CSS General Abilities Topic 4 MCQ's Test

Question # 1

In winning its bitter, protracted battle to acquire Blue Industries, Inc., Belle industries has fulfilled its goal to lessen its reliance on tobacco holdings, while the $5.2 billion deal may spur more takeover activity in the insurance industry, analysts said.
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

Blue Industries is in the tobacco industry. A
Belle industries is in the insurance business. B
Blue Industries is in the insurance business. C
More divestment takes place in the tobacco industry than in the insurance industry. D
More divestment takes place in the insurance industry than in the tobacco industry. E

Question # 2

In August 1980, according to a new your. Times/CBS news poll, 36 percent of the voters called themselves Republicans or said they were independents leaning toward being Republicans. In November 1984, the Republican figure rose to 47 percent. But in the latest Times/CBS survey, the Republicans were down to 38 percent. Therefore, the Democrats are likely to win the next election.
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the above conclusion ?

Republicans were a minority in 1984, but a Republican president was elected. A
People tend to switch their votes at the last minute. B
People vote for the best candidate, not for a political party. C
No one can predict how people will vote. D
It has been shown that 85 percent of Republicans vote in an election, compared to 50 percent of the Democrats. E

Question # 3

Most large retail stores hold sales in the month of January. The original idea of price reduction campaigns in January became popular when it was realized that sales or products would generally slow down following the Christmas rush, were it no for some incentive. The lack of demand could be solved by the simple solution of reducing prices.
There is now an increasing tendency among major department stores in large urban centers to have their January sales being before Christmas, some time before the end of the calendar year. The idea behind this trend is to endeavor to sell the maximum amount of stock at a profit, even if that may not be at the maximum profit.
Which of the following conclusions cannot be drawn from the above ?

The incidence of early January sales results in the lower holdings of stocks with the corollary of lower stock holding costs. A
Demand is a function of price; as you lower price, demand increases. B
Major stores seem to think it makes sense to have to January sales campaigns pre-Christmas. C
It is becoming less popular to star the January sales in the New Year. D
The major department stores do not worry as much about profit maximization as they do about sales maximization. E

Question # 4

Contrary to charges made by opponents of the new trade bill, the bill's provisions for taking action against foreign countries that place barriers against American exports, is justified. Opponents should take not that restrictive trade legislation in the 1930s succeeded in improving the U.S. trade balance even though economists were against it.
The author's method of rebutting opponents of the new trade bill is to

attack the patriotism of its opponents. A
attack the opponents characters rather than their claims. B
imply an analogy between the new trade bill and previous trade legislation. C
suggest that economists were against both pieces, of legislation. D
imply that previous legislation also permitted retaliatory action against foreign countries. E

Question # 5

Pioneers of the motor-car industry realized that if they were going to meet the growing demand for their product, they had to adapt the labor force used in the productive process. Instead of many men working to complete all the stages of one car at a time, they assigned defined tasks to each man which they would repeat on every car.
Which of the following can be concluded form the passage ?

Early motor car manufacturers intended to increase productivity by applying the principle of division of labor. A
The car workers became disgruntled because they were assigned monotonous, repetitive tasks on the assembly line. B
Economies of scale enabled early motor companies to expand. C
A bad worker would perform the same task badly on each car, leading to many more rejects. D
The new production process enabled certain car workers to become specialists in the part of the process to which they were assigned. E

Question # 6

Average family income is right where it was 20 years ago, even though in most families these days, husbands and wives are working.
The above statement implies all of the following, except:

Even though nominal family income may have increased, inflation has risen at an equal rate. A
More husbands and wives are working today than 20 years ago. B
It was more prevalent for one spouse-to-work 20 yeas ago than today. C
Wives earn more than husbands today. D
The price level was lower 20 years ago. E

Question # 7

The director of the customs service suggested that customs taxes on automobiles not be reduced as planned by the government because of the high incidence of traffic accidents last year.
Which of the above statements weakens the argument above ?
1. Although the traffic accident rate last year was high, it was not appreciably higher than previous years and anyway, compulsory insurance covered most physical damage to automobiles and property.
2. A Commerce Department report showed that the demand for automobiles was highly inelastic. That is, as dealers lowered their prices, sales did not increase appreciably.
3. A study by the Economics Department at Classics University found that most traffic accidents had been caused by human error although it also concluded that an inadequate road network contributed to at least 40 percent of passenger injuries.

I, but not II and not III. A
II, but not I and not III. B
I and III, but not II. C
II and III, but not I. D
I, II and III. E

Question # 8

Every town with a pool hall has its share of unsavory characters. This is because the pool hall attracts gamblers and all gamblers are unsavory.
Which of the following, if true, cannot be inferred from the above ?

All gamblers are unsavory, A
All pol halls attract gamblers. B
Every town has unsavory characters. C
All gamblers are attracted by pool halls. D
An explanation of what attracts gamblers. E

Question # 9

The states of New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California provide extensive free higher education to their residents. Threes states are representative of different geographic areas of the united states. There is little reason why most states cannot provide the same service to their residents.
Which of the following, it true, would weaken the above argument ?

Free education is not guaranteed by the constitution. A
New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California have more qualified high school graduates than other states. B
Most other states do not have the tax base that new york, ohio, Pennsylvania, and California have. C
Other states do not have as many high school graduates. D
Quality education cannot be free; it must be paid for E

Question # 10

Buy Plenty, a supermarket chain, had successfully implemented an in store promotional campaign based on video messages dashed on a large screen. The purpose of the campaign was to motivate customers to purchase products which they had not planned to buy before they entered to store. The sales manager of Build-It Inc., a chain of do-it-yourself hardware stores, saw the campaign and plans to introduce it in Build-It locations.
The sales manager's plan assumes that

supermarket and hardware products are the same A
products cannot be sold successfully without a video sales campaign B
Supermarket chains do not sell hardware products C
consumer decision making to buy products does not differ substantially when it comes to both supermarket and hardware products D
in-store campaigns are more effective than out-of-store advertising and sales promotion E

Question # 11

In a world of many trading countries, the trade between two countries need not be balanced for the trade of each to be in global balance. Differing demands and productive capabilities among countries will cause a specific country to have trade deficits with some countries and surpluses with other countries.
Which of the following conclusions best summarizes the passage above ?

A country trade will always be in balance even though it runs a deficit with a single country. A
A country trade deficits and surpluses with other countries always balance out. B
A country global trade balance is a sign of strength or weakness. C
Countries should not be concerned if they have trade deficits because they will balance out in the long run. D
A country global trade balance is determined by relative remand and productive capabilities. E

Question # 12

A local garbage disposal company increased its profitability even though it reduced its prices in order to attract new customers. This was made possible through the use of automated trucks, thereby reducing the number of workers needed per truck. The company also switched from a concentration on household hauling to a concentration on commercial hauling. As a result of its experience, company management planned to replace all their old trucks and increase the overall size of the truck fleet, doubling hauling capacity.
The company's plan as outlined above, takes into consideration each of the following except:

Commercial clients have more potential than household customers. A
The demand for garbage removal services is sensitive to price. B
Demand for garbage removal services would increase in the future. C
Doubling of capacity would not encessitate; a substantial increase in the work force. D
Doubling of capacity would not cause bottlenecks, leading to a decrease in productivity. E

Question # 13

Many of the convenience foods on the market today, like dry cereals, have less nutrients than natural foods, which were dominant a decade or two ago. Many nutritionists claim that dry cereal gives less nourishment than natural foods like eggs or bacon. Opponents of the nutritionists views state that examination of grade-school students show less nutritional deficiency than in their parents time.
Which of the following, if true, would tend to strengthen the opponents view ?

Grade-school children reported eating no breakfast at all. A
Fewer convenience foods were available to the parents. B
Adults claim to eat convenience foods as well as natural foods. C
Convenience foods can be digested just as quickly as natural foods. D
Consumers are not likely to sacrifice convenience for nutrition. E

Question # 14

During the incumbent president's term of office he succeeded in limiting annual increases in the defense budget by an average of 5 percent. His predecessors experienced annual increases of 8 percent. Therefore, the incumbent president should be given credit for the downturn in defense outlays.
Which of the following statements, if true would most seriously weaken the above conclusion ?

Some generals have claimed that the country's defense has weakened in the past year. A
More soldiers were drafted during the former president's term of office. B
The incumbent president advocates peaceful resolution of international disputes. C
The average annual inflation rate during the incumbent president's term was 4 percent, while during his predecessor's term it was 10 percent D
A disarmament treaty with a major adversary was signed by the incumbent president. E

Question # 15

Farmers in the North have observed that heavy frost is usually preceded by a full moon somehow generates the frost.
Which of the following, if true, would weaken the farmers conviction ?

The temperature must fall below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) for frost to occur. A
Absence of a cloud cover cools the ground which causes frost. B
Farmers are superstitious. C
No one has proven that the moon causes frost. D
Farmers are not experts in meteorology. E

Question # 16

Ira is taller than Sam.
Elliot is taller than Harold.
Harold is shorter than Gene.
Sam and Gene are of the same height.
If the above is true, which of the following conditions, must also be true?

Elliot is taller than Gene A
Elliot is taller than Ira B
Sam is shorter than Elliot C
Ira is taller than Harold D
Sam is shorter than Harold E

Question # 17

An economist was quoted as saying that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) will go up next month because of a recent increase in the price of fruit and vegetables.
Which of the following cannot be inferred from the statement ?

The cost of fruits and vegetables has risen sharply. A
Consumers have decreased their consumption of fruits and vegetables. B
The cost of fruit and vegetables is a major item in the CPI. C
Food cost changes are reflected quickly in the CPI. D
Other items that make up the CPI have not significantly decreased in price. E

Question # 18

If we are doomed to have local drug rehabilitation centers - and society has determined that we are - then society ought to pay for them.
Which of the following, if true, would weaken the above argument ?

Drug rehabilitation centers are too expensive to be locally funded. A
Many neighborhood groups oppose rehabilitation centers. B
Drug rehabilitation centers are expensive to maintain. C
Drug addicts may be unwilling to receive treatment. D
A government committee has convinced many groups that local rehabilitation centers are ineffective E

Question # 19

During 1999, advertising expenditures on canned food products increased by 20 percent, while canned food consumption rose by 25 percent.
Each of the following, if true, could help explain the increase in food consumption except:

Advertising effectiveness increased. A
Canned food prices decreased relative to substitutes. B
Canned food products were available in more stores. C
Can opener production doubled. D
Per-capita consumption of frozen foods declined. E

Question # 20

The President lobbied for passage of his new trade bill which would liberalize trade with industrialized countries such as Japan, members of the European Community, and Canad.
Each of the following, if true, could account for the above, except:

The President is up for re-election and needs to show results. A
Labour unions have petitioned the President to provide more local jobs. B
The trade agreement could bring a quid pro quo on pending negotiations. C
Economists claimed that the passage of the bill would increase the country trade deficit. D
It was politically desirable for a trade bill at the present time. E

Sr.#	Question	Answer
1	Ali is a terrible driver. He has had at least five traffic violations, int he past year. Which of the following can be said about the above claim ?	A. This is an example of an argument that is directed against the source of the claim rather than the claim itself. B. The statement is fallacious because it contains an illegitimate appeal to authority. C. The above argument obtains its strength from a similarity of two compared situations. D. The argument is built upon an assumption that is not stated but rather is concealed.
2	Average family income is right where it was 20 years ago, even though in most families these days, husbands and wives are working. The above statement implies all of the following, except:	A. Even though nominal family income may have increased, inflation has risen at an equal rate. B. More husbands and wives are working today than 20 years ago. C. It was more prevalent for one spouse-to-work 20 yeas ago than today. D. Wives earn more than husbands today.
3	Every town with a pool hall has its share of unsavory characters. This is because the pool hall attracts gamblers and all gamblers are unsavory. Which of the following, if true, cannot be inferred from the above ?	A. All gamblers are unsavory, B. All pol halls attract gamblers. C. Every town has unsavory characters. D. All gamblers are attracted by pool halls.
4	The burning of coal, oil, and other combustible energy sources produces carbon dioxide, a natural constituent of the atmosphere. Elevated levels of carbon dioxide are thought to be responsible for half the greenhouse effect. Enough carbon dioxide has been sent into the atmosphere already to cause a significant temperature increase. Growth in industrial production must be slowed, or production processes must be changed. Which of the following, it true, would tend to weaken the strength of the above conclusion ?	A. Many areas of the world are cold anyway, so a small rise in temperature would be welcome. B. Carbon dioxide is bad for the health. C. Most carbon dioxide is emitted by automobiles. D. Industry is switching over to synthetic liquid fuel extracted form coal.
5	Professor Akram told his class that the method of student evaluation of teachers is not a valid measure of teaching quality. Students should fill out questionnaires at the end of the semester when courses have been completed. Which of the following, if true, provides support for Professor Akram proposal ?	A. Professor Akram received low ratings from his students. B. Students filled out questionnaires after the midterm exam. C. Students are interested in teacher evaluation. D. Teacher are not obligated to use the survey results.
6	The director of the customs service suggested that customs taxes on automobiles not be reduced as planned by the government because of the high incidence of traffic accidents last year. Which of the above statements weakens the argument above ? 1. Although the traffic accident rate last year was high, it was not appreciably higher than previous years and anyway, compulsory insurance covered most physical damage to automobiles and property. 2. A Commerce Department report showed that the demand for automobiles was highly inelastic. That is, as dealers lowered their prices, sales did not increase appreciably. 3. A study by the Economics Department at Classics University found that most traffic accidents had been caused by human error although it also concluded that an inadequate road network contributed to at least 40 percent of passenger injuries.	A. I, but not II and not III. B. II, but not I and not III. C. I and III, but not II. D. II and III, but not I.
7	Ira is taller than Sam. Elliot is taller than Harold. Harold is shorter than Gene. Sam and Gene are of the same height. If the above is true, which of the following conditions, must also be true?	A. Elliot is taller than Gene B. Elliot is taller than Ira C. Sam is shorter than Elliot D. Ira is taller than Harold
8	Prompted by proposal to convert a shipyard into a complex of condominiums with full-service marina and boat repair center and by concern about the proposal from local residents, baymen, and environmentalists, the town is considering a one-year building moratorium for the water front area. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken opposition to the complex ?	A. Condominiums would sell for $350,000 each. B. There is a large demand for boat repair services. C. A growing population results in the closure of shellfish. D. There are already 1,200 moorings on the waterfront.
9	The movement to ownership by unions is the latest step in the progression form management ownership to employee ownership. Employee ownership can save depressed and losing companies. All the following statements, if true, provide support for the claim above except:	A. Employee-owned companies generally have higher productivity. B. Employee participation in management raises morale. C. Employee union ownership drives up salaries and wages. D. Employee union ownership enables workers to share in the profits.
10	You have three boxes, each containing two balls, one containing a black pair; one, a white pair; and third, one white ball and one black ball. On each box are pictures of two balls - either two black ones, two white ones, or one white and one black. You are told that the markings on the boxes are all wrong. You are asked to ascertain the colors of the balls contained in each box. Which of the following statements can be inferred form the above ?	A. You can take out one ball from the box marked with two black balls and, without looking at the second ball, know that each box actually contains. B. You can take out one ball from the box marked with two white balls and, without looking at the second ball, know what each box actually contains. C. You can take out one ball from the box marked with one while ball and one black ball and, without looking at the second ball, know what each box contains. D. You cannot know which balls are contained in which box until you take a ball out of more than one box.

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CSS General Abilities Topic 4 MCQ's Test

MCQ's Test For CSS General Abilities Topic 4 Logical Reasoning

CSS General Abilities Topic 4 Logical Reasoning

Average family income is right where it was 20 years ago, even though in most families these days, husbands and wives are working.The above statement implies all of the following, except:

Every town with a pool hall has its share of unsavory characters. This is because the pool hall attracts gamblers and all gamblers are unsavory.Which of the following, if true, cannot be inferred from the above ?

Farmers in the North have observed that heavy frost is usually preceded by a full moon somehow generates the frost.Which of the following, if true, would weaken the farmers conviction ?

Ira is taller than Sam.Elliot is taller than Harold.Harold is shorter than Gene.Sam and Gene are of the same height.If the above is true, which of the following conditions, must also be true?

An economist was quoted as saying that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) will go up next month because of a recent increase in the price of fruit and vegetables.Which of the following cannot be inferred from the statement ?

If we are doomed to have local drug rehabilitation centers - and society has determined that we are - then society ought to pay for them.Which of the following, if true, would weaken the above argument ?

During 1999, advertising expenditures on canned food products increased by 20 percent, while canned food consumption rose by 25 percent.Each of the following, if true, could help explain the increase in food consumption except:

The President lobbied for passage of his new trade bill which would liberalize trade with industrialized countries such as Japan, members of the European Community, and Canad.Each of the following, if true, could account for the above, except:

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