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[
"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.",
"The mixture is powerful enough to prevent almost everybody who uses it from contracting any further colds."
] | 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 effective cold remedy. Since most people with colds wish to recover quickly, it follows that almost everybody with a cold would be using it. Ttherefore, since there are many people who have colds but do not use the mixture, it is obviously not effective. " | 3 | train_4000 | Each of the following is an assumption required by the skeptical cold sufferer's argument EXCEPT: |
[
"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 price",
"the Cola Commission was originally set up by economists"
] | 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. | 2 | train_4001 | The economist's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it fails to consider the possibility that |
[
"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 response does not effectively address a key reason given in support of the psychology professor's position.",
"The response takes for granted that unless the course textbook is the same the course content will not be the same."
] | 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 professor: I disagree. My applied statistics course covers much of the same material taught in the applied statistics courses in social science departments. In fact, my course uses exactly the same textbook as those courses! | 2 | train_4002 | Which one of the following most accurately describes a questionable aspect of the reasoning in the mathematics professor's response to the psychology professor? |
[
"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 of this company's management has worked in its sales department. So, since no one who has worked in the sales department for more than a year fails to understand marketing, most of this company's upper management understands marketing.",
"All of the bicycle helmets sold in this store have some plastic in them. Most of the bicycle helmets sold in this store have some rubber in them. So, since no helmets that have rubber in them do not also have plastic in them, it follows that most of the helmets in this store that have plastic in them have rubber in them.",
"Each of the avant-garde films at this year's film festival is less than an hour long. Most films less than an hour long do not become commercially successful. So, since no movie less than an hour long has an intermission, it follows that most of the movies at this year's film festival do not have an intermission."
] | 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. | 0 | train_4003 | The pattern of flawed reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the argument above? |
[
"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 population could be controlled by increasing the number of animals that prey on white-footed mice",
"Whether deer ticks that were not infected as larvae can become infected as adults by feeding on deer on which infected deer ticks have fed"
] | 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 increased, more of the larvae would be feeding on uninfected hosts, so the number of ticks acquiring the bacterium would likely decline. | 1 | train_4004 | Which of the following would it be most important to ascertain in evaluating the argument? |
[
"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 of flexible behavior."
] | 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 yet reached a size capable of providing a sufficiently large number of neurons. | 2 | train_4005 | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the statements above? |
[
"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 Frieland greatly increased relative to the use of nonrenewable energy sources."
] | 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. | 1 | train_4006 | If the statements in the passage are true, then which of the following must on the basis of them be true? |
[
"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 industrialized nations.",
"Many manufacturing workers will be unable to make as much money in other fields."
] | 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, industrialized nations have to train their workers to be more productive. | 0 | train_4007 | Which one of the following would most strengthen the above argument? |
[
"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"
] | 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 money from being wasted are useful. If obeyed, the new safety regulations will prevent some accidents, and whenever there is an accident here at the laboratory, money is wasted even if no one is injured. | 3 | train_4008 | A point at issue between P and Q is whether |
[
"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 are rare and hard to find."
] | 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 donated trees are probably consistent with the master plan. | 1 | train_4009 | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? |
[
"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 and a bloody nose.",
"The culex mosquito, a different species of mosquito, is found in some areas in which the anopheles mosquito is found."
] | 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 female anopheles mosquito is when this mosquito can detect any ruptured blood vessels, a state that inevitably results whenever any kind of mosquito bites a person. Ttherefore, assuming one does not have any ruptured blood vessels on their skin before applying SafeZone, that person will not be able to catch malaria for up to twelve hours. | 1 | train_4010 | Which of the following, if true, would argue most against the use of SafeZone in areas in which malaria is endemic? |
[
"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 do not.",
"Children usually benefit from having toys in their environments.",
"The range at which children utter their first sentence typically ranges from 15-months to 30-months."
] | 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 name the color, instead of simply saying, "This is a ball, " no real benefit will be conferred to the child, because studies have shown that children under 18-months old do not grasp the notion of color. | 1 | train_4011 | The pediatrician's argument is most vulnerable to which of the following? |
[
"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 to a charity chosen by a third party.",
"If a driver causes an accident because the automobile being driven was not properly maintained, that driver should be required from then on to regularly demonstrate that his or her automobile is being properly maintained.",
"If a factory is found to have been recklessly violating pollution laws, that factory should be required to make the expenditures necessary to bring it into compliance with those laws to the satisfaction of the regulators."
] | 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. | 1 | train_4012 | Which one of the following conforms most closely to the principle illustrated 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 to other theses can be indirectly confirmed by the direct verification of the others."
] | 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 to the other two, is not directly confirmable. But the fact that the theory in general is supported by experimental results indirectly confirms the contraction thesis. | 3 | train_4013 | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the principle underlying the reasoning 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' experience do the zoologists have in evaluating patterns of extinction among animals?"
] | 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 vanishing between 1900 and 1970, but since 1970, the local populations of these raptors have rebounded. | 0 | train_4014 | The answer to which of the following questions provides information that would be most helpful in evaluating the argument above? |
[
"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 reading or hearing it to acquire a false belief.",
"To make statements that impart only a small proportion of the information in one's possession should not necessarily be regarded as deceptive.",
"It is morally wrong to make a true statement in a manner that will deceive hearers or readers of the statement into believing that it is false."
] | 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, calorie for calorie, they are no more fattening than celery. True, but it would take a whole shopping cart full of celery to equal a chocolate pie' s worth of calories. Advertiser: This advertisement cannot be called deceptive. It is, after all, true. | 0 | train_4015 | Which one of the following principles, if established, would do most to support the consumer advocate's position against the advertiser's response? |
[
"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 opinions are not the same for everyone",
"there are television viewers who might refuse to watch television talk shows that they knew would be controversial and disturbing"
] | 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 goods. Because they must attempt to capture the largest possible share of the television audience for their shows, they air only those shows that will appeal to large numbers of people. As a result, political opinions and analyses aired on television talk shows are typically bland and innocuous. | 3 | train_4016 | An assumption made in the explanation offered by the author of the passage is that |
[
"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 changed significantly since fife first began."
] | 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 acids do not form readily and tend to break apart when they do form. Scientists now believe that Earth' s atmosphere was actually rich in oxygen and lean in nitrogen at the time life began. | 0 | train_4017 | 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? |
[
"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 who increase their consumption of meat will not radically decrease their consumption of grain."
] | 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 income continues to rise, whereas domestic grain production will not increase, Gartland will soon have to import either grain or meat or both. | 3 | train_4018 | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? |
[
"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.",
"The highway began charging higher tolls when it switched to electronic toll paying."
] | 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 highway did not decrease measurably. | 1 | train_4019 | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above? |
[
"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 amphibians were to live in habitats that shield them from ultraviolet radiation.",
"Populations of modern amphibians are not able to adapt to changing levels of radiation as readily as populations of early amphibians were."
] | 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 atmosphere. | 1 | train_4020 | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? |
[
"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 transportation a viable means of transportation to jobs and stores for far more people.",
"Traffic congestion is an especially serious problem for people for whom cars are the only viable means of transportation."
] | 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 change their driving habits in response to higher gasoline prices. | 2 | train_4021 | 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? |
[
"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",
"the overnight service is too expensive to be attractive to most customers currently",
"competing companies' delivery services rarely deliver packages to their destination earlier than their promised time"
] | 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 following day anyway. The company plans to encourage sales of its next-day service by intentionally delaying delivery of its two-day packages so that they will not be delivered the following day, even if the package arrives at its destination city in time for next-day delivery. | 0 | train_4022 | The company's plan assumes that |
[
"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 the major media of exchange for both goods and services.",
"They considered porpoise teeth valuable, and these were generally threaded on strings to be worn as jewelry.",
"During festivals they exchanged strings of cowrie-shell money with each other as part of a traditional ritual that honored their elders."
] | 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 daily on the beaches to which the Kwara' ae had access. | 0 | train_4023 | Which one of the following, if true about the Kwara'ae, best serves to resolve the apparently conflicting positions cited above? |
[
"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 in the recent study who did not eat fish were significantly more likely to eat red meat several times per week than were those who did eat fish.",
"The test subjects in the recent study who ate fish twice a week were not significantly more likely than those who did not to engage regularly in activities known to augment cardiorespiratory health."
] | 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 fish twice a week are nearly 30 percent less likely to develop heart disease than are those who do not eat fish. | 3 | train_4024 | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? |
[
"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 government must place significant restrictions on who can purchase StateRail to ensure that citizens of Country F will gain majority ownership. However, any such restrictions will reduce the price the government receives for StateRail.",
"The government will sell StateAir, a state-owned airline. The highest bid received was from a corporation that was owned entirely by citizens of Country F when the bid was received. Shortly after the bid was received, however, noncitizens purchased a minority share in the corporation.",
"The government will sell PetroNat, a state-owned oil company. World Oil Company has made one of the highest offers for PetroNat, but World Oil's ownership structure is so complex that the government cannot determine whether citizens of Country F have majority ownership."
] | 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 majority ownership of the resulting company for at least one year after the sale. | 1 | train_4025 | 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? |
[
"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 an area in which there is no better guide to the truth than expert judgment.",
"It bases a firm conclusion about a state of affairs in the present on somewhat speculative claims about a future state of affairs."
] | 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 of art for future generations. A few months after being sold by the museum, those paintings were resold, in an otherwise stagnant art market, at two to three times the price paid to the museum. Clearly, these prices settle the issue, since they demonstrate the correctness of the critics' evaluation. | 1 | train_4026 | The reasoning in the argument is vulnerable to the criticism that the argument does which one of the following? |
[
"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, than can vinyl records.",
"CDs provide greater artistic latitude than do vinyl records."
] | 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 -- cannot have especially loud, high-pitched, or low-pitched passages. The CD suffers no such limitations, leaving artists free to end recordings with any song. | 3 | train_4027 | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument? |
[
"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 is no different from that for whiplash caused by an auto accident."
] | 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 a fall, a bump on the head, or even by being shoved from behind. That is why you should insist on receiving Lakeside Injury Clinic' s complete course of treatment for whiplash after any accident that involves a fall or a bump on the head. | 1 | train_4028 | Which one of the following, if true, provides the strongest basis for criticizing the reasoning in the advertisement? |
[
"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 preventing the damage.",
"Not all businesses need to share data among their internal computer systems."
] | 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 a program known as a "virus, " the vandal can then destroy much of the data on all the computers. If such a business introduced minor variations into its operating system software, unauthorized access to all the computers at the same time could be virtually eliminated. Furthermore, variations in operating system software can be created without any loss of computer compatibility to the business. Ttherefore, it is advisable for businesses to implement such variations. | 2 | train_4029 | Which one of the following, if true, supports the conclusion in the passage? |
[
"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 likely that people without political power will suffer from economic crises than it is that people in power will.",
"Economic crises become more frequent as the amount of information available to the population about factors determining its welfare decreases."
] | 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, these countries are likely to experience more frequent economic crises than other countries do. | 3 | train_4030 | The conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? |
[
"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 treatment X."
] | 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 treatment Y. | 1 | train_4031 | Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken 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 clinical psychology is a science, then it follows that clinical psychology relies heavily on mathematics. But clinical psychology does not rely heavily on mathematics. So clinical psychology is not a science.",
"If all classes are canceled today, then it follows that today is a holiday and the library is closed. But today is not a holiday. So some classes are not canceled, or the library is open.",
"If all medical research is significant, and this research is medical, then it follows that this research is significant. But this research is actually of no significance. So not all medical research is significant, and this research is not medical."
] | 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. | 0 | train_4032 | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its pattern of reasoning to the argument 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 that have been straightened and used for cloth are curled up again by high temperatures, they cannot be straightened again."
] | 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 fibers are artificially straightened prior to being made into cloth. High temperatures cause all fibers in cloth to return to their original states. | 1 | train_4033 | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information 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 number of students from Markland increased and the number of students from outside Markland decreased.",
"If it had not been for the high tuition paid by students from outside Markland, the college could not have improved its academic standards over the past 10 years."
] | 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 proportion of students who are not Marklanders has dropped to around 40 percent. | 0 | train_4034 | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the statements above? |
[
"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 throughout the country"
] | 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 year after the train system was complete, there were approximately 100, 000 riders using the high-speed train system. The citizens of Country G were ecstatic about the success of the train system. | 2 | train_4035 | It can properly be inferred from the passage that Country G believes that the train system is a success |
[
"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"
] | 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. | 3 | train_4036 | The reasoning above is flawed in that it |
[
"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.",
"The clergy occasionally stuck broadsides warning about the danger of strong drink on the doors of seventeenth-century alehouses.",
"Some seventeenth-century ballad sellers also sold sermons printed in pamphlet form."
] | 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, and it is known that many people purchased such compositions, it is not known why they did so, nor is it known how their own beliefs related to what they read. | 0 | train_4037 | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? |
[
"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 necessarily undermined by historical inaccuracies."
] | 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 fascinating and illuminating both aesthetically and morally, regardless of its relation to historical fact. | 3 | train_4038 | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the argument above? |
[
"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"
] | 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 research has shown that the activity of these white blood cells is stimulated by beneficial chemicals produced by the brain as a result of magnanimous behavior. | 0 | train_4039 | The statements above, if true, support the view that |
[
"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.",
"The first is a conclusion drawn in order to support the main conclusion of the argument; the second is that main conclusion.",
"The first is a judgment that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes; the second is the main conclusion of the argument."
] | 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 slightly higher than that of traditional cork stoppers. Cork prices, however, are expected to rise dramatically in the near future. Clearly, ttherefore, <b> winemakers who still use cork but wish to keep production costs from rising will be forced to reconsider plastic stoppers </b>. And since the wine-buying public' s association of plastic stoppers with poor-quality wine is weakening, <b> there is an excellent chance that the Bottlemaster plastic stopper will gain an increased share of the marked for wine-bottle stoppers </b>. | 2 | train_4040 | In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? |
[
"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 easily removed from the bloodstream than are LDLs."
] | 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 prevent coronary heart disease and stroke. First, aerobic exercise increases one' s level of HDLs. Second, HDL levels are higher in women than in men. And both aerobic exercise and being female are positively correlated with lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. | 3 | train_4041 | Each of the following, if true, strengthens the argument EXCEPT: |
[
"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 repeatedly informed of the need to repair this stretch for several years.",
"A person who was not paying attention to road signs runs into the ditch when the highway curves sharply."
] | 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. It is proposed that the Transportation Division should be liable for accidents on the highway only if they knew about the hazard beforehand and carelessly failed to manage it. Which one of the following describes any accidents for which the U. S. | 1 | train_4042 | Highway Transportation Department is now liable, but should not be according to the proposed change cited 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 refrigerator within the past week. Ttherefore, she purchased all the food in her apartment within the past week.",
"The only food in Diane's apartment is in her refrigerator. All the food she purchased within the past week is in her refrigerator. Ttherefore, she purchased all the food in her apartment within the past week.",
"Diane's refrigerator, and all the food in it, is in her apartment. Diane purchased all the food in her refrigerator within the past week. Ttherefore, she purchased all the food in her apartment within the past week."
] | 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. | 1 | train_4043 | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above? |
[
"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 population-driven growth in volumes of traffic often has the effect of making travel less safe despite the passage of new traffic laws.",
"Certain governments restrict imports in order to keep domestic producers in business. But, since domestic producers do not have to face the full force of foreign competition, some domestic producers are able to earn inordinately high profits.",
"Certain governments subsidize theaters in order to attract foreign tourists. But tourists rarely choose a destination for the theatrical performances it has to offer."
] | 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. | 0 | train_4044 | 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? |
[
"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 into account that there may be other ways to stop the decrease in profits."
] | 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 expansion or to eliminate some less profitable existing operations. | 3 | train_4045 | Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw, in the company president's reasoning? |
[
"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, they need to live without killing their host or else not reproduce and infect other individuals before their own host dies.",
"A parasite drains part of the vitality of its host by drawing nourishment from the host."
] | 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. | 0 | train_4046 | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to reconcile the discrepancy indicated above? |
[
"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 Harrisville had been captured and incarcerated.",
"During each of the last six year period, retention and graduation rates at the local high schools have increased.",
"Of the seventy similar sized cities in this and neighboring states, 40% reported some drop in the crime rate over the last four years."
] | 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 been the lowest in the seventy years on record, with the significant drop in crimes by career criminals. | 1 | train_4047 | 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? |
[
"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 emotional or financial costs on others.",
"People who have important ties to others have a personal obligation not to put their own health at risk."
] | 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 puts one' s own health at risk. | 1 | train_4048 | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most undermines the reasoning in Meade's argument? |
[
"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 fact advanced the claim Tom cites"
] | 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 ignored. Mary: High courts have repudiated precedents in the past, but they were careful to do so only when the previous rulings were old and had clearly become outdated. The recently overturned rulings were themselves recent. Overturning any recent legal ruling diminishes the law, which comes to be viewed as unstable and capricious. | 2 | train_4049 | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the point at issue between Tom and Mary? |
[
"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 allergic reactions to certain chemicals found in many sunblocks."
] | 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 person is exposed to strong sunlight for a significant length of time. | 1 | train_4050 | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the recommendation that people wear adequate sunblock? |
[
"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.",
"The first is a false conclusion based on an incorrect premise; the second is the revised conclusion drawn from the corrected premise."
] | 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 the 2000s, experimenters used special computer-enhanced measurements of the water in which dolphins were swimming. Through mathematical modeling, they were able to measure the force dolphins exert with their tails. As it turns out, dolphins exert considerably more force with their tails than Sir James Gray or anybody else ever expected. <b> Ttherefore, the force exerted by their tails easily explains how fast they swim and accelerate. </b> | 3 | train_4051 | In the argument, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? |
[
"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 are increasingly likely to work in group practices, sharing the responsibility of night and weekend work.",
"Most patients would rather trust their physicians than their insurance companies to make decisions about their treatment."
] | 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 now prevent them from spending enough time with patients. Yet the average amount of time a patient spends with a physician during an office visit has actually increased somewhat over the last ten years. | 1 | train_4052 | Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy between physicians' perceptions and the change in the actual time spent? |
[
"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 Earth, Jupiter's atmosphere is warmed by the planet's internal heat source."
] | 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 winds reach speeds many times those of winds found on Earth. | 3 | train_4053 | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the facts cited above about Jupiter and its winds? |
[
"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 citizens already wear their seatbelts.",
"On particularly dangerous roads in Thoracic County, vehicular accidents of all kinds are common."
] | 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 seatbelt. | 3 | train_4054 | Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the argument above? |
[
"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 mathematically precise results that are not inherently suspect.",
"The study of verbal and nonverbal communication is an area where one cannot expect great precision in one's research results."
] | 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 precision is unobtainable in many areas of life, it is commonplace in others. Many scientific disciplines obtain extremely precise results, which should not be doubted merely because of their precision. | 2 | train_4055 | The statements above provide the most support for holding that Sandra would disagree with Taylor about which one of the following statements? |
[
"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."
] | 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 a certification course. However, all employees must complete a mandatory class on insider trading. | 2 | train_4056 | If the statements above are correct, which of the following must not be true? |
[
"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 he claims it is."
] | 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. | 3 | train_4057 | The argument's conclusion can be properly inferred if which one of the following is assumed? |
[
"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 final conclusion.",
"It serves to cast doubt on an alleged similarity between Newton's Principia and recent scientific research.",
"It is cited as further evidence for the conclusion that the barriers to communication between scientists and the public are not impermeable."
] | 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 communication between scientists and the public are not impermeable. Thus recent scientific research, most of which also can be described only in language that seems esoteric to most contemporary readers, may also become part of everyone' s intellectual heritage. | 1 | train_4058 | 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? |
[
"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 institutions are usually partially responsible for most of the details of daily operations."
] | 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 administration to focus on institution-wide issues without being overwhelmed by the details of daily operations. | 1 | train_4059 | The statements above most strongly support which one of the following? |
[
"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 decreases having been achieved in the first three months.",
"Participants with the kit were more likely to avoid foods that lower cholesterol level."
] | 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 cholesterol levels. | 1 | train_4060 | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the study's finding? |
[
"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"
] | 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 so much work and spend so much time in the shop -- would never be accepted. | 2 | train_4061 | The reasoning technique employed by the psychologist is that of attempting to undermine an argument by |
[
"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 taught",
"takes for granted that students who are indifferent to the grades they receive are genuinely interested in the curricular material"
] | 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, ttherefore, serves no essential academic purpose. | 2 | train_4062 | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the 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 Mexico was in parts shipped to the companies' newly relocated subsidiaries for assembly and subsequent shipment back to the United States",
"the amount of Mexican goods shipped to the United States remained the same as it had been before the tariff reductions"
] | 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, because __ | 2 | train_4063 | Which of the following, if true, most logically completes the politician's argument? |
[
"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"
] | 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 interaction with them. | 2 | train_4064 | Ralph responds to Laura by pointing out that |
[
"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.",
"University professors who have not failed to perform important parts of their jobs are not usually denied tenure."
] | 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. | 0 | train_4065 | The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? |
[
"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 less thoroughly.",
"The cost of starting a space project increases every year."
] | 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. | 0 | train_4066 | Which one of the following, if true, provides the most support for the reasoning above? |
[
"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"
] | 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 have saved at least $4 million by now. Councillor Simon: Your own financial reports inform us that $26 million in 1982 dollars is equivalent to $37 million in 1992 dollars. Adding that difference to the money Roseville has saved by not having to maintain an underutilized courthouse for ten years, we can only view the delay as a financial boon for Roseville. | 2 | train_4067 | A point at issue between Mayor Tyler and Councillor Simon is whether |
[
"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 that pushes the pulse no higher than 60 percent of the maximum pulse rate.",
"The effect that a period of cycling has on the mood of professional cyclists tends to depend at least in part on how intense the cycling is."
] | 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. Most members of Group A reported being less depressed and angry afterward. Most members of Group B did not report these benefits. Most members of Group C reported feeling worse in these respects than before the exercise. | 3 | train_4068 | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? |
[
"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."
] | 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 from oil, which in turn comes from ancient plants -- a natural source. | 0 | train_4069 | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the nylon industry spokesperson's reasoning? |
[
"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 economically competitive.",
"For our nation to be competitive, our secondary school curriculum must include more rigorous study than it now does."
] | 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 school produces only short-term gains and may cause young children to burn out on schoolwork. Using very young students as pawns in the race to make the nation economically competitive is unfair and may ultimately work against us. | 0 | train_4070 | Which one of the following can be inferred from the parent's statements? |
[
"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 only form of psychotherapy that focuses primarily on changing the patient's conscious beliefs.",
"No form of psychotherapy that focuses on changing the patient's unconscious beliefs and desires can be effective unless it also helps change beliefs that are under the patient's direct conscious control."
] | 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 under the patient' s direct conscious control. | 1 | train_4071 | Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the therapist's argument? |
[
"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 hall.",
"A well-publicized plan is being considered by the city government that would convert the existing concert hall into a public auditorium and build a new concert hall nearby.",
"Before any of the survey questions were asked, the respondents were informed that the survey was sponsored by a group that advocates replacing the existing concert hall."
] | 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 provide these features, most of them opposed the idea of tearing down the existing structure and replacing it with a concert hall with wider seats and better acoustics. | 2 | train_4072 | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the apparent conflict in the concertgoers' views, as revealed by the survey? |
[
"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 formulate statutes are not primarily concerned with morality when they do so."
] | 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 exceptions. | 1 | train_4073 | Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the jurist's statements? |
[
"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"
] | 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 juries are empowered to acquit on grounds of their perceptions of unfairness, they too often make serious mistakes. | 1 | train_4074 | 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? |
[
"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 implementation of the proposal being argued against would be impossible",
"using specific examples in order to show that an alternative to the proposal being argued against would better achieve the ends to which the original proposal was directed"
] | 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: just imagine trying to list every synthetic fertilizer used to grow the grass and grain the cows ate, or every fungicide used to keep the grain from spoiling! | 1 | train_4075 | The argument proceeds by |
[
"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 to buying its own. But since boats can be used for other purposes during the fishing season, it has made the wrong decision.",
"Max's mechanic thinks there is a crack in the left cylinder head of Max's car and wants to remove the engine to check. Such a diagnostic engine removal would cost about $175, even if the cylinder head does not need replacement. But if the cylinder head is cracked and is not replaced, the engine will be ruined. So Max should have the mechanic check for the crack.",
"Bulk Fruit Company is deciding whether to market a new hybrid fruit. It is enthusiastic about the idea, since research suggests that people will come to like this fruit. Ttherefore, it is in the long-term interest of the company to market the hybrid fruit."
] | 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 for higher rents. So the owners should make the improvements. | 0 | train_4076 | The reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to the reasoning in the argument above? |
[
"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 of journalism holds that debate over controversial issues draws the attention of the public.",
"The areas of knowledge on which journalists report are growing in specialization and diversity, while journalists themselves are not becoming more broadly knowledgeable."
] | 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. | 2 | train_4077 | Each of the following, if true, helps to explain the trend in journalism described above EXCEPT: |
[
"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 themselves in situations in which their vocabularies seem inadequate.",
"The most articulate people are people who have large vocabularies but also are able to express themselves creatively when the situation demands it."
] | 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 language in a truly articulate way. | 2 | train_4078 | Which one of the following is an assumption made in the argument? |
[
"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 Anthropology.",
"The field of Area Studies has fewer than 50 people per year available for hire.",
"The field of Area Studies has at least 50 people per year available for hire."
] | 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 will duplicate more than 25 percent of the material covered in our existing Anthropology Department. However, we will fund the new department. | 3 | train_4079 | Which one of the following statements follows logically from the university administrator's statements? |
[
"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 vision test for obtaining a driver's license ensures that most licensed drivers have adequate vision for night driving"
] | 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 vision plays a role in 80 percent of these accidents. | 1 | train_4080 | The main point of the argument is that |
[
"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 enough to destroy lithium."
] | 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 completely by converting it to helium. Accordingly, any star found that contains no lithium is not one of these coolest brown dwarfs. | 3 | train_4081 | The argument depends on assuming which one of the following? |
[
"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 true as if that evidence establishes the certainty of the conclusion"
] | 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 definitely not a streptococcal infection either. | 3 | train_4082 | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument |
[
"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 undoubtedly a certain thrill associated with driving these cars, their small size makes them incapable of transporting any but the smallest amounts of cargo.",
"It is unwise to use highway maintenance funds for construction of new roads. There is some immediate benefit from new roads, but if these funds are not used for maintenance, the total maintenance cost will be greater in the long run.",
"Although insecticides are effective in ridding the environment of insect pests, they often kill beneficial insects at the same time. Since these beneficial insects are so important, we must find other ways to combat insect pests."
] | 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. | 2 | train_4083 | Which one of the following arguments illustrates a principle most similar to the principle underlying the argument above? |
[
"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 give drivers a clear view of road edges",
"presenting a possible alternative method for decreasing road accidents"
] | 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 drive close to the road edge more frequently on roads that are marked with reflecting posts than on similar roads without posts, and those are driving behaviors that cause road accidents. | 0 | train_4084 | Aiesha responds to Adam's argument by |
[
"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"
] | 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. | 1 | train_4085 | The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Ana and Pankaj disagree over whether |
[
"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 revealed that big cats exhibit the most brain activity when stimulated."
] | 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. | 1 | train_4086 | Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the zookeeper's argument? |
[
"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 expectancy of relatively light smokers is lower than that of people who have never smoked at all."
] | 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 when such people give up drinking. | 0 | train_4087 | Which one of the following most helps to reconcile the discrepancy described 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 dioxide turns limewater milky and this gas is oxygen, it will not turn limewater milky."
] | 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. | 0 | train_4088 | Which one of the following has a logical structure most like that of the argument above? |
[
"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 that if the accusations of graft are unfounded, so is any accusation of corruption"
] | 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. | 0 | train_4089 | The reasoning in the police captain's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument |
[
"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."
] | 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 debatable for single-vessel disease. | 1 | train_4090 | The cardiologist's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? |
[
"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 with each successive trial during the first few years of reproduction."
] | 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 they themselves are a year later. This cannot be a mere matter of size and strength, since blackbirds, like the great majority of birds, are fully grown when they leave the nest. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that they benefit by their nesting experience. | 3 | train_4091 | Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument? |
[
"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 helpful in quitting have quit.",
"People who use nicotine skin patches have approximately the same rate of success in quitting smoking as do people who use other aids aimed at helping people to quit smoking."
] | 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 will be equally expensive, patch manufacturers are nevertheless predicting that the patches' new nonprescription status will boost sales, which have slowed considerably in recent years. | 1 | train_4092 | Which of the following, if true in Borania, most strongly supports the manufacturers' prediction? |
[
"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 only when the population of P. australis is extraordinarily large.",
"P. australis cannot survive in large numbers in seawater that does not contain significant quantities of domoic acid along with numerous other compounds."
] | 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 normal for local coastal waters indicates that it is once again safe to eat locally caught anchovies. | 2 | train_4093 | Which one of the following, if true, would most help to explain why it is now safe to lift the advisory? |
[
"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 of beached cephalopods, which are common in the waters of the coast of Mycondia."
] | 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 upon shore. ApexCo's public relations claim that while some of the by-products are clearly harmful to aquatic life, the lack of Peterson's loggerhead turtles that are washed ashore suggest that not all the aquatic life there is adversely affected. | 1 | train_4094 | Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument employed by ApexCo's public relations firm? |
[
"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 are replicated."
] | 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 anything from careless reporting practices to fraud, is not harmful. It will be exposed and rendered harmless when other scientists conduct the experiments and obtain disconfirmatory results. | 3 | train_4095 | Which one of the following, if true, would weaken 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 that lead to a self-contradiction"
] | 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, that of conducting limited-gravity experiments, even though such experiments can be done in an alternative way. It is, ttherefore, abundantly clear that the space station should not be built. | 2 | train_4096 | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument |
[
"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 their jobs during that recession.",
"Workers who lose their jobs during a recession are likely to get equally good jobs when the economy recovers."
] | 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 and an expansion of business activity that creates a need for additional workers. But businesspeople generally have little confidence in the economy after a recession and ttherefore delay hiring additional workers as long as possible. | 0 | train_4097 | The statements above, if true, provide most support for which one of the following conclusions? |
[
"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 of the frustrations involved in learning a new skill. Thus, although it is fine to try to learn a skill quickly, one is more likely to learn a skill if one first learns to enjoy the process of acquiring it.",
"Personal charm is often confused with virtue. Thus, while there is nothing wrong with befriending a charming person, anyone who does so should realize that a charming friend is not necessarily a good and loyal friend.",
"Most people have little tolerance for boastfulness. Thus, although one's friends may react positively when hearing the details of one's accomplishments, it is unlikely that their reactions are entirely honest."
] | 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 prestige, not quality. | 2 | train_4098 | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above? |
[
"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 released.",
"The researchers released the deer mouse in a flat area across which their campfire smoke drifted."
] | 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 kilometers away, the deer mouse found its way back to its nest near their camp in less than two days. | 3 | train_4099 | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain how the deer mouse might have found its way back to its nest? |