GRE Big Book Critical Reasoning Test 5

Jimmy Wang
03/23/2024

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.

The facts show that the fear of flying in airplanes is not rational. In 1986 alone, there were 46,000 fatalities in highway accidents, but from 1980 to the present an average of only 77 per year in accidents on major domestic airlines. The rate for regional airlines was only slightly higher.

#1

Which of the following, if true, would argue most strongly against the conclusion above?

Air fatalities from 1980 to the present have been concentrated in the last two years, with the rate rising sharply.

Between 1980 and 1986, safety improvements in the design of automobiles steadily improved their crashworthiness.

The number of reports of near collisions in midair in 1986 was less than half those in a typical year of the 1960’s, even with double the traffic of the 1960’s.

Since the inventory of spare parts kept at each airport is smaller than in earlier years, planes are often delayed at an airport while parts are flown in from another airport, and then repairs are carefully made and checked.

Many reported near collisions in midair are closer than regulations allow but are never- theless without actual danger.

In 1985 a consumer agency concluded that Xylo brand bicycles are safer to ride than are Zenon brand bicycles. The agency based the conclusion on the ratio of the number of rider injuries to the number of riding hours for each brand of bicycle from 1981 through 1984. Yet for identically designed bicycles manufactured since 1985, the number of rider injuries has been twice as great among riders of Xylos as among riders of Zenons. Therefore, the agenoy’s conclusion would have been different for the period since 1985.

#2

Which of the following is an assumption that, if true, supports the claim that the agency's conclusion would have been different for the period since 1985 ?

In 1985 the agency had miscalculated the ratio for Xylos, for Zenons, or for both.

For the period since 1985, the number of riding hours for Zenons totaled at least half the number of riding hours for Xylos.

Of all the bicycles ridden in the period since 1985, the percentage of Xylos ridden was twice the percentage of Zenons ridden.

Soon after the agency had issued its report, consumer demand for Xylos increased more rapidly than did consumer demand for Zenons.

Prior to 1985, Zenon owners were more likely than Xylo owners to report the injuries they sustained while riding their bicycles.

Although the human population around the forest- land in Middlesex County has increased, the amount of forestland has not been reduced. Therefore, the decrease in the county’s songbird population cannot be attributed to the growth in the county’s human population.

#3

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the conclusion above?

As the human population of Middlesex County has grown, there has been an increase in the number of shopping malls built.

The presence of more garbage cans resulting from the increase in the county’s human population ensures the survival of more raccoons, which prey on songbird eggs whenever available.

There has recently been a decrease in the amount of rain-forest land in Central and South America, where songbirds spend the winter months.

Although several species of songbirds are disappearing from Middlesex County, these species are far from being endangered.

The disappearance of songbirds, which eat insects, often results in increased destruction of trees by insects.

In October 1987 the United States stock market suffered a major drop in prices. During the weeks after the drop, the volume of stocks traded also dropped sharply to well below what had been the weekly average for the preceding year. However, the volume for the entire year was not appreciably different from the preceding year’s volume.

#4

Which of the following, if true, resolves the apparent contradiction presented in the passage above?

The greater the volume of stocks traded in a given year, the lower the average price per share on the United States stock market for that year.

The number of stock buyers in 1987 remained about the same as it had been the preceding year.

For some portion of 1987, the volume of stocks traded was higher than the average for that year.

The volume of stocks traded rises and falls in predictable cycles.

Foreign investors usually buy United States stocks only when prices are low.

In a recent year California produced an orange crop equal to only seventy-six percent of Florida’s orange crop. However, when citrus crops as a group, including oranges, were compared, the California crop was twenty-three percent greater than Florida’s crop for the same year.

#5

If the information above is true, which of the following can properly be concluded about the Florida and California citrus crops in the year mentioned?

California’s proportion of non-orange citrus crops was higher than Florida’s.

Florida’s climate was suited only to growing oranges

Florida produced larger oranges than California did.

California had more acreage that could be devoted to agriculture than did Florida.

California produced more oranges than it did non-orange citrus.

Researchers studying sets of identical twins who were raised apart in dissimilar environments found that in each case the twins were similar in character, medical history, and life experiences. The researchers saw these results as confirmation of the hypothesis that heredity is more important than environment in determining human personalities and life histories.

#6

The existence of which of the following would tend to weaken the support for the hypothesis above most seriously?

A mother and daughter who have the same profession even though they have very different temperaments

A pair of twins raised together who have similar personality traits but different value systems

A set of identical twins raised together who are shown by appropriate tests to have very similar value systems

A younger brother and older sister raised together who have similar personalities and life experiences

A pair of identical twins raised apart who differ markedly with respect to aggressiveness and other personality traits

Because the process of freezing food consumes energy, many people keep their electric freezers half- empty, using them only to store commercially frozen foods. Yet freezers that are half-empty often consume more energy than they would if they were kept fully stocked.

#7

Which of the following, if true, contributes most to an explanation of the apparent discrepancy described above?

An electric freezer can operate efficiently only if chilled air is free to circulate within the freezing compartment.

A person who normally maintains a half-empty freezer can cut energy costs considerably by using a freezer that is 50 percent smaller.

A given volume of air in a freezer requires much more energy to be maintained at a temperature below freezing than does an identical volume of frozen food.

The more often a freezer’s door is opened, the more energy is required to maintain that freezer’s normal temperature.

When unfrozen foods are placed in a freezer, the average temperature of a given volume of air inside that freezer rises temporarily.

# GRE Critical Reasoning

2 评论

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04/18/2024 / 02:14 回复

Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
- Jimmy Wang
  
  04/18/2024 / 10:37 回复
  
  Sure. you can check what you want on this website.

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