Arguments
Find the flaw in the argument
City Mayor: Air pollution has declined significantly since the beginning of this year when the plying of fossil-fuel powered cars that were older than five years on city roads was banned. Therefore, if we ban the plying of all fossil-fuel powered cars on city roads, air pollution will end in the city.
The city mayor's argument is flawed in that it
A) takes for granted that all cars in the city are fossil-fuel powered
B) relies on statistical claims that are likely to be unreliable
C) fails to consider that there may be other significant sources of air pollution in the city
D) fails to consider that citizen protests may force the council to withdraw the proposed ban on all fossil-fuel powered cars
E) mistakenly reverses the cause and the effect relationship between two phenomena
C) fails to consider that there may be other significant sources of air pollution in the city
If there are significant sources of air pollution in the city other than fossil-fuel powered cars, then there's little reason to think that banning all such cars will end air pollution. The argument needs to consider this possibility and rule it out or else the conclusion that the mayor draws will not be reasonable.
Justify the Conclusion (JTC)
A test that examines people on their memory capacity for spatial layouts has placed Jason in the top 1 percentile of all test-takers. We can conclude from this that his memory capacity for things that do not involve spatial layouts will be below average.
The conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?
A) Jason tried hard to remember spatial layouts.
B) Jason has a greater proclivity to remember spatial layouts than most people.
C) It is possible for Jason to improve, through practice and effort, his memory capacity for things that do not involve spatial layouts.
D) The total memory capacity of the human brain is fixed and equal for all people.
E) Some people have a greater memory capacity than others.
D) The total memory capacity of the human brain is fixed and equal for all people.
This option is correct. According to this option statement, the total memory capacity, M, is equal for all people. Also, M is a fixed number. It cannot be increased or decreased. Now, If Jason has higher Ms than most people, then it does follow that his Mo is lower than most people. Therefore, when this option statement is combined with the argument's premise, there is no gap left in the argument and the conclusion follows logically.
Define Subjective
relating to the mind as the subject of experience
Assumption
When teaching art students about the use of color, teachers should use colored paper rather than paint in their demonstrations. Colored paper is preferable because it readily permits a repeated use of exactly the same color in different compositions, which allows for a precise comparison of that color's impact in varying contexts. With paint, however, it is difficult to mix exactly the same color twice, and the varying textures of the applied paint can interfere with the pure effect of the color itself.
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
Two pieces of paper of exactly the same color will have the same effect in a given context, even if they are of different textures.
A slight difference in the color of two pieces of paper is more difficult to notice than a similar difference in the color of two samples of paint.
Changing light conditions have less of an effect on the apparent color of a piece of paper than on the apparent color of a sample of paint.
Observing the impacts of colors across varying contexts helps students to learn about the use of color.
It is important that art students understand how the effects of using colored paper in various compositions differ from those of using paint in those compositions.
4. Observing the impacts of colors across varying contexts helps students to learn about the use of color.
connecting the evidence about observing colors in different contexts to the conclusion about learning to use color. If this choice were denied, and observing color across varying context does not help students learn about the use of color, then the author's assertion that paper is better because it allows such demonstrations no longer makes sense.
Inference
In the state of Dougland, most universities offer science courses, and most of those that offer science courses also offer business courses. However, any university that offers business courses but not science courses does offer evening classes; and no privately-owned university in Dougland offers evening classes.
If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true?
A) No privately-owned university in Dougland offers business courses but not science courses.
B) Any privately-owned university in Dougland that does not offer business courses offers science courses.
C) Some universities in Dougland that offer evening classes also offer science courses.
D) Most universities in Dougland that are not privately-owned do not offer science courses.
E) No universities in Dougland that offer science courses and business courses offer evening classes.
A) No privately-owned university in Dougland offers business courses but not science courses.
From the given information, we know that the brown-striped zone represents all universities that offer business courses but not science courses. Further, we also know that no university in this zone is privately-owned. Therefore, by putting these two facts together, we can deduce that no privately-owned university in Dougland offers business courses but not science courses.
In a class, six lectures are scheduled in a day on six different subjects – Physics, Chemistry, History, Language, Mathematics and Geography, not necessarily in this order. The following information is known regarding the schedule:
Sub-Question 1 of 4
If the lecture on History is scheduled on the first slot, which lecture must be the last in schedule?
A) Geography
B) Physics
C) Chemistry
D) Mathematics
E) Language
A) Geography
What does Anomalous mean?
Irregular, Unusal
Valid or not valid
Most customers order chocolate ice cream, and most customers get toppings. All customers who get toppings get a free toy. So, some people who order chocolate ice cream get a free toy.
Valid
Weaken the argument
This year, the cotton crop in Alabama has been attacked by a new, hardy variety of bollworm that is resistant to all known pesticides. Due to this, the cotton production of the state has declined by 40 percent this year. Since this bollworm variety reproduces rapidly, it is likely to spread through all cotton-producing states of the United States by the next year and, therefore, we can expect a decline of at least 40 percent in the amount of cotton produced in the country next year.
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?
A) Many other crops in Alabama too have been attacked by this bollworm variety this year.
B) The natural predators of this bollworm variety are not able to survive in Alabama while cotton-farms in other cotton-producing states have large populations of these predators.
C) Ninety-five percent of all cotton produced in the United States is of the Upland variety, which is also the only variety of cotton that is grown in Alabama.
D) The domestic prices of cotton are not likely to increase next year as the United States will be able to meet its domestic demand for cotton through imports.
E) Agricultural scientists in the United States are making a massive effort to soon develop a variety of genetically-modified cotton that is resistant to this bollworm variety.
B) The natural predators of this bollworm variety are not able to survive in Alabama while cotton-farms in other cotton-producing states have large populations of these predators.
This statement suggests one reason why it would be wrong to use what happened in Alabama to make a prediction for what will happen in other cotton-producing states. A point of difference between Alabama and these other states is that Alabama does not have the natural predators of this bollworm variety, whereas the other states have these predators in large numbers. This suggests that in the other states, the population of this bollworm variety will be controlled (by natural predators present in cotton forms) and therefore, it will not be able to wreak as much havoc as it did in Alabama this year. Therefore, when this option statement is used in conjunction with Premise 1, the main conclusion appears much weaker.
In a class, six lectures are scheduled in a day on six different subjects – Physics, Chemistry, History, Language, Mathematics and Geography, not necessarily in this order. The following information is known regarding the schedule:
Which of the following lectures can be scheduled on the third, fourth and fifth slots?
A) Physics
B) Chemistry
C) Language
D) Mathematics
E) Geography
B) Chemistry
Pedantic
Excessively concerned with minor details or rules
Strengthen
Copyright was originally the grant of a temporary government-supported monopoly on copying a work. Its sole purpose was to encourage the circulation of ideas by giving authors the opportunity to derive a reasonable financial reward from their works. However, copyright sometimes goes beyond its original purpose since sometimes _______.
The conclusion of the argument is most strongly supported if which one of the following completes the passage?
publication of copyrighted works is not the only way to circulate ideas
authors are willing to circulate their works even without any financial reward
authors are unable to find a publisher for their copyrighted work
there is no practical way to enforce copyrights
copyrights hold for many years after an author's death
copyrights hold for many years after an author's death
After an author dies, financial incentives for that author would become immaterial. If copyrights still hold past that time, then they must be surpassing the original purpose, as the present author concludes.
Role Play
The Urban Intelligence Unit publishes an annual Livability Ranking, which ranks 100 American cities for their quality of life based on assessments of urban infrastructure, healthcare, education, crime rates, culture and climate. Yet, this ranking should also consider unemployment rates. After all, if a city is unable to offer work opportunities to a sizeable proportion of its population that needs to work for survival, the quality of life for that proportion would be abysmal.
The claim that the Livability Ranking should consider unemployment rates in a city plays which one of the following roles in the argument?
A) It offers a reason to support the conclusion.
B) It is an assertion that refutes the conclusion.
C) It is a principle from which the conclusion is derived.
D) It is a premise of the argument.
E) It is a conclusion of the argument.
E) It is a conclusion of the argument.
It is in-line with our discussion in the 'Argument Construction' section.
In a class, six lectures are scheduled in a day on six different subjects – Physics, Chemistry, History, Language, Mathematics and Geography, not necessarily in this order. The following information is known regarding the schedule:
Which of the following is a complete list of all lectures that can be scheduled on the second slot?
A) Physics
B) Mathematics
C) Physics and Mathematics
D) Chemistry and Mathematics
E) Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics
C) Physics and Mathematics
Taciturn
Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little
Valid or Not Valid
Some customers ask for extra toppings, and no customers refuse extra toppings when offered. So there are fewer customers who are offered free toppings than there are customers who ask for extra toppings.
Not Valid
Find the flaw in the argument
As per a report published by the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis, in the last five years, the per capita income of American workers employed in Agriculture and allied services has increased by 10 percent while that of American workers employed in other sectors has increased by 20 percent. Therefore, American workers employed in other sectors now earn a higher per capita income than those employed in Agriculture and allied services.
The argument's reasoning is questionable because the argument fails to rule out the possibility that
A) five years ago, fewer American workers were employed in other sectors than in Agriculture and allied services
B) five years ago, the per capita income of American workers employed in other sectors was significantly less than that of American workers employed in Agriculture and allied services
C) over the last five years, the number of American workers employed in other sectors has decreased
D) over the last five years, many American workers who were previously employed in Agriculture and allied services shifted to other sectors
E) the total national income generated by Agriculture and allied services now is still greater than that generated by other sectors
B) five years ago, the per capita income of American workers employed in other sectors was significantly less than that of American workers employed in Agriculture and allied services
As per this option, the flaw in the argument is that it fails to rule out the possibility that B0<A0B0<A0. This is in-line with the discussion done in the 'Argument construction' section.
In a class, six lectures are scheduled in a day on six different subjects – Physics, Chemistry, History, Language, Mathematics and Geography, not necessarily in this order. The following information is known regarding the schedule:
If the lectures on Chemistry and Mathematics occur on consecutive slots, what must be the slot for the lecture on Physics?
A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) Fourth
E) Fifth
B) Second
Juxtapose
To place or deal with close together for contrasting effect
Valid or Not Valid
Some customers use coupons, and most customers pay with cash. So, at least some customers who pay with cash do not use coupons.
Not Valid