GRE Big Book Critical Reasoning Test 40

GRE Critical Reasoning
Directions

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.

 

Because of rules imposed by the Federal Drug Administration restricting the sale of thalidomide, many people who have trouble sleeping turn to barbiturates. Yet each year barbiturate-alcohol interactions cause the deaths of over a thousand people who probably would have lived had they used thalidomide instead of barbiturates, even without changing their alcohol consumption.

#1
Which of the following statements about thalidomide is best supported by the statements above?

Existing United States landfills are rapidly approaching the limits of their capacity. Landfills can leach toxins into groundwater, polluting it. Instead of creating more landfills, solid-waste managers should recycle as much trash as possible and then incinerate the remainder. This will keep future environmental damage to a minimum.

#2
The argument above requires at least one additional premise. Which of the following could be such a required premise?

According to a 1980 survey, ten percent of all United States citizens over the age of sixteen are functionally illiterate. Therefore, if the projection that there will be 250 million United States citizens over sixteen in the year 2000 is correct, we project that 25 million of these citizens will be functionally illiterate.

#3
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion drawn by the author of the passage above?

On the basis of figures it compiles, a citizens’ group argues that congressional members of Party X authorize the spending of more taxpayer dollars than do congressional members of Party Y. The group’s figures are based on an analysis of the number of spending bills for which members of Congress vote.

#4
The figures of the citizens' group will be unreliable as a gauge of which party in Congress spends more taxpayer dollars if which of the following is true?

Statistics over four consecutive years showed that four percent more automobile accidents happened in California during the week following the switch to daylight saving time and during the week following the switch back to standard time than occurred the week before each event. These statistics show that these time changes adversely affect the alertness of California drivers.

#5
The conclusion in the argument above is based on which of the following assumptions?

Since 1945 there have been numerous international confrontations as tense as those that precipitated the Second World War, and yet no large-scale conflict has resulted. To explain this, some argue that fear of enormous destruction such as the Second World War produced has had a dramatic deterrent effect.

#6
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the deterrent theory mentioned above?

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