Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Logical Reasoning
Logical Reasoning
Commonsence Reasoning
Chapter Seven
Miscellaneous
Introduction
We have discussed numerous types of problems and
concepts associated with them in the preceding chapters.
Here, some miscellaneous types of questions have been
given that require the knowledge of basic concepts like
Arguments, Assumptions, Inferences, StatementConclusion, Premises, Cause-Eff ect, et c. W e hav e
discussed these concepts in earlier chapters. Here, we
will discuss only Strengthening and Weakening
Arguments. Without study of this, our study of logical
reasoning would be incomplete.
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Hidden
+ Assumption
(Hidden support)
= Conclusion
(i) Hypothesize
The word hypothesis means an idea or a suggestion
that is based on known facts and is used as a basis for
reasoning or further investigation. Now, see the examples
given below that will better clear the meaning:
1. Work will now begin to test the hypothesis in rats.
2 . Dif f erent hypot heses (plural of t he wor d
hypothesis) have been put forward to explain why
these foods are more likely to cause problems.
To word hypothesize means to assume something as
a hypothesis, or to form a hypothesis. In another words,
if you hypothesize that something will happen, you say
Miscellaneous
233
(ii) Substantiate
The word substantiate means to give facts to support
a claim, statement etc to prove something. To substantiate
a statement, or a paragraph, or a story means to supply
evidence which proves that is true. Now, see the examples
given below that will better illustrate our point:
1. Can you substantiate your accusations against
him?
2 . There is little scientific evidence to substantiate
the claims.
(v) Repercussion
Meaning of the word repercussion is an indirect and
usually unpleasant effect or result of something or a
consequence. In other words, if an action or event has
repercussion, it causes unpleasant things to happen
sometimes after the original action or event. For example,
1. It was an ef f ort which was t o hav e painf ul
repercussions.
2 . Members of Parliament were warned of possible
repercussions if their vote went through.
(vi) Contradict
The word contradict means to be contrary to something
or to give opposite information. That is if one statement
or piece of evidence contradicts another, the first one
makes the second one appear to be wrong. For example,
The two statements contradict each other.
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(iii) Reason
(vii) Fallout
(iv) Result
Exercise
1.
2.
3.
4.
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5.
6.
7.
8.
Commonsence Reasoning
3) The pilot of Mig-21 was on a training sortie.
4) Engine of the fighter jet failed in the sky.
5) None of these
If you want hassle-free holiday package for city `M
then join only our tour. Hurry up, only few seats
available. An adver t isement of `XYZ Tourist
Company.
If the above statement is true then which of the
f ollowing has been assumed while making t he
statement?
1) Travel packages offered by other tour operators
are neither cheap nor comfortable.
2) Now a days people have lot of money to spend for
their comforts.
3) No seats may be available with other tour operators
for city M.
4) Many people desire convenience and comfort while
going for a holiday.
5) The XYZ Company strictly follows the concept of
first come first serve.
The Union government of country X has decided
t hat it will r econst it ut e its t elecommunication
department and effort will be made to make it more
attractive for private investment.
If the above statement is true then which of the
f ollowing is the assumpt ion while making this
statement?
1) Ther e is tr emendous possibility in making
investment in the telecommunication department
of country X.
2) The telecommunication department of country X
is open only for its residents.
3) The telecommunication department of country X
is open for its residents within this country alone.
4) The telecommunication department of country X
is not properly constituted.
5) The telecommunication department of country X
needs advertisement on large scales.
The government of state B has now decided to form
a department for information and technology so that
coordination between information and technology is
made easier. A news
If the above statement is true, then which of the
following has been assumed in the statement?
1) State B is regarded as lax in implementing public
welfare measures.
2) Compared to other states, state B has achieved
t remendous success in inf or mation and
technology.
3) There is a need to coordinate and regularise the
work of information and technology of all states.
4) State B has enough money to spend for such
purposes.
5) It is necessary for state B to demonstrate its
anxiety over information and technology.
Statement: We do not advertise, our product speaks
for itself. Statement of manufacturer of two-wheeler
`BJA. Which of the following, if true, would support
and strengthen this statement?
(i) The prices of BJA two-wheelers are on higher
side.
(ii) BJA has won award for Quality Control Systems.
(iii) The BJA two-wheeler is sleek-looking and has
good colours.
(iv) The salaries of BJA employees are better than
government services.
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Miscellaneous
13.
14.
15.
16.
235
1) City X is known among those cities where there
are least crime records.
2) City X is the most populated city in the world.
3) On several occasions women have complained
against police cops and have charged them of
indulging in eve-teasing.
4) Literacy rate of city X is the highest amongst all
cities.
5) Many NGOs are co-operating with the police forces
in ensuring a peaceful life in city X.
17. The president should not live in Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Statement of an architect
Which of the following, if true, would certainly
support and strengthen the statement?
(i) Rashtrapati Bhawan was made for the British
Viceroy of India.
(ii) The famed rivalry between Herbert Baker and
Lut yens (t he ar chitect associated wit h the
building) appears in the work.
(iii) Rashtrapati Bhawan is an example of IndoSaracenic architecture.
(iv) The building is located in one of the metropolitan
cities.
1) Only (i) and (ii)
2) Only (i) and (iii)
3) Only (ii) and (iii)
4) Only (ii) and (iv)
5) None of these
18. The Centre for Science and Environment announced
that samples of 12 soft drink brands collected for
testing from in and around capital of India contained
r esidues of f our extr emely t oxic pest icides and
insecticide.
Assuming the above finding to be true consider the
statements I and II and decide which of the following
options is most appropriate.
Statements:
I. Each sample had enough poison to cause longt erm cancer, damage t o t he ner vous and
reproductive systems, birth defects and severe
disruption of the immune system.
II. These products are world class and are the same
as are sold in Europe and the US and are tested
by top-grade labs like Vimta in Hyderabad and
TNO in the Netherlands.
1) I is str engt hening t he f inding while II is not
weakening it.
2) I is not str engt hening t he f inding while II is
weakening it.
3) I is strengthening the finding while II is weakening
it.
4) I is weakening the finding while II is strengthening
it.
5) None of these
19. We do not advertise our result. We do not advertise
how our services are exclusive. Our results deal with
all the enquiries regarding our interview coaching
for probationary officers. Director of XYZ coaching
institute
Which of the following, if true, would support and
strengthen this statement?
I. XYZ coaching institute has hiked its fee recently.
II. XYZ coaching institute has launched a branch
expansion programme recently.
III. Final result of Corporation Banks examination
for PO consists of five students who had taken
interview classes in XYZ institute, in a batch of
six students only.
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236
IV. XYZ coaching institute coached only a single
batch for lack of time and there were only six
students in this batch.
1) Only (I) and (II)
2) Only (II) and (III)
3) Only (III) and (IV)
4) Only (I), (II) and (III)
5) None of these
2 0 . Statement: Many patients suffering from malaria
were administered anti-malarial drug for a week.
Some of them did not respond to the traditional drug
and their condition deteriorated after four days. Which
of t he f ollowing would weaken the findings
mentioned in the above statement ?
1) Those patients who responded to the traditional
drugs and r ecovered were needed to be given
additional doses as t hey r epor t ed relapse of
symptoms.
2) The mosquitoes carrying malaria are found to be
resistant to traditional malarial drugs.
3) Majority of the patients suffering from malaria
responded well to the traditional malarial drugs
and recovered from the illness.
4) Many drug companies have stopped manufacturing
traditional malarial drugs.
5) None of these
21. Statement : The cost of manufacturing cars in state
A is 30 per cent less than the cost of manufacturing
cars in state B. After tr ansportat ion fee for the
differential distances of states A and B and the
interstate taxes, it is cheaper to manufacture cars in
state B than in state A for selling these cars in State
C.
Which of the following supports the conclusion
drawn in the above statement?
1) The cost of transportation from state A to state C
is more than 30 per cent of the production cost.
2) The production cost of cars in state B is lower in
comparison to state A.
3) Only entry tax at state C is more for the products
originating in state A.
4) Entry tax at state C is more for the products
originating in state B.
5) The total of transportation cost of cars from state
B to state C and entry tax of cars at state C is less
than 30 per cent of the production cost of cars in
state B.
2 2 . Statement: Many people are of the opinion that the
use of cell phones in offices for personal use should
totally be banned. It has been found in a research
study that there was significant drop in output of
employees in the organisation where the use of cell
phones was liber ally allowed vis-a-v is t hose
organisations wheres use of cell phones was banned
for making personal calls.
Which of the following contradicts the findings
stated in the above statement ?
1) People spend more time on talking while using
cell phone for personal calls.
2) The use of cell phones has become common in all
the organisations.
3) In the organisation where employees were allowed
to use cell phones for making personal calls the
employees are found to be more motivated to carry
out their duties than those working in ot her
organisations.
4) Many organisations who provide cell phones to
their employees for making official calls advise
Commonsence Reasoning
23.
24.
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25.
26.
Miscellaneous
27. Statement: The Govt has decided to instruct the
banks to open new branches in such a way that
there is one branch of any of the banks in every
village of population 1000 and above or a cluster
of v illages with population less than 1000 to
provide banking services to all the citizens.
Which of the following will weaken the step taken
by the Govt?
1) The private sector banks in India have stepped
up their branch expansion activities in rural India.
2) Many Govt-owned banks have surplus manpower
in its urban branches.
3) All the banks, including those in private sector,
will follow the Govt directive.
4) Large number of branches of many Govt-owned
banks in the rural areas are making huge losses
every year due t o lack of adequate business
activities.
5) None of these
28. Statement: The Income Tax authorities carried out
raids at three different business houses in the city
last week.
Which of the following can be a possible effect of
the above statement?
1) The three business houses are regular defaulters
in payment of their income tax.
2) The Income Tax department had received a tipoff about the illegal activities going on in the three
business houses.
3) The Government decided to look into the matter
and has appointed an inquiry committee.
4) Other business houses took immediate action to
clear off all their income tax dues in order to avoid
raid at their establishments.
5) The authorities intend to conduct raids in several
other business houses in the vicinity.
29. Statement: The constable has been recommended
for a suitable reward by his superior in recognition
of his sincere duty and busting of several gangs of
criminals actively involved in the lot and incidents
of pick-pocketing.
Which of t he following can be an assumption
implicit in the above statement?
1) The superior is certain that the recommendation
would be denied.
2) The number of criminals apprehended by this
particular constable was exceptionally high.
3) The const able desires to be monet arily
compensated for his efforts.
4) The superior wants to set an example for his other
juniors by recommending the reward.
5) Rewards recognizing the sincerity and accomplishments of policemen are given.
30. Statement: The college has f inally receiv ed
accreditation and has gained the status of a deemed
university.
Which of the following can be a possible effect of
the above statement?
1) The principal of the college will now have to be a
retired government official.
2) The number of students seeking admission to this
college in the next academic year would drop
significantly.
3) The college will charge lesser fees from all its
students despite not getting a grant from the
government.
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4) The college will reduce the number of courses
that it runs by a significant margin.
5) The reputation of the college amongst the student
population in general has improved.
Directions ( Q. 31-33) :
Study the f ollowing
information carefully and answer the questions given
b el ow :
The Centre reportedly wants to continue providing
subsidy to consumers for cooking gas and kerosene for
five more years. This is not good news from the point of
view of reining in the fiscal deficit. Mounting subventions
for subsidies means diversion of savings by the government
from investment to consumption, raising the cost of capital
in the process. The government must cut expenditure on
subsidies to create more fiscal space for investments in
both physical and social infrastructure. It should outline
a plan f or compr ehensive ref orm in major subsidies
including petroleum, food and fertilizers and set goal posts.
31. Which of the following is a conclusion which can
be drawn from the facts stated in the above paragraph?
1) Subsidy provided by the government under various
heads to the citizen increases the cost of capital.
2) Govt is unable to withdraw subsidies provided to
various items.
3) Govt subsidy on kerosene is purely a political
decision.
4) Govt does not have enough resources to continue
providing subsidy on petroleum products.
5) None of these
32. Which of the following is an inference which can
be made from the facts stated in the above paragraph?
1) Indias fiscal deficit is negligible in comparison
to other merging economies in the world.
2) Subsidy on food and fertilizers are essential for
the growth of Indian economy.
3) Reform in financial sector will weaken Indias
position in the international arena.
4) Gradual withdrawal of subsidy is essential for
effectively managing fiscal deficit in India.
5) None of these
33. Which of the following is an assumption which is
implicit in the facts stated in the above paragraph?
1) People in India may not be able to pay more for
petroleum products.
2) Many people in India are rich enough to buy
petroleum products at market cost.
3) Govt may not be able to create more infrastructural
facilities if the present level of subsidy continues
for a longer time.
4) Gov t of India has sought assist ance f rom
int er nat ional f inancial organisat ions f or it s
infrastructural projects.
5) None of these
Directions ( Q. 34-36) :
Study the f ollowing
information carefully and answer the questions given
b el ow :
Povert y measurement is an unsett led issue, both
conceptually and methodologically. Since poverty is a
process as well as an outcome, many come out of it while
others may be falling into it. The net effect of these two
parallel processes is a proportion commonly identified as
the head count ratio, but these ratios hide the fundamental
dynamism that characterises poverty in practice. The most
recent poverty re-estimates by an expert group has also
missed the crucial dynamism. In a study conducted on
13,000 households which represented the entire country
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238
in 1993-94 and again in 2004-05, it was found that in
the ten-year period 18.2% rural population moved out of
poverty whereas another 22.1% fell into it over this period.
This net increase of about four percentage points was
seen to have a considerable variation across states and
regions.
34. Which of the following is a conclusion which can
be drawn from the facts stated in the above paragraph?
1) Accurate estimates of number of people living below
poverty line in India is possible to be made.
2) Many expert groups in India are not interested to
measure poverty objectively.
3) Process of poverty measurement needs to take into
account various factors to tackle its dynamic
nature.
4) People living below poverty line remain in that
position for a very long time.
5) None of these
35. Which of the following is an assumption which is
implicit in the facts stated in the above paragraph?
1) It may not be possible to have an accurate poverty
measurement in India.
2) Level of poverty in India is static over the years.
3) Researchers avoid making conclusions on poverty
measurement data in India.
4) Govt of India has a mechanism to measure level
of poverty effectively and accurately.
5) None of these
36. Which of the following is an inference which can
be made from the facts stated in the above paragraph?
1) Poverty measurement tools in India are outdated.
2) Increase in number of persons falling into poverty
varies considerably across the country over a period
of time.
3) Govt of India has stopped measuring povertyrelated studies.
4) People living in rural areas are more susceptible
to fall into poverty over a time.
5) None of these
37. Read the f ollowing inf ormation and five
statements given below it carefully and answer
the questions which follow.
Excerpt fr om a r esear ch r epor t Aver age lif e
expectancy in southern part of India is far more
than that in Western India. While the average life of
a native of South India is 82 years, the average life of
a native of Western India is only 74 years.
Based on the above fact, the proposal that the above
study makes is that if an individual moves from
Western India to South India, his/her life expectancy
would immediately increase by eight years.
Which of the following statements would weaken
the above-mentioned studys proposal that people
belonging to Western parts of India should move to
South India to increase their life expectancy?
1) The average life expectancy of population living
in Eastern part of the country is also less than
the population living in South India.
2) Nearly 80% of the population in Southern India
has a minimum age of 83 years.
3) Higher life expectancy in Southern India can be
ascribed to the genetic makeup of the population
belonging to that area.
4) The aver age life expect ancy of South India is
comparable to the best averages in the world.
Commonsence Reasoning
5) Higher life expectancy in Southern India can be
attributed to better environmental conditions and
better healthcare facilities.
Directions ( Q. 38-41) : Read the f ollowing
information carefully and answer the questions which
follow:
Fortunately, more and more countries are shifting their
focus away from industrial development to control of
climate change these days.
A. The countries which focus more on controlling
climate change than industrial development are
only the richer ones which can af for d t o
concentr at e on ar eas other t han indust rial
development.
B. Many countries had once prioritised industrial
development which proved to be harmful to the
environment in the long run.
C. Some experts are of the view that climate change
is not as alarming an issue as it is made to be
because it is a natural phenomenon and has been
occurring regularly throughout the history of
earth.
D . If climate change continues at the present rate,
it would bring in large-scale destruction to human
habitation in a very short time.
E. Industrial development is one of the biggest but
definitely not t he only reason behind global
warming.
38. Which of the statements numbered A, B, C, and D
mentioned above would weaken the argument for
the need of a shift away from industrial development
to that of controlling climate changes?
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) Both B and D
39. Which of the statements numbered (A), (B), (C), (D)
and (E) can be assumed/inferred from the facts/
information given in the statement? (An assumption
is something supposed or taken for granted and an
inference is something which is not directly stated
but can be inferred from the given facts.)
1) E
2) C
3) A
4) B
5) Either D or A
40. Which of the following can be inferred from statement
(E) if it is considered to be true with regard to the
given information?
1) Nations also need to focus on sources other than
those generated due to industrial development.
2) Other sources of pollution have more adverse
effects as compared to those generated due to
industrial development.
3) Unlike older times, industrial development has
ceased to be a reason behind global warming these
days.
4) If industrial development stops, global warming
would automatically come to an end.
5) If sources other than industrial development are
identified and controlled, global warming will end
completely.
41. Which of the statements numbered A, C, D and E
ment ioned abov e r epr esent s a reason behind
curtailing industrial development by some of the
countries?
1) Either C or E
2) D
3) C
4) Either A or C
5) A
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Miscellaneous
Directions ( Q. 42-45) : Read the f ollowing
information and f ive statements given below it
carefully and answer the questions which follow:
Since 2008, migration to urban areas in search of
employment has increased sever al times, surpassing
marriage as the biggest reason for migration in India.
(A) The wages and employment opportunities in rural
parts of India have been at par with those in
urban areas for last five years.
(B) Government and foreign MNCs have concentrated
on development of job opportunities only in urban
parts of the country.
(C) Mar r iage was once t he biggest r eason for
migration in India.
(D) More skilled professionals than manual labourers
migrate to urban areas in search of employment.
(E) The urban areas attracting migrants are already
facing and will further face a severe challenge
accommodating increased population while the
resources needed to do so remain the same.
42. Which of the statements numbered (A), (B), (C), (D)
and (E) mentioned above can be a reason/cause for
increased migration to urban areas?
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) E
43. W hich of the following r epr esent s a result/
repercussion of the increased migration to urban
areas?
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) E
44. Which of the statements numbered (A), (B), (C), (D)
and (E) directly follow/s from the given statement?
1) Only A
2) Only E
3) Only C
4) Only D
5) Both A and B
45. Which of the statements numbered (A), (B), (C), (D)
and (E) mentioned above would weaken/contradict
the facts presented in the given statement?
1) Only A
2) Only B
3) Only C
4) Only E
5) Only C and D
46. It has been reported in recent years that a very large
number of seats in engineering colleges in the country
remain vacant at the end of the admission session.
Which of the following may be the probable cause
of the above effect?
1) There has been a considerable decrease in hiring
of engineer ing gr aduates due to economic
slowdown in the recent years.
2) St udents hav e always pref err ed t o complet e
graduation in three years, time instead of four
years for engineering.
3) The Govt has recently decided to provide postqualif icat ion pr of essional t r aining t o all
engineering graduates at its own cost.
4) There has always been a very poor success rate
among the engineering students.
5) None of these
47. The condition of the roads in the city has deteriorated
considerably during the first two months of monsoon
and most of the roads have developed big potholes.
Which of the following can be a possible effect of
the above cause?
1) The municipal corporation had repaired all the
roads in the city before the onset of monsoon with
good quality material.
2) A large number of people have developed spinerelated injuries after regularly commuting long
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48.
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49.
50.
51.
240
Commonsence Reasoning
1) Only (A)
2) Only (A) and (B)
3) Only (B) and (C)
4) All (A), (B) and (C)
5) None of these
54. A very large number of technically qualified young
Indians are coming out of colleges every year though
there are not enough opportunities for them to get
gainful employment.
W hich of the following cont r adict s t he v iews
expressed in the above statement?
1) Technically qualified persons are far superior to
those with standard degrees like BA/BSc/BCom
etc.
2) The gov t has not done effective planning f or
engaging technically qualified personnel while
authorising the setting up of technical colleges.
3) A huge gap exists between the level of competence
of technically qualified graduates and requirements
of the industry.
4) Majority of the technically qualified persons are
migrating from India to developed countries for
better opportunities.
5) None of these
55. The govt has appealed to all citizens to use potable
water judiciously as there is an acute shortage in
supply. Excessive use may lead to huge scarcity in
coming months.
Which of the following assumptions is implicit
in the above statement? (An assumption is something
supposed or taken for granted.)
1) People may ignore the appeal and continue using
water as per their consideration.
2) Govt may be able to tap those who do not respond
to the appeal.
3) Govt may be able to put in place alternate sources
of water in the event of crisis.
4) A large number of people may positively respond
to the govts appeal and help tide over the crisis.
5) Only the poor are going to suffer from this shortage
of water supply.
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Answers and explanations
1. 5
2 . 2; As mentioned, food was cooked and stored in
the open space for almost 12 hours earlier. Now,
this may be the cause of food-poisoning.
3. 5; That is why such a big issue is being made of
increasing the interest rates on loans.
4. 5
5. 4; This is why the tourist company has mentioned
the term hassle-free holiday package in the
advertisement, assuming that people will prefer
to tour by their company.
6. 1; The decision of the government to reconstruct
the department to attract the private investors
clearly indicates that the govt is assuming I, i.e.
there is possibility of making investment.
7. 4; It must be assumed; otherwise they cant take
such decisions.
8. 2; Both (ii) and (iii), speak positively for the product.
9. 3
10. 2; Any law will become effective without the support
of the implementation machinery.
Miscellaneous
16. 3;
17. 5;
18. 3;
19. 5;
2 0 . 3;
21. 1;
2 2 . 3;
241
inference (see Q. 32) differently, a conclusion
means the essence of the passage.
32. 4; Clear from the first two sentences of the passage.
33. 1; That is why t he Cent r e want s to cont inue
providing subsidy.
34. 3; Only then can poverty be measured in all its
complexity.
35. 5
36. 2; This is also a factor in the considerable variation
talked about in the last line.
37. 3; Since life expectancy depends on genetic makeup migration cant enhance it.
38. 3; If climate change is a natural phenomenon, all
this maligning of industrial development amounts
to unnecessary fuss.
39. 4; The realisation of wrong priorties is leading to
the shift of focus.
40. 1; Since industrial development is not the only
reason behind the problem, we need to address
this as well as other reasons.
41. 2; Industrial development is being curtailed so that
the said destruction can be avoided.
42. 2
43. 5
44. 3
45. 1
46. 1; Economic slowdown af f ects t he hir ing of
engineer ing graduat es. Due t o t his r eason
admissions in colleges has been affected.
47. 2; Big potholes on a road may affect people with
spine-related injuries commute long distances by
road within the city.
48. 3
49. 3
50. 3
51. 4; The govt provides security to tourists across the
country. That is why the govt has sent a police
team to nab the culprits.
52. 3
53. 3; Extreme action (complete ban) is not a solution to
the problem.
54. 4
55. 4
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23. 1;
24. 2;
25. 5;
26. 3;
27. 4;
28. 4;
29. 5;
30. 5;
31. 1;