PrepTest 157 Section 3

Choose a question

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

1. Q1:
   Over the long run, apple orchards that use organic farming…Strengthen

   Organic orchards are likely to be more profitable than conventional orchards in the long run.

2. Q2:
   Banking industry visionaries foresee a bright day in the near…Identify the Conclusion

   When customers are able to enact their business by means of computers or telephones, it may be more of a paradise for banks than the customers.

3. Q3:
   Bernard: We should not invite Carl to speak at the forum…Point at Issue
4. Q4:
   Principle: It is unethical for someone who has bought an …Principle – Justify

   It was unethical for James to purchase the camera and return it two weeks later.

5. Q5:
   Taylorism, the early-twentieth-century industrial efficiency…Principle

   Taylorism improved standards of living for workers, but tended to rob work of its intrinsic value.

6. Q6:
   Winchester Township cannot afford to keep its several small…Weaken

   Winchester would better meet residents' needs if the small branch libraries were closed and one larger, well-supplied library were opened.

7. Q7:
   News report: Some recently invented television screens…Must be True

   Some recently invented television screens are actually made of smaller screens ("tiles") seamlessly joined together.

8. Q8:
   Anthropologists: For early humans who moved from a hunter-gatherer…Role in Argument

   Groups that transitioned to agriculture from hunter-gathering were likely motivated by benefits that accompanied agriculture, such as accumulation of wealth.

9. Q9:
   Most lawyers hold that violations of the rights of those who…Flawed Reasoning

   It is reasonable to extend laws against encroachment on real estate to apply to encroachments on intellectual property.

10. Q10:
    Journalist: Contrary to popular opinion, it is more dangerous…Strengthen

    It is more dangerous to drive in the daytime than at night.

11. Q11:
    Biologist: The evolutionary advantage of sexual reproduction…Role in Argument

    The sole reason that sexual reproduction has become the rule among both animals and plants is that natural selection has favoured some entire species over others.

12. Q12:
    Columnist: Vagrancy laws are supposed to reduce criminal…Flawed Reasoning

    Vagrancy laws increase crime while purporting to reduce it.

13. Q13:
    Political theorist: The purpose of government is to prevent…Necessary Assumption

    If most individuals take a reasoned approach to getting what they want, the power of government should be less.

14. Q14:
    Food critic: One of the chief competitors of Chris's restaurant…Flawed Reasoning

    If the competitor's claim were true, Chris's customers could not count on getting good seafood gumbo.

15. Q15:
    Ants sometimes live in hollow places in the roots of a certain…Weaken

    An explanation for the superior health of orchids housing ants is that the organic matter stored by the ants provides additional nutrients.

16. Q16:
    Future overall demand for professors can be predicted…Principle

    **CLAIMS:** Current birth rates can be used to predict future overall demand for professors with reasonable accuracy. But predictions for future music professor demand are less accurate, and predictions for future jazz studies professor demand are even less accurate.

17. Q17:
    Anarchist: People can either fight for anarchy or they can…Flawed Reasoning

    People should fight for anarchy, because it allows each individual the freedom to pursue a personal course of happiness.

18. Q18:
    Consumer demand for personal computers continues to increase…Paradox

    Demand for personal computers increases every year, which could indicate that profits earned by selling retail computers are very high relative to the number sold.

19. Q19:
    If a film is accepted by the festival committee, then one…Parallel Flawed Reasoning

    This film's financial backers will not recoup their investment.

20. Q20:
    Psychologist: In an experiment, business managers who normally…Necessary Assumption

    Drinking more coffee than usual impairs overall management ability.

21. Q21:
    Orator: Moral excellence can be achieved only by repeatedly…Must be True

    Moral excellence is only achieved by repeatedly overcoming inclinations to do the wrong thing.

22. Q22:
    Philosopher: Philosophers usually treat emotions as nonrational…Role in Argument

    Emotion is not nonrational.

23. Q23:
    Superstring theory is a controversial new theory in physics…Most Strongly Supported

    Superstring theory is a controversial new theory in physics that purports to explain the nature and existence of gravity.

24. Q24:
    A smaller number of short documentary films than of …Parallel Reasoning

    A higher proportion of full-length science-fiction films than of short documentary films are commercially successful.

25. Q25:
    To test the claim that vitamin C is effective in treating acne…Weaken

    We can tentatively conclude that vitamin C has no real benefit in reducing acne severity.