CSS General Abilities Topic 4 MCQ's Test

Question # 1

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 # 2

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 # 3

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 ?

This is an example of an argument that is directed against the source of the claim rather than the claim itself. A
The statement is fallacious because it contains an illegitimate appeal to authority. B
The above argument obtains its strength from a similarity of two compared situations. C
The argument is built upon an assumption that is not stated but rather is concealed. D
In the above statements, there is a shifting in the meaning of terms, causing a fallacy of ambiguity. E

Question # 4

Inflation rose by 5.1 % over the second quarter, up form 4.1 % during the first quarter of the year and higher than the 3.3% record during the same time last year. However, the higher price index did not seem to alarm Wall street, as stock prices remained steady.
Which of the following, if true, could explain the reaction of Wall Street ?

Stock prices were steady because of a fear that inflation would continue. A
The President announced that he was concerned about rising inflation. B
Economists warned that inflation would persist. C
Much of the quarterly increase in the price level was due to a summer droughts effect on food prices. D

Question # 5

Opponents of the new legislation could defend themselves against the author's strategy by arguing that:

the fact that past trade legislation improved the trade balance does not mean that the present bill will do the same. A
economists are not always right. B
the united states had a trade deficit both in the 1930s and at the time of the new bill. C
the new law is not as strong as the 1930s bill. D
America's trading partners have also passed similar legislation. E

Question # 6

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 ?

Condominiums would sell for $350,000 each. A
There is a large demand for boat repair services. B
A growing population results in the closure of shellfish. C
There are already 1,200 moorings on the waterfront. D
The shipyard may be sold for another commercial use. E

Question # 7

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 # 8

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 ?

Professor Akram received low ratings from his students. A
Students filled out questionnaires after the midterm exam. B
Students are interested in teacher evaluation. C
Teacher are not obligated to use the survey results. D
Student evaluation of teachers is voluntary. E

Question # 9

Many countries are facing a potential crisis in 20 to 30 years time. The ratio of pensioners to workers will be changing drastically with a declining birth rate, with more lengthy education of the young, and with a reduced working life. In general, the number of people paying into pension schemes is decreasing all the time. Meanwhile, with increased health care and living standards, more people are living long enough to draw their pension funds.
A controversial solution to this problem has been proposed in Germany-changing the age of retirement, for both men and women, from the current qualifying age of 63 for men and 60 for women.
A radical, but socially acceptable, solution to this problem must be found. If this is not done, it is predicted that by the year 2050, one person in three will be 65 or over and the projected work force will be unable to support pensions.
Assuming the following were all socially acceptable, which one would not improve the situation in the future ?

Lower the retirement age. A
Decrease the school-leaving age. B
Impose larger contributions on employees and employers. C
Cut pensions in half. D
Only give state pensions to retired persons whose income in below a certain level. E

Question # 10

Ever since I arrived at the college last week, I ve been shocked by the poor behavior of students and the unfriendly attitude of the towns-people, but the professors are very erudite and genuinely helpful. Still, I wonder if i should have come here in the first place.
Which of the following, if true, would weaken the above conclusion ?

Professors are not always helpful to students. A
The college numbers over 50,000 students. B
The college is far from the student's home. C
Not all professors have doctorates. D
The narrator was unsure of staying at the college. E

Question # 11

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 # 12

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 # 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

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 # 15

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 ?

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. A
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. B
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. C
You cannot know which balls are contained in which box until you take a ball out of more than one box. D
You cannot know which boxes contain which color balls until you take a ball out of all three boxes. E

Question # 16

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 ?

Many areas of the world are cold anyway, so a small rise in temperature would be welcome. A
Carbon dioxide is bad for the health. B
Most carbon dioxide is emitted by automobiles. C
Industry is switching over to synthetic liquid fuel extracted form coal. D
A shift to other energy sources would be too costly. E

Question # 17

Forty years after African colonies began emerging as nations, modern loyalties still often go first to the tribe. From Angola to Ethiopia, ethnic hatred has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes, making Africa the continent with the world's largest number of refugees.
Which of the following statements best summarizes the above ?

Africa is best characterized ethnic fractionalization. A
Angola and Ethiopia have the worst record of inter ethnic strife in Africa. B
Continued warfare has made Africa a nation of refugees. C
Africa is best characterized as a federation of many states. D
Africa is best characterized as a continent without loyalties. E

Question # 18

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 # 19

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 # 20

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

Sr.#	Question	Answer
1	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 ?	A. Free education is not guaranteed by the constitution. B. New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California have more qualified high school graduates than other states. C. Most other states do not have the tax base that new york, ohio, Pennsylvania, and California have. D. Other states do not have as many high school graduates.
2	Many countries are facing a potential crisis in 20 to 30 years time. The ratio of pensioners to workers will be changing drastically with a declining birth rate, with more lengthy education of the young, and with a reduced working life. In general, the number of people paying into pension schemes is decreasing all the time. Meanwhile, with increased health care and living standards, more people are living long enough to draw their pension funds. A controversial solution to this problem has been proposed in Germany-changing the age of retirement, for both men and women, from the current qualifying age of 63 for men and 60 for women. A radical, but socially acceptable, solution to this problem must be found. If this is not done, it is predicted that by the year 2050, one person in three will be 65 or over and the projected work force will be unable to support pensions. Assuming the following were all socially acceptable, which one would not improve the situation in the future ?	A. Lower the retirement age. B. Decrease the school-leaving age. C. Impose larger contributions on employees and employers. D. Cut pensions in half.
3	Professor Bilal had the task of giving grades (ranging from A - D in descending value) to her 100 students, based upon the marks they received in three examinations in which the passing mark was 50%. She was instructed to follow the following criteria: i. All students that scored between 90 and 100% in any two examinations could receive an A grade. ii. Students that came in the top decile overall were to be awarded an A. iii. Notwithstanding I and II, if any student failed an exam, the highest he or shed could get was a b. iv. The top 20 students in the whole year, when the overall exam percentages were averaged, could receive an A. Given the above criteria, which of the following in the absence of further information, would definitely not be permissible ?	A. A. Brown, who got 95% in Chemistry and 95% in Biology, received a B grade. B. B. White, who was first in Physics and got 96% in History, received a B grade. C. C. Green failed English, but because he ranked ninth overall out of the 100 students, he was awarded an A grade. D. D. Black was given an A after she came twentieth out of the 100 students and failed to get above 90% in any of the three examinations.
4	The Monopoly is characterized by absence of or decline in competition. The ABC Company realizes that its operations are in competitive industries. Which of the following conclusions may be inferred form the above ?	A. ABC market is not monopolistic. B. Monopoly is defined as one seller in a market. C. The ABC Company has no domestic competitors. D. The ABC company is publicly owned.
5	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.
6	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	A. supermarket and hardware products are the same B. products cannot be sold successfully without a video sales campaign C. Supermarket chains do not sell hardware products D. consumer decision making to buy products does not differ substantially when it comes to both supermarket and hardware products
7	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:	A. Commercial clients have more potential than household customers. B. The demand for garbage removal services is sensitive to price. C. Demand for garbage removal services would increase in the future. D. Doubling of capacity would not encessitate; a substantial increase in the work force.
8	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	A. attack the patriotism of its opponents. B. attack the opponents characters rather than their claims. C. imply an analogy between the new trade bill and previous trade legislation. D. suggest that economists were against both pieces, of legislation.
9	In the human body, platelets, promote blood clotting by clumping together. Aspirin has been found to prevent clotting by making platelets less sticky. Research has now shown that heart attacks and strokes caused by blood clots could be avoided by taking one aspirin a day. Statistics show that the incidence of second heart attacks Unfortunately, the drug has several unpleasant side effects, including nausea, gastric bleeding, and, in severe cases, shock. In children, it has been linked to Reye Syndrome, a rare, but occasionally fatal, childhood illness. One balance, however, for men aged 40 and over, an aspirin a day may present an excellent prophylactic measure for a disease that affects 1.5 million Americans yearly and claims the lives of about 540,000. Which of the following conclusions can most properly be drawn from the information above ?	A. All people should take an aspirin a day to prevent heart attacks. B. Painkillers prevent heart attacks. C. Smokers can safely continue smoking, provided that they take at least one aspirin a day. D. The majority of people suffering second subsequent cardiac arrests could have been saved by taking an aspirin a day.
10	Opponents of the new legislation could defend themselves against the author's strategy by arguing that:	A. the fact that past trade legislation improved the trade balance does not mean that the present bill will do the same. B. economists are not always right. C. the united states had a trade deficit both in the 1930s and at the time of the new bill. D. the new law is not as strong as the 1930s bill.

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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

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:

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 ?

Opponents of the new legislation could defend themselves against the author's strategy by arguing that:

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?

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 ?

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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:

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 ?

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?

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 ?