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Reasoning Aptitude

ANALYZING ARGUMENTS MCQs

Total Questions : 117 | Page 9 of 12 pages
Question 81. In the past, consumers would rarely walk into an ice cream store and order low-fat ice cream. But that isn't the case today. An increasing health consciousness combined with a much bigger selection of tasty low-fat foods in all categories has made low-fat ice cream a very profitable item for ice cream store owners.
This paragraph best supports the statement that
  1.    low-fat ice cream produces more revenue than other low-fat foods.
  2.    ice cream store owners would be better off carrying only low-fat ice cream.
  3.    ice cream store owners no longer think that low-fat ice cream is an unpopular item.
  4.    low-fat ice cream is more popular than other kinds of ice cream.
  5.    consumers are fickle and it is impossible to please them
 Discuss Question
Answer: Option C. -> ice cream store owners no longer think that low-fat ice cream is an unpopular item.
This choice is supported as the best answer because the paragraph indicates that low-fat ice cream was once an unpopular item, but now, because consumers are more health conscious and because there is a wider array of tasty low-fat foods, low-fat ice cream is a profitable item for ice cream store owners. There is no indication that choices a, b, d,or e are true based on the information given.
Question 82. Generation Xers are those people born roughly between 1965 and 1981. As employees, Generation Xers tend to be more challenged when they can carry out tasks independently. This makes Generation Xers the most entrepreneurial generation in history.
This paragraph best supports the statement that Generation Xers
  1.    work harder than people from other generations.
  2.    have a tendency to be self-directed workers.
  3.    have an interest in making history.
  4.    tend to work in jobs that require risk-taking behavior.
  5.    like to challenge their bosses work attitudes.
 Discuss Question
Answer: Option B. -> have a tendency to be self-directed workers.
The support for choice b is given in the second sentence of the paragraph. Generation Xers like to work independently, which means they are self-directed. No support is given for either choice a or choice c. Choice d is not related to the paragraph. Although the paragraph mentions that Generation Xers like to be challenged, it does not say they like to challenge their bosses attitudes; therefore, choice e can be ruled out.
Question 83. The image of a knitter as an older woman sitting in a comfortable, old-fashioned living room with a basket of yarn at her feet and a bun in her hair is one of the past. As knitting continues to become more popular and increasingly trendy, it is much more difficult to describe the average knitter. Knitters today might be 18, 28, 40, or 65. They might live in a big urban center and take classes in a knitting shop that doubles as a café or they may gather in suburban coffee shops to support one another in knitting and other aspects of life. They could be college roommates knitting in their dorm room or two senior citizens knitting in a church hall. Even men are getting in the act. It would be incredibly difficult to come up with an accurate profile of a contemporary knitter to replace that image of the old woman with the basket of yarn!
This paragraph best supports the statement that
  1.    people are returning to knitting in an attempt to reconnect with simpler times.
  2.    knitting is now more of a group activity, as opposed to an individual hobby.
  3.    creating an accurate profile of a particular type of person depends on the people in this group having traits and characteristics in common.
  4.    today's knitters are much less accomplished than knitters of the past.
  5.    young people are turning to knitting in record numbers.
 Discuss Question
Answer: Option C. -> creating an accurate profile of a particular type of person depends on the people in this group having traits and characteristics in common.
The statement that it is difficult to create an accurate profile of a contemporary knitter comes immediately after a discussion about how different today's knitters are from one another and from knitters of the past. Choices a and d are not supported by the paragraph. Although the paragraph does discuss knitting done in group settings, it does not specifically say that more of today's knitting is done in groups; therefore, choice b is incorrect. Young people may be turning to knitting in record numbers, but again, that statement is not verified by the information provided in the paragraph, so choice e must be ruled out as well.
Question 84. Close-up images of Mars by the Mariner 9 probe indicated networks of valleys that looked like the stream beds on Earth. These images also implied that Mars once had an atmosphere that was thick enough to trap the sun's heat. If this were true, something happened to Mars billions of years ago that stripped away the planet's atmosphere.
This paragraph best supports the statement that
  1.    Mars now has little or no atmosphere.
  2.    Mars once had a thicker atmosphere than Earth does.
  3.    the Mariner 9 probe took the first pictures of Mars.
  4.    Mars is closer to the sun than Earth is.
  5.    Mars is more mountainous than Earth is.
 Discuss Question
Answer: Option A. -> Mars now has little or no atmosphere.
The paragraph states that Mars once had a thick atmosphere, but that it was stripped away. The other choices, true or not, cannot be found in the passage.
Question 85. Which of the following is similar to the argument made by the speaker?
  1.    The rich should not be allowed to "buy" politicians, so the Congress should enact campaign finance reform.
  2.    The idea of freedom of religion also means the right not to participate in religion, so mandated school prayer violates freedom of religion.
  3.    The Constitution guarantees freedom to own property, so taxes should be illegal.
  4.    Convicted felons should not have their convictions overturned on a technicality.
  5.    In order to understand what may be constitutional today, one needs to look at what the laws were when the Constitution was enacted.
 Discuss Question
Answer: Option B. -> The idea of freedom of religion also means the right not to participate in religion, so mandated school prayer violates freedom of religion.
This is the best choice because it relates to a situation where a proposed law would actually violate the part of the Constitution it is intended to protect.
Question 86. The image of a knitter as an older woman sitting in a comfortable, old-fashioned living room with a basket of yarn at her feet and a bun in her hair is one of the past. As knitting continues to become more popular and increasingly trendy, it is much more difficult to describe the average knitter. Knitters today might be 18, 28, 40, or 65. They might live in a big urban center and take classes in a knit- ting shop that doubles as a café or they may gather in suburban coffee shops to support one another in knitting and other aspects of life. They could be college roommates knitting in their dorm room or two senior citizens knitting in a church hall. Even men are getting in the act. It would be incredibly difficult to come up with an accurate profile of a contemporary knitter to replace that image of the old woman with the basket of yarn!
This paragraph best supports the statement that
  1.    people are returning to knitting in an attempt to reconnect with simpler times.
  2.    knitting is now more of a group activity, as opposed to an individual hobby.
  3.    creating an accurate profile of a particular type of person depends on the people in this group having traits and characteristics in common.
  4.    today's knitters are much less accomplished than knitters of the past.
  5.    young people are turning to knitting in record numbers.
 Discuss Question
Answer: Option C. -> creating an accurate profile of a particular type of person depends on the people in this group having traits and characteristics in common.
The statement that it is difficult to create an accurate profile of a contemporary knitter comes immediately after a discussion about how different today's knitters are from one another and from knitters of the past. Choices a and d are not supported by the paragraph. Although the paragraph does discuss knitting done in group settings, it does not specifically say that more of today's knitting is done in groups; therefore, choice b is incorrect. Young people may be turning to knitting in record numbers, but again, that statement is not verified by the information provided in the paragraph, so choice e must be ruled out as well.
Question 87. Originating in the 1920s, the Pyramid scheme is one of the oldest con games going. Honest people are often pulled in, thinking the scheme is a legitimate investment enterprise. The first customer to "fall for" the Pyramid scheme will actually make big money and will therefore persuade friends and relatives to join also. The chain then continues with the con artist who originated the scheme pocketing, rather than investing, the money. Finally, the pyramid collapses, but by that time, the scam artist will usually have moved out of town, leaving no forwarding address.
This paragraph best supports the statement that
  1.    it is fairly easy to spot a Pyramid scheme in the making.
  2.    he first customer of a Pyramid scheme is the most gullible.
  3.    the people who set up Pyramid schemes are able to fool honest people.
  4.    the Pyramid scheme had its heyday in the 1920s, but it's making a comeback.
  5.    the Pyramid scheme got its name from its structure.
 Discuss Question
Answer: Option C. -> the people who set up Pyramid schemes are able to fool honest people.
The fact that the Pyramid scheme is set up by a con artist suggests that the honest people who invest have been fooled. Choices a and b are contradicted in the passage. The paragraph says that the Pyramid scheme originated in the 1920s, but does not say it had its heyday then; thus, choice d is incorrect. Choice e is a fact, but it is not mentioned in the passage.
Question 88. The criminal justice system needs to change. The system could be more just if it allowed victims the opportunity to confront the person who has harmed them. Also, mediation between victims and their offenders would give the offenders a chance to apologize for the harm they have done.
This paragraph best supports the statement that victims of a crime should
  1.    learn to forgive their offenders.
  2.    have the right to confront their offenders.
  3.    learn the art of mediation.
  4.    insist that their offenders be punished.
  5.    have the right to impose a sentence on their offenders.
 Discuss Question
Answer: Option B. -> have the right to confront their offenders.
This answer is clearly stated in the first sentence of the paragraph. There is no support in the passage for choices a, d,or e. As for choice c, although mediation is mentioned, the statement does not indicate that victims should be the mediators.
Question 89. A few states in this country are considering legislation that would prohibit schools from using calculators before the sixth grade. Other states take a different position. Some states are insisting on the purchase of graphing calculators for every student in middle school.
This paragraph best supports the statement that in this country
  1.    there are at least two opinions about the use of calculators in schools.
  2.    calculators are frequently a detriment to learning math.
  3.    state legislators are more involved in education than ever before.
  4.    the price of graphing calculators is less when schools buy in bulk.
  5.    the argument against calculators in schools is unfounded.
 Discuss Question
Answer: Option A. -> there are at least two opinions about the use of calculators in schools.
The paragraph clearly states that there are two differing opinions with regard to the use of calculators in the classroom. Although some people may believe that choice b is true, the paragraph does not indicate this. Choice c has no relation to the paragraph. Choice d makes logical sense, but the paragraph says nothing about cost. Choice e is an opinion that is not given in the paragraph.
Question 90. Today's high school students spend too much time thinking about trivial and distracting matters such as fashion. Additionally, they often dress inappropriately on school grounds. Rather than spending time writing another detailed dress policy, we should make school uniforms mandatory. If students were required to wear uniforms, it would increase a sense of community and harmony in our schools and it would instill a sense of discipline in our students. Another positive effect would be that teachers and administrators would no longer have to act as clothing police, freeing them up to focus on more important issues.
This paragraph best supports the statement that
  1.    inappropriate clothing leads to failing grades.
  2.    students who wear school uniforms get into better colleges.
  3.    teachers and administrators spend at least 25% of their time enforcing the dress code.
  4.    students are not interested in being part of a community.
  5.    school uniforms should be compulsory for high school students.
 Discuss Question
Answer: Option E. -> school uniforms should be compulsory for high school students.
The support for choice e is in the third sentence "we should make school uniforms mandatory". There is no evidence provided to support choices a, b, and d. And although we know that teachers and administrators are spending some of their time enforcing dress code, the paragraph does not quantify how much of their time is spent that way, so there is no support for choice c.

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