Critical Reasoning Drill - TWO

1. Below is an excerpt from a letter that was sent by the chairman of with sexual behavior, by calling for______
a corporation to the stockholders. (A) a return to the restrictive sexual morality of the Victorian era
A number of charges have been raised against me, some serious, some trivial. Indi- (B) a strengthening of the role of the family in setting moral norms for society
viduals seeking to control the corporation for their own purposes have demanded (C) a limitation on the amount of sexually provocative material appearing in books,
my resignation. Remember that no court of law in any state has found me guilty of motives, and television shows
any criminal offense whatsoever. In the American tradition, as you know, an individ- (D) greater freedom for individuals to choose their own way of handling sexual is-
ual is considered innocent until proven guilty. Furthermore, as the corporation’s un- sues
broken six-year record of growth will show, my conduct of my official duties as (E) an increased governmental role in the regulation and control of private sexual
chairman has only helped enhance the success of the corporation, and so benefited behavior
every stockholder.
Which of the following can be properly inferred from the excerpt?
(A) The chairman believes that all those who have demanded his resignation are mo- Questions 4-5 are based on the following:
tivated by desire to control the corporation for their own purposes. In an experiment, two different types of recorded music were played for neonates in
(B) Any misdeeds that the chairman may have committed were motivated by his de- adjacent nurseries in a hospital. In nursery A, classical music was played; in nursery
sire to enhance the success of the corporation. B, rock music was played. After two weeks, it was found that the babies in nursery A
(C) The chairman is innocent of any criminal offense. cried less, suffered fewer minor ailments, and gained more weight than did the ba-
(D) The corporation has expanded steadily over the past six years. bies in nursery B.
(E) Any legal proceedings against the chairman have resulted in his acquittal. 4. In evaluating the validity of the conclusion suggested by the exper-
iment above, it would be most important to know which of the following?
(A) The musical preferences of the parents of the two groups of newborns
2. In the years since the city of London imposed strict air-pollution regulations (B) Whether the newborns in both nurseries were equally healthy and happy at the
on local industry, the number of bird species seen in and around London has in- start of the experiment
creased dramatically. Similar air-pollution rules should be imposed in other major (C) Whether loud rock music can damage the hearing of newborns
cities. (D) What the average weight of the neonates was before and after the experiment
Each of the following is an assumption made in the argument above EX- (E) Whether the music was played in the nurseries at all times or only at certain
CEPT: times
(A) In most major cities, air-pollution problems are caused almost entirely by local
industry.
(B) Air-pollution regulations on industry have a significant impact on the quality of 5. Which of the following additional experimental data would sup-
the air. port the hypothesis that classical music is beneficial to the development of
(C) The air-pollution problems of other major cities are basically similar to those newborn?
once suffered by London. (A) The neonates in a nursery where no music was played fared better than in nurse-
(D) An increase in the number of bird species in and around a city is desirable. ry B.
(E) The increased sightings of bird species in and around London reflect an actual (B) Nursery A contained 15 percent more premature babies than nursery B.
increase in the number of species in the area. (C) The newborns in nursery A cried less, suffered fewer minor ailments, and gained
more weight than did newborns in a nursery with no music.
3. Which of the following best completes the passage below? (D) The music played in nursery A was louder than that played in nursery B.
In opposing government regulation of business, conservatives often appeal to the (E) The ratio of nurses to newborns in nursery B was 1to 4; in nursery A, it was1
Jeffersonian ideal of limited government, expressing the wish that government to6.
would “get off the backs of the American people.” Yet, paradoxically, many of the-
se same conservatives address questions of private morality, such as those dealing 6. The ancient city of Cephesa was not buried by an eruption of Mt. Amnos in
 Critical Reasoning Drill - TWO

A.D. 310, as some believe. The eruption in the year 310 damaged the city, but it did (D) I and II only (E) I, II, and III
not destroy it. Cephesa survived for another century before it finally met its destruc-
tion in another eruption around A.D. 415. 9. Reva: Using extraneous incentives to get teenagers to change their attitude
Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s claim toward school and schoolwork won’t work. Take the program in West Virginia, for
that the city of Cephesa was not buried by the eruption of Mt. Amnos in instance, where they tried to reduce their dropout rate by revoking the driving li-
A.D. 310? censes of kids who left school. The program failed miserably.
(A) The city of Cephesa is mentioned in a historical work known to have been writ- Anne: It’s true that the West Virginia program failed, but many schools have devised
ten in A.D. 400. incentive programs that have been very successful in improving attendance and re-
(B) Coins bearing the image of an emperor who lived around A.D. 410 have been ducing discipline problems.
discovered in the ruins of Cephesa, which were preserved by the cinders and ashes According to Anne, the weak point in Reva’s claim is that it
that buried the city. (A) fails to consider the possibility that the majority of potential dropouts in West
(C) Geological evidence shows that the eruption of Mt. Amnos in A.D. 415 depos- Virginia do not have driving licenses
ited a 10-foot-thick layer of lava on the city of Cephesa. (B) doesn’t provide any exact figures for the dropout rate in West Virginia before
(D) Artworks from the city of Cephesa have been found in the ruins of another city and during the program
known to have been destroyed in A.D. 420. (C) ignores a substantial body of evidence showing that parents and employers have
(E) A historical work written in A.D. 430 refers to the eruption of Mt. Amnos in been using extrinsic incentives with positive results for years
A.D. 415. (D) assumes that a positive incentive—a prize or a reward—will be no more effec-
tive than a negative incentive, like the revoking of a driving license
(E) is based on a single example, the incentive program in West Virginia, which may
7. June is taller than Kristin. Letty is taller than Maria. not be typical
Maria is shorter than Nancy. Kristin and Nancy are exactly the same
height 10. In many surveys, American consumers have expressed a willingness to spend
If the information above is true, which of the following must also be true? up to 10 percent more for products that are ecologically sound. Encouraged by such
surveys, Bleach-O Corporation promoted a new laundry detergent, Bleach-O Green,
(A) Letty is taller than Nancy. (B) Letty is taller than June. as safer for the environment. Bleach-O Green cost 5 percent more than typical de-
(C) Kristin is shorter than Letty. (D) June is taller than Maria. tergents. After one year, Bleach-O Green had failed to capture a significant share of
the detergent market and was withdrawn from sale.
(E) Kristin is shorter than Maria. Which of the following questions is LEAST likely to be relevant in deter-
mining the reasons for the failure of Bleach-O Green?
8. Current farm policy is institutionalized penalization of consumers. It in- (A) How effective as a detergent was Bleach-O Green?
creases food prices for middle- and low-income families and costs the taxpayer bil- (B) How many other detergents on the market were promoted as safe for the envi-
lions of dollars a year. ronment?
(C) How much more did Bleach-O Green cost to manufacture than ordinary deter-
Which of the following statements, if true, would provide support for the
gents?
author’s claims above?
I. Farm subsidies amount to roughly $20 billion a year in federal payouts and (D) To what extent did consumers accept the validity of Bleach-O Green advertised
$12 billion more in higher food prices. and promoted to consumers?
II. According to a study by the Department of Agriculture, each $1 of benefits (E) How effectively was Bleach-O Green advertised and promoted to consumers?
provided to farmers for ethanol production costs consumers and taxpayers $4.
III. The average full-time farmers have an average net worth of over $300,000. 11. The burden of maintaining the U.S. highway system falls disproportionately
(A) I only (B) II only (C) III only on the trucking industry. Trucks represent only about 10 percent of the vehicles on
 Critical Reasoning Drill - TWO

U.S. roads. Yet road use taxes assessed on trucks amount to almost half the taxes with resistance from members of Hispanic and other minority groups.
paid for highway upkeep and repair. (C) Economic and political differences, along with linguistic ones, have contributed
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above? to the provincial conflicts in Canada.
(A) The trucking industry has enjoyed record after-tax profits in three of the past (D) The public of India, in existence sine 1948, has a population that speaks hun-
four years. dreds of different, though related, languages.
(B) Because of their weight, trucks cause over 50 percent of the damage sustained (E) Switzerland has survived for nearly a thousand years as a home for speakers of
by highway surfaces each year. three different languages.
(C) Without an economically viable trucking industry, the cost of goods in the Unit-
ed States would rise significantly.
(D) Road use taxes paid by trucking companies have decreased by 3 percent over the 14. As an experienced labor organizer and the former head of one of the na-
past five years. tion’s most powerful labor unions, Grayson is an excellent choice to chair the new
(E) Due to years of neglect, U.S. highways today are badly in need of major repairs council on business-labor relations.
and rebuilding. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conclusion
above?
(A) The new council must have the support of the nation’s labor leaders if it is to
12. The upcoming presidential election in the West African republic of Ganelon succeed.
is of grave concern to the U.S. State Department. Ganelon presently has strong po- (B) During his years as a labor leader, Grayson established a record of good rela-
litical and military ties to the United States. However, the Socialist party is widely tions with business leaders.
expected to win the election, leading to fears that Ganelon will soon break away (C) The chair of the new council must be a person who can communicate directly
from the pro-American bloc and adopt a nonaligned or openly anti-American with the leaders of the nation’s largest labor unions.
stance. (D) Most of the other members of the new council will be representatives of busi-
Which of the following is an assumption made in the passage above? ness management interests.
(A) A Socialist party government in Ganelon is more likely to oppose the United (E) An understanding of the needs and problems of labor is the only qualification
States than is a non-Socialist party government. necessary for the job of chairing the new council.
(B) The people of the United States recognize their nation’s interest in the political
stability of West Africa.
(C) A weakening of U.S. political ties with Ganelon could have serious consequences 15. In the effort to fire a Civil Service employee, his or her manager may have to
for U.S. relations with other African nations. spend up to $100,000 of tax money. Since Civil Service employees know how hard it
(D) The Socialist party leaders in Ganelon believe that their nation’s interests would is to fire them, they tend to loaf. This explains in large part why the government is
best be served by an alliance with anti-American forces. so inefficient.
(E) The Socialist party will win the upcoming election in Ganelon.
It can be properly inferred on the basis of the statements above that the
author believes which of the following?
13. No nation can long survive unless its people are united by a common tongue.
For proof, we need only consider Canada, which is being torn asunder by conflicts I. Too much job security can have a negative influence on workers.
between French-speaking Quebec and the other provinces, which are dominated by II. More government workers should be fired.
English speakers.
Which of the following, if true, most effectively challenges the author’s III. Most government workers are Civil Service employees.
conclusion? (A) I only (B) I and III only (C) II only
(A) Conflicts over language have led to violent clashes between the Basque-speaking
minority in Spain and the Spanish-speaking majority. (D) I, II, and III (E) III only
(B) Proposals to declare English the official language of the United States have met
 Critical Reasoning Drill - TWO

16. Some commentators complain that a “litigation explosion” in the past dec- (D) Eleven other economically developed nations spend more on education than we
ade has led to unreasonably high costs for U.S. businesses by encouraging more do.
product liability suits against manufacturers. However, these complaints are based (E) The achievement levels of our students have been declining steadily since 1960,
mainly on myth. Statistics show that the number of successful product liability suits and the last decade produced no reversal in this trend.
has remained almost the same, and the average sum awarded in damages has grown
no faster than the inflation rate. 19. The U.S. census is not perfect: thousands of Americans probably go un-
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above? counted. However, the basic statistical portrait of the nation painted by the census is
(A) The number of unsuccessful suits has skyrocketed, imposing huge new legal ex- accurate. Certainly some of the poor go uncounted, particularly the homeless; but
penses on businesses. some of the rich go uncounted as well, because they are often abroad or traveling
(B) Several of the largest awards ever made in product liability cases occurred within between one residence and another.
the last two years. Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument above
(C) The rise of the consumer movement has encouraged citizens to seek legal re- depends?
dress for product flaws. (A) Both the rich and the poor have personal and economic reasons to avoid being
(D) Lawyers often undertake product liability cases on a contingency basis, so their counted by the census.
payment is based on the size of the damages awarded. (B) All Americans may reasonably be classified as either poor or rich.
(E) Juries often award damages in product liability suits out of emotional sympathy (C) The percentage of poor Americans uncounted by the census is close to the per-
for an injured consumer. centage of rich Americans uncounted.
(D) The number of homeless Americans is approximately equal to the number of
17. Ronald: According to my analysis of the national economy, housing prices rich Americans.
should not increase during the next six months unless interest rates drop significant- (E) The primary purpose of the census is to analyze the economic status of the
ly. American population.
Mark: I disagree. One year ago, when interest rates last fell significantly, housing
prices did not increase at all. 20. Which of the following best completes the passage below?
It can be inferred from the conversation above that Mark has interpreted In today’s pluralistic society, textbook publishers find themselves in an increasingly
Ronald’s statement to mean that uncomfortable position. Since the schools are regarded as a repository of society’s
(A) housing prices will rise only if interest rates fall moral and cultural values, each group within society wishes to prevent any material
(B) if interest rates fall, housing prices must rise that offends its own values from appearing in textbooks. As a result, stance on an
(C) interest rates and housing prices tend to rise and fall together issue is certain to run afoul of one group or another. And since textbook publishers
(D) interest rates are the only significant economic factor affecting housing prices must rely on community goodwill to sell their books, it is inevitable that______
(E) interest rates are likely to fall significantly in the next six months
(A) fewer and fewer publishers will be willing to enter the financially uncertain text-
18. It’s time we stopped searching for new statistics to suggest that we are not book industry
spending enough on education. In fact, education spending increased 30 percent (B) the ethical and moral content of textbooks will become increasingly neutral and
overall during the last decade. bland
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above? (C) more and more pressure groups will arise that seek to influence the content of
(A) Despite increased spending on education, enrollment in our elementary and textbooks
secondary schools declined about 4 percent during the last ten years. (D) the government will be forced to intervene in the increasingly rancorous debate
(B) Our spending on gasoline increased more than 100 % during the last decade. over the content of textbooks
(C) When adjusted for inflation, our per-pupil expenditure on education this year is (E) school boards, teachers, and principals will find it nearly impossible to choose
less than it was ten years ago. among the variety of textbooks being offered