context stringlengths 94 1.14k | question stringlengths 24 342 | answers listlengths 4 4 | label int64 0 3 | id_string stringlengths 7 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Insurance agent: Cars are no safer than motorcycles; that is, when driven at high speeds, cars are not involved in more fatal crashes than are motorcycles. We conducted a survey about car Y and found that highspeed crashes involving car Y resulted in 40% of the fatalities in 2005 while motorcycles were involved in only... | Each of the following describes a potential flaw in the insurance agent's reasoning EXCEPT: | [
"A conclusion is drawn about cars in general on the basis of a study focusing on car Y.",
"The survey being used to support the conclusion failed to take into account the significance of the total number of motorcycles that are driven compared to the numbers of car Y that are driven.",
"The safety of a vehicle ... | 3 | train_3600 |
Because quitting smoking is very stressful and leads to weight gain, it is difficult to do. The key to quitting, however, may be as simple as replacing an unhealthy activity with a healthy one. In one study, half of those attempting to quit were assigned to a smoking-cessation program alone, and the other half were ass... | Each of the following, if true, provides some support for the argument EXCEPT: | [
"Regular exercise prevents weight gain.",
"Each group in the study included four hundred randomly selected participants.",
"Nonsmokers accustomed to regular exercise do not gain weight when they stop exercising.",
"Aerobic exercise can stimulate the brain's production of endorphins, which reduce tension."
] | 2 | train_3601 |
Jack' s aunt gave him her will, asking him to make it public when she died; he promised to do so. After her death, Jack looked at the will; it stipulated that all her money go to her friend George. Jack knew that if he made the will public, George would squander the money, benefiting neither George nor anyone else. Jac... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, would require Jack to act as he did in the situation described? | [
"Violating a promise is impermissible whenever doing so would become known by others.",
"Duties to family members take priority over duties to people who are not family members.",
"When faced with alternatives it is obligatory to choose whichever one will benefit the greatest number of people.",
"A promise be... | 2 | train_3602 |
Anthony: It has been established that over 80 percent of those who use heroin have a history of having used marijuana. Such evidence would seem to prove that smoking marijuana definitely leads to heroin use. Judith: Maybe smoking marijuana does lead to heroin use, but it is absurd to think that citing those statistics ... | Judith's reply to Anthony's argument relies on which one of the following argumentative strategies? | [
"offering evidence suggesting that the statistics Anthony cites in support of his conclusion are inaccurate",
"providing an example to show that not everything that promotes heroin use is unsafe",
"undermining the credibility of his conclusion by showing that it is a statement from which absurd consequences can... | 3 | train_3603 |
Ann will either take a leave of absence from Technocomp and return in a year or else she will quit her job there; but she would not do either one unless she were offered a one-year teaching fellowship at a prestigious university. Technocomp will allow her to take a leave of absence if it does not find out that she has ... | Which one of the following, if assumed, allows the conclusion above to be properly drawn? | [
"Ann would be offered the fellowship only if she quit her job at Technocomp.",
"Technocomp will find out about Ann being offered the fellowship only if someone informs on her.",
"Ann will take a leave of absence if Technocomp allows her to take a leave of absence.",
"The reason Ann wants the fellowship is so ... | 2 | train_3604 |
Sam: In a recent survey, over 95 percent of people who purchased a Starlight automobile last year said they were highly satisfied with their purchase. Since people who have purchased a new car in the last year are not highly satisfied if that car has a manufacturing defect, Starlight automobiles are remarkably free fro... | Which one of the following most accurately describes how Tiya's response is related to Sam's argument? | [
"It argues that Sam's conclusion is correct, though not for the reasons Sam gives.",
"It offers a consideration that undermines the support Sam offers for his conclusion.",
"It presents new information that implies that Sam's conclusion is false.",
"It points out that Sam's argument presupposes the truth of t... | 1 | train_3605 |
A prominent investor who holds a large stake in the Burton Tool Company has recently claimed that the company is mismanaged. As evidence for this claim, the investor cited the company' s failure to slow production in response to a recent rise in its inventory of finished products. It is doubtful whether an investor' s ... | In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles? | [
"The first states the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second states an intermediate conclusion that is drawn in order to support that conclusion.",
"The first provides evidence to support the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second states that conclusion.",
"The first is the position that t... | 0 | train_3606 |
Parland' s alligator population has been declining in recent years, primarily because of hunting. Alligators prey heavily on a species of freshwater fish that is highly valued as food by Parlanders, who had hoped that the decline in the alligator population would lead to an increase in the numbers of these fish availab... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the decline in the population of the fish species? | [
"In several neighboring countries through which Parland's rivers also flow, alligators are at risk of extinction as a result of extensive hunting.",
"Over the last few years, Parland's commercial fishing enterprises have increased the number of fishing boats they use.",
"The decline in the alligator population ... | 3 | train_3607 |
Watanabe: To protect the native kokanee salmon in the lake, we must allow fishing of native trout. Each mature trout eats about 250 mature kokanee annually. Lopez: The real problem is mysis shrimp, which were originally introduced into the lake as food for mature kokanee; but mysis eat plankton -- young kokanees' food.... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most strongly supports Lopez's conclusion? | [
"When seeking to increase the population of a given species, it is most important that one preserve the members of the species who are in the prime reproductive stage of their lives.",
"When trying to protect the food supply of a particular species, it is best to encourage the method that will have the quickest r... | 3 | train_3608 |
A study claims that the average temperature on Earth has permanently increased, because the average temperature each year for the last five years has been higher than any previous yearly average on record. However, periods of up to ten years of average temperatures that have consistently been record highs are often mer... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"Five successive years of increasing annual average temperature does not always signify a permanent increase in temperature.",
"Record high temperatures can be expected on Earth for another five years.",
"The average temperature on Earth never increases except in cases of random temperature fluctuation.",
"Al... | 0 | train_3609 |
Recent studies have demonstrated that smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease. Other studies have established that smokers are more likely than others to drink caffeinated beverages. Ttherefore, even though drinking caffeinated beverages is not thought to be a cause of heart disease, there is a... | The argument's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument fails to take into account the possibility that | [
"smokers who drink caffeinated beverages are less likely to develop heart disease than are smokers who do not drink caffeinated beverages",
"it is only among people who have a hereditary predisposition to heart disease that caffeine consumption is positively correlated with the development of heart disease",
"t... | 0 | train_3610 |
Censor: All anarchist novels have two objectionable characteristics: a subversive outlook and the depiction of wholesale violence. Ttherefore, it is permissible to ban any anarchist novel that would do more harm than good to society. | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the censor's reasoning? | [
"If a novel depicts wholesale violence, then it is permissible to ban it if doing so would do more good than harm to society.",
"It is permissible to ban a novel that depicts wholesale violence only if that novel has at least one other objectionable characteristic.",
"If a novel has a subversive outlook but doe... | 3 | train_3611 |
Because of increases in the price of oil and because of government policies promoting energy conservation, the use of oil to heat homes fell by 40 percent from 1970 to the present, and many homeowners switched to natural gas for heating. Because switching to natural gas involved investing in equipment, a significant sw... | The prediction that ends the passage would be most seriously called into question if it were true that in the last few years | [
"the price of natural gas to heat homes has remained constant, while the cost of equipment to heat homes with natural gas has fallen sharply",
"the cost of equipment to heat homes with oil has fallen sharply, while the price of heating with oil has fallen below the price of heating with natural gas",
"the cost ... | 1 | train_3612 |
Maria: Popular music is bad art because it greatly exaggerates the role love plays in everyday life and thereby fails to represent reality accurately. Theo: Popular music is not supposed to reflect reality; it performs other artistic functions, such as providing consoling fantasies and helping people create some romanc... | The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Maria and Theo disagree over whether | [
"art need not represent reality accurately to be good art",
"most good art creates consoling illusions",
"art should always represent reality as it could be, not as it is",
"popular music should not be considered to be an art form"
] | 0 | train_3613 |
Newspaper editor: Our newspaper has a responsibility to serve the public interest. When our critics contend that our recent story about the affair of Governor Byce was excessively intrusive, we must reply that the overwhelming public interest in this matter made it our responsibility to publicize facts about the affair... | Which one of the following is a flaw in the newspaper editor's defense of the newspaper story? | [
"Improperly taking advantage of an ambiguity in the phrase \"public interest\"",
"Confusing his responsibility as a newspaper editor with the responsibility of the governor",
"Forgetting his legal responsibility for reporting such stories",
"Ignoring his moral obligation to listen to critics"
] | 0 | train_3614 |
Council member: The profits of downtown businesses will increase if more consumers live in the downtown area, and a decrease in the cost of living in the downtown area will guarantee that the number of consumers living there will increase. However, the profits of downtown businesses will not increase unless downtown tr... | If all the council member's statements are true, which one of the following must be true? | [
"If the cost of living in the downtown area decreases, the profits of downtown businesses will increase.",
"If downtown traffic congestion decreases, the cost of living in the downtown area will decrease.",
"If downtown traffic congestion decreases, the number of consumers living in the downtown area will incre... | 0 | train_3615 |
For many types of crops, hybrid strains have been developed that have been found in test plantings to produce significantly higher yields than were produced by traditional nonhybrid strains of those crops planted alongside them. However, in many parts of the world where farmers have abandoned traditional nonhybrid stra... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy? | [
"Most farmers who plant the hybrid strains of their crops have larger farms than do farmers who continue to plant traditional nonhybrid strains of the same crops.",
"Hybrid strains of crops produced higher yields in some areas than did nonhybrid strains in those areas.",
"Many governments subsidize farmers who ... | 3 | train_3616 |
Editorial: Consumers in North America think that by drinking frozen concentrated orange juice, they are saving energy, because it takes fewer truckloads to transport it than it takes to transport an equivalent amount of not-from-concentrate juice. But they are mistaken, for the amount of energy required to concentrate ... | Which of the following, if true, would provide the greatest additional support for the editorial's conclusion? | [
"Frozen juice can be stored for several years, while not-from-concentrate juice lasts a much shorter time.",
"Freezer trucks use substantially more energy per mile driven than do any other types of trucks.",
"A serving of not-from-concentrate juice takes up to six times more space than a serving of frozen conce... | 1 | train_3617 |
Politician: It has been proposed that the national parks in our country be managed by private companies rather than the government. A similar privatization of the telecommunications industry has benefited consumers by allowing competition among a variety of telephone companies to improve service and force down prices. ... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the politician's argument? | [
"It would not be politically expedient to privatize the national parks even if doing so would, in the long run, improve service and reduce the fees charged to visitors.",
"The privatization of the national parks would produce much less competition between different companies than did the privatization of the tele... | 1 | train_3618 |
Newspaper subscriber: Arnot' s editorial argues that by making certain fundamental changes in government we would virtually eliminate our most vexing social ills. But clearly this conclusion is false. After all, the argument Arnot makes for this claim depends on the dubious assumption that government can be trusted to ... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses a flaw in the argument's reasoning? | [
"it treats a change that is required for virtual elimination of society's most vexing social ills as a change that will guarantee the virtual elimination of those ills",
"it repudiates a claim merely on the grounds that an inadequate argument has been given for it",
"it distorts the opponent's argument and then... | 1 | train_3619 |
Market forecaster: The price of pecans is high when pecans are comparatively scarce but drops sharply when pecans are abundant. Thus, in high-yield years, growers often store part of their crop in refrigerated warehouses until after the next year' s harvest, hoping for higher prices then. Because of bad weather, this y... | Which of the following most logically completes the market forecaster's argument? | [
"the last time the pecan crop was as small as it was this year, the practice of holding back part of one year's crop had not yet become widely established",
"pecan yields for some farmers were as high this year as they had been last year",
"pecan prices have remained relatively stable in recent years",
"last ... | 3 | train_3620 |
Councillor Miller opposes all proposals to raise taxes. Councillor Philopoulos supports increased funding for schools, which in this area are funded entirely by property taxes. It follows that Miller will oppose and Philopoulos will support Councillor Callari' s proposal to increase school funding by raising property t... | Which one of the following exhibits flawed reasoning most similar to the flawed reasoning exhibited by the argument above? | [
"Ed dislikes any food that is extremely sweet, but Bill likes most extremely sweet food. It follows that Ed will dislike these extremely sweet brownies but Bill will probably like them.",
"In the past, the citizens of Lake County have voted down every proposal to increase property taxes. It follows that citizens ... | 2 | train_3621 |
The United States ranks far behind countries such as Sweden and Canada when it comes to workplace safety. In all three countries, joint labor-management committees that oversee workplace safety conditions have been very successful in reducing occupational injuries. In the United States, such committees are found only i... | Which one of the following is supported by the information above? | [
"The United States would surpass Sweden and Canada in workplace safety if joint safety committees were required in all medium-sized and large workplaces in the United States.",
"A joint safety committee that is required by law is more effective at reducing occupational injuries than is a joint safety committee th... | 3 | train_3622 |
Tiger sharks are common in the waters surrounding Tenare Island. Usually tiger sharks feed on smaller sharks, but sometimes they have attacked tourists swimming and surfing at Tenare' s beaches. This has hurt Tenare' s tourism industry, which is second only to its fishing industry in annual revenues. In order to help t... | Which of the following, if true, most strongly calls into question the likelihood that implementation of the mayor's proposal will have the desired consequence? | [
"Even if not all the tiger sharks that come close to the beaches are killed, the existence of the program would reassure tourists.",
"Not all tourists who come to Tenare Island enjoy swimming or surfing.",
"Business owners who depend on tourism are willing to pay most of the cost of implementing the program.",
... | 3 | train_3623 |
Early in the twentieth century, Lake Konfa became very polluted. Recently fish populations have recovered as release of industrial pollutants has declined and the lake' s waters have become cleaner. Fears are now being voiced that the planned construction of an oil pipeline across the lake' s bottom might revive pollut... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Changes in land use and drainage patterns around the lake mean that the lake's waters are increasingly likely to be affected by agricultural runoff.",
"The pipeline's construction will disturb sediments at the bottom of the lake, dispersing into the water toxic pollutants that have settled there.",
"A major le... | 1 | train_3624 |
Often a type of organ or body structure is the only physically feasible means of accomplishing a given task, so it should be unsurprising if, like eyes or wings, that type of organ or body structure evolves at different times in a number of completely unrelated species. After all, whatever the difference of heritage an... | Which one of the following most logically completes the last sentence of the passage? | [
"will resemble other species having different biological needs",
"will develop adaptations allowing them to satisfy these needs",
"will in many instances evolve similar adaptations enabling them to satisfy these needs",
"will all develop eyes or wings as adaptations"
] | 2 | train_3625 |
Utrania was formerly a major petroleum exporter, but in recent decades economic stagnation and restrictive regulations inhibited investment in new oil fields. In consequence, Utranian oil exports dropped steadily as old fields became depleted. Utrania' s currently improving economic situation, together with less restri... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"the price of oil is expected to remain relatively stable over the next several years",
"the improvement in the economic situation in Utrania is expected to result in a dramatic increase in the proportion of Utranians who own automobiles",
"most of the investment in new oil fields in Utrania is expected to come... | 1 | train_3626 |
Because of steep increases in the average price per box of cereal over the last 10 years, overall sales of cereal have recently begun to drop. In an attempt to improve sales, one major cereal manufacturer reduced the wholesale prices of its cereals by 20 percent. Since most other cereal manufacturers have announced tha... | Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in evaluating the argument? | [
"Whether the variety of cereals available on the market has significantly increased over the last 10 years",
"Whether the high marketing expenses of the highly competitive cereal market led to the increase in cereal prices",
"Whether the prices that supermarkets charge for these cereals will reflect the lower p... | 2 | train_3627 |
Journalist: Although a recent poll found that more than half of all eligible voters support the idea of a political party whose primary concern is education, only 26 percent would like to join it, and only 16 percent would be prepared to donate money to it. Furthermore, there is overwhelming historical evidence that on... | The reasoning in the journalist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument fails to consider that | [
"the 16 percent of eligible voters prepared to donate money to an education party might donate almost as much money as a party would ordinarily expect to get if 30 percent of eligible voters contributed",
"an education party could possibly be viable with a smaller base than is customarily needed",
"some of the ... | 2 | train_3628 |
In Wareland last year, 16 percent of licensed drivers under 21 and 11 percent of drivers ages 21-24 were in serious accidents. By contrast, only 3 percent of licensed drivers 65 and older were involved in serious accidents. These figures clearly show that the greater experience and developed habits of caution possessed... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"There is no age bracket for which the accident rate is lower than it is for licensed drivers 65 and older.",
"The difference between the accident rate of drivers under 21 and of those ages 21-24 is attributable to the greater driving experience of those in the older group.",
"Drivers 65 and older are less like... | 3 | train_3629 |
Some scientists have expressed reservations about quantum theory because of its counterintuitive consequences. But despite rigorous attempts to show that quantum theory' s predictions were inaccurate, they were shown to be accurate within the generally accepted statistical margin of error. These results, which have not... | Which one of the following principles most helps to justify the reasoning above? | [
"A scientific theory should be accepted if it has been subjected to serious attempts to disprove it and has withstood all of them.",
"The consequences of a scientific theory should not be considered counterintuitive if the theory's predictions have been found to be accurate.",
"A scientific theory should be acc... | 0 | train_3630 |
Marijuana advocate: If marijuana were legalized in this state, the state could start assessing tax on the drug, increasing state revenues. Since sales would be legal, the criminal culture supporting the drug would vanish; as crimes ceased, the state would save money on fighting crime. Overall, the state has a tremendou... | The Attorney General uses which of the following techniques in responding to the marijuana advocate? | [
"pointing out that the conclusion doesn't follow properly from the premises",
"calling into question the validity of the evidence cited",
"suggesting, by analogy, potential drawbacks that might outweigh the predicted advantages",
"arguing that the same evidence could be used to prove an opposing conclusion"
] | 2 | train_3631 |
Some psychologists claim that empathic responses are forms of moral behavior. Having observed that young children who witness another' s distress respond by expressing sadness and offering help, these psychologists believe that moral behavior begins early in life. A second group of psychologists claims that empathic re... | Which one of the following is consistent with the claims of the first group of psychologists and inconsistent with the claims of the second group of psychologists? | [
"The morality of an action should be judged on the basis of the intention behind it rather than on the basis of its consequences.",
"People with strong empathic responses are less likely to be skilled in moral reasoning than people with weaker empathic responses.",
"Cats and dogs, which are incapable of moral r... | 2 | train_3632 |
Early in the twentieth century, Lake Konfa became very polluted. Recently fish populations have recovered as release of industrial pollutants has declined and the lake' s waters have become cleaner. Fears are now being voiced that the planned construction of an oil pipeline across the lake' s bottom might revive pollut... | The argument depends on assuming which of the following? | [
"There is no reason to believe that the leak-preventing technology would be ineffective when installed in the pipeline in Lake Konfa.",
"Damage to the lake's fish populations would be the only harm that a leak of oil from the pipeline would cause.",
"Other than the possibility of a leak, there is no realistic p... | 2 | train_3633 |
Consumer advocate: Manufacturers of children' s toys often place warnings on their products that overstate the dangers their products pose. Product-warning labels should overstate dangers only if doing so reduces injuries. In fact, however, manufacturers overstate their products' dangers merely for the purpose of prote... | Which one of the following most accurately describes a reasoning flaw in the consumer advocate's argument? | [
"The argument confuses a necessary condition for reducing the number of injuries caused by a product with a sufficient condition.",
"The argument relies on the unjustified assumption that an action has an effect only if it was performed in order to bring about that effect.",
"The argument presumes, without prov... | 1 | train_3634 |
Of the many works in a collection from Japan' s Tokugawa period that the museum will soon put on display, those that are most sensitive to light, as well as the most valuable pieces, will be on display for two weeks only. Sakai Hoitsu' s "Spring and Autumn Maples" will be on display for two weeks only, so it is clearly... | The flawed pattern of reasoning in the argument above most closely parallels that in which one of the following? | [
"The city council will soon commission surveyors to update the city map. The new map will reflect existing structures as well as planned housing developments. But the housing development I live in was built several decades ago, so it will not be on the updated map.",
"The legend on this city map indicates that hi... | 1 | train_3635 |
Editorial: In Ledland, unemployed adults receive government assistance. To reduce unemployment, the government proposes to supplement the income of those who accept jobs that pay less than government assistance, thus enabling employers to hire workers cheaply. However, the supplement will not raise any worker' s income... | Which of the following, if true about Ledland, most seriously weakens the argument of the editorial? | [
"People who are employed and look for a new job tend to get higher-paying jobs than job seekers who are unemployed.",
"The yearly amount unemployed people receive from government assistance is less than the yearly income that the government defines as the poverty level.",
"Neighboring countries with laws that m... | 0 | train_3636 |
Sarah: Reporters, by allotting time to some events rather than others, are exercising their judgment as to what is newsworthy and what is not. In other words, they always interpret the news. Ramon: Reporters should never interpret the news. Once they deem a story to be newsworthy, they are obliged to relay the facts to... | Sarah and Ramon's remarks provide the most support for holding that they disagree about the truth of which one of the following statements? | [
"Reporters actually do interpret the news every time they report it.",
"Reporters should not allot time to reporting some events rather than others.",
"Reporters should exercise their own judgment as to which events are newsworthy.",
"Reporting on certain events rather than others qualifies as interpreting th... | 3 | train_3637 |
A number of seriously interested amateur astronomers have tested the new Exodus refractor telescope. With it, they were able to observe in crisp detail planetary features that were seen only as fuzzy images in their 8-inch (approximately 20-centimeter) Newtonian telescopes, even though the 8-inch telescopes, with their... | The argument proceeds by | [
"supporting a recommendation to a group on the basis of the experience of a subset of that group",
"distinguishing between the actual reasons why a certain group did a particular thing and the best reasons for doing that thing",
"detailing the ways in which a testing situation approximates the conditions of ord... | 0 | train_3638 |
In the United States, of the people who moved from one state to another when they retired, the percentage who retired to Florida has decreased by three percentage points over the past ten years. Since many local businesses in Florida cater to retirees, this decline is likely to have a noticeably negative economic effec... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"The number of people who move out of Florida to accept employment in other states has increased over the past ten years.",
"The number of people who left Florida when they retired to live in another state was greater last year than it was ten years ago.",
"The total number of people who retired and moved to an... | 2 | train_3639 |
Yuriko: Our city' s campaign to persuade parents to have their children vaccinated ought to be imitated by your city. In the 16 months since the enactment of legislation authorizing the campaign, vaccinations in our city have increased by 30 percent. Susan: But the major part of that increase occurred in the first 6 mo... | In responding to Yuriko, Susan does which one of the following? | [
"She cites facts that tend to weaken the force of the evidence with which Yuriko supports her recommendation.",
"She denies Yuriko's assumption that Susan's city wants to increase the vaccination rate for children.",
"She advances the claim that a campaign such as Yuriko recommends is not necessary because most... | 0 | train_3640 |
After being subjected to clinical tests like those used to evaluate the effectiveness of prescription drugs, a popular nonprescription herbal remedy was found to be as effective in treating painful joints as is a certain prescription drug that has been used successfully to treat this condition. The manufacturer of the ... | The test results would provide the proof that the manufacturer claims they do if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"The prescription drug treats the discomfort associated with painful joints without eliminating the cause of that condition.",
"People are likely to switch from using prescription drugs to using herbal remedies if the herbal remedies are found to be as effective as the prescription drugs.",
"The researchers who... | 3 | train_3641 |
The government provides insurance for individuals' bank deposits, but requires the banks to pay the premiums for this insurance. Since it is depositors who primarily benefit from the security this insurance provides, the government should take steps to ensure that depositors who want this security bear the cost of it a... | Which one of the following principles, if established, would do most to justify drawing the conclusion of the argument on the basis of the reasons offered in its support? | [
"Any rational system of insurance must base the size of premiums on the degree of risk involved.",
"The people who stand to benefit from an economic service should always be made to bear the costs of that service.",
"The choice of not accepting an offered service should always be available, even if there is no ... | 1 | train_3642 |
Physiological research has uncovered disturbing evidence linking a number of structural disorders to jogging. Among the ailments seemingly connected with this now-popular sport are spinal disk displacements, stress fractures of the feet and ankles, knee and hip joint deterioration, and tendonitis. Furthermore, these in... | Which one of the following is an assumption of the argument? | [
"Some sports are safer for the human body than jogging.",
"Jogging causes more serious disorders than other sports.",
"The link between jogging and certain structural disorders appears to be a causal one.",
"The jogger's level of experience is a factor determining the likelihood of a jogging injury."
] | 2 | train_3643 |
For several years, per capita expenditure on prescription drugs in Voronia rose by fifteen percent or more annually. In order to curb these dramatic increases, the ministry of health prohibited drug manufacturers from raising any of their products' prices. Even though use of prescription drugs did not expand after this... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the ministry's action did not achieve its goal? | [
"In addition to imposing a price freeze, the government encouraged doctors to prescribe generic versions of common drugs instead of the more expensive brand-name versions.",
"After price increases were prohibited, drug manufacturers concentrated on producing new medications to replace existing products.",
"Afte... | 1 | train_3644 |
A small car offers less protection in an accident than a large car does, but since a smaller car is more maneuverable, it is better to drive a small car because then accidents will be less likely. | Which one of the following arguments employs reasoning most similar to that employed by the argument above? | [
"Although it is important to limit the amount of sugar and fat in one's diet, it would be a mistake to try to follow a diet totally lacking in sugar and fat. It is better to consume sugar and fat in moderation, for then the cravings that lead to uncontrolled binges will be prevented.",
"For this work, vehicles bu... | 2 | train_3645 |
Many new tech companies follow the Orange Company' s model. Orange Company often utilizes lavish release parties to market their products. New tech companies are now doing the same. However, almost all new tech companies cannot afford to throw parties as lavish as Orange' s parties. Ttherefore, these companies are fool... | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument: | [
"Fails to consider that new tech companies could benefit from applying Orange Company's marketing strategy on a smaller and more affordable scale.",
"Fails to consider that new tech companies would throw lavish release parties without Orange Company's example.",
"Fails to consider that even if new tech companie... | 0 | train_3646 |
Each new car in the lot at Rollway Motors costs more than $18, 000. Any car in their lot that is ten or more years old costs less than $5, 000. Thus, if a car in Rollway' s lot costs between $5, 000 and $18, 000, it is a used car that is less than ten years old. | The pattern of reasoning in which one of the following arguments is most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"Each apartment above the fourth floor of the building has more than two bedrooms. But all apartments below the fourth floor have fewer than two bedrooms. Thus, any apartment on the fourth floor of the building has exactly two bedrooms.",
"No apartment above the fourth floor of the building has more than two bedr... | 3 | train_3647 |
Even the earliest known species of land animals, known from fossils dating from the late Silurian period, 400 million years ago, show highly evolved adaptations to life on land. Since neither aquatic nor amphibious animals exhibit these adaptations, early species of land animals must have evolved very rapidly after lea... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Known fossils of early land animals include fossils of animals that lived relatively soon after the first emergence of land animals.",
"No plants were established on land before the late Silurian period.",
"No present-day species of aquatic animal is descended from a species of animal that once lived on land."... | 0 | train_3648 |
The cattle egret is a bird that lives around herds of cattle. The only available explanation of the fact that the cattle egret follows cattle herds is that the egrets consume the insects stirred up from the grasses as the cattle herds graze. | Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously undermine the claim that the explanation given above is the only available one? | [
"Cattle egrets are not generally known to live outside the range of large, slow-moving animals.",
"The presence of cattle dissuades many would- be predators of the cattle egret.",
"Forests are generally inhospitable to cattle egrets because of a lack of insects of the kind egrets can consume.",
"Cattle egrets... | 1 | train_3649 |
Fearing competition from stores that rent video games for home use, owners of stores that sell video games lobbied for protective legislation. Citing as a precedent legislation that postpones home film rentals until one year after general release to theaters, the video sellers proposed as an equitable solution a plan t... | Which of the following, if true, would support an objection by owners of video rental stores that the fairness of the proposed legislation is not supported by the precedent cited? | [
"Most people are interested in playing only the latest video games and tend to find video games that have been available for over a year unappealing whether they have played them before or not, whereas films maintain their appeal far longer after their release.",
"Although the daily rental fee for home use of fil... | 0 | train_3650 |
In grasslands near the Namib Desert there are "fairy circles" -- large, circular patches that are entirely devoid of vegetation. Since sand termite colonies were found in every fairy circle they investigated, scientists hypothesize that it is the burrowing activities of these termites that cause the circles to form. | Which one of the following, if true, most supports the scientists' hypothesis? | [
"The grasses that grow around fairy circles are able to survive even the harshest and most prolonged droughts in the region.",
"Dying grass plants within newly forming fairy circles are damaged only at the roots.",
"The soil in fairy circles typically has higher water content than the soil in areas immediately ... | 1 | train_3651 |
Pandas are rapidly disappearing from the wild. Ttherefore, in order to preserve the species, existing pandas should be captured and placed in zoos around the world. | Which of the following statements, if true, casts most doubt on the conclusion drawn above? | [
"Newborn pandas in zoos are not likely to die from infectious diseases, whereas newborn pandas in the wild are likely to die from these diseases.",
"Pandas in zoos have as many offspring that survive to adulthood as do pandas in the wild.",
"Sufficient quantities of bamboo, the panda's only food, cannot be made... | 2 | train_3652 |
In the city of Glasgow, Scotland, trade doubled between 1 750, when the first bank opened there, and 1 765, when government regulations on banking were first implemented in Scotland. | Each of the following, if true, could contribute to an explanation of the doubling described above EXCEPT: | [
"The technological revolution that started in the early eighteenth century in England resulted in increased trade between England and Scotland.",
"Reductions in tariffs on foreign goods in 1752 led to an increase in imports to Glasgow.",
"The initial government regulation of Scottish banks stimulated Glasgow's ... | 2 | train_3653 |
Advertisement: Cigarettes are deadly. Hundreds of thousands of people die every year from smoking-related causes, such as lung cancer or heart disease. The science is clear -- smoking a pack per day for years will shorten one' s life. Sitting in a room where someone is smoking might as well be a gas chamber in terms of... | Which one of the following best describes the flaw in the author's reasoning? | [
"The advertisement uses overly broad generalization.",
"The advertisement relies on shoddy science.",
"The advertisement draws an unjustified analogy.",
"The advertisement confuses cause and effect."
] | 2 | train_3654 |
When 100 people who have not used cocaine are tested for cocaine use, on average only 5 will test positive. By contrast, of every 100 people who have used cocaine 99 will test positive. Thus, when a randomly chosen group of people is tested for cocaine use, the vast majority of those who test positive will be people wh... | A reasoning error in the argument is that the argument | [
"ignores the fact that some cocaine users do not test positive",
"attempts to infer a value judgment from purely factual premises",
"advocates testing people for cocaine use when there is no reason to suspect that they have used cocaine",
"fails to take into account what proportion of the population have used... | 3 | train_3655 |
Because ethylene dibromide, a chemical used to fumigate grain, was blamed for the high rate of nerve damage suffered by people who work in grain-processing plants, many such plants switched to other chemical fumigants two years ago. Since then, however, the percentage of workers at these plants who were newly diagnosed... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Workers at grain-processing plants that still use ethylene dibromide continue to have a high rate of nerve damage.",
"There are no chemical fumigants that are completely safe for workers in grain-processing plants.",
"If the new chemicals cause nerve damage, the nerve damage caused would be different from any ... | 3 | train_3656 |
Politician: Members of the national legislature have received a very large number of phone calls and letters from people wanting to express their opinions about the new bill before the legislature, which would increase the current tax on bidis and cigarettes by one rupee per pack to pay for new antismoking advertisemen... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"People who oppose a tax bill are far more likely to contact a legislator to express their opinions than are those who do not oppose the bill.",
"People who do not smoke bidis or cigarettes but work in tobacco-related industries are just as likely as smokers to oppose a bidi and cigarette tax.",
"Most antismoki... | 0 | train_3657 |
Many conceptual categories are parts of dichotomous (distinct and mutually exclusive) pairs: good or bad, right or wrong, rational or irrational, etc. However, advances in scientific understanding have shown some long-held dichotomies to be untenable. Some life forms have characteristics of both animals and plants; als... | Which one of the following exhibits flawed reasoning most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"This budget is based on the assumption that revenue will increase for the next two years. However, revenue figures for past years show that assumption to be untenable. Ttherefore, this budget should be replaced by a more realistic one.",
"Recent clinical trials have shown that some antianxiety drugs are addictiv... | 1 | train_3658 |
When three Everett-owned Lightning-built airplanes crashed in the same month, the Everett company ordered three new Lightning-built airplanes as replacements. This decision surprised many in the airline industry because, ordinarily when a product is involved in accidents, users become reluctant to buy that product. | Which of the following, if true, provides the best indication that the Everett company's decision was logically well supported? | [
"Consumer advocates pressured two major airlines into purchasing safer airplanes so that the public would be safer while flying.",
"The Federal Aviation Association issued new guidelines for airlines in order to standardize safety requirements governing preflight inspections.",
"The Lightning-built airplanes cr... | 2 | train_3659 |
Sheila: It has been argued that using computer technology to add color to a movie originally filmed in black and white damages the integrity of the original film. But no one argues that we should not base a movie on a novel or a short story because doing so would erode the value of the book or story. The film adaptatio... | Sheila's argument uses which one of the following techniques of argumentation? | [
"It offers a counterexample to a general principle.",
"It draws an inference from a general principle and a set of facts.",
"It appeals to an analogy between similar cases.",
"It distinguishes facts from value judgments."
] | 2 | train_3660 |
Normally, the pineal gland governs a person' s sleep-wake cycle by secreting melatonin in response to the daily cycle of light and darkness as detected by the eye. Nonetheless, many people who are totally blind due to lesions in the visual cortex of the brain easily maintain a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle. So the neural pa... | For purposes of evaluating the argument it would be useful to establish which of the following? | [
"Whether there are any people with normal vision whose melatonin levels respond abnormally to periods of light and darkness",
"Whether the melatonin levels of most totally blind people who successfully maintain a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle change in response to changes in exposure to light and darkness",
"Whether... | 1 | train_3661 |
Rifka: We do not need to stop and ask for directions. We would not need to do that unless, of course, we were lost. Craig: The fact that we are lost is precisely why we need to stop. | In the exchange above, the function of Craig's comment is to | [
"provide a counterexample to Rifka's generalization",
"affirm the truth of the stated premise of Rifka's argument while remaining noncommittal about its conclusion",
"contradict the conclusion of Rifka's argument without offering any reason to reject any of Rifka's implicit premises",
"deny one of Rifka's imp... | 3 | train_3662 |
Most students are bored by history courses as they are usually taught, primarily because a large amount of time is spent teaching dates and statistics. The best way to teach history, ttherefore, is to spend most class time recounting the lives of historical figures and very little on dates and statistics. | Each of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends EXCEPT: | [
"It is possible to recount the lives of historical figures without referring to dates and statistics.",
"Students are more bored by history courses as they are usually taught than they would be by courses that spend most class time recounting the lives of historical figures.",
"One should avoid boring one's stu... | 0 | train_3663 |
Critics have argued that because Freudianism holds that people have unconscious desires that can defeat their attempts to follow rational life plans, it is incompatible with the predominantly rationalistic spirit of Western philosophical and psychological thought. But it is a central tenet of Freudianism that through p... | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"Freudianism does not run counter to the rationalistic mainstream of Western philosophical and psychological thought",
"psychoanalysis provides one with a rational life plan",
"Freudianism holds that people can always achieve happiness through psychoanalysis",
"Freudianism reflects the predominantly rationali... | 0 | train_3664 |
Sigerson argues that the city should adopt ethical guidelines that preclude its politicians from accepting campaign contributions from companies that do business with the city. Sigerson' s proposal is dishonest, however, because he has taken contributions from such companies throughout his career in city politics. | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"rejects a proposal on the grounds that an inadequate argument has been given for it",
"confuses a sufficient condition for adopting ethical guidelines for politicians with a necessary condition for adopting such guidelines",
"rejects a proposal on the grounds that the person offering it is unfamiliar with the ... | 3 | train_3665 |
Teresa: If their goal is to maximize profits, film studios should concentrate on producing bigbudget films rather than small-budget ones. For, unlike big-budget films, small-budget films never attract mass audiences. While small-budget films are less expensive to produce and, hence, involve less risk of unprofitability... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by Teresa's argument? | [
"A film studio will not maximize its profits unless at least some of its films attract mass audiences.",
"A film studio's primary goal should be to maximize profits.",
"It is impossible to produce a big-budget film in a financially efficient manner.",
"Each big-budget film is guaranteed to attract a mass audi... | 0 | train_3666 |
Town councillor: The only reason for the town to have ordinances restricting where skateboarding can be done would be to protect children from danger. Skateboarding in the town' s River Park is undoubtedly dangerous, but we should not pass an ordinance prohibiting it. If children cannot skateboard in the park, they wil... | The pattern of reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the town councillor's argument? | [
"The purpose of compulsory vaccination for schoolchildren was to protect both the children themselves and others in the community against smallpox. Smallpox was indeed a dreadful disease, but it has now been eliminated from the world's population. So children should not be vaccinated against it.",
"Traffic patter... | 3 | train_3667 |
TV meteorologist: Our station' s weather forecasts are more useful and reliable than those of the most popular news station in the area. After all, the most important question for viewers in this area is whether it will rain, and on most of the occasions when we have forecast rain for the next day, we have been right. ... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the meteorologist's argument? | [
"On most of the occasions when the meteorologist's station forecast that it would not rain, at least one of its competitors also forecast that it would not rain.",
"The meteorologist's station forecast rain more often than did the most popular news station in the area.",
"The meteorologist's station has a polic... | 1 | train_3668 |
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria is often ascribed as the cause of World War I. However, the assassination merely lit the fuse in a combustible situation since many of the world powers were in complicated and convoluted military alliances. For example, England, France, and Russia entered into a ... | Which of the following most logically completes the passage? | [
"Austria would have started the war.",
"World War I never would have happened.",
"A war between the world powers was extremely likely.",
"England, France, and Russia would have started the war."
] | 2 | train_3669 |
Many Seychelles warblers of breeding age forgo breeding, remaining instead with their parents and helping to raise their own siblings. This behavior, called cooperative breeding, results from the scarcity of nesting territory for the birds on the tiny island that, until recently, was home to the world' s population of ... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the result of the experiment? | [
"Most of the terrain on the neighboring island was not of the type in which Seychelles warblers generally build their nests.",
"Cooperative breeding in species other than the Seychelles warbler often results when the environment cannot sustain a rise in the population.",
"The climate of the island to which Seyc... | 0 | train_3670 |
Anyone infected with the G virus will produce antibodies to fight the virus after three months. The antibodies will then increase for six months. There is now a test that reliably indicates how many antibodies are present in a person' s body. If positive, this test can be used during the first nine months of infection ... | Which one of the following conclusions is best supported by the statements above? | [
"Antibodies are produced only for infections that cannot be defeated by medication.",
"People who remain infected with the G virus will eventually have no antibodies in their system.",
"The test will not be effective from six to nine months.",
"Anyone infected with the G virus will for a short time fail to ex... | 3 | train_3671 |
People want to be instantly and intuitively liked. Those persons who are perceived as forming opinions of others only after cautiously gathering and weighing the evidence are generally resented. Thus, it is imprudent to appear prudent. | Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument's conclusion to be properly drawn? | [
"People who act spontaneously are well liked.",
"Imprudent people act instantly and intuitively.",
"It is imprudent to cause people to resent you.",
"People who are intuitive know instantly when they like someone."
] | 2 | train_3672 |
Why are violins made by Stradivarius in the early 1700s far superior to most other violins? Some experts suggest secret varnishes, but there is no evidence for this. However, climatologists have found that in the 1600s and early 1700s weather patterns in the region of Italy where Stradivarius worked affected tree growt... | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"Stradivarius was the only violin maker in the early 1700s to use the wood produced in that part of Italy",
"no violin made from present-day materials could rival a Stradivarius violin for sound quality",
"the special qualities of Stradivarius violins are due in part to the wood used to make them",
"some othe... | 2 | train_3673 |
Novelist: Any author who thinks a sentence is ungrammatical will not write it down in the first place, and thus will have no need to use a grammar book. On the other hand, any author who is sure a sentence she or he has written is grammatical will not feel a need to consult a grammar book. Thus, grammar books are usele... | The reasoning in the novelist's argument is flawed because the argument | [
"presumes, without providing justification, that grammar books cannot have any use except as reference sources",
"infers, from the claim that an author does not mistakenly think that a sentence is ungrammatical, that the author will feel sure that it is grammatical",
"ignores the possibility that there is a mid... | 2 | train_3674 |
Although it has been suggested that Arton' s plays have a strong patriotic flavor, we must recall that, at the time of their composition, her country was in anything but a patriotic mood. Unemployment was high, food was costly, and crime rates were soaring. As a result, the general morale of her nation was at an especi... | The reasoning above is questionable because it | [
"overlooks the fact that some citizens prosper in times of high unemployment",
"takes for granted that Arton was attuned to the predominant national attitude of her time",
"posits an unstated relationship between unemployment and crime",
"takes for granted that straightforward patriotism is not possible for a... | 1 | train_3675 |
Many doctors cater to patients' demands that they be prescribed antibiotics for their colds. However, colds are caused by viruses, and antibiotics have no effect on viruses, and so antibiotics have no effect on colds. Such treatments are also problematic because antibiotics can have dangerous side effects. So doctors s... | The reasoning above most closely conforms to which one of the following principles? | [
"A doctor should never base the decision to prescribe a certain medication for a patient on the patient's claims about the effectiveness of that medication.",
"A doctor should withhold treatment from a patient if the doctor is uncertain whether the treatment will benefit the patient.",
"A doctor should not pres... | 2 | train_3676 |
Robert: True appreciation of Haydn' s music demands that you hear it exactly as he intended it to be heard; that is, exactly as he heard it. Since he heard it on eighteenth-century instruments, it follows that so should we. Kari: But what makes you so sure that Haydn ever heard his music played as he had intended it to... | Kari adopts which of the following strategies in criticizing Robert's position? | [
"She offers a reason to believe that one of the premises of his argument is false.",
"She defends a competing view of musical authenticity.",
"She attacks his judgment by suggesting that he does not recognize the importance of the performer's creativity to the audience's appreciation of a musical composition.",... | 0 | train_3677 |
Ray: Cynthia claims that her car' s trunk popped open because the car hit a pothole. Yet, she also acknowledged that the trunk in that car had popped open on several other occasions, and that on none of those other occasions had the car hit a pothole. Ttherefore, Cynthia mistakenly attributed the trunk' s popping open ... | The reasoning in Ray's argument is most vulnerable to criticism in that the argument | [
"fails to consider the possibility that the trunks of other cars may pop open when those cars hit potholes",
"fails to consider the possibility that one type of event can be caused in many different ways",
"presumes the truth of the claim that it is trying to establish",
"presumes, without providing justifica... | 1 | train_3678 |
Farmer: Because water content is what makes popcorn pop, the kernels must dry at just the right speed to trap the correct amount of water. The best way to achieve this effect is to have the sun dry the corn while the corn is still in the field, but I always dry the ears on a screen in a warm, dry room. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy between the farmer's theory and practice? | [
"When popcorn does not dry sufficiently, it will still pop, but it will take several minutes to do so, even under optimal popping conditions.",
"Drying popcorn on its stalks in the field is only one of several methods that allow the kernels' water content to reach acceptable levels.",
"Leaving popcorn to dry on... | 3 | train_3679 |
Many newspapers have cut back on book reviews, replacing them with other features that, according to focus group research, are of greater interest to potential readers. Such a move is ill-advised. Though meant to increase readership, it actually decreases readership by alienating loyal readers while catering to casual ... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the argument? | [
"The move to replace book reviews with other features was meant to increase readership, but it actually decreases it.",
"Many newspapers have cut back on book reviews, replacing them with other features.",
"The move to replace book reviews with other features alienates loyal readers and caters to casual readers... | 3 | train_3680 |
Tenants who do not have to pay their own electricity bills do not have a financial incentive to conserve electricity. Thus, if more landlords install individual electricity meters on tenant dwellings so that tenants can be billed for their own use, energy will be conserved as a result. | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument? | [
"Landlords who pay for their tenants' electricity have a strong incentive to make sure that the appliances they provide for their tenants are energy efficient.",
"Some people conserve energy for reasons that are not related to cost savings.",
"Some tenant dwellings can only support individual electricity meters... | 0 | train_3681 |
In the Riverview Building, every apartment that has a balcony also has a fireplace. None of the apartments with balconies is a one-bedroom apartment. So none of the one-bedroom apartments has a fireplace. | The flawed nature of the argument above can most effectively be demonstrated by noting that, by parallel reasoning, we could conclude that | [
"some cats lack fur since every dog has fur and no cat is a dog",
"every fish has fur since no cat lacks fur and no cat is a fish",
"no dog has fur since every cat has fur and no cat is a dog",
"no fish is a dog since every dog is a mammal and no fish is a mammal"
] | 2 | train_3682 |
Most banks that issue credit cards charge interest rates on credit card debt that are ten percentage points higher than the rates those banks charge for ordinary consumer loans. These banks' representatives claim the difference is fully justified, since it simply covers the difference between the costs to these banks a... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously calls into question the reasoning offered by the banks' representatives? | [
"People who pay their credit card bills in full each month usually pay no interest on the amounts they charge.",
"Two to three percent of the selling price of every item bought with a given credit card goes to the bank that issued that credit card.",
"Most car rental companies require that their customers provi... | 1 | train_3683 |
Five years ago, the town of Bayside, in the Katonic River Valley, had catastrophic flooding one spring, and consequently, most insurers now refuse to write flood insurance for houses in Bayside. The town of Dryadia, in the Phemptic River Valley, is much like Bayside in its proximity to a similar river at an almost iden... | Which of the following, if true, would most seriously undermine the argument? | [
"In many other towns in the Katonic River Valley, it is hard for home-owners to buy flood insurance.",
"The town of Dryadia has some flooding most springs.",
"Flooding from spring surges in rivers is only one of the ways in which a home can become flooded.",
"A small number of independent insurers will write ... | 1 | train_3684 |
Safety expert: Tuna is often treated with carbon monoxide so that it will not turn brown as it ages. Treating tuna with carbon monoxide does not make it harmful in any way. Nonetheless, there is a danger that such treatment will result in more people getting sick from eating tuna. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the safety expert's statements? | [
"Workers in fish processing plants can be sickened by exposure to carbon monoxide if the appropriate safety procedures are not followed at those plants.",
"Most consumers strongly prefer tuna that is not brown because they believe that brown tuna is not fresh.",
"Over the last several years, tuna consumption ha... | 3 | train_3685 |
Tanner: The public should demand political debates before any election. Voters are better able to choose the candidate best suited for office if they watch the candidates seriously debate one another. Saldana: Political debates almost always benefit the candidate who has the better debating skills. Thus, they don' t re... | The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Tanner and Saldana disagree over which one of the following? | [
"A voter who watches a political debate will likely be better able, as a result, to determine which candidate is more qualified for office.",
"Political debates tend to have a major effect on which candidate among those participating in a debate will win the election.",
"Political candidates with strong debatin... | 0 | train_3686 |
When exercising the muscles in one' s back, it is important, in order to maintain a healthy back, to exercise the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally. After all, balanced muscle development is needed to maintain a healthy back, since the muscles on opposite sides of the spine must pull equally in opposing di... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"One should exercise daily to ensure that the muscles on opposite sides of the spine keep the back in proper alignment.",
"Muscles on opposite sides of the spine that are equally well developed will be enough to keep the back in proper alignment.",
"If the muscles on opposite sides of the spine are exercised un... | 3 | train_3687 |
One feature of the global food economy is the simultaneous import and export of the same items, a phenomenon known as "redundant trade. " In California, for example, domestic cherries are exported to Canada and Japan, while a nearly equivalent number of cherries are imported from Chile, Italy, and Germany. California a... | Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the conclusion above? | [
"Undertaking free trade with one's political allies helps to maintain international goodwill.",
"Establishing international ties through trade facilitates access to other desired goods that are more efficiently produced abroad.",
"The economic globalization of redundant trade allows for the sharing of cultural ... | 1 | train_3688 |
Last year a record number of new manufacturing jobs were created. Will this year bring another record? Well, <b> any new manufacturing job is created either within an existing company or by the start-up of a new company. </b>Within existing firms, new jobs have been created this year at well below last year's record pa... | In the argument given, the two portions in <b> boldface </b> play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is presented as an obvious truth on which the argument is based; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.",
"The first is presented as an obvious truth on which the argument is based; the second is a conclusion drawn in order to support the main conclusion of the argument.",
"The first and ... | 0 | train_3689 |
Some people fear that global warming will cause the large ice formations in the polar seas to melt, thereby warming the waters of those seas and threatening the plankton that is crucial to the marine food chain. Some scientists contend that it is unlikely that the melting process has begun, since water temperatures in ... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the scientists'contention? | [
"The overall effect of the melting process will be an increase in global sea levels.",
"The mean temperature of ocean waters near the equator has remained constant over the past 100 years.",
"The mean air temperature above both land and water in the polar regions has not varied significantly over the past 100 y... | 3 | train_3690 |
Economist: Government intervention in the free market in pursuit of socially desirable goals can affect supply and demand, thereby distorting prices. The ethics of such intervention is comparable to that of administering medicines. Most medicines have harmful as well as beneficial effects, so the use of a type of medic... | Which one of the following most logically completes the final sentence above? | [
"would do less damage than would result from the government's not intervening",
"provides a solution to some otherwise insoluble problem",
"would likely be approved of by the majority of the affected participants",
"is believed unlikely to significantly exacerbate any existing problems"
] | 0 | train_3691 |
Political scientist: The dissemination of political theories is in principle able to cause change in existing social structures. However, all political theories are formulated in the educationally privileged setting of the university, leading to convoluted language that is alienating to many individuals outside academi... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Persons outside academic settings are the most important agents of change to the social structure.",
"Persons within academic settings who formulate political theories attempt to change existing social structures.",
"Persons within academic settings are less willing or less able than persons outside to write i... | 2 | train_3692 |
Surviving seventeenth-century Dutch landscapes attributed to major artists now equal in number those attributed to minor ones. But since in the seventeenth century many prolific minor artists made a living supplying the voracious market for Dutch landscapes, while only a handful of major artists painted in the genre, m... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"More seventeenth-century Dutch landscapes were painted than have actually survived, and that is true of those executed by minor artists as well as of those executed by major artists.",
"In the eighteenth century, landscapes by minor seventeenth-century artists were often simply thrown away or else destroyed thro... | 3 | train_3693 |
It is more desirable to have some form of socialized medicine than a system of medical care relying on the private sector. Socialized medicine is more broadly accessible than is a private-sector system. In addition, since countries with socialized medicine have a lower infant mortality rate than do countries with a sys... | Which one of the following best indicates a flaw in the argument about the technological superiority of socialized medicine? | [
"The argument presupposes the desirability of socialized medicine, which is what the argument seeks to establish.",
"There is no necessary connection between the economic system of socialism and technological achievement.",
"The lower infant mortality rate might be due to the system's allowing greater access to... | 2 | train_3694 |
There is a popular view among literary critics that a poem can never be accurately paraphrased because a poem is itself the only accurate expression of its meaning. But these same critics hold that their own paraphrases of particular poems are accurate. Thus, their view that poetry cannot be accurately paraphrased is f... | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to the criticism that the argument | [
"provides no justification for favoring one of the literary critics' beliefs over the other",
"presupposes the falsity of the view that it sets out to refute",
"provides no justification for following one particular definition of \"paraphrase\"",
"takes for granted that a paraphrase of a poem cannot be useful... | 0 | train_3695 |
Jenkins: Research on the properties of snow at the North Pole should be conducted in January and February. The weather is then cold enough to ensure that the snow will not melt. It is important that research money not be wasted; if we wait until a later month, we risk sending researchers when they will be unable to car... | The dialogue lends the most support to the claim that Jenkins and Lurano disagree on whether | [
"the temperatures at the North Pole in January and February are lower than are the temperatures in April and May",
"research funding considerations outweigh the risk to researchers posed by the temperatures at the North Pole in January and February",
"there is a possibility of snow melting at the North Pole dur... | 1 | train_3696 |
The government has spent heavily to clean groundwater contaminated by toxic chemical spills. Yet not even one spill site has been completely cleaned, and industrial accidents are spilling more toxic chemicals annually than are being cleaned up. More of the government' s budget should be redirected to preventing spills.... | The proposal about how the government's budget should be redirected plays which one of the following roles in the argument? | [
"It presents an objection to another proposal mentioned in the argument.",
"It is a presupposition on which the argument is explicitly based.",
"It is the claim that the argument as a whole is structured to support.",
"It represents an unsupported speculation."
] | 2 | train_3697 |
People often pronounce a word differently when asked to read written material aloud than when speaking spontaneously. These differences may cause problems for those who develop computers that recognize speech. Usually the developers "train" the computers by using samples of written material read by the people who will ... | The observations above provide most evidence for the conclusion that | [
"computers may be less reliable in decoding spontaneous speech than in decoding samples that have been read aloud",
"it will be impossible to develop computers that decode spontaneous speech",
"computers are now able to interpret oral speech without error",
"a \"trained\" computer never correctly decodes the ... | 0 | train_3698 |
Mullen has proposed to raise taxes on the rich, who made so much money during the past decade. Yet Mullen' s tax records show heavy investment in business during that time and large profits; so Mullen' s proposal does not deserve our consideration. | The flawed reasoning in the argument above is most similar to the flawed reasoning in which one of the following? | [
"Do not vote for Smith's proposed legislation to subsidize child care for working parents; Smith is a working parent.",
"Board member Timm's proposal to raise the salaries of the company's middle managers does not deserve to be considered; Timm's daughter is a middle manager at the company's headquarters.",
"Dr... | 3 | train_3699 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.