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Political commentator: Voters tend to elect the candidate whose visual image most evokes positive feelings. Thus, laws designed to increase the fairness of elections should not allow one candidate to buy significantly more media exposure than any rival candidates can afford. | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the political commentator's argument depends? | [
"Elections are unfair only if at least one of the candidates has more resources than any rival candidate has.",
"The tendency of a candidate's visual image to evoke positive feelings in voters at least sometimes increases as media exposure increases.",
"Candidates invariably buy as much media exposure as they c... | 1 | train_2400 |
Dillworth: More and more people are deciding not to have children because of the personal and economic sacrifices children require and because so often children are ungrateful for the considerable sacrifices their parents do make for them. However, such considerations have no bearing on the fact that their children pro... | Dillworth employs which one of the following argumentative strategies? | [
"indirectly establishing that a given course of action is obligatory by arguing that the alternative course of action is prohibited",
"showing that considerations cited as drawbacks to a given course of action are not really drawbacks at all",
"distinguishing a category of person for whom the reason presented i... | 2 | train_2401 |
Monroe, despite his generally poor appetite thoroughly enjoyed the three meals he ate at the Tip-Top Restaurant, but, unfortunately, after each meal he became ill. The first time he ate an extra-large sausage pizza with a side order of hot peppers; the second time he took full advantage of the all-you-can-eat fried shr... | Monroe's reasoning is most vulnerable to which one of the following criticisms? | [
"He allows his desire to continue dining at Tip-Top to bias his conclusion.",
"He overlooks the fact that at all three meals he consumed what was, for him, an unusually large quantity of food.",
"He posits a causal relationship without ascertaining that the presumed cause preceded the presumed effect.",
"He f... | 1 | train_2402 |
Currently, warm-blooded pets are allowed to enter the country only if they have a certificate showing that they have been vaccinated against rabies. This policy is flawed because vaccinations sometimes fail to take effect. If the vaccination is successful, the animal has a high level of rabies antibodies in its blood. ... | Which one of the following, if true, most substantially weakens the argument? | [
"Under existing policies, some species of animals are quarantined and observed for symptoms of rabies before a decision is made to allow them into the country.",
"The proposed policy would be ineffective in preventing wild animals infected with rabies from entering the country.",
"A significantly larger percent... | 3 | train_2403 |
Principle: People should not feed wild animals because it makes them dependent on humans and less likely to survive on their own. Situation: Bird lovers commonly feed wild birds to attract them to their yards and gardens. | Which one of the following, if assumed, would most help to justify treating the human feeding of wild birds as an exception to the principle above? | [
"Some species of wild birds benefit humans by consuming large numbers of mosquitoes and other insect pests.",
"Human settlement is so pervasive in the habitat of most wild birds that they must depend in part on human sources of food for survival.",
"Wild birds are much more likely to congregate in yards where t... | 1 | train_2404 |
In a study, parents were asked to rate each television program that their children watched. The programs were rated for violent content on a scale of one to five, with "one" indicating no violence and "five" indicating a great deal. The number of times their children were disciplined in school was also recorded. Childr... | Each of the following, if true, helps to explain the statistical relationship described above EXCEPT: | [
"Parents who rated their children's television viewing low on violence had become desensitized to the violence on television by watching too much of it.",
"Children who are excited by violent action programs on television tend to become bored with schoolwork and to express their boredom in an unacceptable fashion... | 0 | train_2405 |
Among North American school-age children, there is a strong positive correlation between obesity and the amount of television watched. Ttherefore, with the arrival of interactive television, obesity among North American school-age children will increase. | The argument requires the assumption that | [
"North American school-age children will increase their television viewing with the arrival of interactive television",
"a sedentary lifestyle is among the most important causes of childhood obesity",
"genetics makes no significant contribution to obesity",
"obesity among North American school-age children in... | 0 | train_2406 |
Fragments of charred antelope bone have recently been found at a million-year-old settlement of Homo erectus, an early human species. This discovery demonstrates that humans were making controlled use of fire to cook meat at a very early stage of their development. | The argument above makes which of the following assumptions? | [
"The diet of Homo erectus consisted in large part of antelope meat.",
"Homo erectus could not have eaten antelope meat unless the meat had been cooked.",
"The antelope bones were charred in a fire controlled by humans.",
"Early human settlements can be identified by the presence of charred antelope bones."
] | 2 | train_2407 |
Many breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin supplements. Some of these cereals provide 100 percent of the recommended daily requirement of vitamins. Nevertheless, a well-balanced breakfast, including a variety of foods, is a better source of those vitamins than are such fortified breakfast cereals alone. | Which of the following, if true, would most strongly support the position above? | [
"Cereals containing vitamin supplements are no harder to digest than similar cereals without added vitamins.",
"People who regularly eat cereals fortified with vitamin supplements sometimes neglect to eat the foods in which the vitamins occur naturally.",
"Unprocessed cereals are naturally high in several of th... | 3 | train_2408 |
For years scientists have been scanning the skies in the hope of finding life on other planets. But in spite of the ever-increasing sophistication of the equipment they employ, some of it costing hundreds of millions of dollars, not the first shred of evidence of such life has been forthcoming. And there is no reason t... | Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the argument? | [
"Only if scientists had already found evidence of life on other planets would continued search be justified.",
"Scientists searching for extraterrestrial life will not find it.",
"There is no reason to believe that life exists on other planets.",
"The equipment that scientists employ is not as sophisticated a... | 1 | train_2409 |
Theater critic: The theater is in a dismal state. Audiences are sparse and revenue is down. Without the audience and the revenue, the talented and creative people who are the lifeblood of the theater are abandoning it. No wonder standards are deteriorating. Producer: It' s not true that the theater is in decline. Don' ... | Which one of the following is a questionable technique employed by the producer in responding to the critic? | [
"accusing the critic of relying solely on opinion unsupported by factual evidence",
"relying on emphasis rather than on argument",
"challenging the motives behind the critic's remarks rather than the remarks themselves",
"focusing on the effects of the critic's evaluation rather than on its content"
] | 3 | train_2410 |
James: In my own house, I do what I want. In banning smoking on passenger airlines during domestic flights, the government has ignored the airlines' right to set smoking policies on their own property. Eileen: Your house is for your own use. Because a passenger airline offers a service to the public, the passengers' he... | The basic step in Eileen's method of attacking James' argument is to | [
"establish an analogy",
"question its motivation",
"draw a distinction",
"derive a contradiction from it"
] | 2 | train_2411 |
Advertisement: In a recent survey, a sample representative of all new Popelka Auto Insurance policyholders reported savings of $250 a year, on average, as a result of switching their auto insurance coverage to Popelka. Thus, most people who hold auto insurance policies with other companies could save hundreds of dollar... | The argument in the advertisement is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? | [
"It takes for granted that the new Popelka Auto Insurance policyholders pay no less for their auto insurance, on average, than do people who have held Popelka Auto Insurance policies for a longer period of time.",
"It fails to address adequately the possibility that people capable of saving hundreds of dollars by... | 1 | train_2412 |
Combustion of gasoline in automobile engines produces benzene, a known carcinogen. Environmentalists propose replacing gasoline with methanol, which does not produce significant quantities of benzene when burned. However, combustion of methanol produces formaldehyde, also a known carcinogen. Ttherefore the environmenta... | Which one of the following, if true, most supports the environmentalists' proposal? | [
"The engines of some automobiles now on the road burn diesel fuel rather than gasoline.",
"Several large research efforts are underway to formulate cleaner-burning types of gasoline.",
"Formaldehyde is a less potent carcinogen than benzene.",
"Since methanol is water soluble, methanol spills are more damaging... | 2 | train_2413 |
All savings accounts are interest-bearing accounts. The interest from some interest-bearing accounts is tax-free, so there must be some savings accounts that have tax-free interest. | Which one of the following arguments is flawed in a way most similar to the way in which the passage is flawed? | [
"All great photographers are artists. Some artists are intellectuals. Ttherefore, some great photographers are intellectuals.",
"All great photographers are artists. No artists are intellectuals. Ttherefore, some great photographers must not be intellectuals.",
"All great photographers are artists. Some great p... | 0 | train_2414 |
A business analysis of the Appenian railroad system divided its long-distance passenger routes into two categories: rural routes and interurban routes. The analysis found that, unlike the interurban routes, few rural routes carried a high enough passenger volume to be profitable. Closing unprofitable rural routes, howe... | Which of the following most logically completes the passage? | [
"not all of Appenia's large cities are equally well served by interurban railroad services",
"the rural routes were all originally constructed at least one hundred years ago, whereas some of the interurban routes were constructed recently for new high-speed express trains",
"a large part of the passenger volume... | 2 | train_2415 |
Hendry: Most employee strikes should be legally permitted. But strikes by university faculty are an exception. Faculty strikes harm a university' s students, and I accept the principle that an employee strike shouldn' t be legally permitted if it would harm the employer' s customers. Menkin: If your principle is correc... | On the basis of their statements, Hendry and Menkin are committed to disagreeing over whether | [
"a university's students should be considered customers of the university",
"faculty strikes harm a university's students",
"most employee strikes would harm the employer's customers",
"most employee strikes should be legally permitted"
] | 2 | train_2416 |
Anthropologist: Violence is an extreme form of aggression, and is distinct from the self-expression sufficient for survival under normal conditions. Human beings in certain situations react to unpleasant stimuli with violence -- but only because they are conditioned by their culture to react in this manner. | Each of the following can be logically inferred from the anthropologist's statements EXCEPT: | [
"Violent behavior is a product of one's cultural environment.",
"The self-expression required for survival is generally nonagressive.",
"Some behaviors are influenced by the cultures in which human beings live.",
"Not all aggression is violent."
] | 1 | train_2417 |
Recently, highly skilled workers in Eastern Europe have left jobs in record numbers to emigrate to the West. It is ttherefore likely that skilled workers who remain in Eastern Europe are in high demand in their home countries. | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Eastern European factories prefer to hire workers from their home countries rather than to import workers from abroad.",
"Because of the departure of skilled workers from Eastern European countries, many positions are now unfilled.",
"Major changes in Eastern European economic structures have led to the elimin... | 2 | train_2418 |
During the day in Lake Constance, the zooplankton D. hyalina departs for the depths where food is scarce and the water cold. D. galeata remains near the warm surface where food is abundant. Even though D. galeata grows and reproduces much faster, its population is often outnumbered by D. hyalina. | Which of the following, if true, would help resolve the apparent paradox presented above? | [
"D. galeata clusters under vegetation during the hottest part of the day to avoid the Sun's rays.",
"The number of species of zooplankton living at the bottom of the lake is twice that of species living at the surface.",
"In order to make the most of scarce food resources, D. hyalina matures more slowly than D.... | 3 | train_2419 |
Until now, only injectable vaccines against influenza have been available. Parents are reluctant to subject children to the pain of injections, but adults, who are at risk of serious complications from influenza, are commonly vaccinated. A new influenza vaccine, administered painlessly in a nasal spray, is effective fo... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"The injectable vaccine is affordable for all adults.",
"Adults do not contract influenza primarily from children who have influenza.",
"Any person who has received the injectable vaccine can safely receive the nasal-spray vaccine as well.",
"The new vaccine uses the same mechanism to ward off influenza as in... | 1 | train_2420 |
To produce seeds, plants must first produce flowers. Two kinds of tarragon plants, Russian tarragon and French tarragon, look very similar except that Russian tarragon produces flowers and French tarragon does not. The leaves of Russian tarragon, however, lack the distinctive flavor that makes French tarragon a desirab... | If the information presented is true, which of the following can most reliably be concluded on the basis of it? | [
"The flowers of Russian tarragon plants are probably not flavorful.",
"There are no other kinds of tarragon besides Russian tarragon and French tarragon",
"Garden plants that have flavorful leaves generally do not produce flowers.",
"Plants that grow from seeds sold in a packet labeled \"tarragon\" are not Fr... | 3 | train_2421 |
Voters commonly condemn politicians for being insincere, but politicians often must disguise their true feelings when they make public statements. If they expressed their honest views-about, say, their party's policies-then achieving politically necessary compromises would be much more difficult. Clearly, the very insi... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines this reasoning? | [
"A political party's policies could turn out to be detrimental to the functioning of a government.",
"Some political compromises are not in the best long-term interest of the government.",
"Some of the public statements made by politicians about their party's policies could in fact be sincere.",
"Achieving po... | 3 | train_2422 |
Alcohol consumption has been clearly linked to high blood pressure, which increases the likelihood of developing heart disease. Yet in a study of the effects of alcohol consumption, the incidence of heart disease was lower among participants who drank moderate quantities of alcohol every day than it was among participa... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above? | [
"Some of the participants who drank moderate quantities of alcohol every day had high blood pressure.",
"Many of the participants identified as nondrinkers were people who had been heavy drinkers but had stopped drinking alcohol prior to participating in the study.",
"The two groups of participants were similar... | 1 | train_2423 |
To reduce the frequency of ground collisions, Innovair will begin giving its ground crews additional training, at an annual cost of $500, 000. Although this will cut the number of ground collisions by about half at best, the drop in repair costs can be expected to be much greater, since __ . | Which of the following most logically completes the argument? In a typical year, Innovair's airplanes are involved in 35 collisions while parked or being towed in airports, with a resulting yearly cost of $1, 000, 000 for repairs. | [
"most ground collisions have been caused by the least experienced ground-crew members",
"a ground collision typically occurs when there are no passengers on the airplane",
"the additional training will focus on helping ground crews avoid those kinds of ground collisions that cause the most costly damage",
"th... | 2 | train_2424 |
People who take what others regard as a ridiculous position should not bother to say, "I mean every word! " For either their position truly is ridiculous, in which case insisting that they are serious about it only exposes them to deeper embarrassment, or else their position has merit, in which case they should meet di... | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above? | [
"People whose taste in clothes is being criticized should not reply, \"Every penny I spent on these clothes I earned honestly. \" For the issue raised by the critics is not how the money was come by but rather whether it was spent wisely.",
"Scholars who champion unpopular new theories should not assume that the ... | 2 | train_2425 |
Cable-television spokesperson: Subscriptions to cable television are a bargain in comparison to "free" television. Remember that "free" television is not really free. It is consumers, in the end, who pay for the costly advertising that supports "free" television. | Which of the following, if true, is most damaging to the position of the cable-television spokesperson? | [
"Consumers who do not own television sets are less likely to be influenced in their purchasing decisions by television advertising than are consumers who own television sets.",
"Cable-television subscribers can choose which channels they wish to receive.",
"Subscriptions to cable television include access to so... | 3 | train_2426 |
Several recent studies establish that most people would not quit their jobs if they won the lottery. In each study, over 80 percent of the people surveyed indicated that they would not quit their jobs. | Each of the following, if true, weakens the argument EXCEPT: | [
"The people surveyed were all college students in first-year business courses.",
"In another recent study, the majority of respondents stated that they would quit their jobs as soon as they found out they had won the lottery.",
"People rarely tell the truth when responding to such surveys.",
"Several of the r... | 3 | train_2427 |
Professor: A person who can select a beverage from among 50 varieties of cola is less free than one who has only these 5 choices: wine, coffee, apple juice, milk, and water. It is clear, then, that meaningful freedom cannot be measured simply by the number of alternatives available; the extent of the differences among ... | The professor's argument proceeds by | [
"inferring one general principle from another, more general, principle",
"supporting its conclusion by means of an analogy",
"supporting a general principle by means of an example",
"claiming that whatever holds for each member of a group must hold for the whole group"
] | 2 | train_2428 |
Ethicist: The penalties for drunk driving are far more severe when the drunk driver accidentally injures people than when no one is injured. Moral responsibility for an action depends solely on the intentions underlying the action and not on the action' s results. Ttherefore, legal responsibility, depending as it does ... | The claim that the penalties for drunk driving are far more severe when the drunk driver accidentally injures people than when no one is injured plays which one of the following roles in the ethicist's argument? | [
"It is a premise offered in support of the claim that moral responsibility depends solely on the intentions underlying the action and not on the action's result.",
"It is a premise offered in support of the claim that legal responsibility for an action is based solely upon features of the action that are generall... | 2 | train_2429 |
Scientists hypothesized that the end of a certain geological period came about when a cataclysmic meteor impact near the equator caused debris to fly up into the atmosphere, where it was scattered by winds, blocking out the sunlight and abruptly killing off many species. In European rock layers, the fossil record of th... | Which one of the following, if true, resolves the apparent discrepancy noted above? | [
"It was recently discovered that Europe accumulated sediment at a slower rate than did the Antarctic region, so that a layer of sediment of a given thickness represents a longer period of time in Europe than it does in the Antarctic.",
"Although scientists have traditionally used the last appearance of creatures ... | 0 | train_2430 |
All known deposits of the mineral tanzanite are in Tanzania. Ttherefore, because Ashley collects only tanzanite stones, she is unlikely ever to collect a stone not originally from Tanzania. | Which one of the following is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above? | [
"Frogs are the only animals known to live in the lagoon on Scrag Island. The diet of the owls on Scrag Island consists of nothing but frogs from the island. Ttherefore, the owls are unlikely ever to eat an animal that lives outside the lagoon.",
"Every frog ever seen on Scrag Island lives in the lagoon. The frogs... | 3 | train_2431 |
A letter submitted to the editor of a national newsmagazine was written and signed by a Dr. Shirley Martin who, in the text of the letter, mentions being a professor at a major North American medical school. Knowing that fewer than 5 percent of the professors at such schools are women, the editor reasons that the chanc... | Which one of the following involves flawed reasoning most like that used by the editor? | [
"Since more than 19 out of every 20 animals in the wildlife preserve are mammals and fewer than 1 out of 20 are birds, there is a greater than 95 percent chance that the animal Emily saw flying between two trees in the wildlife refuge yesterday morning was a mammal.",
"More than 95 percent of the planes built by ... | 0 | train_2432 |
A person with a type B lipid profile is at much greater risk of heart disease than a person with a type A lipid profile. In an experiment, both type A volunteers and type B volunteers were put on a low-fat diet. The cholesterol levels of the type B volunteers soon dropped substantially, although their lipid profiles we... | If the information above is true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"The reduction in cholesterol levels in the volunteers is solely responsible for the change in their lipid profiles.",
"Apart from adopting the low-fat diet, most of the volunteers did not substantially change any aspect of their lifestyle that would have affected their cholesterol levels or lipid profiles.",
"... | 2 | train_2433 |
Conventional wisdom suggests vaccinating elderly people first in flu season, because they are at greatest risk of dying if they contract the virus. This year' s flu virus poses particular risk to elderly people and almost none at all to younger people, particularly children. Nevertheless, health professionals are recom... | Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest reason for the health professionals' recommendation? | [
"Children who catch one strain of the flu virus and then recover are likely to develop immunity to at least some strains with which they have not yet come in contact.",
"Children are particularly unconcerned with hygiene and ttherefore are the group most responsible for spreading the flu virus to others.",
"Chi... | 1 | train_2434 |
In the past the country of Malvernia has relied heavily on imported oil. Malvernia recently implemented a program to convert heating systems from oil to natural gas. Malvernia currently produces more natural gas each year than it uses, and oil production in Malvernian oil fields is increasing at a steady pace. If these... | Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in evaluating the argument? | [
"Have any existing oil-burning heating systems in Malvernia already been converted to natural-gas-burning heating systems?",
"What proportion of Malvernia's total energy needs is met by hydroelectric, solar, and nuclear power?",
"Is the amount of oil used each year in Malvernia for generating electricity and fu... | 2 | train_2435 |
The cause of the wreck of the ship Edmund Fitzgeraid in a severe storm on lake Superior is still unknown , when the sunken wreckage of the vessel was found , searchers discovered the hull in two pieces lying close together , The storm' s violent waves would have caused separate pieces floating even briefly on the surfa... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"If the ship broke up before sinking , the pieces of the hull would not have remained on the surface for very long",
"Under water currents at the time of the storm did not move the separated pieces of the hull together again .",
"Ships as large as the Edmund Fitzgerald rarely sink except in the most violent wea... | 1 | train_2436 |
The photographs that the store developed were quite unsatisfactory. The customer claims to have handled the film correctly. Neither the film nor the camera was defective. If a store does not process pictures properly, the customer is owed a refund, so if the customer' s claim is correct, the store owes her a refund. | The argument relies on assuming which one of the following? | [
"If neither the film nor the camera was defective, and the customer handled the film correctly, then the store processed it improperly.",
"If pictures are taken with a defective camera, then it is not possible for the store to develop those pictures improperly.",
"If the customer's claim was not correct, then t... | 0 | train_2437 |
Anthropologist: Every human culture has taboos against eating certain animals. Some researchers have argued that such taboos originated solely for practical reasons, pointing out, for example, that in many cultures it is taboo to eat domestic animals that provide labor and that are ttherefore worth more alive than dead... | In the argument, the anthropologist | [
"calls an explanation of a phenomenon into question by pointing out that observations cited as evidence supporting it are also compatible with an alternative explanation of the phenomenon",
"describes a hypothesis about the sequence of events involved in the origins of a phenomenon, and then argues that those eve... | 0 | train_2438 |
John works five days each week except when on vacation or during weeks in which national holidays occur. Four days a week he works in an insurance company; on Fridays he works as a blacksmith. Last week there were no holidays, and John was not on vacation. Ttherefore, he must have worked in the insurance company on Mon... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Every day last week that John worked, he worked for an entire workday.",
"John does not take vacations in weeks in which national holidays occur.",
"John never takes a vacation of more than one week in length.",
"Last week John worked neither on Saturday nor on Sunday."
] | 3 | train_2439 |
The only songs Amanda has ever written are blues songs and punk rock songs. Most punk rock songs involve no more than three chords. So if the next song Amanda writes is not a blues song, it probably will not involve more than three chords. | The reasoning in which one of the following arguments is most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"The only pets the Gupta family has ever owned are fish and parrots. Most parrots are very noisy. So if the next pet the Gupta family owns is a parrot, it will probably be very noisy.",
"All the pets the Gupta family has ever owned have been fish and parrots. Most parrots are very noisy. So any pet the Gupta fami... | 3 | train_2440 |
Traditionally, the foundations of houses were made of concrete. A builder is experimenting with using a hard plastic polymer for foundations. A foundation made with the polymer is about the same price to construct and install as is concrete foundation. Unlike concrete, the polymer will block all water flow and is not p... | Which of the following must be studied in order to evaluate the argument presented above? | [
"Whether consumers seeking to buy a house will trust a house with an alternate foundation.",
"Whether soil acidity, to which all stone is resistant, can dissolve the polymer.",
"How dry the soil in this region becomes during typical summer droughts.",
"Whether repairs to polymer foundations are more expensive... | 1 | train_2441 |
For the first few weeks after birth, the dunnart has such poor control over its respiratory muscles that it cannot use them to breathe. Instead, this tiny marsupial breathes through its thin skin, which gradually thickens as the dunnart matures inside its mother' s pouch. The dunnart is unique among warm-blooded animal... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps explain how newborn dunnarts manage to survive despite their thin skins? | [
"Adult dunnarts experience more heat and water loss through their skin than other adult marsupials do.",
"The dunnart's body temperature is higher than that of many other warm-blooded animals.",
"Its mother's pouch keeps a newborn dunnart warm and reduces water loss through its skin.",
"The dunnart's respirat... | 2 | train_2442 |
Vitamin XYZ has long been a favorite among health food enthusiasts. In a recent large study, those who took large amounts of vitamin XYZ daily for two years showed on average a 40 percent lower risk of heart disease than did members of a control group. Researchers corrected for differences in relevant health habits suc... | Which one of the following inferences is most supported by the passage? | [
"Taking large amounts of vitamin XYZ daily over the course of one's adult life should be recommended to most adults.",
"Health food enthusiasts are probably correct in believing that large daily doses of multiple vitamins promote good health.",
"Those who take large doses of vitamin XYZ daily for the next two y... | 2 | train_2443 |
A recent study of several hundred female physicians showed that their tendency to develop coronary disease was inversely proportional to their dietary intake of two vitamins, folate and B6. The researchers concluded that folate and B6 inhibit the development of heart disease in women. | Which one of the following would, if true, most weaken the researchers'conclusion? | [
"Physicians are more likely than nonphysicians to know a great deal about the link between diet and health.",
"The foods that contain significant amounts of the vitamins folate and B6 also contain significant amounts of nonvitamin nutrients that inhibit heart disease.",
"The physicians in the study had not been... | 1 | train_2444 |
Psychologist: Some astrologers claim that our horoscopes completely determine our personalities, but this claim is false. I concede that identical twins -- who are, of course, born at practically the same time -- often do have similar personalities. However, birth records were examined to find two individuals who were ... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the psychologist's argument depends? | [
"The personality differences between the two individuals cannot be explained by the cultural differences between Toronto and New York.",
"Astrologers have not subjected their claims to rigorous experimentation.",
"Complete birth records for the past 40 years were kept at both hospitals.",
"The geographical di... | 3 | train_2445 |
In response to mounting public concern, an airplane manufacturer implemented a program with the well-publicized goal of reducing by half the total yearly amount of hazardous waste generated by its passenger-jet division. When the program began in 1994, the division' s hazardous waste output was 90 pounds per production... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"The number of production workers assigned to the passenger-jet division was not significantly less in 1994 than it was last year.",
"The average number of weekly hours per production worker in the passenger-jet division was not significantly greater last year than it was in 1994.",
"Since 1994, other divisions... | 0 | train_2446 |
Philosopher: An action is morally right if it would be reasonably expected to increase the aggregate well-being of the people affected by it. An action is morally wrong if and only if it would be reasonably expected to reduce the aggregate wellbeing of the people affected by it. Thus, actions that would be reasonably e... | The philosopher's conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"There are actions that would be reasonably expected to leave unchanged the aggregate well-being of the people affected by them.",
"Any action that is not morally wrong is morally right.",
"Only right actions have good consequences.",
"Only wrong actions would be reasonably expected to reduce the aggregate we... | 1 | train_2447 |
Zoologist: Plants preferentially absorb heavy nitrogen from rainwater. Heavy nitrogen consequently becomes concentrated in the tissues of herbivores, and animals that eat meat in turn exhibit even higher concentrations of heavy nitrogen in their bodily tissues. We compared bone samples from European cave bears of the I... | Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the zoologist's argument? | [
"Bone samples from present-day bears fed meat-enriched diets exhibit the same levels of heavy nitrogen as do their blood samples.",
"Plants can also absorb heavy nitrogen from a variety of sources other than rainwater.",
"The level of heavy nitrogen in the bones of any bear fed a meat-enriched diet is the same ... | 0 | train_2448 |
The total number of book titles published annually in North America has approximately quadrupled since television first became available. Retail sales of new titles, as measured in copies, increased rapidly in the early days of television, though the rate of increase has slowed in recent years. Library circulation has ... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"Television has, over the years, brought about a reduction in the amount of per capita reading in North America.",
"Book publishers in North America now sell fewer copies per title than they sold in the early days of television.",
"The availability of television does not always cause a decline in the annual num... | 2 | train_2449 |
The radio station claims that its new format is popular with listeners because more than three-quarters of the listeners who call in requests to the station say they are pleased with the format. This, however, is hardly conclusive. It would be like trying to determine whether a political candidate is popular with voter... | The argument proceeds by | [
"claiming that an inference leads to a contradiction in order to show that the inference is unreasonable",
"referring to an inference that is clearly flawed in order to undermine an analogous inference",
"questioning the legitimacy of an inference by proposing a more reasonable inference that could be drawn fro... | 1 | train_2450 |
Professor: The most important function of epic poetry is to transmit the values by which a group of people is to live. This transmission is accomplished not by an explicit discussion of those values, but rather by their embodiment in heroic figures, who are presented as role models. Imitating those role models gives me... | If the professor's statements are true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"An important function of poetry is to give meaning and direction to the lives of those who hear or read it.",
"Only epic poetry presents heroic figures as role models that, if imitated, give meaning and direction to the lives of those who hear it.",
"For many groups of people, heroic figures serve as role mode... | 3 | train_2451 |
The experts who now assure us that genetically engineered plants are harmless are the same experts who claimed that introducing non-native plants into the wild was a good idea. It is too late to be skeptical now that some non-native plants have become a serious problem. But we should conclude, while we still have time,... | The flawed reasoning in which one of the following most closely parallels the flawed reasoning in the argument above? | [
"Children who beg and plead with their parents to buy them trendy toys are the same children who begged for trendy toys last year. I conclude that parents ought to ignore such pleadings and simply buy traditional toys.",
"The film critics who called Meisner's last film brilliant are the same ones who are calling ... | 3 | train_2452 |
Economist: Prosperity is a driving force behind increases in the release of carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming. As incomes rise, more people spend money on energy-consuming devices such as cars, thereby producing more carbon dioxide. Also, in countries that experienced deep economic recessions, there were... | Which one of the following most accurately states the overall conclusion drawn in the economist's argument? | [
"When incomes rise, more people spend money on energy-consuming devices.",
"When people spend money on energy-consuming devices, more carbon dioxide is produced as a result.",
"Prosperity is an important cause of increases in the release of carbon dioxide.",
"Carbon dioxide is the main cause of global warming... | 2 | train_2453 |
Because the recycling of glass is not typically cost-effective, there is a shortage of glass recycling facilities and glass recycling is not an obligation we all bear. So some people ought not to recycle glass. | Which one of the following arguments contains a flaw in reasoning most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"It is false that you should break your promise, so you do not have an obligation to break your promise.",
"Some convention participants do not have to register on the first day of the convention since their flights were delayed past midnight. So some participants should not register on the first day of the conve... | 1 | train_2454 |
Astrophysicist: Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) -- explosions of powerful radiation from deep space -- have traditionally been classified as either "short" or "long, " terms that reflect the explosion' s relative duration. However, an unusual GRB has been sighted. Its duration was long, but in every other respect it had the pr... | The conclusion of the astrophysicist's argument is most strongly supported if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"No other GRBs with unusual properties have been sighted.",
"GRBs cannot be classified according to the different types of cosmic events that create them.",
"Properties other than duration are more important than duration in the proper classification of the unusual GRB.",
"Descriptive labels are easily replac... | 2 | train_2455 |
Designer: Any garden and adjoining living room that are separated from one another by sliding glass doors can visually merge into a single space. If the sliding doors are open, as may happen in summer, this effect will be created if it does not already exist and intensified if it does. The effect remains quite strong d... | The designer's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"A garden separated from an adjoining living room by closed sliding glass doors cannot be well coordinated with the room unless the garden contributes strong visual interest.",
"A garden and an adjoining living room separated by sliding glass doors cannot visually merge in summer unless the doors are open.",
"E... | 3 | train_2456 |
The local fair held its annual photography contest and accepted entries from both amateurs and professionals. The contest awarded prizes in each of several categories. As it turned out, most of the prizes in the contest were won by amateurs. | Each of the following, if true, could by itself constitute an explanation of the outcome of the photography contest EXCEPT: | [
"Amateurs tend to enter their best photographs while professionals tend to save their best work for their clients.",
"Three times as many amateurs entered the contest as had entered in any previous year.",
"Many more of the entries in the contest were from amateurs than were from professionals.",
"Each catego... | 1 | train_2457 |
Nutritionists have recommended that people eat more fiber. Advertisements for a new fiber-supplement pill state only that it contains "44 percent fiber. " | The advertising claim is misleading in its selection of information on which to focus if which one of the following is true? | [
"There are other products on the market that are advertised as providing fiber as a dietary supplement.",
"The recommended daily intake of fiber is 20 to 30 grams, and the pill contains one-third gram.",
"Nutritionists base their recommendation on medical findings that dietary fiber protects against some kinds ... | 1 | train_2458 |
From a newspaper editorial: Many people who are addicted to heroin will eventually attempt to overcome their addiction, principally for two reasons: the expense of maintaining a heroin addiction and the fear of arrest. If heroin were legalized and made available cheaply, as some people advocate, neither of these reason... | The considerations above can best serve as part of an argument that | [
"making heroin available legally and cheaply would make it less likely that heroin addicts will attempt to overcome their addiction",
"legalizing the sale of heroin would cause the price of this drug to go down",
"decreasing the severity of penalties for individuals who use heroin would not increase the number ... | 0 | train_2459 |
In all mammalian species, the period of a young mammal' s life in which it is most frequently playful coincides with the period of most rapid growth of the neural connections in the mammal' s brain that give rise to various complex patterns of movement, posture, and social response. Indeed, the neural connections creat... | The statements above, if true, serve LEAST well as evidence for which one of the following? | [
"The young of nonmammalian species such as fish, reptiles, and birds do not normally engage in playful behavior that serves the function served by play in the development of young mammals.",
"Young mammals of species that are preyed on by other animals are likely to engage in forms of sudden mock flight, bolting ... | 0 | train_2460 |
Musicologist: Many critics complain of the disproportion between text and music in Handel' s da capo arias. These texts are generally quite short and often repeated well beyond what is needed for literal understanding. Yet such criticism is refuted by noting that repetition serves a vital function: it frees the audienc... | Which one of the following sentences best expresses the main point of the musicologist's reasoning? | [
"At least one frequent criticism of Handel's da capo arias is undeserved.",
"Handel's da capo arias are superior to most in their accessibility to diverse audiences.",
"Most criticism of Handel's da capo arias is unwarranted.",
"Handel's da capo arias contain a disproportionate amount of music."
] | 0 | train_2461 |
Most doctors recommend that pregnant women eat a nutritious diet to promote the health of their babies. However, most babies who are born to women who ate nutritious diets while pregnant still develop at least one medical problem in their first year. | Which one of the following, if true, does most to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above? | [
"Women who regularly eat a nutritious diet while pregnant tend to eat a nutritious diet while breast-feeding.",
"Many of the physicians who initially recommended that pregnant women consume nutritious diets have only recently reaffirmed their recommendation.",
"Babies of women who did not eat nutritious diets w... | 2 | train_2462 |
In many families adults speak to babies in simplified language . Yet constantly repeating simple phrases like "Nice kitty. See the kitty? " does not provide extra help to children in learning a language. We know this because there are families in which no one speaks to babies this way, yet the children in these familie... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Any child who has mastered the grammatical structure of a language has learned the language.",
"Many linguists believe that speaking to babies in simplified language helps the babies learn language.",
"Speaking to babies in simplified language could impair their language learning.",
"To learn a language one ... | 0 | train_2463 |
In contemplating major purchases, businesses often consider only whether there is enough money left from monthly revenues after paying monthly expenses to cover the cost of the purchase. But many expenses do not occur monthly; taking into account only monthly expenses can cause a business to overexpand. So the use of a... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Only a cash-flow statement can accurately document all monthly expenses.",
"A cash-flow statement is the only way to track both monthly expenses and expenses that are not monthly.",
"Any business that has overexpanded can benefit from the use of a cash-flow statement.",
"When a business documents only monthl... | 1 | train_2464 |
People who are red / green color-blind cannot distinguish between green and brown. Gerald cannot distinguish between green and brown. Ttherefore Gerald is red / green color-blind. | Which one of the following most closely parallels the reasoning in the argument presented in the passage? | [
"People who are fair-skinned suffer from sunburn. William is fair-skinned. Ttherefore William suffers from sunburn.",
"People who are suffering from sinusitis lose their sense of smell. Mary has lost her sense of smell. Ttherefore Mary is suffering from sinusitis.",
"People who are diabetic cannot eat large amo... | 1 | train_2465 |
The end of an action is the intended outcome of the action and not a mere by-product of the action, and the end' s value is thus the only reason for the action. So while it is true that not every end' s value will justify any means, and even, perhaps, that there is no end whose value will justify every means, it is cle... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument? | [
"One can always justify a given action by appeal to the value of its intended outcome.",
"Only the value of the by-products of an action can justify that action.",
"One can justify an action only by appeal to the value of its intended outcome.",
"Nothing can justify the intended outcome of an action except th... | 2 | train_2466 |
Manuscripts written by first-time authors generally do not get serious attention by publishers except when these authors happen to be celebrities. My manuscript is unlikely to be taken seriously by publishers for I am a first-time author who is not a celebrity. | The structure of which one of the following arguments is most similar to the structure of the argument above? | [
"Fruit salad that contains bananas is ordinarily a boring dish unless it contains two or more exotic fruits. This fruit salad has bananas in it, and the only exotic fruit it has is guava. Thus, it will probably be boring.",
"Normally about 40 percent of the deer population will die over the winter unless it is ex... | 0 | train_2467 |
Shelton: The recent sharp decline in the number of moose in this region was caused by a large increase in the white-tailed deer population. While the deer do not compete with moose for food, they carry a dangerous parasite that can be transferred to any moose living nearby. Russo: The neighboring region has also experi... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent conflict between Shelton's and Russo's statements? | [
"There is a large overlap in the ranges of moose and white-tailed deer in the region with the declining moose population, but not in the neighboring region.",
"Moose require a habitat with very little human settlement, whereas white-tailed deer often thrive in and around areas with considerable human settlement."... | 0 | train_2468 |
According to the last pre-election poll in Whippleton, most voters believe that the three problems government needs to address, in order of importance, air pollution, crime, and unemployment. Yet in the election, candidates from parties perceived as strongly against pollution were defeated, while those elected were all... | Which of the following most logically completes the passage? | [
"some voters in Whippleton do not believe that pollution needs to be reduced",
"all the candidates who were elected were perceived as being stronger against both crime and unemployment than the candidates who were defeated",
"many of the people who voted in the election refused to participate in the poll",
"e... | 1 | train_2469 |
Philosopher: Scientists talk about the pursuit of truth, but, like most people, they are self-interested. Accordingly, the professional activities of most scientists are directed toward personal career enhancement, and only incidentally toward the pursuit of truth. Hence, the activities of the scientific community are ... | The reasoning in the philosopher's argument is flawed because the argument | [
"improperly infers that each and every scientist has a certain characteristic from the premise that most scientists have that characteristic",
"improperly draws an inference about the scientific community as a whole from a premise about individual scientists",
"presumes, without giving justification, that the a... | 1 | train_2470 |
Scientist: Earth' s average annual temperature has increased by about 0. 5 degrees Celsius over the last century. This warming is primarily the result of the buildup of minor gases in the atmosphere, blocking the outward flow of heat from the planet. | Which one of the following, if true, would count as evidence against the scientist's explanation of Earth's warming? | [
"Most of the warming occurred before 1940, while most of the buildup of minor gases in the atmosphere occurred after 1940.",
"Only some of the minor gases whose presence in the atmosphere allegedly resulted in the phenomenon described by the scientist were produced by industrial pollution.",
"The accumulation o... | 0 | train_2471 |
Social critic: The whole debate over the legal right of rock singers to utter violent lyrics misses the point. Legally, there is very little that may not be said. But not everything that may legally be said, ought to be said. Granted, violence predates the rise in popularity of such music. Yet words also have the power... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the passage? | [
"Stopping the production of rock music that contains violent lyrics would eliminate much of the violence within society.",
"If rock musicians voluntarily censor their violent lyrics, this may help to reduce violence in society.",
"Violent rock song lyrics do not incite violence, they merely reflect the violence... | 1 | train_2472 |
After several attempts to distract his young parrot from chewing on furniture, George reluctantly took an expert' s advice and gently hit the parrot' s beak whenever the bird started to chew furniture. The bird stopped chewing furniture, but it is now afraid of hands and will sometimes bite. Since chewing on the furnit... | Which one of the following principles, if established, would justify the judgments about George's and Carla's actions? | [
"When disciplining an animal physically, a trainer should use an object such as a rolled up newspaper to avoid making the animal frightened of hands.",
"Physical discipline should not be used by an animal trainer except to correct persistent behavior problems.",
"When training an animal, physical discipline sho... | 2 | train_2473 |
Music historian: In the past, radio stations would not play rock songs that were more than three minutes in length. Rock musicians claimed that such commercial barriers limited their creativity, and some critics argue that only since those barriers have been lifted has rock music become artistic. In fact, however, when... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the music historian's claims? | [
"Rock music can sometimes benefit from the existence of commercial barriers rather than being harmed by them.",
"Rock music is not a good outlet for creative musicians who have a great many ideas.",
"Rock music requires more discipline than some other forms of music.",
"Rock music must borrow from styles more... | 0 | train_2474 |
In 1992, a major newspaper circulated throughout North America paid its reporters an average salary that was much lower than the average salary paid by its principal competitors to their reporters. An executive of the newspaper argued that this practice was justified, since any shortfall that might exist in the reporte... | Which one of the following, if true about the newspaper in 1992, most seriously undermines the justification offered by the executive? | [
"The circulation of the newspaper had recently reached a plateau, after it had increased steadily throughout the 1980s.",
"Most of the newspaper's reporters had worked there for more than ten years.",
"The union that represented reporters at the newspaper was different from the union that represented reporters ... | 1 | train_2475 |
Literary critic: A folktale is a traditional story told in an entertaining way, which may lead some to think that folktales lack deeper meaning. But this is not the case. A folktale is passed along by a culture for generations, and each storyteller adds something of his or her own to the story, and in this way folktale... | The main conclusion of the literary critic's argument can be properly inferred if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"A story that is told primarily for entertainment does not necessarily lack deeper meaning.",
"Not every tale that lacks deep meaning or beauty is told solely for entertainment.",
"Any tale that provides insight into the wisdom of a culture is deeply meaningful in some respect.",
"Any tale that is passed alon... | 2 | train_2476 |
Scientist: Any theory that is to be taken seriously must affect our perception of the world. Of course, this is not, in itself, enough for a theory to be taken seriously. To see this, one need only consider astrology. | The point of the scientist's mentioning astrology in the argument is to present | [
"an example of a theory that should not be taken seriously because it does not affect our perception of the world",
"an example of a theory that affects our perception of the world, and thus should be taken seriously",
"an example of a theory that should be taken seriously, even though it does not affect our pe... | 3 | train_2477 |
The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a prediction of slower economic growth in the coming year. But that prediction would not have adversely affected the dollar had it not been for the government' s huge budget deficit, which must ttherefore be decreased to prevent future currency declines. | Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the conclusion about how to prevent future currency declines? | [
"The government has made little attempt to reduce the budget deficit.",
"Before there was a large budget deficit, predictions of slower economic growth frequently caused declines in the dollar's value.",
"The value of the dollar declined several times in the year prior to the recent prediction of slower economi... | 1 | train_2478 |
Economist: Countries with lower tax rates tend to have stronger economies. Although higher taxes raise more revenue, highly taxed consumers have less disposable income. An economy can never grow if consumers aren' t able to purchase goods and services. Ttherefore, the government should lower tax rates across the board. | The economist's argument depends on assuming that: | [
"Economic growth is more important than supporting social welfare programs.",
"Lower tax rates will be much more popular with consumers.",
"Consumers' disposable income is directly related to their ability to purchase goods and services.",
"Increasing disposable income is the only way to ensure economic growt... | 2 | train_2479 |
Policy Adviser: Freedom of speech is not only a basic human right; it is also the only rational policy for this government to adopt. When ideas are openly aired, good ideas flourish, silly proposals are easily recognized as such, and dangerous ideas can be responded to by rational argument. Nothing is ever gained by fo... | The policy adviser's method of persuasion, in recommending a policy of free speech to the government, is best described by which one of the following? | [
"a warning about the difficulty of suppressing the truth",
"a circular justification of the idea of free speech as an idea that flourishes when free speech is allowed",
"advocating respect for basic rights of citizens for its own sake",
"a coupling of moral ideals with self-interest"
] | 3 | train_2480 |
Company spokesperson: Household Products magazine claims that our Filterator X water filter does not remove chemical contaminants in significant amounts. This attack on the quality of our product is undermined by the experience of the millions of Filterator X owners who are satisfied with the product' s performance. | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the company spokesperson's argument? | [
"Household Products' evaluations of Filterator X water filters have been consistently negative.",
"Household Products did not evaluate whether the Filterator X water filter significantly improved the taste of drinking water.",
"Most Filterator X owners have no way to determine how effectively the product remove... | 2 | train_2481 |
It is unethical for government officials to use their knowledge of impending policies to financially benefit themselves if that knowledge is not available to the general public. | Which one of the following actions would be unethical according to the principle stated above? | [
"A company whose former manager is now an official with the Department of Natural Resources was one of several bidders for an extremely lucrative contract with the department; the names of the bidders were not disclosed to the public.",
"A retired high-ranking military officer now owns a company that contracts wi... | 2 | train_2482 |
Political advertisement: Sherwood campaigns as an opponent of higher taxes. But is anybody fooled? For the last 10 years, while Sherwood served on the city council, the council consistently increased taxes year after year. Break the cycle of higher and higher taxes: reject Sherwood' s bid for reelection to city council... | The argument in the political advertisement is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"takes for granted that a characteristic of a group as a whole is shared by an individual member of that group",
"makes a personal attack on someone who holds a certain view rather than addressing the reasonableness of that view",
"bases a crucial generalization on a very limited sample",
"mistakes something ... | 0 | train_2483 |
Editor Y: This is a good photograph: the composition is attractive, especially in the way the image is blurred by smoke in one corner. Editor Z: It' s very pretty, but it' s a bad photograph. It doesn' t make a statement; there' s no obvious reason for the smoke to be there. | The editors' dialogue provides the most support for the claim that they disagree with each other about whether | [
"a photograph that is not attractive can still be a good photograph",
"attractiveness by itself can make a photograph a good photograph",
"a photograph's composition should be related to a statement that it makes",
"a photograph that makes no statement can still be attractive"
] | 1 | train_2484 |
Sociologist: The more technologically advanced a society is, the more marked its members' resistance to technological innovations. This is not surprising, because the more technologically advanced a society is, the more aware its members are of technology' s drawbacks. Specifically, people realize that sophisticated te... | The claim that the more technologically advanced a society is, the more aware its members are of technology's drawbacks plays which one of the following roles in the sociologist's argument? | [
"It is offered as an explanation of why people's resistance to technological innovations is more marked the more technologically advanced the society in which they live is.",
"It is a conclusion supported by the claim that people realize that sophisticated technologies deeply affect the quality of human relations... | 0 | train_2485 |
For each action we perform, we can know only some of its consequences. Thus the view that in no situation can we know what action is morally right would be true if an action' s being morally right were the same as the action' s having the best consequences. | The conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Knowing that an action has the best consequences requires knowing all the consequences of that action.",
"On some occasions we can know what action is morally right.",
"Only the immediate consequences of our actions are relevant in determining whether they are morally right.",
"On some occasions we can come ... | 0 | train_2486 |
Playwright A is credited with being the first playwright to break the convention of having one character converse with a chorus, by casting two lead actors in a play. Yet, Playwright B, who was born several decades before Playwright A, also incorporates this theatrical device in two of his plays. | Which of the following, if true, best helps to account for the inconsistency noted above? | [
"Playwright A influenced the work of all of those playwrights born after him.",
"The work of Playwright B is credited with influencing the work of Playwright A.",
"The idea of including two actors on stage did not originate with Playwright A.",
"Playwright B and Playwright A died within one year of each other... | 3 | train_2487 |
If legislators are to enact laws that benefit constituents, they must be sure to consider what the consequences of enacting a proposed law will actually be. Contemporary legislatures fail to enact laws that benefit constituents. Concerned primarily with advancing their own political careers, legislators present legisla... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Legislatures that enact laws that benefit constituents are successful legislatures.",
"The passage of laws cannot benefit constituents unless constituents generally adhere to those laws.",
"The inability of legislators to consider the actual consequences of enacting a proposed law is due to their strong feelin... | 3 | train_2488 |
Although large cities are generally more polluted than the countryside, increasing urbanization may actually reduce the total amount of pollution generated nationwide. Residents of large cities usually rely more on mass transportation and live in smaller, more energy-efficient dwellings than do people in rural areas. T... | Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that increasing urbanization may actually reduce the total amount of pollution generated nationwide? | [
"It is a statement offered to call into question the claim that large cities are generally more polluted than the countryside.",
"It is a claim that the rest of the argument is designed to establish.",
"It is a statement serving merely to introduce the topic to be addressed in the argument and plays no logical ... | 1 | train_2489 |
One is likely to feel comfortable approaching a stranger if the stranger is of one' s approximate age. Ttherefore, long-term friends are probably of the same approximate age as each other since most long-term friendships begin because someone felt comfortable approaching a stranger. | The reasoning in the argument is flawed in that it | [
"presumes, without warrant, that one is likely to feel uncomfortable approaching a person only if that person is a stranger",
"infers that a characteristic is present in a situation from the fact that that characteristic is present in most similar situations",
"overlooks the possibility that one is less likely ... | 3 | train_2490 |
Leaf beetles damage willow trees by stripping away their leaves, but a combination of parasites and predators generally keeps populations of these beetles in check. Researchers have found that severe air pollution results in reduced predator populations. The parasites, by contrast, are not adversely affected by polluti... | Which of the following most logically completes the passage? | [
"where air pollution is not especially severe, predators have much more impact on leaf-beetle populations than parasites do",
"willows often grow in areas where air pollution is especially severe",
"neither the predators nor the parasites of leaf beetles themselves attack willow trees",
"the parasites that at... | 0 | train_2491 |
Farah: Health officials know that in East Asia cancer is much less common than it is in North America. And it is widely known that typical East Asian diets include a larger proportion of whole grains than typical North American diets do. So North American health officials are derelict in their duty to protect the publi... | Prasad responds to Farah by | [
"undermining Farah's argument by providing evidence that supports an alternative explanation",
"demonstrating that the beneficial effects that Farah attributes to diet can be counteracted by other factors",
"calling into question the accuracy of Farah's claim concerning the proportions of whole grains consumed ... | 0 | train_2492 |
The more modern archaeologists learn about Mayan civilization, the better they understand its intellectual achievements. Not only were numerous scientific observations and predictions made by Mayan astronomers, but the people in general seem to have had a strong grasp of sophisticated mathematical concepts. We know thi... | The argument's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"relies on two different senses of the term \"scientific\"",
"overlooks the impressive achievements of other past civilizations",
"bases a generalization on a sample that is likely to be unrepresentative",
"fails to provide an adequate definition of the term \"intellectual achievement\""
] | 2 | train_2493 |
A company determines its yearly profits by deducting its operating expenses from its revenue for that year. Company X manufactures only widgets and gadgets. Company X' s profits for this year are significantly higher than those for last year, although the company' s operating expenses remained the same and the company ... | The statements above, if true, best support which of the following conclusions? | [
"Consumers purchased more widgets and gadgets this year than they did last year.",
"Company X has raised the price of its widgets or of its gadgets since last year.",
"Company X's main competitors sold fewer widgets and gadgets this year than they did Company X.",
"Company X spent more on advertising this yea... | 1 | train_2494 |
Lopez: Our university is not committed to liberal arts, as evidenced by its decision to close the classics department. The study of classical antiquity is crucial to the liberal arts, and it has been so since the Renaissance. Warrington; Although the study of classical works is essential to the liberal arts, a classics... | Warrington's argument proceeds by | [
"responding to a possible objection to the reasoning in Lopez's argument",
"presenting a consideration in order to undermine the reasoning in Lopez's argument",
"offering additional reasons in favor of the conclusion of Lopez's argument",
"claiming that the reasoning in Lopez's argument rests on an illicit ap... | 1 | train_2495 |
Many corporations have begun decorating their halls with motivational posters in hopes of boosting their employees' motivation to work productively. However, almost all employees at these corporations are already motivated to work productively. So these corporations' use of motivational posters is unlikely to achieve i... | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"fails to consider that even if motivational posters do not have one particular beneficial effect for corporations, they may have similar effects that are equally beneficial",
"does not adequately address the possibility that employee productivity is strongly affected by factors other than employees' motivation t... | 3 | train_2496 |
Of the various food containers made of recycled Styrofoam, egg cartons are among the easiest to make. Because egg shells keep the actual food to be consumed from touching the Styrofoam, used Styrofoam need not be as thoroughly cleaned when made into egg cartons as when made into other food containers. | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"Not every type of food container made of recycled Styrofoam is effectively prevented from coming into contact with the food it contains.",
"The main reason Styrofoam must be thoroughly cleaned when recycled is to remove any residual food that has come into contact with the Styrofoam.",
"No food containers othe... | 0 | train_2497 |
Frank: The Internet has allowed everyone to obtain a vast amount of information on every topic imaginable. Jerry: That is not true. Much of the information available online is false. | Jerry's response shows that he interprets Frank's statement to imply that | [
"other sources are more reliable than the Internet",
"everyone has an equal opportunity to obtain information on the Internet",
"the majority of people do not use the Internet",
"all the information available on the Internet is true"
] | 3 | train_2498 |
A recent poll found that over 80 percent of the residents of Nalmed Province favored a massive expansion of the commuter rail system as a means of significantly easing congestion on the province' s highways and were willing to help pay for the expansion through an increase in their taxes. Nevertheless, the poll results... | Which of the following, if true, most logically completes the passage? | [
"expanding the commuter rail system will require the construction of dozens of miles of new railbed",
"most people in favor of expanding the rail system reported less congestion during their highway commute as the primary benefit they would experience",
"the proposed expansion to the commuter rail system will m... | 1 | train_2499 |
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