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Some people have been promoting a new herbal mixture as a remedy for the common cold. The mixture contains, among other things, extracts of the plants purple coneflower and goldenseal. A cold sufferer, skeptical of the claim that the mixture is an effective cold remedy, argued, "Suppose that the mixture were an effecti... | Each of the following is an assumption required by the skeptical cold sufferer's argument EXCEPT: | [
"The mixture does not have side effects severe enough to make many people who have colds avoid using it.",
"Enough of the mixture is produced to provide the required doses to almost everybody with a cold.",
"There are no effective cold remedies available that many people who have colds prefer to the mixture.",
... | 3 | train_4000 |
Economist: In our country, the price of cola is regulated by the Cola Commission. Decades ago, when the commission was formed, such regulation was reasonable because there was a monopoly on cola production. Now, however, fierce competition in this market keeps cola prices low. So the Cola Commission should be abolished... | The economist's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it fails to consider the possibility that | [
"many dedicated and talented people serve on the Cola Commission",
"ending regulation of cola prices in the economist's country will have no effect on these prices, which are already below the ceilings set by the Cola Commission",
"the Cola Commission regulates aspects of the cola industry other than cola's pri... | 2 | train_4001 |
Psychology professor: Applied statistics should be taught only by the various social science departments. These departments can best teach their respective students which statistical methodologies are most useful for their discipline, and how best to interpret collected data and the results of experiments. Mathematics ... | Which one of the following most accurately describes a questionable aspect of the reasoning in the mathematics professor's response to the psychology professor? | [
"The response gives no evidence for its presumption that students willing to take a course in one department would choose a similar course in another.",
"The response gives no evidence for its presumption that social science students should have the same competence in statistics as mathematics students.",
"The ... | 2 | train_4002 |
Each of the candidates in this year' s mayoral election is a small-business owner. Most small-business owners are competent managers. Moreover, no competent manager lacks the skills necessary to be a good mayor. So, most of the candidates in this year' s mayoral election have the skills necessary to be a good mayor. | The pattern of flawed reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"Everything on the menu at Maddy's Shake Shop is fat-free. Most fat-free foods and drinks are sugar-free. And all sugar-free foods and drinks are low in calories. Hence, most items on the menu at Maddy's are low in calories.",
"Anyone who has worked in sales at this company has done so for at least a year. Most o... | 0 | train_4003 |
Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium transmitted to humans by deer ticks. Generally, deer ticks pick up the bacterium while in the larval stage by feeding on infected white-footed mice. However, certain other species on which the larvae feed do not harbor the bacterium. If the population of these other species were in... | Which of the following would it be most important to ascertain in evaluating the argument? | [
"Whether populations of the other species on which deer tick larvae feed are found only in areas also inhabited by white-footed mice",
"Whether the size of the deer tick population is currently limited by the availability of animals for the tick's larval stage to feed on",
"Whether the infected deer tick popula... | 1 | train_4004 |
Although instinct enables organisms to make complex responses to stimuli, instinctual behavior involves no reasoning and requires far fewer nerve cells than does noninstinctual (also called flexible) behavior. A brain mechanism capable of flexible behavior must have a large number of neurons, and no insect brain has ye... | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the statements above? | [
"All organisms with large brains are biologically equipped for flexible behavior.",
"Only organisms with brains of insect size or smaller engage in purely instinctual behavior.",
"Insect behavior is exclusively instinctual.",
"All organisms with brains larger than insects' brains are capable of some measure o... | 2 | train_4005 |
Years ago, consumers in Frieland began paying an energy tax in the form of two Frieland pennies for each unit of energy consumed that came from nonrenewable sources. Following the introduction of this energy tax, there was a steady reduction in the total yearly consumption of energy from nonrenewable sources. | If the statements in the passage are true, then which of the following must on the basis of them be true? | [
"There was a steady decline in the total amount of energy consumed each year in Frieland.",
"There was a steady decline in the yearly revenues generated by the energy tax in Frieland.",
"There was a steady increase in the use of renewable energy source in Frieland.",
"The use of renewable energy sources in Fr... | 1 | train_4006 |
Most industrialized nations face the prospect of losing most of their manufacturing jobs to less-developed nations within the next few decades. Many of these nations will have a number of idle manufacturing facilities that will be unusable for other purposes. To combat this future job loss and waste of resources, indus... | Which one of the following would most strengthen the above argument? | [
"If workers were more productive in industrialized nations, manufacturers would not move their jobs to less-developed nations.",
"If workers were trained in other fields, there would be no need to try to maintain manufacturing jobs in industrialized nations.",
"Manufacturing jobs are important for industrialize... | 0 | train_4007 |
P: Complying with the new safety regulations is useless. Even if the new regulations had been in effect before last year' s laboratory fire, they would not have prevented the fire or the injuries resulting from it because they do not address its underlying causes. Q: But any regulations that can potentially prevent mon... | A point at issue between P and Q is whether | [
"accidents at the laboratory inevitably result in personal injuries",
"the new safety regulations are likely to be obeyed in the laboratory",
"the new safety regulations address the underlying cause of last year's fire",
"it is useful to comply with the new safety regulations"
] | 3 | train_4008 |
The master plan for the new park calls for the planting of trees of any species native to this area, except for those native trees that grow to be very large, such as the cottonwood. The trees that the community group donated were purchased at Three Rivers Nursery, which sells mostly native trees and shrubs. Thus, the ... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Three Rivers Nursery sells cottonwood trees.",
"Three Rivers Nursery does not sell any tree species that grow to be very large.",
"Some tree species that grow to be very large are consistent with the master plan.",
"Tree species that are not native to this area and that are consistent with the master plan ar... | 1 | train_4009 |
SafeZone mosquito repellant has been shown in laboratory settings to be effective for twelve hours against the female anopheles mosquito, the only mosquito that transmits malaria. SafeZone, however, is not effective against mosquitoes that do not transmit malaria. The only instance in which SafeZone does not repel the ... | Which of the following, if true, would argue most against the use of SafeZone in areas in which malaria is endemic? | [
"SafeZone mosquito repellant has been shown to cause irritation that may result in a mild rash.",
"The male Anopheles mosquito also feeds on humans and is active at the same time as the female.",
"Once a person has contracted malaria, he or she may experience ruptured blood vessels in the form of bleeding gums ... | 1 | train_4010 |
Pediatrician: Child psychologists recommend that mothers of one-year-olds not only name objects in the immediate environment, but that they include the color of the object, when applicable. For instance, if a mother hands her child a red ball, she should say, "This is a red ball. " Nonetheless, even if mothers began to... | The pediatrician's argument is most vulnerable to which of the following? | [
"Psychologists have conducted studies showing that most children under the age of 30 months often utter the names of colors even when that color is not present in their environments.",
"Infants who hear words embedded in sentences that have each part of speech present tend to speak sooner than those infants who d... | 1 | train_4011 |
If a corporation obtains funds fraudulently, then the penalty should take into account the corporation' s use of those funds during the time it held them. In such cases, the penalty should completely offset any profit the corporation made in using the funds. | Which one of the following conforms most closely to the principle illustrated above? | [
"If someone is sentenced to perform community service, the court has a responsibility to ensure that the community at large rather than a private group benefits from that service.",
"If a convicted criminal writes a memoir describing the details of that criminal's crime, any proceeds of the book should be donated... | 1 | train_4012 |
Two crucial claims of relativity theory can be directly confirmed. Utilizing elementary particles in high-energy accelerators, we can demonstrate that at high velocities objects are subject to time dilation and an increase in mass. However, a third claim of the theory, the Lorentz contraction thesis, which is connected... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the principle underlying the reasoning above? | [
"Any theory that is not inconsistent with experimental results is acceptable.",
"One must confirm all the theses of a theory before accepting the theory generally.",
"The theses of a physical theory that cannot be confirmed by observable phenomena can only be confirmed indirectly.",
"A thesis that is related ... | 3 | train_4013 |
Zoologists warn of an imminent surge in the number of bird species that will become extinct within this century. Nevertheless, these zoologists are wrong. One need only consider the information gathered on native North American raptors, such as bald eagles and peregrine falcons. Several of these species came close to v... | The answer to which of the following questions provides information that would be most helpful in evaluating the argument above? | [
"What special efforts, if any, have been made to rescue native North American raptors since 1970?",
"To what degree have native North American raptors migrated to other parts of the world?",
"How many species of non-native raptors have been introduced into North America since 1970?",
"How many years' experien... | 0 | train_4014 |
Consumer advocate: One advertisement that is deceptive, and thus morally wrong, states that "gram for gram, the refined sugar used in our chocolate pies is no more fattening than the sugars found in fruits and vegetables. " This is like trying to persuade someone that chocolate pies are not fattening by saying that, ca... | Which one of the following principles, if established, would do most to support the consumer advocate's position against the advertiser's response? | [
"A true statement should be regarded as deceptive if it is made with the expectation that people hearing or reading the statement will draw a false conclusion from it.",
"A true statement should be regarded as deceptive only if the person making the statement believes it to be false, and thus intends the people r... | 0 | train_4015 |
Political opinion and analysis outside the mainstream rarely are found on television talk shows, and it might be thought that this state of affairs is a product of the political agenda of the television stations themselves. In fact, television stations are driven by the same economic forces as sellers of more tangible ... | An assumption made in the explanation offered by the author of the passage is that | [
"there are television shows on which economic forces have an even greater impact than they do on television talk shows",
"the television talk shows of different stations resemble one another in most respects",
"each television viewer holds some opinion that is outside the political mainstream, but those opinion... | 3 | train_4016 |
In an experiment designed to show how life may have begun on Earth, scientists demonstrated that an electrical spark -- or lightning -- could produce amino acids, the building blocks of Earth' s life. However, unless the spark occurs in a "reducing" atmosphere, that is, one rich in hydrogen and lean in oxygen, amino ac... | Assuming that the scientists' current belief about Earth's atmosphere at the time life began is correct, which one of the following, if true, would most help to explain how lightning could have produced the first amino acids on Earth? | [
"Meteorite impacts at the time life began on Earth temporarily created a reducing atmosphere around the impact site.",
"A single amino acid could have been sufficient to begin the formation of life on Earth.",
"Lightning was less common on Earth at the time life began than it is now.",
"Earth's atmosphere has... | 0 | train_4017 |
Gartland has long been narrowly self-sufficient in both grain and meat. However, as per capita income in Gartland has risen toward the world average, per capita consumption of meat has also risen toward the world average, and it takes several pounds of grain to produce one pound of meat. Ttherefore, since per capita in... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"The population of Gartland has remained relatively constant during the country's years of growing prosperity.",
"The per capita consumption of meat in Gartland is roughly the same across all income levels.",
"In Gartland, neither meat nor grain is subject to government price controls.",
"People in Gartland w... | 3 | train_4018 |
After a major toll highway introduced a system of electronic toll paying, delays at all of its interchanges declined significantly. Travel time per car trip decreased by an average of 10 percent. Tailpipe pollution for each trip decreased commensurately. Despite this, the total air pollution from vehicles on that highw... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above? | [
"Even after the switch to electronic toll paying, there were sometimes long delays at the highway's interchanges.",
"The prospect of faster, more convenient travel induced more drivers to use the highway.",
"Travel time on the highway for car trips under 30 kilometers (18. 6 miles) did not decrease appreciably.... | 1 | train_4019 |
When amphibians first appeared on Earth millions of years ago, the amount of ultraviolet radiation penetrating Earth' s atmosphere was much greater than it is today. Ttherefore, current dramatic decreases in amphibian populations cannot be the result of recent increases in ultraviolet radiation penetrating Earth' s atm... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"The skin of amphibians is generally more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation than the skin of other animals is.",
"The eggs of modern amphibians are not significantly more vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation than the eggs of the first amphibians were.",
"Modern amphibians are not as likely as the first amphibia... | 1 | train_4020 |
A provincial government plans to raise the gasoline tax to give people an incentive to drive less, reducing traffic congestion in the long term. However, skeptics point out that most people in the province live in areas where cars are the only viable transportation to jobs and stores and ttherefore cannot greatly chang... | In light of the skeptics' objection, which of the following, if true, would most logically support the prediction that the government's plan will achieve its goal of reducing traffic congestion? | [
"The tax will encourage many residents to switch to more fuel-efficient cars, reducing air pollution and other problems.",
"Most residents who cannot greatly change their driving habits could compensate for high gasoline prices by reducing other expenses.",
"The revenue from the tax will be used to make public ... | 2 | train_4021 |
Super Express Shipping Company has implemented a new distribution system that can get almost every package to its destination the day after it is sent. The company worries that this more efficient system will result in lower sales of its premium next-day delivery service, because its two day service will usually arrive... | The company's plan assumes that | [
"deliberate delay of packages will not affect the company's image in a way that significantly reduces its ability to attract and retain customers",
"if the plan is not implemented, the company would lose more money in lost sales of overnight deliveries than it would save with its new efficient distribution system... | 0 | train_4022 |
Economist: Money, no matter what its form and in almost every culture in which it has been used, derives its value from its scarcity, whether real or perceived. Anthropologist: But cowrie shells formed the major currency in the Solomon Island economy of the Kwara' ae, and unlimited numbers of these shells washed up dai... | Which one of the following, if true about the Kwara'ae, best serves to resolve the apparently conflicting positions cited above? | [
"They accepted as money only cowrie shells that were polished and carved by a neighboring people, and such shell preparation required both time and skilled labor.",
"After Western traders brought money in the form of precious-metal coins to the Solomon Islands, cowrie-shell money continued to be used as one of th... | 0 | train_4023 |
Scientists have long thought that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil tend to lower blood cholesterol and strongly suspected that a diet that includes a modest amount of fish would provide substantial health benefits. Now these views have acquired strong support from a recent study showing that middleaged people who eat fi... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"The test subjects in the recent study who ate fish twice a week did not have a diet that was otherwise conducive to the development of heart disease.",
"The test subjects in the recent study who ate fish twice a week were no more likely than those who did not to have sedentary occupations.",
"The test subjects... | 3 | train_4024 |
The constitution of Country F requires that whenever the government sells a state-owned entity, it must sell that entity for the highest price it can command on the open market. The constitution also requires that whenever the government sells a state-owned entity, it must ensure that citizens of Country F will have ma... | The government of Country F must violate at least one of the constitutional requirements described above if it is faced with which one of the following situations? | [
"The government has agreed to sell National Silver, a state-owned mine, to a corporation. Although citizens of Country F have majority ownership of the corporation, most of the corporation's operations and sales take place in other countries.",
"The government will sell StateRail, a state-owned railway. The gover... | 1 | train_4025 |
A museum director, in order to finance expensive new acquisitions, discreetly sold some paintings by major artists. All of them were paintings that the director privately considered inferior. Critics roundly condemned the sale, charging that the museum had lost first-rate pieces, thereby violating its duty as a trustee... | The reasoning in the argument is vulnerable to the criticism that the argument does which one of the following? | [
"It concludes that a certain opinion is correct on the grounds that it is held by more people than hold the opposing view.",
"It bases its conclusion on facts that could, in the given situation, have resulted from causes other than those presupposed by the argument.",
"It rejects the judgment of the experts in ... | 1 | train_4026 |
Compact discs (CDs) offer an improvement in artistic freedom over vinyl records. As the record needle moves in toward a vinyl record' s center, it must fight centrifugal force. Wide, shallow, or jagged grooves will cause the needle to jump; consequently, the song nearest the center -- the last song on the side -- canno... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument? | [
"On vinyl records, the song farthest from the center can have loud, high-pitched, or low-pitched passages.",
"As the record needle moves in toward the vinyl record's center, the centrifugal force on the needle becomes stronger.",
"CDs can have louder passages, as well as both higher- and lower-pitched passages,... | 3 | train_4027 |
Advertisement: Auto accidents are the most common cause of whiplash injury, a kind of injury that is caused by a sudden sharp motion of the neck. However, many other types of accidents can produce a sudden sharp motion of the neck and thereby result in whiplash injury. A sudden sharp motion of the neck can be caused by... | Which one of the following, if true, provides the strongest basis for criticizing the reasoning in the advertisement? | [
"Being shoved from behind rarely causes whiplash.",
"It is very uncommon for falling or being bumped on the head to result in a sudden sharp motion of the neck.",
"Auto accidents often involve falling or being bumped on the head.",
"The appropriate treatment for whiplash caused by a fall or a bump on the head... | 1 | train_4028 |
Computer operating system software has become increasingly standardized. But when a large business with multiple, linked computer systems uses identical operating system software on all of its computers, a computer vandal who gains access to one computer automatically has access to the data on all the computers. Using ... | Which one of the following, if true, supports the conclusion in the passage? | [
"It is not costly for a business to maintain incompatible computer operating systems.",
"Standardization of computer operating system software has increased computer compatibility among different businesses.",
"Correcting any damage resulting from an invasion by a computer virus program is more expensive than p... | 2 | train_4029 |
In some countries, there is a free flow of information about infrastructure, agriculture, and industry, whereas in other countries, this information is controlled by a small elite. In the latter countries, the vast majority of the population is denied vital information about factors that determine their welfare. Thus, ... | The conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"In nations in which the government controls access to information about infrastructure, agriculture, and industry, economic crises are common.",
"A small elite that controls information about infrastructure, agriculture, and industry is likely to manipulate that information for its own benefit.",
"It is more l... | 3 | train_4030 |
Studies have shown that treating certain illnesses with treatment X produces the same beneficial changes in patients' conditions as treating the same illnesses with treatment Y. Furthermore, treatment X is quicker and less expensive than treatment Y. Thus, in treating these illnesses, treatment X should be preferred to... | Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above? | [
"Until recently, treatment X was more expensive than treatment Y.",
"Unlike treatment Y, treatment X has produced harmful side effects in laboratory animals.",
"Treatment Y is prescribed more often by physicians than treatment X.",
"A third treatment, treatment Z, is even quicker and less expensive than treat... | 1 | train_4031 |
If all works of art evoke intense feelings, and this sculpture is a work of art, then it follows that this sculpture evokes intense feelings. But this sculpture does not evoke intense feelings at all. So either this sculpture is not a work of art, or not all works of art evoke intense feelings. | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its pattern of reasoning to the argument above? | [
"If all vitamins are safe in large doses, and betacarotene is a vitamin, then it follows that beta-carotene is safe in large doses. But betacarotene is not safe in large doses. So not all vitamins are safe in large doses, or betacarotene is not a vitamin.",
"If all sciences rely heavily on mathematics, and clinic... | 0 | train_4032 |
Clothes made from natural fibers such as cotton, unlike clothes made from artificial fibers such as polyester often shrink when washed at high temperatures. The reason for this shrinkage is that natural fibers are tightly curled in their original state. Since the manufacturer of cloth requires straight fibers, natural ... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"High temperatures have no effect on the straightness of fibers in clothes made from a blend of natural and artificial fibers.",
"Artificial fibers are straight in their original state.",
"Clothes made from natural fibers stretch more easily than do clothes made from artificial fibers.",
"If natural fibers th... | 1 | train_4033 |
Students from outside the province of Markland, who in any given academic year pay twice as much tuition each as do students from Markland, had traditionally accounted for at least two-thirds of the enrollment at Central Markland College. Over the past 10 years academic standards at the college have risen, and the prop... | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the statements above? | [
"If the college's per capita revenue from tuition has remained the same, tuition fees have increased over the past 10 years.",
"Over the past 10 years, academic standards at Central Markland College have risen by more than academic standards at any other college in Markland.",
"Over the past 10 years, the numbe... | 0 | train_4034 |
Country G had long had a problem with congested roads. To cut down on congestion, Country G developed a high-speed train system connecting most midsize and large cities within the country. The train system was intended to cut down on the number of people utilizing private vehicles on the country' s roads. Within one ye... | It can properly be inferred from the passage that Country G believes that the train system is a success | [
"because trains generally arrive at their destinations on time",
"because trains generally are not successful in modern times",
"because the large number of people riding the train means that fewer people are using the country's roads",
"because the increase in public transportation will benefit tourism throu... | 2 | train_4035 |
Roberta is irritable only when she is tired, and loses things only when she is tired. Since she has been yawning all day, and has just lost her keys, she is almost certainly irritable. | The reasoning above is flawed in that it | [
"takes a necessary condition for Roberta's losing things to be a sufficient condition",
"generalizes on the basis of a single instance",
"assumes the conclusion that it sets out to prove",
"takes a necessary condition for Roberta's being irritable to be a sufficient condition"
] | 3 | train_4036 |
Although many seventeenth-century broadsides, popular ballads printed on a single sheet of paper and widely sold by street peddlers, were moralizing in nature, this is not evidence that most seventeenth-century people were serious about moral values. While over half of surviving broadsides contain moralizing statements... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"In many moralizing ballads, the moral content was confined to a single stanza expressing a pious sentiment tacked onto a sensationalized account of crime and adultery.",
"Well-educated people of the seventeenth century held broadsides in contempt and considered broadside peddlers to be disreputable vagrants.",
... | 0 | train_4037 |
Many scholars claim that Shakespeare' s portrayal of Richard III was extremely inaccurate, arguing that he derived that portrayal from propagandists opposed to Richard III. But these claims are irrelevant for appreciating Shakespeare' s work. The character of Richard III as portrayed in Shakespeare' s drama is fascinat... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the argument above? | [
"History is always told by propagandists from the winning side.",
"Shakespeare's historical importance puts him beyond the scope of all literary criticism.",
"In dealing with real people, dramatists should reflect their lives accurately.",
"In historical drama, the aesthetic value of the work is not necessari... | 3 | train_4038 |
The mind and the immune system have been shown to be intimately linked, and scientists are consistently finding that doing good deeds benefits one' s immune system. The bone marrow and spleen, which produce the white blood cells needed to fight infection, are both connected by neural pathways to the brain. Recent resea... | The statements above, if true, support the view that | [
"magnanimity is beneficial to one's own interests",
"the number of white blood cells will increase",
"magnanimous behavior can be regulated by the presence or absence of certain chemicals in the brain",
"lack of magnanimity is the cause of most serious illnesses"
] | 0 | train_4039 |
Many winemakers use cork stoppers; but cork stoppers can leak, crumble, or become moldy, so that those winemakers must often discard a significant proportion of their inventory of bottled wine. Bottlemaster plastic stoppers, which cannot leak, crumble, or mold, have long been available to winemakers, at a price slightl... | In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is a judgment that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes; the second is a conclusion drawn in order to support the main conclusion of the argument.",
"The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second provides evidence in support of that main conclusion.",
"T... | 2 | train_4040 |
Cholesterol, which is a known factor in coronary heart disease and stroke, needs a carrier, known as a lipoprotein, to transport it through the bloodstream. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) increase the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, but we can tentatively conclude that high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) help ... | Each of the following, if true, strengthens the argument EXCEPT: | [
"A high level of HDLs mitigates the increased health risks associated with LDLs.",
"Persons who are overweight tend to have a higher risk of early death due to coronary heart disease and stroke, and tend to have low levels of HDLs.",
"HDLs, unlike LDLs, help the body excrete cholesterol.",
"HDLs are less easi... | 3 | train_4041 |
Currently, the U. S. Highway Transportation Division is liable for any car accident that occurs because of a highway in need of physical upkeep or repairs. However, the U. S. highway system is so vast that it is impossible to hire a large enough road crew to locate and eliminate every potential danger in its highways. ... | Highway Transportation Department is now liable, but should not be according to the proposed change cited above? | [
"A person merging onto the highway is in an accident when he hits a car that was in his blind spot.",
"A truck skids into the ditch after hitting a patch of black ice on a snowy winter day.",
"An SUV is in a rollover accident on an extremely rutted stretch of highway, and the Transportation Department had been ... | 1 | train_4042 |
At Southgate Mall, mattresses are sold only at Mattress Madness. Every mattress at Mattress Madness is on sale at a 20 percent discount. So every mattress for sale at Southgate Mall is on sale at a 20 percent discount. | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above? | [
"The only food in Diane's apartment is in her refrigerator. Diane purchased all the food in her refrigerator within the past week. Ttherefore, all the food she purchased within the past week is in her apartment.",
"All the food in Diane's apartment is in her refrigerator. Diane purchased all the food in her refri... | 1 | train_4043 |
Certain governments subsidize certain basic agricultural products in order to guarantee an adequate domestic production of them. But subsidies encourage more intensive farming, which eventually leads to soil exhaustion and drastically reduced yields. | The situation above is most nearly similar to which one of the following situations with respect to the relationship between the declared intent of a governmental practice and a circumstance relevant to it? | [
"Certain governments build strong armed forces in order to forestall armed conflict. But in order to maintain the sort of discipline and morale that keeps armed forces strong, those forces must be used in actual combat periodically.",
"Certain governments pass traffic laws in order to make travel safer. But the p... | 0 | train_4044 |
President of Central Supply Company: Profits are at an all-time low this fiscal year because of decreased demand for our products. If this situation continues, the company may have to declare bankruptcy. So it is important to prevent any further decrease in profits. Consequently, the only options are to reduce planned ... | Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw, in the company president's reasoning? | [
"It presumes without giving justification that survival of the company has been a good thing.",
"It does not allow for the possibility that profits will decrease only slightly during the next fiscal year.",
"It does not take into account that there are alternatives to declaring bankruptcy.",
"It does not take... | 3 | train_4045 |
A stingray without parasites is healthier than it would be if it had parasites. Nevertheless, the lack of parasites in stingrays is an indicator that the ecosystem in which the stingrays live is under environmental stress such as pollution. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to reconcile the discrepancy indicated above? | [
"During part of their life cycles, the parasites of stingrays require as hosts shrimp or oysters, which are environmentally vulnerable organisms.",
"An ecosystem can be considered stressed if only a few species of very simple organisms can live there.",
"Since the life of parasites depends on that of their host... | 0 | train_4046 |
Six years ago, the police force of Harrisville was reduced, in an effort to make a smaller but more efficient force. In the first two years, crimes in Harrisville, especially by career criminals, were at a higher rate than they had been in the previous decades. Then, for the most recent four years, the crime rate has b... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the change in the crime rate between the first two years after the change and the last four years? | [
"The population of Harrisville increased slightly each year over the last six years, with a large number of senior citizens moving to a substantial retirement community within the city.",
"By the end of the second year of the newly organized police force, a large proportion of career criminals operating in Harris... | 1 | train_4047 |
Meade: People who are injured as a result of their risky behaviors not only cause harm to themselves but, because we all have important ties to other people, inevitably impose emotional and financial costs on others. To protect the interests of others, ttherefore, governments are justified in outlawing behavior that pu... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most undermines the reasoning in Meade's argument? | [
"People's obligation to avoid harming others outweighs their obligation to avoid harming themselves.",
"Preventing harm to others is not by itself a sufficient justification for laws that limit personal freedom.",
"Governments are not justified in limiting an individual's behavior unless that behavior imposes e... | 1 | train_4048 |
Tom: Critics of recent high court decisions claim that judges' willingness to abide by earlier decisions is necessary to avoid legal chaos. Since high courts of the past often repudiated legal precedents and no harm to the legal system ensued, these critics' objections must be politically motivated and ought to be igno... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the point at issue between Tom and Mary? | [
"whether the overturning of recent high court precedents was politically motivated",
"whether judicial decisions that seem progressive at first can quickly become outdated",
"whether the overturning of recent high court precedents will harm the legal system",
"whether critics of recent high court decisions in... | 2 | train_4049 |
Overexposure to certain wavelengths of strong sunlight is the main cause of melanoma, a virulent form of skin cancer. For this reason, doctors now urge everyone to put adequate sunblock on skin exposed to strong sunlight. Adequate sunblock, according to doctors, is any preparation that prevents sunburn even if the pers... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the recommendation that people wear adequate sunblock? | [
"Sunburns appear immediately after exposure to the sun but melanoma appears years after repeated exposures.",
"There is no evidence that there are wavelengths of sunlight that lead to both sunburn and melanoma.",
"Toxins contained in certain chemical compounds also cause melanoma.",
"There are people who have... | 1 | train_4050 |
Dolphins can swim at high speeds and achieve high acceleration in the water. In 1936, Sir James Gray calculated the force dolphins should be able to exert based on their physiology. <b> He concluded that the propulsive force they were able to exert was not enough to explain how fast they swim and accelerate. </b> In th... | In the argument, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is a generally held assumption; the second is a conclusion that violates that assumption.",
"This first is a piece of evidence supporting the main conclusion; the second is the main conclusion.",
"The first is an opinion the author seeks to refute; the second is the opinion the author supports.",
"... | 3 | train_4051 |
In Kantovia, physicians' income comes from insurance companies, which require physicians to document their decisions in treating patients and to justify deviations from the companies' treatment guidelines. Ten years ago physicians were allowed more discretion. Most physicians believe that the companies' requirements no... | Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy between physicians' perceptions and the change in the actual time spent? | [
"Since the insurance companies pay physicians a set amount for each office visit, it is to physicians' financial advantage to see as many patients as possible.",
"Physicians today typically have a wider range of options in diagnosis and treatment to consider with the patient before prescribing.",
"Physicians ar... | 1 | train_4052 |
Winds, the movement of gases in the atmosphere of a planet, are ultimately due to differences in atmospheric temperature. Winds on Earth are the result of heat from the Sun, but the Sun is much too far away from Jupiter to have any significant impact on the temperature of Jupiter' s atmosphere. Nevertheless, on Jupiter... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the facts cited above about Jupiter and its winds? | [
"Planets even farther from the Sun than Jupiter are known to have atmospheric winds.",
"Gaseous planets such as Jupiter sometimes have stronger winds than do rocky planets such as Earth.",
"Jupiter's atmosphere is composed of several gases that are found in Earth's atmosphere only in trace amounts.",
"Unlike ... | 3 | train_4053 |
Accidents involving drivers who do not wear seatbelts have been shown to cause higher rates of serious injury than accidents involving drivers who do wear seatbelts. Because drivers who do not wear seatbelts can end up costing taxpayers money in medical bills, Thoracic County should make it illegal to drive without a s... | Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the argument above? | [
"Motorcycle accidents are statistically more significant in terms of the money they cost taxpayers in Thoracic County.",
"In Thoracic County, the number of severe injuries and deaths caused by driving without a seatbelt is less than the number caused by drunk driving.",
"Within Thoracic County, the majority of ... | 3 | train_4054 |
Taylor: Researchers at a local university claim that 61 percent of the information transferred during a conversation is communicated through nonverbal signals. But this claim, like all such mathematically precise claims, is suspect, because claims of such exactitude could never be established by science. Sandra: While ... | The statements above provide the most support for holding that Sandra would disagree with Taylor about which one of the following statements? | [
"Research might reveal that 61 percent of the information taken in during a conversation is communicated through nonverbal signals.",
"It is possible to determine whether 61 percent of the information taken in during a conversation is communicated through nonverbal signals.",
"Some sciences can yield mathematic... | 2 | train_4055 |
Jake works for Bank Conglomerate of America (BCA), the largest investment bank in the United States. Jake has worked at Bank Conglomerate of America for a decade. Every American investment bank employs dozens of lawyers to defend against insider-trading allegations. Some Bank Conglomerate of America employees must pass... | If the statements above are correct, which of the following must not be true? | [
"Jake took a class on insider trading.",
"Jake passed a certification course.",
"Jake never took a class on insider trading.",
"Jake has worked at Bank Conglomerate of America for a decade."
] | 2 | train_4056 |
If Skill' s book is published this year, Professor Nguyen vows she will urge the dean to promote Skiff. Thus, if Skiff' s book is as important and as well written as Skiff claims, he will be promoted, for Nguyen will certainly keep her promise, and the dean will surely promote Skiff if Nguyen recommends it. | The argument's conclusion can be properly inferred if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Skiff needs to publish a book before he can be promoted.",
"Skiff's book will not be published unless it is as important and as well written as he claims it is.",
"Skiff will not be promoted unless Professor Nguyen urges the dean to do so.",
"Skiff's book will be published this year if it is as important as ... | 3 | train_4057 |
Scientist: Isaac Newton' s Principia, the seventeenth-century work that served as the cornerstone of physics for over two centuries, could at first be understood by only a handful of people, but a basic understanding of Newton' s ideas eventually spread throughout the world. This shows that the barriers to communicatio... | Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the scientist's argument by the claim that recent scientific research can often be described only in language that seems esoteric to most contemporary readers? | [
"It is a premise that supports the argument's main conclusion by suggesting that the results of recent scientific research are only superficially different from claims made in Newton's Principia.",
"It is a claim that serves mainly to help establish the relevance of the preceding statements to the argument's fina... | 1 | train_4058 |
Decentralization enables divisions of a large institution to function autonomously. This always permits more realistic planning and strongly encourages innovation, since the people responsible for decision making are directly involved in implementing the policies they design. Decentralization also permits the central a... | The statements above most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"For large institutions the advantages of decentralization outweigh its disadvantages.",
"In large institutions whose divisions do not function autonomously, planning is not maximally realistic.",
"Innovation is not always encouraged in large centralized institutions.",
"The central administrations of large i... | 1 | train_4059 |
In a yearlong study, half of the participants were given a simple kit to use at home for measuring the cholesterol level of their blood. They reduced their cholesterol levels on average 15 percent more than did participants without the kit. Participants were selected at random from among people with dangerously high ch... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the study's finding? | [
"The lower a blood-cholesterol level is, the less accurate are measurements made by the kit.",
"Participants using the kit reported that each reading reinforced their efforts to reduce their cholesterol levels.",
"All the participants in the study showed some lowering of cholesterol levels, the most striking de... | 1 | train_4060 |
Psychologist: Some have argued that Freudian psychotherapy is the most effective kind because it is so difficult and time consuming. But surely this does not follow. Similar reasoning -- e. g. , concluding that a car-repair chain has the most effective technique for repairing cars because the cars it services receive s... | The reasoning technique employed by the psychologist is that of attempting to undermine an argument by | [
"suggesting that a supposed cause of a phenomenon is actually an effect of that phenomenon",
"questioning the truth of its premises",
"presenting an analogous argument whose conclusion is thought to be obviously false",
"introducing a principle that contradicts the one on which the argument is based"
] | 2 | train_4061 |
Some teachers claim that students would not learn curricular content without the incentive of grades. But students with intense interest in the material would learn it without this incentive, while the behavior of students lacking all interest in the material is unaffected by such an incentive. The incentive of grades,... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"takes for granted that the only purpose of school is to convey a fixed body of information to students",
"fails to consider that the incentive of grades may serve some useful nonacademic purpose",
"fails to consider that some students may be neither fascinated by nor completely indifferent to the subject being... | 2 | train_4062 |
United States politician: Although the amount of United States goods shipped to Mexico doubled in the year after tariffs on trade between the two countries were reduced, it does not follow that the reduction in tariffs caused the sales of United States goods to companies and consumers in Mexico to double that year, bec... | Which of the following, if true, most logically completes the politician's argument? | [
"many of the United States companies that produced goods that year had competitors based in Mexico that had long produced the same kind of goods",
"there was no significant change in the employment rate in either of the countries that year",
"most of the increase in goods shipped by United States companies to M... | 2 | train_4063 |
Laura: Harold is obviously lonely. He should sell his cabin in the woods and move into town. In town he will be near other people all the time, so he will not be lonely anymore. Ralph: Many very lonely people live in towns. What is needed to avoid loneliness is not only the proximity of other people but also genuine in... | Ralph responds to Laura by pointing out that | [
"what is appropriate in one case is not necessarily appropriate in all cases",
"what is logically certain is not always intuitively obvious",
"something needed for a certain result does not necessarily guarantee that result",
"various alternative solutions are possible for a single problem"
] | 2 | train_4064 |
The important parts of any university professor' s job include not only classroom teaching but also research, publication, and lectures to colleagues and the public. This is why university professors who are good classroom teachers but have not engaged in any other scholarly activities are usually denied tenure. | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"Some university professors have been denied tenure even though they have done an important part of their jobs well.",
"University professors who do not engage in other scholarly activities are usually good classroom teachers.",
"Classroom teaching is the least important part of a university professor's job.",
... | 0 | train_4065 |
Space programs have recently suffered several setbacks with respect to their large projects, and much money has been lost. Consequently, these grand projects should be abandoned in favor of several small ones. | Which one of the following, if true, provides the most support for the reasoning above? | [
"Large projects are intrinsically more likely to fail and so are more financially risky than small projects.",
"It is just as easy to revise, and even scrap, small projects as it is large ones.",
"Large space projects can explore a few places thoroughly, while small projects can investigate more regions, though... | 0 | train_4066 |
Mayor Tyler: In 1982 the courthouse that Roseville still needs would have cost $26 million. Now in 1992 the same building is costing the city close to $30 million to build. If the courthouse had been built in 1982 when I first showed how the building would relieve the overcrowding we were experiencing, Roseville would ... | A point at issue between Mayor Tyler and Councillor Simon is whether | [
"Roseville will build a courthouse in 1992",
"Roseville would have expended $4 million to maintain a courthouse from 1982 to 1992",
"Roseville actually needed a new courthouse between 1982 and 1992",
"$37 million in 1992 dollars is equivalent to $26 million in 1982 dollars"
] | 2 | train_4067 |
Researchers had three groups of professional cyclists cycle for one hour at different levels of intensity. Members of groups A, B, and C cycled at rates that sustained, for an hour, pulses of about 60 percent, 70 percent, and 85 percent, respectively, of the recommended maximum pulse rate for recreational cyclists. Mos... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"Moderate cycling tends to benefit professional cyclists physically as much or more than intense cycling.",
"Physical factors, including pulse rate, contribute as much to depression as do psychological factors.",
"For professional cyclists, the best exercise from the point of view of improving mood is cycling t... | 3 | train_4068 |
Nylon industry spokesperson: Even though cotton and nylon are used for similar purposes, some people have the mistaken notion that cotton is natural but nylon is not. However, nylon' s main components come from petroleum and from the nitrogen in the atmosphere. Clearly the atmosphere is natural. And petroleum comes fro... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the nylon industry spokesperson's reasoning? | [
"A substance is natural if the origins of its main components are natural.",
"A substance is unnatural only if the function it serves is unnatural.",
"A substance is no more natural than its least natural component.",
"A substance is no less natural than the processes used in its production."
] | 0 | train_4069 |
Parent: Pushing very young children into rigorous study in an effort to make our nation more competitive does more harm than good. Curricula for these young students must address their special developmental needs, and while rigorous work in secondary school makes sense, the same approach in the early years of primary s... | Which one of the following can be inferred from the parent's statements? | [
"A curriculum of rigorous study does not adequately address the developmental needs of primary school students.",
"Our country can be competitive only if the developmental needs of all our students can be met.",
"Unless our nation encourages more rigorous study in the early years of primary school, we cannot be... | 0 | train_4070 |
Therapist: Cognitive psychotherapy focuses on changing a patient' s conscious beliefs. Thus, cognitive psychotherapy is likely to be more effective at helping patients overcome psychological problems than are forms of psychotherapy that focus on changing unconscious beliefs and desires, since only conscious beliefs are... | Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the therapist's argument? | [
"Psychological problems are frequently caused by unconscious beliefs that could be changed with the aid of psychotherapy.",
"It is difficult for any form of psychotherapy to be effective without focusing on mental states that are under the patient's direct conscious control.",
"Cognitive psychotherapy is the on... | 1 | train_4071 |
A survey of a city' s concertgoers found that almost all of them were dissatisfied with the local concert hall. A large majority of them expressed a strong preference for wider seats and better acoustics. And, even though the survey respondents were told that the existing concert hall cannot feasibly be modified to pro... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the apparent conflict in the concertgoers' views, as revealed by the survey? | [
"Many popular singers and musicians who currently do not hold concerts in the city would begin to hold concerts there if a new concert hall were built.",
"The city's construction industry will receive more economic benefit from the construction of a new concert hall than from renovations to the existing concert h... | 2 | train_4072 |
Jurist: A nation' s laws must be viewed as expressions of a moral code that transcends those laws and serves as a measure of their adequacy. Otherwise, a society can have no sound basis for preferring any given set of laws to all others. Thus, any moral prohibition against the violation of statutes must leave room for ... | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the jurist's statements? | [
"There is no statute that a nation's citizens have a moral obligation to obey.",
"A nation's laws can sometimes come into conflict with the moral code they express.",
"Unless it is legally forbidden ever to violate some moral rules, moral behavior and compliance with laws are indistinguishable.",
"Those who f... | 1 | train_4073 |
Under the legal doctrine of jury nullification, a jury may legitimately acquit a defendant it believes violated a law if the jury believes that law to be unjust. Proponents argue that this practice is legitimate because it helps shield against injustice. But the doctrine relies excessively on jurors' objectivity. When ... | The argument uses which one of the following techniques in its attempt to undermine the position that it attributes to the proponents of jury nullification? | [
"attacking the motives of the proponents of the doctrine",
"arguing that the application of the doctrine has undesirable consequences",
"attempting to show that a premise put forward in support of the position is false",
"identifying an inconsistency within the reasoning used to support the position"
] | 1 | train_4074 |
An artificial hormone has recently been developed that increases milk production in cows. Its development has prompted some lawmakers to propose that milk labels should be required to provide information to consumers about what artificial substances were used in milk production. This proposal should not be implemented:... | The argument proceeds by | [
"questioning the motivation of those who made the proposal being argued against",
"raising considerations in order to show that the proposal being argued against, if strictly implemented, would lead to absurd consequences",
"introducing a case analogous to the one under consideration to show that a general impl... | 1 | train_4075 |
The owners of Uptown Apartments are leaning toward not improving the apartment complex; they believe that the increased rents they could charge for improved apartments would not cover the costs of the improvements. But the improvements would make the surrounding housing, which they also own, more valuable and rentable ... | The reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to the reasoning in the argument above? | [
"John's injured knee does not cause him a lot of pain, so he does not want to undergo the pain of surgery to heal it. But the surgery would enable him to exercise regularly again. Thus John should have the surgery.",
"Since its fishing season lasts only six months, Laketown Fishing Company prefers renting boats t... | 0 | train_4076 |
As often now as in the past, newspaper journalists use direct or indirect quotation to report unsupported or false claims made by newsmakers. However, journalists are becoming less likely to openly challenge the veracity of such claims within their articles. | Each of the following, if true, helps to explain the trend in journalism described above EXCEPT: | [
"Journalists who challenge the veracity of claims are often criticized for failing their professional obligation to be objective.",
"Newspaper publishers have found that many readers will cancel a subscription simply because a view they take for granted has been disputed by the publication.",
"A basic principle... | 2 | train_4077 |
Being articulate has been equated with having a large vocabulary. Actually, however, people with large vocabularies have no incentive for, and tend not to engage in, the kind of creative linguistic self-expression that is required when no available words seem adequate. Thus a large vocabulary is a hindrance to using la... | Which one of the following is an assumption made in the argument? | [
"In unfamiliar situations, even people with large vocabularies often do not have specifically suitable words available.",
"In educating people to be more articulate, it would be futile to try to increase the size of their vocabularies.",
"When people are truly articulate, they have the capacity to express thems... | 2 | train_4078 |
University administrator: Any proposal for a new department will not be funded if there are fewer than 50 people per year available for hire in that field and the proposed department would duplicate more than 25 percent of the material covered in one of our existing departments. The proposed Area Studies Department wil... | Which one of the following statements follows logically from the university administrator's statements? | [
"If the proposed Area Studies Department did not duplicate more than 25 percent of the material covered in Anthropology, then the new department would not be funded.",
"The proposed Area Studies Department would not duplicate more than 25 percent of the material covered in any existing department other than Anthr... | 3 | train_4079 |
The vision test for obtaining a driver' s license should not be limited to measuring the adequacy of vision in daylight conditions, as is the current practice. Many people whose daylight vision is adequate have night vision that is inadequate for safe night driving. Most car accidents occur at night, and inadequate vis... | The main point of the argument is that | [
"inadequate vision is the primary factor in the majority of car accidents that occur at night",
"the vision test for obtaining a driver's license should measure the adequacy of vision in night conditions",
"inadequate vision does not play a role in most of the accidents that occur in daylight",
"the current v... | 1 | train_4080 |
Brown dwarfs -- dim red stars that are too cool to burn hydrogen -- are very similar in appearance to red dwarf stars, which are just hot enough to burn hydrogen. Stars, when first formed, contain substantial amounts of the element lithium. All stars but the coolest of the brown dwarfs are hot enough to destroy lithium... | The argument depends on assuming which one of the following? | [
"Most stars that are too cool to burn hydrogen are too cool to destroy lithium completely.",
"No stars are more similar in appearance to red dwarfs than are brown dwarfs.",
"Most stars, when first formed, contain roughly the same percentage of lithium.",
"None of the coolest brown dwarfs has ever been hot eno... | 3 | train_4081 |
Three-year-old Sara and her playmate Michael are both ill and have the same symptoms. Since they play together every afternoon, Sara probably has the same illness as Michael does. Since Michael definitely does not have a streptococcal infection, despite his having some symptoms of one, the illness that Sara has is defi... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"fails to distinguish between acute streptococcal infections on the one hand, and less severe streptococcal infections on the other",
"presupposes what it sets out to prove",
"mistakes the cause of a particular phenomenon for the effect of that phenomenon",
"treats evidence that the conclusion is probably tru... | 3 | train_4082 |
Some credit card companies allow cardholders to skip payments for up to six months under certain circumstances, but it is almost never in a cardholder' s interest to do so. Finance charges accumulate during the skipped-payment period, and the cost to the cardholder is much greater in the long run. | Which one of the following arguments illustrates a principle most similar to the principle underlying the argument above? | [
"It is better to invest in a used piece of equipment than to purchase a new one. Although used equipment requires more repairs and is sometimes more costly in the long run, buying a new machine requires a far greater initial outlay of capital.",
"Sports cars are impractical for most drivers. While there is undoub... | 2 | train_4083 |
Adam: Marking road edges with reflecting posts gives drivers a clear view of the edges, thereby enabling them to drive more safely. Ttherefore, marking road edges with reflecting posts will decrease the annual number of road accidents. Aiesha: You seem to forget that drivers exceed the speed limit more frequently and d... | Aiesha responds to Adam's argument by | [
"raising a consideration that challenges the argument's assumption that facilitating safe driving will result in safer driving",
"providing additional evidence to undermine the claim that safer driving does not necessarily reduce the number of road accidents",
"questioning Adam's assertion that reflecting posts... | 0 | train_4084 |
Ana: On libertarian principles, I oppose the proposed smoking ban. It is not the government' s business to prevent people from doing things that harm only themselves. Pankaj: But keep in mind that the ban would apply only to smoking in public places. People could still smoke all they want in private. | The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Ana and Pankaj disagree over whether | [
"government should be restrained by libertarian principles",
"the proposed smoking ban is intended to prevent harm only to smokers themselves",
"the proposed ban would prohibit smoking in public places",
"there are cases in which government should attempt to regulate private behavior"
] | 1 | train_4085 |
Zookeeper: Big cats are undoubtedly among the smartest land mammals. Lions, tigers, and jaguars immediately adjust to their new surroundings. Other animals refuse to eat or drink in captivity, but the big cats relish their timely prepared meals. Big cats never attempt to escape their enclosures. | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the zookeeper's argument? | [
"Big cats don't attempt to escape because they can't figure out their enclosures' weak spots.",
"No qualified expert believes that adjusting to captivity is a measure of intelligence.",
"Bears also do not have any trouble adjusting to captivity.",
"A recent study comparing the brain scans of large mammals rev... | 1 | train_4086 |
The average life expectancy of people who drink alcohol heavily is lower than that of people who do not drink heavily, and people who smoke tobacco have lower life expectancies on average than those who refrain from smoking. Yet the average life expectancy of people who both drink heavily and smoke tends to decrease wh... | Which one of the following most helps to reconcile the discrepancy described above? | [
"Most heavy drinkers who are also smokers tend to smoke more heavily if they stop drinking.",
"The life expectancy of smokers who stop smoking increases, even if they have smoked for many years.",
"Most heavy smokers who are not heavy drinkers tend to gain weight if they stop smoking.",
"The average life expe... | 0 | train_4087 |
Normal full-term babies are all born with certain instinctive reflexes that disappear by the age of two months. Because this three-month-old baby exhibits these reflexes, this baby is not a normal full-term baby. | Which one of the following has a logical structure most like that of the argument above? | [
"Because opossums have abdominal pouches and this animal lacks any such pouch, this animal is not an opossum.",
"Because some types of trees shed their leaves annually and this tree has not shed its leaves, it is not normal.",
"Because no ape can talk and Suzy is an ape, Suzy cannot talk.",
"Because carbon di... | 0 | train_4088 |
Police captain: The chief of police has indicated that gifts of cash or objects valued at more than $100 count as graft. However, I know with certainty that no officer in my precinct has ever taken such gifts, so the recent accusations of graft in my precinct are unfounded. | The reasoning in the police captain's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"fails to consider that there may be other instances of graft besides those indicated by the chief of police",
"relies on a premise that contradicts the conclusion drawn in the argument",
"bases a claim about the actions of individuals on an appeal to the character of those individuals",
"takes for granted th... | 0 | train_4089 |
Cardiologist: Coronary bypass surgery is commonly performed on patients suffering from coronary artery disease when certain other therapies would be as effective. Besides being relatively inexpensive, these other therapies pose less risk to the patient since they are less intrusive. Bypass surgery is especially debatab... | The cardiologist's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"Needless bypass surgery is more common today than previously.",
"Sometimes there are equally effective alternatives to bypass surgery that involve less risk.",
"Bypass surgery should be performed when more than one vessel is diseased.",
"Bypass surgery is riskier than all alternative therapies."
] | 1 | train_4090 |
Learning how to build a nest plays an important part in the breeding success of birds. For example, Dr. Snow has recorded the success of a number of blackbirds in several successive years. He finds that birds nesting for the first time are less successful in breeding than are older birds, and also less successful than ... | Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument? | [
"Up to 25 percent of all birds are killed by predators before they start to nest.",
"The breeding success of birds nesting for the second time is greater than that of birds nesting for the first time.",
"Blackbirds build better nests than other birds.",
"The capacity of blackbirds to lay viable eggs increases... | 3 | train_4091 |
In Borania many people who want to quit smoking wear nicotine skin patches, which deliver small doses of nicotine through the skin. Beginning next month, these patches can be purchased without a doctor' s prescription. Although nonprescription patches will be no more effective than those obtained by prescription and wi... | Which of the following, if true in Borania, most strongly supports the manufacturers' prediction? | [
"Several nonprescription aids aimed at helping people to quit smoking have been widely available for a number of years.",
"Many smokers who want to quit smoking feel that they cannot afford to visit a doctor for a prescription.",
"Most people who wanted to quit smoking and who found the nicotine skin patch help... | 1 | train_4092 |
Last summer, after a number of people got sick from eating locally caught anchovies, the coastal city of San Martin advised against eating such anchovies. The anchovies were apparently tainted with domoic acid, a harmful neurotoxin. However, a dramatic drop in the population of P. australis plankton to numbers more nor... | Which one of the following, if true, would most help to explain why it is now safe to lift the advisory? | [
"Scientists have used P. australis plankton to obtain domoic acid in the laboratory.",
"A sharp decline in the population of P. australis is typically mirrored by a corresponding drop in the local anchovy population.",
"P. australis naturally produces domoic acid, though anchovies consume enough to become toxic... | 2 | train_4093 |
Recently ApexCo has begun drilling off the coast of Mycondia. In this time, the number of animals that end up on the beach, coated in oil and other industrial by-products, has increased dramatically. Nonetheless, no Peterson's loggerhead turtles, a tortoise common in the waters off the coast of Mycondia, have washed up... | Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument employed by ApexCo's public relations firm? | [
"ApexCo has also drilled off the coast of Sylvania, which witnessed many of its local aquatic life washing ashore.",
"The Peterson's loggerhead turtle has never been seen washed upon the shores of Mycondia.",
"Sea otters are the most common beached animals, followed by dolphins.",
"There have been no reports ... | 1 | train_4094 |
There is no reason why the work of scientists has to be officially confirmed before being published. There is a system in place for the confirmation or disconfirmation of scientific findings, namely, the replication of results by other scientists. Poor scientific work on the part of any one scientist, which can include... | Which one of the following, if true, would weaken the argument? | [
"Most scientists work as part of a team rather than alone.",
"In scientific experiments, careless reporting is more common than fraud.",
"Most scientists are under pressure to make their work accessible to the scrutiny of replication.",
"Scientific experiments can go unchallenged for many years before they ar... | 3 | train_4095 |
The proper way to plan a scientific project is first to decide its goal and then to plan the best way to accomplish that goal. The United States space station project does not conform to this ideal. When the Cold War ended, the project lost its original purpose, so another purpose was quickly grafted onto the project, ... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"attacks the proponents of a claim rather than arguing against the claim itself",
"faults planners for not foreseeing a certain event, when in fact that event was not foreseeable",
"concludes that a shortcoming is fatal, having produced evidence only of the existence of that shortcoming",
"contains statements... | 2 | train_4096 |
In a recession, a decrease in consumer spending causes many businesses to lay off workers or even to close. Workers who lose their jobs in a recession usually cannot find new jobs. The result is an increase in the number of people who are jobless. Recovery from a recession is defined by an increase in consumer spending... | The statements above, if true, provide most support for which one of the following conclusions? | [
"Sometimes recovery from a recession does not promptly result in a decrease in the number of people who are jobless.",
"Governmental intervention is required in order for an economy to recover from a recession.",
"Employees of businesses that close during a recession make up the majority of the workers who lose... | 0 | train_4097 |
Often, a product popularly believed to be the best of its type is no better than any other; rather, the product' s reputation, which may be independent of its quality, provides its owner with status. Thus, although there is no harm in paying for status if that is what one wants, one should know that one is paying for p... | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above? | [
"Many theatrical actors cannot enjoy watching a play because when they watch others, they yearn to be on stage themselves. Thus, although there is no harm in yearning to perform, such performers should, for their own sakes, learn to suppress that yearning.",
"Those beginning a new hobby sometimes quit it because ... | 2 | train_4098 |
Deer mice normally do not travel far from their nests, and deer mice that are moved more than half a kilometer from their nests generally never find their way back. Yet in one case, when researchers camped near a deer mouse nest and observed a young deer mouse for several weeks before moving it to an area over two kilo... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain how the deer mouse might have found its way back to its nest? | [
"The area to which the deer mouse was moved was dryer and more rocky than the area in which its nest was located.",
"Animals that prey on deer mice were common in the area to which the deer mouse was moved.",
"The researchers had moved the deer mouse in a small dark box, keeping the mouse calm before it was rel... | 3 | train_4099 |
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