CRITICAL REASONING: Questions

[maverickisneo]

hi,
i was taking printout of all the XAT post by subodh in this thread, so compiled it in a doc file.Just thought may be useful for some of the PG guys, hence put attaching here as well

[Subodh Kant]

Analysis of question 7

7. The agricultural use of chemicals is environmentally unsound because the indiscriminate use of certain pesticides causes birth defects in some birds.

Which of the following is most similar to the argument above?
(A) Photocopying machines are useless because they all break down.
(B) Mayor Stewart is a liar because all politicians are liars.
(C) Cigarette smoking is dangerous because every study done has shown a strong correlation between cigarette smoking and increased health risks.
(D) Vitamin supplements are dangerous because excessive consumption of vitaminC can cause kidney stones.
(E) Many criminals are dangerous because they are willing to take a life in order to avoid capture.


7. A general principle (agricultural use of chemicals is bad) is based on a single example (indiscriminateuse of one chemical has harmed birds). Likewise,
(D) vitamin supplements in general are condemned because too much of one vitamin, vitamin C, causes kidney stones.
(A)A general principle isn't based on a single instance, but on inFORMation about all photocopiers.
(B)This is the opposite of the stimulus: a specific claim is made based on a general principle.
(C)This is a reasonable conclusion drawnfrom unanimous research results, and so isn't parallel.
(E)A general claim is made, but noexamples are provided.

[Subodh Kant]

Analysis of question 8

8. In a recent test, the composition of the water in the Buckshaw County water system was monitored over a 24 hour period. It was discovered that the water in the reservoirs contained trace amounts of mercury and manganese, harmful pollutants, which studies have shown can cause gastro-intestinal infections when ingested in sufficient quantities. The Commissioner of Public Works, in defending her decision not to spend three million dollars to purify the reservoirs, said: “Because reservoirs are fed by streams whose composition changes daily, the results of a one day test are insufficient to determine whether a reservoir is consistently contaminated.”

The Commissioner’s statement indicates most strongly that she is
(A) skeptical about the amount of damage that small amounts of pollutants can cause.
(B) doubtful that the test results are accurate.
(C) reluctant to take action when the problem may only be a temporary aberration.
(D) doubtful of the seriousness of the threat of gastro-intestinal infections.
(E) concerned about making a decision without regard to the economics of the situation.

8. By establishing that the composition of the streams that feed the reservoir varies, and asserting that it thus may not be necessary to purify water that was tested for such a short period, the Commissioner is indicating her belief that (C) the pollutants may not be a regular presence in the water, but merely have been one of the elements present in the streams on the day that the water was tested.
(A)The Commissioner is skeptical about the presence of pollutants, not their danger.
(B)The Commissioner doesn't dispute the test results, just whether they're representative of the water content on a regular basis.
(D)The Commissioner doesn't address the threat of gastro-intestinal infections.
(E)She's unwilling to spend 3 million dollars unless it's necessary.

[Subodh Kant]

Analysis of question 9

9. A social worker recently surveyed two hundred women who had given birth in the last year to their first child. Half of these women had chosen to have their children in a hospital or obstetric clinic; the other half had chosen to give birth at home. Of the one hundred births that occurred in the home, only five had presented any serious complications, whereas seventeen of the hospital births had required extra attention because of complications during delivery.
The social worker concluded that the home is a safer environment in which to give birth than is a hospital or clinic.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the social worker’s conclusion?
(A) Women who are expected to experience complications during delivery are encouraged to give birth in a hospital or clinic.
(B) Many obstetricians discourage their patients from giving birth in their homes.
(C) Women who give birth in their homes tend to experience less stress during labor and delivery than do those who deliver in hospitals.
(D) Women who give birth to their children in hospitals often have shorter periods of labor than do those who give birth at home.
(E) Many complications that occur during a delivery require the use of medical equipment not easily transported to a private home.

9. Because women who gave birth in a hospital had more complications than women who gave birth at home, the conclusion is that if women want to avoid complications they should give birth in their homes. This would be a valid conclusion if women arbitrarily chose where to give birth. If, however, (A) women who expected complications more often chose to give birth in a hospital, then the fact that more complications happen in a hospital is not caused by giving birth in a hospital.
(B)Doesn't comment on the safety of giving birth either at home or in a hospital.
(C)(D)Strengthens the argument; less stress and shorter labor would decrease the chance of complications.
(E)This doesn't affect the likelihood of a complication occurring in the first place.

[Subodh Kant]

Questions

10. Coach Parker noticed that the Seagirt High School basketball team had been losing more games per season since 1985 than it had prior to that date. He also realized that in 1985 the basketball practice time slot had been switched from directly after the end of classes at 3 PM to evenings at 7 PM. Coach Parker,
who believed that players were tired out by the time the evening practice began, concluded that his team would win more games if their practice time were moved back to 3 PM.

Coach Parker bases his argument on which of the following assumptions?
(A) The gymnasium could again be made available for the basketball team’s use at 3 PM.
(B) Numerous factors could account for the decline in the basketball team’s record.
(C) Other high school teams competing against Seagirt’s team do not practice in the evenings.
(D) The team’s poor perFORMance is a result of the players’ tired state during practice.
(E) The quality of Parker’s coaching has little or no effect on the team’s perFORMance.

11. In just two short years McGovern Textiles has made a nearly miraculous recovery. Profits are on the rise, productivity has nearly doubled, and sales are better than ever. No business can thrive in this way without competent leadership and a clearly defined organizational structure. McGovern’s new executive director, Freda Tully, has provided the management skills that made this recovery possible.

Which of the following, if true, would LEAST strengthen the above argument?
(A) This firm now has a clearly defined organizational structure.
(B) The general demand for textiles has increased dramatically during the past two years.
(C) Before Freda Tully became executive director, there was no competent leadership in the firm.
(D) The new organizational structure is clearly responsible for the increase in productivity.
(E) Freda Tully became executive director of this firm two years ago.

12. When workers were primarily employed by industry, injuries to the back or the lungs were among the most common health risks, because of heavy lifting and environments where the air was filled with textile fibers or coal dust. Today, with the work force increasingly employed in the service sector, job related injuries are more likely to involve damage to eyes, which are fixed for hours on computer terminals, or to fingers and wrists, which are forever twisting above, dragging across or pressing on keyboards, control panels or electric counters.

The inFORMation above best supports which of the following conclusions?
(A) Occupational injuries are becoming less serious with the passage of time.
(B) Every part of the human body is vulnerable to occupational injury at one time or another.
(C) Today coal mining is a safer job than computer programming, though it used to be the other way around.
(D) Compared to their ancestors, contemporary Americans are born with weakereyes and wrists but stronger backs and lungs.
(E) The relative frequency with which various body parts are injured on the job is related to the type of technology being employed.

[chango]

Questions

10. Coach Parker noticed that the Seagirt High School basketball team had been losing more games per season since 1985 than it had prior to that date. He also realized that in 1985 the basketball practice time slot had been switched from directly after the end of classes at 3 PM to evenings at 7 PM. Coach Parker,
who believed that players were tired out by the time the evening practice began, concluded that his team would win more games if their practice time were moved back to 3 PM.

Coach Parker bases his argument on which of the following assumptions?
(A) The gymnasium could again be made available for the basketball team’s use at 3 PM.
(B) Numerous factors could account for the decline in the basketball team’s record.
(C) Other high school teams competing against Seagirt’s team do not practice in the evenings.
(D) The team’s poor perFORMance is a result of the players’ tired state during practice.
(E) The quality of Parker’s coaching has little or no effect on the team’s perFORMance.


11. In just two short years McGovern Textiles has made a nearly miraculous recovery. Profits are on the rise, productivity has nearly doubled, and sales are better than ever. No business can thrive in this way without competent leadership and a clearly defined organizational structure. McGovern’s new executive director, Freda Tully, has provided the management skills that made this recovery possible.

Which of the following, if true, would LEAST strengthen the above argument?
(A) This firm now has a clearly defined organizational structure.
(B) The general demand for textiles has increased dramatically during the past two years.
(C) Before Freda Tully became executive director, there was no competent leadership in the firm.
(D) The new organizational structure is clearly responsible for the increase in productivity.
(E) Freda Tully became executive director of this firm two years ago.


12. When workers were primarily employed by industry, injuries to the back or the lungs were among the most common health risks, because of heavy lifting and environments where the air was filled with textile fibers or coal dust. Today, with the work force increasingly employed in the service sector, job related injuries are more likely to involve damage to eyes, which are fixed for hours on computer terminals, or to fingers and wrists, which are forever twisting above, dragging across or pressing on keyboards, control panels or electric counters.

The inFORMation above best supports which of the following conclusions?
(A) Occupational injuries are becoming less serious with the passage of time.
(B) Every part of the human body is vulnerable to occupational injury at one time or another.
(C) Today coal mining is a safer job than computer programming, though it used to be the other way around.
(D) Compared to their ancestors, contemporary Americans are born with weakereyes and wrists but stronger backs and lungs.
(E) The relative frequency with which various body parts are injured on the job is related to the type of technology being employed.

[ishacool]

my take-

10.d
11.b
12.e

[sid_dharth]

Originally Posted by Subodh Kant

Questions

10. (D) The team’s poor perFORMance is a result of the players’ tired state during practice.

11. (B) The general demand for textiles has increased dramatically during the past two years.

12. (E) The relative frequency with which various body parts are injured on the job is related to the type of technology being employed.

[Subodh Kant]

Originally Posted by ishacool

my take-

10.d
11.b
12.e

SCORE 3/3 GREAT !!!!!!!!!!

[Subodh Kant]

Originally Posted by sid_dharth

10. (D) The team’s poor perFORMance is a result of the players’ tired state during practice.

11. (B) The general demand for textiles has increased dramatically during the past two years.

12. (E) The relative frequency with which various body parts are injured on the job is related to the type of technology being employed.

SCORE 3/3 GREAT !!!!!!!!!!