Question 1

In a survey of 2,000 high school teachers, the majority of the teachers gave lack of lesson planning time as their top complaint. Therefore, despite popular opinion, teachers are not underpaid, as this was not their top complaint.
Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A)Part of the reason teachers complain of a lack of lesson planning time is that they must complete their lesson planning during their free, unpaid, time.
B)Teachers also complained of a lack of training opportunities.
C)Teachers do not have a high salary, and many jobs requiring a comparable education and skill level pay much more.
D)The teachers in the survey worked in a variety of school districts, some of which pay much more than others.
E)Workers are not likely to complain about their jobs unless they feel their jobs are secure, and many teachers across the country have been laid off recently.

Accepted Answer

The answer that most seriously weakens the passage's argument is that part of the reason teachers complain of a lack of lesson planning is that they must use their free time, which is unpaid. If part of the reason for ranking a lack of planning time so highly on the list of complaints has to do with using unpaid time, then the assertion that teachers are not underpaid or do not complain about their pay does not hold, and the reasoning is undermined.

Question 2

In August, the desert city of Rojo saw greater rainfall than in any other August on record. However, by September, city officials became alarmed that the city's water supply was critically low, prompting the city to issue water restrictions for all residents.
Which one of the following, if true, helps explain why the city's water supply was so low even after August's rainfall?
A)Rojo residents have always been careful about their use of water due to their location in the desert.
B)The heavy rains in August prompted residents to use more water than they had in previous years.
C)The city had instituted a more moderate quota on water usage in February.
D)People had less need to water their lawns than is normally the case because of the heavy rains in August
E)August is a popular time for Rojo residents to take a vacation, and the city's population actually decreased temporarily.

Accepted Answer

A possible explanation for the city's water supply becoming low even after August's rainfall is that the heavy rains prompted residents to use more water than they had in previous years. The passage describes a situation where the results are opposite than most would expect: more rainfall resulted in a lower supply of water. The correct answer must explain how that could be the case. B is the only answer that provides an explanation. If people used more water due to the heavy rainfall, then the water supply could have fallen despite the additional rain.

Question 3

Law professor: "I am hiring a law student as a research assistant for an article on the intersection between copyright law and patent law. The student must be in the top 10% of the class and have taken an intellectual property law course or a patent law course. The student must also have a bachelor's degree in a science field, such as chemistry or biology, or five years of work experience in a science related field."
Which of the following applicants meets the requirement for the position?
A)Max graduated with a bachelor's degree in chemistry from an Ivy League university and was the top student in his intellectual property law class.
B)Monica holds a Bachelor of Science in biology and before law school she worked as a researcher for an AIDS foundation for ten years.
C)Laura is in the top 5% of the class and has a Bachelor of Arts in history. She has taken patent law.
D)Eduardo is ranked #19 in a class of 200 but received the lowest grade for his patent law class. He also completed a BS in environmental science but never worked in the field.
E)Tania was #1 in both intellectual property law and patent law last year, and finished a Bachelor's in neuroscience summa cum laude.

Accepted Answer

Eduardo, who is ranked #19 in a class of 200, took patent law, and completed a BS in environmental science, fulfills the requirements for the position. While it may seem as though some of the other applicants are better qualified, Eduardo is the only one who fulfills every requirement listed in the advertisement. He is in the top 10% of his class, has taken either patent law or intellectual property law, and has a Bachelor's degree in a science related field.

Question 4

The average person today spends approximately ten hours a week watching TV, and the average household has three televisions. Thirty years ago, the average person spent twenty hours a week watching TV, but the average house only had one television.
Each of the following, if true, helps resolve the apparent discrepancy above EXCEPT:
A)Televisions are difficult to dispose of or recycle, so many people keep televisions even if they are not in use.
B)There were fewer TV channels thirty years ago, and most Americans only watched mainstream programming, thus needing fewer television sets.
C)The statistics for television watching today do not include television programs watched online or on DVDs.
D)Many Americans today have larger houses with guest rooms with television sets that are rarely, if ever, used.
E)The quality of television programming has decreased over the past thirty years, making it less popular than movies or video games.

Accepted Answer

Television programming quality decreasing over the past thirty years does not explain the discrepancy in the passage. All other answers explain why there are more televisions that are not being watched (A and D); less need for multiple TVs thirty years ago (B); or why the statistics may not be entirely reliable (C). A decrease in the quality of television programs does not explain why there would be more TVs in homes today despite a decrease in television's popularity.

Question 5

Pundit: "Recent cuts to the food stamp program are regrettable but will not have a large effect. For the past two years, food stamp benefits have been cut by 5% each year. This year's 5% cut is the same as in previous years, giving us no reason to believe that the effects will be any more severe. Food stamp beneficiaries have adjusted to the previous cuts and learned to shop more efficiently. They will successfully do the same this year."
The pundit's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on which of the following grounds?
A)The pundit does not take into account that the proposed cut's dollar amount is lower than that of previous years.
B)The pundit relies without justification on the probability that the economy will improve.
C)The pundit does not raise the issue of whether the food stamp program should exist at all.
D)The pundit does not answer why the food stamp program is repeatedly targeted for cuts.
E)The pundit fails to consider the cumulative effect of the cuts and recognize that the effects for a third year of cuts could be more severe than that of previous years.

Accepted Answer

The pundit's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism because it fails to consider the cuts' cumulative effect and recognize that the impact of a third year of cuts could be more severe than that of previous years.

Question 6

Doctoral programs have low graduation rates, and by some estimates, as many as 50% of entrants fail to complete their doctorates. This is one of the reasons why doctoral programs need to shorten their time to completion. In the humanities, a Ph.D. can take nine or ten years to complete, meaning that students spend a long time earning little money. It is next to impossible for students to focus on their field for ten years on meager salaries when they have financial and familial obligations that can distract them from their ultimate goal. Doctoral programs are only valuable if they can produce future successful academics, and they are currently failing to meet this goal.
The claim that doctoral programs need to shorten their time to completion fulfills which of the following roles of the argument?
A)It is what the argument tries to establish.
B)It provides essential support for the main point.
C)It provides evidence that Ph.D. programs are not valuable.
D)It is background information not relevant to the main point of the passage.
E)It is an example of how humanities Ph.D. programs are failing their students.

Accepted Answer

The claim that doctoral programs need to shorten their time to completion is what the argument tries to establish. All other aspects of the passage, including that doctoral students earn little money, cannot focus on their field for that long, and that programs fail to produce successful academics half the time, support the idea that the time required to complete a Ph.D. is too long.

Question 7

Letter writer: "In a recent op-ed piece, your newspaper asserted that the United States government is justified in requiring that academic researchers only receive public funding if they are not conducting research whose results may be harmful to the United States. Many researchers have proposed researching the effects of drone strikes on civilian populations in the Middle East, but have been denied any kind of federal funding to do so. Your newspaper justified this by stating that the United States needs to restrict research in order to 'ensure fundamental freedoms.' But isn't one of those fundamental freedoms the freedom to conduct research without fear of the government? I don't understand how your newspaper can put forth this opinion."
The letter writer criticizes the op-ed by:
A)Disputing the facts upon which the op-ed was based.
B)Describing an exception to the general rule described in the op-ed.
C)Pointing out an inconsistency in the op-ed.
D)Refuting an assumption upon which the op-ed was based.
E)Using an ad hominem attack on the author.

Accepted Answer

The letter writer criticizes the op-ed by pointing out an inconsistency in the op-ed. The op-ed had asserted that restricting the researchers' freedom was necessary to protect fundamental freedoms. The letter writer points this out, making C the correct answer.

Question 8

A student organization planned to partially fund an upcoming trip by having a bake sale on campus everyday. The organization was unable to go on the trip because the bake sale revenues were lower than expected.
If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true?
A)The organization did not charge enough for the products in the bake sale.
B)The trip's cost was greater than the revenue raised from funding sources other than the bake sale.
C)The organization solely relied on the bake sale to fund the trip.
D)The organization exhibited poor planning in choosing the time, place, or products for the bake sale.
E)Students on campus were unwilling to buy baked goods and support the organization.

Accepted Answer

It must be true that the trip's cost was greater than the revenue raised from funding sources other than the bake sale. The question asks what MUST be true based on the passage. If the organization could have raised enough money from other sources, then the bake sale revenue would not have mattered (note the that passage said the bake sale would "partially fund" the trip).

Question 9

Bus passenger: "Cutting off bus routes to the most distant suburbs is short sighted and hurts our citizens. Those routes may not have been the most profitable, but they were vital for residents in those suburbs to get to work and to school. Now, many citizens have no affordable way to commute."
City councilman: "Cutting off the bus routes was the only way to protect our citizens. The unprofitable bus routes were causing the bus fares to increase at exorbitant rates, making it difficult for all citizens to afford the bus. Cutting off the unprofitable routes allows most citizens to still utilize the bus services at a reasonable price. Keeping the unprofitable routes would have meant raising the cost to where residents in the distant suburbs could not afford the bus anyway."
The city councilman's claim disputes which aspect of the bus passenger's argument?
A)Whether the bus routes to distant suburbs were profitable.
B)Whether citizens in the distant suburbs have other ways to commute.
C)Whether cutting off the bus routes was good for residents in distant suburbs.
D)Whether cutting off the bus routes hurts citizens.
E)Whether the unprofitable bus routes were difficult to maintain.

Accepted Answer

The city councilman's claim disputes whether cutting off the bus routes hurts citizens. The councilman does not dispute that cutting off bus routes to distant suburbs is difficult for those living in the suburbs, but does dispute whether the move is good for citizens as a whole. The bus passenger argued the move would hurt specific citizens, but the councilman asserts that it will keep costs low and benefit most citizens.

Question 10

Bus passenger: "Cutting off bus routes to the most distant suburbs is short sighted and hurts our citizens. Those routes may not have been the most profitable, but they were vital for residents in those suburbs to get to work and to school. Now, many citizens have no affordable way to commute."
City councilman: "Cutting off the bus routes was the only way to protect our citizens. The unprofitable bus routes were causing the bus fares to increase at exorbitant rates, making it difficult for all citizens to afford the bus. Cutting off the unprofitable routes allows most citizens to still utilize the bus services at a reasonable price. Keeping the unprofitable routes would have meant raising the cost to where residents in the distant suburbs could not afford the bus anyway."
Pointing out that unprofitable bus routes were causing bus fares to increase plays what role in the city councilman's argument?
A)It is the main point of the argument.
B)It is a principle that justifies the councilman's argument.
C)It is evidence in support of the councilman's main point.
D)It is an ad hominem attack against the bus passenger.
E)It responds to a specific question raised by the bus passenger's claim

Accepted Answer

Pointing out that unprofitable bus routes were causing bus fares to increase is evidence in support of the councilman's main point. The raise in fares supports the councilman's point that keeping the unprofitable routes hurts citizens.

Question 11

Airline spokeswoman: "We recognize that it is difficult to maintain a quality level of service while also providing low cost tickets. However, in the past five years, although we have had to reduce our number of flight attendants by 25%, the number of passengers making repeat bookings with us has increased by 25%. Clearly, despite staffing cuts, our customer service has remained satisfactory to our customers."
The spokeswoman's argument is based upon which of the following assumptions?
A)Some people will not fly with an airline again if they are dissatisfied with the quality of service.
B)Reducing the number of flight attendants does not affect the quality of service.
C)Customers are more motivated by price than they are by quality service.
D)The increase in repeat bookings will result in increased revenue for the airline.
E)Most passengers are not concerned with the number of flight attendants on board a flight.

Accepted Answer

The spokeswoman's argument assumes that some people will not fly with an airline again if they are dissatisfied with the quality of service. The spokeswoman therefore uses the statistic that the airline has more repeat fliers to show that customers are still satisfied with customer service. For this to be true, at least some people must not fly again if they are dissatisfied with the level of customer service.

Question 12

Music teacher: "Even though this concerto's composer is listed as 'Anonymous,' we know that Mozart himself is the composer. First, it was found in an archive along with many of Mozart's known original works. Second, it uses similar melodies to that of many of Mozart's concertos. These facts make it certain that Mozart did in fact write this concerto, and its discovery is astounding."
The music teacher's reasoning is flawed because it
A)Neglects to mention whether music history experts agree with his assertion.
B)Equates evidence allowing something to be possible with evidence proving that it is certain.
C)Uses a general principle to apply to a specific situation without providing justification.
D)Uses a specific situation to make a general principle without providing justification.
E)Fails to consider that many anonymous compositions were later found to be written by well-known composers before they became famous.

Accepted Answer

The music teacher's reasoning is flawed because it equates evidence allowing something to be possible with evidence proving that it is certain. The evidence the music teacher gives for the concerto having been written by Mozart supports the possibility that Mozart wrote it, but does not definitively prove authorship.

Question 13

Each and every time Joel goes to the grocery store, he buys bananas, apples, and bread. When his wife Katie arrived home from work, she saw bananas, apples, and bread on the kitchen counter and knew that Joel had done the shopping.
Katie's flawed reasoning in the passage is most similar to which of the following statements?
A)Emily always brings a pie to any potluck event she attends. Elena invited Emily to her potluck dinner because she knew that Emily would bring a delicious pie.
B)Emily usually brings a pie to any potluck event she attends. For tomorrow's banquet, Emily will probably bring a pumpkin pie.
C)Emily always brings a pie to any potluck event she attends. When Elena arrived at the potluck dinner, she saw an apple pie on the table and knew that Emily must have attended.
D)Emily always brings a pie to any potluck event she attends. When Elena arrived at the potluck dinner, she saw Emily and knew that they would be having pie for dessert.
E)Emily never brings a salad to a potluck. When Elena invited her to a potluck party, she knew that Emily would be bringing a dessert.

Accepted Answer

Katie's flawed reasoning is most similar to that in answer C. In the original passage, Katie thought she knew that Joel had gone shopping because she saw bananas, apples, and bread, since Joel always buys those items when he goes shopping. However, she did not know that Joel had gone shopping; she only knew that the food had arrived. This is most similar to C, in which Elena knows that Emily always brings a pie, and assumes Emily is there when she sees a pie, even though the pie could have been brought by someone else.

Question 14

In a five-year weight loss study, half of the significantly overweight participants weighed themselves once a week, while the other participants never weighed themselves. All of the participants had the same diet and exercise plan. After five years, the individuals who weighed themselves once a week maintained their weight loss much more often than those who did not.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the study's finding?
A)The group who weighed themselves was more likely to avoid fattening foods.
B)Participants who weighed themselves found it motivational to see their progress, and thus were less likely to cheat on their diet and exercise plans.
C)While weight loss was drastic in the first year, in subsequent years many participants in both groups gained the weight back.
D)Participants weighed themselves much more often in the beginning of the study than at the end.
E)All of the participants lost weight in the study.

Accepted Answer

If the participants who weighed themselves found it motivational to see their progress, making them less likely to cheat on their diet and exercise plans, it explains how, despite following the same diet and exercise plan, participants who weighed themselves were more likely to be successful at weight loss than others due to improved motivation, a direct result of regular weigh-ins.

Question 15

Oil is necessary for many aspects of modern life, yet it is a limited resource, and we will one day run out. Therefore, unless we find enough untapped oil reserves to continue fueling our modern lifestyle, we will one day have to live at a standard below that which we enjoy today.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A)Unlike oil, some vital resources are renewable.
B)It is possible to find alternative renewable fuel sources to substitute for oil.
C)It is possible that our modern lifestyle is not desirable and we would be better off with a simpler standard of living.
D)It will be at least a few hundred years before we run out of our oil supply.
E)Oil is not necessary to run every aspect of modern day life.

Accepted Answer

The possibility of renewable energy sources replacing oil most seriously weakens the author's argument. The passage argues that we will not be able to sustain our modern lifestyle once oil is gone, but if there are suitable alternatives to oil, we could still maintain modern day amenities.

Question 16

In the 1990s, deaths from cocaine overdosed decreased dramatically. Clearly, fewer people were using cocaine in the 1990s than in previous decades.
Which of the following, if true, would account for the statistic above without supporting the conclusion?
A)Many cocaine users are afraid to seek emergency help, making them more likely to die from drug overdoses than are users of prescription drugs.
B)While deaths from cocaine overdoses decreased, deaths from complications related to heroin usage increased.
C)In 1992, many insurance companies started covering drug treatment counseling and rehabilitation, allowing those with serious addictions to get help for their addictions.
D)In 1992, a more potent version of cocaine became popular, increasing the risk of an overdose.
E)Most cocaine users end up in hospitals due to poor nutrition and other health problems, not overdoses.

Accepted Answer

The fact that in 1992, many insurance companies started covering drug treatment counseling and rehabilitation can account for how deaths from cocaine could be reduced without assuming a reduction in the number of users. Access to counseling and rehabilitation centers could help people avoid overdoses, but not necessarily lead to a decrease in drug users.

Question 17

In the 1990s, deaths from cocaine overdosed decreased dramatically. Clearly, fewer people were using cocaine in the 1990s than in previous decades.
The conclusion in the passage's argument is properly drawn if which of the following is assumed?
A)The number of cocaine overdose deaths reliably estimates the number of cocaine users.
B)Many cocaine users overdose more than once.
C)The potency of cocaine has remained relatively consistent for the past few decades.
D)Drug users overdose from cocaine at similar rates to that of other drugs.
E)Medical personnel can reliably test whether a death is due to an overdose or to other complications related to cocaine usage.

Accepted Answer

The passage's argument is properly drawn if the number of cocaine overdose deaths reliably estimates the number of cocaine users.

Question 18

It is unreasonable to label some foods as healthy and others as unhealthy. All foods provide calories, which are necessary for human survival. If a food allows a human to survive, then it is by its very nature healthy, and common "healthy" foods are no different than their "unhealthy" counterparts.
The argument proceeds by
A)Explaining why a commonly held perception is true.
B)Explaining why unhealthy foods are actually more healthy than "healthy" foods.
C)Redefining a term in a way that is favorable to the argument.
D)Showing that a necessary condition for applying the term "healthy" is not always satisfied.
E)Showing that because something is true for everything, it must be true for a specific example.

Accepted Answer

The argument redefines a term in a way that is favorable to the argument. The argument begins by referring to foods as either healthy or unhealthy according to popular definitions, and then shifts the definition of the two words.

Question 19

After completing both an admissions test and an admissions interview, Rebecca will have fulfilled the requirements to enter medical school. She is not allowed to schedule the admissions interview until she receives her score for her admissions test. As the scores will not be released for another two months, after the deadline for enrollment, Rebecca will not be able to enroll in medical school until next year.
If the statements above are all true, which one of the following must also be true?
A)The scores for the admissions test take exactly two months to score.
B)The admissions test will be discussed during the admissions interview.
C)An admissions test and an admissions interview are the most important qualifications for entrance to medical school.
D)The admissions test is an easier requirement than an admissions interview.
E)Regardless of whether Rebecca receives a good score on her test, she will not be able to enroll in medical school until at least next year.

Accepted Answer

It must be true that regardless of whether Rebecca receives a good score on her test, she will not be able to enroll in medical school until at least next year. She cannot enroll until at least next year because she will not receive the results of her test for another two months, after the enrollment deadline has passed. This is the only response that must be true. All of the other answer choices may be true, but do not have to be true.

Question 20

Those convicted of a felony should not have their voting rights suspended. Felons often have difficulty finding jobs and supporting themselves after their convictions, therefore having different concerns than other adults. Those who do not understand the concerns of felons cannot be expected to look out for their interests while voting. The only way to address the concerns felons face is to allow them to vote.
The argument relies on which of the following assumptions?
A)The right to vote is the most important right in a democracy.
B)The right to vote is a right that everyone should enjoy.
C)Felons at one time had the right to vote.
D)Felons should have their interests represented.
E)Non-felons do not have difficulty finding jobs.

Accepted Answer

The argument relies on the assumption that felons should have their interests represented. The argument asserts that felons need voting rights because they have different interests from the general public that are currently unrepresented, and this situation needs to be addressed. If felons should not have their interests represented, this argument fails.

Quiz 1: Logical Reasoning

A student organization planned to partially fund an upcoming trip by having a bake sale on campus everyday. The organization was unable to go on the trip because the bake sale revenues were lower than expected. If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true?

In the 1990s, deaths from cocaine overdosed decreased dramatically. Clearly, fewer people were using cocaine in the 1990s than in previous decades. Which of the following, if true, would account for the statistic above without supporting the conclusion?

In the 1990s, deaths from cocaine overdosed decreased dramatically. Clearly, fewer people were using cocaine in the 1990s than in previous decades. The conclusion in the passage's argument is properly drawn if which of the following is assumed?