PrepTest 158 Section 3

Choose a question

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

1. Q1:
   In the previous two years, significantly more rain has…Flawed Reasoning

   More rain will probably fall in September than July in Browning.

2. Q2:
   Educator: Few problems faced in daily life can be solved…Strengthen the Argument

   Schools should require students to take interdisciplinary courses instead of courses in individual disciplines.

3. Q3:
   Newspaper columnist: What caused the current recession…Identify the Conclusion

   Knowing the cause of the recession is not essential to improve the economy.

4. Q4:
   Generally, it is important that people practice what they preach…Flawed Reasoning

   People should practice what they preach, with some exceptions.

5. Q5:
   Domesticated animals, such as dogs, have come into existence…Weaken

   All animals could, theoretically, be domesticated.

6. Q6:
   Surprisingly, a new study has revealed that shortly after…Paradox

   When it rains in Crystal Bay, pollution levels peak.

7. Q7:
   Ethicist: This hospital's ethics code states that hospital staff…Weaken

   Dr. Faris is guilty of an ethics violation, even though the medication worked.

8. Q8:
   Student: My paper was not graded in accordance with…Flawed Reasoning

   The paper was not graded in accordance with the professor's stated criteria.

9. Q9:
   Consumer advocate: Even relatively minor drug-related interactions…Weaken

   Drug companies should be required to notify consumers of all known drug-related interactions.

10. Q10:
    Radioactive elements may have been created when the universe…Identify the Conclusion

    Radioactive elements are still being created today.

11. Q11:
    There is evidence that a certain ancient society burned…Strengthen

    It is likely that the society was still a hunter-gatherer society.

12. Q12:
    Professor Shanaz: People generally notice and are concerned…Role in Argument

    There is unlikely to be a widespread, grassroots effort for new, more restrictive air pollution controls at this time.

13. Q13:
    Psychotherapist: The troubles from which a patient seeks relief…Necessary Assumption

    To help a patient heal, a psychotherapist must focus on positive change in the patient's relationships with other people.

14. Q14:
    Some freelance journalists sell their work to magazines…Parallel Flawed Reasoning

    Some self-respecting journalists are not freelance journalists.

15. Q15:
    Selling syndicated reruns of a popular network television…Necessary Assumption

    Selling syndicated reruns of a popular network television program while the program is still running can lead to decreased revenues for the network.

16. Q16:
    If a belief is based on information from a reliable source…Must be True

    If a belief comes from a reliable source, it is reasonable to maintain that belief.

17. Q17:
    Situation: A physical therapist wants her patients to derive…Parallel Reasoning

    If the therapist meets the first objective (getting her patients to enjoy developing skills), it will lead to the second objective (they will practice more).

18. Q18:
    Classicist: Our mastery of Latin and Ancient Greek is at best…Role in Argument

    Our mastery of Latin and Ancient Greek is at best imperfect.

19. Q19:
    For there to be a thriving population of turtles in a pond…Sufficient Assumption

    There must not be a thriving turtle population at Wallakim Pond.

20. Q20:
    The study of primates is interesting for many reasons…Must be True

    Only primates have opposable thumbs.

21. Q21:
    Professor: Many scientists hypothesize that there is…Necessary Assumption

    There is no reason to believe that the scientists' "light-absorbing medium" hypothesis is correct.

22. Q22:
    Some researchers claim that people tend to gesture less…Method of Reasoning

    If rejecting the researchers' claim, it is insufficient to point out that the correlation is far from universal.

23. Q23:
    According to rational-choice theory, popular support for…Must be True

    Rational-choice theory says that support for various political parties is because individual voters make decisions to support the party that gives them the greatest economic advantages.

24. Q24:
    Scientist: Some consumer groups claim that the economic…Weaken

    The risk of genetically altered food is minimal.

25. Q25:
    A government is justified in interfering with a person's action…Principle