Question 1

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?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

Our local newspaper asserts that it tries to publish only letters to the editor that tackle important issues. My letter is being published tomorrow so clearly the newspaper believes it tackles important issues.
The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

Accepted Answer

A) Takes a necessary condition and mistakes it for a sufficient condition. 
B) Fails to consider that people at the newspaper may have different opinions. 
C) Uses an unreliable source as evidence. 
D) Provides no information about which issues are considered important. 
E) Treats a main factor for consideration as the sole factor for consideration.

Question 3

All of a town's residents entered a yearlong weight loss challenge. The goal was to test whether exercising more increased a participant's chances of losing weight. In the end, although the participants who exercised the most did not lose the most weight, the challenge organizers determined that more exercise did lead to greater weight loss.
Which of the following, if true, most helps explain how the organizers drew the above conclusion?

Accepted Answer

A) The participants who did not exercise did lose a small amount of weight. 
B) For each participant, the more he or she exercised, the more weight he or she lost. 
C) The participants' weight loss tended to slow as the year progressed. 
D) Participants who exercised more enjoyed other benefits, such as increased happiness and a more active lifestyle. 
E) The participants who lost the most weight also changed their diets.

Question 4

Ancient humans began as hunters and gatherers, and providing food for the community required everyone's work. Eventually, with the beginnings of agriculture, some humans were able to devote their time to activities other than food gathering. However, until very recently, most humans were still involved in agricultural production in order to provide food for the population.
Which of the following is most strongly supported by the paragraph above?

Accepted Answer

A) Ancient humans ate a more simple diet than we do today. 
B) Most humans would rather work in agricultural production than in other areas. 
C) Humans will always require some of the population to be entirely devoted to food production. 
D) Throughout history, at least some of the population has focused on providing food for themselves and others. 
E) When humans were finally able to devote time to activities other than food production, they focused first on increasing their knowledge in other areas.

Question 5

Doctor: "The consumption of large amounts of trans fats increases the risk of developing serious health problems such as heart disease. Because trans fats are often not identified on food nutrition labels, those labels are not useful for making informed decisions on personal health."
Which of the following is an assumption required by the doctor's argument?

Accepted Answer

A) Nutrition labels do not contain any other information helpful in determining a food's nutritious value. 
B) Trans fats are the most dangerous ingredients in a food 
C) Heart disease is the most serious health problem a person could face. 
D) Lowering the levels of trans fats decreases the risk of developing heart disease. 
E) There are no reliable ways for determining the levels of trans fats in a food.

Question 6

In a weight loss study, participants who swam for one hour daily lost less weight than those who ran for one hour everyday. This evidence supports the conclusion that running is a more effective exercise than swimming.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

Accepted Answer

A) Several studies show that swimming is a highly effective cardiovascular exercise. 
B) The participants who swam treated the swimming as a leisurely activity, as opposed to the runners who took the program seriously. 
C) The calories expended from one hour of running or swimming are roughly the same for the average person. 
D) Running is an easier activity to begin because it requires less equipment than swimming. 
E) Several studies support the claim that both running and swimming are very effective for weight loss.

Question 7

Nutritionist: "The vitamin content in organic foods and non-organic foods is the same. Therefore, it is a waste of money to pay for organic food products. Organic products are usually more expensive, and so a consumer will pay more for the same nutritional content."
The nutritionist is making which of the following assumptions?

Accepted Answer

A) There are no other nutritional benefits to organic food besides vitamin content. 
B) Organic products are always more expensive than their non-organic counterparts. 
C) All consumers have a choice of organic and non-organic products. 
D) All consumers are motivated by price more than any other factor when purchasing food. 
E) Some producers of organic products are guilty of false advertising.

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?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 9

Tyler: "I don't have to pay for utilities in my apartment, so I don't care how much electricity I use. I always keep all the lights on as a way of getting the most money for what I pay in rent because my rent will stay the same regardless of how much electricity I use."
Mila: "But that doesn't make any sense. Even if you don't pay for utilities separately, if you constantly use electricity it will drive up the bill for the building, which will eventually be reflected in your rent."
Which of the following sentences would strengthen Tyler's position?

Accepted Answer

A) Furthermore, my rent is controlled and cannot be raised without my consent. 
B) I am unconcerned with the environmental effects from my actions. 
C) My apartment is small so I'm likely not using an extraordinary large amount of energy anyway. 
D) The electricity rates in my city are quite reasonable. 
E) I have been doing this for the past year and my rent has not gone up yet.

Question 10

All lawyers are graduates of law school. Ramon is a practicing attorney so he must have not only attended law school, but also graduated from law school.
Which of the following passages displays a pattern of reasoning similar to that of the passage above?

Accepted Answer

A) Irina finished law school at the top of her class, so Irina must be an excellent attorney. 
B) All real estate agents must be licensed. Kathryn wants to become a real estate agent, so she must obtain her license first. 
C) No one can become a beautician without attending a certified training course. Eduardo is attending a beauty school, so it must be a certified school. 
D) We know that Gia must have finished her business degree, because she received a bonus this year and bonuses only go to people with business degrees. 
E) Ernest graduated from medical school, and all doctors must graduate from medical school, so Ernest must be a doctor.

Question 11

Some anthropologists believe that ancient humans did not practice monogamy, and point to cave drawings of men surrounded by multiple women as proof of their theory. However, many modern works of art also depict men taking multiple lovers, yet many modern humans do practice monogamy. Therefore, _____________________________________.
Which of the following most logically completes the argument?

Accepted Answer

A) Clearly ancient humans did practice monogamy. 
B) We will never know whether ancient humans practiced monogamy or not. 
C) It is unclear at what point humans went from a mainly polyamorous to a monogamous lifestyle. 
D) Ancient cave drawings are not a reliable source for proving that ancient humans practiced monogamy. 
E) At most only a few ancient humans practiced monogamy.

Question 12

Insurance manager: "Our system estimates a 'risk rate' for each car owner based on their driving history. Some may question the ability of a computer system to reliably estimate each driver's risk of an accident. However, the figures provided by the program are remarkably consistent, so we can be sure the program is reliable."
The reasoning in the insurance manager's argument is flawed because

Accepted Answer

A) Fails to establish whether reliability or consistency is a more important trait for a computer program. 
B) Regards reliability as the sole criterion for judging the efficacy of a computer program. 
C) Fails to consider that a computer program could produce consistent results without those results being reliable. 
D) Fails to consider that a computer program can never substitute for human knowledge. 
E) Fails to consider that driving history is not an appropriate metric to use to predict a driver's risk of an accident.

Question 13

While a bullet train is faster than a steam train, the steam train is not without appeal. Many people still enjoy riding on steam engine trains because it allows them to appreciate the scenery and others feel as though they are traveling back in time on the trains. However, fewer and fewer steam trains remain every year. It is clear then that ______________________________.
Which of the following most logically completes the passage?

Accepted Answer

A) People who enjoy steam trains will have fewer options to enjoy the scenery and nostalgia. 
B) Steam trains really do not have a use in modern day society. 
C) There are not enough people who enjoy steam trains to keep them running. 
D) As steam trains disappear, the few remaining in business will become more popular. 
E) One day something will replace bullet trains just as bullet trains did for steam trains.

Question 14

Nutritionist: "Many consumers drink diet drinks with fake sweeteners in the hopes that these drinks will help them cut calories and maintain a healthier diet for weight loss. They are mistaken, however, because even though the drinks might have fewer calories, the chemicals in the drinks trigger the mind to desire sweet or fattening foods. Research has shown that when people drink diet sodas, they are more likely to crave unhealthy food."
Which of the following is the main point of the passage?

Accepted Answer

A) If people want to lose weight, it is nearly impossible to do so. 
B) Diet sodas are more unhealthy than regular sodas. 
C) Diet sodas are unlikely to assist a person in their weight loss goals. 
D) Diet sodas contain hidden calories not apparent to the consumer. 
E) People tend to consume the same amount of calories, whether dieting or not dieting.

Question 15

Miguel: "My mother is worried that I will hurt myself because I always ride my bicycle without a helmet. But I heard that deadly bike accidents are more common with mountain bikes than with road bikes, so I probably will be safe while riding my road bike. Wearing a helmet would not do anything to lessen my risk of an accident."
Which of the following is a flaw in Miguel's argument?

Accepted Answer

A) He presumes that his mother is a biased source of information. 
B) He mistakes evidence for something being likely for evidence of it being certain. 
C) He mistakes evidence for one activity being safer than another as evidence of that activity's absolute safety. 
D) He mistakes a sufficient condition for one that is necessary. 
E) He mistakes the rate of deadly bike accidents with the rate of overall bike accidents.

Question 16

Scientist: "We will probably never know just how large or how great the universe really is. The reality is that it is just so vast that it may prove impossible to learn all its secrets, but that is no excuse for not trying to learn everything we can about the world around us."
Which of the following is a principle with which the scientist quoted above would most likely agree?

Accepted Answer

A) We cannot know if something is doable until we try it. 
B) Even if something seems impossible, we should attempt it anyway. 
C) Even if something seems impossible, we should attempt it unless doing so would place us in danger. 
D) Even things that at first seem impossible are possible if you try. 
E) If something can't be done well, it is better not to even attempt it.

Question 17

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 statement that felons have different concerns than other adults plays which part in the argument?

Accepted Answer

A) It is the main point of the argument. 
B) It defines a key term in the argument. 
C) It creates a distraction from the point at issue. 
D) It provides one of the justifications for the argument. 
E) It contradicts the main point of the argument.

Question 18

We now know that people in medieval Europe had a high degree of literacy and appreciation for works of classic literature. In writings by medieval monks, it is clear that the monks were well read in classic Greek and Latin literature and prolific in producing their own literary works. We therefore need to rethink the idea that most people in medieval Europe were not well educated.
The argument's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

Accepted Answer

A) Fails to devise what constitutes a high degree of literacy. 
B) Overlooks the achievement in other areas, such as math or science. 
C) Relies on an unrepresentative sample. 
D) Takes correlation as evidence of causation. 
E) Fails to define what constitutes prolific production of literature.

Question 19

All oil-based paint can stain clothing. All watercolor paint can be cleaned from clothing. This paint is a mix of oil-based and watercolor paints. Therefore, it will stain clothing but not as severely as pure oil-based paint.
Which of the following passages uses flawed reasoning that most closely resembles the above passage?

Accepted Answer

A) All children who eat nutritious food have a lot of energy. But some children who eat poorly also have a lot of energy. Abigail eats food that is somewhat nutritious. Therefore, Abigail is somewhat energetic. 
B) Spinach is a very healthy food. White rice, however, is not very nutritious. If Barbara eats a dish made from spinach and white rice, it will be moderately nutritious. 
C) All employees of XYZ Manufacturing are welders. All employees of ABC Construction are contractors. Reggie has brothers employed as both welders and contractors. Thus, Reggie must have family employed by both XYZ and ABC. 
D) Roy keeps his shoes polished and in excellent condition. Raymond does not and never polishes his shoes. In this closet, half the shoes are polished and half unpolished. The polished half must be Roy's and the unpolished half Raymond's shoes. 
E) All nurses take coursework in biology. All architects take coursework in math. Evette was a nurse but went back to school to become an architect. She must have taken coursework in both biology and in math.

Question 20

Politician: "Many people claim that we are still in a recession, which is complete nonsense. All of my stocks made gains this year and I am perfectly able to cover my own expenses."
Which of the following is a weakness displayed by the politician's reliance on evidence from his own life?

Accepted Answer

A) He assumes that the general public has enough awareness about his life to know whether he is telling the truth. 
B) He assumes that his life is not typical. 
C) He presumes, without providing justification, that his opinions are more valid than other opinions. 
D) He presumes, without providing justification, that general trends of the economy should be applicable to his own life. 
E) He presumes, without providing justification, that specific instances from his own life are indicators of larger economic trends.

Exam 1: Logical Reasoning

Our local newspaper asserts that it tries to publish only letters to the editor that tackle important issues. My letter is being published tomorrow so clearly the newspaper believes it tackles important issues. The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

In a weight loss study, participants who swam for one hour daily lost less weight than those who ran for one hour everyday. This evidence supports the conclusion that running is a more effective exercise than swimming. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

All lawyers are graduates of law school. Ramon is a practicing attorney so he must have not only attended law school, but also graduated from law school. Which of the following passages displays a pattern of reasoning similar to that of the passage above?

Politician: "Many people claim that we are still in a recession, which is complete nonsense. All of my stocks made gains this year and I am perfectly able to cover my own expenses." Which of the following is a weakness displayed by the politician's reliance on evidence from his own life?