GEN499: General Education Capstone week 4 critical thinking
Grade Details – All Questions
Question 1.    Question :    <11{1[1(19)19]}> All sages provide both wisdom and inspiration. Since Dasha’s speech contained wisdom and greatly inspired her audience, Dasha is a sage.
Which one of the following points out the flaw in the argument above?

     Student Answer:         Just because Dasha is a sage doesn’t mean that she is always wise and inspirational.
              Just because Dasha’s speech provided wisdom and inspiration doesn’t mean that it provided more wisdom than inspiration.
               Just because Dasha satisfied two requirements of being a sage doesn’t necessarily mean that she satisfies all the requirements of being a sage.
              Just because Dasha provided wisdom and inspiration in a speech doesn’t mean that all sages use speeches to provide wisdom and inspiration.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 2.    Question :    <21{1[1(13)13]}> A recent study of 100 employees from six departments of a major corporation found 65% to be sleep deprived. The researchers concluded that the majority of corporate employees are sleep deprived.
The researcher’s conclusion is suspect because it:

     Student Answer:         assumes that corporate employees are more sleep deprived than other people.
              is based on evidence that is statistically impossible.

              fails to describe the effects the sleep deprivation has.

               relies on a sample that is too small to represent the entire corporate workforce.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 3.    Question :    <11{1[4(23)23]}> People have claimed that Jamie’s paintings have given them the blues. Clearly this cannot be entirely correct, since many of Jamie’s paintings contain no blue at all.
The argument above is flawed because the author:

     Student Answer:         provides no evidence.

               misinterprets a key term.

              relies on contradictory facts.

              is not a noted painting expert.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 4.    Question :    <11{1[2(06)06]}>Reporter: A new campaign finance reform bill being considered by Congress would limit the amount of campaign contributions that political candidates can receive. However, a survey of candidates running for mayor, governor, and senate seats shows that not one of them favors the bill. Clearly, there is no desire among politicians to limit campaign contributions.
Which one of the following points out the flaw in the reporter’s argument above?

     Student Answer:         The reporter doesn’t indicate the amount that the new bill would limit campaign contributions.
              The evidence provided by the reporter suggests that most politicians are in favor of the new bill.
              The reporter wrongly assumes that no politician has ever supported a bill intended to limit campaign contributions.
               The views of candidates currently running for office do not necessarily represent the views of all politicians.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 5.    Question :    <11{1[4(17)17]}> Mrs. Orlof teaches two history classes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Yesterday she gave the same test to both classes. Anyone who failed the test must take a retest. Since a greater percentage of students who took the morning test failed the test than students who took the afternoon test, more of Orlof’s morning history students than afternoon history students will have to take the retest.
The conclusion above is not necessarily valid because:

     Student Answer:         more students in the morning class may have passed the test than failed the test.
              some students may have been absent from both classes.

              some of the students who passed the afternoon test may have received information about the test from morning students.
               more students may have taken the test in the afternoon than in the morning.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 6.    Question :    <21{1[1(01)01]}> Since Jessica’s participation in local politics increased significantly after she joined her school’s political science club, it is clear that her involvement in that club led her to take an interest in politics.
The argument above is flawed because:

     Student Answer:         it doesn’t say which political issues Jessica is interested in.

              it states that the only purpose of the political science club is to spark an interest in politics.
              it misuses the word “significantly.”

               it’s possible that an interest in politics caused Jessica to join the political science club.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 7.    Question :    <11{2[3(11)35]}> Some politicians claim to support the environment in speeches they make around the country. However, to get to those speeches they ride in gas guzzling, pollution creating private planes. They therefore clearly don’t believe a word of what they say and are actually making the environmental problem worse.
Which one of the following, if true, would best weaken the argument above?

     Student Answer:         Some of the politicians try to hide the fact that they travel by private plane to their speeches around the country.
              Most people who hear the politicians’ speeches on the environment are unconvinced by their arguments.
              A majority of voters surveyed agree that politicians sometimes make society’s problems worse.
               Improvements to the environment brought about through the politicians’ public support of environmental regulations more than offset the damage done to the environment by the politicians’ private planes.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 8.    Question :    <11{2[3(02)26]}>Aron: The two double A batteries in my CD player are dead, so the CD player doesn’t work. My television remote control, which also uses two double A batteries, works fine. So if I move the two batteries from my television remote control to my CD player, the CD player will definitely work.
Aron’s argument is most strengthened if which one of the following is true?

     Student Answer:         Aron inserted the current batteries in his television remote control two months before he inserted the current batteries in his CD player.
               The amount of energy required to power the CD player is not greater than the amount of energy needed to power the television remote control.
              Aron has used his television remote control more times than he has used his CD player since inserting the current batteries into each device.
              Double A batteries provide less energy than either C batteries or D batteries.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 9.    Question :    <21{2[1(01)25]}> The untimely death of Professor Hathaway halted his groundbreaking research into the uses of solar power. It therefore appears that Hathaway’s research will not result in practical applications.
Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

     Student Answer:          Professor Hathaway’s research can be used by other scientists to create useful applications.
              Not all professors at Professor Hathaway’s university knew that he was conducting research into the uses of solar power.
              Officials at Professor Hathaway’s university have refused requests to make Professor Hathaway’s research public.
              Researchers at other universities are conducting research into the potential applications of solar power.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 10.    Question :    <11{3[1(07)43]}> As part of its reorganization, company X created five new positions within the company. However, after the reorganization was complete, company X had fewer employees than before the reorganization.
Which one of the following, if true, would best explain the result described above?

     Student Answer:         Some employees of the company were switched into new departments to fill the new positions.
              Some employees who quit over dissatisfaction with the reorganization were immediately replaced by new hires.
              The new positions were created to respond to a greater demand for company X’s products.
               Some employees were laid off as a number of old positions were eliminated in the reorganization.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 11.    Question :    <21{3[2(08)44]}> Surveys show that people who use calorie information to decide which foods to eat consume on average 100 calories less than they would if they didn’t check calorie information before eating. Strangely though, people who use calorie information in this way weigh more on average than people who don’t check calorie information before eating.
Which one of the following, if true, best explains the surprising statistic stated above?

     Student Answer:         There are fewer people who check calorie information before eating than people who don’t check calorie information before eating.
              People who usually check calorie information before eating consume more calories if they stop checking.
              Some people who check calorie information before eating don’t consume any fewer calories than they would if they didn’t check.
               People with a weight problem are most likely to check calorie information before eating.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 12.    Question :    <21{4[1(10)54]}> Choose the pair of words/phrases among the choices that exhibits the same logical relationship as the words/phrases in the following pair.
heavy : weight

     Student Answer:         dry : wet

              feather : scale

               hot : temperature

              color : size

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 13.    Question :    <11{4[2(06)50]}> Choose the pair of words/phrases among the choices that exhibits the same logical relationship as the words/phrases in the following pair.
gavel : judge

     Student Answer:          baton : conductor

              symphony : composer

              stop sign : driver

              ruler : math

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 14.    Question :    <11{4[2(12)56]}> Choose the pair of words/phrases among the choices that exhibits the same logical relationship as the words/phrases in the following pair.
building : blueprint

     Student Answer:         ship : sea

               cake : recipe

              bridge : island

              guitar : song

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 15.    Question :    <11{5[1(01)57]}>Arthur: The solutions to most mystery novels I read are not believable. However, my enjoyment of a mystery novel depends only on its suspenseful mood and colorful characters.
Norton: Roughly 80% of the mystery novels I read have believable solutions, which is good since I do not enjoy mystery novels that don’t have believable solutions.
The speakers above:

     Student Answer:         agree that most mystery novels do not have believable solutions.
              agree that a suspenseful mood and colorful characters add to the enjoyment of a mystery novel.
               disagree on whether a believable solution is required for the enjoyment of a mystery novel.
              disagree on whether an author’s enjoyment in creating a mystery novel influences whether that novel will have a believable solution.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 16.    Question :    <21{5[1(03)59]}>Barney: Last winter, I slipped on the outside stairs of PineTree Café and broke my leg. My fall was caused by ice on the stairs that the restaurant failed to remove. Since the restaurant clearly did not provide a safe atmosphere for its customers, I am justified in taking it to court.
Lydia: Unwarranted lawsuits are sweeping the country—lawsuits that have no legal merit and are brought simply to make lawyers and their clients rich. If this trend continues, soon our legal system will be swamped to the point where it won’t be able to administer justice to people who truly deserve it. You therefore should drop your case against PineTree Café.
The speakers above appear to disagree on which one of the following points?

     Student Answer:         Barney is likely to win his case against Pinetree Café.

               Barney’s lawsuit against Pinetree Café is unwarranted.

              Many unwarranted lawsuits are sweeping the country.

              The legal system will soon be unable to administer justice to people who deserve it.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 17.    Question :    <7{6[3(02)66]}> In a survey of 10 film historians, half voted for Nosferatu as the greatest vampire film ever made, and the other half voted for Dracula. However, when asked which lead vampire character they considered more charismatic, all of the film critics chose Dracula over Nosferatu.
Based on the information above, it must be true that for some film critics, their feelings about the charisma of the lead character:

     Student Answer:         is the least important factor they consider when comparing two films.
              is the most important factor they consider when comparing two films.
               is not the most important factor they consider when comparing two films.
              is the only factor they consider when comparing two films.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 18.    Question :    <11{6[1(07)71]}> The higher the price of an antique, the greater people’s expectation that the object is rare. That, in turn, makes the antique appear more valuable.
If the statements above are correct, then offering an antique for sale at a bargain price:

     Student Answer:         will likely increase people’s expectations that the antique is valuable.
              will guarantee that the antique will not sell at a profit.

              should be encouraged because it increases the likelihood that antique will be sold.
               should be discouraged because it lessens a quality that makes that antique desirable.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 19.    Question :    <11{6[2(03)67]}> Only circus animals with a clean bill of health will perform in today’s exhibition. A monkey, a poodle, and a horse will perform in today’s exhibition. No circus animals with a clean bill of health were prescribed medications this week.
If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true on the basis of them?

     Student Answer:         The monkey, poodle, and horse are the only animals performing in today’s circus exhibition.
              No circus animals were prescribed medications this week.

              No more than two circus animals have a clean bill of health.

               Neither the monkey nor the horse performing in today’s circus exhibition were prescribed medications this week.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 20.    Question :    <11{7[1(01)77]}>Detective: The robbery at the mall was carried out by a mall employee acting alone roughly one hour after the mall closed last Saturday night. The only employees present at the mall at the time of the robbery were security guards Evans and Clark. Since the mall’s surveillance system was disabled by the thief just before the robbery, the thief must be Evans.
The argument above would be valid if:

     Student Answer:          Clark is incapable of disabling the mall’s surveillance system.

              both Evans and Clark are capable of disabling the mall’s surveillance system.
              Evans and Clark are the mall’s only security guards.

              the mall’s surveillance system is usually used 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 21.    Question :    <21{7[1(04)80]}> A company can either invest in employee training seminars or update its computer network. Since updating the computer network would result in more measurable benefits, the company would be best off updating its computer network.
The argument above assumes that:

     Student Answer:         investing in employee training seminars would yield negative results for the company.
               the more measurable a benefit, the greater value that benefit has to a company.
              the employee training seminars would focus on teaching employees to use the updated computer network.
              the benefit of the company investing in employee training seminars cannot be measured at all.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 22.    Question :    <11{7[3(08)84]}> The president spoke to 19 congressmen from Texas to encourage them to vote for a bill. Since four of the 19 congressmen went on to vote for the bill, it is clear that the president persuaded those four to vote the way they did.
The argument above assumes that:

     Student Answer:         the bill will not pass because a majority of Texas congressmen did not vote for it.
              the Texas congressmen who voted against the bill were persuaded by someone other than the president to vote the way they did.
              the president did not try to influence the votes of any congressmen outside of Texas.
               the four Texas congressmen who voted for the bill were against it before they spoke to the president.

     Points Received:    0 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 23.    Question :    <11{8[3(02)90]}> Whereas many industries suffer during economic recessions, the art industry does well. Some think the reason is that artists feed off the anxiety and uncertainty during recessions to produce inspired works. Others think that recessions, while harmful to most people, produce a handful of very rich people willing to pay very high prices for artworks, driving up the value of the art market as a whole.
The author of the passage above is primarily interested in:

     Student Answer:         providing evidence that the art industry does well during recessions.
               presenting reasons for why the art industry does well during recessions.
              discussing the types of artworks that sell best during recessions.

              describing the effect that art has on the economy.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 24.    Question :    <11{8[1(10)98]}> Sometimes people get caught in a “downward spiral,” a case in which something leads to a result which in turn leads to more of the original thing, bringing on more of the result. As the process continues, the result continually gets worse and worse. An example is when people turn to binge eating when depressed, which causes them to put on weight and feel unhealthy, which then makes them more depressed, leading to more overeating, and so on.
The author is mainly concerned with:

     Student Answer:         convincing people not to overeat.

               explaining the process of the “downward spiral.”

              showing how overeating can lead to depression.

              showing how some processes lead to surprising results.

     Points Received:    1 of 1
     Comments:   

Question 25.    Question :    <11{8[1(04)92]}> The very large increase in allergies over the last thirty years is due to the great success of immunizations administered over this time period. Since immunizations have nearly eliminated life-threatening diseases such as polio, the human immune system increasingly targets other environmental substances in order to keep working properly. Allergy symptoms such as runny nose and itchy eyes result when the immune system attacks pollen that is breathed in from the air.
Which one of the following best expresses the main point of the passage above?

     Student Answer:         Immunizations often have surprising side effects.

              Immunizations have been very successful in eliminating life-threatening diseases.
              Viruses that once caused polio now cause allergies.

               The use of immunizations has led to an increase in allergies.

     Points Received:    1 of 1