context stringlengths 94 1.14k | question stringlengths 24 342 | answers listlengths 4 4 | label int64 0 3 | id_string stringlengths 7 10 |
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Guidebook writer: I have visited hotels throughout the country and have noticed that in those built before 1930 the quality of the original carpentry work is generally superior to that in hotels built afterward. Clearly carpenters working on hotels before 1930 typically worked with more skill, care, and effort than car... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the guidebook writer's argument? | [
"The better the quality of original carpentry in a building, the less likely that building is to fall into disuse and be demolished.",
"The quality of original carpentry in hotels is generally far superior to the quality of original carpentry in other structures, such as houses and stores.",
"The average length... | 0 | train_3200 |
When a group of children who have been watching television programs that include acts of violence is sent to play with a group of children who have been watching programs that do not include acts of violence, the children who have been watching violent programs commit a much greater number of violent acts in their play... | The argument in the passage assumes which one of the following? | [
"Children who are treated violently will respond with violence.",
"There are no other differences between the two groups of children that might account for the difference in violent behavior.",
"Violent actions and passive observation of violent actions are not related.",
"Television has a harmful effect on s... | 1 | train_3201 |
The laboratory experiment, the most effective method for teaching science, is disappearing from most secondary school curricula, and students are now simulating experiments with computers. This trend should be stopped. It results in many students' completing secondary school and going on to a university without knowing... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument? | [
"Computers have proven to be a valuable tool for teaching secondary school students scientific terminology.",
"In some secondary schools, teachers conduct laboratory experiments while students observe.",
"Secondary schools and universities across the nation have put a great deal of money into purchasing compute... | 3 | train_3202 |
Exposure to certain chemicals commonly used in elementary schools as cleaners or pesticides causes allergic reactions in some children. Elementary school nurses in Renston report that the proportion of schoolchildren sent to them for treatment of allergic reactions to those chemicals has increased significantly over th... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"The number of school nurses employed by Renston's elementary schools has not decreased over the past ten years.",
"The chemicals are not commonly used as cleaners or pesticides in houses and apartment buildings in Renston.",
"Children who are allergic to the chemicals are no more likely than other children to ... | 3 | train_3203 |
Some people think that in every barrel of politicians there are only a few rotten ones. But if deceit is a quality of rottenness, I believe all effective politicians are rotten. They must be deceitful in order to do the job properly. Someone who is scrupulously honest about obeying the rules of society will never be an... | Assuming that the author's statements are accurate, which one of the following statements CANNOT be true? | [
"Some scrupulously honest politicians are effective.",
"Some people define a politician's job as obeying the rules of society.",
"Some politicians are scrupulously honest.",
"Some people think all politicians are rotten."
] | 0 | train_3204 |
Observations of the Arctic reveal that the Arctic Ocean is covered by less ice each summer than the previous summer. If this warming trend continues, within 50 years the Arctic Ocean will be ice free during the summer months. This occurrence would in itself have little or no effect on global sea levels, since the melti... | Which of the following most logically completes the passage? | [
"in the spring, melting sea ice would cause more icebergs to be created and to drift south into shipping routes",
"significant changes in Arctic sea temperatures would be accompanied by changes in sea temperatures in more temperate parts of the world",
"such a warm Arctic Ocean would trigger the melting of mass... | 2 | train_3205 |
It is difficult to keep deep wounds free of bacteria. Even strong antibiotics fail to kill the bacteria that live in such wounds. However, many physicians have succeeded in eliminating bacteria from deep wounds by packing the wound with a sweet substance like sugar. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why treating deep wounds with sugar as described above is successful? | [
"Sugar that is nearly pure is readily available for use in medical treatments.",
"Many kinds of bacteria can use sugar as a nutrient and will reproduce rapidly when sugar is available to them.",
"Bacteria that live in deep wounds thrive in a moist environment, and sugar has a dehydrating effect.",
"Some foods... | 2 | train_3206 |
In a study, shoppers who shopped in a grocery store without a shopping list and bought only items that were on sale for half price or less spent far more money on a comparable number of items than did shoppers in the same store who used a list and bought no sale items. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the apparent paradox in the study's results? | [
"The grocery store in the study carries many expensive items that few other grocery stores carry.",
"The shoppers who did not use lists bought many unnecessary items.",
"Usually, only the most expensive items go on sale in grocery stores.",
"Only the shoppers who used a list used a shopping cart."
] | 2 | train_3207 |
Most business ethics courses and textbooks confine themselves to considering specific cases and principles. For example, students are often given lists of ethical rules for in-class discussion and role-playing. This approach fails to provide a framework for understanding specific principles and should thus be changed t... | Which one of the following, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning above? | [
"Abstract ethical theory is the most appropriate of any context for understanding specific principles.",
"An ethics course should acquaint students with a wide range of specific principles and appropriate applications.",
"People have no obligation to always behave ethically unless they are acquainted with abstr... | 0 | train_3208 |
Bobo the clown books more shows and makes more money than Gob the magician. Despite rampant coulrophobia -- an irrational fear of clowns -- Bobo still books more parties and receives higher rates of compensation per show. Gob' s magic shows are no worse than Bobo' s clown performances. | Which of the following statements, if true, best explains the apparent paradox? | [
"Gob is a below average magician.",
"Despite rampant coulrophobia, statistical data shows that people generally prefer clowns to magicians for children's birthday parties.",
"Bobo is an experienced clown.",
"Bobo works in a densely populated city, while Gob works in a rural town."
] | 3 | train_3209 |
Gas station owner: Increased fuel efficiency reduces air pollution and dependence on imported oil, which has led some people to suggest that automobile manufacturers should make cars smaller to increase their fuel efficiency. But smaller cars are more likely to be seriously damaged in collisions and provide less protec... | The reasoning in the gas station owner's argument is flawed because the argument | [
"presumes, without providing justification, that it would be impossible to reduce the likelihood of dangerous accidents for small cars",
"concludes, on the basis of the claim that one means to an end is unacceptable, that the end should not be pursued",
"presumes, without providing justification, that increasin... | 1 | train_3210 |
Capuchin monkeys often rub their bodies with a certain type of millipede. Laboratory tests show that secretions from the bodies of these millipedes are rich in two chemicals that are potent mosquito repellents, and mosquitoes carry parasites that debilitate capuchins. Some scientists hypothesize that the monkeys rub th... | Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the scientists' hypothesis? | [
"The two insect-repelling chemicals in the secretions of the millipedes are carcinogenic for humans but do not appear to be carcinogenic for capuchins.",
"The capuchins rarely rub their bodies with the millipedes except during the rainy season, when mosquito populations are at their peak.",
"The two chemicals t... | 1 | train_3211 |
The recent concert was probably not properly promoted. Wells, who is quite knowledgeable about the concert business, was certain that it would sell out unless it was poorly promoted. But the concert did not sell out. | The pattern of reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"Professor Willis, who is quite knowledgeable about organic chemistry, said that the sample probably did not contain any organic compounds. So, the sample probably is not labeled correctly, for if it were, it would contain organic compounds.",
"The builder said that the school's roof would not require repairs for... | 2 | train_3212 |
Sea turtle hatchlings leaving their hatching grounds on Florida beaches reach ocean currents by swimming to the northeast, as defined by the north of the Earth' s magnetic field. Florida hatchlings placed in a large indoor tank also swim toward the northeast. But when the tank is surrounded by an artificial magnetic fi... | The information in the statements above most strongly supports which one of the following? | [
"If a sea turtle hatches on the coast of Africa, it will swim toward the southwest.",
"Once baby sea turtles reach the open sea, they join groups of adults in the North Atlantic.",
"Baby sea turtles are able to sense the magnetic field of the Earth.",
"The direction in which ocean currents flow is determined ... | 2 | train_3213 |
Legal theorist: It is unreasonable to incarcerate anyone for any other reason than that he or she is a serious threat to the property or lives of other people. The breaking of a law does not justify incarceration, for lawbreaking proceeds either from ignorance of the law or of the effects of one' s actions, or from the... | The claim in the first sentence of the passage plays which one of the following roles in the argument? | [
"It is offered as evidence for the stated claim that protection of life and property is more important than retribution for past illegal acts.",
"It is offered as evidence for the stated claim that lawbreaking proceeds from either ignorance of the law, or ignorance of the effects of one's actions, or free choice.... | 2 | train_3214 |
The ability of mammals to control their internal body temperatures is a factor in the development of their brains and intelligence. This can be seen from the following facts: the brain is a chemical machine, all chemical reactions are temperature dependent, and any organism that can control its body temperature can ass... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Organisms incapable of controlling their internal body temperatures are subject to unpredictable chemical processes.",
"Organisms unable to control their body temperatures do not have the capacity to generate internal body heat without relying on external factors.",
"The development of intelligence in mammals ... | 2 | train_3215 |
Physician: The patient is suffering either from disease X or else from disease Y, but there is no available test for distinguishing X from Y. Ttherefore, since there is an effective treatment for Y but no treatment for X, we must act on the assumption that the patient has a case of Y. | The physician's reasoning could be based on which one of the following principles? | [
"When only one strategy carries the possibility of success, circumstances must as much as possible be changed to fit this strategy.",
"When the soundness of a strategy depends on the truth of a certain assumption, the first step in putting the strategy into effect must be to test the truth of this assumption.",
... | 3 | train_3216 |
Many small roads do not have painted markings along their edges. Clear edge markings would make it easier for drivers to see upcoming curves and to judge the car' s position on the road, particularly when visibility is poor, and would ttherefore seem to be a useful contribution to road safety. However, after Greatwater... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the increase in accident rate? | [
"Prior to the painting of the edge markings, Greatwater County's narrow, winding roads already had a somewhat higher accident rate than other Greatwater County roads.",
"After the markings were painted on the roads, many drivers who had gone out of their way to avoid driving on those roads at night no longer did ... | 1 | train_3217 |
Rats injected with morphine exhibit decreased activity of the immune system, the bodily system that fights off infections. These same rats exhibited heightened blood levels of corticosteroids, chemicals secreted by the adrenal glands. Since corticosteroids can interfere with immune-system activity, scientists hypothesi... | Which of the following experiments would yield the most useful results for evaluating the scientists' hypothesis? | [
"Testing the level of immune-system activity of rats, removing their adrenal glands, and then testing the rats' immune-system activity levels again",
"Injecting rats with corticosteroids and then observing how many of the rats contracted infections",
"Injecting morphine into rats that already have heightened bl... | 3 | train_3218 |
In their native habitat, amaryllis plants go dormant when the soil in which they are growing dries out during the dry season. Ttherefore, if amaryllis plants kept as houseplants are to thrive, water should be withheld from them during part of the year so that the plants go dormant. | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Most kinds of plants go dormant at some time or other during the year.",
"Amaryllis are more difficult to keep as houseplants than other kinds of plants are.",
"Any amaryllis plant that fails to thrive is likely to have been dormant for too short a time.",
"Going dormant benefits amaryllis plants in their na... | 3 | train_3219 |
Classical Roman architecture is beautiful, primarily because of its use of rounded arches and its symmetry. Postmodern architecture is dramatic, primarily because of its creative use both of materials and of the surrounding environment. An architectural style that combines elements of both classical Roman and postmoder... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed in that it | [
"neglects to consider that an architectural style combining elements of two other architectural styles may lack certain qualities of one or both of those styles",
"fails to justify its presumption that because postmodern architecture is dramatic, that is its most salient feature",
"presumes, without providing j... | 0 | train_3220 |
When a city experiences a sharp decline in population, the city' s tax revenues, which pay for such city services as police protection and maintenance of water lines, also decrease. The area to be policed and the number and length of the water lines to be maintained, however, do not decrease. Attempting to make up the ... | The information given most strongly supports which of the following general claims? | [
"If a city's tax rates are held stable over a period of time, neither the population nor the levels of city services provided will tend to decline over that period.",
"A city that is losing residents because tax rates are perceived as too high by those residents can reverse this population trend by bringing its t... | 2 | train_3221 |
The traditional way to define the difference between rural and urban lifestyles is geographically. But with the impact of communications technology it makes more sense to draw the distinction in informational terms. People who rarely communicate electronically with anyone are living rural lifestyles, irrespective of wh... | The situation described above most closely illustrates which one of the following propositions? | [
"Many people who use electronic technology find urban lifestyles more satisfying than they find rural lifestyles.",
"We are unable to foresee the magnitude of the changes that the information revolution may have in defining our lives.",
"People are choosing to live in different regions of the nation than previo... | 3 | train_3222 |
In Rubaria, excellent health care is available to virtually the entire population, whereas very few people in Terland receive adequate medical care. Yet, although the death rate for most diseases is higher in Terland than in Rubaria, the percentage of the male population that dies from prostate cancer is significantly ... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the disparity between the prostate cancer death rate in Rubaria and Terland? | [
"Among men in Rubaria, the death rate from prostate cancer is significantly higher for those who do not take full advantage of Rubaria's health care system than for those who do.",
"Most men who have prostate cancer are older than the average life expectancy for male inhabitants of Terland.",
"Effective treatme... | 1 | train_3223 |
Dietitian: It is true that nutrients are most effective when provided by natural foods rather than artificial supplements. While it is also true that fat in one' s diet is generally unhealthy, eating raw carrots (which are rich in beta carotene) by themselves is nonetheless not an effective means of obtaining vitamin A... | The statement that fat in one's diet is generally unhealthy plays which one of the following roles in the dietitian's argument? | [
"It is mentioned as a generally accepted hypothesis that the dietitian attempts to undermine completely.",
"It is mentioned as a reason for adopting a dietary practice that the dietitian provides a reason for not carrying to the extreme.",
"It is cited as a bad reason for adopting a dietary habit that the dieti... | 1 | train_3224 |
Anthropologist: It has been claimed that religious prohibitions against eating certain types of food are evidence against the belief that all cultural phenomena have a purely economic explanation. After all, the reasoning goes, only a moral or spiritual motive could persuade people to forgo readily available sources of... | The reasoning in the anthropologist's argument is flawed because the argument | [
"takes for granted that people could have a reason for adopting a certain policy and nevertheless not realize what that reason is",
"uses the key term \"prohibition\" in two different senses",
"infers, merely from the claim that a practice has a certain desirable consequence, that this consequence must provide ... | 2 | train_3225 |
Any health care plan that does not cover comprehensive annual checkups is risking the lives of its members, who are unlikely to obtain care that is not covered by their health care plans, and who may have conditions that, if not detected early, are more likely to become fatal. | The argument above logically depends on which of the following assumptions? | [
"People are less likely to purchase a health care plan that does not cover annual checkups, thus negatively affecting the insurers' profitability.",
"Doctors who perform comprehensive annual checkups charge high fees, such that health care plan members cannot afford checkups that are not covered.",
"Health care... | 3 | train_3226 |
Florist: Some people like to have green carnations on St. Patrick' s Day. But flowers that are naturally green are extremely rare. Thus, it is very difficult for plant breeders to produce green carnations. Before St. Patrick' s Day, then, it is wise for florists to stock up on white carnations, which are fairly inexpen... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion of the florist's argument? | [
"White carnations are fairly inexpensive and can easily be dyed green.",
"There are some people who like to have green carnations on St. Patrick's Day.",
"It is a good idea for florists to stock up on white carnations before St. Patrick's Day.",
"It is very difficult to breed green carnations."
] | 2 | train_3227 |
Sunflowers growing in pots were placed, with their roots submerged, in the pond contaminated with radioactive elements. The sunflowers kept growing; in the process, they absorbed radioactive elements. Within twelve days, 85 percent of the radioactive elements were removed from the water, which is no less than can be ac... | Which of the following, if true, points to a limitation on the applicability of the proposed method of decontamination? | [
"The water in many ponds contaminated with radioactive elements is so cold that it would kill sunflowers whose roots were submerged in it.",
"Sunflowers that grow with their roots submerged in water grow less well than sunflowers growing under optimal conditions on dry land.",
"Some plants other than sunflowers... | 0 | train_3228 |
In the Hartshorn Building, most but not all of the third-floor offices are larger than any office on the second floor. The fourth-floor offices are all larger than any office on the second floor. However, all the second-floor offices are larger than any office on the first floor. | If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"Some first-floor offices are as large as the smallest fourth-floor offices.",
"Some fourth-floor offices are not as large as the largest third-floor offices.",
"Some first-floor offices are as large as the smallest third-floor offices.",
"Some third-floor offices are not as large as the smallest fourth-floor... | 3 | train_3229 |
Trade official: Country X deserves economic retribution for its protectionism. However, it is crucial that we recognize that there are overriding considerations in this case. We should still sell to X the agricultural equipment it ordered; there is high demand in our country for agricultural imports from X. | The argument depends on assuming which one of the following principles? | [
"In most cases, punishing a projectionist country should have priority over the interests of our people.",
"We should balance the justice of an action with the consequences for our interests of undertaking that action.",
"We should never jeopardize the interests of our people to punish a projectionist country."... | 1 | train_3230 |
From a magazine article: Self-confidence is a dangerous virtue: it often degenerates into the vice of arrogance. The danger of arrogance is evident to all who care to look. How much more humane the twentieth century would have been without the arrogant self-confidence of a Hitler or a Stalin! | The author attempts to persuade by doing all of the following EXCEPT | [
"appealing to authority to substantiate an assertion",
"introducing value-laden terms, such as \"vice\"",
"implying that Hitler's arrogance arose from self-confidence",
"using extreme cases to evoke an emotional response"
] | 0 | train_3231 |
Would it be right for the government to abandon efforts to determine at what levels to allow toxic substances in our food supply? Only if it can reasonably be argued that the only acceptable level of toxic substances in food is zero. However, virtually all foods contain perfectly natural substances that are toxic but c... | The main conclusion of the argument is that | [
"the only acceptable level of toxic substances in food is zero",
"the government should continue trying to determine acceptable levels for toxic substances in our food supply",
"the government needs to refine its methods of detecting toxic substances in our food supply",
"naturally occurring toxic substances ... | 1 | train_3232 |
Economist: Every business strives to increase its productivity, for this increases profits for the owners and the likelihood that the business will survive. But not all efforts to increase productivity are beneficial to the business as a whole. Often, attempts to increase productivity decrease the number of employees, ... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the economist's argument? | [
"Decreasing the number of employees in a business undermines the sense of security of retained employees.",
"If an action taken to secure the survival of a business fails to enhance the welfare of the business's employees, that action cannot be good for the business as a whole.",
"Only if the employees of a bus... | 3 | train_3233 |
Advertisement: The pride the people at Austin Stables take in their work accounts for their success in producing more winning racehorses than any other stable. Such a tradition of pride is not only found in the business of horse racing. For generations we at Barr Motor Company have demonstrated similar pride. You can r... | The advertisement proceeds by | [
"using an analogy to reach the conclusion that Barr Motor Company is superior to its competitors",
"demonstrating that Barr Motor Company has more repeat customers than its competitors",
"asserting that Barr Motor Company has an older tradition of pride than does Austin Stables",
"proving that Barr Motor Comp... | 0 | train_3234 |
Principle: The government should not prevent someone from expressing a true belief unless expressing it would be harmful to people generally. Application: The government was wrong to prevent Calista from publicly expressing her belief that there is evidence that cancer rates have increased slightly over the last two de... | Which one of the following, if true, would most help to justify the above application of the principle? | [
"Unless there is strong evidence of a link between use of a product and disease, the suggestion that use of the product causes disease is usually harmful to people.",
"The government has conducted extensive research to determine whether there is any causal link between use of cell phones and cancer.",
"Most peo... | 3 | train_3235 |
Novelists cannot become great as long as they remain in academia. Powers of observation and analysis, which schools successfully hone, are useful to the novelist, but an intuitive grasp of the emotions of everyday life can be obtained only by the kind of immersion in everyday life that is precluded by being an academic... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Participation in life, interspersed with impartial observation of life, makes novelists great.",
"Novelists require some impartiality to get an intuitive grasp of the emotions of everyday life.",
"Novelists cannot be great without an intuitive grasp of the emotions of everyday life.",
"No great novelist lack... | 2 | train_3236 |
On the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, a researcher examined 35 patients with atypical Parkinson' s disease and compared their eating habits to those of 65 healthy adults. She found that all of the patients with atypical Parkinson' s regularly ate the tropical fruits soursop, custard apple, and pomme cannelle, whereas ... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the researcher's reasoning? | [
"The 10 healthy adults who regularly ate soursop, custard apple, and pomme cannelle ate significantly greater quantities of these fruits, on average, than did the 35 atypical Parkinson's patients.",
"Of the healthy adults who did not regularly eat soursop, custard apple, and pomme cannelle, most had eaten each of... | 3 | train_3237 |
The proportion of fat calories in the diets of people who read the nutrition labels on food products is significantly lower than it is in the diets of people who do not read nutrition labels. This shows that reading these labels promotes healthful dietary behavior. | The reasoning in the argument above is flawed in that the argument | [
"illicitly infers a cause from a correlation",
"relies on a sample that is unlikely to be representative of the group as a whole",
"confuses a condition that is necessary for a phenomenon to occur with a condition that is sufficient for that phenomenon to occur",
"draws a conclusion about the intentions of a ... | 0 | train_3238 |
The police department has two suspects for the burglary that occurred last night, Schaeffer and Forster. Schaeffer has an ironclad alibi, so Forster must be the burglar. | Which one of the following arguments exhibits a flawed pattern of reasoning that is most similar to that exhibited by the argument above? | [
"If Iano Industries does not borrow money so that it can upgrade its factories, it will be unable to compete. While it is undesirable for Iano to take on more debt, being unable to compete would be even worse. So Iano should borrow the money needed to upgrade its factories.",
"It has been known for some time that... | 2 | train_3239 |
Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at Central Theater, was written in Italy in the eighteenth century. The director claims that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater. Although the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of t... | The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that | [
"Groucho Marx once performed the part of the character Harlequin in La Finestrina",
"the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director's claim",
"in the United States the training of actors in the twentieth century is based on principles that do no... | 1 | train_3240 |
In experiments in which certain kinds of bacteria were placed in a generous supply of nutrients, the populations of bacteria grew rapidly, and genetic mutations occurred at random in the populations. These experiments show that all genetic mutation is random. | Which one of the following, if true, enables the conclusion to be properly drawn? | [
"The nutrients used were the same as those that nourish the bacteria in nature.",
"Either all genetic mutations are random or none are random.",
"The kind of environment in which genetic mutation takes place has no effect on the way genetic mutation occurs.",
"The bacteria tested in the experiments were of ex... | 1 | train_3241 |
Human beings have cognitive faculties that are superior to those of other animals, and once humans become aware of these, they cannot be made happy by anything that does not involve gratification of these faculties. | Which one of the following statements, if true, most calls into question the view above? | [
"Someone who never experienced classical music as a child will usually prefer popular music as an adult.",
"Many people familiar both with intellectual stimulation and with physical pleasures enjoy the latter more.",
"Many people who are serious athletes consider themselves to be happy.",
"Many people who are... | 1 | train_3242 |
Essayist: Every contract negotiator has been lied to by someone or other, and whoever lies to anyone is practicing deception. But, of course, anyone who has been lied to has also lied to someone or other. | If the essayist' s statements are true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"Not everyone who lies to someone is practicing deception.",
"Every contract negotiator has practiced deception.",
"Not everyone who practices deception is lying to someone.",
"Whoever lies to anyone is lied to by someone. ST"
] | 1 | train_3243 |
Last year, a woman was able to demonstrate that she contracted a bad case of food poisoning from a meal at one Chinese restaurant in Bairenville, and she successfully sued the restaurant for a large sum of money. The story was popular in the town, and the size of the financial settlement made the national news. This ye... | Which of following conclusions can most properly be drawn from the information above? | [
"The cooking methods used for Chinese food are less likely to kill germs than are the cooking methods used in other cuisines.",
"This year, a number of citizens of Bairenville have won substantial settlements as the result of lawsuits.",
"This year, some restaurants in Bairenville have been subjected to legal e... | 2 | train_3244 |
Since the deregulation of airlines, delays at the nation' s increasingly busy airports have increased by 25 percent. To combat this problem, more of the takeoff and landing slots at the busiest airports must be allocated to commercial airlines. | Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the effectiveness of the solution proposed above? | [
"The major causes of delays at the nation's busiest airports are bad weather and overtaxed air traffic control equipment.",
"After a small Midwestern airport doubled its allocation of takeoff and landing slots, the number of delays that were reported decreased by 50 percent.",
"Since deregulation the average le... | 0 | train_3245 |
Manager: This company' s supply chain will develop significant weaknesses unless we make changes to our vendor contracts now. Some will argue that this problem is so far in the future that there is no need to address it today. But that is an irresponsible approach. Just imagine if a financial planner offered the same c... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion drawn in the manager's argument? | [
"Some people argue that the supply-chain problem is so far in the future that there is no need to address it now.",
"In planning to meet its future obligations, a company should follow the same practices that are appropriate for an individual who is planning for retirement.",
"Financial planners should advise t... | 3 | train_3246 |
People often praise poems for their truth. But to argue that expressing true propositions contributes to the aesthetic merit of a poem is misguided. Most of the commonplace beliefs of most people are true. Whatever the basis of poetic excellence is, it must certainly be rare rather than common. | Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that whatever the basis of poetic excellence is, it must certainly be rare rather than common? | [
"It is a premise that, in conjunction with another premise, is intended to support the argument's conclusion.",
"It is the overall conclusion drawn by the argument.",
"It is a premise offered as the sole support for the argument's conclusion.",
"It is a proposition for which the argument seeks to advance an e... | 0 | train_3247 |
Most household appliances use electricity only when in use. Many microwave ovens, however, have built-in clocks and so use some electricity even when they are not in use. The clocks each consume about 45 kilowatt-hours per year. Ttherefore, households whose microwave oven has no built-in clock use 45 kilowatt-hours per... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Households whose microwave oven does not have a built-in clock are no more likely to have a separate electric clock plugged in than households whose microwave oven has one.",
"All households that have a microwave oven also have either a gas oven or a conventional electric oven.",
"There are more households tha... | 0 | train_3248 |
Museum visitor: The national government has mandated a 5 percent increase in the minimum wage paid to all workers. This mandate will adversely affect the museum-going public. The museum' s revenue does not currently exceed its expenses, and since the mandate will significantly increase the museum' s operating expenses,... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the museum visitor's argument? | [
"Some of the museum's employees are paid more than the current minimum wage.",
"Some of the museum's employees are not paid significantly more than the minimum wage.",
"The annual number of visitors to the museum has increased steadily.",
"Not all visitors to the museum are required to pay an admission fee."
... | 1 | train_3249 |
People with serious financial problems are so worried about money that they cannot be happy. Their misery makes everyone close to them -- family, friends, colleagues -- unhappy as well. Only if their financial problems are solved can they and those around them be happy. | Which one of the following statements can be properly inferred from the passage? | [
"People who do not have serious financial problems will be happy.",
"Only serious problems make people unhappy.",
"People who solve their serious financial problems will be happy.",
"If people are happy, they do not have serious financial problems."
] | 3 | train_3250 |
The percentage of people between the ages of 18 and 24 living with their parents increased from 48 percent in 1980 to 53 percent in 1986. It can be concluded that in 1986 it was harder for people in this age group to afford to live by themselves. | The conclusion drawn in the passage above depends on which of the following assumptions? | [
"People in this age group who lived with their parents did not make any financial contribution toward housing expenses.",
"People in this age group who could not afford to live by themselves preferred living with their parents.",
"There are people in this age group who although they lied with their parents at t... | 1 | train_3251 |
Anyone who insists that music videos are an art form should also agree that television gave rise to an art form, since television gave rise to music videos. | The pattern of reasoning displayed in the argument above most closely parallels that displayed in which one of the following? | [
"Anyone who holds that avocados are a fruit should also hold that pound cake is lower in fat than some fruit, since pound cake is lower in fat than avocados.",
"A person who claims to prefer fruit to vegetables should also prefer cake to bread, since fruit is sweeter than vegetables and cake is sweeter than bread... | 0 | train_3252 |
Parent: The city education department is unable to distinguish between annoyances and important problems. For instance, prohibiting students from having cell phones is an overreaction. If a student uses one and thus interferes with instruction, confiscate it. All in all, we need educational leadership that can solve pr... | Which of the following is an assumption made by the parent? | [
"Faculty and staff should be allowed to possess cell phones.",
"Students need to have cell phones because some of them have no stay-at-home parent.",
"Students having cell phones does not constitute an important problem for the city schools.",
"Students have no need for cell phones in school."
] | 2 | train_3253 |
Ethicist: Robert Gillette has argued that because a thorough knowledge of genetics would enable us to cure the over 3, 000 inherited disorders that affect humanity, deciphering the human genetic code will certainly benefit humanity despite its enormous cost. Gillette' s argument is not persuasive, however, because he f... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the ethicist's argument? | [
"Gillette's argument wrongly assumes that deciphering the genetic code will lead to cures for genetic disorders.",
"Gillette's claim that a thorough knowledge of genetics would enable us to cure over 3, 000 disorders is overstated.",
"Deciphering the genetic code might ultimately harm human beings more than ben... | 3 | train_3254 |
Child development specialists have observed that adolescents who receive large weekly allowances tend to spend money on items considered frivolous by their parents whereas adolescents who receive small weekly allowances do not. Thus, in order to ensure that their children do not spend money on frivolous items, parents ... | Which of the following pieces of information would be most useful in evaluating the validity of the conclusion above? | [
"The percentage of adolescents who receive no weekly allowance",
"Any differences among parents in the standard used to judge an item as frivolous",
"The educational background of the child development specialists who made this observation",
"The average amount of money received by adolescents who receive lar... | 1 | train_3255 |
Letter to the editor: You say that if the government were to confiscate a portion of the wages of convicted burglars when they reenter the workforce, it would be a form of stealing, hence an abuse of power. Yet under the proposal now being considered, the government would confiscate such wages in order to fund an accou... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to support the argument in the letter to the editor? | [
"Burglars are obligated to provide compensation to the same individuals they victimized.",
"The motive prompting an action determines whether or not that action is justified.",
"A crime is justified only if it is a means of compensating people who deserve compensation.",
"Money stolen from a burglar should be... | 1 | train_3256 |
Modern navigation systems, which are found in most of today' s commercial aircraft, are made with low-power circuitry, which is more susceptible to interference than the vacuum-tube circuitry found in older planes. During landing, navigation systems receive radio signals from the airport to guide the plane to the runwa... | Which one of the following, if true, LEAST strengthens the argument above? | [
"No problems with navigational equipment or instrument dials have been reported on flights with no passenger-owned electronic devices on board.",
"After the laptop computer was turned off, the plane regained course and its navigation instruments and dials returned to normal.",
"Planes were first equipped with l... | 2 | train_3257 |
Economist: Paying extra for fair-trade coffee-coffee labeled with the Fairtrade logo-is intended to help poor farmers, because they receive a higher price for the fair-trade coffee they grow. But this practice may hurt more farmers in developing nations than it helps. By raising average prices for coffee, it encourages... | To evaluate the strength of the economist's argument, it would be most helpful to know which of the following? | [
"Whether many coffee farmers in developing nations also derive income from other kinds of farming",
"What proportion of coffee farmers in developing nations produce fair-trade coffee",
"Whether consumers should pay extra for fair-trade coffee if doing so lowers profits for non-fair-trade coffee farmers",
"Whe... | 1 | train_3258 |
Toddlers are not being malicious when they bite people. For example, a child may want a toy, and feel that the person he or she bites is preventing him or her from having it. | The situation as described above most closely conforms to which one of the following generalizations? | [
"Toddlers do not recognize that by biting people they often thwart their own ends.",
"Biting people is sometimes a way for toddlers to try to solve problems.",
"Toddlers sometimes engage in biting people in order to get attention from adults.",
"Resorting to biting people is in some cases an effective way for... | 1 | train_3259 |
Large discount chains can make a profit even while offering low prices, because they buy goods in large quantities at favorable cost. This creates a problem for small retailers. If they try to retain their customers by lowering prices to match those of large discount chains, the result is a lower profit margin. But sma... | The reasoning is flawed because it fails to take into account the possibility that | [
"not all small retailers are forced to compete with large discount chains",
"exceptional service is not the only reason customers prefer small retail stores",
"not all large discount chains do in fact make a profit",
"small retailers are often motivated by things other than the desire for profit"
] | 1 | train_3260 |
It is virtually certain that the government contract for building the new highway will be awarded to either Phoenix Contracting or Cartwright Company. I have just learned that the government has decided not to award the contract to Cartwright Company. It is ttherefore almost inevitable that Phoenix Contracting will be ... | The argument proceeds by | [
"concluding that it is extremely likely that an event will occur by ruling out the only probable alternative",
"refuting a claim that a particular event is inevitable by establishing the possibility of an alternative event",
"predicting a future event on the basis of an established pattern of past events",
"i... | 0 | train_3261 |
Allowing more steel imports would depress domestic steel prices and harm domestic steel manufacturers. Since the present government will not do anything that would harm the domestic steel industry, it will not lift restrictions on steel imports. | The pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following? | [
"Building construction increases only when people are confident that the economy is doing well. Ttherefore, since people are now confident in the economy we can expect building construction to increase.",
"The chief executive officer of Silicon, Inc. , will probably not accept stock in the company as a bonus next... | 2 | train_3262 |
Advertisement: RediMed is the cold treatment to choose. People who treat their colds with RediMed have symptoms half as severe as those suffered by people who leave their colds untreated. | The flawed pattern of reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the advertisement above? | [
"When cooking spaghetti, you should add the salt to the water when the water is already boiling, since the spaghetti takes on a bitter flavor otherwise.",
"Tuff-Grip tires are the ones to choose, since in trials by a consumer magazine they were found to be the most durable and the safest.",
"If you are not goin... | 3 | train_3263 |
There are only two plausible views about where the aesthetic value of a painting lies: either in its purely formal qualities or in what the painting means. But there exists no compelling general account of how a painting could derive its value from its purely formal characteristics. Ttherefore, the aesthetic value of a... | The pattern of questionable reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following? | [
"This cardiac patient could be treated with surgery or angioplasty, among other methods. But his weak condition would make recovery from surgery a very long process. Ttherefore, the doctors ought to perform angioplasty.",
"Some analysts are forecasting that if the economy expands, the inflation rate will rise or ... | 2 | train_3264 |
Changes in Britain' s National Health Service have led many British hospitals to end on-site laundry services for their staff. Although the water in a typical residential washing machine, unlike that in the industrial washing machines used by hospitals, does not reach temperatures high enough to kill the dangerous bact... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to justify the hospital officials' belief? | [
"Hospital patients infected with Acinetobacter can be isolated from other patients.",
"Water in residential washing machines reaches temperatures high enough to kill all dangerous bacteria other than Acinetobacter.",
"Most hospital staff made use of the on-site laundry services before they were discontinued.",
... | 3 | train_3265 |
Close friends and family in attendance and a good caterer will ensure a successful wedding reception. Since Liz and John have all of their close friends and family in attendance and a caterer, their wedding reception is a success. | The pattern of flawed reasoning exhibited by the argument above is most similar to that exhibited by which one of the following? | [
"If a shirt is made of quality material and is unwrinkled, it will always be in style. Since Larry's shirt is made of quality material, his shirt will always be in style.",
"The right mixture of red and blue paint, properly mixed and poured will always produce the perfect shade of purple. Since the artist has pro... | 0 | train_3266 |
People who have spent a lot of time in contact with animals often develop animal-induced allergies, some of them quite serious. In a survey of current employees in major zoos, about 30 percent had animal-induced allergies. Based on this sample, experts conclude that among members of the general population who have spen... | Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest grounds for the experts' conclusion? | [
"A zoo employee who develops a serious animal-induced allergy is very likely to switch to some other occupation.",
"The percentage of the general population whose level of exposure to animals matches that of a zoo employee is quite small.",
"Zoo employees seldom wear protective gear when they handle animals in ... | 0 | train_3267 |
The town of Greenfield recently instituted a substantial supplementary tax on all households, whereby each household is taxed in proportion to the volume of the trash that it puts out for trash collectors to pick up, as measured by the number of standard-sized garbage bags put out. In order to reduce the volume of the ... | The supplementary tax provides some financial incentive to Greenfield households to do each of the following EXCEPT | [
"compress and nest items of nonrecyclable trash before putting them out for pickup",
"dump nonrecyclable trash illegally at parks and roadsides",
"deliver recyclable materials to the recycling center instead of passing them on to neighbors who want to reuse them",
"sort out recyclable trash thoroughly from th... | 2 | train_3268 |
Editorial: When legislators discover that some public service is not being adequately provided, their most common response is to boost the funding for that public service. Because of this, the least efficiently run government bureaucracies are the ones that most commonly receive an increase in funds. | The statements in the editorial, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"When legislators discover that a public service is not being adequately provided, they never respond to the problem by reducing the funding of the government bureaucracy providing that service.",
"The least efficiently run government bureaucracies are the bureaucracies that legislators most commonly discover to ... | 1 | train_3269 |
Telomerase is an enzyme that is produced only in cells that are actively dividing. For this reason it is generally absent from body tissues in adults. Bone marrow is an exception to this rule, however, since even in adults, bone marrow cells continually divide to replace old blood cells. Cancers are another exception, ... | The information provided most strongly supports which of the following? | [
"The presence of telomerase in bone marrow is no indication of bone marrow cancer.",
"In children, the only body tissues from which telomerase is absent are those in which cells are not rapidly dividing.",
"Cancer of the bone marrow develops more rapidly than cancer growing in any other kind of adult tissue.",
... | 0 | train_3270 |
Psychiatrist: While the first appearance of a phobia is usually preceded by a traumatizing event, not everyone who is traumatized by an event develops a phobia. Furthermore, many people with phobias have never been traumatized. These two considerations show that traumatizing events do not contribute to the occurrence o... | The reasoning in the psychiatrist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"derives a causal connection from mere association when there is no independent evidence of causal connection",
"presumes, without providing justification, that some psychological events have no causes that can be established by scientific investigation",
"takes for granted that a type of phenomenon contributes... | 2 | train_3271 |
Journal editor: Our treasurer advises that because of our precarious financial situation, we should change from a paper version to an online version only if doing so will not increase the cost of publication. The cost of converting from a paper version to an online version is high; however, once the conversion is made,... | The journal editor's argument is flawed in that it | [
"bases its conclusion on the argument of an authority speaking outside the authority's field of expertise",
"fails to rule out the possibility that the journal will remain in a precarious financial position whether it changes to an online version or not",
"overlooks the possibility that an online version would ... | 3 | train_3272 |
Problems caused by the leaching of pollutants from dumps and landfills are worst in countries with an annual per capita economic output of $4, 000 to $5, 000, and less severe for considerably poorer and considerably richer countries. This is so because pollution problems increase during the early stages of a country' s... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Industrial development in Country X will increase in the next few years.",
"Countries surrounding Country X will reduce the amount of pollution that their factories release into the air and water.",
"No other country with a similar amount of industrial development has pollution problems that are as severe as t... | 0 | train_3273 |
In marketing their products, drug companies often send gifts to physicians. According to a recent survey, most physicians believe that their own choices when prescribing drugs are not influenced by drug companies' gifts. The same survey indicates that the majority of physicians believe that most other physicians' presc... | If the survey results are accurate, which one of the following must be true? | [
"Physicians who do not accept gifts from drug companies are less likely to prescribe unnecessary drugs than those who do accept such gifts.",
"All physicians who admit that their own choices when prescribing drugs are influenced by drug companies' gifts believe that most other physicians' prescription choices are... | 3 | train_3274 |
Physician: There were approximately 83, 400 trampoline-related injuries last year. This suggests that trampolines are quite dangerous and should ttherefore be used only under professional supervision. Trampoline enthusiast: I disagree. In the past ten years sales of home trampolines have increased much more than trampo... | The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that the physician and the trampoline enthusiast disagree over whether | [
"trampoline use is an activity that warrants mandatory professional supervision",
"trampolines cause injuries to a significant number of people using them",
"home trampolines are the main source of trampoline-related injuries",
"the rate of trampoline-related injuries, in terms of the number of injuries per t... | 0 | train_3275 |
A recent study shows that those highways that carry the most traffic, and thus tend to be the most congested, have the lowest rate of fatal traffic accidents. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the phenomenon described above? | [
"Most of the motorists on very heavily traveled highways tend to be commuting to or from work.",
"Most serious accidents occur when vehicles are moving at a high rate of speed.",
"Drivers have more accidents when they become distracted.",
"The highways that have the highest rate of fatal accidents have modera... | 1 | train_3276 |
Researchers took a group of teenagers who had never smoked and for one year tracked whether they took up smoking and how their mental health changed. Those who began smoking within a month of the study' s start were four times as likely to be depressed at the study' s end as those who did not begin smoking. Since nicot... | Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Participants who were depressed at the study's start were no more likely to be smokers at the study's end than those who were not depressed.",
"Participants who began smoking within a month of the study's start were no more likely than those who began midway through to have quit smoking by the study's end.",
"... | 0 | train_3277 |
Pauline: Some environmentalists claim that for the salmon to be saved, the hydroelectric dams on the river must be breached. But if the dams are breached, given the region' s growing population and booming industry, electrical costs will skyrocket. Roger: The dams are already producing electricity at optimal capacity. ... | The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Pauline and Roger agree that | [
"there will be no significant decrease in demand for electricity in the region in the near future",
"if the dams remain in service but do not operate at optimal capacity, electrical costs in the region will rise",
"finding additional energy sources will not decrease the electrical costs in the region",
"some ... | 0 | train_3278 |
Brain-scanning technology provides information about processes occurring in the brain. For this information to help researchers understand how the brain enables us to think, however, researchers must be able to rely on the accuracy of the verbal reports given by subjects while their brains are being scanned. Otherwise ... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument? | [
"It is unlikely that brain-scanning technology will ever enable researchers to understand how the brain enables us to think.",
"Information from brain scans can help researchers understand how the brain enables us to think only if the verbal reports of those whose brains are being scanned are accurate.",
"Becau... | 1 | train_3279 |
There is no genuinely altruistic behavior. Everyone needs to have sufficient amount of self-esteem, which crucially depends on believing oneself to be useful and needed. Behavior that appears to be altruistic can be understood as being motivated by the desire to reinforce that belief, a clearly self-interested motivati... | A flaw in the argument is that it | [
"presumes, without providing justification, that if one does not hold oneself in sufficient self-esteem one cannot be useful or needed",
"fails to consider that self-esteem also depends on maintaining an awareness of one's own value",
"takes for granted that any behavior that can be interpreted as self-interest... | 2 | train_3280 |
Many leadership theories have provided evidence that leaders affect group success rather than the success of particular individuals. So it is irrelevant to analyze the effects of supervisor traits on the attitudes of individuals whom they supervise. Instead, assessment of leadership effectiveness should occur only at t... | Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the argument? | [
"Whether some types of groups do not need supervision in order to be successful in their endeavors",
"Whether individuals' attitudes toward supervisors affect group success",
"Whether any of the leadership theories in question hold that leaders should assess other leaders' attitudes",
"Whether it is possible ... | 1 | train_3281 |
Maize contains the vitamin niacin, but not in a form the body can absorb. Pellagra is a disease that results from niacin deficiency. When maize was introduced into southern Europe from the Americas in the eighteenth century, it quickly became a dietary staple, and many Europeans who came to subsist primarily on maize d... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the contrasting incidence of pellagra described above? | [
"In southern Europe many of the people who consumed maize also ate niacin-rich foods.",
"Once introduced into southern Europe, maize became popular with landowners because of its high yields relative to other cereal crops.",
"Before the discovery of pellagra's link with niacin, it was widely believed that the d... | 3 | train_3282 |
Advertisement: Northwoods Maple Syrup, made the old-fashioned way, is simply tops for taste. And here is the proof: in a recent market survey, 7 out of every 10 shoppers who expressed a preference said that Northwoods was the only maple syrup for them, no ifs, ands, or buts. | Of the following, which one is the strongest reason why the advertisement is potentially misleading? | [
"The proportion of shoppers expressing no preference might have been very small.",
"The preference for the Northwoods brand might be based on such a factor as an exceptionally low price.",
"Other brands of maple syrup might also be made the old-fashioned way.",
"No market survey covers more than a sizable min... | 1 | train_3283 |
Medical ethicist: Assuming there is a reasonable chance for a cure, it is acceptable to offer experimental treatments for a disease to patients who suffer from extreme symptoms of that disease. Such patients are best able to weigh a treatment' s risks against the benefits of a cure. Ttherefore, it is never acceptable t... | The flawed reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to the flawed reasoning in the medical ethicist's argument? | [
"One is always in a better position to judge whether an automobile would be worth its cost if one has test-driven that automobile. Ttherefore, if an automobile proves to be not worth its cost, it is likely that it was not test-driven.",
"Someone born and raised in a country, who has lived abroad and then returned... | 1 | train_3284 |
Critics of a new law that will allow extra-long passenger trains to travel on the state' s railroads are mistaken in claiming that these extra-long passenger trains are more dangerous than other types of passenger trains. In our neighboring state P, where extra-long passenger trains have been permitted, these extra-lon... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above? | [
"Fatalities involving all trains in state P are fewer due to lower speed limits and stricter training requirements for train conductors.",
"The new law would require the extra-long passenger trains to be equipped with special brakes that would allow them to stop more quickly than other trains.",
"Extra-long pas... | 0 | train_3285 |
Wolves generally avoid human settlements. For this reason, domestic sheep, though essentially easy prey for wolves, are not usually attacked by them. In Hylantia prior to 1910, farmers nevertheless lost considerable numbers of sheep to wolves each year. Attributing this to the large number for wolves, in 1910 the gover... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the increase in wolf attacks on sheep? | [
"Populations of deer and other wild animals that wolves typically prey on increased significantly in numbers from 1910 to 1915.",
"The systematic hunting of wolves encouraged by the program drove many wolves in Hylantia to migrate to remote mountain areas uninhabited by humans.",
"Prior to 1910, there were no l... | 3 | train_3286 |
Lawyer: A body of circumstantial evidence is like a rope, and each item of evidence is like a strand of that rope. Just as additional pieces of circumstantial evidence strengthen the body of evidence, adding strands to the rope strengthens the rope. And if one strand breaks, the rope is not broken nor is its strength m... | The reasoning in the lawyer's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"takes for granted that no items in a body of circumstantial evidence are significantly more critical to the strength of the evidence than other items in that body",
"fails to consider the possibility that if many items in a body of circumstantial evidence were discredited, the overall body of evidence would be d... | 0 | train_3287 |
Judge: The defendant admits noncompliance with national building codes but asks that penalties not be imposed because he was confused as to whether national or local building codes applied to the area in which he was building. This excuse might be acceptable had he been charged with noncompliance with local codes, but ... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the judge's reasoning? | [
"Local codes may be less strict, but not more strict, than national codes.",
"Local codes and national codes must not overlap with each other.",
"Any behavior required by national codes is also required by local codes.",
"A behavior that is in compliance with one law is not necessarily in compliance with anot... | 2 | train_3288 |
Loggerhead turtles are an endangered species. Aquarium officials presumably know and are concerned about the declining number of wild loggerheads. Nevertheless, aquariums keep loggerheads and display them. These turtles are being kept in captivity and are thus prevented from adding to the population of wild turtles. | Each of the following, if true, contributes to an explanation of why aquarium officials keep loggerheads in captivity EXCEPT: | [
"The population of loggerheads in captivity has declined slightly over the last 20 years.",
"The captive loggerheads are bred, and their offspring are released into the wild, which helps increase the number of wild turtles.",
"The captive loggerheads are used to help educate the public about the needs of wild l... | 0 | train_3289 |
A purse containing 32 ancient gold coins that had been minted in Morocco was discovered in the ruins of an ancient Jordanian city some 4, 000 kilometers to the east of Morocco. In its time the Jordanian city was an important trading center along the trade route linking China and Europe, and it was also a popular stopov... | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following hypotheses? | [
"Most gold coins available during the time when the ancient city thrived were minted in Morocco.",
"Pilgrims and traders in the ancient city were unlikely to have interacted with one another.",
"Moroccan coins were more valuable in the ancient city than were Jordanian coins.",
"The purse with the gold coins h... | 3 | train_3290 |
Public policy dictates the health risks the public routinely takes. Statistical arguments about health risks are used primarily to deflect public fears, while contributing little to policy debate. For example, statistics are cited to imply that wearing a seat belt reduces one' s risk of death in an automobile accident,... | The way the example functions above is most closely paralleled in which one of the following? | [
"Statistics indicate that the number of people dependent on alcohol far exceeds the number dependent on illegal addictive drugs; thus, any policy for the control and treatment of substance abuse should provide for treatment of alcoholism.",
"Statistics indicate that an individual's risk of contracting cancer from... | 1 | train_3291 |
Animals with a certain behavioral disorder have unusually high levels of aluminum in their brain tissue. Since a silicon-based compound binds to aluminum and prevents it from affecting the brain tissue, animals can be cured of the disorder by being treated with the compound. | The argument is based on which one of the following assumptions? | [
"Aluminum is the cause of the disorder rather than merely an effect of it.",
"Aluminum is never present in normal brain tissue.",
"Introducing the compound into the brain tissue has no side effects.",
"Animals with the disorder have unusually high but invariable levels of aluminum in their brain tissue."
] | 0 | train_3292 |
The number of codfish in the North Atlantic has declined substantially as the population of harp seals has increased from two million to more than three million. Some blame the seal for the shrinking cod population, but cod plays a negligible role in the seal' s diet. It is ttherefore unlikely that the increase in the ... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"The harp seal thrives in water that is too cold to support a dense population of cod.",
"Cod feed almost exclusively on capelin, a fish that is a staple of the harp seal's diet.",
"Water pollution poses a more serious threat to cod than to the harp seal.",
"People who fish for cod commercially are inconvenie... | 1 | train_3293 |
A study compared a sample of Swedish people older than 75 who needed in-home assistance with a similar sample of Israel people. The people in the two samples received both informal assistance, provided by family and friends, and formal assistance, professionally provided. Although Sweden and Israel have equally well-fu... | Which of the following, if true, does most to explain the difference that the study? | [
"More Swedish than Israeli people older than 75 live in rural areas where formal assistance services are sparse or nonexistent.",
"In recent decades, the increase in life expectancy of someone who is 75 years old has been greater in Israel than in Sweden.",
"In Israel, people older than 75 tend to live with the... | 2 | train_3294 |
Health association: In certain studies, most volunteers who used to eat meat have permanently excluded meat from their diets and now eat only vegetables and fruits. These volunteers suffered no ill effects and many even prefer the new regimen. So people who eat meat can change their diets to meatless ones and not suffe... | The critic's response would most seriously call into question which one of the following conclusions, if that conclusion were drawn on the basis of the evidence given by the health association? | [
"Participants in the study who failed to make the transition to a vegetarian diet do not regret the attempt.",
"The diets of most people who eat meat would be improved if those people ate only vegetables and fruits instead.",
"The number of people who have adopted a strictly vegetarian diet has increased in the... | 3 | train_3295 |
Wart-Gone cream is a well-known cure for reducing the spread of painful warts. A dime size amount rubbed on the infected area daily is the prescribed dosage, and applying the cream more often does not enhance the cream' s healing effects. Hence, distributing coupons giving $3. 00 off the price of Wart-Gone will not boo... | Which one of the following statements, if true, would most strengthen the argument? | [
"The $3. 00 coupons, if distributed, would not induce new customers, who might not have purchased the product otherwise, to try Wart-Gone.",
"Wart-Gone has proven to be more effective on certain types of warts than others.",
"Warts, though all caused by a virus, differ greatly in shape and appearance.",
"Wart... | 0 | train_3296 |
Urban planner: When a city loses population due to migration, property taxes in that city tend to rise. This is because there are then fewer residents paying to maintain an infrastructure that was designed to support more people. Rising property taxes, in turn, drive more residents away, compounding the problem. Since ... | Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the urban planner's argument? | [
"Demographers project that the population of a region that includes Stonebridge will start to increase substantially within the next several years.",
"Stonebridge at present benefits from grants provided by the national government to help maintain certain parts of its infrastructure.",
"If Stonebridge does not ... | 2 | train_3297 |
One test to determine whether a person has been infected with tuberculosis consists of injecting the person with proteins extracted from the tuberculosis bacterium. Once a person has been infected by a bacterium, the person' s immune system subsequently recognizes certain proteins present in that bacterium and attacks ... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the physicians' reasoning depends? | [
"The ability of the proteins present in the tuberculosis bacterium to trigger the skin irritation is exclusive to that bacterium.",
"All of the proteins present in disease-causing bacteria can be recognized by the body's immune system.",
"Localized skin irritations are a characteristic symptom of tuberculosis i... | 0 | train_3298 |
A report on the likely effects of current levels of air pollution on forest growth in North America concluded that, since nitrogen is a necessary nutrient for optimal plant growth, the nitrogen deposited on forest soil as a result of air pollution probably benefits eastern forests. However, European soil scientists hav... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage? | [
"Contrary to the report cited, the nitrogen pollution now in the air is more likely to cause trees to die in eastern forests than to benefit them.",
"The implication of the report cited is that the amount of nitrogen reaching eastern forests by way of polluted air is approximately what those forests need for opti... | 0 | train_3299 |
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