Critical Reasoning Flashcards
1
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following is an assumption upon which the argument depends?
A
Identify the Assumption
2
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following is an assumption made in drawing the conclusion above?
A
Identify the Assumption
3
Q
What type is this question stem?
The argument depends on which of the following?
A
Identify the Assumption
4
Q
What type is this question stem?
The conclusion drawn above is based on the assumption that _______.
A
Identify the Assumption
5
Q
What type is this question stem?
The conclusion above would be more reasonably drawn if which of the following were inserted into the argument as an additional premise?
A
Identify the Assumption
6
Q
What type is this question stem?
The argument depends on assuming which of the following?
A
Identify the Assumption
7
Q
What type is this question stem?
The argument above logically depends on which of the following?
A
Identify the Assumption
8
Q
What type is this question stem?
In order for the conclusion to be true, which of the following must be true?
A
Identify the Assumption
9
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?
A
Weaken the Argument
10
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above?
A
Weaken the Argument
11
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, does the most to call into question the claim made?
A
Weaken the Argument
12
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if discovered, would be evidence against the speculation above?
A
Weaken the Argument
13
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the support for the above conclusion?
A
Weaken the Argument
14
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, would indicate a vulnerability of the speaker’s argument?
A
Weaken the Argument
15
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the speaker’s evidence?
A
Weaken the Argument
16
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports _____?
A
Strengthen the Argument
17
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest grounds for _____?
A
Strengthen the Argument
18
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, most helps to justify _____?
A
Strengthen the Argument
19
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, provides the best reason for _____?
A
Strengthen the Argument
20
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, would strengthen _____?
A
Strengthen the Argument
21
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for _____?
A
Strengthen the Argument
22
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, does the most to strengthen the argument?
A
Strengthen the Argument
23
Q
What type is this question stem?
Any of the following statements, if true, helps to justify _____ EXCEPT:
A
Strengthen the Argument
24
Q
What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, is further evidence that _____?
A
Strengthen the Argument
25
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the passage above?
Resolve the Paradox
26
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, would explain the discrepancy described above?
Resolve the Paradox
27
# What type is this question stem?
Which one of the following, if true, does most to justify this apparently paradoxical belief?
Resolve the Paradox
28
# What type is this question stem?
Which one of the following, if true, does the most to resolve the apparent paradox?
Resolve the Paradox
29
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, best reconciles the seeming discrepancy described above?
Resolve the Paradox
30
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox?
Resolve the Paradox
31
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following hypotheses best explains the contrast described above?
Resolve the Paradox
32
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, most helps to account for …?
Resolve the Paradox
33
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following would, if true, best serve as an explanation of the results of …?
Resolve the Paradox
34
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the apparent inconsistency?
Resolve the Paradox
35
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following can be properly inferred from the statements above?
Inference
36
# What type is this question stem?
If the statements above are all true, which of the following can properly be inferred on the basis of them?
Inference
37
# What type is this question stem?
If the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true?
Inference
38
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following must be true about … ?
Inference
39
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following can be properly concluded from the statements in the passage?
Inference
40
# What type is this question stem?
If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions can be properly drawn?
Inference
41
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following is information provided by the passage?
Inference
42
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the information above?
Find the Conclusion
43
# What type is this question stem?
The most reasonable conclusion based on the premises above is that
Find the Conclusion
44
# What type is this question stem?
If the statements above are all true, they most strongly support which of the following conclusions?<
Find the Conclusion
45
# What type is this question stem?
If the statements above are all true, they most strongly support which of the following conclusions?
Find the Conclusion
46
# What type is this question stem?
The information above provides the most support for which of the following hypotheses?
Find the Conclusion
47
# What type is this question stem?
The experimental results support which of the following hypotheses?
Find the Conclusion
48
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following is most strongly supported by the statements given?
Find the Conclusion
49
# What type is this question stem?
Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the argument?
Find the Conclusion
50
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following most logically concludes the argument
Find the Conclusion
51
# What type is this question stem?
Which one of the following best expresses the main point of the argument?
Find the Conclusion
52
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following most accurately expresses the author’s main idea in the argument?
Find the Conclusion
53
# What type is this question stem?
The author is arguing that
Find the Conclusion
54
# What type is this question stem?
In evaluating the argument, it would be most useful to establish which of the following?
Evaluate the Argument
55
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following pieces of information would be most useful in evaluating the logic of the argument presented above?
Evaluate the Argument
56
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following would be most useful in determining whether the conclusion is valid?
Evaluate the Argument
57
# What type is this question stem?
To evaluate the strength of the argument, it would be most helpful to know which of the following?
Evaluate the Argument
58
# What type is this question stem?
In order to evaluate the force of the evidence presented, it would be most useful to determine which of the following?
Evaluate the Argument
59
# What type is this question stem?
In assessing whether the data cited provide support for the position taken, it would be most useful to determine which of the following?
Evaluate the Argument
60
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following is most likely to yield information that would help in the evaluation of the researcher’s hypothesis?
Evaluate the Argument
61
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following is most likely to yield information that would help in the evaluation of the effectiveness of the new method?
Evaluate the Argument
62
# What type is this question stem?
In deciding whether the plan will work as predicted, it would be most helpful to determine which of the following?
Evaluate the Argument
63
# What type is this question stem?
The answer to which of the following questions would be most useful for evaluating the likelihood of success of these initiatives?
Evaluate the Argument
64
# What type is this question stem?
In determining the impact of implementing the new strategy, it would be important to research which of the following?
Evaluate the Argument
65
# What type is this question stem?
In assessing the plan’s chances of achieving its aim, it would be most useful to know which of the following?
Evaluate the Argument
66
# What type is this question stem?
In relation to the claim above, the answer to which of the following questions would be most valuable in assessing the significance of the study?
Evaluate the Argument
67
# What type is this question stem?
In evaluating the argument, it would be most useful to compare
Evaluate the Argument
68
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following, if true, would be most important to take into account in evaluating the result?
Evaluate the Argument
69
# What type is this question stem?
Investigating which of the following would be most useful in choosing between the competing explanations described above?
Evaluate the Argument
70
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following best describes the error of reasoning contained in the argument above?
Logical Flaw
71
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following best describes a weakness present in the argument above?
Logical Flaw
72
# What type is this question stem?
The argument is flawed because it fails to consider that
Logical Flaw
73
# What type is this question stem?
The reasoning in the argument above is flawed because it presumes without justification that
Logical Flaw
74
# What type is this question stem?
The argument above is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it
Logical Flaw
75
# What type is this question stem?
The author’s conclusion is based on the error in reasoning that
Logical Flaw
76
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following points to the most serious logical flaw in the argument?
Logical Flaw
77
# What type is this question stem?
The CFO’s response is flawed as a refutation of the COO's argument because it
Logical Flaw
78
# What type is this question stem?
Of the following, the best criticism of the argument above is that it fails to account for
Logical Flaw
79
# What type is this question stem?
A serious flaw in the reasoning of the argument is that
Logical Flaw
80
# What type is this question stem?
The argument proceeds by
Method of Reasoning
81
# What type is this question stem?
The father responds to his daughter’s criticism by doing which of the following?
Method of Reasoning
82
# What type is this question stem?
The exchange above supports the claim that the two parties disagree about
Method of Reasoning
83
# What type is this question stem?
Which one of the following most accurately describes the relationship between Jane’s argument and Mark’s argument?
Method of Reasoning
84
# What type is this question stem?
The Attorney General uses which of the following techniques in responding to the cheese importer?
Method of Reasoning
85
# What type is this question stem?
The method of the argument is to
Method of Reasoning
86
# What type is this question stem?
The author develops the argument above by
Method of Reasoning
87
# What type is this question stem?
The argument above employs which of the following reasoning techniques?
Method of Reasoning
88
# What type is this question stem?
Which of the following best describes the argument above?
Method of Reasoning
89
Strategy for identify the assumption Qs
1. Carefully read and understand the passage.
2. Read the question stem and identify what it is asking you to do.
3. Go back to the passage and determine exactly what the conclusion of the argument is.
4. Identify how the conclusion is supported.
5. Remove choices that are rather obviously not assumptions integral to the argument.
6. Choose the answer choice that is most clearly an assumption integral to the argument.
90
Strategy to Weaken the Argument Qs
1. Carefully read and understand the passage.
2. Read the question stem and identify what it is asking you to do.
3. Go back to the passage and determine exactly what the conclusion of the argument is.
4. Identify how the conclusion is supported.
5. Remove choices that strengthen the argument or rather obviously have no effect on the argument.
6. Choose the answer choice that most clearly weakens the argument.
91
Strategy for Strengthen the Argument Qs
1. Carefully read and understand the passage.
2. Read the question stem and identify what it is asking you to do.
3. Go back to the passage and determine exactly what the conclusion of the argument is.
4. Identify how the conclusion is supported.
5. Go through the answer choices one by one, seeking to remove “weakeners” and the choices that most obviously do not affect the argument.
6. Choose the answer choice that most clearly strengthens the argument.
92
Strategy for Resolve the Paradox Qs
1. Carefully read and completely understand the passage.
2. Read the question stem and identify what it is asking you to do.
3. Bullet point the paradoxical facts.
4. Rephrase the paradox as a question.
5. Analyze the answer choices.
93
Strategy for Inference Qs
1. Carefully Read and Completely Understand the Passage
2. Identify the Question Type (What type of information is the question asking for?)
3. Carefully Analyze the Facts
4. Eliminate “Sometimes True,” “Could Be True,” and “Definitely Not True” Options
5. Select the Choice that MUST be True
94
Strategy for Find the Conclusion Qs
1. Carefully Read and Completely Understand the Passage
2. Identify the Question Type (What type of information is the question asking for?)
3. Carefully Analyze the Argument
4. Eliminate Wrong Answers
5. Carefully Analyze the Final Answer Choice
95
Strategy for Evaluate the Argument Qs
1. Carefully Read, Break Down, and Completely Understand the Argument
2. Read the Question Stem and Identify What it is Asking You to Do
3. Remove the Most Clearly Incorrect Answer Choices by Using the Yes/No Test or Other Methods.
4. Choose the Answer Choice That Is Most Clearly What We Would Want to Know in Order to Properly Evaluate the Argument.
96
Strategy for Complete the Passage Qs
1. Read the question stem and identify what it is asking you to do.
2. Carefully read, break down, and completely understand the passage.
3. Convert the sentence that ends with the blank into a question.
4. Eliminate incorrect answer choices
5. Test the final answer by reading it in the passage
97
Strategy for Method of Reasoning and Bolface Qs
1. Carefully Read, Break Down, and Completely Understand the Argument
2. Identify How to Answer the Question
3. Summarize the Method in Simple Terms.
4. Go Through the Answer Choices One By One, Seeking to Remove the Most Obviously Incorrect Options
5. Carefully Analyze the Final Answer Choices
98
Strategy for weaken the argument Qs:
Step 1. Carefully read and understand the passage.
Step 2. Read the question stem and identify what it is asking you to do.
Step 3. Go back to the passage and determine exactly what the conclusion of the argument is.
Step 4. Identify how the conclusion is supported.
Step 5. Go through the answer choices one by one, seeking to remove “strengtheners” and choices that do not affect the argument.
Step 6. Choose the answer choice with the clearest weakening impact.
99
Common *weakeners*:
* *Weakening Answer Type 1*:
Exposes a False Dichotomy by ***Offering a Third Alternative***
* *Weakening Answer Type 2*:
An Answer that ***Calls into Question a Cause-and-Effect Conclusion***
* *Weakening Answer Type 3*:
Shows that a ***Generalization that Supports an Argument is Faulty***
* *Weakening Answer Type 4*:
Shows that a ***Comparison Used to Support a Conclusion is Faulty***
* *Weakening Answer Type 5*:
Indicates that, in Arriving at the Conclusion, the Author ***Confused Numbers and Percentages***
* *Weakening Answer Type 6*:
Brings Up ***New Information that Indicates that a Plan Won’t Work***
* *Weakening Answer Type 7*:
Indicates that ***a Plan that the Argument Concludes will not Work Actually will Work***
100
Common identify the assumption correct answers:
1. States an Assumption that there is no Offsetting Factor
* هیچ عاملی نیست که بلااثر کنه ادعا رو
2. States an Assumption that Must be True in order for a Cause-and-Effect Conclusion to be Correct
* اگر درست نباشه رابطه علی و معلولی رو خراب میکنه
3. States an Assumption that There are No Other Paths to Success
* نویسنده فرض کرده همه راه حل های جایگزین رو بررسی کرده. پس اونا نباید کار کرده باشن و راه دیگه ای وجود نداره
4. Highlights an Assumption that a Plan for Solving a Problem will not Result in the Same Problem or a Similar One
* خود اون پیشنهاد و برنامه نقض غرض نمی کنه و همون مشکل رو پیش نمیاره
5. An Assumption that Something that is Likely True is Actually True
* یه چیزایی که بنظر بدیهی هست رو بیان میکنه که خللی تو ادعا وارد نشه
6. Highlights an Assumption that a Change Occurring over Time does not Render the Conclusion Invalid
* نشون میده گذر زمان خللی به ادعا وارد نمیکنه
101
Common identify the assumption traps:
1. Assumption Incorrect Choice Type 1: Supports the Wrong Conclusion
* یک conclusion دیگری رو داره ساپورت میکنه
2. Assumption Incorrect Choice Type 2: Choices that Do the Reverse of What the Question Asks For
* عملا weakener هستن. اینا گول زننده ن چون عبارتای توی passage رو تکرار میکنن
3. Assumption Incorrect Choice Type 3: Explains an Aspect of the Scenario Presented in the Passage
* یه دیتایی اضافه میکنه که مربوط به passage هست اما اون ارتباط premise ها و conclusion رو کاور نمیکنه
4. Assumption Incorrect Choice Type 4: A Statement that is a Conclusion Supported by what is Said in the Passage
* اینا همون چیزایی که تو متن گفته شده رو یه ذره بازی میکنن تکرار میکنن. ما باید یه چیزی رو اضافه کنیم
5. Assumption Incorrect Choice Type 5: Mentions a Better, or Alternative, Plan
* قرار نیست ایده پردازی کنیم. قراره همون چیزی که گفته شده رو تحلیل کنیم که بر پایه چه منطق و پیش فرض هایی مطرح شده
6. Assumption Incorrect Choice Type 6: Supports the Conclusion but is not an Assumption Upon Which the Argument Depends
* اینا conclusion رو ساپورت میکنن منتها نبودشون هم تاثیری روی نتیجه گیری نمیذاره
102
103
# Valid or Invalid ?
A and B, therefore A
| Inferences with Logical Operators
Valid
104
# Valid or Invalid ?
A, therefore A and B
| Inferences with Logical Operators
Invalid
105
# Valid or Invalid ?
A, therefore A or B
| Inferences with Logical Operators
Valid
106
# Valid or Invalid ?
A or B, therefore A
| Inferences with Logical Operators
Invalid
107
# Valid or Invalid ?
not-A and not-B, therefore not (A and B)
| Inferences with Logical Operators
Valid
## Footnote
Ashley doesn’t live in this neighborhood, and Tim doesn’t either. Therefore, it’s not true that Ashley and Tim both live in this neighborhood
108
# Valid or Invalid ?
not (A or B), therefore not-A or not-B
| Inferences with Logical Operators
Valid
109
# Valid or Invalid ?
if A, then B; and A; therefore B
| Inferences with Logical Operators
Valid
## Footnote
If Ashley lives in this neighborhood, so does Tim. And Ashley does live in this neighborhood. So Tim must too.
110
# Valid or Invalid ?
if A, then B; and not-A; therefore not-B
| Inferences with Logical Operators
**Invalid**
## Footnote
If Ashley lives in this neighborhood, so does Tim. And Tim does live in this neighborhood. So Ashley must too.
111
# Valid or Invalid ?
if A, then B; and B; therefore A
| Inferences with Logical Operators
Invalid
112
# Valid or Invalid ?
if A, then B; and not-B; therefore not-A
| Inferences with Logical Operators
**Valid**
113
# Valid or Invalid ?
not-A or not-B, therefore not (A or B)
| Inferences with Logical Operators
**Invalid**
114
# Valid or Invalid ?
not (A and B), therefore not-A and not-B
| Inferences with Logical Operators
Invalid
## Footnote
It’s not true that Ashley and Tim both live in this neighborhood. Therefore, Ashley doesn’t live in this neighborhood, and Tim doesn’t either.
115
# Valid or Invalid ?
A or B, therefore A
| Inferences with Logical Operators
Invalid
116
# Valid or Invalid ?
A or B, therefore A
| Inferences with Logical Operators
Invalid
117
# Valid or Invalid ?
Probably A, therefore possibly A
| Inferences with Necessity, Probability, and Possibility
Valid
118
# Valid or Invalid ?
Necessarily (A or B), therefore necessarily A or necessarily B
| Inferences with Necessity, Probability, and Possibility
Invalid
119
# Valid or Invalid ?
Possibly (A and B), therefore possibly A and possibly B
| Inferences with Necessity, Probability, and Possibility
Valid
## Footnote
It’s possible that Tim and Ashley both live in this house. So it’s possible that Tim lives in this house, and it’s also possible that Ashley does.
120
# Valid or Invalid ?
Probably (A and B), therefore probably A and probably B
| Inferences with Necessity, Probability, and Possibility
Valid
121
# Valid or Invalid ?
Probably A or probably B, therefore probably (A or B)
| Inferences with Necessity, Probability, and Possibility
Valid
122
# Valid or Invalid ?
Possibly A, therefore probably A
| Inferences with Necessity, Probability, and Possibility
**Invalid**
123
# Valid or Invalid ?
Necessarily A or necessarily B, therefore necessarily (A or B)
| Inferences with Necessity, Probability, and Possibility
Valid
124
# Valid or Invalid ?
Probably (A or B), therefore probably A or probably B
| Inferences with Necessity, Probability, and Possibility
**Invalid**
125
# Valid or Invalid ?
Probably A and probably B, therefore probably (A and B)
| Inferences with Necessity, Probability, and Possibility
**Invalid**
126
# Valid or Invalid ?
Possibly A and possibly B, therefore possibly (A and B)
| Inferences with Necessity, Probability, and Possibility
**Invalid**
## Footnote
It’s possible that Tim lives in this house. It is also possible that Ashley lives in this house. So possibly both Tim and Ashley live in this house.
To see that argument above is invalid, suppose that you know for certain that the house has only one resident, but you don’t know whether that resident is Tim, Ashley, or someone else. In that case the premises of the argument) would be true, but its conclusion would be false. Thus, the conclusion can’t be correctly inferred from the premises.
127
# Valid or Invalid ?
Possibly A, therefore probably A
| Inferences with Necessity, Probability, and Possibility
**Invalid**
128
# What are Invalid Syllogisms for:
All As are Bs. All Bs are Cs. So all As are Cs.
## Footnote
All the trees in the local park were planted by the town arborist. All the trees planted by that arborist have also been labeled by her. So all the trees in the local park must have been labeled by the arborist.
* **Invalid 1**: All As are Bs. All Bs are Cs. So all Cs are As.
*All the trees in the local park were planted by the town arborist. All the trees the arborist has planted have also been labeled by her. So all the trees that have been labeled by the arborist must be in the local park.*
* **Invalid 2**: All As are Bs. All Cs are Bs. So all As are Cs.
*All the trees in the local park were planted by the town arborist. All the trees the arborist has labeled are trees she planted. So all the trees in the local park must have been labeled by the arborist.*
* **Invalid 3**: All Bs are As. All Bs are Cs. So all As are Cs.
*All the trees the town arborist has planted are in the local park. All the trees planted by that arborist have also been labeled by her. So all the trees in the local park must have been labeled by the arborist.*
129
# What are Invalid Syllogisms for:
Some As are Bs. All Bs are Cs. So some As are Cs.
* **Invalid 1**: All As are Bs. Some Bs are Cs. So some As are Cs.
* **Invalid 2**: Some As are Bs. Some Bs are Cs. So some As are Cs.
130
# What are Invalid Syllogisms for:
All As are Bs. No Bs are Cs. So no As are Cs.
* **Invalid 1**: No As are Bs. All Bs are Cs. So no As are Cs.
* **Invalid 2**: No As are Bs. No Bs are Cs. So all As are Cs.
* **Invalid 3**: No As are Bs. All Bs are Cs. So some As are not Cs.
