Question 1

Amy: "It is a proven fact that wind can provide a more reliable source of energy than fossil fuels. Dr. Malcolm Wolf recently produced a paper explaining that there is essentially unlimited potential for wind power."
Zack: "That claim cannot be correct. Dr. Wolf was found to have fabricated another study about solar power, and so his opinions cannot be trusted."
Zack's argument against Amy's assertions is most vulnerable to criticism because it
A)Tries to show Amy's conclusions are more extreme and outrageous than they really are.
B)Tries to claim that because Dr. Wolf has done bad research in the past, then he must be intentionally lying and therefore can't be trusted.
C)Tries to claim that because Dr. Wolf has been wrong about other things in the past, then he must be wrong this time as well.
D)Assumes, without providing justification, that Amy is unable to properly understand the findings of the study she cites.
E)Assumes, without providing justification, that Amy misinterpreted the findings of the study, and the truth is really the opposite of what she thinks.

Accepted Answer

Zack's argument against Amy is most vulnerable to criticism because it tries to claim that because Dr. Wolf has been wrong about other things in the past, then he must be wrong this time as well. While Dr. Wolf's mistakes in the past certainly cast doubt on his current work, this does not prove his current work faulty and make Dr. Wolf wrong, as claimed by Zack.

Question 2

Company president: "Despite the wishes of the shareholders, I believe that expanding our company from just catering into a sit-down restaurant is not a wise move. Expanding into a restaurant would be costly and the restaurant industry is incredibly volatile. Furthermore, we already had plans to expand our already successful catering business into other geographic areas, and opening a restaurant would take funds away from those endeavors."
If the president's statement is true, which of the following is most strongly supported by it?
A)The shareholders do not have the best interest of the company in mind.
B)The restaurant industry is too competitive for new entrants to succeed.
C)Only if the company expands into other geographic areas will the company continue to be successful.
D)If the company wants to grow, it would be more successful expanding its catering business than opening a restaurant.
E)The company will fail if it opens a restaurant.

Accepted Answer

The president's statement most strongly supports the idea that if the company wants to grow, it would be more successful expanding its catering business than opening a restaurant. While the other answers could be true, they are not definitively supported by the passage.

Question 3

Senator: "I do not agree with the nomination of Judge Azizi for the Supreme Court. There are credible allegations of bias against Azizi, making many in my party wary of his appointment. In addition, regardless of the veracity of the claims against Azizi, he is clearly unqualified for the appointment. He has never served as a judge before and lacks the qualifications necessary for the appointment and so should not be appointed to the Court."
Which of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the senator's conclusion?
A)Appropriate experience is the most important requirement to serving on the Supreme Court.
B)The mere hint of bias should be enough to prevent an appointment of a judge.
C)In appointing a judge, all relevant qualifications should be weighed equally.
D)A judge cannot be appointed if he could be biased, even if he is qualified.
E)A suspicion of bias is not enough to disqualify someone for a position.

Accepted Answer

The principle that most justifies the senator's conclusion is that appropriate experience is the most important requirement for serving on the Supreme Court. The senator is not exclusively concerned with whether the judge is biased, but is rejecting him solely on the grounds of lack of experience.

Question 4

The manufacturers of a popular diet drug claim that the drug can help reduce food cravings in order to aid in weight loss. But in a recent study, researchers proved that the main ingredient in the drug has no effect on weight loss. If another study proves that the other ingredients, of which there are only three, also have no effect on weight loss, then clearly the drug is not actually effective.
The argument is flawed because it
A)Presumes that a combination must lack a specific quality if each individual part also lacks that quality.
B)Confuses cause with correlation.
C)Relies on an unrepresentative sample to draw broad conclusions.
D)Assumes that a claim must be false if the person behind the claim has a proven bias.
E)Overlooks the possibility that acting as a placebo is a valid use for a drug.

Accepted Answer

The argument is flawed because it presumes that a combination must lack a specific quality if each individual part also lacks that quality. The argument claims that if each individual ingredient fails to aid weight loss, the combined ingredients must also be and fails to consider that the ingredients in combination could be more successful.

Question 5

Pediatrician: "Recent research has shown that babies or young children to nature can reduce the risk of developing allergies to pollen or grass. Therefore, instead of protecting children from the natural world, we should encourage them to play outside and allow them to get dirty. However, one should take this advice with caution. While it may be true that exposure to nature while young prevents allergies, it could increase exposure to other diseases and we don't yet know about other effects from such a practice."
Which of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the pediatrician's argument?
A)We should expose young children to the natural world in order to prevent allergies.
B)We should allow children to play outside more often.
C)We don't yet know the full effects of exposing young children to the outdoors so we should follow the advice of a recent study with caution.
D)There is next to nothing we can do to prevent allergies from forming in children.
E)We try far too hard to protect young children from the natural world instead of allowing them to discover it for themselves.

Accepted Answer

The main conclusion of the passage is that we don't yet know the full effects of exposing young children to the outdoors so we should follow the advice of a recent study with caution. The pediatrician does not dispute the findings, but does state that it is still incomplete, making C the correct answer.

Question 6

School administrator: "We recently completed an annual standardized test of math, reading, and writing. We have received the scores for math and reading and found that our students performed roughly as well as we had predicted. While we haven't received the scores for the writing test, we have concluded that the writing results are probably similar to those of the math and reading tests."
The administrator's reasoning does which of the following?
A)Uses information about the results of a similar event to draw conclusions about another event.
B)Infers a statistical generalization from a specific case.
C)Bases a prediction for a specific case of off a general principle.
D)Uses an analogy to show that results from one test will be the same as those from another test.
E)Uses information from past events to predict the results of future events.

Accepted Answer

The administrator uses information about the results of one event to draw conclusions about another, similar event. The administrator reasoned that because math and reading results were as they predicted, writing results should be the same as well.

Question 7

Biologists recently determined that the lion population in the Serengeti was growing exponentially. To protect the zebra and hyena populations, two of the lion's common prey animals, biologists captured 100 lions and moved them to a neighboring region. However, in the five years since the lions' removal, the zebra population has declined dramatically.
Which one of the following, if true, would most help explain the phenomenon described above?
A)Zebras and hyenas are both much smaller than lions, making them easy prey.
B)Zebra and hyena populations are constantly in flux.
C)Both zebra and hyena populations have been impacted by a recent drought in the Serengeti.
D)While lions prey on zebras and hyenas, hyenas also prey on zebras.
E)While lions prey on zebras and hyenas, zebras also prey on hyenas.

Accepted Answer

If true, the fact that hyenas also prey on zebras would help explain the phenomenon described above. If lions are removed and the hyena population expands, that would help explain the dramatic drop in the zebra population.

Question 8

There are now far fewer independent hardware shops than there were in previous decades. The growth of large chain stores has forced many independent hardware stores to close, ultimately to the detriment of customers because a great variety of tools only carried in specialty stores are now much harder to find.
Which of the following is an assumption upon which the argument relies?
A)Chain stores offer better prices but worse selection than independent stores.
B)Hardware store customers would be better off if they could more easily find a larger variety of tools.
C)There are more chain stores now than five years ago.
D)Some hardware store customers value prices more than variety.
E)Some hardware store customers value variety more than prices.

Accepted Answer

The argument relies upon the assumption that hardware store customers would be better off if they could more easily find a larger variety of tools. The passage asserts that consumers are negatively impacted because the variety of tools once found at independent stores is now harder to find. For this to be true, hardware store customers must be better off if they could find those tools.

Question 9

Book publisher: "Some critics contend that our recently published works lack popular appeal. They are mistaken, however, because sales of our recently published books are similar to that of other publishing houses the same size as us."
The publisher's argument is flawed because it
A)Fails to define what is meant by popular appeal.
B)Takes for granted that sales indicate popular appeal.
C)Takes for granted that works by similarly sized publishing houses have popular appeal.
D)Fails to distinguish popularity in sales from popularity in opinion.
E)Presumes, without providing justification, that critics do not have valid opinions.

Accepted Answer

The publisher's argument is flawed because it takes for granted that works by similarly sized publishing houses have popular appeal. The publisher claims that their works are popular because their sales are similar to those by publishing houses of like size, but does not consider that those sales might instead be equally poor.

Question 10

Until recently, many plastic water bottles contained a chemical known as BPA, which has been shown to be a carcinogen. Now, most plastic bottles and containers no longer contain BPA and so are much safer to use than plastics produced just a few years ago.
Which one of the following is best supported by the information above?
A)It is safer to drink tap water than to drink from a bottle containing BPA.
B)BPA is unsafe at any levels.
C)It was not until scientists discovered that BPA caused cancer that manufacturers looked into ways to make plastic bottles without BPA.
D)Today there is no risk to drinking from a plastic bottle as compared to alternatives, such as aluminum.
E)If you drink from a plastic water bottle today, it is likely, but not guaranteed, that the bottle does not contain BPA.

Accepted Answer

The assumption that if you drink from a plastic water bottle today it is likely, but not guaranteed, that the bottle does not contain BPA is best supported by the information from the passage. All of the other responses could be true, but may not be.

Question 11

Most Christmas albums by well-known singers sell very well because consumers are already familiar with the singer. New singers are thus unlikely to make Christmas albums because they will not sell well.
The flawed reasoning in the argument above is most similar to which of the following?
A)Most movies with R ratings are not as successful as those with PG-13 ratings. Given that a big movie star's new movie is rated R, it will likely not be as successful as its competitor, a PG-13 movie.
B)Many successful teachers spend at least 20 hours a week grading papers and preparing lesson plans. Because Marie spends at least 25 hours per week doing both activities, she will likely be a very successful teacher.
C)In order for a book to sell well, it must appeal to a wide variety of people. Tricia's latest novel appeals to only a small audience, so it will not be successful.
D)Most discount furniture is very popular because people on many different budgets can afford it. Expensive furniture is therefore less likely to be manufactured because it will not sell as well.
E)Tickets to the ballet are most popular around Christmas time, when the Nutcracker opens. If the Nutcracker were performed in July, it would not be as popular.

Accepted Answer

The flawed reasoning in the argument is most similar to that of answer D. In the original passage, it is assumed that because a desirable characteristic for a successful album is missing, singers won't make the album. In D, because a desired characteristic for furniture is not present, it is assumed that manufacturers won't make that furniture because it won't sell.

Question 12

There is a new trend in anthropology to research overarching trends of cultural change, as opposed to learning detailed cultural information about specific, often small, groups. As many cultures are losing much of their traditional identification, including customs and language, this shift has been to the detriment of the field because we are losing the ability to learn about distinct cultures before they fade away.
The statements above, if true, most strongly support which of the following statements?
A)Recent changes in anthropology are not positive for the field.
B)Studying the details of distinct cultures does not have as much merit as understanding larger trends around the world.
C)Better trained anthropologists are more likely to study a culture in depth than are others.
D)Anthropology should be practiced in a way that allows for the most understanding about the largest segments of societies.
E)The most alarming part of recent trends in anthropology is that new anthropologists are not finding ways to immerse themselves into their work.

Accepted Answer

The passage most strongly supports the statement that recent changes in anthropology are not positive for the field. The passage laments the recent changes as failing to preserve valuable information about distinct cultures.

Question 13

Inhabitants of a small island off the coast of Georgia have an extremely high rate of type II diabetes. Researchers studying the cause of the high rate noted that all sufferers of type II diabetes on the island ate palm oil everyday, while healthy people ate it at most a few times per month. The researchers concluded that eating palm oil caused the type II diabetes.
Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the researcher's reasoning?
A)Most of the healthy adults never ate palm oil at all.
B)In areas off the island, palm oil consumption is associated with high levels of heart disease.
C)When placed on a palm-oil free diet, sufferers of type-II diabetes show fewer symptoms of the disease and in many, the disease goes away completely.
D)Palm oil is not common in the traditional foods of the region and has only recently become popular due to its low price.
E)Non-natives who move to the island also exhibit higher rates of type II diabetes than do people off the island.

Accepted Answer

The fact that when placed on a palm-oil free diet, sufferers of type-II diabetes show fewer symptoms of the disease or the disease goes away completely most supports the researcher's reasoning. The passage identifies a correlation between palm oil consumption and the disease, but not a cause. Answer C helps establish that palm oil consumption could be a cause, as symptoms lessen when a person stops consuming the oil.

Question 14

Percy: "A non-profit organization's primary responsibility is to its donors. People willingly donate to charitable organizations trusting that their money will be spent responsibly, and this trust must be respected."
Angela: "But most charitable donors only give small amounts, and only give disposable income. Recipients of charitable aid are dependent on that aid, and so a non-profit organization should be more concerned with their opinions."
Based on the above dialogue, Percy and Angela disagree about whether
A)People should be more generous and donate more to charities.
B)Donors to charities should give more of their money.
C)Charities should be at all concerned about whether donors are happy with how their donations are spent.
D)Charitable organizations should be more concerned with the effects of their programs or the opinions of their donors.
E)Recipients of charitable aid are really in need or are abusing the help.

Accepted Answer

Percy and Angela are disagreeing about whether charitable organizations should be more concerned with the effects of their programs or the opinions of their donors.

Question 15

While many people believe that fraud is more common than ever before, it is actually much more difficult to complete a fraudulent transaction at a bank than in past years. Most banking systems are now automated, so there is less room for human error or manipulation. In addition, modern computer systems can detect suspicious activity and alert appropriate staff.
Which of the following offers the strongest support for the above statements?
A)Most computer systems can track a person's spending and immediately alert bank staff if they are spending in a non-typical manner.
B)Bank customers have always been required to show some proof of identity or know a password to access accounts.
C)The development of new technology has made many bank tellers obsolete, and the profession is shrinking.
D)Banks often alert customers to their bank balances through phone calls, e-mail, or texts.
E)Fraudulent currency is easy to spot because all legal currency has hidden markings to establish its validity.

Accepted Answer

The fact that most strongly supports the passage is that most computer systems can track a person's spending and immediately alert bank staff if they are spending in a non-typical manner.

Question 16

While many people believe that fraud is more common than ever before, it is actually much more difficult to complete a fraudulent transaction at a bank than in past years. Most banking systems are now automated, so there is less room for human error or manipulation. In addition, modern computer systems can detect suspicious activity and alert appropriate staff.
Each of the following statements would weaken the above passage EXCEPT
A)The percentage of people losing money to fraudulent bank transactions has actually increased in the past 30 years.
B)Most bank tellers will now allow you to complete a transaction without an ID as long as you know a password.
C)Computer programs detecting fraud are vulnerable to hackers and occasionally are successfully dismantled.
D)Since most people now use debit cards instead of checks, the chances of a checkbook falling into the wrong hands have declined.
E)Staff levels at banks have declined, so even if computer systems alert them to fraudulent transactions, the staff often has too many customers to notify.

Accepted Answer

The fact that most people now use debit cards instead of checks, which lessens the chances of a checkbook falling into the wrong hands, is the only answer that does not weaken the passage.

Question 17

Scientist: While studying fossil records for ancient mammal species, I unexpectedly discovered that one million years ago the amount of flora covering what is now Canada was much lower than it is today. Clearly the climate must have been significantly different then to explain such a large difference in flora.
The reasoning in the scientist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it
A)Presumes, without providing justification, that the prevalence of species of mammals and flora are related.
B)Makes an inference without enough evidence to support the claim.
C)Draws a general conclusion from an unrepresentative sample.
D)Takes for granted that the method used for gathering the data was reliable.
E)Inappropriately uses a general observation to make a specific claim.

Accepted Answer

The reasoning in the scientist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism because it makes an inference without enough evidence to support the claim. While it could be true that the climate was different, the scientist does not establish how climate difference alone would account for the lack of flora, and doesn't explain why the difference could not have been due to other factors.

Question 18

Larry: "I only eat organic, natural food products so I won't eat anything that has a complicated sounding label. If I can't pronounce it, it's not natural."
Giselle: "But that's not really true. Many healthy, normal ingredients are listed by their chemical compound name. For example, plain, natural salt could be listed as sodium chloride."
Giselle is most likely to agree with which of the following statements?
A)It is not important to read nutrition labels because they are intentionally misleading.
B)It is important to understand all names for food ingredients in order to understand food labels.
C)Food ingredients should always be listed in the simplest terms to avoid confusing people.
D)Organic products are only products that are labeled organic.
E)Any product that has a complicated sounding name can be trusted to be inorganic.

Accepted Answer

Giselle would most likely agree that it is important to understand all names for food ingredients in order to understand food labels. Giselle argued that Larry was not really understanding what food labels meant, and was mislabeling potentially natural products as unnatural just because they had complicated names, making her likely to agree with answer B.

Question 19

Nelson is a very respected sociologist, but his latest work is a disgrace. He relied on previous work done by other colleagues, an unreliable method of gathering research data. The work those colleagues completed has never been peer-reviewed, so it is clearly without merit. Therefore Nelson's new work is clearly lacking in academic merit.
The reasoning above is flawed because it
A)Presumes, without providing justification, that popular opinion is an appropriate metric for judging a work.
B)Presumes, without providing justification, that because research is not peer-reviewed it is unreliable.
C)Bases a general conclusion from a single observation.
D)Uses reputation instead of substance to judge research.
E)Uses substance to judge a work while ignoring reputation.

Accepted Answer

The reasoning above is flawed because it presumes, without providing justification, that because research is not peer-reviewed it is unreliable. The passage gives reason to question the reliability of the other colleagues' research, but not to completely discredit it, making B the correct answer.

Question 20

More and more people eat protein shakes for breakfast instead of cereal. Clearly, people are tired of eating breakfast cereal and are craving alternatives. Since cereal is cheaper than breakfast shakes, no one would willingly switch to drinking protein shakes unless they were tired of eating cereal.
The reasoning above is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds it
A)Fails to consider alternative reasons for why people would switch to protein shakes.
B)Presumes that the nutritional content of cereal and shakes is the same.
C)Presumes that the same amount of people always eat breakfast.
D)Fails to produce statistical evidence supporting its claim.
E)Assumes that price is a relevant factor when choosing a breakfast.

Accepted Answer

The reasoning above is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds it fails to consider alternative reasons for why people would switch to protein shakes. While tiring of cereal could be a reason, the passage provides no evidence for arguing that it is the sole reason to stop eating cereal.

Quiz 1: Logical Reasoning

Book publisher: "Some critics contend that our recently published works lack popular appeal. They are mistaken, however, because sales of our recently published books are similar to that of other publishing houses the same size as us." The publisher's argument is flawed because it

Most Christmas albums by well-known singers sell very well because consumers are already familiar with the singer. New singers are thus unlikely to make Christmas albums because they will not sell well. The flawed reasoning in the argument above is most similar to which of the following?