An underlying assumption of the argument above is that a movie based on a novel should:
1. reflect the director's original interpretation of the main themes of the novel.
2. accurately depict the time and place in which the novel is set.
3. feature actors and actresses who closely resemble the characters in the novel both in body and spirit.
4. faithfully render the details of the plot from the narrator's point of view.
5. capture the true meaning and intention of the novel.
Ans : E
Which of the following is an assumption underlying the reasoning in the passage above?
1. In most fatal automobile accidents, the driver of a car in which an occupant is killed is at fault.
2. Drivers of automobiles are rarely killed in auto accidents.
3. Most deaths in fatal automobile accidents are suffered by occupants of cars rather than by pedestrians.
4. Auto safety experts should increase their efforts to provide protection for those in the passenger seats of automobiles.
5. Automobile passengers sometimes play a contributing role in causing auto accidents.
Ans : A
Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
1. Several teams of scientists performed the various experiments, and all of the teams had similar results.
2. The carcinogenic effect of RTC could be neutralized by the other ingredients found in coffee.
3. When RTC kills common cold viruses it weakens the immune system, and it might thus diminish the body's ability to fight other viruses, including viruses linked to cancers.
4. If chemists modify the structure of RTC, RTC can be safely incorporated into medications to prevent the common cold.
5. To lessen the undesirable side effects of chemotherapy, the use of coffee has been recommended for cancer patients who are free of the common cold virus.
Ans : B
Each one of the following statements, if true over the last two decades, helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy above EXCEPT:
1. Compared to other types of home fires, home fires caused by smoking in bed usually cause relatively little damage before they are extinguished.
2. Home fires caused by smoking in bed often break out after the home's occupants have fallen asleep.
3. Smokers who smoke in bed tend to be heavy smokers who are less likely to quit smoking than are smokers who do not smoke in bed.
4. An increasing number of people have been killed in home fires that started in the kitchen.
5. Population densities have increased, with the result that one home fire can cause more deaths than in previous decades.
Ans : B
A promising response to this concern, arguing that things are not as bad as they might seem, could involve which of the following claims?
1. Most of the public policy questions in this area are really about the morality and the value of scientific and technological developments. They do not require much technical understanding beyond that of a layperson.
2. Computer scientists, by and large, have little interest in politics and public policy. It would be difficult to find scientists with the degree of commitment required for a serious contribution to the judicial system.
3. There is a lack of people who are qualified in both technical and legal areas of expertise.
4. There is very little opportunity for, and indeed little need for, technical expertise in the judicial branch. There is therefore almost no way for a technical specialist to rise through the ranks to a top-level position in government.
5. The rewards of a life as a judge, in terms of both money and prestige, are not high enough to attract top-flight technical experts to this area.
Ans : A
The argument above may best be characterized as:
1. an appeal to emotion.
2. a flawed analogy.
3. a general conclusion based on a specific example.
4. circular reasoning.
5. an application of a general principle to a specific example.
Ans : C
Which of the following is an assumption made in the argument above?
1. Withdrawal of U.S. aid from Zunimagua will force a change in the policies of its government.
2. The people of Zunimagua would be better off if their present despotic government were overthrown.
3. The government of Zunimagua is dependent on continued U.S. aid for its existence.
4. U.S. aid should be given only to countries willing to adopt policies in line with U.S. interests and goals.
5. U.S. aid should be withdrawn from any country that refuses to operate its government along democratic lines.
Ans : E
The author of the letter above makes her point by employing which method of argument?
1. Attacking the motives of the author of the unfavorable review.
2. Attacking the book on the same topic written by the author of the review.
3. Contrasting her own book with that written by the author of the review.
4. Questioning the judgment of the author of the unfavorable review.
5. Stating that her book should not have been reviewed by the author of a competing work.
Ans : A
Which of the following, if true, would weaken the above conclusion?
1. Students who are away from their parents often exhibit rude behavior.
2. The college numbers over 50,000 students.
3. The narrator is a student and has interacted with many students.
4. Social skills should not be expected of college students.
5. The narrator was reluctant to stay at the college.
Ans : B
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument above?
1. Planes are inspected more often than cars.
2. The number of car accidents is several hundred thousand times higher than the number of plane accidents.
3. Pilots never fly under the influence of alcohol, while car drivers often do.
4. Plane accidents are usually the fault of air traffic controllers, not pilots.
5. Planes carry more passengers than cars do.
Ans : B