Paragraph based Problems – Learning Quiz 1

In France, children in pre-school programs spend a portion of each day engaged in a program of stretching and exercise. Pre-school programs in the United States, however, seldom devote time to a daily stretching and exercise program. In tests designed to measure cardiovascular fitness, children in the United States were out-performed by their French counterparts. It can therefore be determined that children attending pre-school programs in the United States can achieve cardiovascular fitness only by engaging in a daily school program of stretching and exercise.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

The level of blood sugar for many patients suffering from disease Q is slightly higher than the level of blood sugar in the general population. Nonetheless, most medical professionals believe that slightly increasing blood sugar levels is a successful means by which to treat disease Q.

This apparently contradictory argument can best be resolved by which one of the following statements?

Medical studies indicate that the metabolic rates of professional athletes are substantially greater than those of the average person. So, most likely, a person’s speed and strength are primarily determined by that person’s metabolic rate. Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

Since Oscar received extensive training in how to repair motorcycles, he is able to repair many of their most common mechanical problems. However, Oscar does not understand how internal combustion engines work. When Oscar was given Lucy’s motorcycle to repair, he was able to fix the problem, despite the fact that he did not understand what was causing it.

From the above paragraph, which of the following can be properly inferred?

It cannot be true that the lack of success of third party candidates in national elections is due to the difficulties such candidates encounter in securing space on national ballots. Everyone who identifies him or herself as a supporter of a third party has voted for a major-party candidate in at least one national election when a third-party candidate was listed on the ballot. Which one of the following most accurately describes a reasoning flaw in the argument?

Consumer advocate: Businesses are typically motivated primarily by the desire to make as great a profit as possible, and advertising helps business to achieve this goal. But it is clear that the motive of maximizing profits does not impel businesses to present accurate information in their advertisements. It follows that consumers should be skeptical of the claims made in advertisements. Each of the following if true would strengthen the Consumer advocate’s argument EXCEPT:

Science columnist: It is clear why humans have so many diseases in common with cats. Many human diseases are genetically based, and cats are genetically closer to humans than are any other mammals except nonhuman primates. Each of the genes identified so far in cats has an exact counterpart in humans. . Which one of the following if true, most weakens the science columnist’s explanation for the claim that humans have so many diseases in common with cats?

Psychologist: It is well known that becoming angry often induces temporary incidents of high blood pressure. A recent study further showed, however, that people who are easily angered are significantly more likely to have permanently high blood pressure than are people who have more tranquil personalities. Coupled with the long established fact that those with permanently high blood pressure are especially likely to have heart disease, the recent findings indicate that heart disease can result from psychological factors.

Which one of the following would, if true, most weaken the psychologist’s argument?

A professor of business placed a case-study assignment for her class on her university’s computer network. She later found out that instead of reading the assignment on the computer screen. 50 out of the 70 students printed it out on paper. Thus, it is not the case that books delivered via computer will make printed books obsolete. Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

Till Nineties, clearly the policy of the government was guided by the philosophy of socialism. Under its influence, the government tried to exercise control in every field. But today we hear about disinvestment and privatization. Hence, there is a clear shift from socialistic principles. Which one of the following assertions, if true, contradicts the passage mentioned above?

Geographical division of the Earth resulting in the so-called sovereign nations is artificial because it is man-made, just as division of society on the basis of religion, language, caste, etc., is artificial. While the so-called intellectuals raise hue and cry about the latter, they maintain divine silence about the former. Does it not amount to double standard ?

Which of the following statements, if true, is the essence of the passage mentioned above?

It is argued that prosperity depends upon production which means more production more consumption. However, it is not the case. Consumption should be need based. Just as intake of food in excess of digestion is pointless so also consumption of natural resources beyond requirement is pointless. Which of the following statements, if true, contradicts the spirit of the passage?

It is true that agriculture is the backbone of a nation’s economy. But it is fallacious to argue that only agriculture should receive overriding importance. Agriculture also depends upon other sectors like generation and distribution of power, irrigation, transportation, etc. If any one sector suffers, its fall-out is more than obvious. Which of the following assertions, if true, is the summary of the given passage?

Education is one field which is totally non- remunerative. Still worse, it is a liability. But then the government is not a money-making institution. The bottom-line of prosperity is primary education. Hence the government should raise resources elsewhere only to pour it on primary education. But primary education cannot be provided without higher education. So higher education stands on par with primary education. Which of the following statements, if true, contradicts the passage above?

Soaking dried beans overnight before cooking them reduces cooking time. However, cooking without pre-soaking yields plumper beans. Therefore, when a bean dish’s quality is more important than the need to cook that dish quickly, beans should not be pre-soaked. Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?

Everyone in Biba’s neighbourhood is permitted to swim at Barton Pool at some time during each day that it is open. No children under the age of 6 are permitted to swim at Barton Pool between noon and 5 P.M. From 5 P.M. until closing, Barton Pool is reserved for adults only.

If all the sentences above are true, then which in one of the following must be true ?

Zack’s Coffeehouse schedules free poetry readings almost every Wednesday. Zack’s offers half-priced coffee all day on every day that a poetry reading is scheduled. Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the information above?

It is time that begging must be forbidden in all public places in India. Exploitation of charitable instincts in general, far from solving the problem of poverty, may infact aggravate it by inducing laziness. Which of the following, if true, would support the above reasoning?

Yoga has become a very popular type of exercise. but it may not be for everyone. Before you sign yourself up for a yoga class, you need to examine what is it you want from your fitness routine. If you’re looking for a high-energy, fast-paced aerobic workout, a yoga class might not be your best choice. This paragraph best supports the statement that

Before Robert Norman worked on ‘Dip and Field Concept’, his predecessor thought that the tendency of the magnetic needle to swing towards the poles was due to a point attractive. However, Norman showed with the help of experiment that nothing like point attractive exists.

Which one of the following is the problem on which Norman and others worked?

In his study of conduction of heat, James Maxwell observed that quantities which are significant in such a study are ‘temperature, flow of heat and conductivity’. Further, he noticed that the mathematical laws of the uniform motion of heat in homogenous media are identical in form with those of attractions varying inversely as the square of the distance. He thought source of heat, flow of heat and temperature correspond respectively to centre of attraction, accelerating effect of attraction and potential. On this ground, Maxwell observed that conduction of heat proceeds by an action between contiguous parts of a medium.

Which one of the following best explains Maxwell’s method?

Henry Poincare argued that in space there are not only rectilinear triangles in which angles equal to two right angles, but also curvilinear triangles in which angles are less than two right angles. He, further, maintained that to name the first one straight is to subscribe to Euclidean geometry and to name the latter straight is tantamount to subscribing to non-Euclidean system. Which one of the following accurately represents what is at stake?

For one academic year, all the students at a high school were observed. The aim was to test the hypothesis that studying more increased a student’s chances of earning a higher grade. It turned out that the students who spent the most time studying did not earn grades as high as did many students who studied less. Nonetheless, the researchers concluded that the results of the observation supported the initial hypothesis. Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the researchers drew the conclusion described above?

Educator: It has been argued that our professional organization should take decision about important issues – such as raising dues and taking political stands – by a direct vote of all members rather than by having members vote for officers who in turn make the decisions. This would not; however, be the right way to decide these matters, for the vote of any given individual is much more likely to determine organizational policy by influencing the election of an officer than by influencing the result of a direct vote on a single issue. Which one of the following principles would, if valid, most help to justify the educator’s reasoning?

Mayor: Local anti-tobacco activists are calling for expanded antismoking education programs paid for by revenue from heavily increased taxes on cigarettes sold in the city. Although the effectiveness of such education programs is debatable, there is strong evidence that the taxes themselves would produce the sought-after reduction in smoking. Surveys show that cigarette sales drop substantially in cities that impose stiff tax increases on cigarettes.

Which one of the following, if true, most undermines the reasoning in the argument above?