47090.In the past most airline companies minimized aircraft weight to minimize fuel costs. The safest airline seats were heavy, and airlines equipped their planes with few of these seats. This year the seat that has sold best to airlines has been the safest one—a clear indication that airlines are assigning a higher priority to safe seating than to minimizing fuel costs.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?
Last year’s best-selling airline seat was not the safest airline seat on the market.
No airline company has announced that it would be making safe seating a higher priority this year.
The price of fuel was higher this year than it had been in most of the years when the safest airline seats sold poorly.
Because of increases in the cost of materials, all airline seats were more expensive to manufacture this year than in any previous year.
Because of technological innovations, the safest airline seat on the market this year weighed less than most other airline seats on the market.
Explanation:
If the safest airline seats are now among the lightest, as choice E says, then buying them could be part of a strategy of minimizing fuel costs, rather than indicating a shift away from that goal. Choice E, therefore, is the best choice.
Choice A merely confirms that seat safety has improved, and thus does not weaken the argument. Many policy shifts take place without being publicly announced, so choice B does not weaken the argument. Choice C indicates that minimizing fuel costs remains a priority, but it is neutral on whether safety has become more important, so C is incorrect. Choice D does not distinguish between safe and unsafe seats, and is thus also incorrect.
If the safest airline seats are now among the lightest, as choice E says, then buying them could be part of a strategy of minimizing fuel costs, rather than indicating a shift away from that goal. Choice E, therefore, is the best choice.
Choice A merely confirms that seat safety has improved, and thus does not weaken the argument. Many policy shifts take place without being publicly announced, so choice B does not weaken the argument. Choice C indicates that minimizing fuel costs remains a priority, but it is neutral on whether safety has become more important, so C is incorrect. Choice D does not distinguish between safe and unsafe seats, and is thus also incorrect.
47091.Thousands of people have tonsillectomies every year and all live normal lives after the operation. We can conclude, from this observation, that the tonsils have no function in the body.
The argument would be most weakened by which of the following, if it were true?
The argument would be most weakened by which of the following, if it were true?
People live normal lives after appendectomies but the appendix is known to be part of the digestive system.
Another part of the body can take over the function of the tonsils if they are removed.
The tonsils have been shown to have a vital role to play in the physiology of laboratory rabbits and guinea pigs.
The human tonsil develops as part of the immune system, a system of vital importance in defense against disease.
Tonsillectomies are performed only when the tonsils become seriously infected.
47092.Between 1975 and 1985, nursing-home occupancy rates averaged 87 percent of capacity, while admission rates remained constant, at an average of 95 admissions per 1,000 beds per year. Between 1985 and 1988, however, occupancy rates rose to an average of 92 percent of capacity, while admission rates declined to 81 per 1,000 beds per year.
If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions can be most properly drawn?
If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions can be most properly drawn?
The average length of time nursing-home residents stayed in nursing homes increased between 1985 and 1988.
The proportion of older people living in nursing homes was greater in 1988 than in 1975.
Nursing home admission rates tend to decline whenever occupancy rates rise.
Nursing homes built prior to 1985 generally had fewer beds than did nursing homes built between 1985 and 1988.
The more beds a nursing home has, the higher its occupancy rate is likely to be.
Explanation:
Between 1985 and 1988, nursing home occupancy rates rose although admission rates declined. Choice A receives support from these facts since it would be a basis fro an adequate account of how they arose. Because it is the only choice that receives support, A is therefore the best answer.
Without information about the population of older people, nothing can be concluded about percentages in nursing homes; thus, choice B is incorrect. Since there is nothing to indicate whether the development that took place between 1985 and 1988 was an unusual development or a common one, choice C receives no support. No information about numbers of beds is provided, so neither choice D nor choice E is correct.
Between 1985 and 1988, nursing home occupancy rates rose although admission rates declined. Choice A receives support from these facts since it would be a basis fro an adequate account of how they arose. Because it is the only choice that receives support, A is therefore the best answer.
Without information about the population of older people, nothing can be concluded about percentages in nursing homes; thus, choice B is incorrect. Since there is nothing to indicate whether the development that took place between 1985 and 1988 was an unusual development or a common one, choice C receives no support. No information about numbers of beds is provided, so neither choice D nor choice E is correct.
47093.An airplane engine manufacturer developed a new engine model with safety features lacking in the earlier model, which was still being manufactured. During the first year that both were sold, the earlier model far outsold the new model; the manufacturer thus concluded that safety was not the customers’ primary consideration.
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the manufacturer’s conclusion?
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the manufacturer’s conclusion?
Both private plane owners and commercial airlines buy engines from this airplane engine manufacturer.
Many customers consider earlier engine models better safety risks than new engine models, since more is usually known about the safety of the earlier models.
Many customers of this airplane engine manufacturer also bought airplane engines from manufacturers who did not provide additional safety features in their newer models.
The newer engine model can be used in all planes in which the earlier engine model can be used.
There was no significant difference in price between the newer engine model and the earlier engine model.
Explanation:
The manufacturers’ conclusion would be weakened if it could be argued that, in the opinion of customers, safety considerations favor the earlier model. Choice B supports such an argument and is the best answer.
The groups mentioned in choice A would both expected to consider safety important, so their failing to buy the new model would be striking, without casting doubt on the conclusion; thus, choice A is incorrect. Choice C might support the conclusion, because customers bought other engine support the conclusion, because customers bought other engine models that might not include the newer safety features. Choice D and E suggest that usability and price, respectively, were not the customers’ primary consideration in favoring the earlier model, but neither choice weakens the conclusion that safety was not their primary consideration.
The manufacturers’ conclusion would be weakened if it could be argued that, in the opinion of customers, safety considerations favor the earlier model. Choice B supports such an argument and is the best answer.
The groups mentioned in choice A would both expected to consider safety important, so their failing to buy the new model would be striking, without casting doubt on the conclusion; thus, choice A is incorrect. Choice C might support the conclusion, because customers bought other engine support the conclusion, because customers bought other engine models that might not include the newer safety features. Choice D and E suggest that usability and price, respectively, were not the customers’ primary consideration in favoring the earlier model, but neither choice weakens the conclusion that safety was not their primary consideration.
47094.A computer equipped with signature-recognition software, which restricts access to a computer to those people whose signatures are on file, identifies a person’s signature by analyzing not only the form of the signature but also such characteristics as pen pressure and signing speed. Even the most adept forgers cannot duplicate all of the characteristics the program analyzes.
Which of the following can be logically concluded from the passage above?
Which of the following can be logically concluded from the passage above?
The time it takes to record and analyze a signature makes the software impractical for everyday use.
Computers equipped with the software will soon be installed in most banks.
Nobody can gain access to a computer equipped with the software solely by virtue of skill at forging signatures.
Signature-recognition software has taken many years to develop and perfect.
In many cases even authorized users are denied legitimate access to computers equipped with the software.
Explanation:
The passage asserts that skill at forging signatures is not by itself sufficient to match all of the characteristics that the software analyzes to identify signatures. Because the software gives access only after identifying a signature, access cannot be achieved by someone employing forging skill alone. Choice C is thus the best answer.
The passage gives no information about how fast the software operates or about how long the software was under development, so neither A nor D can be concluded. Choice B is incorrect since the software might have features not mentioned in the passage that make it unattractive to banks. The passages give no reason to think that errors of the sort that choice E describes, even if made, would be numerous.
The passage asserts that skill at forging signatures is not by itself sufficient to match all of the characteristics that the software analyzes to identify signatures. Because the software gives access only after identifying a signature, access cannot be achieved by someone employing forging skill alone. Choice C is thus the best answer.
The passage gives no information about how fast the software operates or about how long the software was under development, so neither A nor D can be concluded. Choice B is incorrect since the software might have features not mentioned in the passage that make it unattractive to banks. The passages give no reason to think that errors of the sort that choice E describes, even if made, would be numerous.
47095.Firms adopting “profit-related-pay” (PRP) contracts pay wages at levels that vary with the firm’s profits. In the metalworking industry last year, firms with PRP contracts in place showed productivity per worker on average 13 percent higher than that of their competitors who used more traditional contracts.
If, on the basis of the evidence above, it is argued that PRP contracts increase worker productivity, which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken that argument?
If, on the basis of the evidence above, it is argued that PRP contracts increase worker productivity, which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken that argument?
Results similar to those cited for the metal-working industry have been found in other industries where PRP contracts are used.
Under PRP contracts costs other than labor costs, such as plant, machinery, and energy, make up an increased proportion of the total cost of each unit of output.
Because introducing PRP contracts greatly changes individual workers’ relationships to the firm, negotiating the introduction of PRP contracts in complex and time consuming.
Many firms in the metalworking industry have modernized production equipment in the last five years, and most of these introduced PRP contracts at the same time.
In firms in the metalworking industry where PRP contracts are in place, the average take-home pay is 15 percent higher than it is in those firms where workers have more traditional contracts.
Explanation:
According to choice D, many firms with PRP contracts also have modernized equipment. Since the cause of their improved productivity might be the modernized equipment, not the PRP contracts, this weakens the argument, so D is the best answer.
Choice A does not weaken the argument: it is merely more evidence of the sort already being used. Choice B is incorrect because it is a natural consequence of increased worker productivity if other costs remain stable. Choice C is incorrect because it explains why introducing PRP contracts is difficult, but says nothing about the results of doing so. Choice E is incorrect because it is not implausible that workers’ pay should roughly correspond to their productivity.
According to choice D, many firms with PRP contracts also have modernized equipment. Since the cause of their improved productivity might be the modernized equipment, not the PRP contracts, this weakens the argument, so D is the best answer.
Choice A does not weaken the argument: it is merely more evidence of the sort already being used. Choice B is incorrect because it is a natural consequence of increased worker productivity if other costs remain stable. Choice C is incorrect because it explains why introducing PRP contracts is difficult, but says nothing about the results of doing so. Choice E is incorrect because it is not implausible that workers’ pay should roughly correspond to their productivity.
47096.It is often thought that our own modern age is unique in having a large number of people who live into old age. It has frequently been assumed that plagues, wars, and harsh working conditions killed off most people in previous ages before they could reach old age. However, recent research shows that in 17th century Europe, for example, people over sixty comprised 10 percent of the population. The studies also revealed that although infant mortality remained high until the 20th century in Europe, people who survived to adulthood could expect to live to be old.
The portions in boldface play which of the following roles in the argument above?
The portions in boldface play which of the following roles in the argument above?
The first is a conclusion that the author supports. The second is data that contradicts that conclusion.
The first is a finding that the author contests. The second is a finding that the author accepts.
The first is an assumption that the author thinks is invalid. The second is data that validates that assumption.
The first is a position that the author opposes. The second is a finding that supports the author`s position.
The first is a position that the author opposes. The second is an assumption which, if valid, negates the author`s view.
47097.A rare disease, malicitis, is being diagnosed with increasing frequency. The number of cases reported this year is more than double the number reported four years ago. The government should now allocate more funds for treatment and prevention of malicitis.
All of the following, if true, would weaken the conclusion except
All of the following, if true, would weaken the conclusion except
funds already available for research in malicitis are currently under-utilized
a new test employed for the first time this year detects malicitis at a considerably earlier stage in the development of the disease
the number of cases reported this year represents the same fraction of the population as reported in all of the last five years
a committee of experts reviewed the funding four years ago
a private foundation has committed sufficient funds to cover treatment and prevention needs as well as research for the next five years
47098.Recent studies have highlighted the harmful effects of additives in food (colors, preservatives, flavor enhancers etc.). There are no synthetic substances in the foods we produce at Munchon Foods ` we use only natural ingredients. Hence you can be sure you are safeguarding your family`s health when you buy our products.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the contention of Munchon Foods?
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the contention of Munchon Foods?
Some synthetic substances are not harmful
Some natural substances found in foods can be harmful
Food without additives is unlikely to taste good
Munchon Foods produces only breakfast cereals
Without preservatives some foods could cause harm
47099.Jay: We have too many people working on each of our computers in the office. The high frequency of breakdowns is due to too many people handling the same hardware.
Ada: We have just as many people working in our office, yet we hardly need any repairs to our systems. Our systems must be more robust than yours.
Ada`s argument would be most strengthened by providing data on the
Ada: We have just as many people working in our office, yet we hardly need any repairs to our systems. Our systems must be more robust than yours.
Ada`s argument would be most strengthened by providing data on the
actual number of people in the two offices
type of computers that are in both offices
ratio of computers to users in her office
number of visits by computer engineers to service the computers in Jay`s office
number of computers in Jay`s office
47100.In a recent study of responses to visual images, researchers found that women most frequently gave the rating `most attractive` to images of male faces that were more feminine in contour, and rated more masculine faces, on average, `less attractive`. The researchers concluded that modern women prefer men who are less obviously masculine in their facial features.
The conclusion would be most severely weakened if which of the following were true?
The conclusion would be most severely weakened if which of the following were true?
Facial features are not the criterion that most women use to decide whether a man is attractive.
The visual images were computer generated composites of photographs and not pictures of actual men.
The rating scale was a ten point scale with most attractive scoring 1-2 and least attractive scoring 8-10.
Most popular male actors have the features that the study allocated to the more masculine category.
The faces with the more masculine features were all significantly older than those with the feminine features.
47101.A discount retailer of basic household necessities employs thousands of people and pays most of them at the minimum wage rate. Yet following a federally mandated increase of the minimum wage rate that increased the retailer’s operating costs considerably, the retailer’s profits increased markedly.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox?
Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox?
Over half of the retailer’s operating costs consist of payroll expenditures; yet only a small percentage of those expenditures go to pay management salaries.
The retailer’s customer base is made up primarily of people who earn, or who depend on the earnings of others who earn, the minimum wage.
The retailer’s operating costs, other than wages, increased substantially after the increase in the minimum wage rate went into effect.
When the increase in the minimum wage rate went into effect, the retailer also raised the age rate for employees who had been earning just above minimum wage.
The majority of the retailer’s employees work as cashiers, and most cashiers are paid the minimum wage.
Explanation:
The question to be resolved is why the mandated wage increase, which increased operating costs, was accompanied by an increase in profits. By showing how the wage increase might have led to an increase in the retailer’s sales, choice B helps resolve this question, and thus is the best answer.
Choices A and E are incorrect, since they suggest that the wages that rose as a result of the mandated increase constituted a significant proportion of the retailer’s expenditures, which if anything adds to the seeming paradox. Choices C and D also contribute to the paradox, since they indicate that along with increases in the minimum wage there were increases in the retailer’s operating costs; so choices C and D are also incorrect.
The question to be resolved is why the mandated wage increase, which increased operating costs, was accompanied by an increase in profits. By showing how the wage increase might have led to an increase in the retailer’s sales, choice B helps resolve this question, and thus is the best answer.
Choices A and E are incorrect, since they suggest that the wages that rose as a result of the mandated increase constituted a significant proportion of the retailer’s expenditures, which if anything adds to the seeming paradox. Choices C and D also contribute to the paradox, since they indicate that along with increases in the minimum wage there were increases in the retailer’s operating costs; so choices C and D are also incorrect.
47102.A fruit known as amla in certain parts of Asia is an excellent source of vitamin C. A small quantity of the fruit grated and added to salads provides almost all the daily requirement of this vitamin. However, the fruit is very sour. A new process designed to remove most of the sour taste will make the fruit acceptable to American tastes. We are therefore starting to grow this fruit for sale in the United States.
The argument above assumes all of the following except
The argument above assumes all of the following except
Americans generally won`t eat very sour foods
The new process does not remove a significant part of the vitamin content
That a market exists for a new source of vitamin C
The fruit can be used only in salads
Apart from being sour there are no other objections to eating this fruit
47103.The enormous distances between stars are not spaces entirely devoid of matter. The interstellar spaces are filled with `dust`: very low density matter. This miniscule amount of matter, spread over almost infinite distances, acts like a curtain obscuring the stars that lie behind. If it were not for this material we would see no dark patches in the sky at night: the sky would be entirely covered with stars.
The two parts in boldface play what roles in the argument above?
The two parts in boldface play what roles in the argument above?
The first is a suggestion that the author wishes to dispute. The second is hypothesis that the author wishes to explain.
The first is the main point the author wishes to make. The second is a hypothetical result of accepting that point.
The first is a fact that the author thinks is important in explaining a certain phenomenon. The second is a result that the author would expect if that fact were not true.
The first is a speculation that the author wishes to justify. The second is a consequence that would result if that speculation is not true.
The first is an established fact that the author wishes to explain. The second is a consequence of accepting this fact.
47104.Anton: I sold my house on an internet site last year and was happy with the price. I got a speedy sale and the cost of advertising was insignificant. I would advise you to avoid real estate agents.
Barbie: It is in the interest of the real estate agent to get me the best price for my property because he gets a commission based on the selling price. Therefore, when selling my house I will certainly use an agent rather than trying to sell the house by word of mouth, or by advertising in newspapers or on the internet.
Barbie`s could strengthen her position by pointing out all of the following except
Barbie: It is in the interest of the real estate agent to get me the best price for my property because he gets a commission based on the selling price. Therefore, when selling my house I will certainly use an agent rather than trying to sell the house by word of mouth, or by advertising in newspapers or on the internet.
Barbie`s could strengthen her position by pointing out all of the following except
Houses of comparable value often obtain a lower price when sold on the internet
Very few houses are sold on the internet at the moment an so a valid comparison is difficult
The agent`s service includes many add-on benefits in terms of legal fees, surveyor`s reports and advice that are not available on internet sites
Some buyers pay the agent to find them a cheap house
The agent`s commission is usually less than the difference between the internet price and the higher price the agent obtains for you
47105.Scientists investigating a rare metabolic disorder hypothesized that obesity was a predisposing factor in the development of the disease. A study of twenty patients found that, on average, the patients were close to the normal weight for their height.
Before concluding that obesity is not a predisposing factor, the researchers would find the answer to which of the following questions most useful?
Before concluding that obesity is not a predisposing factor, the researchers would find the answer to which of the following questions most useful?
Are the patients above or below normal height?
Were any of the patients underweight when the disorder was diagnosed?
Does weight loss reduce the severity of the symptoms?
Have the patients always been close to the normal weight for their heights?
How many of the patients had obese parents?
47106.In a recent study of responses to visual images, researchers found that women most frequently gave the rating `most attractive` to images of male faces that were more feminine in contour, and rated more masculine faces, on average, `less attractive`. The researchers concluded that modern women prefer men who are less obviously masculine in their facial features.
Which is the following is an assumption that the researchers apparently made in this study?
Which is the following is an assumption that the researchers apparently made in this study?
The women who participated in the study were sufficiently representative of modern women in general.
Male faces are, in general, attractive to women.
Visual images are important to women.
It is impossible to predict what features an ideal face would have.
Women in previous ages would have preferred more masculine men.
47107.In research designed to investigate the possibility of animals developing friendship with other, unrelated, members of their species, a group of 29 chimpanzees were reared together for 15 years. At the end of that time the chimps were presented with two options for obtaining food: press a lever and feed themselves, or press another identical lever and feed themselves, and at the same time deliver food to the chimp next door. (The chimps were able to see each other). The researchers found that the chimps were no more likely to choose the lever that fed a neighbor. The researchers concluded that the chimps had no concept of friendship. However, one critic has suggested that the animals were in an artificial environment from which little can be concluded, and that, at the least, the test ought to have involved the animals being able to touch.
What role do the parts in boldface play in the argument above?
What role do the parts in boldface play in the argument above?
The first is a position that the critic opposes. The second is a position that the critic supports.
The first is an observation that supports the researchers` position. The second is an observation that opposes the researchers` position.
The first is a finding on which the researchers base their conclusion. The second is a suggestion that might cast doubt on that finding.
The first is an observation that supports the critic`s conclusion. The second is the critic`s conclusion.
The first is part of the evidence that the critic disputes. The second is a suggestion that the researchers do not accept.
47108.French cuisine is highly regarded all over the world. Yet in Paris there are more American restaurants selling burgers and fries (which many people now class as `junk food`) than there are in any other European capital city. Obviously the French are very fond of `junk food`, and are not too proud to eat it.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author`s contention?
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author`s contention?
There are also a larger number of Lebanese restaurants in Paris than there are in other European capital cities
French Cordon Bleu cuisine is very expensive
The number of French tourists eating in New York burger restaurants is very low
Junk food is actually has high nutritional value when eaten in moderation
There are an unusually large number of American tourists in Paris who eat at burger joints
47109.Photography is no longer an art form. Nowadays everyone has access to digital cameras that only need to be pointed at the subject in order to generate a perfect image.
The writer of the argument apparently assumes that
The writer of the argument apparently assumes that
the selection of the subject is not an important artistic factor in photography
digital cameras will continue to improve in quality
digital cameras can never go wrong
photography with all other types of camera is an art form
art is not perfect