context stringlengths 94 1.14k | question stringlengths 24 342 | answers listlengths 4 4 | label int64 0 3 | id_string stringlengths 7 10 |
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Books about architectural works, unless they are not intended for a general audience, ought to include discussions of both the utility and the aesthetic appeal of each of the buildings they consider. If they do not, they are flawed. Morton' s book on Italian Baroque palaces describes these palaces' functional aspects, ... | If the statements above are true, it would be necessary to establish which one of the following in order to conclude that Morton's book is flawed? | [
"Morton's description of the palaces' utility is inaccurate.",
"The passage discussing the palace plays a very important role in helping to establish the overall argument of Morton's book.",
"Morton's book is intended for a general audience.",
"The palace discussed at length is one of the most aesthetically i... | 2 | train_4100 |
Scientists once believed that the oversized head, long hind legs, and tiny forelimbs that characterized Tyrannosaurus rex developed in order to accommodate the great size and weight of this prehistoric predator. However, this belief must now be abandoned. The nearly complete skeleton of an earlier dinosaur has recently... | The answer to which one of the following questions would most help in evaluating the argument? | [
"Was the ratio of the head size of the recently discovered dinosaur to its body size the same as that for T. rex?",
"At what stage in its life did the recently discovered dinosaur die?",
"Did the recently discovered dinosaur prey on species as large as those that T. rex preyed on?",
"Was T. rex the largest an... | 1 | train_4101 |
Water vapor evaporated from the ocean contains a greater proportion of oxygen-16 and a smaller proportion of the heavier oxygen-18 than does seawater. Normally, this phenomenon has no effect on the overall composition of the ocean, because evaporated seawater returns to the ocean through precipitation. During an ice ag... | Which one of the following conclusions about a typical ice age is most strongly supported by the statements above? | [
"The proportions of oxygen-16 and oxygen-18 are the same in vapor from seawater as in the seawater itself.",
"The concentration of oxygen-18 in seawater is increased.",
"During the ice age, more of the Earth's precipitation falls over land than falls over the ocean.",
"The composition of seawater changes more... | 1 | train_4102 |
The Blackridge Company, a software retailer, recently implemented a service offering free telephone support for its customers. After 3 months of service, the average length of a technical support call was 15 minutes, 3 minutes higher than the company's target length of 12 minutes. After studying the operations of the n... | From the passage above, it can be inferred that the Blackridge Company could reduce the average length of its customer support calls by doing which of the following, assuming that each is a realistic possibility? | [
"Providing an online support service in addition to the telephone support service",
"Expanding the hours of operation of its telephone support service",
"Improving the quality of its software products",
"Better training customer support agents in the technical aspects of the software"
] | 3 | train_4103 |
It is popularly believed that a poem has whatever meaning is assigned to it by the reader. But objective evaluation of poetry is possible only if this popular belief is false; for the aesthetic value of a poem cannot be discussed unless it is possible for at least two readers to agree on the correct interpretation of t... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? | [
"Aesthetic evaluation of literature is best accomplished through discussion by more than two readers.",
"If two readers agree about the meaning of a given poem, that ensures that an objective evaluation of the poem can be made.",
"Discussion of a poem is possible only if it is false that a poem has whatever mea... | 3 | train_4104 |
Contrary to recent speculations, no hardware store will be opening in the shopping plaza. If somebody were going to open a store there, they would already have started publicizing it. But there has been no such publicity. | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the argument? | [
"A hardware store will not be opening in the shopping plaza.",
"Some people have surmised that a hardware store will be opening in the shopping plaza.",
"If somebody were going to open a hardware store in the shopping plaza, that person would already have started publicizing it.",
"It would be unwise to open ... | 0 | train_4105 |
Among a sample of diverse coins from an unfamiliar country, each face of any coin portrays one of four things: a judge' s head, an explorer' s head, a building, or a tree. By examining the coins, a collector determines that none of them have heads on both sides and that all coins in the sample with a judge' s head on o... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true of the coins in the sample? | [
"All those with an explorer's head on one side have a building on the other.",
"None of those with a tree on one side have an explorer's head on the other.",
"All those with a tree on one side have a judge's head on the other.",
"None of those with a building on one side have a judge's head on the other."
] | 3 | train_4106 |
Randy: After Mega Cable Television Company refused to carry the competing Azco News Service alongside its own news channels, the mayor used her influence to get Azco time on a community channel, demonstrating her concern for keeping a diversity of news programming in the city. Marion: The mayor' s action is fully expla... | Of the following, which one, if true, is the logically strongest counter Randy can make to Marion's objection? | [
"The mayor also used her influence to get time on a community channel for another news service, whose owner supported the mayor's opponent in the last election.",
"The many people whose jobs depend on Azco's continued presence on a community channel are a potential source of political support for the mayor.",
"... | 0 | train_4107 |
Investors: Your company is responsible for discovering fraudulent bookkeeping practices of your accountants. You were given access to investment funds to hire six auditors to examine the books, but you hired only four auditors. We must conclude that your company purposely hired only the limited number of auditors in an... | The company president responds to the investors' accusation by | [
"proving that the investors' comments are self-contradictory",
"rewording the investors conclusion to make it more favorable to the company president",
"highlighting a relevant fact that challenges the conclusion drawn by the investors",
"accusing the investors of attempting to conceal the fraudulent bookkeep... | 2 | train_4108 |
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consumers responding. Because consumers are increasingly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of junk mail they receive, most discard almost all offers without considering them. Thus, an effective way for corporations to improve response rates would be to more c... | Which of the following, if true, would most support this recommendation? | [
"Response rates to carefully targeted advertisements by mail are considerably higher, on average, than response rates to most other forms of advertising.",
"Improvements in the quality of the advertising materials used in mail that is carefully targeted to individuals can improve the response rate for such mail."... | 0 | train_4109 |
Even though most universities retain the royalties from faculty members' inventions, the faculty members retain the royalties from books and articles they write. Ttherefore, faculty members should retain the royalties from the educational computer software they develop. | The conclusion above would be more reasonably drawn if which of the following were inserted into the argument as an additional premise? | [
"In terms of the criteria used to award royalties, educational software programs are more nearly comparable to books and articles than to inventions.",
"Faculty members are more likely to produce educational software programs than inventions.",
"Royalties from inventions are higher than royalties from education... | 0 | train_4110 |
On the surface, Melville' s Billy Budd is a simple story with a simple theme. However, if one views the novel as a religious allegory, then it assumes a richness and profundity that place it among the great novels of the nineteenth century. However, the central question remains: Did Melville intend an allegorical readi... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the principle underlying the argument? | [
"Without relevant evidence as to a novel's intended reading, one should avoid viewing the work allegorically.",
"Given a choice between an allegorical and a nonallegorical reading of a novel, one should choose the latter.",
"The only relevant evidence in deciding in which genre to place a novel is the author's ... | 0 | train_4111 |
Older United States automobiles have been identified as contributing disproportionately to global air pollution. The requirement in many jurisdictions that automobiles pass emission-control inspections has had the effect of taking many such automobiles out of service in the United States, as they fail inspection and th... | Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"There is a thriving market for used older United States automobiles that are exported to regions that have no emission-control regulations.",
"When automobiles that are now new become older, they will, because of a design change, cause less air pollution than older automobiles do now.",
"Even if all the older ... | 0 | train_4112 |
Farmer: Worldwide, just three grain crops-rice, wheat, and corn-account for most human caloric intake. To maintain this level of caloric intake and also keep pace with global population growth, yields per acre from each of these crops will have to increase at least 1. 5 percent every year, given that the supply of cult... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the farmers argument depends? | [
"Increasing the yields per acre of rice, wheat, and corn is more important than increasing the yields per acre of other crops",
"Increasing government funding for research into new ways to improve the yields per acre of rice, wheat, and corn crops would help to increase total worldwide annual production of food f... | 1 | train_4113 |
After a long period of decreased sales, many companies lay off employees or even shut down completely. Out of a sense of camaraderie, employees who are laid off are less likely to buy products from other companies that have laid off their workers. The result is a continuing decrease in sales for struggling companies. R... | The statements above, if true, provide the most support for which one of the following conclusions? | [
"Sometimes recovery from a long period of decreased sales does not immediately result in an increased number of employees at a company.",
"Periods of decreased sales are usually caused by a lack of camaraderie between workers.",
"Employees of businesses that close after a long period of decreased sales make up ... | 0 | train_4114 |
Birds have been said to be descended from certain birdlike dinosaur species with which they share distinctive structural features. The fossil record, however, shows that this cannot be so, since there are bird fossils much older than the earliest birdlike dinosaur fossils that have been found. | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? | [
"The birdlike dinosaurs have no descendants.",
"Birds cannot have been descended from dinosaur species with which the birds do not share the distinctive structural features.",
"There are no birdlike dinosaur fossils that are older than the bird fossils but have not yet been unearthed.",
"It could not have bee... | 2 | train_4115 |
Although inflated government spending for weapons research encourages waste at weapons research laboratories, weapons production plants must be viewed as equally wasteful of taxpayer dollars. After all, by the government' s own admission, the weapons plant it plans to reopen will violate at least 69 environmental, heal... | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? | [
"It concedes a point regarding weapons research laboratories that undermines its conclusion about weapons production plants.",
"It fails to establish that research laboratories and weapons production plants are similar enough to be meaningfully compared.",
"It offers no evidence that the \"safer\" alternative p... | 3 | train_4116 |
Utrania was formerly a major petroleum exporter, but in recent decades economic stagnation and restrictive regulations inhibited investment in new oil fields. In consequence, Utranian oil exports dropped steadily as old fields became depleted. Utrania' s currently improving economic situation, together with less-restri... | Which of the following most logically completes the argument? | [
"new technology is available to recover oil from old oil fields formerly regarded as depleted",
"the improvement in the economic situation in Utrania is expected to result in a dramatic increase in the proportion of Utranians who own automobiles",
"the price of oil is expected to remain relatively stable over t... | 1 | train_4117 |
Travel industry consultant: Several airlines are increasing elbow room and leg room in business class, because surveys show that business travelers value additional space more than, say, better meals. But airlines are overconcerned about the comfort of passengers flying on business; they should instead focus on the com... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the reasoning in the travel industry consultant's argument? | [
"Some airlines have indicated that they will undertake alterations in seating space throughout the entire passenger area of their planes in the near future.",
"Business travelers often make travel decisions based on whether they feel a given airline values their business.",
"Sleeping in comfort during long flig... | 3 | train_4118 |
Jay: The development of a plain writing style in seventeenth-century England was mainly due to an increase in the literacy rate. To reach moderately educated readers, writers simplified their style. Chandra: No, the pivotal factor was the increasing interest in science among the most highly educated people; a complex, ... | Jay's and Chandra's comments indicate that they disagree about | [
"what was the primary cause of the development of a plain writing style in seventeenth-century England",
"whether there was an increase in the percentage of people who were able to read in England during the seventeenth century",
"the extent of the changes in writing style that took place in seventeenth-century... | 0 | train_4119 |
The Common Loon is a migratory bird that winters in warmer regions and returns to its breeding lakes in the spring. Typically, only one pair of loons occupies a single lake. Breeding pairs in search of breeding territory either occupy a vacant lake or take over an already occupied one. Surprisingly, almost half the tim... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the surprising behavior described above? | [
"Loons that intrude on an occupied breeding territory are successful in ousting its residents about half the time.",
"Loons frequently determine that a lake is a suitable breeding territory by observing the presence of a breeding pair there.",
"Contests for occupied breeding territory may be initiated either by... | 1 | train_4120 |
Dietician: "The French Paradox" refers to the unusual concurrence in the population of France of a low incidence of heart disease and a diet high in fat. The most likely explanation is that the French consume a high quantity of red wine, which mitigates the ill effects of the fat they eat. So North Americans, with near... | Which one of the following statements, if true, most seriously undermines the conclusion of the dietician's argument? | [
"A greater intake of red wine among North Americans would likely lead to a higher incidence of liver problems and other illnesses.",
"Many other regions have much lower rates of heart disease than France, though their populations consume even less red wine than do North Americans.",
"French men consume as much ... | 0 | train_4121 |
Red algae contains the pigment phycoerythrin. Phycoerythrin reflects red light and absorbs blue light. As blue light has the ability to penetrate water to great depths, phycoerythrin allows red algae to absorb the light needed to produce the fuel essential to their survival. Because of their need for light, red algae c... | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which of the following claims? | [
"Red algae was not cultivated in Japan until 300 years ago.",
"300 years ago, the Japanese had access to water with at least partially clear surfaces.",
"No light has the ability to penetrate to greater depths than blue light.",
"Surface water has increasingly become cluttered with debris and plant life since... | 1 | train_4122 |
Can any research be found to validate the contention that those who spend time plucking out their gray hairs have more negative attitudes toward the elderly than those who shrug their shoulders about their gray hairs? Unless a person' s psychopathology leads him or her to overgeneralize, there is no necessary connectio... | Which one of the following best expresses the main point of the passage? | [
"Being elderly is fine, but the process of becoming elderly is not; and people need to understand the distinction between the two.",
"To dislike the elderly is immoral, and to do so just because one dislikes some of the physical concomitants of growing old is unreasonable.",
"It cannot be assumed that people wh... | 2 | train_4123 |
Certain groups of Asian snails include both "left-handed" and "right-handed" species, with shells coiling to the left and right, respectively. Some left-handed species have evolved from right-handed ones. Also, researchers found that snaileating snakes in the same habitat have asymmetrical jaws, allowing them to grasp ... | Which of the following would, if true, most strengthen the argument that asymmetrical snake jaws helped drive left-handed snail evolution? | [
"Anatomical differences prevent left-handed snails from mating easily with right-handed snails.",
"Some right-handed snails in this habitat have shells with a very narrow opening that helps prevent snakes from extracting the snails from inside their shells.",
"In one snake species, the snakes with asymmetrical ... | 3 | train_4124 |
"Dumping" is defined as selling a product in another country for less than production cost. Shrimp producers from Country F are selling shrimp in Country G below the cost of producing shrimp in Country G. So Country F' s producers are dumping shrimp. | In order to evaluate the argument above, it is necessary to determine whether | [
"\"production cost\" in the definition of dumping refers to the cost of producing the product in the country where it originates or in the country where it is sold",
"shrimp producers from Country F charge more for shrimp that they sell within their own country than for shrimp that they sell in Country G",
"shr... | 0 | train_4125 |
Traditionally, the most highly sought cars have been the "sports cars" and similar two-door models. Nevertheless, Zincstone Motors has chosen to eliminate the last two-door models and produce only four-door models. | Which of the following would, if true, most help to explain Zincstone Motors' strategy? | [
"In almost every instance, Zincstone Motors models lead all comparable models of competitors in fuel efficiency and have lower average maintenance costs as well.",
"After a spate of recent additional safety requirements, the cost of frame and doors of Zincstone Motors' standard two-door models are now three times... | 1 | train_4126 |
Lea: Contemporary art has become big business. Nowadays art has less to do with self-expression than with making money. The work of contemporary artists is utterly bereft of spontaneity and creativity, as a visit to any art gallery demonstrates. Susan: I disagree. One can still find spontaneous, innovative new artwork ... | Lea's and Susan's remarks provide the most support for holding that they disagree about whether | [
"contemporary art has become big business",
"most galleries contain some artwork that lacks spontaneity and creativity",
"some smaller art galleries still exhibit creative new artwork",
"large galleries contain creative artwork"
] | 2 | train_4127 |
We already knew from thorough investigation that immediately prior to the accident, either the driver of the first vehicle changed lanes without signaling or the driver of the second vehicle was driving with excessive speed. Either of these actions would make a driver liable for the resulting accident. But further evid... | Which one of the following would be most important to know in evaluating the conclusion drawn above? | [
"whether the driver of the first vehicle was a reliable witness",
"whether the driver of the second vehicle would have seen the turn signal flashing had it been on",
"whether the second vehicle was being driven at excessive speed",
"whether any other vehicles were involved in the accident"
] | 2 | train_4128 |
<b> Plant scientists have used genetic engineering on seeds to produce crop plants that are highly resistant to insect damage. </b>Unfortunately, the seeds themselves are quite expensive, and the plants require more fertilizer and water to grow well than normal ones. <b> Thus, for most farmers the savings on pesticides... | In the argument given, the two portions in <b> boldface </b> play which of the following roles? | [
"The first and the second each provide evidence to support the argument's main conclusion.",
"The first supplies a context for the argument; the second is the argument's main conclusion.",
"The first provides evidence to support a prediction that the argument seeks to defend; the second is that prediction.",
... | 3 | train_4129 |
The city of Carina is considering implementing an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for taxpayers earning more than 90% of the population, those individuals who earn more than $350, 000 annually. Under this tax plan, Carina citizens in the AMT bracket would be exempt from paying taxes on the first $80, 000 of their income ... | Which of the following would be most important to determine in order to evaluate whether implementing the AMT plan would be profitable for the city of Carina? | [
"The dollar value that processing the AMT would require, compared to the dollar value that running the current tax system in Carina requires.",
"The dollar value of the tax exemptions the top 10% of wage earners in Carina currently take.",
"The average dollar value of Carina citizens' tax payments for the previ... | 1 | train_4130 |
To prevent a newly built dam on the Chiff River from blocking the route of fish migrating to breeding grounds upstream, the dam includes a fish pass, a mechanism designed to allow fish through the dam. Before the construction of the dam and fish pass, several thousand fish a day swam upriver during spawning season. But... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"On other rivers in the region, the construction of dams with fish passes has led to only small decreases in the number of fish migrating upstream.",
"Populations of migratory fish in the Chiff River have been declining slightly over the last 20 years.",
"During spawning season, the dam releases sufficient wate... | 3 | train_4131 |
Moore: Sunscreen lotions, which are designed to block skin-cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation, do not do so effectively. Many scientific studies have shown that people who have consistently used these lotions develop, on average, as many skin cancers as those who have rarely, if ever, used them. | The reasoning in Moore's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"takes for granted that there are no other possible health benefits of using sunscreen lotions other than blocking skin-cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation",
"fails to consider the effectiveness of sunscreen lotions that are not specifically designed to block skin-cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation",
"overlo... | 2 | train_4132 |
The drinking age should remain at 21 years of age. Prior to reaching the age of 21, the brain is not fully developed. As a result, people cannot make informed decisions about alcohol, and the abuse of alcohol can lead to severe brain damage. | Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument's conclusion? | [
"Making informed decisions about alcohol reduces the risk of severe brain damage.",
"The brain fully develops around 24 years of age.",
"People over the age of 21 spend more money on alcohol than people under the age of 21.",
"Alcohol can cause severe brain damage after the age of 21."
] | 1 | train_4133 |
In 1987 Fabrico, a clothing manufacturer, sold to its customers a total of 2. 3 million dollars worth of clothing, a 17 percent increase over 1986 sales. In January 1988, however, Fabrico closed one of its clothing factories, citing reduced demand for its products as the major reason. | Which one of the following, if true about 1987, contributes most to a resolution of the apparent discrepancy noted between the sales figures and the reason offered for closing a factory? | [
"Fabrico spent less on capital improvements than it did in 1986, when it added new plant capacity and new equipment.",
"Because of escalating costs for raw materials, prices charged by Fabrico for its products were on average 42 percent higher than they were in 1986.",
"The total worldwide dollar value of cloth... | 1 | train_4134 |
Although China considers him a threat against the state, the Dalai Lama is one of the most popular world leaders according to recent polls. People across the globe respect the Dalai Lama' s commitment to religious harmony, self-determination, and humanistic values. The Dalai Lama believes that gun violence in America c... | Which one of the following best describes the flaw in the author's reasoning? | [
"The argument cites an inappropriate expert.",
"The argument's extreme language detracts from its logical coherence.",
"The argument confuses correlation with causation.",
"The argument makes a hasty generalization."
] | 0 | train_4135 |
Jeff: Proposed regulations concerning the use of animals in scientific experimentation would prohibit experimentation on those species that humans empathize with: dogs and horses, for example. But extensive neurological research on mammals shows that they are all capable of feeling pain, just as dogs and horses are. He... | Which one of the following is a principle that, if established, would best support Jeff's conclusion? | [
"Scientific experimentation should be prohibited on any creature that is capable of feeling pain.",
"Only those experiments on animals that are known to cause those animals pain should be prohibited.",
"Regulations on the use of animals in scientific experimentation should be primarily concerned with respecting... | 0 | train_4136 |
Locust swarms have ravaged much of Suwathia, resulting in the loss of vital agriculture. A multinational company has recently proposed using metarhizium, a fungus that invades the exoskeleton of the locust, causing a swift death. The government of Suwathia argues that the one means of application of metarhizia-from an ... | Which of the following, if true, best argues in favor of the multinational company's plan to drop metarhizium over locust swarms? | [
"Some swarms of locust can cover over 100, 000 square miles.",
"If all of the locusts are not destroyed, Suwathia will lose millions of acres of crops.",
"Only one metarhizia-infected locust is necessary to lead to the demise of an entire swarm, since metarhizia can easily spread within a swarm.",
"An airplan... | 2 | train_4137 |
A certain type of shrimp habitually hovers around superheated deep-sea geysers, near which the bacteria that form the shrimps' diet can be found, Because the geysers emit a faint light, scientists have concluded that the shrimps' light sensitive dorsal patches were developed to locate the geysers and thereby find food. | Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the scientists' conclusion? | [
"The light given off by the geysers too faint to be detected by the human eye",
"In other types of shrimp, a heat-seasing organ has developed that could serve the same geyser-detecting purposes as the light sensitive patches are said to serve.",
"The light to which the shrimps are sensitive is not the sort of l... | 2 | train_4138 |
Between 1977 and 1987, the country of Ravonia lost about 12, 000 jobs in logging and wood processing, representing a 15 percent decrease in employment in the country' s timber industry. Paradoxically, this loss of jobs occurred even as the amount of wood taken from the forests of Ravoinia increased by 10 percent. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox? | [
"In 1977, overall unemployment in Ravonia was approximately 10 percent; in 1987, Ravonia's unemployment rate was 15 percent.",
"Between 1977 and 1987, the total number of acres of timberland in Ravonia fell, while the demand for wood products increased.",
"Since 1 977, a growing proportion of the timber that ha... | 2 | train_4139 |
Statistician: Two major studies found no causal link between medical procedure X and disorder Y, but these studies are flawed. One study looked at 1, 000 people who had undergone procedure X and the other study looked at 1, 100 people who had undergone procedure X. But because disorder Y occurs in only . 02 percent of ... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the statistician's argument? | [
"Researchers should conduct more-extensive studies of procedure X to determine whether the procedure is causally linked with disorder Y.",
"Contrary to the findings of two major studies, there is reason to think that procedure X causes disorder Y.",
"The two studies cited did not reach a conclusion as to whethe... | 3 | train_4140 |
Nuclear reactors are sometimes built in "geologically quiet" regions, so called by geologists because such regions are distant from plate boundaries and contain only minor faults. Since no minor fault in a geologically quiet region produces an earthquake more often than once in any given 100, 000-year period, it follow... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"For any potential nuclear reactor site, the likelihood of being struck by an earthquake is the primary determinant of site safety.",
"Earthquake faults in geologically quiet regions produce earthquakes at least once in 100, 000 years.",
"In a geologically quiet region, every potential nuclear reactor site is n... | 2 | train_4141 |
A popular book argues that people who are successful in business have, without exception, benefited from a lot of luck on their way to success. But this is ridiculous. Anyone who has studied successful people knows that success requires a lot of hard work. | The argument commits which one of the following errors of reasoning? | [
"It treats an effect of something as the cause of that thing.",
"It mistakes the claim that something is required for a purpose for the claim that it is sufficient for that purpose.",
"It takes for granted in a premise what it is trying to prove in its conclusion.",
"It accepts a view as authoritative without... | 1 | train_4142 |
Smithtown University' s fund-raisers succeeded in getting donations from 80 percent of the potential donors they contacted. This success rate, exceptionally high for university fund-raisers, does not indicate that they were doing a good job. On the contrary, since the people most likely to donate are those who have don... | Which of the following, if true, provides more support for the argument? | [
"This year the average size of the donations to Smithtown University from new donors when the university's fund-raisers had contacted was larger than the average size of donations from donors who had given to the university before.",
"This year most of the donations that came to Smithtown University from people w... | 3 | train_4143 |
If the prosecutor wanted to charge Frank with embezzlement, then Frank would already have been indicted. But Frank has not been indicted. So clearly Frank is not an embezzler. | The flawed pattern of reasoning exhibited by which one of the following is most similar to that exhibited by the argument above? | [
"If Barry had won the lottery, he would stay home to celebrate. But Barry did not win the lottery, so he will be in to work today.",
"If Makoto believed that he left the oven on, he would rush home. But Makoto is still at work. So obviously he did not leave the oven on.",
"If Tamara believed she was getting a p... | 1 | train_4144 |
In a learning experiment a researcher ran rats through a maze. Some of the rats were blind, others deaf, others lacked a sense of smell, and others had no sensory deficiencies; yet all the rats learned the task in much the same amount of time. Of the senses other than sight, hearing, and smell, only kinesthesia had not... | The researcher's reasoning is most vulnerable to which one of the following criticisms? | [
"The possibility that the interaction of kinesthesia with at least one other sense is required for maze-learning cannot be ruled out on the basis of the data above.",
"It can be determined from the data that maze-learning in rats depends on at least two sources of sensory stimulation, one of which is kinesthesia,... | 0 | train_4145 |
Zoo director: The city is in a financial crisis and must reduce its spending. Nevertheless, at least one reduction measure in next year' s budget, cutting City Zoo' s funding in half, is false economy. The zoo' s current budget equals less than 1 percent of the city' s deficit, so withdrawing support from the zoo does ... | Which one of the following is the main conclusion of the zoo director's argument? | [
"Reducing spending is the only means the city has of responding to the current financial crisis.",
"The city's educational and cultural climate will be irreparably damaged if the zoo is forced to close.",
"It would be false economy for the city to cut the zoo's budget in half.",
"City Zoo's budget is only a v... | 2 | train_4146 |
Essayist writing in 2012: At its onset, a new medium is limited to carrying content from the old medium it replaces. We are in that phase with e-books -- today' s e-books take their content from print books. Thus it is too early to understand the e-book as a medium, since it has not yet taken its ultimate form. | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the essayist's reasoning? | [
"One medium can replace another only if it can represent richer and more varied content.",
"The ultimate form that a medium will take depends on available technology.",
"A medium cannot be understood without observing the evolution of its content.",
"No electronic medium can resemble a print medium more than ... | 2 | train_4147 |
Marisa: Existing zoning regulations must be loosened; in some places the restrictions on development are now so prohibitive as to reduce the property values of undeveloped areas significantly. Tyne: I disagree. Though it is true that the recent increase in the stringency of zoning regulations could be seen by developer... | Tyne's response to Marisa suggests that Tyne has misinterpreted which one of the following words in Marisa's remarks? | [
"prohibitive",
"regulations",
"values",
"significantly"
] | 2 | train_4148 |
Ramirez: The film industry claims that pirated DVDs, which are usually cheaper than legitimate DVDs and become available well before a film' s official DVD release date, adversely affect its bottom line. But the industry should note what the spread of piracy indicates: consumers want lower prices and faster DVD release... | The argument above relies on which of the following assumptions? | [
"Some people who would otherwise purchase pirated DVDs would be willing to purchase legitimate DVDs if they were less expensive and released earlier than they are now.",
"Current purchasers of pirated DVDs are aware that those DVDs are not authorized by the film industry.",
"Releasing legitimate DVDs earlier wo... | 0 | train_4149 |
The layouts of supermarkets are not accidental: they are part of a plan designed to make customers walk all the way to the back of the store just to pick up a loaf of bread, passing tempting displays the whole way. But supermarkets can alienate customers by placing popular items in the rear; surveys list inconvenience ... | Which one of the following propositions does the passage most precisely illustrate? | [
"Even well-thought-out plans can fail.",
"Distracting customers is not good for business.",
"Manipulation of people can have unwelcome consequences.",
"Alienation of customers is not good for business."
] | 2 | train_4150 |
University administrator: Saying that writing cannot be taught is as silly as saying that playing the violin cannot be taught. Of course writing can be taught. Writing classes have been taught at this university ever since it was founded. | The reasoning in the university administrator's argument is flawed in that the argument | [
"rests entirely on a weak analogy",
"treats a view with contempt instead of offering evidence against it",
"relies on using a key term in two different senses",
"generalizes on the basis of mere speculation"
] | 2 | train_4151 |
If understanding a word always involves knowing its dictionary definition, then understanding a word requires understanding the words that occur in that definition. But clearly there are people -- for example, all babies -- who do not know the dictionary definitions of some of the words they utter. | Which one of the following statements follows logically from the statements above? | [
"If it is possible to understand a word without knowing its dictionary definition, then it is possible to understand a word without having to understand any other word.",
"If some words can be understood without knowing their dictionary definitions, then babies understand some words.",
"Any number of people can... | 3 | train_4152 |
A large group of hyperactive children whose regular diets included food containing large amounts of additives was observed by researchers trained to assess the presence or absence of behavior problems. The children were then placed on a low-additive diet for several weeks, after which they were observed again. Original... | The evidence cited fails to establish the conclusion because | [
"there is no evidence that the behavior of some of the children was unaffected by additives",
"the evidence is consistent with the claim that some children exhibit more frequent behavior problems after being on the low-additive diet than they had exhibited when first observed",
"exactly how many children exhibi... | 3 | train_4153 |
Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much modern technology affords its users renders them dependent on this technology, and, more importantly, on the elaborate energy systems required to run it. This leads to a loss of self-sufficiency. Clearly, then, in addition to undermining life' s charm,... | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the columnist's argument? | [
"Anything causing a loss in life's charm is unjustifiable unless this loss is compensated by some gain.",
"Physical labor is essential to a fulfilling life.",
"People are not free if they must depend on anything other than their own capacities.",
"Self-sufficiency contributes to a person's wellbeing."
] | 3 | train_4154 |
Critic: An art historian argues that because fifteenth- century European paintings were generally more planimetric (that is, two-dimensional with no attempt at suggesting depth) than were sixteenth-century paintings, fifteenth-century painters had a greater mastery of painting than did sixteenth-century painters. Howev... | The argument is flawed in that it | [
"takes a necessary condition for an argument's being inadequate to be a sufficient condition for an argument's being inadequate",
"rejects a position merely because the proponent of the position has other objectionable views",
"bases its conclusion on two claims that contradict each other",
"rejects a positio... | 3 | train_4155 |
The skulls and pelvic bones of some species of dinosaur share characteristics with the skulls and pelvic bones of all modern birds. Even though not all dinosaurs have these characteristics, there are scientists who claim that all animals that do have these characteristics are dinosaurs. | If the statements above and the claim of the scientists are true, which of the following must also be true? | [
"All dinosaurs are birds.",
"Birds share more characteristics with dinosaurs than they do with other animals.",
"All animals whose skulls share the characteristics of those of modem birds also have pelvic bones that are similar to those of modern birds.",
"Modern birds are dinosaurs."
] | 3 | train_4156 |
Julian plays the lottery every day. Julian always manages to buy his daily ticket, but he often struggles to pay his rent. Despite the billion-to-one odds, Julian is always close to hitting the power ball. The Local Lottery Commission' s commercials state that the more lottery tickets an individual purchases, the bette... | What is the flaw in the argument's reasoning? | [
"The argument justifies its conclusion based on a hasty generalization.",
"The argument's extreme language detracts from its logical coherence.",
"The argument confuses correlation with causation.",
"The argument makes several logical leaps and assumptions."
] | 0 | train_4157 |
Several excellent candidates have been proposed for the presidency of United Wire, and each candidate would bring to the job different talents and experience. If the others are compared with Jones, however, it will be apparent that none of them has her unique set of qualifications. Jones, ttherefore, is best qualified ... | The argument is vulnerable to criticism on the ground that it | [
"refutes a distorted version of an opposing position",
"seeks to distinguish one member of a group on the basis of something that applies to all",
"supports a universal claim on the basis of a single example",
"uses flattery to win over those who hold an opposing position"
] | 1 | train_4158 |
Critics worry that pessimistic news reports about the economy harm it by causing people to lose confidence in the economy, of which everyone has direct experience every day. Journalists respond that to do their jobs well they cannot worry about the effects of their work. Also, studies show that people do not defer to j... | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? | [
"Critics who think that the economy is affected by the extent of people's confidence in it are wrong.",
"News reports about the economy are unlikely to have a significant effect on people's opinions about the state of the economy.",
"Pessimistic news reports about such matters as foreign policy, of which people... | 1 | train_4159 |
Dried grass clippings mixed into garden soil gradually decompose, providing nutrients for beneficial soil bacteria. This results in better-than-average plant growth. Yet mixing fresh grass clippings into garden soil usually causes poorer-than-average plant growth. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the difference in plant growth described above? | [
"When a mix of fresh and dried grass clippings is mixed into garden soil, plant growth often decreases.",
"The number of beneficial soil bacteria increases whenever any kind of plant material is mixed into garden soil.",
"Some dried grass clippings retain nutrients originally derived from commercial lawn fertil... | 3 | train_4160 |
Moralist: Immoral actions are those that harm other people. But since such actions eventually harm those who perform them, those who act immorally do so only through ignorance of some of their actions' consequences rather than through a character defect. | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the moralist's argument? | [
"None of those who knowingly harm themselves lack character defects.",
"An action harms those who perform it only if it also eventually harms others.",
"People ignorant of their actions' consequences cannot be held morally responsible for those consequences.",
"Those who, in acting immorally, eventually harm ... | 3 | train_4161 |
The average life expectancy of the population of Japan has risen steadily since 1960 and is now the highest national average in the world, even though heart disease among the Japanese has increased since they began to eat more of the fatty foods typical of the diets of people in Western countries. | Which of the following, if true, best helps to explain the steady rise in life expectancy that is cited above? | [
"Since 1960 the decline in illnesses that kill more Japanese people than does heart disease has been greater than the increase in heart disease.",
"The life-style of some Japanese people includes regular exercise, which is thought to help the heart resist the loss of strength that accompanies aging.",
"The aver... | 0 | train_4162 |
Pizzerias are the only restaurants that routinely record the names, addresses, and menu selections of their customers. Simply by organizing these data, they can easily identify regular, average, and infrequent customers. Ttherefore, pizzerias utilize direct-mail marketing more effectively than do other restaurants. | Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument's conclusion to be properly inferred? | [
"Restaurants other than pizzerias cannot easily identify regular, average, and infrequent customers.",
"Restaurants that routinely record names, addresses, and menu selections of their customers always utilize direct-mail marketing more effectively than do any other restaurants.",
"For restaurants, utilizing di... | 1 | train_4163 |
Philosopher: An event is intentional if it is a human action performed on the basis of a specific motivation. An event is random if it is not performed on the basis of a specific motivation and it is not explainable by normal physical processes. | Which one of the following inferences conforms most closely to the philosopher's position? | [
"Yasuko continued to breathe regularly throughout the time that she was asleep. This was a human action, but it was not performed on the basis of a specific motivation. Ttherefore, her breathing was a random event.",
"Tarik left the keys untouched on the kitchen counter, but he did not do so on the basis of a spe... | 2 | train_4164 |
Competitive figure skaters are judged by panels of up to nine judges, who use a numerical scale with the highest mark being 6. To arrive at a total score, all judges' marks are summed. Competitive divers are judged by panels of five or seven judges using a scale with 10 as the highest mark. Before all judges' marks are... | Which one of the following can be inferred from the passage above? | [
"Currently, there is a greater possibility of bias in the scoring process for competitive figure skating than in that for diving.",
"There is wider disagreement among figure skating judges than among diving judges.",
"It is more likely that a diver will receive a biased total score than that a skater will.",
... | 0 | train_4165 |
Insurgent political parties that are profoundly dissatisfied with the dominant party' s reign and justificatory ideology always produce factions whose views and aims differ as greatly from each other' s as they do from the dominant party' s. Although these factions ignore their own disagreements for the sake of defeati... | Which one of the following is the most logical completion of the argument? | [
"it is impossible for the different factions of a victorious insurgent party to effect the compromises necessary to keep the new party in power",
"no victorious insurgent party ever manages to stay in power for as long as the party it displaces did",
"a victorious insurgent party always faces opposition from th... | 3 | train_4166 |
The initial causes of serious accidents at nuclear power plants have not so far been flaws in the advanced-technology portion of the plants. Rather, the initial causes have been attributed to human error, as when a worker at the Browns Mills reactor in the United States dropped a candle and started a fire, or to flaws ... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the statements above? | [
"No serious accident will be caused in the future by some flaw in the advanced-technology portion of a nuclear power plant.",
"Now that nuclear power generation has become a part of everyday life, an ever-increasing yearly incidence of serious accidents at the plants can be expected.",
"The design of nuclear po... | 3 | train_4167 |
Scientists agree that ingesting lead harms young children. More lead paint remains in older apartment buildings than newer ones because the use of lead paint was common until only two decades ago. Yet these same scientists also agree that laws requiring the removal of lead paint from older apartment buildings will actu... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the scientists' beliefs? | [
"Other sources of lead in older apartment buildings are responsible for most of the lead that children living in these buildings ingest.",
"The money required to finance the removal of lead paint from apartment walls could be spent in ways more likely to improve the health of children.",
"Removing lead paint fr... | 2 | train_4168 |
Unusually large and intense forest fires swept the tropics in 1997. The tropics were quite susceptible to fire at that time because of the widespread drought caused by an unusually strong El Nino, an occasional global weather phenomenon. Many scientists believe the strength of the El Nino was enhanced by the global war... | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the information above? | [
"Forest fires in the tropics are generally larger and more intense than usual during a strong El Nino.",
"If the El Nino in 1997 had not been unusually strong, few if any large and intense forest fires would have swept the tropics in that year.",
"Air pollution was largely responsible for the size and intensity... | 3 | train_4169 |
In Arumville, among those young children with elevated levels of lead in their blood, few live in houses containing lead-based paint, but many live in areas where vehicular traffic is heavy. These children' s elevated blood-lead levels probably result from lead added to gasoline, since, although gasoline sold in and ar... | Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"In Arumville, children's blood-lead levels typically rise during the warm summer months when children frequently play outdoors but not in the winter when children spend more time indoors.",
"Sales of lead-based paint for use in homes was banned in Arumville in 1977.",
"Vehicle traffic in most residential areas... | 0 | train_4170 |
Researcher: People are able to tell whether a person is extroverted just by looking at pictures in which the person has a neutral expression. Since people are also able to tell whether a chimpanzee behaves dominantly just by looking at a picture of the chimpanzee' s expressionless face, and since both humans and chimpa... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the researcher's argument? | [
"Some of the pictures of people used in the experiments were composites of several different people.",
"People are generally unable to judge the dominance of bonobos, which are also primates, by looking at pictures of them.",
"Any common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees would have to have lived over 7 million... | 3 | train_4171 |
Medications with an unpleasant taste are generally produced only in tablet, capsule, or soft-gel form. The active ingredient in medication M is a waxy substance that cannot tolerate the heat used to manufacture tablets because it has a low melting point. So, since the company developing M does not have soft-gel manufac... | The conclusion is most strongly supported by the reasoning in the argument if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Medication M can be produced in liquid form.",
"Most medications with a low melting point are produced in soft-gel form.",
"No medication is produced in both capsule and soft-gel form.",
"Medication M has an unpleasant taste."
] | 3 | train_4172 |
Police chief: During my tenure as chief, crime in this city has fallen by 20 percent. This is clearly the result of my policing strategy, which uses real-time crime data and focuses police resources on the areas with the most crime. | Which one of the following, if true, most calls into question the police chief's explanation for the drop in crime? | [
"The crime rate in the country as a whole fell by about 30 percent during the police chief's tenure.",
"The crime rate in the police chief's city is higher now than it was several decades before the chief's tenure began.",
"The crime rate in the police chief's city is still significantly higher than in many oth... | 0 | train_4173 |
Scientist: A small group of islands near Australia is inhabited by several species of iguana; closely related species also exist in the Americas, but nowhere else. The islands in question formed long after the fragmentation of Gondwana, the ancient supercontinent that included present-day South America and Australia. T... | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the scientist's argument? | [
"A number of animal species that inhabit the islands are not found in the Americas.",
"Genetic analysis indicates that the iguana species on the islands are different in several respects from those found in the Americas.",
"The lineages of numerous plant and animal species found in Australia or in South America... | 3 | train_4174 |
The government of Penglai, an isolated island, proposed eliminating outdoor advertising except for small signs of standard shape that identify places of business. Some island merchants protested that the law would reduce the overall volume of business in Penglai, pointing to a report done by the government indicating t... | Which one of the following describes an error of reasoning in the merchants' argument? | [
"presupposing that there are no good reasons for restricting the use of outdoor advertising in Penglai",
"ignoring the question of whether the government's survey of the island could be objective",
"disregarding the possibility that the government's proposed restrictions are unconstitutional",
"assuming witho... | 3 | train_4175 |
Reducing speed limits neither saves lives nor protects the environment. This is because the more slowly a car is driven, the more time it spends on the road spewing exhaust into the air and running the risk of colliding with other vehicles. | The argument's reasoning is flawed because the argument | [
"fails to consider that if speed limits are reduced, increased driving times will increase the number of cars on the road at any given time",
"neglects the fact that some motorists completely ignore speed limits",
"presumes, without providing justification, that drivers run a significant risk of collision only ... | 3 | train_4176 |
When the economy is in a recession, overall demand for goods and services is low. If overall demand for goods and services is low, bank interest rates are also low. Ttherefore, if bank interest rates are not low, the economy is not in a recession. | The reasoning in which one of the following most closely parallels the reasoning in the argument above? | [
"If pterodactyls flew by flapping their wings, they must have been warm-blooded, so if they were cold-blooded, they must have flown only by gliding, if they flew at all.",
"If you want to put in pleats, you will have to double the amount of material for the skirt, and that means you will have none left for the to... | 2 | train_4177 |
This stamp is probably highly valuable, since it exhibits a printing error. The most important factors in determining a stamp' s value, assuming it is in good condition, are its rarity and age. This is clearly a fine specimen, and it is quite old as well. | The conclusion is properly inferred if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"Most stamps with printing errors are already in the hands of collectors.",
"Rarity and age are of equal importance to a stamp's value.",
"Printing errors are always confined to a few individual stamps.",
"Even old and rare stamps are usually not valuable if they are in poor condition."
] | 2 | train_4178 |
Cotton grass, which grows only in arctic regions, has been the only summertime source of protein available to caribou. Caribou that do not get adequate amounts of protein in the summer are unable to reproduce the following year. Rising average temperatures in arctic regions, however, are causing cotton grass to disappe... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Caribou that do not eat enough protein to reproduce do not live as long as caribou that do",
"The warming trend in arctic regions will not enable other plants capable of providing protein to caribou to grow there.",
"The caribou is the only animal that depends on cotton grass as a major source of food.",
"Co... | 1 | train_4179 |
Driving the steep road to the mountaintop Inca ruins of Machu Picchu is potentially dangerous and hiking there is difficult. Now the Peruvian government is installing a cable car that will make access much easier, and hence result in a large increase in tourism. However, since the presence of large numbers of tourists ... | Which of the following, if true, most seriously calls into question the argument? | [
"The daily number of tourists that are expected to take the cable car to Machu Piccu is smaller than the original resident population of Incas.",
"The construction of the cable car terminal at Machu Picchu will require the use of potentially damaging heavy machinery at the site.",
"Machu Picchu is already one o... | 3 | train_4180 |
Bram Stoker' s 1897 novel Dracula portrayed vampires -- the "undead" who roam at night to suck the blood of living people -- as able to turn into bats. As a result of the pervasive influence of this novel, many people now assume that a vampire' s being able to turn into a bat is an essential part of vampire myths. Howe... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Vampire myths in Central and South America, where real vampire bats are found, portray vampires as able to turn into bats.",
"At the time he wrote Dracula, Stoker was familiar with earlier European vampire myths.",
"At least one of the European vampire myths that predated Stoker's book did not portray vampires... | 3 | train_4181 |
A pharmaceutical company wanted to test a new antistress medication -- Stress-Ex. To do so, they placed an advertisement in the local business magazine asking for highly stressed business executives to take part in a clinical study. Forty such individuals signed up for the study. The participants were asked to rate the... | The evidence cited fails to establish the conclusion because | [
"there is no evidence that using greater quantities of Stress-Ex would reduce stress",
"the study did not clearly determine the long-term effects of Stress-Ex",
"some of the participants' stress levels did not decrease during the study",
"there is no way to know whether stress levels would have gone down with... | 3 | train_4182 |
In the past five years, the percentage of money spent on discovering renewable yet expensive sources of energy has decreased. An increasing amount of money is being spent on developing nonrenewable resources, which are quite inexpensive to obtain. Regrettably, the nonrenewable resources have proven to be impracticable ... | Which one of the following, if true, allows the conclusion above to be properly drawn? | [
"Most of the money spent on developing renewable resources came from private donors.",
"The total investment in all energy resources is at an all time high.",
"The cost of nonrenewable resources is expected to rise in the next five years.",
"The total amount of money spent on developing energy resources has s... | 3 | train_4183 |
Zoologist: Every domesticated large mammal species now in existence was domesticated thousands of years ago. Since those days, people undoubtedly tried innumerable times to domesticate each of the wild large mammal species that seemed worth domesticating. Clearly, ttherefore, most wild large mammal species in existence... | The zoologist's argument requires the assumption that | [
"not all of the large mammal species that were domesticated in the past are still in existence",
"in spite of the difficulties encountered, at one time or another people have tried to domesticate each wild large mammal species",
"of all the domesticated large mammal species in existence today, the very first to... | 3 | train_4184 |
All oceangoing ships carry seawater ballast tanks whose weight improves stability. To maintain the ship' s proper stability, water must be pumped out of these tanks when cargo is loaded and into them when cargo is unloaded. As a result, sea creatures often get into the tanks and are then inadvertently deposited into ne... | Which one of the following is an assumption the argument requires? | [
"Sea creatures have rarely, if ever, wreaked ecological havoc in a new habitat, unless they have been able to survive in that habitat after having been deposited there by oceangoing ships.",
"There are at least some oceangoing ships whose stability could be adequately maintained while emptying and refilling their... | 1 | train_4185 |
Boreal owls range over a much larger area than do other owls of similar size. Scientists have hypothesized that <b> it is scarcity of prey that leads the owls to range so widely. </b>This hypothesis would be hard to confirm directly, since it is not possible to produce a sufficiently accurate count of the populations o... | In the argument given, the two <b> boldfaced </b> portions play which of the following roles? | [
"The first describes a position that the argument opposes; the second states the main conclusion of the argument.",
"The first presents an explanatory hypothesis; the second presents evidence tending to support this hypothesis.",
"The first presents an explanatory hypothesis; the second presents evidence to sup... | 1 | train_4186 |
<b> In countries where automobile insurance includes compensation for whiplash injuries sustained in automobile accidents, reports of having suffered such injuries are twice as frequent as they are in countries where whiplash is not covered. </b> Presently, no objective test for whiplash exists, so it is true that spur... | In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is a claim that the argument disputes; the second is a conclusion that has been based on that claim.",
"The first is a claim that has been used to support a conclusion that the argument accepts; the second is that conclusion.",
"The first is evidence that has been used to support a conclusion for whi... | 3 | train_4187 |
The growing popularity of computer-based activities was widely expected to result in a decline in television viewing, since it had been assumed that people lack sufficient free time to maintain current television-viewing levels while spending increasing amounts of free time on the computer. That assumption, however, is... | In order to evaluate the argument, it would be most useful to determine which of the following? | [
"Whether a large majority of the computer owners in the survey reported spending increasing amounts of time per week using computers",
"Whether the survey collected information about the amount of money respondents spent on free-time media use",
"Whether the amount of time spent watching television is declining... | 3 | train_4188 |
If the country' s income taxes are decreased, the country' s economy will not be strengthened, because many of the country' s public employees would become unemployed, thereby further weakening the country' s economy. | The pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following arguments? | [
"A decrease in taxes on businesses will strengthen the economy because it will encourage businesses to expand employment opportunities, even though many workers will not qualify for the new opportunities.",
"An increase in interest rates will not increase the number of jobs, because increased interest rates will ... | 1 | train_4189 |
Professor Chan: The literature department' s undergraduate courses should cover only true literary works, and not such frivolous material as advertisements. Professor Wigmore: Advertisements might or might not be true literary works but they do have a powerfully detrimental effect on society -- largely because people c... | Which one of the following principles most strongly supports Professor Wigmore's argument? | [
"The literature department's courses ought to enable students to analyze and understand any text that could have a harmful effect on society.",
"Advertisements ought to be framed in such a way that their real messages are immediately clear.",
"All undergraduate students ought to take at least one course that fo... | 0 | train_4190 |
Every year, new reports appear concerning the health risks posed by certain substances, such as coffee and sugar. One year an article claimed that coffee is dangerous to one' s health. The next year, another article argued that coffee has some benefits for one' s health. From these contradictory opinions, we see that e... | Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the argument above? | [
"The argument presumes, without providing justification, that because expert opinion is trustworthy in one case, it must ttherefore be trustworthy in all cases.",
"The argument fails to consider that coffee may be harmful to one's health in some respects and beneficial in others.",
"The argument takes for grant... | 1 | train_4191 |
Though many insects die soon after reproducing for the first time, some may live for years after the survival of the next generation has been secured. Among the latter are some insects that work for the benefit of the ecosystem -- for example, bees. | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the information above? | [
"Insects that do not play a vital role in the ecosystem are more likely to die after reproducing for the first time.",
"Most bees live well beyond the onset of the generation that follows them.",
"Survival of the species, rather than of the individual, is the goal of most insect populations.",
"Those bees tha... | 3 | train_4192 |
From the observation that each member of a group could possess a characteristic, it is fallacious to conclude immediately that it is possible for all the group' s members to possess the characteristic. An example in which the fallacy is obvious: arguing that because each of the players entering a tennis tournament has ... | Which one of the following commits the fallacy described above? | [
"Each of the many nominees could be appointed to any one of the three openings on the committee. Ttherefore it is possible for all of the nominees to be appointed to the openings on the committee.",
"Each of the candidates for mayor appears at first glance to possess the necessary qualifications. It would ttheref... | 0 | train_4193 |
Editorial: An arrest made by a Midville police officer is provisional until the officer has taken the suspect to the police station and the watch commander has officially approved the arrest. Such approval is denied if the commander judges that the evidence on which the provisional arrest is based is insufficient. A go... | In the editorial, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? | [
"The first is a proposal against which the editorial is directed; the second is a judgment reached by the editorial concerning that proposal.",
"The first is a recommendation that the editorial questions; the second provides evidence against that recommendation.",
"The first is a position that the editorial cha... | 0 | train_4194 |
The chemical adenosine is released by brain cells when those cells are active. Adenosine then binds to more and more sites on cells in certain areas of the brain, as the total amount released gradually increases during wakefulness. During sleep, the number of sites to which adenosine is bound decreases. Some researcher... | Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the researchers' hypothesis? | [
"Stress resulting from a dangerous situation can preserve wakefulness even when brain levels of bound adenosine are high.",
"Some areas of the brain that are relatively inactive nonetheless release some adenosine.",
"Even after long periods of sleep when adenosine is at its lowest concentration in the brain, th... | 3 | train_4195 |
Automotive Company President: We spend more money on developing vehicles that produce low emissions than on any other area of research. This shows our concern for the environment. Environmentalist: You have no such concern. Your real concern was revealed in your admission to the press that the consumer demand for vehic... | The environmentalist's conclusion would be properly drawn if it were true that | [
"Automotive Companies cannot have more than one motive for developing vehicles that produce low emissions.",
"The Automotive Company had fewer sales in the last two years.",
"The Automotive Company is concerned about making more money.",
"The Automotive Company has lost market share in the last two years."
] | 0 | train_4196 |
Sociologist: The welfare state cannot be successfully implemented because it rests on the assumption that human beings are unselfish -- a seemingly false assumption. The welfare state is feasible only if wage earners are prepared to have their hard-earned funds used to help others in greater need, and that requires an ... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the sociologist's argument? | [
"The welfare state will not work.",
"The interests of the less fortunate impinge on the interests of others.",
"The assumption that human beings are unselfish is false.",
"The welfare state unfairly asks those who work hard to help those in greater need."
] | 0 | train_4197 |
The population of peregrine falcons declined rapidly during the 1950' s and 1960' s and reached an all-time low in the early 1970' s. The decline was attributed by scientists to the widespread use of the pesticide DDT in rural areas. | Which of the following, if true, gives the strongest support to the scientists' claim? | [
"Peregrine falcons, like other birds of prey, abandon eggs that have fallen out of the nest, even if the eggs remain intact.",
"In the time since the use of DDT was banned in 1972, the population of peregrine falcons has been steadily increasing.",
"DDT was not generally in use in areas devoted to heavy industr... | 1 | train_4198 |
Government official: Currently many business travelers rely on a one-hour flight between the cities, but complain about congestion and delays at the airport. The new high-speed railway between Hamport and Dudley, Aplandia's two major financial hubs, will be able to make the same trip in slightly less than three hours. ... | Which of the following, if true, would most cast doubt on his proposal above? | [
"Several trains will be scheduled throughout the day to accommodate a large demand should the route become popular.",
"The majority of those who commute between Hamportand Dudley say that they will continue doing so once the proposed railway is fully constructed.",
"Twice within the last two decades there have ... | 3 | train_4199 |
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