Critical Reasoning Test 4
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Questions
Some rats are able to subsist on the barries of the poison sumac, a poisonous plant, by peeling away the poisonous skin of the fruit before they consume it. This method ensures that some rats will always be able to subsist on poison sumac because the plant could never evolve so as to acquire the ability to produce a poison that would prove lethal in the minute quantity left after the fruit is peeled.
The conclusion drawn depends on which of the following assumptions?
- The rats that succeed in removing the poisonous skins of the poison sumac are not able to evolve to the point where they are able to detoxify other herbs.
- Other types of toxic plants, unlike poison sumac, would be able to surmount their defenselessness through evolutionary modifications.
- The poisonous skins of poison sumac can never evolve in a manner such that rats could not successfully peel them.
- The method of toxin removal used by rats that eat poison sumac would not produce similar results on other types of toxic herbs.
- None of these
The average net salaries for all those belonging to salaried class increased by about 8.7% from 1997 to 2000. During this period, average net salaries for daily wagers and blue-collar employees declined.
Which of the following can most logically be concluded from the above information?
- There were more employees in existence in 1997 than in 2000.
- There were fewer daily wagers in 1997 than in 2000.
- Total net salaries for all daily wagers and blue-color employees were higher in 1997 than in 2000.
- Average net salaries for white-collar employees increased by more than 8.7% between 1997 and 2000.
- None of these
Over the past year, medicinal soaps have been advertised as the most effective means of preventing skin infection. However, according to doctors' records, many patients experiencing severe skin infection used medicinal soaps. Clearly, medicinal soaps are not an effective means of preventing skin infection.
Which of the following statements, if true, would most seriously weaken the conclusion given above?
- Of the patients experiencing skin infection, two-thirds indicate that they would be willing to switch brands of medicinal soaps.
- The advertisements for medicinal soaps advocate bathing thrice a day.
- If medicinal soaps were not available, more patients would experience severe skin infection.
- Doctors continue to recommend medicinal soap more than any other soap.
- None of these
A genetically modified version of cotton plant has been experimented at several farms this year in Bathinda region to ward off pest attacks on the crop. The scientists who have made the version of cotton claimed that the recent decrease in pest attacks in those farms shows that the genetically modified crops help counter pest attacks on crops.
Which of the following, if true, would cast the greatest doubt on the scientists' claim?
- The recent decrease in pest attacks in those farms was not as successful as expected of the results from such plants.
- A genetically modified plant would ultimately be finished after yielding a crop. So, new genetically modified plants would need to be added to the farms every three months to get a new crop.
- A genetically modified crop hormone produced using different methods, which the scientists had developed at an earlier period, was ineffective in warding off pest attacks.
- The recent lack of pest attacks in those farms is the same as the recent lack of pest attacks in other farms of the same region which didn’t use genetically modified plants.
Directions: Choose the correct course of action.
A recent study by doctors at AIIMS has shown that people who are predisposed to be diabetic at some point of their life are 22% less likely to have diabetes if they eat papaya everyday.
Which of the following can be inferred from the information above?
- The role of papaya in one’s health is not fully understood.
- Diabetes is more likely to be prevented by the addition of papaya to one’s diet than by the addition of any other type of fruit.
- Papaya is not likely to prevent diseases other than diabetes.
- There is some evidence of a correlation between the consumption of papaya and the prevention of diabetes.
- None of these
Rather than depending upon membership fees, as it does now, the club should depend more heavily on spectator tickets to finance the upkeep of their sports facilities, so that the sports facilities can be maintained without reducing the number of events scheduled. Spectators should pay all of the maintenance costs, even if such costs were to increase. These changes would be fair since only spectators benefit from the sports facilities.
Which of the following is an assumption made in the argument above?
- The number of spectators should determine the amount that the club grants in the upkeep of the sports facilities.
- Membership fees should not be used to finance sporting facilities that benefit a selected number of people.
- If needed, membership fees should be raised to ensure the upkeep of the athletic facilities.
- The club should grant support from membership fees to any sporting facilities that have events open to spectators.
- None of these
Environmental pollution as caused by garbage or produced by homes and industries has been shown to cause clogging and pollution of different water sources. The Union Ministry for Water Resources has recommended that people limit their daily garbage output to two-thirds the normal output. Many water researchers, however, feel that even these limits do not adequately protect the public from the ill-effects of water pollution.
Which of the following, if true, would support the water researchers' view as described above?
- The recommended limits on garbage production do not specify the fine to be imposed if limits are not adhered to.
- Waste produced by industries is much more harmful than garbage produced at homes and so, more stringent laws should be placed on industries than those on homes.
- Use of recycled paper should be preferred than computerised documents.
- The government has neglected efforts to mandate more stringent standards for environmental pollution.
- None of these
Directions: Read the following information and answer the question that follows.
According to a study conducted at Birla Planetarium at Kolkata, an asteroid was discovered at the other end of Milky Way Galaxy, which defined different electromagnetic spectrum denoting different compositions at different observations and has never been observed to exhibit the same spectrum twice.
Which of the following is suggested by the above passage?
- The new asteroid can be eventually expected to have definite composition.
- The new asteroid is different from all asteroids previously known.
- The Birla Planetarium is not a reliable source of information about the new asteroids.
- The new asteroid can be identified on the basis of some characteristics other than its spectrum.
- None of these
The idea that the major portion of Earth would be submerged followed by a prolonged ice age as a result of global warming is implausible. Weather forecasters cannot dependably predict the next day’s weather. Yet the effects of the global warming on our planet’s structure and climate would follow the same physical laws that govern normal changes in the weather being predicted. If scientists cannot predict the day-to-day weather using our current knowledge, they certainly cannot predict the effects of global warming on Earth’s climate.
Which of the following statements would most seriously weaken the author’s conclusion?
- The theory predicting the effects on Earth being submerged by water causing return of ice age is based on studies that are readily available to weather forecasters.
- The effects of Earth being submerged will create drastic atmospheric changes rather than the type of day-to-day weather changes seen.
- Weather forecasters do not require predictions to be 100 percent accurate.
- Attempts to predict the effects of natural catastrophes such as global warming have been found to be less reliable than normal weather predictions.
- None of these
Directions: Choose the correct course of action.
During the past two years, five percent of the managers with sufficient experience to be considered for the post of CEOs were women, and all of those deemed to have sufficient experience during those years received the post of CEO. Despite this fact, women currently hold only two percent of posts of CEOs in top industries.
Which of the following, if true, could explain the discrepancy in the percentages called in the passage above?
- Two years ago, it required less experience to be considered for the job of CEO than it does today.
- The majority of those holding post of CEOs have held those positions for more than two years, dating back to a time when practically everyone holding that position was male.
- The women with sufficient experience to be considered for the post have tended to specialise in different areas of management than the men considered for the same.
- Men and women holding the post of CEOs have received equal financial compensation for the previous two years.
- None of these
Directions: Read the following information and answer the question that follows.
Some have suggested a correlation between not wearing polished shoes and being lethargic – that those who don’t polish their shoes are generally lethargic than those who do. This, however, is not the case. I work at the employment exchange and the majority of the applicants have polished shoes.
Which of the following assumptions is made by the author of the argument?
- Lethargy and polished shoes are learned behaviours.
- People with polished shoes are never unemployed.
- Lethargy has its origins in an individual’s family background.
- People who apply for employment at the employment exchange are lethargic.
- None of these
Research Head: As Head of the R&D department, I believe that the department has achieved a higher level of research in the projects provided to it because of the number of senior researchers who have brought their experience and lot of funding for the projects. Therefore, if in the future, any junior researcher is given a project by the company pertaining to a very important project, such as designs produced upon plasma tracer screens, the company shall provide a lower amount of funds.
Which of the following is an assumption that the R&D Head makes that would serve to justify the conclusion above?
- Any researcher who would be given project essentially for a very specific area brings neither experience nor funds required for the project.
- The experienced researchers will not be able to research if the department provides projects to junior researchers.
- The department provides a high level of research because it focuses essentially on normal technologies rather than on new revolutionary plasma techniques.
- In order to be given a project, one must bring with him experience and funds to the department.
- None of these
Directions: Read the following information and answer the question that follows.
The violence and vulgarity presented in cinema gives our youth an anarchic view of the society. The incorrect picture of heroism fosters the attitude that it is acceptable to behave in any way that strikes one’s fancy, regardless of the consequences and consideration for family and others. The total lack of social responsibility conveyed by this so-called modern life presented in cinema will lead to the downfall of the current generation of Indian youth.
Which of the following sentences can be derived from the above given passage?
- Movies also convey an attitude of social responsibility.
- Modern movies are counter-productive to the social development of our country.
- Movies are not aimed at our youth, but those of foreign markets.
- Movies have their origin in a critical stance towards our society.
- None of these
A recent survey of those entering the IIMs casts doubt on the generally accepted theory that most of the students accepted into IIMs were from engineering background instead it postulated that the people coming with 2 or more years of experience in industry constituted the majority of them. But a close scrutiny of the findings, demonstrated, with the trends indicating that about 75% of the new entrants among experienced professionals had come from engineering background.
Which of the following is a logical conclusion of the passage above?
- The selection committee of IIMs prefers engineering graduates to those from non-engineering background.
- More and more people with experience coming from engineering background are making it to the IIMs.
- Doctors need not apply for the admission to IIMs because they are never selected.
- The study is malicious attempt designed to make a psychological impact on the students preparing for the exam.
- None of these
Senior doctors and radiologists have recently suggested that candidates for brain surgery actually achieve similar benefit by adopting a routine of yoga and radiotherapy if maintained for a three-year period. Although brain surgery is now considered a relatively routine procedure, it still puts the patient at risk of death during or immediately following the operation. Therefore, performing brain surgery should be immediately stopped.
Which of the following, if true, casts the most serious doubt on the conclusion drawn above?
- Patients undergoing brain surgery can suffer from brain seizure, blood clotting, coma or other potentially life-threatening situations.
- Almost all candidates for brain surgery are at a significant risk of suffering from brain seizure within six months of undergoing the operation.
- Although patients who undergo brain surgery are often at risk of suffering from blood clotting during or after the operation, most patients survive the procedure.
- Since the occurrence of coma or death during or immediately following the surgery is rare, the benefits of the surgery outweigh its dangers.
- None of these
Directions: Read the following information and answer the question that follows.
Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, a pesticide being used in Andhra Pradesh since last ten years to destroy weeds without harming the rice crop, should be banned immediately lest they cause more harm to humans. Tests at Andhra Agricultural University have shown that the end product of acid used in to destroy weeds have been found in large quantities in the rice crop sold by hundred of thousands of Andhra farmers who used the pesticide over the past years.
Which of the following most conclusively strengthens the argument above?
- Scientists have observed an unusually high rate of blood cancer among consumers of Andhra rice over the past five years.
- Traces of dichlorophenoxyacetic acid have been found in the ground water of area where the given pesticide is used.
- Weeds have been found increasingly resistant to the pesticide.
- Industrial scientists, who contributed to the research and development of dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, conducted extensive tests to ascertain the safety of the chemical.
- None of these
She can create any mood, fit into every role so naturally as it being part of her actual life. Recent success of Preity Zinta’s movies and appreciation of her acting in them has helped her attain the status of being one of the most successful of current actresses and endeared her to general public.
Which of the following conclusions can most reliably be drawn from the statements above?
- Preity Zinta’s ability to fit into any character flawlessly makes her acting highly effective.
- Preity Zinta is the most beautiful actress who is more popular with critics who just write in papers than with the general public who actually watch the movies.
- Preity Zinta is uniquely skilled in describing her characters.
- It is primarily through acting rather than through beauty that Preity Zinta makes us believe in her characters.
On the issue of thirty crore rupees to install quality control machines at grain markets of Punjab, the Chief Minister said: “Because wheat been tested in only one district the results can not be generalized to be applicable to whole state, therefore there is no reason to worry about its results.”
The Chief Minister’s statement indicates most strongly that he is
- Doubtful about the amount of damage that small amounts of chemicals in diet can cause.
- Doubtful that the validity of agency conducting tests.
- Reluctant to take action when the problem is affecting a small area of the state.
- Doubtful of the seriousness of the threat of ulcers and stomach infections.
Industry can improve in this way without competent leadership and clearly defined administrative goals. Adinath’s new CEO, Amit Aggarwal, has provided the management skills that made this recovery possible.
Which of the following, if true, would LEAST strengthen the above argument?
- This firm now has clearly defined administrative goals.
- The general demand for textiles has increased dramatically during the past three years.
- Before Amit Aggarwal became CEO, there was no competent leadership in the firm.
- The new organizational is clearly responsible for the increase in productivity.
Directions: Read the following information and answer the question that follows.
The Chief Minister of Tikamgarh, responding to reports that many of his party men were calling for his removal, told reporters: “The faction behind this removal movement accuse me with alienating the public from the government. By raising taxes, they claim I have angered the public for leading anti-public policies. What they don’t realise, however, is that my purpose, as stated earlier, is to raise money to fund various statewide welfare programmes. They prefer to bully me out of the job for wanting to help improve lives of the people and ease our state’s economic woes.”
Which of the following best indicates the principal flaw in the Chief Minister’s argument?
- There is no guarantee that taxation would be effective in funding the welfare programme.
- The welfare activities carried by a statewide program would not be equivalent to the amount collected by means of new taxes.
- The party members of the Chief Minister want to remove him because of the effects, not the intent of his tax hike.
- The Chief Minister’s claim about the target of his tax hike is impossible to verify.
- None of these
Coach Abdul Karim noticed that the Rajasthan Cricket Team had lost more Ranji matches this year as compared to their performance the previous year. On enquiry he found that after last year the practice timings for the players had been increased from ten hours daily to fifteen hours a day. Coach Karim, who believed that players were very tired out by the time they left after the practice for home, concluded that his team would win more matches if their practice time were reduced back to ten hours every day.
Coach Karim bases his argument on which of the following assumptions?
- The cricketing infrastructure at the stadium needs to be revamped.
- Numerous factors could account for the decline in the cricket team's record.
- Other teams competing against Rajasthan' s team do not practice for fifteen hours.
- The team's poor performance is a result of the players' tired state after prolonged practice sessions.
Directions: Read the following information and answer the question that follows.
An NGO recently surveyed ten thousand women who had given birth in the last year to their first child in the city. Half of these women had chosen to have their children in a hospital or private clinic; the other half had chosen to give birth at home. Of the five thousand births that occurred in the home, only twenty-five had presented any serious complications, whereas one hundred of the hospital births had required extra attention because of complications during delivery. The NGO concluded that the hospitals are risky places in which to give birth than are homes.
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the social worker’s conclusion?
- Women who are expected to experience complications during delivery are encouraged to give birth in a hospital or private clinics.
- Many doctors discourage their patients from giving birth at hospitals.
- Women who give birth in their homes tend to experience less stress during labour and delivery than do those who deliver in hospitals.
- Women who give birth to their children in hospitals often have shorter periods of labour than those who give birth at home.
Among the workers who are employed by industry like coal mining, steel and textiles the injuries to the back or the lungs are among the most common health risks, because of the activities involved and environmental conditions of their work places. Among the work force employed in the service sector, job related injuries are more likely to involve damage to eyes, which are fixed for hours on computers, or to fingers and wrists, which are forever twisting above, dragging across or pressing on keyboards and control panels.
The information above best supports which of the following conclusions?
- Occupational injuries are becoming less serious among those employed by service sector than those by mining and heavy industries.
- The relative frequency with which various body parts are injured on the job is related to the type of technology being employed.
- Coal mining is a safer job than computer programming.
- The risks involve in coal industry, steel industry and textile industry are exactly the same.
In companies with only record clerk, the average clerk spends more than 500 hours a year just in order to maintain the index of location of records at the office. Currently available high-speed specialized computers if installed shall reduce time required to find the records by about 75 percent. Therefore, purchasing the new computer will save money for any such company whose record clerk spends time on finding records.
Which of the following is an assumption necessary to the author's argument?
- Purchasing and maintaining the high-speed computers would cost less than does 125 hours of the average record clerk's time.
- The high-speed computer is no more expensive than are simple computers.
- The high-speed computer is as easy to operate, as are presently used computers at the office.
- On average, clerk' salary are rising and the prices of high-speed computers are remaining constant.
If all schools were brought under the government control, we would have to rely on government to run them, make rules for them and provide funds to maintain them. It is true that there shall be uniformity in education system throughout the country, for the poor as well as rich. But at what cost? If the schools are not run properly, soon the whole education system of the country shall be ruined. Due consideration should be given to this aspect before any attempt to undertake them is done.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above?
- The people do not want schools to be brought under government control.
- The government is currently responsible for the running, make rules and provide funds to maintain both the government as well as private schools.
- The poor people already have access to some private schools for their children.
- Other private schools have been brought under government control in the past with no complaints from the general public as well as management of the schools.