TEST11 CRITICAL REASONING 1
section i
time-35 minutes
25 questions
directions: the questions in this section are based on the reasoning contained in brief statements or passages. for some questions, more than one of the choices could conceivably answer the question. however, you are to choose the best answer; that is the response that most accurately and completely answers the questions. you should not make assumptions that are by commonsense standards implausible, superfluous. or incompatible with the passage. after you have chosen the best answer; blacken the corresponding space on your answer sheet.
1. educational television is a contradiction in terms. while a classroom encourages social interaction, television encourages solitude. school is centered on the development of language, but television depends upon constantly changing visual images. and in a classroom, fun is merely a means to an end. but on television it is the end in itself.
upon which one of the following assumptions does the author rely in the passage?
(a) the classroom should not be a place where anyone has fun.
(b) only experiences that closely resemble what takes place in the school environment can be educational.
(c) television programs reinforce some of the values of the school environment.
(d) educational television programs are better than most other television programs.
(e) the potential of television as a powerful learning tool has not yet been realized.
2. switching to 'low-yield' cigarettes, those that yield less nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide than regular cigarettes. when tested on a standard machine, does not, in general, reduce the incidence of heart attack. this results is surprising, since nicotine and carbon monoxide have been implicated as contributing to heart disease.
which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy?
(a) smoking low-yield cigarettes has become fashionable, as relatively healthier styles of life have become more popular than those that have been identified as risky.
(b) for those who are themselves smokers, inhaling the smoke of others is not generally a significant factor contributing to an increased risk of heart disease.
(c) nicotine does not contribute as much as to heart disease as does carbon monoxide.
(d) carbon monoxide and cigarette tar are not addictive substances.
(e) people who switch from high-yield to low-yield cigarettes often compensate by increasing the number and depth of puffs in order to maintain their accustomed nicotine level.
question 3-4
sally: i cannot study at a university where there is an alcohol problem. so unless something is done about the alcohol problem at this university, i抣l have to transfer to a university where there are no fraternities.
yolanda: i don抰 agree that fraternities are responsible for the alcohol problem at this university. alcohol problems exist at all universities, including those where there are no fraternities. we all should become more aware of alcohol abuse. it抯 not simply a fraternity problem; it抯 a cultural problem.
3. which one of the following is an assumption on which sally抯 argument depends?
(a) most universities have fraternities.
(b) nothing will be done about the alcohol problem at sally抯 university.
(c) alcohol problems are becoming more widespread at universities.
(d) some fraternity members who drink alcohol beverages are too young to do so legally.
(e) there could be universities that have no alcohol problems.
4. in the conversation, yolanda does which one of the following?