(B) I want to get the best score on the exam.

Therefore, I should take individual preparatory

classes.
Evidence:_______________________________________________________________
Conclusion:_____________________________________________________________
Assumption:_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

(C) If you sleep 8 hours a day, you will feel less tired. Thus, Alex sleeps 8 hours a day.

Evidence:_______________________________________________________________
Conclusion:______________________________________________________________
Assumption:_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

(D) Bridal agency, Happiness, is known for creating unforgettable weddings for the newlyweds.
Ashley should address this agency.

Evidence:_______________________________________________________________
Conclusion:______________________________________________________________
Assumption:_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

(E) During the last 3 years the company has implemented two new processes, so the boss is
interested in innovations.

Evidence:__________________________________________________________________
Conclusion:________________________________________________________________
Assumption:________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
1. (K) World War II had a profound effect on the growth of nascent businesses. The Acme
Packaging Company netted only $10,000 in the year before the war. By 1948 it was earning
almost ten times that figure.

The argument above depends upon which of the following assumptions?

(A) Acme's growth rate is representative of other nascent businesses.

(B) An annual profit of $10,000 is not especially high.
(C) Wars inevitably stimulate a nation's economy.
(D) Rapid growth for nascent businesses is especially desirable.
(E) Acme is not characterized by responsible, far-sighted managers.

2. (K)Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—a noninvasive diagnostic procedure—can be used to

identify blockages in the coronary arteries. In contrast to angiograms—the invasive procedure
customarily used—MRI’s pose no risk to patients. Thus, to guarantee patient safety in the
attempt to diagnose arterial blockages MRI’s should replace angiograms in all attempts at
diagnosing coronary blockages.

Which of the following identifies an assumption in the argument above?

(A) Angiograms can be used to diagnose conditions other than blockages in arteries.
(B) MRI’s were designed primarily in order to diagnose blockages in the coronary arteries.
(C) Angiograms reveal more information about the nature of a blockage than an MRI can.
(D) An MRI is just as likely as an angiogram to identify an arterial blockage.
(E) Some patients for whom an angiogram presents no risk are unwilling to undergo an MRI.

3. (K) Enrollment in graduate and professional programs tends to be high in a strong economy
and much lower during recessions. The perceived likelihood of future job availability, therefore,
affects people's willingness to pass up immediate earning potential in order to invest in career-
related training.

The argument above assumes that

(A) the perceived likelihood of job availability has decreased in recent years
(B) all those who avoid graduate and professional school during an economic slump do so
because of the perceived lack of future jobs
(C) perceptions of the likelihood of job availability are related to the state of the economy
(D) those who enroll in graduate and professional schools during a strong economy help increase
the economy's strength
(E) graduate and professional programs admit fewer students during recessions
During the past 20 years, computer scientists focused increasingly on starting and running
successful businesses. However, since businesses must be profitable, computer scientists must
focus on developing products that generate profit. Consequently, computer science has lost its
creative aspect.

Which of the following assumptions is most necessary in order for the conclusion above to be
drawn from the argument above?
A) All computer programs must lack creativity in order to be well received.
Some computer scientists entirely disregarded creativity and chose instead to pursue
B) profit.

C) A program cannot be both creative and profitable.

D) Computer scientists are obsessed with the profitability of their work.
E) Non-profit institutions use large amounts of software.

The Spotted Mole is a rodent that burrows underground and eats all forms of vegetable matter.  
Farmers are concerned that this mole could eat some of their commercial fruits, planted in
above-ground planters and bins.   The farmers need not worry about the Mole, though, because
throughout the region in which the Spotted Mole is found, birds of prey such as hawks and
falcons are active, and these birds would prey upon the Spotted Mole if the mole came above
ground at all.  Therefore, the Spotted Mole poses no threat to these totally above-ground fruits.

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

(A) The birds of prey capture and kill every single Spotted Mole that comes above ground.

(B) Some land-based mammals active in this region, such as fox, will also hunt and eat the
Spotted Mole on a regular basis.

(C) No other animal could pose as significant a threat to the above-ground fruits as could the
Spotted Mole.

(D) The times of day the Spotted Mole feeds are the same as the times of day that the birds of
prey are in the air.

(E) Larger burrowing mammals, such as badgers or weasels, can dig up the burrows of the
Spotted Mole, endangering those that remain underground.

For years, a considerable number of students on West County High School's track team
complained about shin splints (medial tibial syndrome). However, during the most recent season,
the number of students who complained about shin splints dropped significantly. School officials
assert that this reduction in complaints occurred entirely as a result of the school's decision to
build a new running track that provided a softer running surface, which absorbed much of the
shock on the knees and shins that occurs when running and causes shin splints.

Which of the following, if true, most severely weakens the school officials' explanation for the
decrease in complaints about shin splints?
As a result of West County High School's adoption of better medical staff and new medical
A) scanning devices, many students whose complaints would have been diagnosed in years
 past as an instance of shin splints are now diagnosed with a different condition.
West County High School built its track after a number of neighboring schools with similar
track teams built new tracks and each school saw the number of complaints about shin
B) splints drop.
This past season, members of West County High School's track team received and wore
new and highly acclaimed shoes designed to soften the impact of running on the shin and
C) knee.

This past season, the total number of students who complained of pain while running rose.
D)
The maker of the new track claims that on average, complaints about shin splints fall 25%
E) when its tracks are implemented.

Josh has twenty years of typing experience behind him; therefore, if you are looking for an
efficient typist to enter your data into the new system, you need look no further.

The speaker assumes that

A. Twenty years of practice ensures typing efficiency

B. The type of typing required for the new system is identical to what Josh has been doing
C. Josh’s job profile is the best that the new employer is going to get
D. Josh is an outstandingly fast and accurate typist
E. Josh will fit well into the new office

The strength of a suspension bridge rests in part on how deep the towers are anchored into the
ground. During the first wave of suspension bridge construction, consistent with best-practices at
the time, regulations required engineers to drill holes for the towers such that the portion of the
tower below ground accounted for at least half of the height of the tower. After conducting an
inspection into the depth of the holes drilled for the towers of the Watergate Bridge, constructed
over 50 years ago during the first wave of suspension bridge construction, regulators noted that
updated architectural norms and theory advised that the bridge's towers should be reinforced to
meet anticipated increases in usage.

Which of the following is most strongly supported by the information above?

In light of current architectural theory, the Watergate Bridge should be closed until
A) reinforcements can be added.
The original regulations for the depth of the suspension tower failed to anticipate future
B) changes in demand or architectural theory.
Even with the implementation of the reinforcements advocated by the new architectural
C) norms, the bridge will still not be safe.
In light of the regulators’ findings, every suspension bridge built during the first wave of
D) construction must be updated to provide additional strength and carrying capacity.
The action advocated by current architectural theory should not be undertaken since there is
no evidence to guarantee that the reinforcements will be adequate or advisable in light of
E) future architectural research.
Recent studies have highlighted the harmful effects of additives in food (colors, preservatives,
flavor enhancers etc.). There are no synthetic substances in the foods we produce at Munchon
Foods – we use only natural ingredients. Hence you can be sure you are safeguarding your
family’s health when you buy our products.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the contention of Munchon Foods?

A. Some synthetic substances are not harmful

B. Some natural substances found in foods can be harmful
C. Food without additives is unlikely to taste good
D. Munchon Foods produces only breakfast cereals
E. Without preservatives some foods could cause harm

A fruit known as amla in certain parts of Asia is an excellent source of vitamin C. A small
quantity of the fruit grated and added to salads provides almost all the daily requirement of this
vitamin. However, the fruit is very sour. A new process designed to remove most of the sour
taste will make the fruit acceptable to American tastes. We are therefore starting to grow this
fruit for sale in the United States.

The argument above assumes all of the following except

A. Americans generally won’t eat very sour foods

B. The new process does not remove a significant part of the vitamin content
C. That a market exists for a new source of vitamin C
D. The fruit can be used only in salads
E. Apart from being sour there are no other objections to eating this fruit

Anton: I sold my house on an internet site last year and was happy with the price. I got a speedy
sale and the cost of advertising was insignificant. I would advise you to avoid real estate agents.

Barbie: It is in the interest of the real estate agent to get me the best price for my property
because he gets a commission based on the selling price. Therefore, when selling my house I will
certainly use an agent rather than trying to sell the house by word of mouth, or by advertising in
newspapers or on the internet.

Barbie’s could strengthen her position by pointing out all of the following except

A. Houses of comparable value often obtain a lower price when sold on the internet
B. Very few houses are sold on the internet at the moment an so a valid comparison is
difficult
C. The agent’s service includes many add-on benefits in terms of legal fees, surveyor’s
reports and advice that are not available on internet sites
D. Some buyers pay the agent to find them a cheap house
 E. The agent’s commission is usually less than the difference between the internet price and
the higher price the agent obtains for you

1. Snowmaking machines work by spraying a mist that freezes immediately on contact with cold
air. Because the sudden freezing kills bacteria, QuickFreeze is planning to market a wastewater
purification system that works on the same principle. The process works only when temperatures
are cold, however, so municipalities using it will still need to maintain a conventional system.

Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest grounds for a prediction that
municipalities will buy QuickFreeze’s purification system despite the need to maintain a
conventional purification system as well?

(A) Bacteria are not the only impurities that must be removed from wastewater.

(B) Many municipalities have old wastewater purification systems that need to be replaced.

(C) Conventional wastewater purification systems have not been fully successful in killing
bacteria at cold temperatures.

(D) During times of warm weather, when it is not in use, QuickFreeze’s purification system
requires relatively little maintenance.

(E) Places where the winters are cold rarely have a problem of water shortage.

Male bowerbirds construct elaborately decorated nests, or bowers. Basing their judgment on the
fact that different local populations of bowerbirds of the same species build bowers that exhibit
different building and decorative styles, researchers have concluded that the bowerbirds’
building styles are a culturally acquired, rather than a genetically transmitted, trait.

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conclusion drawn by the researchers?

(A) There are more common characteristics than there are differences among the bower-building
styles of the local bowerbird population that has been studied most extensively.
(B) Young male bowerbirds are inept at bowerbuilding and apparently spend years watching
their elders before becoming accomplished in the local bower style.
(C) The bowers of one species of bowerbird lack the towers and ornamentation characteristic of
the bowers of most other species of bowerbird.
(D) Bowerbirds are found only in New Guinea and Australia, where local populations of the
birds apparently seldom have contact with one another.
(E) It is well known that the song dialects of some songbirds are learned rather than transmitted
genetically.