BFQ-6

6. Plants that exhibit certain leaf diseases tend to measure extremely high in the amount of zinc in their leaf and stem tissue. Botanists have discovered that phosphorus of the type typically used in a phosphorus-high fertilizer reacts with the zinc in such a way as to prevent treated plants from exhibiting the leaf diseases, and zinc is the cause and not merely an effect of the leaf diseases. Thus, plants can be cured from these leaf diseases by the use of a fertilizer high in phosphorus.

The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

(A) The first is the first-premise that the argument includes; the second is the second-premise that is in support of this argument.

(B) The first is the background that the argument includes; the second is the part of evidence in support of this argument.

(C) The first is the first-premise that the argument includes; the second is the consideration that is in support of the first.

(D) The first is the premise that supports the evidence; the second is that evidence.

(E) The first is the first-premise that the argument includes; the second is the second-premise that is complementary to other evidence.

BFQ-5

5. Gasoline-powered boat engines manufactured in the a North American country prior to 1990 contribute significantly to the pollution found in the world¡¯s oceans. In 1990, however, the government imposed stricter pollution controls on gasoline engines manufactured for boats, and beginning in 1995, the government imposed a program of inspections for pre-1990 boat engines with increasingly rigorous pollution standards. As the older boat engines fail to pass inspection, boat owners are increasingly retiring their old engines in favor of newer, less-polluting boat engines. As a result, the amount of pollution these older boat engines emit into the world¡¯s oceans will steadily decrease over the next en years.

The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

(A) The first is a pattern of cause and effect that acts as an evidence in support of this argument; the second is the conclusion that can be drawn from this argument. (B) The first is a fact that acts as a principle in support of this argument; the second is the conclusion that must be drawn from this argument.

(C) The first is a pattern of cause and effect that acts as an special evidence in support of the conclusion; the second is a general point that can be drawn from this argument.

(D) The first is a pattern of cause and effect that acts as the third evidence in support of the argument; the second is a conclusion that must be true.

(E) The first is a final evidence in support of the argument; the second is a conclusion that can be drawn only from the first

BFQ-4

4. More and more computer programs that provide solutions to mathematical problems in engineering are being produced, and it is thus increasingly unnecessary for practicing engineers to have a thorough understanding of fundamental mathematical principles. Consequently, in training engineers who will work in industry, less emphasis should be placed on mathematical principles, so that space in the engineering curriculum will be available for other important subjects. The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

(A) The first is the second-premise that the argument includes; the second is the conclusion that could be drawn from this passage.

(B) The first is the fact that is necessary for this argument; the second is the conclusion that must be drawn from this passage.

(C) The first is the part of premise that the argument includes; the second is the inference that could be drawn from this passage.

(D) The first is the part of evidence that supports this argument; the second is the inference that could be drawn from this passage.

(E) The first is the first conclusion in this argument; the second is the second conclusion in this argument.

BFQ-3

3. The interstitial nucleus, a sub-region of the brain¡¯s hypothalamus, is typically smaller for male cats than for female cats. A neurobiologist performed autopsies on male cats who died from disease X, a disease affecting no more than 0.5 percent of male cats, and found that these male cats had interstitial nuclei that were as large as those generally found in female cats. Thus, the size of the interstitial nucleus determines whether or not male cats can contract disease X, but, the hypothalamus is known not to be causally linked to disease Y, and disease X is a subtype of disease Y.

The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

(A) The first is a fact in support of the consideration that is one of two points of this argument; the second is the alternative point that weighs against the first.

(B) The first is an evidence that supports the consideration that the argument includes; the second is the fact that weighs against that consideration that could be drawn from the first.

(C) The first is a general principle that is against the conclusion; the second is that conclusion.

(D) The first is an evidence that supports the conclusion; the second is an exceptional example.

(E) The first is a fact in support of the conclusion that the argument depends on; the second is a fact that is against the first one.

BFQ-2

2. A double-blind study, in which neither the patient nor the primary researcher knows whether the patient is being given the drug being tested or a placebo, is the most effective procedure for testing the efficacy of a drug. But we will not be able to perform such a study on this new drug, since the drug will have various effects on the patients¡¯ bodies, which will make us aware of whether the patients are getting the drug or a placebo.

The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

(A) The first is a general consideration that introduces the argument; the second is a special situation that weighs against the first.

(B) The first is a general principle that is necessary for this argument; the second is an anti-consideration that the argument includes.
(C) The first is a premise that this argument includes; the second is a main idea that can be drawn from this argument.

(D) The first is an evidence that this argument includes; the second is a conclusion that can not be drawn from this argument.

(E) The first is a general situation that supports this argument; the second is a conclusion that can be drawn from a special fact.

BFQ-1

Modern navigation systems, which are found in most of today¡¯s commercial aircraft, are made with low-power circuitry, which is more susceptible to interference than the vacuum-tube circuitry found in older planes. During landing, navigation systems receive radio signals from the airport to guide the plane to the runway. Recently, one plane with low-power circuitry veered off course during landing, its dials dimming, when a passenger turned on a laptop computer. Clearly, modern aircraft navigation systems are being put at risk by the electronic devices that passengers carry on board, such as cassette players and laptop computers.

The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

(A) The first is a principle that the argument relies on and the second is a conclusion that can be drawn from the first.

(B) The first is a fact that argument relies on and the second is a conclusion that must be drawn from this argument.

(C) The first acknowledges a consideration that supports that main position; the second is that conclusion.

(D) The first is an evidence that supports the conclusion, the second is that conclusion.

(E) The first is a principle that is necessary for this argument, the second is a conclusion that could be drawn from this argument.

Basic Approach : Critical Reasoning

Basic Approach

Follow the below given basic approach for all critical reasoning questions.

1> Identify the question

The question can be of any of the below given types:

Assumption, Weaken, Strengthen, Identify the reasoning, Inference, Resolve/ Explain, Evaluate the argument, Parallel the reasoning

2> Work the argument(by finding the conclusion, premises and gap)

Common conclusion indicators words are

Therefore, Clearly, Thus, So, Hence, Consequently, In Conclusion.

Common premises indicator words are

Since, Because, As a result of, Suppose

The why test:

Once you have found the conclusion, ask yourself why the author believes the conclusion to be true. The premises should provice the answer to the question. if you try the why test and the answer does not make sense, you have probabily reversed the conclusion and premises.

Finding Gap

Identify the flaws in an argument by looking for a gap between the conclusion and premises. Find the gap by determining what is mentioned in the conclusion that was not mentioned in the premises. The assumption is the instated part of the argument that is required to connect the premises to the conclusion.

The types of flaws are:

- Causal flaw

- Sampling and statistical flaws

- Analogy flaws

3> Predict what the answer should be

Think about the gap, and state the assumption is your own word. As you know the type of question, think of the link between these two information to find the suitable answer.

4> Use POE to find the answer

Eliminate answer choices that are irrelevant or go too far.