Critical Reasoning Class Worksheet

Conclusion, Except, Inference, and Boldfaced Types

Conclusion Type

1) Company A, the second-largest supplier of triple blade razors, saw its sales of triple blade razors
decrease from 150,000 units in 1983 to 100,000 units in 1986. From 1980 to 1986, Company A
steadily decreased the percentage of its marketing budget that it dedicated to promoting those razors
from 50% to 30%. During this same six-year period, Company B, the leading manufacturer of triple
blade razors, consistently spent 60% of its marketing budget on promoting its triple blade razor,
while Company C, an up-and-coming competitor in the triple blade razor market, increased the
percentage of its marketing budget allocated to promoting its razors to 25%.

Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the information above?

A. There is a direct relationship between the amount of money that a company spends on marketing its
triple blade razors and that company's sales of its razors.
B. Company B is the leading manufacturer of triple blade razors because it spends the largest amount of
money on the promotion of its razors.
C. Company C will soon surpass Company A as the second largest supplier of triple blade razors.
D. Companies A and B supply more than 2/3 of the triple blade razors.
E. Between 1980 and 1986, Company A consistently dedicated a larger percentage of its marketing
budget to the promotion of its triple blade razors than Company C.

2) A new electronic security system will only allow a single person at a time to pass through a secure
door. A computer decides whether or not to unlock a secure door on the basis of visual clues, which it
uses to identify people with proper clearance. The shape of the head, the shape and color of the eyes,
the shape and color of the lips, and other characteristics of a persons head and face are analyzed to
determine his or her identity. Only if the person trying to open a secure door has the required
clearance will the door unlock. Because this new system never fails, an unauthorized person can
never enter a secure door equipped with the system.

If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions can be most properly drawn?

A. The new system is sure to be enormously successful and revolutionize the entire security industry.
B. The new system can differentiate between people who are seeking to open a secure door and people
passing by a secure door.
C. No two people have any facial features that are identical, for example, identical lips.
D. High costs will not make the new security system economically unviable.
E. The new computer system is able to identify some slight facial differences between people who look
very similar, such as identical twins.

3) Public Health Official: After several years of vaccinating all of the citizens of this state for Tacitus
Disease, a highly infectious virus, state hospitals have cut costs by no longer administering this
vaccine, starting at the beginning of this year. A state senator defended the position, arguing that after
several years with zero incidence of the disease in the state, its citizens were no longer at risk. This is
a flawed argument. Our state imports meats and produce from countries with high incidences of
diseases for which our country has vaccines. Three years ago, when we reduced the use of the
Salicetiococcus vaccines, a small outbreak of Salicetiococcus among young children, fortunately
without fatalities, encouraged us to resume use at the previous vaccines.
The public health officials statements, if true, best support which of the following as a conclusion?

A. Young children of the state will be at risk for Tacitus Disease.

B. Some of the meats imported to this state do not have adequate refrigeration during the shipping
process.
C. Tacitus Disease is a much deadlier disease than Salicetiococcus, and has a correspondingly higher
fatality rate.
D. No food products produced within the state bear any contaminants that could lead to either Tacitus
Disease or Salicetiococcus.
E. The cost of providing all citizens of the state with the Tacitus Disease vaccine places an undue burden
on the budget of state health agencies.

4) With advances in battery technology, electric cars allow automakers to tout that these vehicles
produce none of the harmful emissions that contribute to air pollution. While this is true in a narrow
contextthe vehicles themselves do not release the emissionsthe energy that fuels the batteries
comes largely from the burning of fossil fuels, and that energy creation causes the release of the same
types of emissions that non-electric cars produce. Still, advances continue to be made to allow
electric-car batteries to recharge using the vehicles own friction and other sources of energy that do
not require the burning of fossil fuels.

Which of the following is a conclusion logically supported by the argument above?

A. Automakers are being untruthful when they advertise zero-emissions electric cars.
B. Because electric-car batteries need to derive their energy largely from fossil fuels, electric cars do not
provide an emissions advantage over traditional cars.
C. With the exception of their capacity for recharging, electric car batteries do not create an emissions
advantage over traditional automobiles.
D. Electric car batteries still require the use of at least some fossil fuels to power the vehicles.
E. Electric cars are not yet viable sources of zero emissions but someday will be.

5) School Administrator: The number of fourteen year olds in Britain who are considered giftedthat
is who score higher than 90% of their peers on the mandatory secondary school entrance exam
(MSEEE)has increased steadily over the past decade.

If the school administrators findings are correct, which of the following can be concluded based
on those findings?

A. There has been at least some improvement in British education over the past decade.
B. The number of British fourteen year olds who are not considered gifted has decreased over the past
decade.
C. The number of British fourteen year olds taking the MSEEE has increased over the past decade.
D. Preparation for the MSEEE has improved in British schools over the past decade.
E. The percentage of British fourteen year olds who are considered gifted has increased as a percentage
of the total population

Except Type

6) A rare disease, malicitis, is being diagnosed with increasing frequency. The number of cases reported
this year is more than double the number reported four years ago. The government should now
allocate more funds for treatment and prevention of malicitis.
 All of the following, if true, would weaken the conclusion EXCEPT:

A. funds already available for research in malicitis are currently under-utilized

B. a new test employed for the first time this year detects malicitis at a considerably earlier stage in the
development of the disease
C. the number of cases reported this year represents the same fraction of the population as reported in
all of the last five years
D. a committee of experts reviewed the funding four years ago
E. a private foundation has committed sufficient funds to cover treatment and prevention needs as well
as research for the next five years

7) A scientific theory is a good theory if it satisfies two requirements - it must accurately describe a large
class of observations in terms of a model that is simple enough to contain only a few elements, and it
must make definite predictions about the results of future observations. For example, Aristotles
cosmological theory, which claimed that everything was made out of four elements - earth, air, fire,
and watersatisfied the first requirement but it did not make any definite prediction. Thus, Aristotles
cosmological theory was not a good theory.

If all the statements in the passage are true, each of the following must also be true EXCEPT:

A. Prediction about the results of future observations must be made by any good scientific theory.
B. Observation of physical phenomena was not a major concern in Aristotles cosmological Theory
C. Four elements can be the basis of a scientific model that is simple enough to meet the Simplicity
criterion of a good theory.
D. A scientific model that contains many elements is not a good theory
E. Aristotles cosmological theory described a large class of observations in terms of only four elements.

8) Sixty adults were asked to keep a diary of their meals, including what they consumed, when, and in
the company of how many people. It was found that at meals with which they drank alcoholic
beverages, they consumed about 175 calories more from non-alcoholic source than they did at meals
with which they did not drink alcoholic beverages.

Each of the following, if true, contributes to an explanation of the difference in caloric intake
EXCEPT:

A. Diners spent a much longer time at meals served with alcohol than they did at those serve without
alcohol.
B. The meals eaten later in the day tended to be larger than those eaten earlier in the day, and later
meals were more likely to include alcohol.
C. People eat more when there are more people present at the meal, and more people tended to be
present at meal served with alcohol than at meals served without alcohol.
D. The meals that were most carefully prepared and most attractively served tended to be those at
which alcoholic beverages were consumed
E. At meals that included alcohol, relatively more of the total calories consumed came from
carbohydrates and relatively fewer of them came from fats and proteins.

9) High-technology medicine is driving up the nation's health care costs. Recent advances in cataract
surgery illustrate why this is occurring. Cataracts are a major cause of blindness, especially in elderly
people. Ten years ago, cataract surgery was painful and not always effective. Thanks to the new
technology used in cataract surgery, the operation now restores vision dramatically and is less
 expensive. These two factors have caused the number of cataract operations performed to increase
greatly, which has, in turn, driven up the total amount spent on cataract surgery.

Each of the following, if true, would support a challenge to the author's explanation of the increase
in the number of cataract operations EXCEPT:

A. The overall population of the nation has increased from what it was ten years ago
B. Any one individual's chance of developing cataracts is greater than it was ten years ago.
C. The number of older people has increased during the last ten years.
D. Today, health insurance covers cataract surgery for more people than it did ten years ago.
E. People who have had unsuccessful cataract surgery are left with more seriously impaired vision than
they had before the surgery.

10)By dating fossils of pollen and beetles, which returned after an Ice Age glacier left an area, it is
possible to establish an approximate date when a warmer climate developed. In one glacial area, it
appears from the insect record that a warm climate developed immediately after the melting of the
glacier. From the pollen record, however, it appears that the warm climate did not develop until long
after the glacier disappeared.

Each one of the following, if true, helps to explain the apparent discrepancy EXCEPT:

A. Cold-weather beetle fossils can be mistaken for those of beetles that live in warm climates.
B. Warm-weather plants cannot establish themselves as quickly as can beetles in a new environment.
C. Beetles can survive in a relatively barren postglacial area by scavenging.
D. Since planes spread unevenly in a new climate, researchers can mistake gaps in the pollen record as
evidence of no new overall growth.
E. Beetles are among the oldest insect species and are much older than many warm-weather plants.

11)It is well known that human tears often serve to moisten the eye, protect it from infection, and wash
away irritants; such tears are called irritant or reflex tears. Dr. Field hypothesizes that emotional tears
have a different biological function. She suggests that by shedding tears when under emotional stress
people excrete harmful chemicals that build up in such body fluids as blood serum during emotional
stress.
Each of the following, if true, provides some support for Dr. Field's hypothesis EXCEPT

A. The people most likely to cry when undergoing emotional stress are less likely to suffer from stress-
related diseases than is the population at large.
B. If a local anesthetic is applied to the surface of the eye, irritant and reflex tears are inhibited, but
emotional tears are not.
C. The chemical composition of tears that are induced by grit in the eye is identical to the composition of
tears induced by emotional stress.
D. The concentration of a substance that the body produces only under conditions of emotional stress is
thirty times greater in tears than in blood serum.
E. Patients who suffer from a condition that prevents secretion of tears display a slower than normal
physiological recovery from emotional stress.

Inference Type

12)Studies have shown that a large percentage of car accidents are caused by aggressive driving. To help
reduce the number of accidents and to promote traffic safety in general, insurance companies have
begun to issue discounts to drivers who take defensive driving courses. Research shows that people
 who practice defensive driving are considerably less likely to get into a car accident. Therefore, the
insurance companys plan should help reduce the number of accidents.

Assuming the statements above are true, which of the following can be inferred from them?

A. The majority of accidents are caused by drivers who possess insurance.

B. People who manage to consistently avoid car accidents are likely practicing defensive driving.
C. Young males and other demographics known for disproportionately being involved in car accidents
are less likely to practice defensive driving than other demographics.
D. An individual who does not practice defensive driving is always more likely to get into a car accident
than an individual who does practice defensive driving.
E. Discounts are the most effective way for insurance companies to promote defensive driving.

13)The rise in free, do-it-yourself instructions on the Internet for home repairs has led to a decrease in
revenue for home service technicians and an increase in the number of injuries caused by people who
have attempted home repairs themselves. Unfortunately, not all of the do-it-yourself instructions on
the Internet are written as well as they should be.

Which of the following can be inferred from the argument above?

A. The number of people who are not home repair technicians and who have been injured while
attempting home repairs has increased.
B. Most people who are injured while attempting home repairs have done so while following
instructions found in free do-it-yourself instructions on the Internet.
C. The overall sale of online do-it-yourself home repair instructions by home service technicians has not
been equal to the loss of revenue the technicians have incurred due to free offerings of this sort of
material.
D. Most free do-it-yourself home repair instructions found on the Internet do not provide enough clear
information regarding safety precautions.
E. As more free do-it-yourself instructions for home repairs are made available on the Internet, home
service technicians will suffer more losses in revenue.

14)At a movie theatre in Bangalore, last year, the proprietor decided to sell about one-third of his total
balcony capacity on the internet. The response was tremendous. On every new release, the entire on-
line capacity was sold out. Today, there are at least 2 million educated and well-heeled consumers in
India who are ordering everything from cinema tickets to paan and tennis racquets to shirts from the
comfort of their offices or homes.

Which of the following can be inferred from the above passage?

A. There is a growing breed of computer-savvy consumers in Bangalore.

B. It is more comfortable to purchase movie tickets through the internet.
C. A retailing revolution is underway in India with the advent of the internet.
D. The proprietor of the theatre can profitably, decide to sell all the balcony tickets through the internet.

15)BSE officials point out that ever since on-line trading took off, surveillance isnt difficult any more.
Sophisticated software has been installed for continuous monitoring of stock prices. If that is so, how
could the unnatural spurt in prices of operator-driven stock go unnoticed? There does not seem to be
regular checks or supervision.

Which of the following can be inferred from the above passage?

 A. The software used at BSE is not as sophisticated as it is claimed to be
B. The operators can drive stock prices crazy irrespective of the kind of software installed.
C. Nobody can ever predict how stock prices move in the market.
D. Having the infrastructure in place is one thing, but proper utilization is another.

16)Most bicycle helmets provide good protection for the top and back of the head, but little or no
protection for the temple regions on the sides of the head. A study of head injuries resulting from
bicycle accidents showed that a large proportion was caused by blows to the temple area. Therefore,
if bicycle helmets protected this area, the risk of serious head injury in bicycle accidents would be
greatly reduced, especially since ______________.

Which of the following most logically completes the passage?

A. among the bicyclists included in the study's sample of head injuries, only a very small proportion had
been wearing a helmet at the time of their accident
B. even those bicyclists who regularly wear helmets have a poor understanding of the degree and kind of
protection that helmets afford
C. a helmet that included protection for the temples would have to be somewhat larger and heavier than
current helmets
D. the bone in the temple area is relatively thin and impacts in that area are thus very likely to cause
brain injury
E. bicyclists generally land on their arm or shoulder when they fall to the side, which reduces the
likelihood of severe impacts on the side of the head

Boldfaced Type

17)Plant scientists have used genetic engineering on seeds to produce crop plants that are highly
resistant to insect damage. Unfortunately, the seeds themselves are quite expensive, and the
plants require more fertilizer and water to grow well than normal ones. Thus, for most farmers
the savings on pesticides would not compensate for the higher seed costs and the cost of additional
fertilizer. However, since consumer demand for grains, fruits, and vegetables grown without
the use of pesticides continues to rise, the use of genetically engineered seeds of this kind is
likely to become widespread.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. The first supplies a context for the argument; the second is the argument's main conclusion.
B. The first introduces a development that the argument predicts will have a certain outcome; the
second is a state of affairs that the argument denies will be part of that outcome.
C. The first presents a development that the argument predicts will have a certain outcome; the second
acknowledges a consideration that weighs against that prediction.
D. The first provides evidence to support a prediction that the argument seeks to defend; the second is
that prediction.
E. The first and the second each provide evidence to support the argument's main conclusion.

18) Consumer advocate: It is generally true, at least in this state, that lawyers who advertise a specific
service charge less for that service than lawyers who do not advertise. It is also true that each time
restrictions on the advertising of legal services have been eliminated, the number of lawyers
advertising their services has increased and legal costs to consumers have declined in
consequence. However, eliminating the state requirement that legal advertisements must specify
 fees for specific services would almost certainly increase rather than further reduce consumers legal
costs. Lawyers would no longer have an incentive to lower their fees when they begin advertising and
if no longer required to specify fee arrangements, many lawyers who now advertise would
increase their fees.

In the consumer advocates argument, the two portions in boldface play which of the following
roles?

A. The first is a generalization that the consumer advocate accepts as true; the second is presented as a
consequence that follows from the truth of that generalization.
B. The first is a pattern of cause and effect that the consumer advocate argues will be repeated in the
case at issue; the second acknowledges a circumstance in which that pattern would not hold.
C. The first is a pattern of cause and effect that the consumer advocate predicts will not hold in the case
at issue; the second offers a consideration in support of that prediction.
D. The first is evidence that the consumer advocate offers in support of a certain prediction; the second
is that prediction.
E. The first acknowledges a consideration that weighs against the main position that the consumer
advocate defends; the second is that position.

19)State politicians are optimistic that the states economic downturn will not be as severe as had been
predicted. Their hopes are bolstered by the data released last week:the jobless rate declined two
full percentage points in the last six months. But, many economists have pointed out the flight of
unemployed residents to the bordering states where jobs are plentiful. Furthermore, many out of
work residents have been rehired at minimum wage: virtually all new jobs in the state in the past year
have been minimum wage jobs.Economists cast grave doubts on the economic well-being of the
state.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. The first is evidence in support of the conclusion; the second is that conclusion.
B. The first is evidence opposed to the conclusion; the second is an interpretation of the conclusion.
C. The first is an interpretation that calls the conclusion into question; the second is that conclusion.
D. The first is a conclusion the argument calls into question; the second is the evidence that calls it into
question.
E. The first is evidence taken to support a conclusion; the second is a position that opposes that
conclusion.

20)The Interstate Bridge over the Apache River, built in the 1950s, shows a substantial amount of rust: as
much as 45% of its surface is coated in rust. Community activists have argued that the bridge
presents a hazard: it is likely to collapse in places where it has rusted through. Professors of
mechanical engineering at the local university did an extensive analysis of the bridge. These
professors and their graduate students determined that 98% of the rust on the bridge exists on the
surface only, and actually seals the underlying steel from the corrosive influence of the elements. The
results of this academic study suggest that the bridge is safe for continued use.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. The first is evidence in support of the conclusion; the second is that conclusion.
B. The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second provides evidence that calls this
conclusion into question.
C. The first is evidence taken to support one conclusion; the second provides evidence that calls this
conclusion into question.
D. The first is a position that the argument opposes; the second is the conclusion of the argument.
E. The first is an interpretation of evidence; the second calls that evidence into question.

21)Aid workers have worried that residents of the Eastern Gobi Refugee Camp might be at risk for
beriberi, a severe deficiency of Thiamine, a B vitamin. Thiamine is found in high concentrations in
cereal grains, and many of the residents have grain free diets because of allergies. Doctors and
nutritionists assigned to investigate the situation have disagreed, noting that the residents grow
sustenance amounts of potatoes, kale, and cauliflower on the surrounding farmlands, and these foods
provide substantial sources of Thiamine as well. Because the residents of this refugee camp do not
have any allergies to any of these latter foods, and crops have been good because of favorable weather
conditions, their risk of beriberi is much lower than originally thought.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. The first is evidence in support of the conclusion of the argument; the second is that conclusion.
B. The first is evidence that seems to contradict the conclusion of the argument; the second is that
conclusion.
C. The first is the conclusion of the argument; the second calls the conclusion of the argument into
question.
D. The first is the conclusion of the argument; the second is an alternate interpretation of this
conclusion.
E. The first is evidence in support of the conclusion of the argument; the second is evidence that
contradicts the conclusion of the argument.