| 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 ?
|
A. Some generals have claimed that the country's defense has weakened in the past year.
B. More soldiers were drafted during the former president's term of office.
C. The incumbent president advocates peaceful resolution of international disputes.
D. The average annual inflation rate during the incumbent president's term was 4 percent, while during his predecessor's term it was 10 percent
|
| 2 |
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.
|
| 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 |
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.
|
| 5 |
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
|
| 6 |
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 ?
|
A. Grade-school children reported eating no breakfast at all.
B. Fewer convenience foods were available to the parents.
C. Adults claim to eat convenience foods as well as natural foods.
D. Convenience foods can be digested just as quickly as natural foods.
|
| 7 |
Significant beneficial effect of smoking occur primarily in the area of mental health, and the habit originates in a search for contentment. The life expectancy of our people has increased greatly in recent years; it is possible that the relaxation and contentment and enjoyment produced by smoking has lengthened many lives. Smoking is beneficial. Which of the following, it true, weaken the above conclusion ?
|
A. That cigarettes are a major health hazard cannot be traced to the willfull act of any human or organization.
B. The government earns millions of dollars from the tobacco tax and tens of thousands of civilians are employed in the tobacco industry.
C. The evidence cited in the statement covers only one example of the effects of cigarette smoking.
D. No mention is made of possible harmful side-effects of smoking.
|
| 8 |
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?
|
A. Blue Industries is in the tobacco industry.
B. Belle industries is in the insurance business.
C. Blue Industries is in the insurance business.
D. More divestment takes place in the tobacco industry than in the insurance industry.
|
| 9 |
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.
|
| 10 |
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.
|