no dogs have an innate desire to attack and guard.",
"It provides support for Melanie's argument that also inadvertently strengthens Raj's argument.",
"It offers a theory that harmonizes both the sta... | 0 | train_2245 |
In considering the fact that many people believe that promotions are often given to undeserving employees because the employees successfully flatter their supervisors, a psychologist argued that although many people who flatter their supervisors are subsequently promoted, flattery generally is not the reason for their ... | Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the psychologist's conclusion to be properly drawn? | [
"People in positions of responsibility expect to be flattered.",
"Official guidelines for granting promotion tend to focus on merit.",
"Supervisors are almost never influenced by flattery when they notice it.",
"Flattery that is not noticed by the person being flattered is ineffective."
] | 2 | train_2246 |
Despite improvements in treatment for asthma, the death rate from this disease has doubled during the past decade from its previous rate. Two possible explanations for this increase have been offered. First, the recording of deaths due to asthma has become more widespread and accurate in the past decade than it had bee... | Each of the following, if true, provides support to the argument EXCEPT: | [
"By temporarily relieving the symptoms of asthma, inhalers encourage sufferers to avoid more beneficial measures.",
"Evidence suggests that bronchial inhalers make the lungs more sensitive to irritation by airborne pollen.",
"Ten years ago bronchial inhalers were not available as an asthma treatment.",
"Urban... | 3 | train_2247 |
Teachers are effective only when they help their students become independent learners. Yet not until teachers have the power to make decisions in their own classrooms can they enable their students to make their own decisions. Students' capability to make their own decisions is essential to their becoming independent l... | According to the argument, each of the following could be true of teachers who have enabled their students to make their own decisions EXCEPT: | [
"Their students have not become independent learners.",
"They are not effective teachers.",
"They do not have the power to make decisions in their own classrooms.",
"They are effective teachers."
] | 2 | train_2248 |
A photograph of the night sky was taken with the camera shutter open for an extended period. The normal motion of stars across the sky caused the images of the stars in the photograph to appear as streaks. However, one bright spot was not streaked. Even if the spot were caused, as astronomers believe, by a celestial ob... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"the spot was not the brightest object in the photograph",
"the photograph contains many streaks that astronomers can identify as caused by noncelestial objects",
"the spot could have been caused by an object that emitted a flash that lasted for only a fraction of the time that the camera shutter was open",
"... | 2 | train_2249 |
A law that is not consistently enforced does not serve its purpose. Law without enforcement is not law; it is merely statute -- a promise of law. To institute real law is not merely to declare that such and such behavior is forbidden; it is also to punish those who violate that edict. Furthermore, those who enforce law... | The main point of the passage is that instituting real law consists in | [
"the exercise of power",
"understanding the purpose of law",
"clearly defining unacceptable behavior",
"the unbiased punishment of prohibited behavior"
] | 3 | train_2250 |
Neither a rising standard of living nor balanced trade, by itself, establishes a country's ability to compete in the international marketplace. Both are required simultaneously since standards of living can rise because of growing trade deficits and trade can be balanced by means of a decline in a country's standard of... | If the facts stated in the passage above are true, a proper test of a country's ability to be competitive is its ability to | [
"balance its trade while its standard of living falls",
"increase trade deficits while its standard of living rises",
"decrease trade deficits while its standard of living falls",
"balance its trade while its standard of living rises"
] | 3 | train_2251 |
Some music theorists argue that music can arouse pity in the listener. But since pity can be felt only when there is someone or something to be pitied, and since nothing but the music is available to be the object of the listener' s pity, if anything is pitiable, then it is the music itself. But it makes no sense to sa... | The pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following arguments? | [
"Some people claim that the quality of one's life can be estimated by summing all the positive aspects of one's life and subtracting all the negative aspects. This implies that it is possible to place a numerical value on such things as health and emotional well-being; but trying to put a numerical value on such th... | 0 | train_2252 |
Mayor: Four years ago, when we reorganized the city police department in order to save money, critics claimed that the reorganization would make the police less responsive to citizens and would thus lead to more crime. The police have compiled theft statistics from the years following the reorganization that show that ... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously challenges the mayor's argument? | [
"In other cities where police departments have been similarly reorganized, the numbers of reported thefts have generally risen following reorganization.",
"When city police are perceived as unresponsive, victims of theft are less likely to report thefts to the police.",
"The mayor's critics generally agree that... | 1 | train_2253 |
Political scientist: It is not uncommon for a politician to criticize his or her political opponents by claiming that their exposition of their ideas is muddled and incomprehensible. Such criticism, however, is never sincere. Political agendas promoted in a manner that cannot be understood by large numbers of people wi... | Which one of the following is the most accurate rendering of the political scientist's main conclusion? | [
"People who promote political agendas in an incomprehensible manner should be regarded as insincere.",
"Sincere critics of the proponents of a political agenda should not focus their criticisms on the manner in which that agenda is promoted.",
"A politician criticizing his or her political opponents for present... | 2 | train_2254 |
It is crucially important to farmers that the herbicides they use to control weeds do not damage their crops. One very effective herbicide is safe for corn, but soybeans are damaged even by the herbicide' s residue, which remains in the soil more than a year after the herbicide is applied. Soybeans and corn are not sow... | Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest justification for the farmers' reluctance? | [
"The demand for soybeans is growing faster than is the demand for corn.",
"To maintain the nutrients in the soil, corn and soybeans are often planted in a field in alternate years.",
"The residue of the herbicide in the soil a year after application is not enough to control most weeds effectively.",
"The appl... | 1 | train_2255 |
In a poll conducted by interviewing eligible voters in their homes just before the recent election, incumbent candidate Kenner was significantly ahead of candidate Muratori. Nonetheless, Muratori won the recent election. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy described by the statements above? | [
"In the year leading up to the election, Kenner was implicated in a series of political scandals.",
"In the poll, supporters of Muratori were more likely than others to describe the election as important.",
"Kenner had held elected office for many years before the recent election.",
"The positions taken by Mu... | 1 | train_2256 |
Studies have shown that the more high-stress points a bridge has, the more likely it is to fracture eventually. This might lead one to expect fractures to develop at high-stress points. Surprisingly, however, fractures develop not at high-stress points but elsewhere on the bridge. | Which one of the following, if true, contributes most to an explanation of why bridges fracture elsewhere than at high-stress points? | [
"Structures with no high-stress points can nonetheless have a high probability of fracturing.",
"Fractures do not develop at high-stress points, because bridges are reinforced at those points; however, stress is transferred to other points on the bridge where it causes fractures.",
"In many structures, the proc... | 1 | train_2257 |
Psychologist: It is well known that becoming angry often induces temporary incidents of high blood pressure. A recent study further showed, however, that people who are easily angered are significantly more likely to have permanently high blood pressure than are people who have more tranquil personalities. Coupled with... | Which one of the following would, if true, most weaken the psychologist's argument? | [
"The physiological factors that cause permanently high blood pressure generally make people quick to anger.",
"Those who are easily angered are less likely to recover fully from episodes of heart disease than are other people.",
"Those who discover that they have heart disease tend to become more easily frustra... | 0 | train_2258 |
In 1983 Argonia' s currency, the argon, underwent a reduction in value relative to the world' s strongest currencies. This reduction resulted in a significant increase in Argonia' s exports over 1982 levels. In 1987 a similar reduction in the value of the argon led to another increase in Argonia' s exports. Faced with ... | Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction that the finance minister's plan will not result in a significant increase in Argonia's exports next year? | [
"The value of the argon rose sharply last year against the world's strongest currencies.",
"All of Argonia's export products are made by factories that were operating at full capacity last year, and new factories would take years to build.",
"The value of Argonia's exports was lower last year than it was the ye... | 1 | train_2259 |
The seventeenth-century physicist Sir Isaac Newton is remembered chiefly for his treatises on motion and gravity. But Newton also conducted experiments secretly for many years based on the arcane theories of alchemy, trying unsuccessfully to transmute common metals into gold and produce rejuvenating elixirs. If the alc... | Which one of the following assumptions would allow the conclusion concerning eighteenth-century chemistry to be properly drawn? | [
"Scientific progress is retarded by the reluctance of historians to acknowledge the failures of some of the great scientists.",
"Advances in science are hastened when reports of experiments, whether successful or not, are available for review by other scientists.",
"The seventeenth-century alchemists could have... | 1 | train_2260 |
Engineers are investigating the suitability of Wantastiquet Pass as the site of a new bridge. Because one concern is whether erosion could eventually weaken the bridge' s foundations, they contracted for two reports on erosion in the region. Although both reports are accurate, one claims that the region suffers relativ... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain how both reports could be accurate? | [
"One report cost nearly twice as much to prepare as did the other report.",
"One report focuses on regional topsoil erosion, while the other report focuses on riverbank erosion resulting from seasonal floods.",
"One report was prepared by scientists from a university, while the other report was prepared by scie... | 1 | train_2261 |
Editorialist: There would seem to be little hazard for consumers associated with chemicals used in treated lumber because the lumber is used outside where fumes cannot accumulate. However, immediate steps should be taken to determine the safety of these chemicals since consumers could ingest them. If the lumber is used... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the editorialist's argument? | [
"The chemicals used in treated lumber are apparently not dangerous to the consumer.",
"Treated lumber is more dangerous than was once believed.",
"Parents should not allow children to put their mouths on playground equipment.",
"The effects on humans from the chemicals in treated lumber should be studied."
] | 3 | train_2262 |
Biologist: Many paleontologists have suggested that the difficulty of adapting to ice ages was responsible for the evolution of the human brain. But this suggestion must be rejected, for most other animal species adapted to ice ages with no evolutionary changes to their brains. | The biologist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? | [
"It fails to address adequately the possibility that a condition can produce a change in a species even if it does not produce that change in other species.",
"It presumes without warrant that human beings were presented with greater difficulties during ice ages than were individuals of most other species.",
"I... | 0 | train_2263 |
A product that represents a clear technological advance over competing products can generally command a high price. Surprisingly, perhaps, <b> the strategy to maximize overall profit from a new product is to charge less than the greatest price the market will bear </b>. Many companies charge the maximum possible price ... | In the argument above, the two portions in<b> boldface </b>play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is the position the argument advocates; the second presents grounds for rejecting an alternative position.",
"The first presents a strategy for achieving a certain goal; the second presents a drawback to that strategy.",
"The first is the position the argument advocates; the second is an alternative ... | 0 | train_2264 |
George: Parents should not give toddlers access to cellphones, tablets, or other screens because it is damaging to their eyes and brain. Parents just do it because they are lazy and don' t want to get on the floor and actually play with their child or teach them something. Increasingly younger kids are navigating and p... | Which of the following best aligns with Karen's argument? | [
"Toddlers should just be left alone to decide for themselves.",
"Children of all ages should be allowed 1-2 hours per day of screen time.",
"Toddlers should be made to read at least 2 hours per day.",
"Children of all ages should be allowed unlimited screen time."
] | 1 | train_2265 |
Parents: Wedid not hire the babysitter who was recommended because during the interview he made promises solely to persuade us to hire him. What the babysitter has said he would do if hired are merely the tasks he has learned from other interviews that parents want babysitters to do. Hence, we were not being informed o... | Which of the following is a dubious assumption that the argument above relies on? | [
"If the babysitter had been hired, he would have been unable to complete the tasks that parents want babysitters to do.",
"The babysitter did not really intend, if hired, to do the tasks he has learned from other interviews that parents want babysitters to do.",
"Most parents would not hire a babysitter who pro... | 1 | train_2266 |
Inflation rates will not stabilize unless the rate of economic growth decreases. Yet in order to slow the economy, the full cooperation of world leaders will be required. Thus, it would be overly optimistic to expect stable inflation rates in the near future. | Which one of the following is most closely parallel in its reasoning to the reasoning in the argument above? | [
"If the board is serious about improving management efficiency, it must eliminate organizational redundancy. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to eliminate wasteful redundancy without dismissing a number of senior employees. Thus, no option is available but to dismiss some senior employees.",
"If we are to p... | 1 | train_2267 |
Peter: Unlike in the past, most children' s stories nowadays don' t have clearly immoral characters in them. They should, though. Children need to learn the consequences of being bad. Yoko: Children' s stories still tend to have clearly immoral characters in them, but now these characters tend not to be the sort that f... | Peter and Yoko disagree over whether today's children's stories | [
"tend to be less frightening than earlier children's stories were",
"differ significantly in overall quality from earlier children's stories",
"tend to have clearly immoral characters in them",
"should be less frightening than they are"
] | 2 | train_2268 |
Pretzels can cause cavities. Interestingly, the longer that a pretzel remains in contact with the teeth when it is being eaten, the greater the likelihood that a cavity will result. What is true of pretzels in this regard is also true of caramels. Ttherefore, since caramels dissolve more quickly in the mouth than pretz... | The reasoning in the argument is vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"mistakes the cause of a particular phenomenon for the effect of that phenomenon",
"treats a correlation that holds within individual categories as thereby holding across categories as well",
"relies on the ambiguous use of a key term",
"is based on premises that cannot all be true"
] | 1 | train_2269 |
Conservationist: The population of a certain wildflower is so small that the species is headed for extinction. However, this wildflower can cross-pollinate with a closely related domesticated daisy, producing viable seeds. Such cross-pollination could result in a significant population of wildflower-daisy hybrids. The ... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the conservationist's reasoning? | [
"It is better to change a type of organism that would otherwise be lost, even if the changes are radical, than to lose it entirely.",
"It is better to preserve a type of organism that is in danger of extinction, even if surviving organisms of that type are not vigorous, than to allow something more vigorous to re... | 0 | train_2270 |
Mortgage banker: There is a remarkable correlation between fluctuations in the federal interest rates and the strength of our nation' s currency. Undoubtedly, despite the opinions of the majority of economists, the federal interest rates effectively control the strength of our nation' s currency. Economist: I beg to di... | The renunciation by the economist of the banker's conclusion utilizes which one of the following techniques of argumentation? | [
"offering a detailed counterexample that illustrates that a conclusion is incorrect",
"challenging a conclusion regarding an explicit statement by appealing to an applicable principle",
"forcing an opponent to elaborate on his facts in order to reveal a discrepancy",
"drawing an analogy to show the similariti... | 1 | train_2271 |
Excavation of the house of a third-century Camarnian official revealed that he had served four magistrates-public officials who administer the law-over his thirty-year public career, in four provincial capital cities. However, given the Camarnian administrative system of that era, it is unclear whether he served them s... | Which of the following would, if found in the excavation, most likely help reveal the pattern of the official's administrative service? | [
"Maps and documents describing each of the four provincial capitals",
"A cache of the official's documents related to work from early in his career",
"A set of cups of a type made only in the city of the first magistrate whom the official is known to have served",
"Several pieces of furniture in the styles of... | 1 | train_2272 |
A large amount of rainfall in April and May typically leads to an increase in the mosquito population and thus to an increased threat of encephalitis. People cannot change the weather. Thus people cannot decrease the threat of encephalitis. | The reasoning in the argument above is flawed in that the argument | [
"takes for granted that a threat that is aggravated by certain factors could not occur in the absence of those factors",
"takes for granted that because one event precedes another the former must be the cause of the latter",
"ignores the possibility that a certain type of outcome is dependent on more than one f... | 2 | train_2273 |
Science journalist: Europa, a moon of Jupiter, is covered with ice. Data recently transmitted by a spacecraft strongly suggest that there are oceans of liquid water deep under the ice. Life as we know it could evolve only in the presence of liquid water. Hence, it is likely that at least primitive life has evolved on E... | The science journalist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"fails to address adequately the possibility that there are conditions necessary for the evolution of life in addition to the presence of liquid water",
"takes for granted that no conditions on Europa other than the supposed presence of liquid water could have accounted for the data transmitted by the spacecraft"... | 0 | train_2274 |
A nationwide poll of students, parents, and teachers showed that over 90 percent believe that an appropriate percentage of their school' s budget is being spent on student counseling programs. It seems, then, that any significant increase in a school' s budget should be spent on something other than student counseling ... | Which one of the following describes a flaw in the reasoning of the argument above? | [
"The argument fails to justify its presumption that what is true of a part of the budget is also true of the total budget.",
"The argument confuses a mere coincidence with a causal relationship.",
"The argument confuses the percentage of the budget spent on a program with the overall amount spent on that progra... | 2 | train_2275 |
Economist: ChesChem, a chemical manufacturer located in Chester, uses natural gas for its enormous energy needs. Currently, natural gas costs twice as much in Chester as it does in Tilsen. If the cost of natural gas in Chester becomes more than twice that in Tilsen, ChesChem will move its manufacturing operations to Ti... | The economist's argument requires assuming that | [
"the only benefit ChesChem would receive by moving its manufacturing operations to Tilsen is lower energy costs",
"ChesChem spends far more on natural gas than on any other expense",
"the price of natural gas in Tilsen will not increase",
"ChesChem would not be profitable if its energy costs increased"
] | 2 | train_2276 |
The everyday behavior of whales is particularly difficult to study because introducing novel stimuli, such as divers or submarines, into the whales' environment causes whales to behave in unusual ways. Some biologists plan to train sea lions to carry video cameras on their backs and, on command, to swim along with whal... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the biologists' reasoning depends? | [
"The trained sea lions will not be aware that they are carrying video cameras on their backs.",
"Whales will often react aggressively in the presence of divers and submarines although aggressive behavior is unusual for whales.",
"The behavior of the sea lions under human command will be within the range of sea ... | 2 | train_2277 |
When a lawmaker spoke out against a research grant awarded to a professor in a university' s psychology department as a foolish expenditure of public money, other professors in that department drafted a letter protesting the lawmaker' s interference in a field in which he was not trained. The chair of the psychology de... | Which one of the following principles, if established, provides the strongest justification for the department chair's refusal, on the ground she gives, to sign the protest letter? | [
"A person who has praised a lawmaker for playing a watchdog role in one case should not criticize the lawmaker for attempting to play a watchdog role in another case that involves the person's professional interests.",
"Academic institutions have the same responsibility as military institutions have to spend publ... | 0 | train_2278 |
The solution to any environmental problem that is not the result of government mismanagement can only lie in major changes in consumer habits. But major changes in consumer habits will occur only if such changes are economically enticing. As a result, few serious ecological problems will be solved unless the solutions ... | The conclusion drawn in the argument above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Major changes in consumer habits can be made economically enticing.",
"Few serious ecological problems are the result of government mismanagement.",
"Few serious ecological problems can be solved by major changes in consumer habits.",
"Most environmental problems that are not the result of government mismana... | 1 | train_2279 |
Agricultural societies cannot exist without staple crops. Several food plants, such as kola and okra, are known to have been domesticated in western Africa, but they are all supplemental, not staple, foods. All the recorded staple crops grown in western Africa were introduced from elsewhere, beginning, at some unknown ... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"People in western Africa did not develop staple crops that they stopped cultivating once rice and yams were introduced.",
"Kola and okra were domesticated in western Africa before rice and yams were introduced there.",
"There are no plants native to western Africa that, if domesticated, could serve as staple f... | 0 | train_2280 |
To become an expert on a musical instrument, a person must practice. If people practice a musical instrument for three hours each day, they will eventually become experts on that instrument. Ttherefore, if a person is an expert on a musical instrument, that person must have practiced for at least three hours each day. | Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the reasoning above? | [
"The conclusion fails to take into account that practicing for less than three hours each day may be enough for some people to become experts.",
"The conclusion fails to take into account that people who practice for three hours every day might not yet have reached a degree of proficiency that everyone would cons... | 0 | train_2281 |
Economist: Currently, many countries rely primarily on taxing income to fund government expenditures. But taxing income does nothing to promote savings and investment. Taxing consumption, on the other hand, would encourage savings. The most important challenge facing these countries is improving their economies, and th... | Which one of the following most logically completes the economist's argument? | [
"the tax laws of many countries should be revised to focus on taxing consumption rather than income",
"most governments should stop taxing savings and investment",
"it is detrimental to the economic improvement of any country to continue to tax income",
"the economies of countries will rapidly improve if thei... | 0 | train_2282 |
The calm, shallow waters of coastal estuaries are easily polluted by nutrient-rich sewage. When estuary waters become overnutrified as a result, algae proliferate. The abundant algae, in turn, sometimes provide a rich food source for microorganisms that are toxic to fish, thereby killing most of the fish in the estuary... | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the information above? | [
"Overnutrifying estuary waters by sewage can result in the death of most of the fish in the estuary.",
"In estuary waters that contain abundant algae, microorganisms that are toxic to fish reproduce more quickly than other types of microorganisms.",
"Fish in an estuary that has been polluted by sewage are gener... | 0 | train_2283 |
Finance minister: The World Bank' s "Doing Business" report ranks countries in terms of ease of doing business in them. In producing the rankings, the World Bank assesses how difficult it is for a hypothetical business to comply with regulations and pay taxes. Since the last "Doing Business" report came out, our govern... | The answer to which one of the following questions would most help in evaluating the finance minister's argument? | [
"Was the finance minister in office when the last \"Doing Business\" report was issued?",
"Has compliance with tax laws by small and midsized businesses increased since tax filing was simplified?",
"For small and midsized businesses in the finance minister's country, is tax preparation and filing more difficult... | 3 | train_2284 |
Essayist: Many social critics have claimed that modern society has become so heavily regulated by corporate and government bureaucracies that individuals lead lives over which they feel they have nearly no control. That such a perceived loss of freedom is a complete myth, however, should be obvious from the fact that p... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the essayist's argument? | [
"People living in societies dominated by large institutions tend to desire participation in smaller, more intimate groups of people.",
"Only people who think their lives are controlled by large, impersonal bureaucracies are willing to accept additional restrictions on their decisions.",
"Only people who do not ... | 2 | train_2285 |
In the United States, average fuel efficiency of newly manufactured domestic cars, although remaining worse than that of newly manufactured imported cars, substantially improved between 1983 and 1988. Average fuel efficiency of new domestic cars has not improved since, but the difference in average fuel efficiencies of... | If the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true on the basis of them? | [
"Average fuel efficiency of imported cars manufactured in 1983 was better than that of imported cars manufactured in 1988.",
"Average fuel efficiency of newly manufactured imported cars has steadily improved since 1983.",
"Average fuel efficiency of newly manufactured domestic cars has steadily worsened since 1... | 3 | train_2286 |
Premiums for automobile accident insurance are often higher for red cars than for cars of other colors. To justify these higher charges, insurance companies claim that, overall, a greater percentage of red cars are involved in accidents than are cars of any other color. If this claim is true, then lives could undoubted... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"does not specify precisely what percentage of red cars are involved in accidents",
"fails to consider whether red cars cost the same to repair as cars of other colors",
"ignores the possibility that drivers who drive recklessly have a preference for red cars",
"accepts without question that insurance compani... | 2 | train_2287 |
Dr. Lopez: As anthropologists, we are committed to learning about cultures without intervening in the lives of the people in those cultures. For this reason, we should observe people passively by means of on-site video and sound recordings, rather than conducting interviews with those people. Dr. Tseung: Whereas your a... | Which one of the following is a point at issue between Dr. Lopez and Dr. Tseung? | [
"whether it is less troublesome for anthropologists to conduct interviews than it is for them to make on-site video and sound recordings",
"whether interviews conducted by anthropologists with people from a particular culture are an effective means of learning about that culture",
"whether it is possible to obs... | 2 | train_2288 |
After a hepadnavirus inserts itself into a chromosome of an animal, fragments of the virus are passed on to all of that animal' s descendants. A hepadnavirus fragment is present in a chromosome of the zebra finch and in precisely the same location in a corresponding chromosome of the dark-eyed junco. The fact that thes... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"When a virus inserts itself into an animal's chromosome, the insertion occurs at a random spot.",
"The presence of a hepadnavirus in an animal species does not affect the likelihood of that species' survival.",
"The chromosomes of the zebra finch and the dark-eyed junco contain fragments of no virus other than... | 0 | train_2289 |
Political scientist: The concept of freedom is hopelessly vague. Any definition of freedom will either exclude some acts that intuitively qualify as free, or admit some acts that intuitively fall outside the concept. The notions of justice, fairness, and equality are equally indeterminate. This is why political organiz... | The reasoning in the argument is questionable because the argument | [
"fails to show any specific link between the vagueness of concepts such as freedom and the rejection of political organization",
"is mounted by someone who has a vested interest in the rejection of political organization",
"ignores the fact that some people view freedom as indispensable",
"generalizes from an... | 0 | train_2290 |
One reason why European music has had such a strong influence throughout the world, and why it is a sophisticated achievement, is that over time the original function of the music -- whether ritual, dance, or worship -- gradually became an aspect of its style, not its defining force. Dance music could stand independent... | The claims made above are compatible with each of the following EXCEPT: | [
"Music that is unintelligible when it is presented independently of its original function tends to be the most sophisticated music.",
"The original functions of many types of Chinese music are no longer their defining forces.",
"Some works of art lose their appeal when they are presented to serve a function oth... | 0 | train_2291 |
Today' s farmers plant only a handful of different strains of a given crop. Crops lack the diversity that they had only a few generations ago. Hence, a disease that strikes only a few strains of crops, and that would have had only minor impact on the food supply in the past, would devastate it today. | Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument? | [
"Affected crops can quickly be replaced from seed banks that store many strains of those crops.",
"Today's crops are much less vulnerable to damage from insects or encroachment by weeds than were crops of a few generations ago.",
"Some of the less popular seed strains that were used in the past were more resist... | 0 | train_2292 |
Farmer: My neighbor claims that my pesticides are spreading to her farm in runoff water, but she is wrong. I use only organic pesticides, and there is no evidence that they harm either people or domestic animals. Furthermore, I am careful to avoid spraying on my neighbor' s land. | Which one of the following most accurately describes a reasoning flaw in the farmer's argument? | [
"It treats lack of evidence that organic pesticides harm people or domestic animals as proof that they cannot do so.",
"It fails to provide an alternative explanation for the presence of pesticides on the neighbor's land.",
"It does not address the neighbor's claim that pesticides used by the farmer are spreadi... | 2 | train_2293 |
Researchers have studied the cost-effectiveness of growing halophytes -- salt-tolerant plant species -- for animal forage. Halophytes require more water than conventional crops, but can be irrigated with seawater, and pumping seawater into farms near sea level is much cheaper than pumping freshwater from deep wells. Th... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument above? | [
"Costs other than the costs of irrigation are different for halophytes grown by means of seawater irrigation than for conventional crops.",
"Large research expenditures are needed to develop the strains of halophytes best suited for agricultural purposes.",
"A given volume of halophytes is significantly differe... | 3 | train_2294 |
Critic: As modern methods of communication and transportation have continued to improve, the pace of life today has become faster than ever before. This speed has created feelings of impermanence and instability, making us feel as if we never have enough time to achieve what we want -- or at least what we think we want... | The critic's statements most closely conform to which one of the following assessments? | [
"Changes in people's feelings fuel the need for technological advancement.",
"Changes in people's feelings about life can result from technological changes.",
"The perception of impermanence in contemporary life makes it more difficult for people to know what they want.",
"The fast pace of modern life has mad... | 1 | train_2295 |
Biologists found that off the northeast coast of a certain country the P-plankton population has recently dropped 10 percent. Additionally, fish species X, Y, and Z are beginning to show extraordinarily high death rates in the region. Since these species of fish are known to sometimes eat P-plankton, biologists believe... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the biologists' findings? | [
"Global warming has changed the climatic conditions of the ocean all along the northeast coast of the country.",
"A powerful toxin in the water is killing off P-plankton by inhibiting their production of a chemical they use in reproduction.",
"Fish species X, Y, and Z are all experiencing widespread starvation ... | 3 | train_2296 |
Columnist: Shortsighted motorists learn the hard way about the wisdom of preventive auto maintenance; such maintenance almost always pays off in the long run. Our usually shortsighted city council should be praised for using similar wisdom when they hired a long-term economic development adviser. In hiring this adviser... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the columnist's argument? | [
"The columnist's city has a much smaller population and economy than the other cities did when they began devoting resources to economic development planning.",
"Qualified economic development advisers generally demand higher salaries than many city councils are willing to spend.",
"Cities that have earned larg... | 0 | train_2297 |
In Colorado subalpine meadows, nonnative dandelions co-occur with a native flower, the larkspur. Bumblebees visit both species, creating the potential for interactions between the two species with respect to pollination. In a recent study, researchers selected 16 plots containing both species; all dandelions were remov... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the researchers' reasoning? | [
"Bumblebees preferentially visit dandelions over larkspurs in mixed plots.",
"Soil disturbances can result in fewer blooms, and hence lower seed production.",
"If left unchecked, nonnative species like dandelions quickly crowd out native species.",
"In mixed plots, pollinators can transfer pollen from one spe... | 1 | train_2298 |
Historian: Political regimes that routinely censor various forms of expression on the grounds that they undermine public morality inevitably attempt to expand the categories of proscribed expression to include criticisms that these regimes perceive to threaten their power. Accordingly, many totalitarian regimes classif... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the historian's reasoning depends? | [
"Most writings that totalitarian regimes label blasphemous or pornographic would, if widely influential, reduce public passivity.",
"Not all political regimes that routinely censor forms of expression on the grounds that they erode public morality are totalitarian regimes.",
"A totalitarian regime can perceive ... | 2 | train_2299 |
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