Critical Reasoning

From time to time, the press indulges in outbursts of indignation over the use of false or misleading information by the U.S. government in support of its policies and programs. No one endorses needless deception. But consider this historical analogy. It is known that Christopher Columbus, on his first voyage to the New World, deliberately falsified the log to show a shorter sailing distance for each day out than the ships had actually traveled. In this way, Columbus was able to convince his skeptical sailors that they had not sailed past the point at which they expected to find the shores of India. Without this deception, Columbus's sailors might well have mutinied, and the New World might never have been discovered.

1. The author of the passage above assumes each of the following EXCEPT:
(A) Government deception of the press is often motivated by worthy objectives.
(B) Without government deception, popular support for worthwhile government policies and programs might well fade.
(C) Attacks on the government by the press are often politically motivated. (D) Deception for deception's sake should not be condoned. (E) A greater good may sometimes require acceptance of a lesser evil.



2. Which of the following is the main weakness of the historical analogy drawn in the passage above?
(A) The sailors in Columbus's crew never knew that they had been deceived, while government deception is generally uncovered by the press.
(B) A ship's log is a record intended mainly for use by the captain, while press reports are generally disseminated for use by the public at large.
(C) The members of a ship's crew are selected by the captain of the ship, while those who work in the press are self-selected.
(D) The crew of a ship is responsible for the success of a voyage, while the press is not responsible for the use others make of the factual information it publishes.
(E) In a democracy, the people are expected to participate in the nation's political decision making, while the members of a ship's crew are expected simply to obey the orders of the captain.


C and E

I got C and A.

In the second question, how is E the answer?? The passage never talks about democracy.

parul9 wrote:I got C and A.

In the second question, how is E the answer?? The passage never talks about democracy.

I got E on the 2nd one.. the point isnt about democracy.. the point is that the main weakness in the analogy is that :
In the Columbus' case, he was deceiving his hired crew while in the democratic case, the US gov was deceiving its people... so it suggests that maybe in the Columbus' case the deceiving was acceptable by the crew since they were being paid to do whatever Columbus wanted them to do anyway...

rohit_gmat wrote:

parul9 wrote:I got C and A.

In the second question, how is E the answer?? The passage never talks about democracy.

I got E on the 2nd one.. the point isnt about democracy.. the point is that the main weakness in the analogy is that :
In the Columbus' case, he was deceiving his hired crew while in the democratic case, the US gov was deceiving its people... so it suggests that maybe in the Columbus' case the deceiving was acceptable by the crew since they were being paid to do whatever Columbus wanted them to do anyway...

Still confused..

The argument also says that, if Columbus had not deceived them, there would likely have been a revolt.
So how does choice E explain that? If in choice E it says that the sailors simply obey their captain, why should have Columbus even bothered to deceive his sailors? Some how this choice contradicts that bit of information

I think the answer to the second one is D

Success of the Voyage is analogous to the success of the Government's Policy
But it aint with the members employed by both
Press reporters to the government does not relate in the same way as the crew to his Captain.

What say !

I think the answer to the second one is D

Success of the Voyage is analogous to the success of the Government's Policy
But it aint with the members employed by both
Press reporters to the government does not relate in the same way as the crew to his Captain.

What say !