1. Teresa: Manned spaceflight does not have a future, since it cannot compete economically with other means of accomplishing the objectives of spaceflight.
Edward: No mode of human transportation has a better record of reliability: two accidents in twenty-five years. Thus manned spaceflight definitely has a positive future.
Which of the following is the best logical evaluation of Edward's argument as a response to Teresa's argument?
1. It cites evidence that, if true, tends to disprove the evidence cited by Teresa in drawing her conclusion.
2. It indicates a logical gap in the support that Teresa offers for her conclusion.
3. It raises a consideration that outweighs the argument Teresa makes.
4. It does not meet Teresa's point because it assumes that there is no serious impediment to transporting people into space, but this was the issue raised by Teresa.
5. It fails to respond to Teresa's argument because it does not address the fundamental issue of whether space activities should have priority over other claims on the national budget.
2. Black Americans are, on the whole, about twice as likely as White Americans to develop high blood pressure. This likelihood also holds for westernized Black Africans when compared to White Africans.
Researchers have hypothesized that this predisposition in westernized Blacks may reflect an interaction between western high-salt diets and genes that adapted to an environmental scarcity of salt.
Which of the following statements about present-day, westernized Black Africans, if true, would most tend to confirm the researchers' hypothesis?
1. The blood pressures of those descended from peoples situated throughout their history in Senegal and Gambia, where salt was always available, are low.
2. The unusually high salt consumption in certain areas of Africa represents a serious health problem.
3. Because of their blood pressure levels, most White Africans have markedly decreased their salt consumption.
4. Blood pressures are low among the Yoruba, who, throughout their history, have been situated far inland from sources of sea salt and far south of Saharan salt mines.
5. No significant differences in salt metabolism have been found between those people who have had salt available throughout their history and those who have not.
3. The following proposal to amend the bylaws of an organization was circulated to its members for comment.
When more than one nominee is to be named for an office, prospective nominees must consent to nomination and before giving such consent must be told who the other nominees will be.
Which of the following comments concerning the logic of the proposal is accurate if it cannot be known who the actual nominees are until prospective nominees have given their consent to be nominated?
1. The proposal would make it possible for each of several nominees for an office to be aware of who all of the other nominees are.
2. The proposal would widen the choice available to those choosing among the nominees.
3. If there are several prospective nominees, the proposal would deny the last nominee equal treatment with the first.
4. The proposal would enable a prospective nominee to withdraw from competition with a specific person without making that withdrawal known.
5. If there is more than one prospective nominee, the proposal would make it impossible for anyone to become a nominee.
4. Which of the following best completes the passage below?
In a survey of job applicants, two-fifths admitted to being at least a little dishonest.
However, the survey may underestimate the proportion of job applicants who are dishonest, because
1. some dishonest people taking the survey might have claimed on the survey to be honest
2. some generally honest people taking the survey might have claimed on the survey to be dishonest
3. some people who claimed on the survey to be at least a little dishonest may be very dishonest
4. some people who claimed on the survey to be dishonest may have been answering honestly
5. some people who are not job applicants are probably at least a little dishonest
5. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the conclusion that cigarette companies could have dropped advertising without suffering economically?
1. Cigarette advertisements provide a major proportion of total advertising revenue for numerous magazines.
2. Cigarette promotion serves to attract first-time smokers to replace those people who have stopped smoking.
3. There exists no research conclusively demon-starting that increases in cigarette advertising are related to increases in smoking.
4. Advertising is so firmly established as a major business activity of cigarette manufacturers that they would be unlikely to drop it.
5. Brand loyalty is typically not very strong among those who smoke inexpensive cigarettes.
Edward: No mode of human transportation has a better record of reliability: two accidents in twenty-five years. Thus manned spaceflight definitely has a positive future.
Which of the following is the best logical evaluation of Edward's argument as a response to Teresa's argument?
1. It cites evidence that, if true, tends to disprove the evidence cited by Teresa in drawing her conclusion.
2. It indicates a logical gap in the support that Teresa offers for her conclusion.
3. It raises a consideration that outweighs the argument Teresa makes.
4. It does not meet Teresa's point because it assumes that there is no serious impediment to transporting people into space, but this was the issue raised by Teresa.
5. It fails to respond to Teresa's argument because it does not address the fundamental issue of whether space activities should have priority over other claims on the national budget.
2. Black Americans are, on the whole, about twice as likely as White Americans to develop high blood pressure. This likelihood also holds for westernized Black Africans when compared to White Africans.
Researchers have hypothesized that this predisposition in westernized Blacks may reflect an interaction between western high-salt diets and genes that adapted to an environmental scarcity of salt.
Which of the following statements about present-day, westernized Black Africans, if true, would most tend to confirm the researchers' hypothesis?
1. The blood pressures of those descended from peoples situated throughout their history in Senegal and Gambia, where salt was always available, are low.
2. The unusually high salt consumption in certain areas of Africa represents a serious health problem.
3. Because of their blood pressure levels, most White Africans have markedly decreased their salt consumption.
4. Blood pressures are low among the Yoruba, who, throughout their history, have been situated far inland from sources of sea salt and far south of Saharan salt mines.
5. No significant differences in salt metabolism have been found between those people who have had salt available throughout their history and those who have not.
3. The following proposal to amend the bylaws of an organization was circulated to its members for comment.
When more than one nominee is to be named for an office, prospective nominees must consent to nomination and before giving such consent must be told who the other nominees will be.
Which of the following comments concerning the logic of the proposal is accurate if it cannot be known who the actual nominees are until prospective nominees have given their consent to be nominated?
1. The proposal would make it possible for each of several nominees for an office to be aware of who all of the other nominees are.
2. The proposal would widen the choice available to those choosing among the nominees.
3. If there are several prospective nominees, the proposal would deny the last nominee equal treatment with the first.
4. The proposal would enable a prospective nominee to withdraw from competition with a specific person without making that withdrawal known.
5. If there is more than one prospective nominee, the proposal would make it impossible for anyone to become a nominee.
4. Which of the following best completes the passage below?
In a survey of job applicants, two-fifths admitted to being at least a little dishonest.
However, the survey may underestimate the proportion of job applicants who are dishonest, because
1. some dishonest people taking the survey might have claimed on the survey to be honest
2. some generally honest people taking the survey might have claimed on the survey to be dishonest
3. some people who claimed on the survey to be at least a little dishonest may be very dishonest
4. some people who claimed on the survey to be dishonest may have been answering honestly
5. some people who are not job applicants are probably at least a little dishonest
5. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the conclusion that cigarette companies could have dropped advertising without suffering economically?
1. Cigarette advertisements provide a major proportion of total advertising revenue for numerous magazines.
2. Cigarette promotion serves to attract first-time smokers to replace those people who have stopped smoking.
3. There exists no research conclusively demon-starting that increases in cigarette advertising are related to increases in smoking.
4. Advertising is so firmly established as a major business activity of cigarette manufacturers that they would be unlikely to drop it.
5. Brand loyalty is typically not very strong among those who smoke inexpensive cigarettes.
