A
fails to establish that the opinions of the legislator’s constituents are representative of the opinions of the country’s population as a whole
B
fails to consider whether the legislator’s constituents consider the current corporate income tax a high tax
C
confuses an absence of evidence that the legislator’s constituents oppose a bill with the existence of evidence that the legislator’s constituents support that bill
D
draws a conclusion that merely restates a claim presented in support of that conclusion
E
treats a result that proves that the public supports a bill as a result that is merely consistent with public support for that bill
A
Although there are fewer car thieves now than there were five years ago, the proportion of thieves who tend to abandon cars before their owners notice that they have been stolen has also decreased.
B
Car alarms are more common than they were five years ago, but their propensity to be triggered in the absence of any criminal activity has resulted in people generally ignoring them when they are triggered.
C
An upsurge in home burglaries over the last five years has required police departments to divert limited resources to investigation of these cases.
D
Because of the increasingly lucrative market for stolen automobile parts, many stolen cars are quickly disassembled and the parts are sold to various buyers across the country.
E
There are more adolescent car thieves now than there were five years ago, and the sentences given to young criminals tend to be far more lenient than those given to adult criminals.
A
After the decrease in the rush-hour speed limit, the average speed on the M25 was significantly lower during rush hours than at other times of the day.
B
Travel times during periods other than rush hours were essentially unchanged after the rush-hour speed limit was lowered.
C
Before the rush-hour speed limit was lowered, rush-hour accidents that caused lengthy delays were common, and most of these accidents were caused by high-speed driving.
D
Enforcement of speed limits on the M25 was quite rigorous both before and after the rush-hour speed limit was lowered.
E
The number of people who drive on the M25 during rush hours did not increase after the rush-hour speed limit was lowered.
If most of Dalton’s residents favor the proposal, the airport will be built.
It’s unlikely most of Dalton’s residents would favor the proposal. (This is a subsidiary conclusion based on the fact that most residents believe the airport would create noise problems.)
A
treats a sufficient condition for the airport’s being built as a necessary condition
B
concludes that something must be true, because most people believe it to be true
C
concludes, on the basis that a certain event is unlikely to occur, that the event will not occur
D
fails to consider whether people living near Dalton would favor building the airport
E
overlooks the possibility that a new airport could benefit the local economy
Economist: If the belief were to become widespread that losing one’s job is not a sign of personal shortcomings but instead an effect of impersonal social forces (which is surely correct), there would be growth in the societal demand for more government control of the economy to protect individuals from these forces, just as the government now protects them from military invasion. Such extensive government control of the economy would lead to an economic disaster, however.
Summary
The stimulus gives us a causal chain. If the belief that getting fired is a product of social forces becomes widespread, that will increase demands for more extensive government control of the economy. If the government begins to control the economy more extensively, that will lead to economic disaster. We’re also told that the belief that getting fired is a product of social forces is accurate.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Some accurate beliefs that become widespread might lead to negative consequences.
A
Increased knowledge of the causes of job loss could lead to economic disaster.
Strongly supported. We’re told that the belief social forces are responsible for job losses is correct. We also know that this belief, if widespread, can lead to economic disaster. So, if more people start to hold this correct belief, that might lead to economic disaster.
B
An individual’s belief in his or her own abilities is the only reliable protection against impersonal social forces.
Unsupported. We don’t know what can reliably protect against social forces. If anything, this is antisupported, because we know job losses aren’t caused by personal shortcomings. This suggests even if people didn’t have those shortcomings, that wouldn’t prevent job loss.
C
Governments should never interfere with economic forces.
Unsupported. Although extensive government control can lead to economic disaster, that doesn’t suggest other, less extensive, kinds of government involvement with the economy would be harmful.
D
Societal demand for government control of the economy is growing.
Unsupported. The stimulus says this will happen if the belief mentioned becomes widespread. But we don’t know if the belief is becoming more widespread.
E
In general, people should feel no more responsible for economic disasters than for military invasions.
Unsupported. Military invasions are mentioned as something that the government protects us against. But there’s no comparison made between military invasions and economic disasters concerning the responsibility people should feel.
A
The vast majority of dinosaur species are known to have gone extinct well before the time of the asteroid impact that produced the Chicxulub crater.
B
The size of a crater caused by an asteroid striking Earth generally depends on both the size of that asteroid and the force of its impact.
C
Fossils have been discovered of a number of dinosaurs that clearly died as a result of the asteroid impact that produced the Chicxulub crater.
D
There is no evidence that any other asteroid of equal size struck Earth at the same time as the asteroid that produced the Chicxulub crater.
E
During the period immediately before the asteroid that produced the Chicxulub crater struck, most of the world’s dinosaurs lived in or near the region of the asteroid’s impending impact.
A
There are other very large design companies besides Baxe, but they produce designs that are inferior to Baxe’s.
B
Baxe does not have a near monopoly in the market of any category of interior design other than corporate interiors.
C
For the most part, designs that are produced by small companies are superior to the designs produced by Baxe.
D
At least some of the corporate managers who solicit design proposals are unaware that there are designs that are much better than those produced by Baxe.
E
The existence of interior designs that are superior to those produced by Baxe does not currently threaten its near monopoly in the corporate market.
Musicologist: Many critics complain of the disproportion between text and music in Handel’s da capo arias. These texts are generally quite short and often repeated well beyond what is needed for literal understanding. Yet such criticism is refuted by noting that repetition serves a vital function: it frees the audience to focus on the music itself, which can speak to audiences whatever their language.
Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The musicologist argues that critics’ disapproval of the imbalance between the short, repetitive texts and the music in Handel's da capo arias can be refuted. This is because the critics overlook the important role of repetition. Repetition allows the audience to concentrate on the music, which can communicate universally, regardless of language.
Identify Conclusion
The conclusion is the musicologist’s claim that the critics’ criticism of the imbalance between the short, repetitive texts and the music in Handel’s da capo arias can be refuted: “such criticism is refuted”.
A
Handel’s da capo arias contain a disproportionate amount of music.
This is context. It provides background on a common criticism of Handel’s da capo arias.
B
Handel’s da capo arias are superior to most in their accessibility to diverse audiences.
The musicologist does not make this claim. While the nature of the repetition allows it to speak to audiences regardless of language, the musicologist does not compare this ability to other music.
C
At least one frequent criticism of Handel’s da capo arias is undeserved.
This is the main point of the musicologist’s reasoning, which is that while many critics complain of the imbalance between the text and music in Handel’s da capo arias, this criticism can be refuted. In other words, it is undeserved.
D
At least some of Handel’s da capo arias contain unnecessary repetitions.
The musicologist does not claim the repetitions are unnecessary. The musicologist instead claims the repetitions serve a vital function.
E
Most criticism of Handel’s da capo arias is unwarranted.
This is not the musicologist’s conclusion. The conclusion is that one specific criticism of Handel’s da capo arias can be refuted, not that most criticisms can be.
Many scholars are puzzled about who created the seventeenth-century abridgment of Shakespeare’s Hamlet contained in the First Quarto. Two facts about the work shed light on this question. First, the person who undertook the abridgment clearly did not possess a copy of Hamlet. Second, the abridgment contains a very accurate rendering of the speeches of one of the characters, but a slipshod handling of all the other parts.
Summary
Some scholars are questioning who created the seventeenth-century abridgment of Hamlet. The person who undertook the abridgment did not possess a copy of Hamlet. The abridgment accurately renders the speeches of only one of the characters, and a poor rendering of all other parts.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
The abridgment was likely produced by an actor that played a single character’s role in Hamlet.
A
The abridgment was prepared by Shakespeare.
The facts we’re given about the abridgment do not support the idea that it was produced by Shakespeare.
B
The abridgment was created to make Hamlet easier to produce on stage.
We don’t know why the abridgment was created. The question the scholars are attempting to answer is who created the abridgment.
C
The abridgment was produced by an actor who had played a role in Hamlet.
If the facts about the abridgment are true, it fits that the abridgment was produced by an actor. An actor is likely to both not have a full copy of the play and only accurate memory of one of the character’s roles.
D
The abridgement was prepared by a spectator of a performance of Hamlet.
A spectator is unlikely to have produced an accurate rendering of one of the character’s speeches.
E
The abridgment was produced by an actor who was trying to improve the play.
Hamlet would not be improved by having an accurate rendering of one of the character’s roles and a poor rendering of all of the other character’s roles.