Critical Reasoning Quiz

1. To avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest, the board of a major U.S. stock exchange is considering a new policy that would ban former top executives of the exchange from taking positions at publicly traded companies for a period of two years after leaving the stock exchange. Critics of the plan say the policy is unfair because it would likely prevent former top executives of the exchange from earning a decent living.
   Which of the following statements, if true, would most strengthen the prediction made by the critics of the proposed company policy?
   1. The labor union that represents most of the stock exchange’s employees has made public statements that threaten a strike if the policy is adopted.
   2. Former employees of the exchange most often work for publicly traded companies after leaving the exchange.
   3. Low-level managers at the exchange have an average tenure of 13 years, one of the longest in the industry.
   4. Low-level managers at the exchange most often leave their jobs for positions with the state or federal government.
   5. Former top executives of the exchange have a particular set of skills such that they are usually only able to find work with publicly traded companies.
2. The increase in taxes on cigarettes next month will not limit the use of addictive tobacco products to the extent that health advocates hope. Many cigarette smokers will shift their spending to cigars and chewing tobacco when the law takes effect.
   Which of the following, if true, would most strongly weaken the argument above?
   1. Cigars and chewing tobacco can satisfy the nicotine cravings of most cigarette smokers.
   2. The taste, smell, and texture of cigars and chewing tobacco are sufficiently different from those of cigarettes to deter cigarette smokers from using them.
   3. Many health advocates themselves use tobacco products.
   4. The government might also impose significant taxes on cigars and chewing tobacco over the course of two years.
   5. Cigars and chewing tobacco are often more expensive than cigarettes.
3. The percentage of local businesses with more than 10 employees is higher in Grandview City than in any other city in the state. However, the percentage of local businesses with 15 employees or more is higher in Lakeshore City, which is in the same state, than in any other city in the state.
   If the statements above are true, then which of the following must also be true?
   1. The percentage of local businesses with more than 18 employees is higher in Lakeshore City than in any other city in the state.
   2. The state has more local businesses with more than 10 employees than any other state in the country.
   3. The number of local businesses with 15 or more employees is greater in Lakeshore City than in Grandview City.
   4. Some local businesses in Grandview City have 11 to 14 employees.
   5. The average number of employees per business is higher in Lakeshore City than in Grandview City.
4. It appears that the number of people employed by a typical American software firm decreased in the 1980s and 1990s. This trend is borne out by two studies, conducted 20 years apart. In a large 1980 sample of randomly chosen American software firms, the median size of the firms’ workforce populations was 65. When those same firms were studied again in 2000, the median size was 57.
   Which of the following points to the most serious logical flaw in the reasoning above?
   1. The median number of employees in American firms in many industries decreased during the 1980s and 1990s.
   2. During the 1980s and 1990s, many software firms increased the extent to which they relied on subcontractors to write code.
   3. The data in the studies refer only to companies that existed in 1980.
   4. The studies focused on the number of employees, but there are many ways of judging a firm’s size, such as revenues and profits.
   5. The median number of employees is not as sound a measure of the number of employees employed in an industry as is the mean number of employees, which accounts for the vast size of the few large firms that dominate most industries.
5. The Ministry of Tourism in country X began an expensive television advertising campaign in country Y two years ago. Since that time, the number of visitors to country X from country Y has increased by more than 8 percent. Clearly, the Ministry of Tourism’s campaign is responsible for the increase.
   Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above?
   1. The advertisements sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism in country X were panned by the country Y media for lack of imagination.
   2. A devaluation of the currency in country X two years ago made travel there more affordable for residents of country Y.
   3. Increasing political turmoil in country X will lead to a decrease in visitors from country Y next year.
   4. The number of visitors from country Y to country Z increased by more than 8 percent over the past two years.
   5. Over the past two years, the advertisement campaign launched by the Ministry of Tourism in country X cost more money than residents of country Y spent traveling in country X.
6. A corporation’s recent financial report indicates that customers in its Quarx stores, which play upbeat music through an in-store audio system, spend on average 25 percent more per shopping trip than customers in its Cubix stores, which advertise specials over the audio system. Clearly, hearing music has a greater impact than hearing advertisements on how much money customers spend when shopping.  
   Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument above?
   1. A study conducted by a psychologist found that hearing music makes shoppers feel financially secure, so they are more likely to make impulse purchases. 
   2. Customers who hear advertisements for things they dislike form a negative association between their shopping experience and what they heard, making them less likely to return to the store where they heard the advertisement. 
   3. Stores that play music tend to carry products that are essential to daily life, while those that advertise specials often stock unessential, fun items that the stores hope consumers will decide to buy on a whim if offered a special price. 
   4. An economist who studied consumer shopping habits found that about half the population likes to listen to music while shopping, while the other half reports either disliking music or not noticing that music is playing. 
   5. According to a recent sociological study, customers say that hearing specials announced while they are shopping is irritating, but they often take advantage of the discounts offered in those announcements. 
7. Cable television executive: Our service and reliability have increased dramatically over the past year. Our customer service line is receiving 30 percent fewer reports of interrupted service, and the number of subscribers canceling their accounts is barely half of what it was last year.
   Cable television customer: That doesn’t mean your service and reliability have improved. It’s possible that customers don’t bother to call your customer service line to report problems because they never get any assistance when they do. And the drop-off in the number of canceled accounts could reflect the fact that nearly all of your dissatisfied customers have already canceled their accounts.
   In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
   1. The first is evidence designed to lead to a conclusion; the second offers further evidence in support of that conclusion.
   2. The first is evidence designed to lead to a conclusion; the second offers evidence designed to cast doubt on that conclusion.
   3. The first is a conclusion; the second offers evidence in support of that conclusion.
   4. The first is a conclusion; the second offers evidence designed to cast doubt on that conclusion.
   5. The first is a conclusion; the second is an alternative conclusion based on the same evidence.
8. Opponents of the laws prohibiting the use of nonprescription narcotic drugs in Leffingwell argue that in a free society, people should have the right to take risks as long as the risks do not constitute a harm to others who have not elected to take such risks. These opponents conclude that people should have the legal right to make the decision whether or not to use narcotic drugs.
   Which of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
   1. Some narcotic drugs have been shown to have medicinal qualities.
   2. There are laws in Leffingwell that govern the use of prescription drugs.
   3. People who use nonprescription narcotic drugs are no more likely to perpetrate a violent crime when under the influence of these drugs than when sober.
   4. People who use certain types of narcotic drugs are no more likely to die of an overdose than of natural causes.
   5. The rate of drug overdoses is lower in countries that do not have laws governing the use of narcotic drugs than in Leffingwell.
9. In a survey of undergraduates, two-fifths admitted to having cheated on an exam at least once during their education. However, the survey may underestimate the proportion of undergraduates who have cheated because _____________.
   Which of the following best completes the passage above?
   1. some undergraduates who have cheated at least once might have claimed on the survey never to have cheated
   2. some undergraduates who have never cheated might have claimed on the survey to have cheated
   3. some undergraduates who claimed on the survey to have cheated at least once may have cheated on multiple occasions throughout their education
   4. some undergraduates who claimed on the survey to have cheated at least once may have been answering honestly
   5. some students who are not undergraduates have probably cheated at least once during their education
10. During the last 18 years, the number of people who live or work in the Dry River Valley, which is prone to flash flooding, has continually increased, as has traffic on local roads and bridges. However, the number of people caught in flash floods has decreased, even though the annual number of floods has increased slightly.
    Which of the following, if true, best explains the decrease described above?
    1. Flash floods are more likely to happen in the first hour of a rainstorm than afterward.
    2. Flash floods killed some people in the Dry River Valley in every one of the last 18 years.
    3. Better meteorological technology, combined with a better understanding of the conditions conducive to flash flooding, has improved local authorities’ ability to predict when and where flash floods will occur.
    4. Many people work in the Dry River Valley but live elsewhere.
    5. A law that went into effect 18 years ago mandated that all new homes built in the valley be built on raised foundations, making those homes much less susceptible to flood damage.
11. Colleges in Tycho City have failed to prepare their students for the business world. A recent study revealed that the majority of college graduates in Tycho City could not write a simple business letter.
    Which of the following, if true, would provide additional evidence in support of the claim above?
    1. A majority of students attending colleges in Tycho City are business majors.
    2. The state college in neighboring Twyla Township has recently improved its business program by adding courses in business writing.
    3. Most Tycho City college graduates move outside the Tycho City area after they graduate.
    4. Most Tycho City college students live in on-campus dormitories.
    5. The majority of college graduates living in Tycho City received their college degrees from institutions located in Tycho City.