PrepTest 118 Section 3

Choose a question

Explanations for every question, find them by number or text.

1. Q1:
   Yuriko: Our city's campaign to persuade parents to have their…Method of Reasoning

   Susan implies that the vaccination campaign wasn’t the cause of the increase in vaccinations. 

2. Q2:
   The process by which nylon is manufactured releases large…Weaken 

   Cotton fiber would be less environmentally damaging than nylon [for making rope and thread].

3. Q3:
   John: It was wrong of you to blame me for that traffic…Principle – Parallel Reasoning

   Michiko concludes that John is to blame for the traffic accident.

4. Q4:
   Psychiatrist: Take any visceral emotion you care to…Sufficient Assumption

   There are always situations in which it is healthy to express anger. 

5. Q5:
   Cigarette companies claim that manufacturing both low…Paradox

   Smokers who smoke a pack of low nicotine cigarettes have the same nicotine level at the end of the day as smokers who smoke a pack of high nicotine cigarettes.

6. Q6:
   Editorial: The premier's economic advisor assures her…Flawed Reasoning

   The premier shouldn’t listen to the advisor. His *advice* is surely wrong.

7. Q7:
   Figorian Wildlife Commission: The development of…Necessary Assumption

   **ARGUMENT:** The wetlands commission argues that all new wetland development must be offset by new replacement wetlands. That way there will be no net reduction of wetlands and there won’t be any threat to the species that inhabit them.

8. Q8:
   The development of wetlands in industrialized nations…Principle – Strengthen

   We should allow development.

9. Q9:
   High blood cholesterol levels are bad for the heart…Strengthen

   Shellfish are not necessarily bad for the heart.

10. Q10:
    Every moral theory developed in the Western tradition…Most Strongly Supported

    All moral theories in the Western tradition try to tell us what the good life is.

11. Q11:
    Biologist: Humans have five fingers because we…Strengthen

    If humans had descended from a six phalanged fish then we would be just as happy with six fingers. 

12. Q12:
    Surrealist: Many artists mistakenly think that models…Main Point

    An artist should not only use models from outside the psyche.

13. Q13:
    Harrold Foods is attempting to dominate the soft drink…Flawed Reasoning

    “Hero” already dominates the market.

14. Q14:
    Theoretically, analog systems are superior to digital…Most Strongly Supported

    Analog systems can be more detailed than digital systems, in theory.

15. Q15:
    Psychologist: Doctors should never prescribe sedatives for…Flawed Reasoning – Exception

    Doctors should never provide sedatives for people with insomnia.

16. Q16:
    Numerous paintings and engravings representing warfare can…Necessary Assumption

    Warfare must have developed as a result of the transition to an agricultural society. 

17. Q17:
    An antidote for chicken pox has been developed, but…Paradox

    An antidote for chicken pox could be dangerous even though it has no side effects and it is currently very effective.

18. Q18:
    The tendency toward overspecialization in the study…Principle – Parallel Reasoning

    The trend of overspecialization in the study of artifacts is unfortunate. 

19. Q19:
    Editorial: Medical schools spend one hour teaching…Necessary Assumption

    Medical schools should spend more time teaching preventative medicine [if their goal is to make medicine cost-effective].

20. Q20:
    Dana: It is wrong to think that the same educational…Point at Issue
21. Q21:
    Experimental psychology requires the application of statistics…Flawed Parallel Reasoning

    More training in statistics means you will be more effective at experimental psychology research.

22. Q22:
    In 1988 the government of Country X began using a new computer…Omitted from Scoring
23. Q23:
    Some vegetarians have argued that there are two individually…Role in Argument

    If the only argument for avoiding meat were ethical (we shouldn’t eat conscious creatures) then it would be less clear that we ought to avoid meat. 

24. Q24:
    The increasing complexity of scientific inquiry has…Must be True

    Science is more complex and therefore many papers now have multiple authors.

25. Q25:
    Helena: Extroversion, or sociability, is not biologically…Misinterpretation

    Jay thinks Helena is wrong. He seems to think that she said that *all* introverted children adopted by extroverts will become social.