GRE Critical Reasoning
Critical Reasoning questions test the ability to understand, analyze, and evaluate arguments. Some of the abilities tested by specific questions include identifying the roles played by specific phrases or sentences in an argument, recognizing the point of an argument, recognizing assumptions on which an argument is based" drawing conclusions and forming hypotheses, identifying methods of argumentation, evaluating arguments and counter-arguments, and analyzing evidence.
Each of the Critical Reasoning questions is based on a short argument, a set of statements, or a plan of action. For each question, select the best answer of the choices given.
Injections of small quantities of a drug, the active ingredient of which is a human hormone, have been shown to reverse very high blood pressure rapidly and without causing undesirable side effects. However, high blood pressure is a condition that must be treated for a patient’s entire lifetime, and because the frequency of injections that wouJd be necessary renders the drug unsatisfactory for such long-term treatment, doctors continue to treat patients with injections of other medications.
#1
The neurons in the human brain have a unique property: they are cells that, in adults, do not divide. This property makes them immune from cancer. If the mechanism that keeps neurons from proliferating can be found and transferred to other types of cells, the complete prevention of the cancers affiicting those cells will be possible.
#2
Twenty percent of all energy consumed in the United States is consumed by home appliances. If appliances that are twice as energy-efficient as those currently available are produced, this figure will eventually be reduced to about ten percent.
#3
When a large bird, the dodo, still inhabited the island of Mauritius, one of its favorite foods was the fruit of a particular species of tree. After the dodo became extinct, new fruit trees of that species ceased to sprout on the island.
#4
Mercury, one of the deadliest toxins, makes up approximately fifty percent of the amalgam used by dentists in silver fillings. The effects of acute mercury poisoning are well known – kidney failure, muscle tremors, memory loss, and even death. It is clear that responsible dentists should remove all of their patients’ silver fillings and replace them with fillings of plastic composites.
#5
Mercury, one of the deadliest toxins, makes up approximately fifty percent of the amalgam used by dentists in silver fillings. The effects of acute mercury poisoning are well known – kidney failure, muscle tremors, memory loss, and even death. It is clear that responsible dentists should remove all of their patients’ silver fillings and replace them with fillings of plastic composites.