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Moralist: Humans have a natural disposition to altruism -- that is, to behavior that serves the needs of others regardless of one' s own needs -- but that very disposition prevents some acts of altruism from counting as moral. Reason plays an essential role in any moral behavior. Only behavior that is intended to be in... | Which one of the following most accurately states the main conclusion of the moralist's argument? | [
"All moral behavior is motivated by altruism.",
"Altruism develops through the use of reason.",
"Behavior must serve the needs of others in order to be moral behavior.",
"Not all altruistic acts are moral behavior."
] | 3 | train_2600 |
Party spokesperson: The opposition party' s proposal to stimulate economic activity in the province by refunding $600 million in provincial taxes to taxpayers, who could be expected to spend the money, envisions an illusory benefit. Since the province' s budget is required to be in balance, either new taxes would be ne... | The spokesperson proceeds by | [
"seeking to show that the assumption that taxpayers would spend money that might be refunded to them is dubious",
"reinterpreting a term that is central to an opposing argument",
"arguing that a predicted advantage would be offset by an accompanying disadvantage",
"casting doubt on the motives of opponents"
] | 2 | train_2601 |
A government ought to protect and encourage free speech, because free speech is an activity that is conducive to a healthy nation and thus is in the best interest of its people. | The main conclusion above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Basic, inalienable rights of the people ought to be protected and encouraged by government.",
"Universal human rights that are in the best interest of the people ought to be protected and encouraged by a nation's government.",
"An activity that is in the best interest of the people ought to be protected and en... | 2 | train_2602 |
Film director: It' s inaccurate to say that filmgoers stayed away from my film because it received one or two negative reviews. My film had such a small audience during its opening weekend simply because it was competing with several other films that appeal to the same type of filmgoer that mine does, and the number of... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to support the film director's explanation? | [
"The film director's film received no positive reviews.",
"Filmgoers seldom see more than one film in a weekend.",
"Each of the other films that the film director alludes to received one or two positive reviews.",
"Most filmgoers are drawn to a variety of kinds of film."
] | 1 | train_2603 |
Archaeologists in Michigan have excavated a Native American camp near Dumaw Creek. Radiocarbon dating of animal bones found at the site indicates that the camp dates from some time between 1605 and 1755. However, the camp probably dates to no later than 1630, since no European trade goods were found at the site, and Eu... | Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Due to trade among Native Americans, some European trade goods would have reached the area before the European traders themselves did.",
"At all camps in the region that have been reliably dated to the late 1620's, remains of European trade goods have been found.",
"The site is that of a temporary camp that wo... | 1 | train_2604 |
An unusually severe winter occurred in Europe after the continent was blanketed by a blue haze resulting from the eruption of the Laki Volcano in the European republic of Iceland in the summer of 1984. Thus, it is evident that major eruptions cause the atmosphere to become cooler than it would be otherwise. | Which of the following statements, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above? | [
"A few months after El Chichon's large eruption in April 1982, air temperatures throughout the region remained higher than expected, given the long-term weather trends.",
"The climatic effects of major volcanic eruptions can temporarily mask the general warming trend resulting from an excess of carbon dioxide in ... | 0 | train_2605 |
Since Mayor Drabble always repays her political debts as soon as possible, she will almost certainly appoint Lee to be the new head of the arts commission. Lee has wanted that job for a long time, and Drabble owes Lee a lot for his support in the last election. | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"There is no one to whom Mayor Drabble owes a greater political debt for support in the last election than the political debt she owes to Lee.",
"Whether Lee is qualified to head the arts commission is irrelevant to Mayor Drabble's decision.",
"Lee is the only person to whom Mayor Drabble owes a political debt ... | 3 | train_2606 |
If a person chooses to walk rather than drive, there is one less vehicle emitting pollution into the air than there would be otherwise. Ttherefore if people would walk whenever it is feasible for them to do so, then pollution will be greatly reduced. | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"There are people who never drive but who often walk.",
"People sometimes drive when it is feasible to walk instead.",
"Cutting down on pollution can be achieved in a variety of ways.",
"Taking public transportation rather than driving is not always feasible."
] | 1 | train_2607 |
Like a number of other articles, Ian Raghnall' s article relied on a recent survey in which over half the couples applying for divorces listed "money"as a major problem in their marriages. Raghnall' s conclusion from the survey data is that financial problems are the major problem in marriages and an important factor c... | Which one of the following sentences best expresses the main point of the passage? | [
"Many articles wrongly claim that financial problems are the major factor contributing to the divorce rate.",
"The conclusion drawn in Raghnall's article is inadequately justified.",
"Over half the couples applying for divorces listed money as a major problem in their marriages.",
"Financial problems are not ... | 1 | train_2608 |
Rapid population growth can be disastrous for a small city. Ideally there should be at least one municipal employee for every hundred residents; when too many people move in at once, city services responsible for utilities and permits are quickly overloaded. Most city budgets do not allow for the immediate hiring of ne... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"New residents of any city bring with them new ideas about how a city should be run.",
"New residents of most small cities do not start paying city taxes for at least a year.",
"Some large cities can absorb rapid population growth more readily than many small cities can.",
"During budget shortages, small citi... | 1 | train_2609 |
The advent of chemical fertilizers led the farmers in a certain region to abandon the practice of periodically growing a "green-manure" crop, such as alfalfa, in a field to rejuvenate its soil. As a result, the soil structure in a typical farm field in the region is poor. So to significantly improve the soil structure,... | The argument relies on the assumption that | [
"most, if not all, farmers in the region who abandon the use of chemical fertilizers will periodically grow alfalfa",
"many, if not all, farmers in the region will not grow green-manure crops unless they abandon the use of chemical fertilizers",
"the most important factor influencing the soil quality of a farm ... | 1 | train_2610 |
Two doctrines have been greatly influential in this century. The first holds that the explanation of any historical event must appeal to economic factors. The second attempts to account psychologically for all historical events, especially in terms of early childhood experience. Both doctrines, however, are mistaken. C... | The argument depends on assuming which one of the following? | [
"One is likely to find that both economic and psychological explanations have been proposed for any given historical event.",
"Appeals to both economic and psychological factors are needed to understand any historical event properly.",
"The first doctrine precludes any noneconomic factors in explanations of his... | 2 | train_2611 |
Environmentalist: It takes less energy to make molten glass from recycled glass than from raw materials. Once the recycled glass or raw materials have been turned into molten glass, making bottles from recycled glass follows the same process as making bottles from raw materials. Obviously, soft drink bottlers who make ... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? | [
"Purchasing and transport costs are not so much greater for recycled glass than for raw materials that they outweigh the savings in energy costs resulting from the use of recycled glass.",
"The amount of glass that is currently recycled each year is enough to supply the major soft drink bottlers with materials fo... | 0 | train_2612 |
When a community opens a large shopping mall, it often expects a boost to the local economy, and in fact a large amount of economic activity goes on in these malls. Yet the increase in the local economy is typically much smaller than the total amount of economic activity that goes on in the mall. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the discrepancy described above? | [
"When large shopping malls are new they attract a lot of shoppers but once the novelty has worn off they usually attract fewer shoppers than does the traditional downtown shopping district.",
"Most of the jobs created by the construction of a large shopping mall are temporary, and most of the permanent jobs creat... | 3 | train_2613 |
For similar cars and comparable drivers, automobile insurance for collision damage has always cost more in Greatport than in Fairmont. Police studies, however, show that cars owned by Greatport residents are, on average, slightly less likely to be involved in a collision than cars in Fairmont. Clearly, ttherefore, insu... | In evaluating the argument, it would be most useful to compare | [
"the condition of Greatport's roads and streets with the condition of Fairmont's roads and streets",
"the rates Greatport residents pay for other forms of insurance with the rates paid for similar insurance by residents of Fairmont",
"the cost of repairing collision damage in Greatport with the cost of repairin... | 2 | train_2614 |
A country ' s employment in the manufacturing industry has dramatically decreased over the last thirty years. During that same period, the country has led the world in developing automation. Ttherefore, automation is the reason behind the decreased unemployment in the manufacturing industry. | The author relies most upon which of the following assumptions? | [
"The manufacturing industry uses more automation than any other economic sector.",
"The manufacturing industry is the only economic sector impacted by automation.",
"The manufacturing industry is driving the automation.",
"The manufacturing industry uses automation."
] | 3 | train_2615 |
Physician: In order to investigate diseases caused by hormonal imbalances, a certain researcher wants to study, among others, 200 children whose pituitary glands fail to produce typical amounts of Human Growth Hormone (HGH). The study would involve administering a synthetic version of HGH to the children over a two-yea... | Which one of the following, if true, would most help to justify the physician's argumentation? | [
"About 10, 000 children have already been given synthetic HGH without obvious side effects.",
"Obtaining informed consent from children is impossible, because they are not yet mature enough to understand complex medical issues.",
"Although hormonal imbalances can cause disease, the imbalances themselves do not ... | 3 | train_2616 |
Anna: Did you know that rainbows always occur opposite the sun, appearing high in the sky when the sun is low, and low in the sky when the sun is high? The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder claimed that this was so, in the first century A. D. William: His claim cannot be correct. After all, Pliny the Elder wrote that there... | William's argument against Anna's claims about rainbows is most vulnerable to criticism because it | [
"inappropriately distorts Anna's conclusion, making it appear more extreme than it really is",
"implies that Pliny the Elder's writings are too outdated to be of any value",
"illicitly infers that, because Pliny the Elder made some incorrect assertions, Pliny the Elder's assertions about rainbows are also incor... | 2 | train_2617 |
Louise McBride, a homeowner, filed a complaint against a nearby nightclub through the Licensing Bureau, a government agency. Although regulations clearly state that Form 283 is to be used for formal complaints, Bureau staff gave McBride Form 5, which she used with the intention of filing a formal complaint. The nightcl... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the judgment that dismissing the complaint would be unfair? | [
"A government agency should not make its procedures so complex that even the agency's employees cannot understand the procedures.",
"It is unfair for someone's complaint to be dismissed because of an incorrect action on the part of a government agency.",
"People who wish to file complaints through the Licensing... | 1 | train_2618 |
New Age philosopher: Nature evolves organically and nonlinearly. Furthermore, it can best be understood as a whole; its parts are so interconnected that none could exist without support from many others. Ttherefore, attaining the best possible understanding of nature requires an organic, holistic, nonlinear way of reas... | The reasoning in the New Age philosopher's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"overlooks the possibility that the overall structure of a phenomenon is not always identical to the overall structure of the reasoning that people do about that phenomenon",
"fails to distinguish adequately between the characteristics of a phenomenon as a whole and those of the deliberately isolated parts of tha... | 2 | train_2619 |
Pamela: Physicians training for a medical specialty serve as resident staff physicians in hospitals. They work such long hours -- up to 36 consecutive hours -- that fatigue impairs their ability to make the best medical decisions during the final portion of their shifts. Quincy: Thousands of physicians now practicing h... | Why should what has worked in the past be changed now? Which one of the following, if true, is the most effective counter Pamela might make to Quincy's argument? | [
"Because medical reimbursement policies now pay for less recuperation time in hospitals, patients in hospitals are, on the average, more seriously ill during their stays than in the past.",
"The training of physicians should include observation and recognition of the signs indicating a hospitalized patient's prog... | 0 | train_2620 |
Whenever she considers voting in an election to select one candidate for a position and there is at least one issue important to her, Kay uses the following principle in choosing which course of action to take: it is acceptable for me to vote for a candidate whose opinions differ from mine on at least one issue importa... | If the statements in the passage are true, which one of the following must also be true about Kay's course of action in any election to select one candidate for a position? | [
"If she agrees with a particular candidate on only one issue important to her, it is unacceptable for her to vote for that candidate.",
"If she agrees with each of the candidates on most of the issues important to her, it is unacceptable for her to vote for any candidate in the election.",
"If she disagrees wit... | 2 | train_2621 |
A survey of clerical workers' attitudes toward their work identified a group of secretaries with very positive attitudes. They responded "Strongly agree" to such statements as "I enjoy word processing"and "I like learning new secretarial skills. " These secretaries had been rated by their supervisors as excellent worke... | Which one of the following identifies a reasoning error in the argument? | [
"It identifies the secretaries' positive attitudes as the cause of their excellent job performance although their attitudes might be an effect of their performance.",
"It attempts to prove a generalization about job performance by using the single example of clerical workers.",
"It uses the term \"positive atti... | 0 | train_2622 |
Urban air contains more sulfur dioxide than does rural air, and plants in cities typically grow more slowly than do plants in rural areas. In an experiment to see how much of the difference in growth is due to sulfur dioxide, classes in an urban and a rural school grew plants in greenhouses at their schools and filtere... | Which of the following, if true, would it be most important to take into account in evaluating the result? | [
"The urban school was located in a part of the city in which levels of sulfur dioxide in the air were usually far lower than is typical for urban areas.",
"The urban class conducting the experiment was larger than the rural class conducting the experiment.",
"Heavy vehicular traffic such as is found in cities c... | 2 | train_2623 |
Snowmaking machines work by spraying a mist that freezes immediately on contact with cold air. Because the sudden freezing kills bacteria, QuickFreeze is planning to market a wastewater purification system that works on the same principle. The process works only when temperatures are cold, however, so municipalities us... | Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest grounds for a prediction that municipalities will buy QuickFreeze's purification system despite the need to maintain a conventional purification system as well? | [
"Conventional wastewater purification systems have not been fully successful in killing bacteria at cold temperatures.",
"During times of warm weather, when it is not in use, QuickFreeze's purification system requires relatively little maintenance.",
"Bacteria are not the only impurities that must be removed fr... | 0 | train_2624 |
Federal investigators, called in at the request of the management of Ploutos National Bank, recently apprehended a ring of seven embezzlers from among the bank' s employees. The bank management decided to call in the federal investigators when they were unable to account for millions of dollars missing in their budget ... | Which of following conclusions can most properly be drawn from the information above? | [
"Federal investigators have the means at their disposal to detect any large illegal transfers of money.",
"The Ploutos National Bank still has reason to suspect more embezzlers beyond the seven apprehended by Federal investigators.",
"In initiating a federal investigation of their own company, the managers of P... | 1 | train_2625 |
Advertisement: Campfire Jack' s Breakfast Sausage, made with our secret family recipe, is simply tops for taste. And here is the proof: In a recent market survey, 8 out of every 10 shoppers who expressed a preference said that Campfire Jack' s was the only breakfast sausage for them, no ifs, ands, or buts. | Of the following, which one is the strongest reason why the advertisement is potentially misleading? | [
"Shoppers who buy breakfast sausage might buy only breakfast sausage.",
"The preference for Campfire Jack's brand might be based on such a factor as a remarkably low price.",
"Other brands of breakfast sausage might also be made with a secret family recipe.",
"No market survey covers more than a sizable minor... | 1 | train_2626 |
Gwin: Apparently the community playhouse is going out of business. This means that there is little to no cultural feeling in the town of Hillview. If you' re planning on opening another playhouse in Hillview, I would think again. Chambal: It' s true that the playhouse is going out of business. However, its closing has ... | The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Gwin and Chambal disagree over which of the following? | [
"Playhouses can close because of insufficient cultural feeling.",
"The plays in Hillview were of inferior quality.",
"Other cultural spaces have gone out of business in Hillview.",
"It is a good idea for another playhouse to come to Hillview."
] | 3 | train_2627 |
Advertisement: Most nutritionists recommend eating fish twice a week. Eating tilapia fillets is a perfect choice for those who want the benefits of eating fish but do not care for the taste of fish. Tilapia fillets lack the . strong fishy taste that many people find objectionable. | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the advertisement's argument? | [
"Eating more than the recommended amount of fish can cause toxins that are present in high concentrations in many varieties of fish to accumulate m a person's body.",
"Tilapia fillets contain little of the beneficial fish oils that are the main reason nutritionists recommend eating fish frequently.",
"Most peop... | 1 | train_2628 |
Philosopher: Effective tests have recently been developed to predict fatal diseases having a largely genetic basis. Now, for the first time, a person can be warned well in advance of the possibility of such life-threatening conditions. However, medicine is not yet able to prevent most such conditions. Simply being info... | Which one of the following statements is best illustrated by the state of affairs described by the philosopher? | [
"The advance of medicine creates new contexts in which ethical dilemmas can arise.",
"The advance of technology is of questionable value.",
"The advance of medicine fails to provide solutions to every problem.",
"Medical technologies continue to advance, increasing our knowledge and understanding of disease."... | 0 | train_2629 |
Earthworms, vital to the health of soil, prefer soil that is approximately neutral on the acid-to-alkaline scale. Since decomposition of dead plants makes the top layer of soil highly acidic, application of crushed limestone, which is highly alkaline, to the soil' s surface should make the soil more attractive to earth... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"As far as soil health is concerned, aiding the decomposition of dead plants is the most important function performed by earthworms.",
"By itself, acidity of soil does nothing to hasten decomposition of dead plants.",
"Crushed limestone contains available calcium and magnesium, both of which are just as vital a... | 3 | train_2630 |
Psychologist: Some people contend that children should never be reprimanded. Any criticism, let alone punishment, they say, harms children' s self-esteem. This view is laudable in its challenge to the belief that children should be punished whenever they misbehave, yet it gives a dangerous answer to the question of how... | The view that children should never be reprimanded functions in the psychologist's argument as a statement of a position that the psychologist's argument | [
"is designed to establish as well intentioned",
"claims has a serious flaw though is not without value",
"is designed to discredit entirely",
"is designed to establish as true"
] | 1 | train_2631 |
In preagricultural societies, social roles were few and were easily predicted for each phase of a person' s life. Accordingly, interpersonal relations, although not always pleasant or fair, were stable and predictable. Modern society, on the other hand, has thousands of different social roles. Technology and consumeris... | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"modern society is characterized by greater injustice and unpleasantness than were preagricultural societies",
"in modern societies, people must rely on technology to effectively predict and interpret other people's actions",
"interpersonal relations in modern societies are less stable and less predictable than... | 2 | train_2632 |
Ornithologist: This bird species is widely thought to subsist primarily on vegetation, but my research shows that this belief is erroneous. While concealed in a well-camouflaged blind, I have observed hundreds of these birds every morning over a period of months, and I estimate that over half of what they ate consisted... | The reasoning in the ornithologist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"fails to specify the nature of the animal food sources, other than insects, that were consumed by the birds",
"neglects the possibility that the birds have different patterns of food consumption during different parts of the day and night",
"assumes, without providing justification, that the feeding behavior o... | 1 | train_2633 |
Two centuries ago, Tufe Peninsula became separated from the mainland, isolating on the newly formed Tufe Island a population of Turfil sunflowers. This population' s descendants grow to be, on average, 40 centimeters shorter than Turfil sunflowers found on the mainland. Tufe Island is significantly drier than Tufe Peni... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"The mainland's environment has not changed in ways that have resulted in Turfil sunflowers on the mainland growing to be 40 centimeters taller than they did two centuries ago.",
"There were about as many Turfil sunflowers on Tufe Peninsula two centuries ago as there are on Tufe Island today.",
"There are no ty... | 0 | train_2634 |
Although the concept of free will is essential to that of moral responsibility, its role in determining responsibility is not the same in all situations. We hold criminals morally responsible for the damage they cause, assuming that they freely chose their activities. But we do not hold someone who has a heart attack w... | The claim that a choice of diet can affect whether or not one has a heart attack plays which one of the following roles in the argument? | [
"It is a subsidiary conclusion of the argument.",
"It is used to show that we should hold someone morally responsible for damages caused by having a heart attack while driving.",
"It is cited as evidence that our concept of moral responsibility should be the same in all situations.",
"It is used in support of... | 3 | train_2635 |
Commissioner: I have been incorrectly criticized for having made my decision on the power plant issue prematurely. I based my decision on the report prepared by the neighborhood association and, although I have not studied it thoroughly, I am sure that the information it contains is accurate. Moreover, you may recall t... | The commissioner's argument is LEAST vulnerable to which one of the following criticisms? | [
"It takes for granted that agreeing with the association's past recommendation helps to justify agreeing with its current recommendation.",
"It draws a conclusion about the recommendations of the association from incomplete recollections.",
"It takes for granted that the association's information is not distort... | 1 | train_2636 |
In West Calverton, most pet stores sell exotic birds, and most of those that sell exotic birds also sell tropical fish. However, any pet store there that sells tropical fish but not exotic birds does sell gerbils; and no independently owned pet stores in West Calverton sell gerbils. | If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true? | [
"No pet stores in West Calverton that sell tropical fish and exotic birds sell gerbils.",
"No independently owned pet store in West Calverton sells tropical fish but not exotic birds.",
"Any independently owned pet store in West Calverton that does not sell tropical fish sells exotic birds.",
"Most pet stores... | 1 | train_2637 |
During 2006, the number of applicants who applied to law school from college X tripled, even though the number of students who were declared pre-law majors stayed the same. | Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy above? | [
"During 2006, the local law schools around college X unanimously agreed to toughen admissions standards.",
"During 2006, the career counselors at college X gave several presentations to the engineering and psychology departments about careers in law.",
"Career counselors at college X have always supported stude... | 1 | train_2638 |
Columnist: Tagowa' s testimony in the Pemberton trial was not heard outside the courtroom, so we cannot be sure what she said. Afterward, however, she publicly affirmed her belief in Pemberton' s guilt. Hence, since the jury found Pemberton not guilty, we can conclude that not all of the jury members believed Tagowa' s... | Which one of the following describes a flaw in the columnist's reasoning? | [
"It fails to consider that jury members sometimes disagree with each other about the significance of a particular person's testimony.",
"It confuses facts about what certain people believe with facts about what ought to be the case.",
"It presumes, without providing warrant, that a jury's finding a defendant no... | 3 | train_2639 |
Muriel: I admire Favilla' s novels, but she does not deserve to be considered great writer. The point is that, no matter how distinctive her style may be, her subject matter is simply not varied enough. John: I think you are wrong to use that criterion. A great writer does not need any diversity in subject matter; howe... | Which one of the following is a point at issue between Muriel and John? | [
"whether treating a variety of subjects should be a prerequisite for someone to be considered a great writer",
"whether Favilla should be considered a great writer because her style is distinctive",
"whether the number of novels that a novelist has written should be a factor in judging whether that novelist is ... | 0 | train_2640 |
Leadership depends as much on making one' s followers aware of their own importance as it does on conveying a vivid image of a collective goal. Only if they are convinced both that their efforts are necessary for the accomplishment of this goal, and that these efforts, if expended, will actually achieve it, will people... | If all of the statements above are true, then which one of the following CANNOT be true? | [
"Some leaders who convince their followers of the necessity of their efforts in achieving a goal fail, nevertheless, to lead them to the attainment of that goal.",
"Sometimes people who remain unsure of whether their efforts are needed for the attainment of a collective goal nevertheless follow a leader.",
"Onl... | 1 | train_2641 |
Laurel: Modem moral theories must be jettisoned, or at least greatly reworked, because they fail to provide guidance in extreme cases, which are precisely the times when people most need guidance. Miriam: A moral theory, like an overcoat, can be quite useful even if it is not useful in every possible situation. Being u... | Laurel's and Miriam's statements provide the most support for the claim that they disagree about whether | [
"a moral theory's adequacy depends on its ability to provide guidance in extreme cases",
"a moral theory developed in the light of extreme cases is unlikely to provide adequate guidance in more usual cases",
"it is preferable to develop a moral theory that provides solutions to all the moral dilemmas that could... | 0 | train_2642 |
Libel is defined as damaging the reputation of someone by making false statements. Ironically, strong laws against libel can make it impossible for anyone in the public eye to have a good reputation. For the result of strong libel laws is that, for fear of lawsuits, no one will say anything bad about public figures. | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the argument? | [
"The absence of laws against libel makes it possible for everyone in the public eye to have a good reputation.",
"If one makes statements that one sincerely believes, then those statements should not be considered libelous even if they are in fact false and damaging to the reputation of a public figure.",
"Publ... | 2 | train_2643 |
Human intelligence is not possible without human emotions. A computer is something that can never have emotions, so for that reason alone a computer will never be able to display intelligence. | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Someone or something is intelligent only if it can identify its emotions.",
"Computer technology will not greatly advance beyond its current state.",
"A computer could have emotions only if it could display intelligence.",
"Being intelligent requires the capacity to have emotions."
] | 3 | train_2644 |
Politician: Now that we are finally cleaning up the industrial pollution in the bay, we must start making the bay more accessible to the public for recreational purposes. Reporter: But if we increase public access to the bay, it will soon become polluted again. Politician: Not true. The public did not have access to th... | Which one of the following most closely parallels the flawed pattern of reasoning in the politician's reply to the reporter? | [
"In order to like abstract art, you have to understand it. Ttherefore, in order to understand abstract art, you have to like it.",
"When prisoners convicted of especially violent crimes were kept in solitary confinement, violence in the prisons increased. Ttherefore, violence in the prisons will not increase if s... | 1 | train_2645 |
Due to wider commercial availability of audio recordings of authors reading their own books, sales of printed books have dropped significantly. | Which one of the following conforms most closely to the principle illustrated above? | [
"Because of the rising cost of farm labor, farmers began to make more extensive use of machines.",
"Because of the wide variety of new computer games on the market, sales of high-quality computer video screens have improved.",
"Because neither of the two leading word processing programs has all of the features ... | 3 | train_2646 |
Only engineering is capable of analyzing the nature of a machine in terms of the successful working of the whole; physics and chemistry determine the material conditions necessary for this success, but cannot express the notion of purpose. Similarly, only physiology can analyze the nature of an organism in terms of org... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the analogy? | [
"The functioning of the human organism is machine-like in nature.",
"Physiology as a science is largely independent of physics and chemistry.",
"Biological processes are irreducible to mechanical or chemical processes.",
"The notion of purpose used by engineers to judge the success of machinery has an analog ... | 3 | train_2647 |
In 1975, a province reduced its personal income tax rate by 2 percent for most taxpayers. In 1976, the personal income tax rate for those taxpayers was again reduced by 2 percent. Despite the decreases in the personal income tax rate, the total amount of money collected from personal income taxes remained constant from... | Each of the following, if true, could help to resolve the apparent discrepancy described above EXCEPT: | [
"The definition of \"personal income\" used by the province was widened during 1975 to include income received from personal investments.",
"A large number of people from other provinces moved to the province during 1975 and 1976.",
"The personal income tax rate for the wealthiest individuals in the province ro... | 3 | train_2648 |
Political scientist: While voters have a legal right to know what is being done by those whom they elect, there must be limits placed on public access to the detailed workings of the legislative process. Legislators receive little credit for reaching compromises but much criticism for failing to stick to their principl... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, would most help to justify the political scientist's reasoning? | [
"It is acceptable to restrict some legal rights if doing so makes the political process more efficient.",
"Legislators should be given credit for reaching compromises that facilitate the passage of needed legislation.",
"Compromise between factions with equally compelling interests can only be effected by unpri... | 0 | train_2649 |
Songwriters get much of the money they earn from their songs from radio airplay. A hit song is played thousands of times, and the songwriter is paid for each play. Only a fraction of songwriters actually achieve a hit, however, and even fewer manage to write several. Writers of hit songs are often asked to write songs ... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true? | [
"Any songwriter who receives revenue from radio airplay has written a hit song.",
"Some songs written for movie sound tracks are played on the radio thousands of times.",
"All songwriters who write songs for movie sound tracks have had their songs played on the radio thousands of times.",
"Some songwriters ea... | 1 | train_2650 |
Some paleontologists believe that certain species of dinosaurs guarded their young in protective nests long after the young hatched. As evidence, they cite the discovery of fossilized hadrosaur babies and adolescents in carefully designed nests. But similar nests for hatchlings and adolescents are constructed by modern... | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"paleontologists who believe that hadrosaurs guarded their young long after the young hatched have no evidence to support this belief",
"we will never be able to know the extent to which hadrosaurs guarded their young",
"the construction of nests for hatchlings and adolescents is not strong evidence for the pal... | 2 | train_2651 |
Commemorative plaques cast from brass are a characteristic art form of the Benin culture of West Africa. Some scholars, noting that the oldest surviving plaques date to the 1400s, hypothesize that brass-casting techniques were introduced by the Portuguese, who came to Benin in 1485 A. D. But Portuguese records of that ... | Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"The Portuguese had no contact with Ife until the 1500s.",
"As early as 1500 A. D. , Benin artists were making brass plaques incorporating depictions of Europeans.",
"In the 1400s the Portuguese did not use cast brass for commemorative plaques.",
"Copper, which is required for making brass, can be found throu... | 0 | train_2652 |
Mark: To convey an understanding of past events, a historian should try to capture what it was like to experience those events. For instance, a foot soldier in the Battle of Waterloo knew through direct experience what the battle was like, and it is this kind of knowledge that the historian must capture. Carla: But how... | Carla does which one of the following in disputing Mark's position? | [
"questions Mark's presupposition that one person can understand another's feelings",
"gives reason to believe that Mark's recommendation is motivated by his professional self-interest",
"questions whether Mark accurately describes the kind of historical writing he deplores",
"argues that the selection involve... | 3 | train_2653 |
Economist: If minimum wage levels are low, employers have a greater incentive to hire more workers than to buy productivity-enhancing new technology. As a result, productivity growth, which is necessary for higher average living standards, falls off. Conversely, high minimum wage levels result in higher productivity. T... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the economist's argument? | [
"Productivity growth in a country usually leads to an eventual increase in job creation.",
"Productivity-enhancing new technology tends to quickly become outdated.",
"The economist's country has seen a slow but steady increase in its unemployment rate over the last decade.",
"The economist's country currently... | 0 | train_2654 |
Helen: Reading a book is the intellectual equivalent of investing money: you' re investing time, thereby foregoing other ways of spending that time, in the hope that what you learn will later afford you more opportunities than you' d get by spending the time doing something other than reading that book. Randi: But that... | Which one of the following most accurately describes the technique Randi uses in responding to Helen's claims? | [
"questioning how the evidence Helen uses for a claim was gathered",
"disputing the scope of Helen's analogy by presenting another analogy",
"denying the relevance of an example presented by Helen",
"arguing that Helen's reasoning ultimately leads to an absurd conclusion"
] | 1 | train_2655 |
In response to several bacterial infections traced to its apple juice, McElligott now flash pasteurizes its apple juice by quickly heating and immediately rechilling it. Intensive pasteurization, in which juice is heated for an hour, eliminates bacteria more effectively than does any other method, but is likely to dest... | The statements above, if true, provide the most support for which one of the following claims? | [
"McElligott's citrus juices contain fewer infectious bacteria than do citrus juices produced by other companies.",
"Apple juice that undergoes intensive pasteurization is less likely than McElligott's apple juice is to contain bacteria.",
"The most effective method for eliminating bacteria from juice is also th... | 1 | train_2656 |
To use the pool at City Gym, one must have a membership there. Sarah has a membership at City Gym. She must ttherefore use the pool there at least occasionally. | The reasoning in the argument is flawed in that the argument | [
"mistakes a policy that is strictly enforced for a policy to which exceptions are made",
"presumes that one or the other of two alternatives must be the case without establishing that no other alternative is possible",
"treats a statement whose truth is required for the conclusion to be true as though it were a... | 2 | train_2657 |
The city' s transportation department has noticed that the city' s extensive public bus system generally runs behind schedule on days when traffic is heavier in the city. The transportation commissioner concluded that the traffic prevents the buses from reaching their stops on time, despite the existence of a number of... | The success of the commissioner's proposal depends on which of the following assumptions? | [
"Automobile drivers will not object to the proposal.",
"The city's bus-only lanes do not contribute substantially to gridlock by reducing the number of lanes available to other traffic.",
"The city owns enough buses to cover all established routes.",
"An increase in bus fare is not necessary as a result of th... | 1 | train_2658 |
Dean: The mathematics department at our university has said that it should be given sole responsibility for teaching the course Statistics for the Social Sciences. But this course has no more mathematics in it than high school algebra does. The fact that a course has mathematics in it does not mean that it needs to be ... | The dean's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"presumes, without providing justification, that any policies that apply to history courses must be justified with respect to mathematics courses",
"purports to refute a view by showing that one possible reason for that view is insufficient",
"presumes, without providing justification, that expertise in a subje... | 1 | train_2659 |
A recent poll of a large number of households found that 47 percent of those with a cat had at least one person with a university degree, while 38 percent of households with a dog had at least one person with a university degree. Clearly, people who hold university degrees are more likely to live in a household with a ... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed in that the argument | [
"fails to consider how many of the households have at least one person without a university degree",
"ignores the possibility that a significant number of households might have both a cat and a dog",
"takes for granted that there are not significantly more households with a dog than ones with a cat",
"ignores... | 2 | train_2660 |
Parent P: Children will need computer skills to deal with tomorrow' s world. Computers should be introduced in kindergarten, and computer languages should be required in high school. Parent Q: That would be pointless. Technology advances so rapidly that the computers used by today' s kindergartners and the computer lan... | Which one of the following, if true, is the strongest logical counter parent P can make to parent Q's objection? | [
"In the process of learning to work with any computer or computer language, children increase their ability to interact with computer technology.",
"Automotive technology is continually advancing too, but that does not result in one's having to relearn to drive cars as the new advances are incorporated into new a... | 0 | train_2661 |
Downtown Petropolis boasted over 100 large buildings 5 years ago. Since then, 60 of those buildings have been demolished. Since the number of large buildings in a downtown is an indicator of the economic health of that downtown, it is clear that downtown Petropolis is in a serious state of economic decline. | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"Significantly fewer than 60 new large buildings have been built in downtown Petropolis during the past 5 years.",
"There have never been significantly more than 100 large buildings in downtown Petropolis.",
"Most of the buildings demolished during the past 5 years were torn down because they were structurally ... | 0 | train_2662 |
On average, the number of speeding tickets issued in County X every year is three times greater than the number of speeding tickets issued in County Y during the same period. Ttherefore, the number of people who exceed the speed limit must be higher in County X than in County Y. | Which of the following describes a flaw in the reasoning above? | [
"The argument fails to take into account that residents of County Y may be more law-abiding overall.",
"The argument fails to take into account that the speed limit may be different in the two counties.",
"The argument fails to take into account that the number of tickets issued in County X may reflect a lower ... | 3 | train_2663 |
Medical research has shown that chronic fatigue syndrome is definitely not the product of mental or emotional disorders, but is instead completely caused either by immunologic or genetic factors. Yet, other medical research has found that a large percentage of patients treated for chronic fatigue syndrome are also trea... | Which one of the following, if true, helps explain the information presented above? | [
"Patients with chronic medical conditions often subsequently develop depression and anxiety.",
"People with depression are often unaware that they have other medical problems that require professional treatment.",
"Most people with chronic fatigue syndrome believe that their condition is caused by immunologic r... | 0 | train_2664 |
When Cortez arrived in Mexico in A. D. 1519, he observed the inhabitants playing a ceremonial game with a rubber ball. The pre-Columbian inhabitants of Mexico began to use rubber around A. D. 1000. Thus, we can be sure that the game must have originated sometime between approximately A. D. 1000 and Cortez' arrival. | The conclusion reached above depends on which one of the following assumptions? | [
"The game had been played since its inception with a rubber ball.",
"The making of rubber balls was one of the earliest uses of rubber by the inhabitants of Mexico.",
"The pre-Columbian inhabitants of Mexico played games on all ceremonial occasions.",
"The ceremonial game referred to was popular throughout Me... | 0 | train_2665 |
The city' s center for disease control reports that the rabies epidemic is more serious now than it was two years ago: 2 years ago less than 25 percent of the local raccoon population was infected, whereas today the infection has spread to more than 50 percent of the raccoon population. However, the newspaper reports t... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy between the two reports? | [
"Since the outbreak of the epidemic, raccoons, which are normally nocturnal, have increasingly been seen during daylight hours.",
"A significant proportion of the raccoon population succumbed to rabies in the year before last.",
"The number of cases of rabies in wild animals other than raccoons has increased in... | 1 | train_2666 |
Sometimes when their trainer gives the hand signal for "Do something creative together, " two dolphins circle a pool in tandem and then leap through the air simultaneously. On other occasions the same signal elicits synchronized backward swims or tail-waving. These behaviors are not simply learned responses to a given ... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"The dolphins often exhibit complex new responses to the hand signal.",
"Some of the behaviors mentioned are exhibited by dolphins in their natural habitat.",
"Dolphins do not interact with humans the way they interact with one another.",
"The dolphins are given food incentives as part of their training."
] | 0 | train_2667 |
Researcher: People with certain personality disorders have more theta brain waves than those without such disorders. But my data show that the amount of one' s theta brain waves increases while watching TV. So watching too much TV increases one' s risk of developing personality disorders. | A questionable aspect of the reasoning above is that it | [
"draws a conclusion from an unrepresentative sample of data",
"infers that watching TV is a consequence of a personality disorder",
"takes correlation to imply a causal connection",
"fails to define the phrase \"theta brain waves\""
] | 2 | train_2668 |
Ecologists predict that the incidence of malaria will increase if global warming continues or if the use of pesticides is not expanded. But the use of pesticides is known to contribute to global warming, so it is inevitable that we will see an increase in malaria in the years to come. | The pattern of reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"The crime rate will increase if the economy does not improve or if we do not increase the number of police officers. But we will be able to hire more police officers if the economy does improve. Ttherefore, the crime rate will not increase.",
"If global warming continues or if the rate of ozone depletion is not ... | 3 | train_2669 |
Aroca County' s public schools are supported primarily by taxes on property. The county plans to eliminate the property tax and support schools with a new three percent sales tax on all retail items sold in the county. Three percent of current retail sales is less than the amount collected through property taxes, but i... | Which of the following, if true, most logically completes the argument? | [
"many Aroca County residents have already left the county because of its high property taxes",
"retailers in Aroca County are not likely to absorb the sales tax by reducing the pretax price of their goods",
"a shopping mall likely to draw shoppers from neighboring counties , which have much higher sales-tax rat... | 2 | train_2670 |
Brooks: I' m unhappy in my job, but I don' t know whether I can accept the risks involved in quitting my job. Morgenstern: The only risk in quitting is that of not finding another job. If you don' t find one, you' re going to be pretty unhappy. But you' re already unhappy, so you might as well just quit. | Morgenstern's argument is flawed in that it | [
"reaches a generalization on the basis of a single case",
"fails to take into account that unhappiness can vary in intensity or significance",
"conflates two different types of risk",
"relies on an assumption that is tantamount to assuming that the conclusion is true"
] | 1 | train_2671 |
Critics of certain pollution-control regulations have claimed that <b> the money spent over the last decade in order to reduce emissions of carbon monoxide and of volatile organic compounds has been wasted </b>. The evidence they offer in support of this claim might appear compelling: despite the money spent, annual em... | In the reasoning given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is a position that the reasoning contends is inadequately supported by the evidence; the second is evidence used to support the reasoning's contention.",
"The first identifies a claim that the reasoning seeks to show is false; the second is evidence that has been cited by others in support of that clai... | 0 | train_2672 |
The dramatic rise in the number of homeless people in the 1980' s cannot be attributed to the discharge of mentally ill persons from hospitals into "community care, " even though it is true that provisions for such community care are for the most part nonexistent. | Which of the following, if true, best supports the claim above? | [
"The policy of discharging mentally ill persons from hospitals was based on the supposition that their illnesses could be controlled by newly developed drugs.",
"The policy of discharging significant numbers of mentally ill persons from hospitals took effect in the 1960's.",
"Some community-care programs for me... | 1 | train_2673 |
It is a mistake to think, as ecologists once did, that natural selection will eventually result in organisms that will be perfectly adapted to their environments. After all, perfect adaptation of an individual to its environment is impossible, for an individual' s environment can vary tremendously; no single set of att... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument? | [
"Because an individual's environment can vary tremendously, no individual can be perfectly adapted to its environment.",
"Natural selection will never result in individuals that will be perfectly adapted to their environments.",
"It is not possible for an individual to be perfectly adapted to its environment.",... | 1 | train_2674 |
Satellite navigation systems (satnavs) for cars, in which computer voices announce directions as you drive, save fuel and promote safety. Studies show that, when assigned to novel destinations, drivers using satnavs took, on average, 7 percent fewer miles per journey than drivers using paper maps. Fewer miles driven me... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Drivers who are given directions as needed are less likely to change course suddenly or make other risky maneuvers.",
"Drivers who do not routinely need to drive to an unfamiliar location are more likely to plan out their route carefully prior to departure.",
"The more fuel a vehicle consumes, the more motivat... | 0 | train_2675 |
People who have habitually slept less than six hours a night and then begin sleeping eight or more hours a night typically begin to feel much less anxious. Ttherefore, most people who sleep less than six hours a night can probably cause their anxiety levels to fall by beginning to sleep at least eight hours a night. | The reasoning in which one of the following arguments is most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"Usually, the financial situation of a small company that has never advertised on the Internet will improve only if that company starts to advertise on the Internet. Ttherefore, a typical small company that has never advertised on the Internet can probably improve its financial situation by doing so.",
"When a sm... | 1 | train_2676 |
An eyeglass manufacturer tried to boost sales for the summer quarter by offering its distributors a special discount if their orders for that quarter exceeded those for last year' s summer quarter by at least 20 percent. Many distributors qualified for this discount. Even with much merchandise discounted, sales increas... | Which of the following, if true, most clearly points to a flaw in the manufacturer's plan to repeat the successful performance of the summer quarter? | [
"The distributors' ordering more goods in the summer quarter left them overstocked for the fall quarter.",
"The distributors who qualified for the manufacturer's special discount were free to decide how much of that discount to pass on to their own customers.",
"The distributors most likely to qualify for the m... | 0 | train_2677 |
Beverage company representative: The plastic rings that hold six-packs of beverage cans together pose a threat to wild animals, which often become entangled in the discarded rings and suffocate as a result. Following our lead, all beverage companies will soon use only those rings consisting of a new plastic that disint... | The argument depends on which one of the following assumptions? | [
"The switchover to the new plastic rings can be completed without causing significant financial hardship to the beverage companies.",
"Wild animals will not become entangled in the new plastic rings before the rings have had sufficient exposure to sunlight to disintegrate.",
"Use of the old plastic rings poses ... | 1 | train_2678 |
Essayist: Lessing contended that an art form' s medium dictates the kind of representation the art form must employ in order to be legitimate; painting, for example, must represent simultaneous arrays of colored shapes, while literature, consisting of words read in succession, must represent events or actions occurring... | Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the essayist's conclusion to be properly drawn? | [
"All art represents something either as simultaneous or as successive.",
"Poems whose subject matter is not appropriate to their medium are illegitimate.",
"An amalgam of disparate images cannot represent a sequence of events or actions.",
"All art, even the imagists' poetry, depicts or represents some subjec... | 2 | train_2679 |
In Metroville, the KP subway line follows the riverfront from downtown to the neighborhoods surrounding the university. No matter how many trains the subway runs on the KP line, there are always congestion and delays on the KP line. The subway submitted a proposal for an alternate subway line that would travel from dow... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the urban planning consultants' position? | [
"The most popular after-work destinations, such as riverfront restaurants and bars as well as the ballpark, would only be accessible by the current KP line.",
"Construction of a new subway line would inevitably stimulate the growth of new business and restaurants along that line, especially in the vicinity of the... | 0 | train_2680 |
Those influenced by modern Western science take it for granted that a genuine belief in astrology is proof of a credulous and unscientific mind. Yet, in the past, people of indisputable intellectual and scientific brilliance accepted astrology as a fact. Ttherefore, there is no scientific basis for rejecting astrology. | The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? | [
"Although the conclusion is intended to hold in all cultures, the evidence advanced in its support is drawn only from those cultures strongly influenced by modern Western science.",
"The implicit assumption that all practitioners of Western science believe in astrology is false.",
"A belief can be consistent wi... | 2 | train_2681 |
Public reports by national commissions, governors' conferences, and leadership groups have stressed the great need for better understanding of international affairs by the citizenry. If the country is to remain a leading nation in an era of international competitiveness, the need is undeniable. If there is such a need ... | If all of the statements in the passage are true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"If the country is to remain a leading nation in an era of international competitiveness, then there is no need for the citizenry to have a better understanding of international affairs.",
"Public reports from various groups and commissions have stressed the need for a more international orientation in the educat... | 2 | train_2682 |
Many people suffer an allergic reaction to sulfites, including those that are commonly added to wine as preservatives. However, since there are several winemakers producing wine to which no sulfites are added, those who would like to drink wine but are allergic to sulfites can drink these wines without risking an aller... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Sulfites occur naturally in most wine.",
"The sulfites that can produce an allergic reaction are also commonly found in beverages other than wine.",
"Wine without added sulfites sometimes becomes undrinkable even before the wine is sold to consumers.",
"Apart from sulfites, there are other substances commonl... | 0 | train_2683 |
Scientist: It seems likely that the earliest dinosaurs to fly did so by gliding out of trees rather than, as some scientists think, by lifting off the ground from a running start. Animals gliding from trees are able to fly with very simple wings. Such wings represent evolutionary middle stages toward developing the lar... | Each of the following, if true, strengthens the scientist's argument EXCEPT: | [
"Early flying dinosaurs had sharp claws and long toes suitable for climbing.",
"Early flying dinosaurs built their nests at the base of trees.",
"Early flying dinosaurs had unusual feathers that provided lift while gliding, but little control when taking flight.",
"Early flying dinosaurs lived at a time when ... | 1 | train_2684 |
In a democratic society, when a political interest group exceeds a certain size, the diverse and sometimes conflicting economic interests that can be found in almost any large group of people tend to surface. Once these conflicting interests have surfaced, they can make it impossible for the political interest group to... | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following views? | [
"A political interest group can become ineffective by expanding to include as wide a membership as possible.",
"Political interest groups generally start out effectively but lose their effectiveness over time.",
"For a democratic society to function effectively, it is necessary for political groups within that ... | 0 | train_2685 |
City councilperson: Many city residents oppose the city art commission' s proposed purchase of an unusual stone edifice, on the grounds that art critics are divided over whether the edifice really qualifies as art. But I argue that the purpose of art is to cause experts to debate ideas, including ideas about what const... | Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the conclusion of the city councilperson's argument to be properly inferred? | [
"If an object causes debate among experts, no expert can be certain whether that object qualifies as art.",
"Any object that fulfills the purpose of art qualifies as art.",
"The purchase of an object that fulfills the purpose of art should not be opposed.",
"Nothing qualifies as art unless it causes debate am... | 1 | train_2686 |
With the passage of the new tax reform laws, the annual tax burden on low-income taxpayers will be reduced, on average, by anywhere from $100 to $300. Clearly, tax reform is in the interest of low-income taxpayers. | Which one of the following, if true, most undermines the conclusion above? | [
"Low-income taxpayers have consistently voted for those political candidates who are strong advocates of tax reform.",
"Under the new tax reform laws, many low-income taxpayers who now pay taxes will no longer be required to do so.",
"Tax reform, by eliminating tax incentives to build rental housing, will push ... | 2 | train_2687 |
Sometimes it is advisable for a medical patient to seek a second opinion. But this process can be awkward for both the patient and the physicians, since the patient often worries that the first physician will be alienated. In addition, for the first physician there is the issue of pride: a second opinion tacitly highli... | Which one of the following most accurately states the conclusion of the argument as a whole? | [
"Physicians who are called upon to offer second opinions are always uncomfortable about evaluating the work of colleagues.",
"The process of obtaining a second medical opinion can be awkward for those involved.",
"In cases in which second opinions are necessary, the first physician often feels that his or her p... | 1 | train_2688 |
New technologies that promise to extend life and decrease pain involve innovations that require extensive scientific research. Ttherefore, investment in such technologies is very risky, because innovations requiring extensive scientific research also require large amounts of capital but are unlikely to provide any fina... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why some people are willing to invest in new technologies that promise to extend life and decrease pain? | [
"When investments in new technologies that promise to extend life and decrease pain do provide financial return, they generally return many times the original investment, which is much more than the return on safer investments.",
"A large variety of new technologies that promise to extend life and decrease pain h... | 0 | train_2689 |
During the earliest period of industrialization in Britain, steam engines were more expensive to build and operate than either windmills or water mills, the other practicable sources of power for factories. Yet despite their significant cost disadvantages, steam-powered factories were built in large numbers well before... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the proliferation of steam-powered factories during the earliest period of industrialization in Britain? | [
"In Britain, the number of sites where a wind-or water-powered factory could be built was insufficient to provide for all of the demand for factory-produced goods at the time.",
"It was both difficult and expensive to convert a factory from wind power or water power to steam power.",
"Unlike wind-or water-power... | 0 | train_2690 |
When complaints against staff are brought to Human Resources at Sarpedon Inc. , the Human Resources department cannot always determine whether there was just cause for the complaint. This is usually due to insufficient evidence provided by the claimant. Nevertheless, Sarpedon will sometimes dismiss an employee because ... | Which of the following conclusions can most properly be drawn from the information above? | [
"It is possible that an unsubstantiated complaint could be unfairly held against the employee that it implicates.",
"In a 1-on-1 conflict in which the only two employees involved give conflicting view of each other's words and actions, managers have to make a judgment at their own discretion.",
"In certain kind... | 0 | train_2691 |
Because learned patterns of behavior, such as the association of a green light with "go" or the expectation that switches will flip up for "on, " become deeply ingrained, designers should make allowances for that fact, in order not to produce machines that are inefficient or dangerous. | In which one of the following situations is the principle expressed most clearly violated? | [
"Manufacturers have refused to change the standard order of letters on the typewriter keyboard even though some people who have never learned to type find this arrangement of letters bewildering.",
"On some tape recorders the \"start\" button is red and the \"stop\" button is yellow.",
"Automobile manufacturers... | 1 | train_2692 |
In household electric ovens, the heating element has only two settings -- on and off. A thermostat connected to the oven' s temperature knob is the only control on temperature, automatically switching the element off when the indicated temperature is reached, which happens quickly in modern ovens, and subsequently on o... | Which of the following statements is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"If the thermostat of a modern household electric oven is disabled so that the heating element remains switched on, the oven's temperature can eventually become higher than the maximum temperature setting on its temperature knob.",
"Once the indicated temperature has been reached and is being maintained by the th... | 0 | train_2693 |
Investigators of the fire at the Shelburne factory have determined that the traces of gasoline on the property resulted from a leaking truck and were not, as they previously thought, the work of an arsonist. The investigators had originally maintained that the fire could have resulted from arson, faulty wiring, or an e... | The statements above provide the most support for which one of the following inferences? | [
"The gasoline leaking from the truck did not help to cause the truck to explode.",
"The investigators believe that the fire was not caused by an explosion of factory equipment.",
"The investigators have until now seriously explored only the possibility that the fire resulted from arson.",
"The investigators h... | 1 | train_2694 |
Most of the world' s supply of uranium currently comes from mines. It is possible to extract uranium from seawater, but the cost of doing so is greater than the price that uranium fetches on the world market. Ttherefore, until the cost of extracting uranium from seawater can somehow be reduced, this method of obtaining... | Which of the following would it be most useful to determine in evaluating the argument? | [
"Whether the total amount of uranium in seawater is significantly greater than the total amount of uranium on land",
"Whether uranium can be extracted from freshwater at a cost similar to the cost of extracting it from seawater",
"Whether the uranium in deposits on land is rapidly being depleted",
"Whether th... | 2 | train_2695 |
Skeletal remains of early humans indicate clearly that our ancestors had fewer dental problems than we have. So, most likely, the diet of early humans was very different from ours. | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Skeletal remains indicate that some early humans had a significant number of cavities.",
"A healthy diet leads to healthy teeth.",
"Diet is by far the most significant factor contributing to dental health.",
"Early humans had a shorter average life span than we do, and the most serious dental problems now te... | 2 | train_2696 |
Gotera: Infants lack the motor ability required to voluntarily produce particular sounds, but produce various babbling sounds randomly. Most children are several years old before they can voluntarily produce most of the vowel and consonant sounds of their language. We can conclude that speech acquisition is entirely a ... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by Gotera's argument? | [
"Control of tongue and mouth movements requires a sophisticated level of mental development.",
"Speech acquisition is a function only of one's ability to produce the sounds of spoken language.",
"The initial babbling stage is completed during infancy.",
"The initial babbling stage is the first stage of the sp... | 1 | train_2697 |
Over the last five years, demand for hotel rooms in Cenopolis has increased significantly, as has the average price Cenopolis hotels charge for rooms. These trends are projected to continue for the next several years. In response to this economic forecast, Centennial Commercial, a real estate developer, is considering ... | Which of the following would it be most useful for Centennial Commercial to know in evaluating the plan it is considering? | [
"Whether the population of Cenopolis is expected to grow in the next several years",
"Whether demand for office space in Cenopolis is projected to increase in the near future",
"Whether, on average, hotels that have been created by converting office buildings have fewer guest rooms than do hotels that were buil... | 1 | train_2698 |
For a ten-month period, the total monthly sales of new cars within the country of Calistan remained constant. During this period the monthly sales of new cars manufactured by Marvel Automobile Company doubled, and its share of the new car market within Calistan increased correspondingly. At the end of this period, emis... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following CANNOT be true? | [
"Since the imposition of the emission standards, Marvel Automobile Company's average profit on each new car sold within Calistan has increased.",
"The total monthly sales within Calistan of new cars by companies other than Marvel Automobile Company decreased over the three months following the imposition of the e... | 1 | train_2699 |
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