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Lofgren' s disease has been observed frequently in commercially raised cattle but very rarely in chickens. Both cattle and chickens raised for meat are often fed the type of feed that transmits the virus that causes the disease. Animals infected with the virus take more than a year to develop symptoms of Lofgren' s dis... | Which of the following is most strongly supported by the information provided? | [
"The virus that causes Lofgren's disease cannot be transmitted to human beings by chickens.",
"The feed that chickens and cattle are fed is probably not the only source of the virus that causes Lofgren's disease.",
"A failure to observe Lofgren's disease in commercial chicken populations is not good evidence th... | 2 | train_3700 |
Columnist: An information design expert has argued that using the popular presentation-graphics software GIAPS, with its autopresentation wizard and simplistic premade templates, leads people to develop ineffective presentations. But that is absurd. GIAPS is just a tool, so it cannot be responsible for bad presentation... | The columnist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"rejects a claim because of its source rather than its content",
"fails to consider that a tool might not effectively perform its intended function",
"takes for granted that any presentation that is not ineffective is a good presentation",
"bases an endorsement of a product entirely on that product's populari... | 1 | train_3701 |
Art critic: Abstract paintings are nonrepresentational, and so the only measure of their worth is their interplay of color, texture, and form. But for a painting to spur the viewer to political action, instances of social injustice must be not only represented, but also clearly comprehensible as such. Ttherefore, abstr... | Which one of the following is an assumption that is required by the art critic's argument? | [
"Paintings that fail to move a viewer to political action cannot be politically significant.",
"The interplay of color, texture, and form is not a measure of the worth of representational paintings.",
"Unless people view representations of social injustice, their political activity is insignificant.",
"Abstra... | 0 | train_3702 |
Salmonella is a food-borne microorganism that can cause intestinal illness. The illness is sometimes fatal, especially if not identified quickly and treated. Conventional Salmonella tests on food samples are slow and can miss unusual strains of the microorganism. A new test identifies the presence or absence of Salmone... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Some remedies for Salmonella poisoning also cure intestinal disorders caused by other microorganisms.",
"Salmonella poisoning is becoming less frequent in the general population.",
"The new test returns results very soon after food samples are submitted for testing.",
"The level of skill required for laborat... | 2 | train_3703 |
Nutritionist: A study revealed that although most adults estimated their diets to correspond closely with the recommendations of standard nutritional guidelines, most of their diets did not come close to those recommendations. Both women and men underestimated the amount of fat in their diets and overestimated their in... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information offered by the nutritionist? | [
"In the study, more men than women were aware that in some food categories their diet failed to reflect the recommendations closely.",
"Most men in the study did not consume the amounts of fruits and vegetables that the nutritional guidelines recommend.",
"Men in the study estimated their daily intake of fruits... | 1 | train_3704 |
Even when invading countries, overthrowing democratically-elected governments, or supporting violent militant groups, Kekistan' s foreign policy adheres to strict morality. Every foreign affairs action taken by Kekistan is moral, because Kekistan is the most morally righteous country in the world. Kekistan is truly the... | What is the most serious mistake committed in the author's reasoning? | [
"The author sets up a false dichotomy.",
"The author relies on circular reasoning.",
"The author fails to define an important term.",
"The author asserts an unjustified metaphor."
] | 1 | train_3705 |
Behind the hope that computers can replace teachers is the idea that the student' s understanding of the subject being taught consists in knowing facts and rules, the job of a teacher being to make the facts and rules explicit and convey them to the student, either by practice drills or by coaching. If that were indeed... | Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously undermine the author's conclusion that computers will not eventually be able to replace teachers? | [
"Computers are as good as teachers at drilling students on facts and rules.",
"The job of a teacher is to make students understand the general concepts underlying specific facts and rules.",
"It is not possible for students to develop an understanding of the concepts underlying facts and rules through practice ... | 3 | train_3706 |
According to a recent cross-cultural study, married people in general have longer life expectancies than do people who divorce and do not remarry. This fact indicates that the stress associated with divorce adversely affects health. | Which of the following, if true, points to a weakness in the argument above? | [
"Adults who have never married have shorter life expectancies than do married people of the same age.",
"Overall life expectancies differ among countries, even among countries with similar cultures.",
"People often show signs of stress when undergoing a divorce.",
"Life expectancy varies with age-group, even ... | 0 | train_3707 |
Sociologist: Some people argue that capital punishment for theft was an essential part of the labor discipline of British capitalism. Critics of such a view argue that more people were executed for theft in preindustrial England than were executed in England after industrialization. But such a criticism overlooks the f... | Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the passage by the point that capitalism and industrialization are distinct? | [
"It is an attempt to undermine the criticism cited against the claim that capital punishment for theft was an essential part of the labor discipline of British capitalism.",
"It is cited as some evidence against the claim that capital punishment for theft was an essential part of the labor discipline of British c... | 0 | train_3708 |
Predictions that printed books will soon be replaced by books in electronic formats such as CD-ROM are exaggerated. While research libraries may find an electronic format more convenient for scholars and scientists, bookstores and public libraries will stock books in the format desired by the general public, which will... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"At some bookstores and libraries, the popularity of books on tape and of videos is beginning to rival that of printed books.",
"Publishers will continue to print books in the format stocked by bookstores and public libraries.",
"Scholars and scientists do not usually conduct their research in public libraries.... | 1 | train_3709 |
Advertisement: Researchers studied a group of people trying to lose weight and discovered that those in the group who lost the most weight got more calories from protein than from carbohydrates and ate their biggest meal early in the day. So anyone who follows our diet, which provides more calories from protein than fr... | The reasoning in the advertisement is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the advertisement overlooks the possibility that | [
"people who eat their biggest meal at night tend to snack more during the day and so tend to take in more total calories than do people who eat their biggest meal earlier in the day",
"a few of the people in the group studied who lost significant amounts of weight got nearly all of their calories from carbohydrat... | 3 | train_3710 |
Historian: In the Drindian Empire, censuses were conducted annually to determine the population of each village. <b> Village census records for the last half of the 1600' s are remarkably complete </b>. This very completeness makes one point stand out; in five different years, villages overwhelmingly reported significa... | In the historian's argument, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is a position for which the historian argues; the second is an assumption that serves as the basis of that argument.",
"The first provides a context for certain evidence that supports the position that the historian seeks to establish; the second is that position.",
"The first presents evidence to su... | 1 | train_3711 |
If an artist receives a public subsidy to support work on a specific project -- e. g. , making a film -- and if this project then proves successful enough to allow the artist to repay the subsidy, is the artist morally obliged to do so? The answer is clearly yes, since the money returned to the agency distributing the ... | The passage tries to establish an artist's obligation by arguing that | [
"acting this way would allow others to obtain a benefit such as the one that this artist has obtained in the past",
"this person had in fact, at an earlier time, made a tacit promise to act this way",
"this person has benefited from other people's acting in just this way in the past",
"this person, by acting ... | 0 | train_3712 |
Thomas Edison is most commonly associated with inventing the electric light bulb, but that singular piece of trivia does not do justice to Edison' s unrivaled contributions to the Industrial Revolution in the United States. Often called "The Wizard of Menlo Park", Edison applied cutting-edge business principles, like m... | Which of the following best describes the conclusion set forth by the author? | [
"The Industrial Revolution in the United States would not have happened without Thomas Edison.",
"Thomas Edison was a prolific inventor.",
"Thomas Edison is one of the most important figures in American history.",
"Common knowledge does not do justice to the legacy of Thomas Edison."
] | 3 | train_3713 |
Physician: Stories of people developing serious health problems shortly after receiving vaccinations have given rise to the question of whether vaccination is safe. But even if these stories are true, they need not be cause for concern. With millions of people being vaccinated every year, it is to be expected that some... | Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the physician's argument? | [
"Some of the illnesses that vaccines are designed to prevent have become so rare that even if people are not vaccinated, they are unlikely to contract those illnesses.",
"The health problems that some people have developed shortly after receiving vaccinations have been more serious than the health problems that t... | 2 | train_3714 |
Most employees spend their time completing unimportant tasks for which they have been given firm schedules and deadlines. Efficient employees know how to ignore such demands and instead spend their time on projects that will yield big rewards for their employers if successful, even when such projects carry the risk of ... | Which one of the following is an example of efficiency as described above? | [
"spending time each morning scheduling tasks according to the most immediate deadlines",
"meeting daily with other staff members to discuss workloads and schedules",
"deciding to take an urgent call from a major customer instead of being punctual at a monthly sales meeting",
"instead of working on a report th... | 2 | train_3715 |
All zebras have stripes, and the most widespread subspecies has the best-defined stripes. The stripes must ttherefore be of importance to the species. Since among these grassland grazers the stripes can hardly function as camouflage, they must serve as some sort of signal for other zebras. | Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the conclusion regarding a signaling function? | [
"Zebras react much faster to moving shapes that have stripes than they do to moving shapes that are otherwise identical but lack stripes.",
"The subspecies of zebras with the best-defined stripes is also characterized by exceptional size and vigor.",
"In certain tall grasses zebras can be harder to spot than gr... | 0 | train_3716 |
The local news media have long heralded Clemens as an honest politician. They were proven wrong when Clemens was caught up in a corruption scandal. This demonstrates how the local media show too much deference toward public figures. Even the editor of the local newspaper admitted that her reporters neglected to follow ... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion drawn in the argument? | [
"The local news media were wrong to herald Clemens as an honest politician.",
"The local newspaper's treatment of Clemens is indicative of its treatment of public figures in general.",
"The local news media show too much deference toward public figures.",
"Reporters from the local newspaper neglected to follo... | 2 | train_3717 |
Consumer advocate: The manufacturer' s instructions for assembling a product should be written in such a way that most consumers would find it much easier to put the product together if the instructions were available than if they were not. | Which one of the following, if true, would provide the strongest reason for thinking that the principle advanced by the consumer advocate cannot always be followed? | [
"For the typical product, most consumers who assemble it do so very easily and without ever consulting the manufacturer's instructions.",
"Often the store at which a consumer purchases an unassembled product will offer, for a fee, to assemble the product and deliver it.",
"The typical consumer who assembles a p... | 0 | train_3718 |
Newsletter: <b> A condominium generally offers more value for its cost than an individual house because of economies of scale. </b> The homeowners in a condominium association can collectively buy products and services that they could not afford on their own. And since a professional management company handles maintena... | The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles in the newsletter's argument? | [
"Both are premises, for which no evidence is provided, and both support the argument's only conclusion.",
"The first is the argument's only conclusion ; the second is a premise, for which no evidence is provided.",
"The first is the argument's main conclusion; the second is another conclusion supporting the fir... | 2 | train_3719 |
Reptiles are air-breathing vertebrates with completely ossified skeletons; so alligators must be air-breathing vertebrates with completely ossified skeletons. | In terms of its logical features, the argument above most resembles which one of the following? | [
"Green plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the air; so it follows that grass takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen into the air.",
"Some red butterflies are poisonous to birds that prey on them; so this particular red butterfly is poisonous to birds that prey on it.",
"Dierdre has s... | 0 | train_3720 |
The labeling of otherwise high-calorie foods as "sugar-free, " based on the replacement of all sugar by artificial sweeteners, should be prohibited by law. Such a prohibition is indicated because many consumers who need to lose weight will interpret the label "sugar-free" as synonymous with "low in calories" and harm t... | Which one of the following principles, if established, most helps to justify the conclusion in the passage? | [
"Product labels that are literally correct but cannot be interpreted by the average buyer of the product without expert help should be prohibited by law.",
"Product labels that are literally correct but will predictably be misinterpreted by some buyers of the product to their own harm should be prohibited by law.... | 1 | train_3721 |
Populations of a shrimp species at eleven different Indonesian coral reefs show substantial genetic differences from one reef to another. This is surprising because the area' s strong ocean currents probably carry baby shrimp between the different reefs, which would allow the populations to interbreed and become geneti... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the substantial genetic differences among the shrimp populations? | [
"The genetic differences between the shrimp populations are much less significant than those between shrimp and any other marine species.",
"The individual shrimp within a given population at any given Indonesian coral reef differ from one another genetically, even though there is widespread interbreeding within ... | 3 | train_3722 |
Many of those who are most opposed to cruelty to animals in the laboratory, in the slaughterhouse, or on the farm are people who truly love animals and who keep pets. The vast majority of domestic pets, however, are dogs and cats, and both of these species are usually fed meat. Ttherefore, many of those who are most op... | Which one of the following is an assumption made by the argument? | [
"Many popular pets are not usually fed meat.",
"Feeding meat to pets contributes to cruelty to animals.",
"Loving pets requires loving all forms of animal life.",
"Many of those who are opposed to keeping dogs and cats as pets are also opposed to cruelty to animals."
] | 1 | train_3723 |
Scientists typically do their most creative work before the age of forty. It is commonly thought that this happens because <b> aging by itself brings about a loss of creative capacity </b>. However, studies show that <b> a disproportionately large number of the scientists who produce highly creative work beyond the age... | In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is an explanation that the argument defends; the second is a finding that has been used to challenge that explanation.",
"The first is the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second is an objection that has been raised against a position defended in the argument.",
"The first is an exp... | 2 | train_3724 |
It is generally believed that people receiving frequent medical checkups are likely to need hospitalization less frequently than they would otherwise; after all, many things can be done following a checkup to prevent problems that, if ignored, might become acute and then require hospitalization. But for people with chr... | Which of the following most logically completes the passage? | [
"the average length of a hospital stay is the same for those who receive frequent checkups as for those who do not",
"medical checkups sometimes do not reveal early symptoms of those chronic illnesses that are best treated in a hospital",
"the recommended treatments for complications of many chronic illnesses i... | 2 | train_3725 |
Because people are generally better at detecting mistakes in others' work than in their own, a prudent principle is that one should always have one' s own work checked by someone else. | Which one of the following provides the best illustration of the principle above? | [
"The best elementary school math teachers are not those for whom math was always easy. Teachers who had to struggle through math themselves are better able to explain math to students.",
"One must make a special effort to clearly explain one's views to someone else; people normally find it easier to understand th... | 2 | train_3726 |
Joseph: My encyclopedia says that the mathematician Pierre de Fermat died in 1665 without leaving behind any written proof for a theorem that he claimed nonetheless to have proved. Probably this alleged theorem simply cannot be proved, since -- as the article points out -- no one else has been able to prove it. Ttheref... | Joseph's statement that "this alleged theorem simply cannot be proved" plays which one of the following roles in his argument? | [
"a subsidiary conclusion on which his argument's main conclusion is based",
"a potential objection that his argument anticipates and attempts to answer before it is raised",
"the principal claim that his argument is structured to refute",
"background information that neither supports nor undermines his argume... | 0 | train_3727 |
Industry experts expect improvements in job safety training to lead to safer work environments. A recent survey indicated, however, that for manufacturers who improved job safety training during the 1980s, the number of on-the-job accidents tended to increase in the months immediately following the changes in the train... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the passage above? | [
"A similar survey found that the number of on-the-job accidents remained constant after job safety training in the transportation sector was improved.",
"It is likely that the increase in the number of on-the-job accidents experienced by many companies was not merely a random fluctuation.",
"Significant safety ... | 3 | train_3728 |
One name-brand cereal manufacturer is about to reduce wholesale prices for its cereals by 20 percent because consumers have been switching from its cereals to cheaper store brands. The success of this strategy relies on the assumption that supermarkets will pass on all of the savings by lowering the prices they charge ... | Which of the following most logically completes the passage below? | [
"the average price per box of name-brand cereals has increased significantly in the last 10 years",
"several other name-brand cereal manufacturers are about to reduce the wholesale prices of their cereals",
"supermarkets make far more profit on sales of store-brand cereals than on sales of name-brand cereals",
... | 2 | train_3729 |
When an invading insect threatens an ant colony' s territory or food sources, the ants will vigorously swarm over the invader, biting or stinging it. This defensive tactic can effectively deter even aggressive flying insects, such as wasps. Ants do not attack all insects within their territory, however. For example, ri... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"With the sole exception of riodinid caterpillars, South American ants will vigorously attack any organism other than ants that use riodinids as a source of food.",
"Among insect species that inhabit South America, wasps are the only kinds of organism other than ants that use riodinid caterpillars as a source of ... | 2 | train_3730 |
Nutritionist: Because humans have evolved very little since the development of agriculture, it is clear that humans are still biologically adapted to a diet of wild foods, consisting mainly of raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, lean meat, and seafood. Straying from this diet has often resulted in chronic illnes... | The claim that humans are still biologically adapted to a diet of wild foods plays which one of the following roles in the nutritionist's argument? | [
"It is a conclusion for which the only support offered is the claim that straying from a diet of wild foods has often resulted in chronic illness and other physical problems.",
"It is a phenomenon for which the main conclusion of the nutritionist's argument is cited as an explanation.",
"It is an intermediate c... | 2 | train_3731 |
Until recently, anthropologists generally agreed that higher primates originated about 30 million years ago in the Al Fayyum region of Egypt. However, a 40-million-year-old fossilized fragment of a lower jawbone discovered in Burma (now called Myanmar) in 1978 was used to support the theory that the earliest higher pri... | Which one of the following, if true, is the most logical completion of the paragraph above? | [
"there are no more primate species in Burma than there are in Egypt",
"higher primates cannot be identified solely by their lower jawbones",
"several anthropologists, using different dating methods, independently confirmed the estimated age of the jawbone fragment",
"other archaeological expeditions in Burma ... | 1 | train_3732 |
Newtonian physics dominated science for over two centuries. It found consistently successful application, becoming one of the most highly substantiated and accepted theories in the history of science. Nevertheless, Einstein' s theories came to show the fundamental limits of Newtonian physics and to surpass the Newtonia... | Which one of the following logically follows from the statements above? | [
"Long-standing success of substantiation of a theory of physics is no guarantee that the theory will continue to be dominant indefinitely.",
"If a long-accepted theory of physics is surpassed, it must be surpassed by a theory that is equally successful.",
"Once a theory of physics is accepted, it will remain do... | 0 | train_3733 |
Consumer activist: When antilock brakes were first introduced, it was claimed that they would significantly reduce the incidence of multiple-car collisions, thereby saving lives. Indeed, antilock brakes have reduced the incidence of multiple-car collisions. I maintain, however, that to save lives, automobile manufactur... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent conflict in the consumer activist's statements? | [
"Antilock brakes are no more effective in preventing multiple-car accidents than in preventing other kinds of traffic accidents.",
"For inexperienced drivers, antilock brakes are easier to use correctly than are traditional brakes.",
"Drivers and passengers in automobiles with antilock brakes feel less vulnerab... | 2 | train_3734 |
So far this summer there has been no rain in the valley. But usually a few inches of rain fall there each summer. Since only one week of summer is left, it will probably rain in the valley within the next week. | The flawed pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following arguments? | [
"Aisha has proofread several issues of the journal Periodos and has encountered no errors. But there are seldom any errors in an issue of this journal. So there will probably be no errors in the next issue of the journal Periodos that she proofreads.",
"There usually are errors in each issue of the journal Period... | 3 | train_3735 |
Peterson, the current world record holder in the women' s 100-meter backstroke, has ranked first in the world for seven years. Her performance in recent competitions was disappointing, but during training she unofficially beat her official world record time. So she can be expected to set a new world record in the 100-m... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Peterson has also set world records in several other swimming events.",
"Peterson had the flu during a recent competition.",
"Peterson has in each of the past seven years swum faster during world competitions than during training for those competitions.",
"Peterson is widely expected to win the 100-meter bac... | 2 | train_3736 |
Editorial: The most vocal proponents of the proposed law are not permanent residents of this island but rather a few of the wealthiest summer residents, who leave when the vacation months have passed. These people will benefit from passage of this law while not having to deal with the problems associated with its adopt... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Most of the island's summer residents would benefit from passage of this law.",
"The average income of the island's summer residents is greater than the average income of its permanent residents.",
"The problems associated with this law outweigh any benefits it might provide the island's permanent residents.",... | 2 | train_3737 |
The current pattern of human consumption of resources, in which we rely on nonrenewable resources, for example metal ore, must eventually change. Since there is only so much metal ore available, ultimately we must either do without or turn to renewable resources to take its place. | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"We cannot indefinitely replace exhausted nonrenewable resources with other nonrenewable resources.",
"Consumption of nonrenewable resources will not continue to increase in the near future.",
"There are renewable resource replacements for all of the nonrenewable resources currently being consumed.",
"Ultimat... | 0 | train_3738 |
Some classes of animal are so successful that they spread into virtually every ecosystem, whereas others gradually recede until they inhabit only small niches in geographically isolated areas and thereby become threatened. Insects are definitely of the former sort and ants are the most successful of these, ranging from... | The argument is flawed because it takes for granted that | [
"what is true of a whole is also true of its constituent elements",
"the Arctic Circle and Tierra del Fuego do not constitute geographically isolated areas",
"what is true of the constituent elements of a whole is also true of the whole",
"because ants do not inhabit only a small niche in a geographically iso... | 0 | train_3739 |
Biologist: We know the following things about plant X. Specimens with fuzzy seeds always have long stems but never have white flowers. Specimens with curled leaves always have white flowers, and specimens with thorny seedpods always have curled leaves. A specimen of plant X in my garden has a long stem and curled leave... | From the biologist's statements, which one of the following can be properly inferred about the specimen of plant X in the biologist's garden? | [
"It has fuzzy seeds and thorny seedpods.",
"It lacks both white flowers and fuzzy seeds.",
"It has white flowers and thorny seedpods.",
"It has white flowers but lacks fuzzy seeds."
] | 3 | train_3740 |
A scientific study provides evidence that crows are capable of recognizing threatening people and can even pass their concerns on to other crows. Researchers wearing rubber caveman masks trapped wild crows and then released them in the same area. Years later, people wearing the same masks near where the crows had been ... | The argument depends on the assumption that | [
"crows can distinguish between people who are wearing caveman masks and those who are not, but they cannot recognize individual human faces -17-",
"some of the crows that shrieked at and dive-bombed people wearing the masks were not among the crows that had been trapped",
"most birds of any species will regard ... | 1 | train_3741 |
All executive councilmembers must have a law degree. Additionally, no felon can serve as an executive council member. Although she' s a successful attorney, Jackie cannot serve as the President of the Executive Council since she has committed a felony. | The argument's conclusion follows logically, if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"The felony charge on which Jackie was convicted is relevant to the President of the Executive Council's duties.",
"Only candidates eligible to serve as an executive council member can serve as the President of the Executive Council.",
"Anyone with a law degree and without a felony conviction is eligible to ser... | 1 | train_3742 |
Surveys in Domorica indicate that only 10 percent of Domoricans in their twenties read a newspaper regularly, while more than half of all Domoricans over thirty read a newspaper regularly. Although Domoricans in their twenties constitute a large proportion of the population, newspaper publishers nonetheless predict tha... | Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest grounds for the newspaper publishers' prediction? | [
"The proportion of Domoricans who regularly read a newspaper was higher 20 years ago than it is today.",
"The number of newspapers in Domorica has been gradually increasing over the past several decades.",
"The surveys defined a regular reader of a newspaper as someone who reads a newspaper more than twice a we... | 3 | train_3743 |
When the manufacturers in a given country are slower to adopt new technologies than their foreign competitors are, their production costs will fall more slowly than their foreign competitors' costs will. But if manufacturers' production costs fall less rapidly than their foreign competitors' costs do, those manufacture... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true on the basis of them? | [
"If manufacturers in one county have been squeezed out of the global market, this shows that their foreign competitors have adopted new technologies more rapidly than they have.",
"If a country's foreign competitors can lower their production costs more rapidly than the country's own manufacturers can, then their... | 3 | train_3744 |
Principle: People should buy an expensive antique only if they can be confident of its authenticity and they find the piece desirable for its intrinsic qualities and not just for its value as an investment. Application: Matilde should not buy the expensive antique vase offered for sale on the Internet. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to justify the above application of the principle? | [
"Although the seller is willing to take back the vase if Matilde cannot independently authenticate it, Matilde is not sure that the vase will appreciate much in value in the future.",
"The asking price for the vase is significantly less than the amount Matilde thinks it is worth, and the vase is of a style that M... | 3 | train_3745 |
Student: Before completing my research paper, I want to find the book from which I copied a passage to quote in the paper. Without the book, I will be unable to write an accurate citation, and without an accurate citation, I will be unable to include the quotation. | Hence, since the completed paper will be much better with the quotation than without, Which one of the following most logically completes the student's argument? | [
"I will have to include an inaccurate citation",
"if I do not find the book, I will be unable to complete my research paper",
"if I do not find the book, I will include the quotation without an accurate citation",
"if I do not find the book, my research paper will suffer"
] | 3 | train_3746 |
The advertising campaign for Roadwise auto insurance is notable for the variety of its commercials, which range from straightforward and informative to funny and offbeat. This is unusual in the advertising world, where companies typically strive for uniformity in advertising in order to establish a brand identity with ... | Which one of the following, if true, adds the most support for the conclusion of the argument? | [
"Advertising campaigns designed to target one demographic sometimes appeal to a wider group of people than expected.",
"Advertising campaigns that target one demographic often alienate people who are not part of the target demographic.",
"Fewer people are influenced by auto insurance commercials than by commerc... | 1 | train_3747 |
A company decided to scan all of its salespersons' important work that existed only in paper form into a central computer database that could be easily accessed using portable computers, thereby saving salespersons the effort of lugging their paper files all over the country. The project was a dismal failure, however; ... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to account for the failure described above? | [
"All of the salespersons were required to attend a series of training sessions for the new database software even though many of them found the software easy to use even without training.",
"The number of staff required to create the database turned out to be larger than anticipated, and the company had to pay ov... | 3 | train_3748 |
A soccer league is divided into a junior and a senior division, separated not by age but by a player's skill level. This year, to determine the division for which an aspirant is best qualified, the league held a week-long trial, after which coach A and coach B selected players. Coach A nominated sixteen of the forty pl... | Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest basis for the conclusion above to be warranted? | [
"Of the sixteen players nominated by the coach A, coach B nominated more than half to play in the senior division.",
"The four players that Coach B but not Coach A selected for the senior division played the previous year in that division.",
"Of those chosen by both coaches to play in the senior division all wi... | 3 | train_3749 |
Art historian: Successful forgeries tend to be those most recently painted. While such a phenomenon may sound counterintuitive, a forger is able to exploit current modes of aesthetics to create paintings that appeal to the eye of his or her contemporaries. This very quality, however, is what makes those paintings seem ... | Which of the following is an assumption upon which the argument rests? | [
"A piece of art determined to be a forgery does not, after a period of twenty-five years, become valued for its own intrinsic merits.",
"A generation consists of exactly twenty-five years.",
"Those who expose the majority of paintings as forgeries are guided by aesthetic considerations.",
"What is deemed aest... | 2 | train_3750 |
Advertiser: There' s nothing wrong with a tool that has ten functions until you need a tool that can perform an eleventh function! The VersaTool can perform more functions than any other tool. If you use the VersaTool, ttherefore, you will need additional tools less often than you would using any other multiple-functio... | The reasoning in the advertiser's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the VersaTool might | [
"not be able to perform individual functions as well as single-function tools",
"be able to perform fewer often-needed functions than some other multiple-function tool",
"cost more than the combined cost of two other multiple-function tools that together perform more functions than the VersaTool",
"include so... | 1 | train_3751 |
Lindsey has been judged to be a bad songwriter simply because her lyrics typically are disjointed and subjective. This judgment is ill founded, however, since the writings of many modern novelists typically are disjointed and subjective and yet these novelists are widely held to be good writers. | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Some readers do not appreciate the subtleties of the disjointed and subjective style adopted by modern novelists.",
"The quality of Linsey's songs is better judged by the quality of their lyrics than by the quality of their musical form.",
"A disjointed and subjective style of writing is usually more suitable ... | 3 | train_3752 |
Two hundred randomly selected subjects were asked, "Have you ever awakened, seemingly paralyzed, with a sense of a strange presence in the room? " Forty percent answered yes. A randomly selected control group of 200 different subjects in the same study were asked simply if they remembered ever waking up seemingly paral... | Which one of the following statements is most supported by the information above? | [
"The number of subjects who had awakened with a sense of a strange presence in the room was greater in the first group than in the control group.",
"Experiencing a sense of a strange presence in a room in some way causes subjects to feel as though they are paralyzed.",
"At least some of the randomly selected su... | 3 | train_3753 |
Political scientist: When a bill comes before a legislative body, the majority of the representatives are usually prepared to vote for it. Moreover, when a bill is at first unlikely to get approval by the majority, a compromise regarding the content of the bill is usually possible, allowing its passage into law. Such c... | If the political scientist 's statements are true, which one of the following must be false? | [
"Most bills concern issues of fundamental importance to at least one large bloc of representatives in the legislature .",
"Most bills that do not concern any issues of fundamental importance to any large bloc of representatives in the legislature pass into law.",
"Most bills concerning issues of fundamental imp... | 2 | train_3754 |
Rye sown in the fall and plowed into the soil in early spring leaves a residue that is highly effective at controlling broad-leaved weeds, but unfortunately for only about 45 days. No major agricultural crop matures from seed in as little as 45 days. Synthetic herbicides, on the other hand, although not any longer-last... | The argument is most vulnerable to the objection that it fails to | [
"consider that there might be minor, quick-growing crops that do mature in 45 days or less",
"identify any alternative method of weed control that could be used instead of the method it rejects",
"allow for the possibility of combining the two weed-control methods it mentions",
"allow for the possibility that... | 2 | train_3755 |
Rats fed high doses of the artificial sweetener saccharin develop silicate crystals that are toxic to cells lining the bladder. When the cells regenerate, some are cancerous and form tumors. Unlike rats, mice fed high doses of saccharin do not get bladder cancer. | Which one of the following, if true, does the most to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above? | [
"The silicate crystals are toxic only to the cells lining the bladder and not to other bladder cells.",
"Cells in the bladder regenerate more quickly in mice than they do in rats.",
"High doses of saccharin are much more likely to produce silicate crystals than lower doses are.",
"Urine proteins that react wi... | 3 | train_3756 |
Travaillier Corporation has recently hired employees with experience in the bus tour industry, and its executives have also been negotiating with charter bus companies that subcontract with bus tour companies. But Travaillier has traditionally focused on serving consumers who travel primarily by air, and marketing surv... | Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument? | [
"In the past, Travaillier has found it very difficult to change its customers' vacation preferences.",
"Some of Travaillier's competitors have increased profits by concentrating their attention on their customers who spend the most on vacations.",
"The industry consultants employed by Travaillier typically reco... | 2 | train_3757 |
While antibiotics have done inestimable good to humankind over the last seventy years, there are several drawbacks to using antibiotics that, until recently, have been overlooked. The human microbiome, which consists of the trillions of bacteria that reside in each person's body, is essential to good health. Specifical... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument above? | [
"completely reverses any effects from the antibiotics",
"restores the correct balance between the \"good\" and \"bad\" bacteria",
"targets and eliminates only the \"bad\" bacteria",
"bypasses the microbiome altogether"
] | 1 | train_3758 |
The profitability of a business is reduced by anything that undermines employee morale. This is why paying senior staff with stock options, which allows them to earn more when the enterprise prospers, is not a wise policy because it increases dramatically the difference in income between senior staff and employees who ... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Large income differences between fixed-salary employees and senior staff tend to undermine employee morale.",
"Business firms that pay senior staff with stock options are less profitable than other firms.",
"Employees whose incomes rise as the profits of their employers rise are more productive than those paid... | 0 | train_3759 |
Rain-soaked soil contains less oxygen than does drier soil. The roots of melon plants perform less efficiently under the low-oxygen conditions present in rain-soaked soil. When the efficiency of melon roots is impaired, the roots do not supply sufficient amounts of the proper nutrients for the plants to perform photosy... | In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first provides support for the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second provides evidence that supports an objection to that conclusion.",
"The first provides support for an intermediate conclusion that supports a further conclusion stated in the argument; the second states that intermediate conclus... | 1 | train_3760 |
People who are allergic to cats are actually allergic to certain proteins found in the animals' skin secretions and saliva; which particular proteins are responsible, however, varies from allergy sufferer to allergy sufferer. Since all cats shed skin and spread saliva around their environment, there is no such thing as... | Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"Not all cats are identical with respect to the proteins contained in their skin secretions and saliva.",
"The allergic reactions of some people who are allergic to cats are more intense than the allergic reactions of other allergy sufferers.",
"Any particular individual will be allergic to some breeds of cat b... | 0 | train_3761 |
A society can achieve a fair distribution of resources only under conditions of economic growth. There can be no economic growth unless the society guarantees equality of economic opportunity to all of its citizens. Equality of economic opportunity cannot be guaranteed unless a society' s government actively works to b... | If the statements given are true, it can be properly concluded from them that | [
"no government can achieve a fair distribution of resources under conditions of economic growth",
"a society can achieve a fair distribution of resources only if its government actively works to bring about equality of economic opportunity",
"all societies that guarantee equality of economic opportunity to all ... | 1 | train_3762 |
Essentially all polar ice forms from precipitation that falls as snow. Extremely cold air cannot hold much moisture and consequently cannot produce much snowfall. In recent years, air masses in both polar regions have been, without exception, extremely cold. | The information above most strongly supports which of the following conclusions? | [
"If air temperatures in the polar regions were considerably warmer, much polar ice would melt off.",
"The thicker the polar ice is, the colder the air masses that are in contact with it.",
"For snow to turn into ice in the polar regions, the air has to be extremely cold.",
"If polar ice is currently growing a... | 3 | train_3763 |
In the last decade there has been a significant decrease in coffee consumption. During this same time, there has been increasing publicity about the adverse long-term effects on health of the caffeine in coffee. Ttherefore, the decrease in coffee consumption must have been caused by consumers' awareness of the harmful ... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously calls into question the explanation above? | [
"On average, people consume 30 percent less coffee today than they did 10 years ago.",
"The consumption of fruit juices and caffeine-free herbal teas has increased over the past decade.",
"Heavy coffee drinkers may have mild withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, for a day or so after significantly decreasing ... | 3 | train_3764 |
Waste management companies, which collect waste for disposal in landfills and incineration plants, report that disposable plastics make up an ever-increasing percentage of the waste they handle. It is clear that attempts to decrease the amount of plastic that people throw away in the garbage are failing. | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"Because plastics create harmful pollutants when burned, an increasing percentage of the plastics handled by waste management companies are being disposed of in landfills.",
"Although many plastics are recyclable, most of the plastics disposed of by waste management companies are not.",
"An increasing proportio... | 2 | train_3765 |
A government agency publishes ratings of airlines, ranking highest the airlines that have the smallest proportion of late flights. The agency' s purpose is to establish an objective measure of the relative efficiency of different airlines' personnel in meeting published flight schedules. | Which one of the following, if true, would tend to invalidate use of the ratings for the agency's purpose? | [
"Flights are defined as \"late\" only if they arrive more than fifteen minutes past their scheduled arrival time, and a record is made of how much later than fifteen minutes they are.",
"Flights are often made late by bad weather conditions that affect some airlines more than others.",
"Airline personnel are aw... | 1 | train_3766 |
Prolonged exposure to sulfur fumes permanently damages one' s sense of smell. In one important study, 100 workers from sulfur-emitting factories and a control group of 100 workers from other occupations were asked to identify a variety of chemically reproduced scents, including those of foods, spices, and flowers. On a... | Each of the following, if true, weakens the argument EXCEPT: | [
"The chemicals used in the study closely but not perfectly reproduced the corresponding natural scents.",
"The subjects in the study were tested in the environments where they usually work.",
"Most members of the control group had participated in several earlier studies that involved the identification of scent... | 0 | train_3767 |
Downtown Villieu was once a flourishing business district, but most Villieu-area businesses are now located only in the suburbs. The office buildings downtown lack the modern amenities most business operators demand today. To lure more businesses downtown, Villieu officials plan to have several modern office buildings ... | Which of the following, if true, most threatens the plan's likelihood of success? | [
"With the new office buildings, downtown Villieu would have a greater amount of modern office space than any other downtown business district in the region.",
"Most of the businesses currently located in downtown Villieu have long-term leases on the space they occupy there.",
"The existing office buildings in d... | 3 | train_3768 |
Cotrell is, at best, able to write magazine articles of average quality. The most compelling pieces of evidence for this are those few of the numerous articles submitted by Cotrell that are superior, since Cotrell, who is incapable of writing an article that is better than average, must obviously have plagiarized super... | The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? | [
"It generalizes from atypical occurrences.",
"It infers limits on ability from a few isolated lapses in performance.",
"It presupposes what it seeks to establish.",
"It simply ignores the existence of potential counterevidence."
] | 2 | train_3769 |
Each of two drugs, S and T, greatly reduces the effects of potentially fatal heart attacks if given as soon as possible after the attack begins, but a trial has shown that use of drug T instead of drug S would prevent death in one additional case out of 120. Drug T, however, costs $2, 000 more per treatment than drug S... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? | [
"Drug S has certain side effects not shared by drug T.",
"After a heart attack, drug T remains relatively effective if given at a time at which drug S is no longer effective.",
"Drug T works significantly faster than drug S.",
"There is no quick, practical, and relatively inexpensive way of telling for any in... | 3 | train_3770 |
Editor: Articles in Gardening Magazine often spur sales of the plants they describe, particularly among people new to gardening. Accordingly, we will no longer publish articles or accept advertisements praising the beauty of rare wildflowers. Most such plants sold to gardeners have been difficult to propagate under cul... | Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the wisdom of the magazine's new policy as a way of pursuing the intended effect? | [
"Revenues from sales of plants collected in the wild are supporting the discovery of new low-cost techniques enabling rare wildflowers to be readily propagated in nurseries.",
"When people new to gardening buy plants, they often fail to take adequate care of the plants that they buy and become discouraged from bu... | 0 | train_3771 |
Marketing executive for Magu Corporation: Whenever Magu opens a manufacturing facility in a new city, the company should sponsor, or make donations to, a number of nonprofit organizations in that city. Doing so would improve Magu' s image in the community, and thus the money spent on such charitable ventures would lead... | Which statement would, if true, point to the most serious weakness in the marketing executive's advice? | [
"If market conditions change, Magu may have to close any such facility or relocate it.",
"Some nonprofit organizations are poorly organized, so money donated to them would be of little benefit to the community.",
"Spending on charitable ventures would require Magu to decrease direct advertisements, which are th... | 2 | train_3772 |
The symptoms of hepatitis A appear no earlier than 60 days after a person has been infected. In a test of a hepatitis A vaccine, 50 people received the vaccine and 50 people received a harmless placebo. Although some people from each group eventually exhibited symptoms of hepatitis A, the vaccine as used in the test is... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above? | [
"The people who received the placebo were in better overall physical condition than were the people who received the vaccine.",
"Of the people who developed symptoms of hepatitis A, those who received the vaccine recovered more quickly, on average, than those who did not.",
"The vaccinated people who exhibited ... | 2 | train_3773 |
Analyst: The increasing complexity of computers may lead those who pursue a career in computer programming to think that job security and higher wages can be attained by becoming more specialized as the field becomes more complex. Even though specialists earn higher wages than generalists within computer programming, t... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the analyst's argument? | [
"The technological complexity of computers may eventually grow less rapidly than at present.",
"The current technological knowledge of most specialists within computer programming could also be applied to many technologies that will replace present ones.",
"Many other careers will soon offer greater job securit... | 1 | train_3774 |
A drug that is highly effective in treating many types of infection can, at present, be obtained only from the bark of the ibora, a tree that is quite rare in the wild. It takes the bark of 5, 000 trees to make one kilogram of the drug. It follows, ttherefore, that continued production of the drug must inevitably lead ... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above? | [
"The leaves of the ibora are used in a number of medical products.",
"The ibora generally grows in largely inaccessible places.",
"The ibora can be propagated from cuttings and grown under cultivation.",
"The drug made from ibora bark is expensive to produce."
] | 2 | train_3775 |
No small countries and no countries in the southern hemisphere have permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. Each of the five countries with a permanent seat on the Security Council is in favor of increased international peacekeeping efforts and a greater role for the United Nations in moderating regiona... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"Some small countries are in favor of a greater role for the United Nations in moderating regional disputes.",
"Some small countries do not want the United Nations to increase its spending on refugees.",
"Some countries that have permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council are against increased spend... | 3 | train_3776 |
A medieval manuscript called L contains all eighteen extant tragedies by the Greek playwright Euripides. Of these, ten called the "select plays, " are accompanied in L by ancient commentaries and also appear in other medieval manuscripts; this group includes some of Euripides' best-known works, including the Medea. The... | Which of the following can be reliably concluded on the basis of the Statements given? | [
"Only Euripides' best-known works are accompanied by ancient commentaries in extant medieval manuscripts",
"Euripides' Electra does not appear accompanied by a commentary in any extant medieval manuscript",
"No commentaries were written about Euripides' Electra in ancient times",
"Euripides' Medea never appea... | 1 | train_3777 |
Backyard gardeners who want to increase the yields of their potato plants should try growing stinging nettles alongside the plants, since stinging nettles attract insects that kill a wide array of insect pests that damage potato plants. It is true that stinging nettles also attract aphids, and that many species of aphi... | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"the types of aphids that stinging nettles attract do not damage potato plants",
"most aphid species that are harmful to potato plants cause greater harm to other edible food plants",
"insect pests typically cause less damage to potato plants than other harmful organisms do",
"stinging nettles require little ... | 0 | train_3778 |
Leaders of a miners' union on strike against Coalco are contemplating additional measures to pressure the company to accept the union' s contract proposal. The union leaders are considering as their principal new tactic a consumer boycott against Gasco gas stations, which are owned by Energy Incorporated, the same corp... | The answer to which of the following questions is LEAST directly relevant to the union leaders' consideration of whether attempting a boycott of Gasco will lead to acceptance of their contract proposal? | [
"Would revenue losses by Gasco seriously affect Energy Incorporated?",
"Have other unions that have employed a similar tactic achieved their goals with it?",
"Can current Gasco customers easily obtain gasoline elsewhere?",
"Do other corporations that own coal companies also own gas stations?"
] | 3 | train_3779 |
Many famous painters employ preliminary sketches before embarking on the final version of their work. Yet frequently these preliminary sketches are beautiful and accomplished works of art in their own right. Museums with small budgets will display these preliminary works instead of what the artists consider to be their... | Which one of the following propositions is best illustrated by the situation described above? | [
"Artists' preliminary sketches are as beautiful as the final versions of their work.",
"Artifacts may have uses different from those intended by their creators.",
"Artists are not the best judges of the value of their own work.",
"A finished work of art cannot be produced without the execution of a high-quali... | 1 | train_3780 |
In the troposphere, the lowest level of the earth' s atmosphere, the temperature decreases as one progresses straight upward. At the top, the air temperature ranges from -50 degrees Celsius over the poles to -85 degrees Celsius over the equator. At that point the stratosphere begins, and the temperature stops decreasin... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true? | [
"The troposphere over the poles is thicker than the troposphere over the equator.",
"The temperature at any point at the top of the stratosphere is at least as great as the temperature at the top of the troposphere directly beneath that point.",
"The temperature in the middle part of the stratosphere over the N... | 1 | train_3781 |
Manufacturers of mechanical pencils make most of their profit on pencil leads rather than on the pencils themselves. The Write Company, which cannot sell its leads as cheaply as other manufacturers can, plans to alter the design of its mechanical pencil so that it will accept only a newly designed Write Company lead, w... | Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the Write Company's projection that its plan will lead to an increase in its sales of pencil lead? | [
"A rival manufacture recently announced similar plans to introduce a mechanical pencil that would accept only the leads produced by that manufacturer.",
"First-time buyers of the mechanical pencils tend to buy the least expensive mechanical pencils available.",
"A Write Company executive is studying ways to red... | 3 | train_3782 |
Unless tiger hunting decreases, tigers will soon be extinct in the wild. The countries in which the tigers' habitats are located are currently debating joint legislation that would ban tiger hunting. Thus, if these countries can successfully enforce this legislation, the survival of tigers in the wild will be ensured. | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"considers the effects of hunting on tigers without also considering the effects of hunting on other endangered animal species",
"neglects to consider the results of governmental attempts in the past to limit tiger hunting",
"takes the removal of an impediment to the tigers' survival as a guarantee of their sur... | 2 | train_3783 |
Historian: Those who claim that Shakespeare did not write the plays commonly attributed to him are motivated purely by snobbery. Shakespeare was the son of a glove maker, whereas every other person proposed as the true author of the plays was an aristocrat, and many of those who argue that one or another of these arist... | The reasoning in the historian's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"makes use of an assumption that one would accept only if one has already accepted the truth of the conclusion",
"takes for granted that anyone who is motivated purely by snobbery cannot also be motivated by legitimate historical evidence",
"fails to exclude the possibility that there might be legitimate eviden... | 2 | train_3784 |
Politician: The huge amounts of money earned by oil companies elicit the suspicion that the regulations designed to prevent collusion need to be tightened. But just the opposite is true. If the regulations designed to prevent collusion are not excessively burdensome, then oil companies will make profits sufficient to m... | The reasoning in the politician's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"fails to justify its presumption that profits sufficient to motivate very risky investments must be the highest among all industries",
"illicitly draws a general conclusion from a specific example that there is reason to think is atypical",
"fails to justify its presumption that two events that are correlated ... | 0 | train_3785 |
Big-budget movies often gross two or three times the cost of their production and marketing. However, most of the movie industry' s total revenue comes from low-budget movies. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy above? | [
"The movie industry's revenues, when adjusted for inflation, have declined sharply in the last 30 years.",
"Big-budget movies need to sell many more tickets than do low-budget movies, just to recoup their production costs.",
"There are many more low-budget movies produced than there are big- and mediumbudget mo... | 2 | train_3786 |
Essayist: Some linguists claim that competent speakers of a language have explicit knowledge of the rules of grammar for that language. However, linguistic ability is not the possession and utilization of a body of knowledge, or rules of grammar, but is more similar to a skill like riding a bicycle. Just as the typical... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses a principle underlying the essayist's argument? | [
"There is a difference between knowing a set of rules and behaving in accordance with a set of rules.",
"Not everyone follows the same set of rules in acquiring a skill.",
"Studying a description of a particular skill is of no help in acquiring that skill.",
"No set of rules can exhaustively describe the beha... | 0 | train_3787 |
Based on data collected from policyholders, life insurance companies have developed tables that list standard weight ranges for various heights. Policyholders whose weight fell within the range given for their height lived longer than those whose weight fell outside their given range. Ttherefore, if people whose weight... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? | [
"Holders of life insurance policies do not have longer overall life expectancies than the general population.",
"Some people would be unwilling to modify their weights solely to increase the general population's overall life expectancies.",
"The tables include data gathered from policyholders whose deaths resul... | 3 | train_3788 |
Yang: Yeast has long been known to be a leaven, that is, a substance used in baking to make breads rise. Since biblical evidence ties the use of leavens to events dating back to 1200 B. C. , we can infer that yeast was already known to be a leaven at that time. Campisi: I find your inference unconvincing; several leave... | Campisi counters Yang's argument by | [
"questioning the truth of a presumption underlying Yang's argument",
"suggesting that an alternative set of evidence better supports Yang's conclusion",
"calling into question the truth of the evidence presented in Yang's argument",
"pointing out that the premises of Yang's argument more strongly support a co... | 0 | train_3789 |
Liang: Watching movies in which violence is portrayed as an appropriate way to resolve problems increases levels of aggression in viewers. Ttherefore, children' s access to these movies should be restricted. Sarah: Watching a drama whose characters are violent allows the audience to vicariously experience the emotions ... | The dialogue provides the most support for inferring that Liang and Sarah agree with each other that | [
"if violence in certain movies causes violence in viewers, access to those movies should be restricted",
"people who experience an emotion vicariously are likely to purge themselves of that emotion",
"the members of a mature audience are unlikely to believe that violence is sometimes an appropriate way to resol... | 3 | train_3790 |
Philosopher: It is absurd to argue that people are morally obligated to act in a certain way simply because not acting in that way would be unnatural. An unnatural action is either a violation of the laws of nature or a statistical anomaly. There is no possibility of acting as one cannot, nor does the mere fact that so... | Which one of the following most accurately describes a technique used in the philosopher's argument? | [
"stating the definition of a key term of the argument",
"using statistical findings to dispute a claim",
"using empirical evidence to support one definition of a key term of the argument over another",
"undermining a claim by showing that the claim is self-contradictory"
] | 0 | train_3791 |
Most veterinarians, and especially those at university veterinary research centers, have a devoted interest in the biological sciences. But most veterinarians choose their profession primarily because they love animals. Among persons who are seriously interested in biological science but lack any special love for anima... | If all of the statements above are true, which one of the following CANNOT be true? | [
"Few veterinarians at university research centers chose their profession primarily because they love animals.",
"Prominent veterinarians at some veterinary research centers are intensely devoted to the biological sciences but do not feel any pronounced affection for animals.",
"Most veterinarians who are not pr... | 1 | train_3792 |
In 1563, in Florence' s Palazzo Vecchio, Giorgio Vasari built in front of an existing wall a new wall on which he painted a mural. Investigators recently discovered a gap between Vasari' s wall and the original, large enough to have preserved anything painted on the original. Historians believe that Leonardo da Vinci h... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"When Vasari preserved the frescoes of Santa Maria Novella he did so secretly.",
"Vasari probably would not have built the Palazzo Vecchio wall with a gap behind it except to preserve something behind the new wall.",
"Leonardo would probably have completed the Palazzo Vecchio mural if he had had the opportunity... | 1 | train_3793 |
The public interest comprises many interests and the broadcast media must serve all of them. Perhaps most television viewers would prefer an action show to an opera. But a constant stream of action shows on all channels is not in the public interest. Thus, __. | Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"broadcasters' obligations are not satisfied if they look only to popularity to decide their programming schedules",
"the popularity of a television program is a poor indicator of its artistic quality",
"broadcast media could be rightly accused of neglecting the public interest only if all channels carried most... | 0 | train_3794 |
Radon-210 is more radioactive than Technetium-99. Since Promethium-61 is more radioactive than Protactinium-234, it follows that Radon-210 is more radioactive than Protactinium-234. | Any of the following, if introduced into the argument as an additional premise, makes the argument above logically correct EXCEPT: | [
"Promethium-61 and Radon-210 have equal levels of radioactivity.",
"Promethium-61 and Technetium-99 have equal levels of radioactivity.",
"Technetium-99 is more radioactive than Protactinium-234.",
"Promethium-61 is more radioactive than Radon-210."
] | 3 | train_3795 |
Advertisement: A leading economist has determined that among people who used computers at their place of employment last year, those who also owned portable ("laptop") computers earned 25 percent more on average than those who did not. It is obvious from this that owning a laptop computer led to a higher-paying job. | Which one of the following identifies a reasoning error in the argument? | [
"It offers information as support for a conclusion when that information actually shows that the conclusion is false.",
"Its conclusion merely restates a claim made earlier in the argument.",
"It concludes that one thing was caused by another although the evidence given is consistent with the first thing's havi... | 2 | train_3796 |
Dyson: The proposal paper to add solar panels to the new outdoor university seating in order to charge electronic devices includes a section at the end encouraging student participation by logging opinions online in relation to the proposal. This is a vital step in the proposal' s content. Myers: The proposal to add so... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most justifies Myers stance? | [
"Appealing to students will in turn appeal to the proposal's committee. Students are the lifeblood of the university and it's critical that the committee determine whether or not students are on board.",
"Proposals should appeal to the project's recipients, or those who the project will directly affect. This way,... | 3 | train_3797 |
Antarctic seals dive to great depths and stay submerged for hours. They do not rely solely on oxygen held in their lungs, but also store extra oxygen in their blood. Indeed, some researchers hypothesize that for long dives these seals also store oxygenated blood in their spleens. | Each of the following, if true, provides some support for the researchers' hypothesis EXCEPT: | [
"The spleens of Antarctic seals contain greater concentrations of blood vessels than are contained in most of their other organs.",
"The oxygen contained in the seals' lungs and bloodstream alone would be inadequate to support the seals during their dives.",
"The spleen is much larger in the Antarctic seal than... | 3 | train_3798 |
The writers of the television show Ambitions could make their characters more realistic than they currently are, but they know their viewership would shrink if they did. The writers will choose to maximize their audience, so the characters will not be developed in a more realistic manner. | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above? | [
"If a company's failure is due to a broader economic collapse, then it is not fair to blame the company's executives for the failure. There was a broader economic collapse when ViqCo went bankrupt. So it is probably not fair to blame ViqCo's executives for the failure.",
"Since ViqCo's failure was due to a broade... | 2 | train_3799 |
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