LOGICAL REASONING

DIRECTIONS. In this section you will be given brief statements or passages and be required to
evaluate the reasoning involved. In some instances, more than one choice will appear
to be a possible answer. You are to choose the best answer. Use common sense and
reasonableness in making your selection.

1. The President’s party normally loses seats in the House of Representatives and none in the
Senate in the years when there no presidential election. Johnson lost 47 House seats in 1966,
and Nixon lost 12 House seats in 1970. Since the end of World War II, the average loss in the
House is 24 seats. In 1990, the Republicans lost only 12 House seats, and so the Congressional
election may be regarded as a Republican victory.
The conclusion of this argument is called into doubt by all of the following EXCEPT
A. the Republicans lost an above-average number of seats in the Senate
B. the Republicans held fewer seats in the House than usual before the elections
C. the Republican House losses in this election, added to losses in the House in the presidential
election 2 years before, give them fewer seats than at almost any time since 1946.
D. there were only two Republican Senate seats up for reelection and the Democrats won both
E. the voter turnout across the country this year was smaller than normal

2. A kindergarten teacher from Solana Beach has won an award for teaching geography. She had
her class write to friends or relatives in as many states as possible, and posted the replies on a
large classroom map. Her students learned the lessons well. In a competition to locate the
states on a blank map, they easily defeated a team from San Marcos High School. The prize was
a large collection of materials for teaching geography.
Which one of the following is the most logical concluding sentence for this passage?
A. These prize materials didn’t include workbooks.
B. Needless to say, these materials are probably more needed at the high school.
C. It is not surprising that Americans are less likely than Europeans to know much about
geography.
D. Many American educators are concerned about our lack of geographical knowledge.
E. The kindergarten students located all 50 states without an error.

3. When Mr. Smith attempted to buy the fish of the day at this local supermarket, he discovered
there was none left. The store manager explained that the fish of the day had already been sold
out.
The store manager’s explanation is an example of
A. failure to generalize from a specific case
B. euphemism
C. rephrasing but not explaining a problem
D. attempting to change the grounds of an argument
E. using evidence not relevant to a conclusion

For Questions 4 – 5
The makers of Volvo have spent more than $100,000 for advertisements that apologize for fakery
in an earlier ad that showed a reinforced Volvo surviving punishment that destroyed other makes of
cars. But the greater cost to the Swedish car company will be the loss of public trust. Company
officials say only that one ad is at fault. But prospective customers may be wondering, “If one ad
can’t be trusted, how about all the others?”
 Volvo is not the only advertiser caught trying to hoodwink the public. Every year dozens of
fake advertisers are exposed by consumer advocates, Better Business Bureaus, or even the
Federal Trade Commission. A cola comparison ad was dropped from television recently when its
test results were found unconvincing. The deer in a Canadian travel ad came from a petting zoo.
In fact, the history of advertising is a long, nasty story of ads that deceive. Only 8% of the
consumers responding to a recent survey said they were confident that advertising is truthful.

4. Which one of the following best describes the structure of the argument in this passage?
A. It moves from the general to the specific.
B. It replies to anticipated objections of the other side.
C. It argues from inconsistent points of view.
D. It relies heavily on the use of an analogy.
E. It moves from a specific example to a conclusion.

5. Which one of the following, if true, would best support the argument of the passage?
A. Advertisers, or their agencies, insist that hardly any ads are deceptive.
B. The Federal Trade Commission says that every time they forbid a deceptive practice,
advertisers find a new way around it.
C. The National Advertising Division is a watchdog of advertising for the Better Business
Bureau.
D. The number of convictions on charges of using the mails to defraud declined slightly in the
last three years.
E. Advertisers are now using 30-minute “infomercials” that combine entertainment and
commercial messages.

6. Agriculture presents the biggest problem at the world trade negotiations. Developed nations must
agree to reduce farm subsidies and supports as a quid pro quo for developing nations to agree to
new rules on service and investments. But the European Community has dragged its feet on the
farm subsidy issue for years. Germany and France are especially reluctant to agree to any
reduction in farm subsidies, no doubt, in part, because the German chancellor faces an election
next month. And the European ban on virtually all American meat imports (on the basis of “health
inspection standards”) is not encouraging.
We can infer from the passage above that
A. the United States does not support the reduction of farm subsidies
B. farmers in Germany are a large voting constituency
C. farm supports and subsidies are common in developing countries
D. European bans on American meat are based on the known health dangers of American
products
E. French politicians would support the reduction in farm subsidies if they did not face election
campaigns
 7. According to a leading conservative African-American commentator, preferential admissions
policies have not been helpful to African-American students. Their college dropout rate is about
70%. What is really needed, he suggests, is an improved public school system. The call for an
“ethnic” curriculum comes at a cost to more basic learning. Meanwhile the white middle class
that can afford private schools is leaving the public schools, and asking for government help to
pay the bills for private education.
Which one of the following statements, if true, could offer the strongest refutation of the argument
in the passage above?
A. The college dropout rate overall is 35%.
B. The call for an “ethnic” curriculum comes not only from African-Americans, but also from
Latinos, Asian-Americans, and Native Americans.
C. Test scores show that the public schools in California have made slow but steady progress in
the past 4 years.
D. The worker shortage in the years ahead is expected to encompass both blue-collar and
white-collar workers.
E. The society that we construct gives us the education that we deserve.

8. Super Bowl tickets this year will each cost $150, $25 more than last year, and $50 more than the
year before. National Football League spokesmen have pointed out that for $150 the fan will
receive a full afternoon’s entertainment, four quarters of football, and a half-time show, while
people recently paid $1000 for a world-championship boxing match that lasted only seven
minutes. Hotel and food prices on the Super Bowl weekend are expected to rise by about 25%.
The National Football League expects the price rise to continue until the public is no longer stupid
enough to pay whatever price is asked. In 1995, the cost per ticket will be $250.
Which one of the following is the best description of the author’s attitude to the price of Super
Bowl tickets?
A. He feels that the increase is inevitable and is not upset.
B. He is in favor of the increase.
C. He has no strong feelings in either direction about the increase.
D. He disapproves of the increase.
E. He objects to the increase but feels that the game is worth it.

9. BRIAN: “Evolutionists begin by assuming than science excludes the possibility of a creator.”
DARRELL: “No. Evolutionists attempt to explain the origin of species, not the origin of life.”
If Darrell’s is the correct view of evolutionary thought, the evolutionists
A. will not explain where matter came from
B. would support a view in which the development of life forms is divinely controlled
C. will support a belief that all the animals were saved by Noah
D. will deny the existence of the supernatural
E. will favor Christianity over any of the religions of the East

For Questions 10 – 11
An embargo on the importation of Mexican tuna was recently overturned in an appeals court
decision. Environmentalists had won the ban as part of an effort to stop fishing practices that kill
dolphins swimming near tuna schools. The decision comes at a time when the administration is
trying to adopt a free-trade agreement with Mexico. The government contends that Mexican
fishermen have curtailed the dolphin deaths, while the environmentalists charge the government’s
statistics are inadequate and misleading. The Mexican government claims it has reduced the
dolphin kill by 70% in recent years. Neither the Mexican nor the U.S. commerce departments
would connect the embargo to the talks on a free-trade agreement between the two companies.
10. The paragraph implies that
A. the embargo and the free-trade agreement are connected
B. the Mexican fisheries have not reduced the number of dolphins killed
C. the environmentalists had succeeded in having Mexican tuna imported into the United States
D. the government’s statistical support of U.S. tuna fishermen is inadequate
E. the courts will decide in favor of the environmentalists on this issue

11. From the information presented in the passage, an impartial reader should
A. take sides with the environmentalists
B. take sides with the U.S. and Mexican governments
C. be unable to determine which side is right
D. regard the disagreement as one that can never be settled
E. regard the disagreement as inappropriate for legal dispute

12. An American defense of a Persian Gulf country is based, not on self-interested protection of our
oil source, but on moral principles that do not permit us to tolerate the invasion of an innocent
nation. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait is just such an action; and if the only Kuwaiti export were
tennis balls, we would still defend the country against aggression.
The argument of this paragraph can be described as all of the following EXCEPT
A. the offering of a moral rather than a materialistic reason for American actions
B. a condemnation of Iraq as an aggressor
C. a defense against an accusation of acting on self-interested motives
D. concealing what is an act of aggression under the guise of a nonaggressive act
E. using an analogy to support its main point

13. Because the presentation of mothers in the novels of Jane Austen is unflattering and even
hostile, many readers have concluded that Jane Austen’s attitude to her own mother was
disapproving.
Which one of the following, if true, would best support the conclusion above?
A. The hostile comments about mothers are spoken by characters in the novels of whom the
author clearly disapproves.
B. Jane Austen’s presentation of fathers in her novels is equally unflattering.
C. What an author says in a work of fiction does not necessarily reflect the author’s beliefs.
D. The unfavorable attitude toward mothers is reflected in the ironic comments of the narrator of
the novels as well as in the dialogue.
E. The attitude toward mothers in novels by other writers written in the same period is also
disapproving.
For Questions 14 – 15
That a record album was made by unnamed studio musicians rather than by the singers whose
names appear on the cover is bad enough. The larger embarrassment to the record industry is
that the record was chosen for special honor as the best of the year. The album sold nearly 8
million copies, a triumph of marketing since the songs themselves are mediocre and the
performances equally pedestrian. Why, then, did it win an award? Because _______.

14. Which one of the following, most logically completes the paragraph?
A. the voters for the awards are sophisticated musicians
B. all awards for excellence in the arts are folly
C. in determining awards, ales figures are more important than the quality of the product
D. the record company was unaware of the deceptions
E. the record industry is made up of performing artists and business people

15. Which one of the following, if true, would most greatly weaken the argument of the passage?
A. Last year’s winner of record of the year sold fewer than 200,000 copies.
B. The record company was aware that the singers advertised on the album cover had not
made the recording.
C. Sales of records are now influenced more by television than by radio publicity.
D. Not all of the workers in the record industry voted for this year’s award.
E. Some reviewers praised the performers and others praised the songs on this year’s award-
winning album.

16. A Supreme Court decision ruled that a state employee of 61, who retired because of Alzheimer’s
disease but was barred from disability benefits, was not protected under the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act (ADEA). The court limited he application of the act to wages, hiring, and
dismissals, not to employee benefits. A proposed new law restoring protection of employee
benefits to older workers has been criticized by the president as imposing unfair burdens upon
business, and he has threatened to veto if it is enacted. The American Association of Retired
Persons has _______.
Which one of the following best completes the last sentence in the passage above?
A. criticized the proposed new law as likely to raise the cost of business operations
B. refused to take a stand on the Supreme Court’s decision
C. supported the Supreme Court’s decision as a reasonable interpretation of the ADEA
D. thrown its support behind the new law, and will lobby for an override of the president’s veto
E. expressed concern that passage of the new law might lead to a reduction in Medicare
benefits
 17. Anyone can become a financial planner. All you have to do is put up a sign advertising financial
planning services, give advice to anyone who asks for it, and collect a fee. Legally, all an
“investment advisor” has to do is register with the Securities and Exchange Commission and fill
out an information form. Many financial planners lack skill or training, and give bad advice that
injures their clients. Some are downright dishonest and either encourage investments in financial
products for which the planner receives a fee (“self-dealing”), or run up large fees for
unnecessary services, or actually steal from citizens.
Which one of the following is the author’s main point in this paragraph?
A. There is insufficient regulation of financial planners.
B. Some financial planners are dishonest.
C. To become a financial planner, one must register with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
D. There should be a required degree and examination for all financial planners.
E. There are good and bad financial planners, and an investor should choose with care.

18. Suzanne discovers that she can play two or three strenuous sets of tennis if she eats a light
breakfast and no lunch, but only one set if she has a full meal at either time. She concludes that
eating lightly improves her stamina.
Which one of the following most closely resembles the reasoning in the passage above?
A. David is told that by reducing the fat in his diet he may feel more vigorous in the mornings,
but will be more fatigued in the evenings.
B. Arlene practices golf an hour a day more than Marge and regularly scores better. Arlene
concludes that the extra practice makes her the better golfer.
C. Jean’s lawyer tells her that, if she pays her taxes in quarterly payments, she need not pay
withholding taxes. She agrees to do so.
D. Rats that are fed at 9 and 12 each day gain more weight than rats that are fed the same total
amount of food at a single midafternoon feeding. They also live longer than the rats fed once
a day.
E. Arthur believes that by taking a multivitamin and a vitamin C tablet each day he can reduce
the number of colds he has each winter.

For Questions 19 – 20
There is rust between the tines of this fork. This diner must buy cheap utensils. The fork cannot
be made of stainless steel.

19. Which one of the following is the best expression of an unstated premise that underlies the
reasoning in this passage?
A. If a diner uses cheap tableware, it will probably save money.
B. If a utensil is made of stainless steel, it will not rust.
C. If a utensil is cheap, it will rust quickly.
D. If there is rust between the tines of a fork, the diner using it must buy cheap tableware.
E. Nothing that is not made of stainless steel will not rust.

20. Which one of the following could the author logically use to strengthen the argument’s
conclusion?
A. Restaurants should not use cheap tableware.
B. No rusted utensil I have found is made of stainless steel.
C. Every rusted fork on this table is a cheap utensil.
D. Cheap utensils are often stolen.
E. rusted silverware can be replaced cheaply.
 21. Middle-aged American actresses, regardless of their skill, are not trusted to guarantee the box-
office success of a film. The audience always wants younger women. While men may be in their
forties or fifties, the audiences will not accept women of that age in romantic roles. Middle-aged
men often play love scenes with actresses younger than their daughters, while an actress over 40
plays a spinster or a nun. Our culture is youth oriented, but with a double standard.
Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument of the passage
above?
A. The largest grossing romantic movie of this year starred a 28-year old man and a 23-year old
woman.
B. The most sought-after American actress is paid about 60% of the salary of her co-star.
C. In European films, actresses continue to appear in romantic roles when they are in their
thirties.
D. The screen plays of two out of three of the year’s most successful films were written by
women.
E. The successful film “White Palace” is the love story of an older woman from a blue-collar
background and a younger, upper-middle-class man.

22. Arthur’s explanation of the budget deficit must be the best one because he is the only economist
with a Ph.D. who answered the question.
The author of the argument above assumes that
A. anyone who has a Ph.D. cannot be wrong
B. any economist who has a Ph.D. is right about economic issues
C. an economist with a Ph.D. is a better judge of an economic matter than others
D. an economist with a Ph.D. is a better judge than other economists
E. any economist with a Ph.D. will usually give the best answer to a question

For Questions 23 – 24
According to conservative grammarians, “hopefully” is a perfectly good English word. It is an
adverb, that is, a word used to modify an adjective, verb, or other adverb, and it means “in a
hopeful manner.” “My horse will win the race,” he remarked hopefully. However, the word is not a
parenthetical expression that means “I hope,” as in “Hopefully, my horse will win the race,” he said.

23. The author’s argument in this passage includes all of the following EXCEPT
A. providing an example D. defining a term
B. explaining the misuse of a word E. drawing an analogy
C. explaining the proper use of a word

24. According to the argument of this paragraph, in which one of the following is the word “hopefully”
used correctly?
A. Despite the score of the game after the first half, the coach hopefully encouraged his players.
B. If we can keep the other team from scoring in the third quarter, hopefully we will score in the
fourth.
C. Hopefully, the other team will begin to make more mistakes, and we can still win this game.
D. This year my income taxes, hopefully, will be lower than they were last year.
E. Hopefully, the rain will not start until after we reach home.
25. More than ever before, American TV viewers are watching cable television programs. About 60%
of American homes are now equipped with cable, and about one quarter of the programs
watched are cable programs. Yet some cable networks are already losing their very small share
of the audience. They are losing viewers to other cable channels, despite the continuing growth
in cable’s audience share.
The apparent contradiction of this passage can be explained by the fact that
A. overall, fewer people are watching any television, network or cable
B. the monthly fees for cable television deter potential viewers from subscribing to cable
channels
C. video rentals have become increasingly popular and have reduced the number of cable
television watchers
D. only 15% of the television shows Americans watch are cable programs, while 85% are still
network programs
E. the number of cable channels is increasing more rapidly than the cable television share of
the audience