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Michele: In my professional experience, it' s usually not a good idea for a company to overhaul its databases. The rewards rarely exceed the problems experienced along the way, and I' d suggest that anyone considering a database overhaul think twice before proceeding. Alvaro: But the problems are always caused by a fai... | Michele and Alvaro disagree with each other about which one of the following? | [
"why companies should consider overhauling their databases",
"whether the problems experienced during a database overhaul ever outweigh the. rewards",
"which kinds of database overhauls have more problems than are justified by the rewards",
"what a company should do when considering a database overhaul"
] | 3 | train_2700 |
Inspector: The only fingerprints on the premises are those of the owner, Mr. Tannisch. Ttherefore, whoever now has his guest' s missing diamonds must have worn gloves. | Which one of the following exhibits a flaw in its reasoning most similar to that in the inspector's reasoning? | [
"All of Marjorie's cavities are on the left side of her mouth. Hence, she must chew more on the left side than on the right.",
"The campers at Big Lake Camp, all of whom became ill this afternoon, have eaten food only from the camp cafeteria. Ttherefore, the cause of the illness must not have been something they ... | 1 | train_2701 |
At present the Hollywood Restaurant has only standard-height tables. However, many customers come to watch the celebrities who frequent the Hollywood, and they would prefer tall tables with stools because such seating would afford a better view of the celebrities. Moreover, diners seated on stools typically do not stay... | The argument is vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it gives reason to believe that it is likely that | [
"some celebrities come to the Hollywood to be seen, and so might choose to sit at the tall tables if they were available",
"with enough tall tables to accommodate all the Hollywood's customers interested in such seating, there would be no view except of other tall tables",
"a customer of the Hollywood who would... | 2 | train_2702 |
The distance that animals travel each day and the size of the groups in which they live are highly correlated with their diets. And diet itself depends in large part on the sizes and shapes of animals' teeth and faces. | The statements above provide the most support for which one of the following? | [
"Information about the size and shape of an animal's face is all that is needed to identify the species to which that animal belongs.",
"When individual herd animals lose their teeth through age or injury, those animals are likely to travel at the rear of their herd.",
"Animals that have varied diets can be exp... | 3 | train_2703 |
Scientist: Some critics of public funding for this research project have maintained that only if it can be indicated how the public will benefit from the project is continued public funding for it justified. If the critics were right about this, then there would not be the tremendous public support for the project that... | If the scientist's claims are true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"There is tremendous public support for the research project because it can be indicated how the public will benefit from the project.",
"Continued public funding for the research project is justified.",
"Public support for the research project is the surest indication of whether or not it is justified.",
"Th... | 3 | train_2704 |
Wood smoke contains dangerous toxins that cause changes in human cells. Because wood smoke presents such a high health risk, legislation is needed to regulate the use of open-air fires and wood-burning stoves. | Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the argument above? | [
"The amount of dangerous toxins contained in wood smoke is much less than the amount contained in an equal volume of automobile exhaust.",
"No significant beneficial effect on air quality would result if open-air fires were banned within the jurisdiction covered by the proposed legislation.",
"In valleys where ... | 2 | train_2705 |
Critic: A novel cannot be of the highest quality unless most readers become emotionally engaged with the imaginary world it describes. Thus shifts of narrative point of view within a novel, either between first and third person or of some other sort, detract from the merit of the work, since such shifts tend to make mo... | Which one of the following is an assumption necessary for the critic's conclusion to be properly drawn? | [
"Most readers cannot become emotionally involved with a novel's imaginary world if they focus on the author.",
"Most readers regard a novel's narrative point of view as representing the perspective of the novel's author.",
"Most readers become emotionally engaged with the imaginary world described by a novel on... | 0 | train_2706 |
Head injury is the most serious type of injury sustained in motorcycle accidents. The average cost to taxpayers for medical care for nonhelmeted motorcycle-accident victims is twice that for their helmeted counterparts. Jurisdictions that have enacted motorcycle-helmet laws have reduced the incidence and severity of ac... | Which one of the following is an assumption upon which the author's conclusion concerning helmets for horseback riders depends? | [
"When deciding whether to enact helmet laws for motorcyclists and horseback riders, the jurisdiction's primary concern is the safety of its citizens.",
"The medical costs associated with treating head injuries are higher than those for other types of injury.",
"The higher rate of serious head injury suffered by... | 3 | train_2707 |
Platinum is a relatively rare metal vital to a wide variety of industries. Xagor Corporation, a major producer of platinum, has its production plant in a country that will soon begin imposing an export tax on platinum sold and shipped to customers abroad. As a consequence, the price of platinum on the world market is b... | Which of the following, if true, tends to confirm the conclusion above? | [
"New deposits of platinum have been found in the country in which Xagor has its production plant.",
"The largest of the industries that depend on platinum reported a drop in sales last month.",
"An inexpensive substitute for platinum has been developed and will be available to industry for the first time this m... | 3 | train_2708 |
Last year, Mayor Stephens established a special law-enforcement task force with the avowed mission of eradicating corruption in city government. The mayor' s handpicked task force has now begun prosecuting a dozen city officials. Since all of these officials were appointed by Mayor Bixby, Mayor Stephens' predecessor an... | Which of the following, if true, most weakens the editorial's argument? | [
"Complaints of official corruption in city government have decreased since the anticorruption task force began operating.",
"Almost all of the officials who have served in city government for any length of time are appointees of Mayor Bixby.",
"Former mayor Bixby did not publicly oppose Mayor Stephens' establis... | 1 | train_2709 |
Virginia and her brother William disagree over when their father was born: Virginia claims it was in 1935 and William claims it was in 1933. The hospital where their father was born has no records for 1933 but has complete records for 1935 -- records that do not include a birth record for their father. Ttherefore, he m... | The argument depends on which of the following assumptions? | [
"The records of the hospital where their father was born date back to 1933.",
"Virginia and William know the day and the month of their father's birth.",
"There was urgent practical reasons why Virginia and William must know the date of their father's birth.",
"Either Virginia's claim or William's claim is co... | 3 | train_2710 |
S. R. Evans: A few critics have dismissed my poems as not being poems and have dismissed me as not being a poet. But one principle of criticism has it that only true poets can recognize poetic creativity or function as critics of poetry -- and that the only true poets are those whose work conveys genuine poetic creativ... | The argument above is vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"presupposes what it sets out to conclude, since the principle requires that only true poets can determine whether the critics' work demonstrates poetic creativity",
"makes an unjustifiable distinction, since it is possible that some critics are also poets",
"uses the distinction between poets and critics as th... | 0 | train_2711 |
Because metallic mirrors absorb some light, they waste energy. When light strikes a metallic mirror, electrons in the mirror move, using energy and dimming the reflected image. As a result, metallic mirrors cannot be used in applications in which minimizing energy loss is important, such as high-powered lasers. | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the argument's main conclusion? | [
"Part of the light falling on metallic mirrors tends to be absorbed by them.",
"Metallic mirrors are unsuitable for applications where it is crucial to minimize energy loss.",
"High-powered lasers require mirrors that conserve energy.",
"Metallic mirrors reduce the effectiveness of high-powered lasers."
] | 1 | train_2712 |
If one has recently been overwhelmed by overstimulation, peaceful rest feels pleasant by contrast. Similarly, recent experience of boredom makes most forms of excitement pleasurable, even dangerous ones. No level of stimulation is intrinsically pleasant or unpleasant. | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"Boredom can be just as overwhelming as overstimulation.",
"One cannot experience pleasure without first experiencing boredom.",
"How pleasant a person finds a situation can depend on previous levels of stimulation.",
"A high level of stimulation is never pleasant, but it often precedes pleasant relaxation."
... | 2 | train_2713 |
Principle: If the burden of a proposed policy change would fall disproportionately on people with low incomes, that policy change should not be made. Application: The city of Centerburgh plans to reintroduce rock salt as a road de-icing agent, after having stopped its use several years ago on the grounds that it accele... | Which one of the following, if true of Centerburgh, most justifies the above application of the principle? | [
"Road maintenance is primarily funded by local sales taxes, which disproportionately burden people with low incomes.",
"People with low incomes are more likely to purchase older vehicles than are people with higher incomes.",
"Individuals with low incomes are more likely to use public transportation and are les... | 1 | train_2714 |
It has been said that authors who write in order to give pleasure cannot impart to their readers the truth of their subject matter. That claim cannot be true. If it were, one could determine the truthfulness of a book simply by looking at its sales figures. If the book were very popular, one could reasonably conclude t... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"A book will not give its readers pleasure unless it was intended by its author to have that effect.",
"A book can be popular for reasons other than its ability to give readers pleasure.",
"When people choose to read a book, they generally do not already know whether reading it will give them pleasure.",
"In ... | 0 | train_2715 |
The last members of a now-extinct species of a European wild deer called the giant deer lived in Ireland about 16, 000 years ago. Prehistoric cave paintings in France depict this animal as having a large hump on its back. Fossils of this animal, however, do not show any hump. Nevertheless, there is no reason to conclud... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"only one currently existing species of deer has any anatomical feature that even remotely resembles a hump",
"animal humps are composed of fatty tissue, which does not fossilize",
"the cave paintings of the giant deer were painted well before 16, 000 years ago",
"some prehistoric cave paintings in France als... | 1 | train_2716 |
In the past year Harborville has had an unusually high rate of new cases of a certain disease. An investigation revealed that over the past five years Harborville' s public water supply has had a high level of pollutants. Medical researchers have hypothesized that Harborville' s water is responsible for the high rate o... | Each of the following, if true, provides additional support for the researchers' hypothesis EXCEPT: | [
"The rate of new cases of the disease among residents of Harborville who get their water from private sources is not unusually high.",
"The same type of pollutants that were found in Harborville's water have independently been linked to occurrences in other towns of high rates of the disease.",
"Most of the peo... | 3 | train_2717 |
Consumer health advocate: Your candy company adds caffeine to your chocolate candy bars so that each one delivers a specified amount of caffeine. Since caffeine is highly addictive, this indicates that you intend to keep your customers addicted. Candy manufacturer: Our manufacturing process results in there being less ... | The candy manufacturer's response is flawed as a refutation of the consumer health advocate's argument because it | [
"assumes without warrant that all unprocessed cacao beans contain a uniform amount of caffeine",
"treats the consumer health advocate's argument as though it were about each candy bar rather than about the manufacturer's candy in general",
"merely contradicts the consumer health advocate's conclusion without gi... | 3 | train_2718 |
Annette: To persuade the town council to adopt your development plan, you should take them on a trip to visit other towns that have successfully implemented plans like yours. Sefu: But I have a vested interest in their votes. If council members were to accept a trip from me, it would give the appearance of undue influe... | The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Annette and Sefu disagree over whether | [
"Sefu should take the council on a trip to visit other towns",
"other towns have successfully implemented similar development plans",
"Sefu has a vested interest in the council's votes",
"the appearance of undue influence should be avoided"
] | 0 | train_2719 |
People who accuse the postal service of incompetence and inefficiency while complaining of the proposed five-cent increase in postal rates do not know a bargain when they see one. Few experiences are more enjoyable than reading a personal letter from a friend. Viewed in this way, postal service is so underpriced that a... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"appeals to an outside authority for support of a premise that should be established by argument",
"confuses the value of the object delivered with the value of delivering that object",
"fails to establish whether or not the critics of the postal service are employees of the postal service",
"claims that the ... | 1 | train_2720 |
Dr. Kim: Electronic fetal monitors, now routinely used in hospital delivery rooms to check fetal heartbeat, are more intrusive than ordinary stethoscopes and do no more to improve the chances that a healthy baby will be born. Ttherefore, the additional cost of electronic monitoring is unjustified and such monitoring sh... | As a reply to Dr. Kim's argument, Dr. Anders' response is inadequate because it | [
"misses the point at issue",
"overlooks the fact that a procedure can be extensively used without being the best procedure available",
"assumes what it sets out to prove",
"confuses high cost with high quality"
] | 0 | train_2721 |
Studies of enoki mushrooms show that the tall, white specimens grow by cultivation in a rich carbon dioxide environment. The wild mushrooms are a darker brown in color and grow on the sides of trees such as ash, persimmon and the Chinese Hackberry tree. Thus, plants that are white in color must be grown in a carbon dio... | The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"commits the ad hominem fallacy which attacks the arguer instead of the argument.",
"commits the slippery slope fallacy, which states one event must inevitably follow from another event without questioning the inevitability of the event in question.",
"commits the post hoc fallacy, which mistakes correlation fo... | 2 | train_2722 |
The purpose of the physical sciences is to predict the order in which events will succeed one another. Human behavior, also, can sometimes be successfully predicted. However, even successful predictions of human behavior do not provide an understanding of it, for understanding a human action requires knowing its goal, ... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the argument's conclusion? | [
"The methods used to predict human behavior must involve reference to the psychological states of human agents.",
"Successful predictions of human behavior do not constitute an understanding of that behavior.",
"In some cases, but not in others, understanding an event consists in the ability to predict the occu... | 1 | train_2723 |
Market research traditionally entails surveying consumers about why they buy and use particular products and brands. Observational research -- actually watching consumers shopping and interacting with products -- is now increasingly used by market researchers to supplement surveys. Market researchers claim that observa... | Which one of the following, if true, provides the strongest support for the market researchers' claim? | [
"Consumers are becoming increasingly self-conscience about their buying habits, and some consumers have stopped buying some items that they normally used to buy.",
"Consumers are more likely to respond to oral surveys than they are to respond to written questionnaires.",
"Even consumers who are unable to explai... | 2 | train_2724 |
At one sitting, a typical doughnut eater consumes 4 doughnuts containing a total of 680 calories and 40 grams of fat. The typical bagel eater consumes exactly one bagel, at 500 calories and one or two grams of fat per sitting, though the addition of spreads can raise calorie and fat content to the four-doughnut range. ... | The argument depends on assuming which one of the following? | [
"Most typical doughnut eaters are not also bagel eaters.",
"Eating bagels instead of eating doughnuts provides no real health benefit.",
"Most bagel eaters are not fully aware of the calorie and fat content of a bagel.",
"The typical doughnut eater does not add to doughnuts any substances that increase the to... | 3 | train_2725 |
After the rush-hour speed limit on the British M25 motorway was lowered from 70 miles per hour (115 kilometers per hour) to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour), rush-hour travel times decreased by approximately 15 percent. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the decrease in travel times described above? | [
"Before the rush-hour speed limit was lowered, rush-hour accidents that caused lengthy delays were common, and most of these accidents were caused by high-speed driving.",
"Travel times during periods other than rush hours were essentially unchanged after the rush-hour speed limit was lowered.",
"The number of ... | 0 | train_2726 |
The incidence of heart disease in China is much lower than the incidence of heart disease in the United States. The rate of heart disease for Chinese people who immigrate to the United States approximates the higher rate of heart disease prevalent in the United States. However, most Chinese people continue to eat the s... | If the statements above are true, they provide the most support for which one of the following? | [
"The relatively low rate of heart disease in China is not due to the different food eaten by the Chinese people.",
"People in China have a lower rate of cancer than those in the United States, even Chinese Americans.",
"The stress of life in China is higher than the stress of life in the United States.",
"Chi... | 0 | train_2727 |
Advice columnist: Several scientific studies have shown that, when participating in competitive sports, those people who have recently been experiencing major stress in their lives are several times more likely to suffer serious injuries than are other participants in competitive sports. Since risking serious injury is... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the advice columnist's argument? | [
"When people have been under considerable stress, they should engage in competitive activities in order to relieve the stress.",
"A method for coping with stress should be used only if it has been subjected to scientific study.",
"People with a history of sports injuries should not engage in sports activities i... | 3 | train_2728 |
Computer manufacturers have sought to make computer chips ever smaller, since decreasing the size of a computer' s central processing unit (CPU) chip -- without making that CPU chip any less sophisticated -- will proportionally increase the speed of the CPU chip and the computer containing it. But since CPU chips canno... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"If both the size and the sophistication of a CPU chip are decreased, the speed of that chip will decrease.",
"Even if CPU chips are made slightly less sophisticated, they cannot currently be made much smaller.",
"Computers cannot currently be made faster unless their CPU chips are made smaller.",
"Few, if an... | 2 | train_2729 |
Commentator: For a free market to function properly, each prospective buyer of an item must be able to contact a large number of independent prospective sellers and compare the prices charged for the item to what the item is worth. Thus, despite advertised prices and written estimates available from many of its individ... | The conclusion of the commentator's argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"People do not usually shop for auto repairs but instead take their autos to their regular repair shop out of habit.",
"Because it is not regulated, the auto repair industry does not have standardized prices.",
"Many auto repair shops charge more for auto repairs than these repairs are worth.",
"Some persons ... | 3 | train_2730 |
Company president: For the management consultant position, we shall interview only those applicants who have worked for management consulting firms generally recognized as in the top 1 percent of firms worldwide. When we finally select somebody, then, we can be sure to have selected one of the best management consultan... | The company president's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"takes for granted that if something is true of each member of a collection, then it is also true of the collection as a whole",
"presumes, without providing warrant, that persons who have worked for the top companies will accept a job offer",
"generalizes from too small a sample of management consulting firms ... | 3 | train_2731 |
Advocate: A study of people who had recently recovered from colds found that people who took cold medicine for their colds reported more severe symptoms than those people who did not take cold medicine. Ttherefore, taking cold medicine is clearly counterproductive. | The reasoning in the advocate's argument is flawed because the argument | [
"treats something as true simply because most people believe it to be true",
"treats some people as experts in an area in which there is no reason to take them to be reliable sources of information",
"rests on a confusion between what is required for a particular outcome and what is sufficient to cause that out... | 3 | train_2732 |
Archaeologist: The mosaics that were removed from Zeugma, the ancient city now flooded by the runoff from Turkey' s Birecik Dam, should have been left there. We had all the information about them that we needed to draw archaeological conclusions, and future archaeologists studying the site, who may not have access to o... | Which one of the following, if assumed, most helps to justify the reasoning in the archaeologist's argument? | [
"The only considerations that bear upon the question of whether the mosaics should have been removed are archaeological.",
"The removal of artifacts from archaeological sites rarely has any environmental impact.",
"Archaeological sites from which artifacts have been removed rarely mislead archaeologists who lat... | 0 | train_2733 |
Three major laundry detergent manufacturers have concentrated their powdered detergents by reducing the proportion of inactive ingredients in the detergent formulas. The concentrated detergents will be sold in smaller packages. In explaining the change, the manufacturers cited the desire to reduce cardboard packaging a... | Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction made by the market analysts? | [
"Most smaller manufacturers of laundry detergents will consider it too expensive to retool factories for the production of the smaller detergent packages.",
"Some analysts believe that consumers will have to pay a greater cost per load of laundry to use the new concentrated detergent than they did to use the old-... | 2 | train_2734 |
Lance: If experience teaches us nothing else, it teaches us that every general rule has at least one exception. Frank: What you conclude is itself a general rule. If we assume that it is true, then there is at least one general rule that has no exceptions. Ttherefore, you must withdraw your conclusion. | Frank's argument is an attempt to counter Lance's conclusion by | [
"demonstrating that Lance assumes the very thing he sets out to prove",
"establishing that experience teaches us the opposite of what Lance concludes",
"showing that Lance's conclusion involves him in a contradiction",
"showing that it has no implications for any real cases"
] | 2 | train_2735 |
The Volunteers for Literacy Program would benefit if Dolores takes Victor' s place as director, since Dolores is far more skillful than Victor is at securing the kind of financial support the program needs and Dolores does not have Victor' s propensity for alienating the program' s most dedicated volunteers. | The pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most closely paralleled in which one of the following? | [
"Joshua's interest would be better served by taking the bus to get to his parent's house rather than by taking an airplane, since his primary concern is to travel as cheaply as possible and taking the bus is less expensive than going by airplane.",
"It would be to Fred's advantage to exchange his bus tickets for ... | 2 | train_2736 |
A retrospective study is a scientific study that tries to determine the causes of subjects' present characteristics by looking for significant connections between the present characteristics of subjects and what happened to those subjects in the past, before the study began. Because retrospective studies of human subje... | Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument's conclusion to be properly drawn? | [
"A retrospective study cannot reliably determine the causes of human subjects' present characteristics unless there exist correlations between the present characteristics of the subjects and what happened to those subjects in the past.",
"In studies of human subjects that attempt to find connections between subje... | 1 | train_2737 |
The price of the SuperPixel high definition television, by Lux Electronics, has typically been out of the range of most consumers, a few of whom nonetheless save up for the television. This past July, the SuperPixel reduced its price by 40%, and sales during that month nearly tripled. TechWare, a popular electronics ma... | Which of the following suggests that TechWare's forecast is misguided? | [
"Electronics sales tend to peak in August and December.",
"The SuperPixel is the only model for which Lux Electronics plans a price reduction.",
"The SuperPixel tends to be an unreliable television and Lux Electronics makes a considerable profit from repairs.",
"Most of the customers who had been saving up fo... | 3 | train_2738 |
Columnist: Analysts argue that as baby boomers reach the age of 50, they will begin seriously planning for retirement. This will lead them to switch from being primarily consumers to being savers. Thus, these analysts conclude, more money will flow into the stock market, resulting in continued gains in stock prices. An... | The columnist's argument does which one of the following? | [
"attempts to undermine the analysts' argument by drawing an alternative conclusion from the analysts' premises",
"attempts to undermine the analysts' argument by suggesting that the analysts present it for self-serving reasons",
"attempts to undermine the analysts' argument by questioning the truth of its premi... | 0 | train_2739 |
The frequently expressed view that written constitutions are inherently more liberal than unwritten ones is false. No written constitution is more than a paper with words on it until those words are both interpreted and applied. Properly understood, then, a constitution is the sum of those procedures through which the ... | The main point of the argument above is that | [
"the idea of a written constitution, properly understood, is inherently self-contradictory",
"there are criteria for evaluating the interpretation and application of a constitution",
"written constitutions are no more inherently liberal than are unwritten constitutions",
"liberal constitutions are extremely d... | 2 | train_2740 |
No one who lacks knowledge of a subject is competent to pass judgment on that subject. Since political know-how is a matter, not of adhering to technical rules, but of insight and style learned through apprenticeship and experience, only seasoned politicians are competent to judge whether a particular political policy ... | A major weakness of the argument is that it | [
"assumes that when inexperienced politicians set policy they are guided by the advice of more experienced politicians",
"equates political know-how with understanding the social implications of political policies",
"uses the term \"apprenticeship\" to describe what is seldom a formalized relationship",
"fails... | 1 | train_2741 |
Rose: The book is either by Deerson or else by Jones; I' m not sure which. However, Deerson' s books are generally published by Quince Press, as are Jones' s. Ttherefore, the book is probably published by Quince. | The pattern of reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in Rose's argument? | [
"Tomas will probably participate in community service, since he will attend either Dunkeld College or Steventon University and at both most students currently enrolled say that they participate in some form of community service.",
"Judging by what he said in the interview, George is either a liar or incredibly na... | 2 | train_2742 |
Environmentalist: The use of snowmobiles in the vast park north of Milville creates unacceptable levels of air pollution and should be banned. Milville business spokesperson: Snowmobiling brings many out-of-towners to Milville in winter months, to the great financial benefit of many local residents. So, economics dicta... | Environmentalist responds to the business spokesperson by doing which of the following? | [
"Challenging an assumption that certain desirable outcome can derive from only one set of circumstances",
"Claiming that the spokesperson is deliberately misrepresenting the environmentalist's position in order to be better able to attack it",
"Denying that an effect that the spokesperson presents as having ben... | 2 | train_2743 |
Hospital patients generally have lower infection rates and require shorter hospital stays if they are housed in private rooms rather than semiprivate rooms. Yet in Woodville' s hospital, which has only semiprivate rooms, infection rates and length of stays are typically the same as in several nearby hospitals where mos... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent conflict in the information above? | [
"Woodville's hospital has a policy of housing one patient per room in semiprivate rooms whenever possible.",
"Infection is more likely to be spread where people come into close contact with one another than where they do not.",
"Most of the nearby hospitals were built within the last 10 years, whereas Woodville... | 0 | train_2744 |
When the ancient fossils of a primitive land mammal were unearthed in New Zealand, they provided the first concrete evidence that the island country had once had indigenous land mammals. Until that discovery, New Zealand had no known native land mammals. The discovery thus falsifies the theory that New Zealand' s rich ... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Some other island countries that are believed to have no native land mammals in fact had indigenous land mammals at one time.",
"The unearthed land mammal is only one of several ancient land mammals that were indigenous to New Zealand.",
"Countries with rich and varied native land mammal populations do not hav... | 3 | train_2745 |
Books about artwork, unless they are intended for a general audience, ought to include discussions of both the meaning behind the piece of art and the background of the artist who created that piece. If they do not, they are flawed. Gardener' s book on paintings of the Renaissance era describes the significance of the ... | If the statements above are true, it would be necessary to establish which one of the following to conclude that Gardener's book is flawed? | [
"Gardener's descriptions of the meaning of the artists' paintings are inaccurate.",
"Most prominent art historians agree that discussing an artist's critical reputation is essential to a complete portrayal of his or her background.",
"The paintings discussed at length have some of the deepest meanings of those ... | 1 | train_2746 |
In some ill-considered popularizations of interesting current research, it is argued that higher apes have the capacity for language but have never put it to use -- a remarkable biological miracle, given the enormous selectional advantage of even minimal linguistic skills. It is rather like claiming that some animal ha... | Which one of the following is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above? | [
"Arguing that the human brain has telekinetic powers that no humans have ever exercised is rather like arguing that some insect has legs but never uses them to walk.",
"Arguing that Earth has been visited by aliens from outer space is rather like claiming that early explorers had visited North America but never f... | 0 | train_2747 |
It has recently been found that job prospects for college graduates have never been better. The trend is likely to continue over the next decade. A recent survey found that most employers simply did not know that the number of students graduating would drop by 25 percent over the past ten years, and had not anticipated... | Which one of the following can properly be concluded from the passage above? | [
"Soon, fewer graduates are likely to be competing for fewer available jobs.",
"Employers who are well-informed about future trends have anticipated and planned for them.",
"Soon, there is likely to be a shortage of graduates to fill certain vacancies.",
"Employers are aware of changing trends in subjects stud... | 2 | train_2748 |
Installing scrubbers in smokestacks and switching to cleaner-burning fuel are the two methods available to Northern Power for reducing harmful emissions from its plants. Scrubbers will reduce harmful emissions more than cleaner-burning fuels will. Ttherefore, by installing scrubbers, Northern Power will be doing the mo... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Northern Power can choose from among various kinds of scrubbers, some of which are more effective than others.",
"Harmful emissions from Northern Power's plants cannot be reduced more by using both methods together than by the installation of scrubbers alone.",
"Aside from harmful emissions from the smokestack... | 1 | train_2749 |
The enthusiastic acceptance of ascetic lifestyles evidenced in the surviving writings of monastic authors indicates that medieval societies were much less concerned with monetary gain than are contemporary Western cultures. | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"inserts personal opinions into what purports to be a factual debate",
"employs the imprecise term \"ascetic\"",
"generalizes from a sample that is likely to be unrepresentative",
"applies contemporary standards inappropriately to medieval societies"
] | 2 | train_2750 |
A tree' s age can be determined by counting the annual growth rings in its trunk. Each ring represents one year, and the ring' s thickness reveals the relative amount of rainfall that year. Archaeologists successfully used annual rings to determine the relative ages of ancient tombs at Pazyryk. Each tomb was constructe... | Which one of the following, if true, contributes most to an explanation of the archaeologists' success in using annual rings to establish the relative ages of the tombs at the Pazyryk site? | [
"The Pazyryk Valley, surrounded by extremely high mountains, has a distinctive yearly pattern of rainfall, and so trees growing in the Pazyryk Valley have annual rings that are quite distinct from trees growing in nearby valleys.",
"The archaeologists determined that the youngest tree used in any of the tombs was... | 2 | train_2751 |
Brian: Reporters and photographers are legally required to automatically distort the features of any bystanders whose faces might be shown on television before they can broadcast the taped segment. Yet when people are interviewed for a story, this practice is not followed. If we were as concerned about protecting the p... | Jessica attempts to counter Brian's argument by | [
"presenting a detailed example to show that Brian's argument is based on premises that cannot be confirmed or disproved",
"drawing another analogy that uncovers a serious mistake in Brian's reasoning",
"showing that information on which Brian bases his conclusion is false",
"pointing out a relevant distinctio... | 3 | train_2752 |
Elaine: The purpose of art museums is to preserve artworks and make them available to the public. Museums, ttherefore, should seek to acquire and display the best examples of artworks from each artistic period and genre, even if some of these works are not recognized by experts as masterpieces. Frederick: Art museums o... | Elaine's and Frederick's statements provide the most support for the claim that they would disagree about whether | [
"museums should seek to represent all genres of art in their collections",
"many artistic masterpieces are not recognized as such by art experts",
"an art museum ought to acquire an unusual example of a period or genre if more characteristic examples are prohibitively expensive",
"art museums should seek to p... | 0 | train_2753 |
Male bowerbirds construct elaborately decorated nests, or bowers. Basing their judgment on the fact that different local populations of bowerbirds of the same species build bowers that exhibit different building and decorative styles, researchers have concluded that the bowerbirds' building styles are a culturally acqu... | Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conclusion drawn by the researchers? | [
"The bowers of one species of bowerbird lack the towers and ornamentation characteristic of the bowers of most other species of bowerbird.",
"There are more common characteristics than there are differences among the bower-building styles of the local bowerbird population that has been studied most extensively.",... | 2 | train_2754 |
The foreign minister of Zeria announced today that her country was severing diplomatic relations with Nandalo because of Nandalo' s flagrant violations of human rights. But Zeria continues to maintain diplomatic relations with many countries that the minister knows to have far worse human-rights records than Nandalo do... | Which one of the following, if true, provides the most support for the argument in the passage? | [
"The opposition party in Zeria has long advocated severing trade relations with countries that systematically violate human rights but has opposed severing diplomatic relations.",
"Two weeks after the Zerian minister's announcement, several other countries cited human-rights violations as a reason for severing di... | 3 | train_2755 |
Each of many different human hormones can by itself raise the concentration of glucose in the blood. The reason for this is probably a metabolic quirk of the brain. To see this, consider that although most human cells can produce energy from fats and proteins, brain cells can use only glucose. Thus, if blood glucose le... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument above? | [
"The reason that many different hormones can each independently raise blood glucose levels is probably a metabolic quirk of the brain.",
"If blood glucose levels fall too low, then brain cells starve, resulting in loss of consciousness and death.",
"Although most human cells can produce energy from fats and pro... | 0 | train_2756 |
The number of hospital emergency room visits by heroin users grew by more than 25 percent during the 1980s. Clearly, then, the use of heroin rose in that decade. | Which one of the following, if true, would account for the statistic above without supporting the author's conclusion? | [
"Many hospital emergency rooms were barely able to accommodate the dramatic increase in the number of medical emergencies related to drug abuse during the 1980s.",
"Viral and bacterial infections, malnourishment, and overdoses account for most hospital emergency room visits linked to heroin.",
"Heroin use incre... | 3 | train_2757 |
Neural connections carrying signals from the cortex (the brain region responsible for thought) down to the amygdala (a brain region crucial for emotions) are less well developed than connections carrying signals from the amygdala up to the cortex. Thus, the amygdala exerts a greater influence on the cortex than vice ve... | The argument's conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"The degree of development of a set of neural connections is directly proportional to the influence transmitted across those connections.",
"The region of the brain that has the most influence on the cortex is the one that has the most highly developed neural connections to the cortex.",
"The influence that the... | 0 | train_2758 |
Fishing columnist: When an independent research firm compared the five best-selling baits, it found that Benton baits work best for catching trout. It asked a dozen top anglers to try out the five best-selling baits as they fished for speckled trout in a pristine northern stream, and every angler had the most success w... | Each of the following describes a flaw in the reasoning in the fishing columnist's argument EXCEPT: | [
"The argument overlooks the possibility that two best-selling brands of bait may be equally effective.",
"The argument overlooks the possibility that what works best for expert anglers will not work best for ordinary anglers.",
"The argument overlooks the possibility that the relative effectiveness of different... | 0 | train_2759 |
Driver: My friends say I will one day have an accident because I drive my sports car recklessly. But I have done some research, and apparently minivans and larger sedans have very low accident rates compared to sports cars. So trading my sports car in for a minivan would lower my risk of having an accident. | The reasoning in the driver's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that this argument | [
"misinterprets evidence that a result is likely as evidence that the result is certain",
"infers a cause from a mere correlation",
"relies on a source that is probably not well-informed",
"mistakes a condition sufficient for bringing about a result for a condition necessary for doing so"
] | 1 | train_2760 |
If a mechanical aerator is installed in a fish pool, the water in the pool can be properly aerated. So, since John' s fish pool does not have a mechanical aerator, it must be that his pool is not properly aerated. Without properly aerated water, fish cannot thrive. Ttherefore, any fish in John' s fish pool will not thr... | Which one of the following arguments contains an error of reasoning that is also contained in the argument above? | [
"If pectin is added to jam, the jam will gel. Without a setting agent such as pectin, jam will not gel. So in order to make his jam gel, Harry should add a setting agent such as pectin to the jam.",
"If stored potatoes are not exposed to ethylene, the potatoes will not sprout. Beets do not release ethylene. Tther... | 3 | train_2761 |
Yeasts capable of leavening bread are widespread, and in the many centuries during which the ancient Egyptians made only unleavened bread, such yeasts must frequently have been mixed into bread doughs accidentally. The Egyptians, however, did not discover leavened bread until about 3000 B. C. That discovery roughly coi... | Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest evidence that the two developments were causally related? | [
"Even after the ancient Egyptians discovered leavened bread and the techniques for reliably producing it were well known, unleavened bread continued to be widely consumed.",
"Only when the Egyptians stopped the practice of toasting grain were their stone-lined grain-toasting pits available for baking bread.",
"... | 3 | train_2762 |
It is repeatedly claimed that the dumping of nuclear waste poses no threat to people living nearby. If this claim could be made with certainty, there would be no reason for not locating sites in areas of dense population. But the policy of dumping nuclear waste only in the more sparsely populated regions indicates, at ... | Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument? | [
"Until there is no shred of doubt that nuclear dumps are safe, it makes sense to situate them where they pose the least threat to the public.",
"There are dangers associated with chemical waste, and it, too, is dumped away from areas of dense population.",
"In the event of an accident, it is certain that fewer ... | 3 | train_2763 |
Using rational argument in advertisements does not persuade people to buy the products being advertised. Ttherefore, advertisers who replace rational argument with nonrational appeals to emotion in advertisements will persuade people to buy the products being advertised. | Which one of the following contains flawed reasoning most similar to the flawed reasoning in the argument above? | [
"In the past, people who have tried to solve their problems by discussing them have often failed. Ttherefore, in the future, people who try to solve their problems by discussing them will often fail.",
"A person who does to have positive letters of reference cannot get a good job. Ttherefore, the better the lette... | 3 | train_2764 |
Colfax Beta-80 is a rare genetic defect found primarily in people of Scandinavian descent. Over 97% of known carriers of this defect are citizens of, or are direct descendants of immigrants from, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. People who carry the Colfax Beta-80 defect are at substantially higher risk for contracting Lup... | Assuming the statements above are true, which of the following can be inferred from them? | [
"Genetic engineering that eradicated this genetic defect would constitute a de facto cure for Lupus.",
"A person not of Scandinavian descent born with the Colfax Beta-80 defect is more likely to contract Lupus than is a Scandinavian who is born without this defect.",
"The majority of people who contract Lupus a... | 1 | train_2765 |
University president: We will be forced to reduce spending next year if we do not increase our enrollment. So, if we are to maintain the quality of the education we provide, we must market our programs more aggressively. Without such marketing we will be unable to increase our enrollment. | The conclusion of the university president's argument can be properly drawn if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"The university will not maintain the quality of the education it provides if it reduces spending next year.",
"The university will not need to reduce spending next year if it increases its enrollment.",
"The university will not need to reduce spending next year if it markets its programs more aggressively.",
... | 0 | train_2766 |
The vast majority of first-year engineering students at Bighorn University are registered in Physics 121. Simone is registered in Physics 121; thus it seems likely that she is a first-year engineering student. | Which one of the following statements, if assumed, enables the conclusion above to be properly drawn? | [
"The engineering program at Bighorn University is highly structured and leaves its students few opportunities to take nonscience elective courses.",
"Every engineering student at Bighorn University must pass Physics 121 or an equivalent in order to meet degree requirements.",
"The number of first-year engineeri... | 2 | train_2767 |
Cats spend much of their time sleeping; they seem to awaken only to stretch and yawn. Yet they have a strong, agile musculature that most animals would have to exercise strenuously to acquire. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox described above? | [
"Many other animals also spend much of their time sleeping yet have a strong, agile musculature.",
"Cats derive ample exercise from frequent stretching.",
"Cats require strength and agility in order to be effective predators.",
"Cats have a greater physiological need for sleep than other animals."
] | 1 | train_2768 |
Television commercial: Compared to other television cable services, Acme is clearly superior. Around the nation, thousands of satisfied Acme customers have testified on Acme' s website that they have had uninterrupted cable service for two or more years. Some of these Acme customers even testify that they have had unin... | The television commercial's reasoning is most susceptible to criticism on which of the following grounds? | [
"The commercial incorrectly uses a key term to conceal the terms' innate ambiguities.",
"The commercial makes a broad conclusion based on a few choice circumstances that may, or may not, be representative.",
"The commercial simply reiterates one of its premises and claims that it is a conclusion.",
"The comme... | 1 | train_2769 |
In August, the Williamstown main city parking garage was completely full every single day of the month. This phenomenon indicates that the main city parking garage in Williamstown is a popular place for parking. therefore, the Williamstown parking garage will be full every day of the month for September. | Which of the following, if true, cast the most doubt on the conclusion above? | [
"Capeville, a neighboring city, has only one parking garage, though it was not filled every day of the month.",
"In July, the Williamstown parking garage was full every day of the month.",
"Williamstown is popular beach town and tourists across the nation flock to its beaches from June to August, but the city b... | 2 | train_2770 |
Industrial scientists have hypothesized that much of the nitrous oxide that contributes to air pollution originates from the burning of organic matter in forest fires. The results of one extensive study in which smoke samples taken from forest fires were bottled and then analyzed in a research laboratory supports this ... | Which one of the following, if true, most undermines the argument? | [
"The production of synthetic products such as nylon is responsible for up to 10 percent of the nitrous oxide present in the atmosphere.",
"Soil bacteria that feed on ammonium compounds present in organic ash are thought by some scientists to excrete small amounts of nitrous oxide that then enter the atmosphere.",... | 3 | train_2771 |
In Gandania, where the government has a monopoly on tobacco sales, the incidence of smoking-related health problems has risen steadily for the last twenty years. The health secretary recently proposed a series of laws aimed at curtailing tobacco use in Gandania. Profits from tobacco sales, however, account for ten perc... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Implementing the proposed laws is not likely to cause a significant increase in the amount of tobacco Gandania exports.",
"No government official in Gandania has ever previously proposed laws aimed at curtailing tobacco use.",
"All health care in Gandania is government-funded.",
"The percentage of revenue Ga... | 2 | train_2772 |
Ann: All the campers at Camp Winnehatchee go to Tri-Cities High School. Bill: That' s not true. Some Tri-Cities students are campers at Camp Lakemont. | Bill's answer can be best explained on the assumption that he has interpreted Ann's remark to mean that | [
"some Tri-Cities High School students have withdrawn from Camp Lakemont",
"most of the campers at Camp Lakemont come from high schools other than Tri-Cities",
"only campers at Camp Winnehatchee are students at Tri-Cities High School",
"most Tri-Cities High School students are campers at Camp Winnehatchee"
] | 2 | train_2773 |
Proponent: Irradiation of food by gamma rays would keep it from spoiling before it reaches the consumer in food stores. The process leaves no radiation behind, and vitamin losses are comparable to those that occur in cooking, so there is no reason to reject irradiation on the grounds of nutrition or safety. Indeed, it ... | The opponent's argument proceeds by | [
"showing that claims made in the proponent's argument result in a self-contradiction",
"shifting perspective from safety with respect to consumers to safety with respect to producers",
"establishing that undesirable consequences result from the adoption of either one of two proposed remedies",
"pointing out a... | 3 | train_2774 |
Situation: In the island nation of Bezun, the government taxes gasoline heavily in order to induce people not to drive. It uses the revenue from the gasoline tax to subsidize electricity in order to reduce prices charged for electricity. Analysis: The greater the success achieved in meeting the first of these objective... | The analysis provided for the situation above would be most appropriate in which one of the following situations? | [
"A mail-order store imposes a stiff surcharge for overnight delivery in order to limit use of this option. The store uses revenue from the surcharge to pay the extra expenses it incurs for providing the overnight delivery service.",
"The park management charges an admission fee so that a park's users will contrib... | 2 | train_2775 |
The hearts of patients who are given vitamin E before undergoing heart surgery are less susceptible to certain postoperative complications than are the hearts of patients who are not given vitamin E before heart surgery. From six hours after surgery onward, however, the survivors from both groups show the same level of... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the doctors' recommendation? | [
"Many patients who are told that they are being given vitamin E actually receive a medically inert substance.",
"Postoperative complications occur six or more hours after surgery for some patients who have not been given vitamin E.",
"Postoperative complications pose the greatest threat to patients during the f... | 2 | train_2776 |
Antibiotics are standard ingredients in animal feed because they keep animals healthy and increase meat yields. However, scientists have recommended phasing out this practice, believing it may make antibiotics less effective in humans. If meat yields are reduced, however, some farmers will go out of business. | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"If scientists are correct that antibiotic use in animal feed makes antibiotics less effective in humans, then some farmers will go out of business.",
"If antibiotic use in animal feed is phased out, some farmers will go out of business unless they use other means of increasing meat yields.",
"If the scientists... | 1 | train_2777 |
Commentator: The Duke of Acredia argued long ago that only virtuous Acredian rulers concerned with the well-being of the people will be able to rule successfully. Since then, when Acredian governments have fallen, their falls have always been during the rule of one who viciously disregards the people' s needs. The Duke... | The reasoning in the commentator's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"infers that a certain condition is required for success from the fact that the lack of that condition is associated with failure",
"ignores the possibility that the conditions that are necessary for the welfare of the people are likely to change over time",
"appeals to evidence from sources that are likely to ... | 0 | train_2778 |
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? | [
"In the 1400s the Portuguese did not use cast brass for commemorative plaques.",
"Copper, which is required for making brass, can be found throughout Benin territory.",
"As early as 1500 A. D. , Benin artists were making brass plaques incorporating depictions of Europeans.",
"The Portuguese had no contact wit... | 3 | train_2779 |
Lydia: Red squirrels are known to make holes in the bark of sugar maple trees and to consume the trees' sap. Since sugar maple sap is essentially water with a small concentration of sugar, the squirrels almost certainly are after either water or sugar. Water is easily available from other sources in places where maple ... | Lydia's argument proceeds by | [
"rejecting a possible alternative explanation for an observed phenomenon",
"dismissing potentially disconfirming data",
"drawing an analogy between well-understood phenomena and an unexplained phenomenon",
"presenting an observed action as part of a larger pattern of behavior"
] | 0 | train_2780 |
Labor representative: Social historians have shown conclusively that if workers strike when the working conditions at their jobs are poor, those conditions usually significantly improve after five years. Although workers in this industry are familiar with this fact, they nonetheless refuse to strike even though their w... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy described by the labor representative? | [
"Wages in this industry have increased each year.",
"Workers typically plan to work in this industry only three years.",
"Working conditions in many other industries are worse than conditions in this industry.",
"Most factories in this industry change ownership every two years."
] | 1 | train_2781 |
Joanna: The only way for a company to be successful, after emerging from bankruptcy, is to produce the same goods or services that it did before going bankrupt. It is futile for such a company to try to learn a whole new business. Ruth: Wrong. The Kelton Company was a major mining operation that went into bankruptcy. O... | Ruth uses which one of the following argumentative techniques in countering Joanna's argument? | [
"She undermines a claim by showing that it rests on an ambiguity.",
"She offers an alternative explanation for a phenomenon.",
"She presents a counterexample to a claim.",
"She establishes a conclusion by excluding the only plausible alternative to that conclusion."
] | 2 | train_2782 |
A recent study showed that the immune system blood cells of the study' s participants who drank tea but no coffee took half as long to respond to germs as did the blood cells of participants who drank coffee but no tea. Thus, drinking tea boosted the participants' immune system defenses. | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Coffee and tea do not have in common any chemicals that fight disease in the human body.",
"In the study, drinking coffee did not cause the blood cell response time to double.",
"Coffee has no health benefits that are as valuable as the boost that tea purportedly gives to the body's immune system.",
"All of ... | 1 | train_2783 |
Byrne: One of our club' s bylaws specifies that any officer who fails to appear on time for any one of the quarterly board meetings, or who misses two of our monthly general meetings, must be suspended. Thibodeaux, an officer, was recently suspended. But Thibodeaux has never missed a monthly general meeting. Ttherefore... | The reasoning in Byrne's argument is flawed in that the argument | [
"presumes, without providing justification, that if certain events each produce a particular result, then no other event is sufficient to produce that result",
"takes for granted that an assumption required to establish the argument's conclusion is sufficient to establish that conclusion",
"fails to consider th... | 0 | train_2784 |
Linguist: The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis states that a society' s world view is influenced by the language or languages its members speak. But this hypothesis does not have the verifiability of hypotheses of physical science, since it is not clear that the hypothesis could be tested. | If the linguist's statements are accurate, which one of the following is most supported by them? | [
"Only verifiable hypotheses should be seriously considered.",
"Only the hypotheses of physical science should be taken seriously.",
"Only the hypotheses of physical science are verifiable.",
"We do not know whether the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is true or false."
] | 3 | train_2785 |
Politician P: My opponent claims that the government is obligated to raise taxes to increase funding for schools and health care. Because raising taxes to increase funding for schools and health care would make taxpayers upset over their loss of buying power, my opponent is simply mistaken. | Politician P's reasoning is questionable because it involves | [
"presupposing that a claim is mistaken on the grounds that the person defending it advocates other unpopular views",
"assuming that a claim is false on the grounds that the person defending it is of questionable character",
"concluding that a view is false on the grounds that its implementation would lead to un... | 2 | train_2786 |
Journalist: The new mayor is undeniably bold. His assertions are made with utter certainty and confidence. While these kinds of assertions may make him popular with the public, they also demonstrate that he is not an introspective person. | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the journalist's argument? | [
"Politicians who are not bold are unpopular with the public.",
"People who are bold make public assertions with utter certainty and confidence.",
"Politicians who make assertions with utter certainty and confidence are popular with the public.",
"Introspective people do not make assertions with utter certaint... | 3 | train_2787 |
Gerrit: While browsing in a record store I noticed that one copy of a recording I wanted had mistakenly been priced at a quarter of the list price. When I finally reached the cashier I was told that the price had been mismarked and I would have to pay the full list price. Since I had wasted an hour standing in line, th... | Which one of the following principles, if established, would most help to justify Saskia's position? | [
"Customers of retail stores are morally entitled to profit from any mistakes that the retailers make in marking prices.",
"Retailers are morally entitled to update marked prices periodically in order to reflect changes in manufacturers' suggested prices.",
"Retailers are morally obligated to sell an item to a c... | 2 | train_2788 |
Moralist: A statement is wholly truthful only if it is true and made without intended deception. A statement is a lie if it is intended to deceive or if its speaker, upon learning that the statement was misinterpreted, refrains from clarifying it. | Which one of the following judgments most closely conforms to the principles stated by the moralist? | [
"Tony was not lying when he told his granddaughter that he did not wear dentures, for even though Tony meant to deceive his granddaughter, she made it clear to Tony that she did not believe him.",
"Walter's claim to a potential employer that he had done volunteer work was a lie. Even though Walter had worked with... | 1 | train_2789 |
All Red Sox fans hate the Yankees. All Yankees fans hate the Red Sox. Since Frank hates the Red Sox, he must be a Yankees fan. | The pattern of reasoning displayed above is most closely paralleled in which one of the following? | [
"Dogs generally have four legs. Since Charlie does not have four legs, he must not be dog.",
"Every man is a mammal. Ttherefore, every mammal is a man.",
"Every redbird eats insects. Every bluebird eats plants. Since this particular bird eats plants, it must be a bluebird.",
"Every redbird sings. Most bluebir... | 2 | train_2790 |
Newspaper report: The government' s health department is unable to explain the recent finding that over time a 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes caused a 5 percent reduction in the number of smokers. This is a surprising finding because cigarettes are known to be highly addictive and numerous studies have ... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the finding that the increase in the price of cigarettes reduced the number of smokers? | [
"The extent to which cigarettes are addictive depends on the brain physiology unique to the human species.",
"The 10 percent price increase followed a recent 15 percent price increase.",
"Previous price increases have also, over time, caused a reduction in the number of smokers.",
"As cigarette prices rise, t... | 3 | train_2791 |
Gerald: Unless a consumer secures his or her home wireless Internet service, anyone strolling by is able to access that person' s service with certain laptop computers or smartphones. Such use cannot be considered illegal under current laws: it' s no more like trespassing than is enjoying music playing on someone' s ra... | Gerald' s and Kendra's positions indicate that they disagree over whether accessing someone's wireless Internet service while walking down the street | [
"can be considered illegal under current law",
"is like trespassing",
"could be done without intending to do so",
"should be prohibited by law"
] | 0 | train_2792 |
Of the citizens who disapprove of the prime minister' s overall job performance, most disapprove because of the prime minister' s support for increasing the income tax. However, Theresa believes that the income tax should be increased. So Theresa probably approves of the prime minister' s overall job performance. | Which one of the following arguments exhibits flawed reasoning that is most parallel to that in the argument above? | [
"Of the people who oppose funding a study to determine the feasibility of building a light rail line in the Loffoch Valley, most also believe that the Valley Freeway should be built. Donna opposes increasing funding for a study, so she probably supports building the Valley Freeway.",
"Of the people who support al... | 1 | train_2793 |
Professor Knight has noticed that students who guess on her multiple-choice tests are significantly more likely to choose answer choice C instead of A, B, D, or E. Basing her judgment on the fact that a variety of students from different social groups and backgrounds all do this, she has concluded that this tendency wa... | Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conclusion drawn by Professor Knight? | [
"Professor Knight's first-year students do not pick C more than any other letter, but her second-year students, who have all taken the same required classes, do.",
"She has noticed that students tend to choose C only at her current school, rather than having noticed this tendency throughout her career.",
"The s... | 0 | train_2794 |
Some species are called "indicator species"because the loss of a population of such a species serves as an early warning of problems arising from pollution. Environmentalists tracking the effects of pollution have increasingly paid heed to indicator species; yet environmentalists would be misguided if they attributed t... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the argument's conclusion? | [
"The loss of a specific population is often the result of natural changes in an ecosystem and in such cases should not be resisted.",
"Environmentalists' use of indicator species in tracking the effects of pollution is often problematic.",
"The loss of a specific population should not always be interpreted as a... | 2 | train_2795 |
Three large companies and seven small companies currently manufacture a product with potential military applications. If the government regulates the industry, it will institute a single set of manufacturing specifications to which all ten companies will have to adhere. In this case, ttherefore, since none of the seven... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the author's argument relies? | [
"Assembly of the product produced according to government manufacturing specifications would be more complex than current assembly procedures.",
"It would cost more to convert the production lines of the small companies to a new set of manufacturing specifications than it would to convert the production lines of ... | 2 | train_2796 |
Praveen excels at volleyball. Anyone who plays volleyball daily excels at volleyball. Thus, Praveen plays volleyball daily. | The reasoning error in the above argument is most similar to that in which one of the following? | [
"Anyone who is a superb gourmet cooks often. D'Souza cooks often. Thus, D'Souza is a superb gourmet.",
"D'Souza is a sculptor. Anyone who is not a sculptor is a painter. Thus, D'Souza is not a painter.",
"Anyone who hikes exercises. D'Souza does not exercise. Thus, D'Souza does not hike.",
"D'Souza is a jogge... | 0 | train_2797 |
Passenger volume in the airline industry has declined dramatically over the past two years, and thus fewer travelers and fewer planes are using airports. Since airport expansion can be warranted only by increases in air traffic volume, and since it will probably be at least five years before passenger volume returns to... | Which one of the following, if true, provides the best reason in favor of the airports' timing of their planned expansions? | [
"When passenger volume begins to grow again after a period of decline, most airlines can, initially, absorb the increase without adding new routes or new planes.",
"A sustained decline in passenger travel could lead to the failure of many airlines and the absorption of their routes by those airlines that survive.... | 3 | train_2798 |
Michelangelo' s sixteenth-century Sistine Chapel paintings are currently being restored. A goal of the restorers is to uncover Michelangelo' s original work, and so additions made to Michelangelo' s paintings by later artists are being removed. However, the restorers have decided to make one exception: to leave intact ... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to reconcile the restorers'decision with the goal stated in the passage? | [
"Michelangelo is famous primarily for his sculptures and only secondarily for his paintings, whereas da Volterra is known exclusively for his paintings.",
"Da Volterra's work is considered by certain art historians to be just as valuable as the work of some of the other artists who painted additions to Michelange... | 2 | train_2799 |
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