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GMAT

GMAT - Critical Reasoning - Test 31

in Critical Reasoning

Read the passage and choose the option that best answer the question.

1. Dr. A: The new influenza vaccine is useless at best and possibly dangerous. I would never use it on a patient. Dr. B: But three studies published in the Journal of Medical Associates have rated that vaccine as unusually effective. Dr. A: The studies must have been faulty because the vaccine is worthless. In which of the following is the reasoning most similar to that of Dr. A?

A. Three of my patients have been harmed by that vaccine during the past three weeks, so the vaccine is unsafe.
B. Jerrold Jersey recommends this milk, and I don't trust Jerrold Jersey, so I won't buy this milk.
C. Wingzz tennis balls perform best because they are far more effective than any other tennis balls.
D. I'm buying Vim Vitamins. Doctors recommend them more often than they recommend any other vitamins, so Vim Vitamins must be good.
E. Since University of Muldoon graduates score about 20 percent higher than average on the GMAT, Sheila Lee, a University of Muldoon graduate, will score about 20 percent higher than average when she takes the GMAT.

2. A recent survey of all auto accident victims in Dole County found that, of the severely injured drivers and front-seat passengers, 80 percent were not wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents. This indicates that, by wearing seat belts, drivers and front-seat passengers can greatly reduce their risk of being severely injured if they are in an auto accident. The conclusion above is not properly drawn unless which of the following is true?

A. Of all the drivers and front-seat passengers in the survey, more than 20 percent were wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents.
B. Considerably more than 20 percent of drivers and front-seat passengers in Dole County always wear seat belts when traveling by car.
C. More drivers and front-seat passengers in the survey than rear-seat passengers were very severely injured.
D. More than half of the drivers and front-seat passengers in the survey were not wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents.
E. Most of the auto accidents reported to police in Dole County do not involve any serious injury.

3. A conservation group in the United States is trying to change the long-standing image of bats as frightening creatures. The group contends that bats are feared and persecuted solely because they are shy animals that are active only at night. Which of the following, if true, would cast the most serious doubt on the accuracy of the group's contention?

A. Bats are steadily losing natural roosting places such as caves and hollow trees and are thus turning to more developed areas for roosting.
B. Bats are the chief consumers of nocturnal insects and thus can help make their hunting territory more pleasant for humans.
C. Bats are regarded as frightening creatures not only in the United States but also in Europe, Africa, and South America.
D. Raccoons and owls are shy and active only at night; yet they are not generally feared and persecuted.
E. People know more about the behavior of other greatly feared animal species, such as lions, alligators, and snakes, than they do about the behavior of bats.

4. One state adds a 7 percent sales tax to the price of most products purchased within its jurisdiction. This tax, therefore, if viewed as tax on income, has the reverse effect of the federal income tax: the lower the income, the higher the annual percentage rate at which the income is taxed. The conclusion above would be properly drawn if which of the following were assumed as a premise?

A. The amount of money citizens spend on products subject to the state tax tends to be equal across income levels.
B. The federal income tax favors citizens with high incomes, whereas the state sales tax favors citizens with low incomes.
C. Citizens with low annual incomes can afford to pay a relatively higher percentage of their incomes in state sales tax, since their federal income tax is relatively low.
D. The lower a state's sales tax, the more it will tend to redistribute income from the more affluent citizens to the rest of society.
E. Citizens who fail to earn federally taxable income are also exempt from the state sales tax.

5. In tests for pironoma , a serious disease, a false positive result indicates that people have pironoma when, in fact, they do not; a false negative result indicates that people do not have pironoma when, in fact, they do. To detect pironoma most accurately, physicians should use the laboratory test that has the lowest proportion of false positive results. Which of the following, if true, gives the most support to the recommendation above?

A. The accepted treatment for pironoma does not have damaging side effects.
B. The laboratory test that has the lowest proportion of false positive results causes the same minor side effects as do the other laboratory tests used to detect pironoma .
C. In treating pironoma patients, it is essential to begin treatment as early as possible, since even a week of delay can result in loss of life.
D. The proportion of inconclusive test results is equal for all laboratory tests used to detect pironoma .
E. All laboratory tests to detect pironoma have the same proportion of false negative results.

6. The proposal to hire ten new police officers in Middletown is quite foolish. There is sufficient funding to pay the salaries of the new officers, but not the salaries of additional court and prison employees to process the increased caseload of arrests and convictions that new officers usually generate. Which of the following, if true, will most seriously weaken the conclusion drawn above?

A. Studies have shown that an increase in a city's police force does not necessarily reduce crime.
B. When one major city increased its police force by 19 percent last year, there were 40 percent more arrests and 13 percent more convictions.
C. If funding for the new police officers' salaries is approved, support for other city services will have to be reduced during the next fiscal year.
D. In most United States cities, not all arrests result in convictions, and not all convictions result in prison terms.
E. Middletown's ratio of police officers to citizens has reached a level at which an increase in the number of officers will have a deterrent effect on crime.

7. President of the United States: I have received over 2,000 letters on this issue, and the vast majority of them support my current position. These letters prove that most of the people in the country agree with me. Which of the following, if true, most weakens the President's conclusion?

A. The issue is a very divisive one on which many people have strong opinions.
B. Some members of Congress disagree with the President's position.
C. People who disagree with the President feel more strongly about the issue than do people who agree with him.
D. People who agree with the President are more likely to write to him than are people who disagree with him.
E. During the presidential campaign, the President stated a position on this issue that was somewhat different from his current position.

8. Most geologists believe oil results from chemical transformations of hydrocarbons derived from organisms buried under ancient seas. Suppose, instead, that oil actually results from bacterial action on other complex hydrocarbons that are trapped within the Earth. As is well known, the volume of these hydrocarbons exceeds that of buried organisms. Therefore, our oil reserves would be greater than most geologists believe. Which of the following, if true, gives the strongest support to the argument above about our oil reserves?

A. Most geologists think optimistically about the Earth's reserves of oil.
B. Most geologists have performed accurate chemical analyses on previously discovered oil reserves.
C. Ancient seas are buried within the Earth at many places where fossils are abundant.
D. The only bacteria yet found in oil reserves could have leaked down drill holes from surface contaminants.
E. Chemical transformations reduce the volume of buried hydrocarbons derived from organisms by roughly the same proportion as bacterial action reduces the volume of other complex hydrocarbons.

9. Woodsmoke contains dangerous toxins that cause changes in human cells. Because woodsmoke presents such a high health risk, legislation is needed to regulate the use of open-air fires and wood-burning stoves. Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the argument above?

A. The amount of dangerous toxins contained in woodsmoke is much less than the amount contained in an equal volume of automobile exhaust.
B. Within the jurisdiction covered by the proposed legislation, most heating and cooking is done with oil or natural gas.
C. Smoke produced by coal-burning stoves is significantly more toxic than smoke from wood-burning stoves.
D. No significant beneficial effect on air quality would result if open-air fires were banned within the jurisdiction covered by the proposed legislation.
E. In valleys where wood is used as the primary heating fuel, the concentration of smoke results in poor air quality.

10. An advertisement designed to convince readers of the great durability of automobiles manufactured by the Deluxe Motor Car Company cites as evidence the fact that over half of all automobiles built by the company since 1970 are still on the road today, compared to no more than a third for any other manufacturer. Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the advertisement's argument?

A. After taking inflation into account, a new Deluxe automobile costs only slightly more than a new model did in 1970.
B. The number of automobiles built by Deluxe each year has not increased sharply since 1970.
C. Owners of Deluxe automobiles typically keep their cars well maintained.
D. Since 1970, Deluxe has made fewer changes in the automobiles it manufactures than other car companies have made in their automobiles.
E. Deluxe automobiles have been selling at relatively stable prices in recent years.