Technician: Laboratory mice that are used for research aimed at improving human health are usually kept in small cages. Such an environment is neither normal nor healthy for mice. Moreover, the reliability of research using animals is diminished if those animals are not in an environment that is normal for them.
Summary
Keeping animals in an environment that isn’t normal for them reduces the reliability of the research that those animals are used in.
Lab mice that are used in research for human health are usually kept in small cages.
Small cages are not a normal or healthy environment for mice.
Very Strongly Supported Conclusions
Keeping lab mice in small cages reduces the reliability of the research that those mice are used in.
The reliability of research for human health using lab mice is diminished because the mice are kept in small cages.
A
The conditions under which laboratory mice are kept are not likely to change in the near future.
Unsupported. We only know that lab mice used in research for human health are usually kept in small cages currently. This might or might not change in the near future.
B
If laboratory mice were kept under better conditions, it would be appropriate to use them for research aimed at improving human health.
Unsupported. The reliability of current health research is reduced because mice are kept in small cages. But we don't know how better conditions would impact the research. The technician also doesn’t mention whether it's "appropriate" to use lab mice for research.
C
Research using laboratory mice that is aimed at improving human health is compromised by the conditions under which the mice are kept.
Very strongly supported. Human health research using lab mice is compromised because the mice are kept in an environment that isn’t normal for them, which reduces the reliability of the research they’re used in.
D
Those who conduct research aimed at improving human health will develop new research techniques.
Unsupported. The technique of using lab mice is unreliable because the mice are kept in small cages. But the technician doesn’t say anything about whether researchers will develop new techniques.
E
Laboratory mice that are used for research that is not directly related to human health are not usually kept in small cages.
Unsupported. We only know that lab mice that are used in research that is directly related to human health are usually kept in small cages. We don’t know anything about the conditions of lab mice used in other research.
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that Country F’s producers are dumping (selling below production costs in a different country) shrimp. This is because shrimp producers in Country F are selling shrimp in Country G for less than it takes to produce shrimp in Country G.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that “production cost” refers to the production cost in the country where the product is sold. If “production cost” in fact referred to the production cost in the country where the product is produced, then the production cost in Country G would be irrelevant.
A
“production cost” in the definition of dumping refers to the cost of producing the product in the country where it originates or in the country where it is sold
If “production cost” refers to the country where the product originates, then the author’s argument falls apart since the product doesn’t originate in Country G. If it refers to the country where it’s sold, the argument stands—the product is sold and produced in Country G.
B
there is agreement among experts about whether dumping is harmful to the economy of the country in which products are sold for less than production cost
The author never makes any judgement about dumping being harmful.
C
shrimp producers from Country F charge more for shrimp that they sell within their own country than for shrimp that they sell in Country G
We don’t care how much shrimp producers in Country F charge within Country F. We care if they sell for less than the production cost in another country, which is what constitutes dumping.
D
shrimp producers from Country F will eventually go out of business if they continue to sell shrimp in Country G for less than production cost
We don’t care what will happen to Country F’s shrimp producers. We care if they’re actually dumping or not.
E
shrimp producers from Country F are selling shrimp in Country G for considerably less than production cost or just slightly less
It doesn’t matter whether shrimp producers are significantly under production cost or slightly under production cost. Being under production cost at all constitutes dumping if the product is sold in a different country.
Summary
A study in Denmark examined people’s views on banning cigarette advertising. The sample was asked similar questions ten years ago, and their answers did not change much. 31% were in favor of the ban, 24% were against it, 38% were in favor, but only for certain types of media, and 7% had no opinion.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Most of Denmark’s population supports some form of a ban on cigarette advertising.
A
People’s opinions never change very much.
This is too strong to support. The stimulus only says that people’s views on this issue did not change very much, not that people’s opinions *never* change on everything else.
B
A minority of Denmark’s population feels that banning cigarette advertising would set a bad precedent.
There is no support for *why* the people who oppose the ban. They might just really enjoy cigarette advertisements.
C
Most of Denmark’s population is not seriously concerned about cigarette advertising.
There is information about the percentage of people who are “seriously concerned.” Also, most of the respondents were in favor of some form of ban.
D
Most of Denmark’s population favors some sort of ban on cigarette advertising.
31% + 38% = 69% (a majority) of the population. Although the 38% have some reservations about the ban’s implementation, they still support some form of the ban.
E
Most of Denmark’s population does not smoke cigarettes.
There is no information about the percentage of Denmark’s population that smokes. You must assume that if you are in favor of a ban, you do not smoke.
Mary: There are already too few part-time jobs for students who want to work, and simply requiring students to work will not create jobs for them.
Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
In response to Tom’s claim that high school students should be required to work part-time jobs, Mary points out that there are few part-time jobs available for students and a requirement to work will not create jobs.
Describe Method of Reasoning
Mary counters the position held by Tom. She does this by weakening a crucial assumption in Tom’s argument: that part-time jobs exist for students required to work them. By pointing out that there are already too few part-time jobs and that jobs will not be created by simply requiring students to work, Mary implies that high school students should not be required to work part-time jobs.
A
It analyzes an undesirable result of undertaking the course of action that Tom recommends.
Mary does not mention what would happen if students were required to work part-time jobs. Rather, she emphasizes the impossibility of instituting the requirement in the first place.
B
It argues that Tom has mistaken an unavoidable trend for an avoidable one.
Mary does not state that the trend of high school students graduating without vocational skills is unavoidable. Rather, she argues that Tom’s solution to the trend is not a viable solution.
C
It provides information that is inconsistent with an explicitly stated premise in Tom’s argument.
Mary does not provide information that contradicts the fact that employers are complaining or that vocational skills are best acquired on the job.
D
It presents a consideration that undercuts an assumption on which Tom’s argument depends.
The assumption Tom’s argument depends on is the assumption that part-time jobs are available for students if those students were required to work. Mary undercuts this assumption by pointing out that too few of these jobs exist to fulfill this requirement.
E
It defends an alternative solution to the problem that Tom describes.
Mary does not propose an alternative solution to the problem. Her argument is limited to addressing Tom’s proposed solution.
Summary
Creativity requires one to make changes to an existing theme. Every new idea/theme/discovery is built on existing themes.
The stimulus can be diagrammed as follows:
The stimulus can be diagrammed as follows:
Notable Valid Inferences
This is a MBT Except question. This means all the wrong answers can be logically inferred from the stimulus. The right answer cannot be logically inferred from the stimulus.
Some examples of valid logical inferences from the stimulus are: there are no new themes which are not built on existing themes, and if one lacks the ability to modify a theme, they lack creativity.
Some examples of valid logical inferences from the stimulus are: there are no new themes which are not built on existing themes, and if one lacks the ability to modify a theme, they lack creativity.
A
A lack of ability to manufacture a variation on a previous theme connotes a lack of creativity.
This must be true. We know the ability to manufacture variations on a theme is required for creativity. A lack of the latter implies a lack of the former. We can see this by taking the contrapositive of the first conditional statement.
B
No scientific idea is entirely independent of all other ideas.
This must be true. The stimulus tells us that every idea in science “is built upon a thousand related ideas.” Therefore, no idea can be entirely independent of all others.
C
Careful analysis of a specific variation can reveal previous themes of which it is a variation.
This must be true. The stimulus says that by carefully analyzing a new theme, we can see the previous themes from which it is derived. This is also what (C) is saying.
D
All great scientific discoverers have been able to manufacture a variation on a theme.
This must be true. All great scientific discoverers must have made at least one discovery, and we know all discoveries are variations of existing themes. Therefore, the discoverers must have been able to manufacture at least one variation on an existing theme.
E
Some new scientific discoveries do not represent, on a deep level, a variation on previous themes.
This must be false. (E) contradicts the final sentence of the stimulus (which is represented in the second conditional statement): all discoveries are a variation on a previous theme.