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. Though the benefits of the hot tub and the Jacuzzis have been well publicized by their
manufacturers, there are also some less widely-known dangers. Young children, of course,
cannot be left unattended near a hot tub, and even adults have fallen asleep and drowned.
Warm water can cause the blood vessels to dilate and the resulting drop in blood pressure can
make people liable to fainting, especially when they stand up quickly to get out. Improperly
maintained water can promote the growth of bacteria that can cause folliculitis.
The main point of this passage is that
A. the benefits of the hot tub and the Jacuzzi have been overrated
B. the dangers of the hot tub and Jacuzzi outweigh their potential publicized benefits
C. users of hot tubs and Jacuzzis should be aware of the dangers connected with their use
D. the hot tub and Jacuzzi are dangerous only when improperly maintained
E. the hot tub is potentially beneficial in the treatment of high blood pressure

2. Chariots of Fire may have caught some professional critics off guard in 1982 as the Motion
Picture Academy’s choice for an Oscar as the year’s best film, but it won wide audience approval
as superb entertainment.
Refreshingly, Chariots of Fire features an exciting story, enchanting English and Scottish
scenery, a beautiful musical score, and appropriate costumes.
All of these attractions are added to a theme that extols traditional religious values ––
without a shred of offensive sex, violence, or profanity.
Too good to be true? See Chariots of Fire and judge for yourself.
Those who condemn the motion picture industry for producing so many objectionable films
can do their part by patronizing wholesome ones, thereby encouraging future Academy Award
judges to recognize and reward decency.
Which one of the following is a basic assumption underlying the final sentence of the passage?
A. Academy judges are not decent people.
B. The popularity of a film influences academy judges.
C. Future academy judges will be better than past ones.
D. There are those who condemn the motion picture industry.
E. Chariots of Fire is a patronizing film,

3. ANDY: All teachers are mean.

BOB: That is not true. I know some doctors who are mean too.
Bob’s answer demonstrates that he thought Andy to mean that
A. all teachers are mean D. teachers are meaner than doctors
B. some teachers are mean E. only teachers are mean
C. doctors are meaner than teachers
 4. Theodore Roosevelt was a great hunter. He was the mighty Nimrod of his generation. He had
the physical aptitude and adventurous spirit of the true frontiersman. “there is delight,” he said,
“in the hardy life of the open; in long rides, rifle in hand; in the thrill of the fight with dangerous
game.” But be was more than a marksman and tracker of beasts, for he brought to his sport the
intellectual curiosity and patient observation of the natural scientist.
Which one of the following would most weaken in the author’s concluding contention?
A. Theodore Roosevelt never studied natural science.
B. Actually, Theodore Roosevelt’s sharpshooting prowess was highly exaggerated.
C. Theodore Roosevelt always used native guides when tracking game.
D. Theodore Roosevelt was known to leave safaris if their first few days were unproductive.
E. Theodore Roosevelt’s powers of observation were significantly hampered by his
nearsightedness.

5. The following is an excerpt from a letter sent to a law school applicant:

“Thank you for considering our school to further your education. Your application for
admission was received well before the deadline and was processed with your admission test
score and undergraduate grade report.”
We regret to inform you that you cannot be admitted for the fall semester. We have had to
refuse admission to many outstanding candidates because of the recent cut in state funding of
our program.”
“Thank you for your interest in our school and we wish you success in your future
endeavors.”
Which one of the following can be deduced from the above letter?
A. The recipient of the letter did not have a sufficiently high grade point average to warrant
admission to this graduate program.
B. The recipient of the letter was being seriously considered for a place in the evening class.
C. The law school sending the letter could not fill all the places in its entering class due to a
funding problem.
D. Criteria other than test scores and grade reports were used in determining the size of the
entering class.
E. The school sending the letter is suffering severe financial difficulties.

For Questions 6 – 7
At birth we have no self-image. We cannot distinguish anything from the confusion of light and
sound around us. From this beginning of no-dimension, we gradually begin to differentiate our
body from our environment and develop a sense of identity, with the realization that we are a
separate and independent human being. We then begin to develop a conscience, the sense of
right and wrong. Further, we develop social consciousness, where we become aware that we live
with other people. Finally, we develop a sense of values, which is our overall estimation of our
worth in the world.

6. Which one of the following would be the best completion of this passage?
A. The sum total of all these developments we call the self-image or the self-concept.
B. This estimation of worth is only relative to our value system.
C. Therefore, our social consciousness is dependent on our sense of values.
D. Therefore, our conscience keeps our sense of values in perspective.
E. The sum total of living with other people and developing a sense of values makes us a total
person.
 7. The author of this passage would most likely agree with which one of the following?
A. Children have no self-dimension.
B. Having a conscience necessitates the ability to differentiate between right and wrong.
C. Social consciousness is our most important awareness.
D. Heredity is predominant over environment in development.
E. The ability to distinguish the difference between moral issues depends on the overall
dimension of self-development.

8. Opportunity makes the thief. Without thieves there would be no crime. Without opportunity there
would be no crime.
Which one of the following most weakens the statements above?
A. Thieves wait for opportunities.
B. Without crime there would be no opportunity.
C. Thieves are not the only criminals.
D. Some crimes carry greater penalties.
E. Many thieves are not caught.

For Questions 9 – 10
In a report released last week, a government-funded institute concluded that there is
“overwhelming” evidence that violence on television leads to criminal behavior by children and
teenagers.
The report based on an extensive review of several hundreds of research studies
conducted during the 1970s, is an update of a 1972 Surgeon General’s report that came to
similar conclusions.

9. Which one of the following is the most convincing statement in support of the argument in the first
paragraph above?
A. A 50-state survey of the viewing habits of prison inmates concluded that every inmate
watches at least 2 hours of violent programming each day.
B. A 50-state survey of the viewing habits of convicted adolescents shows that each of them
had watched at least 2 hours of violent programming daily since the age of 5.
C. One juvenile committed a murder that closely resembled a crime portrayed on a network
series.
D. The 1972 Surgeon General’s report was not nearly as extensive as this more recent study.
E. Ghetto residents who are burglarized most often report the theft of a television set.

10. The argument above is most weakened by its vague use of the word
A. violence C. extensive E. overwhelming
B. government D. update
For Questions 11 – 12
Violence against racial and religious minority groups increased sharply throughout the country
last year, despite a slight decline in statewide figures. Compiling incidents from police
departments and private watchdog groups, the Country Human Relations Committee reported
almost 500 hate crimes in the year, up from only 200 last year. It was the first increase since the
committee began to report a yearly figure six years ago. The lower statewide figures are
probably in error due to underreporting in other countries; underreporting is the major problem
that state surveyors face each year.

11. All of the following, if true, would support the conclusion or the explanation of the discrepancy in
the state and county figures EXCEPT
A. the number of hate crimes and those resulting in fatalities has increased in neighboring
states
B. anti-immigration sentiment was fanned this year by an anti-immigration ballot referendum
C. funding for police departments throughout the state has decreased
D. many law-abiding members of minority groups are fearful or distrustful of the police
E. all of the counties in the state have active private watchdog groups that carefully monitor
hate crimes

12. The author of this passage makes his case by

A. establishing the likelihood of an event by ruling out several other possibilities
B. combining several pieces of apparently unrelated evidence to build support for a conclusion
C. contrasting a single certain case with several others with less evidence in their support
D. assuming that what is only probable is certain
E. using a general rule to explain a specific case

13. The study of village communities has become one of the fundamental methods of discussing the
ancient history of instructions. It would be out of the question here to range over the whole field
of human society in search for communal arrangements of rural life. It will be sufficient to confine
the present inquiry to the varieties presented by nations of Aryan race, not because greater
importance is to be attached to these nations than to other branches of humankind, although this
view might also be reasonably urged, but principally because the Aryan race in its history has
gone through all sorts of experiences, and the data gathered from its historical life can be
tolerably well ascertained. Should the road be sufficiently cleared in this particular direction, it
will not be difficult to connect the results with similar researches in other racial surroundings.
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the author’s conclusion?
A. Information about the Aryan race is no more conclusive than information about any other
ethnic group.
B. The experiences and lifestyle of Aryans are uniquely different from those of other cultures.
C. The Aryan race is no more important than any other race.
D. The historical life of the Aryans dates back only 12 centuries.
E. Aryans lived predominantly in villages, while today 90% of the world population live
predominantly in or around major cities.

14. Although any reasonable modern citizen of the world must abhor war and condemn senseless
killing, we must also agree that honor is more valuable than life. Life, after all, is transient, but
honor is _________.
Which one of the following most logically completes the passage above?
A. sensible C. eternal E. priceless
B. real D. of present value
For Questions 15 – 16
Bill said, “All dogs bark. This animal does not bark. Therefore it is not a dog.”

15. Which one of the following most closely parallels the logic of this statement?
A. All rocks are hard. This lump is hard. Therefore, it may be a rock.
B. All foreign language tests are difficult. This is not a foreign language test. Therefore, it is not
difficult.
C. All Blunder automobiles are poorly built. Every auto sold by Joe was poorly built. Therefore,
Joe sells Blunder automobiles.
D. Rocks beat scissors, scissors beat paper, and paper beats rocks. Therefore, it is best to
choose paper.
E. All paint smells. This liquid does not smell. Therefore, it is not paint.

16. Which one of the following would weaken Bill’s argument the most?
A. Animals other than dogs bark. D. You can train a dog not to bark.
B. Some dogs cannot bark. E. You can train birds not to bark.
C. Dogs bark more than cockatiels.

17. No one cheats on all the exams he takes. Some people cheat on most of the exams they take.
Most cheat on some of the exams they take. Everyone has cheated on at least one exam he has
taken. Cheating is wrong.
Which one of the following is inconsistent with the preceding facts?
A. Joe has never caught cheating.
B. Cheating is an acceptable procedure.
C. Jack is never wrong.
D. More people cheat on none of the exams they have taken than cheat on all of the exams
they have taken.
E. More people cheat on some of the exams they have taken than cheat on most of the exams
they have taken.

For Questions 18 – 19
California and Nevada officials have questioned the impartiality of the board of scientists from the
National Academy of Science who assess the safety of proposed nuclear dumping sites. They
claim that the panels are heavily weighted in favor of the nuclear power companies that have
been lobbying for the creation of nuclear dump sites in the deserts of the Southwest. At least ten
members of the panels are or have been employees of the Department of Energy, but none is
associated with any environmental organization. Environmentalists fear that long-lived nuclear
wastes may leach into the groundwater and ultimately into the waters of the Colorado River.
They also point out that 90% of the budget of the National Academy’s Radioactive Waste
Management Board is provided by the Department of Energy. The inventory of radioactive waste
has been growing larger and larger in temporary storage places, but so far there has been
virtually no agreement about a permanent dump site.

18. The officials who question the impartiality of the Management Board assume that the Department
of Energy
A. supports the activities of the nuclear power industry
B. supports the activities of environmental groups
C. wishes to delay the selection of permanent nuclear waste dumping sites for as long as
possible
D. is indifferent to the growing mass of nuclear wastes in temporary storage sites
E. has declined to take a stand for against the use of nuclear power
19. The Nuclear Waste Management Board could best allay doubt of its impartiality if it were to
A. publish the results of its studies of the feasibility of locating nuclear waste dumps in the
deserts of the Southwest
B. add one or two environmentalists to the panels that assess locations for nuclear dump sites
C. make public the sources of all its funding
D. recommend desert sites at a greater distance from the Colorado River
E. base decisions on feasibility studies by scientists with no connection to the National
Academy

20. The law of parsimony urges a strict economy upon us; it requires that we can never make a
guess with two of three assumptions in it if we can make sense with one.
Which one of the following is the main point of the author’s statement?
A. Complications arise from economy.
B. Simplify terminology whenever possible.
C. Don’t complicate a simple issue.
D. Assumptions are necessarily simple in nature.
E. Excess assumptions never clarify the situation.

21. You can use a bottle opener to open the new beer bottles. You do not need to use a bottle
opener to open the new beer bottles.
Which one of the following most closely parallels the logic of these statements?
A. You must turn on the switch to light the lamp. If you turn on the switch, the lamp may not
light.
B. A cornered rattlesnake will strike so do not corner a rattlesnake.
C. If you do not study you will fail the test. If you do study, you may fail the test.
D. Every candidate I voted for in the election lost his race. I must learn to vote better.
E. I can move the sofa with my brother’s help. If my brother is not available, I’ll get a neighbor
to help me.

22. To be admitted to Bigshot University, you must have a 3.5 grade-point average (GPA) and a
score of 800 on the admissions test, a 3.0 GPA and a score of 1000 on the admissions test, or a
2.5 GPA and a score of 1200 on the admissions test. A sliding scale exists for other scores and
GPAs.
Which one of the following is inconsistent with the above?
A. The higher the GPA, the lower the admissions test score needed for admission.
B. Joe was admitted with a 2.7 GPA and a score of 1100 on the admission test.
C. No student with a score of less than 800 on the admissions test and a 3.4 GPA will be
admitted.
D. More applicants had a GPA of 3.5 than had a GPA of 2.5.
E. Some students with a score of less than 1200 on the admissions test and a GPA of less than
2.5 were admitted.
23. The Census Bureau’s family portrait of America may remind us of the problems we face as a
nation, but it also gives us reason to take heart in our ability to solve them in an enlightened way.
The 1980 census was the first in history to show that the majority of the population in every state
has completed high school. And the percentage of our people with at least 4 years of college
rose from 11% in 1970 to 16.3% in 1980. That’s progress –– where it really counts.
Which one of the following assumptions underlies the author’s conclusion in the above passage?
A. Greater numbers of high school and college degrees coincide with other first in the 1980
census.
B. Greater numbers of high school and college degrees coincide with greater numbers of well-
educated people.
C. Greater numbers of high school and college degrees coincide with a great commitment to
social progress.
D. Greater numbers of high school and college degrees coincide with a better chance to avoid
national catastrophe.
E. Greater numbers of high school and college degrees coincide with the 1980 census.

24. Add No-NOCK to your car and watch its performance soar. No-NOCK will give it more get-up-
and-go and keep it running longer. Ask for No-NOCK when you want better mileage!
According to the advertisement above, No-NOCK claims to do everything EXCEPT
A. improve your car’s performance D. cause fewer breakdowns
B. increase your car’s life E. stop the engine from knocking
C. improve your car’s miles per gallon

25. So many arrogant and ill-tempered young men have dominated the tennis courts of late that we
had begun to fear those characteristics were prerequisites for championship tennis.
Tennis used to be a gentleman’s game. What is sad is not just that the game has changed.
With so much importance placed on success, it may be that something has gone out of the
American character –– such things as gentleness and graciousness.
Which one of the following statements, if true, would most weaken the above argument?
A. The American character is a result of American goals.
B. Tennis has only recently become a professional sport.
C. Some ill-tempered tennis players are unsuccessful.
D. The “gentlemen” of early tennis often dueled to the death off the court.
E. Some even-tempered tennis players are successful.

26. DOLORES: To preserve the peace, we must be prepared to go to war with any nation at any
time, using either conventional or nuclear weapons.
FRAN: Which shall it be, conventional weapons or nuclear weapons?
Fran mistakenly concludes that the “either…or” phrase in Dolores’ statement indicates
A. fear C. a choice E. a refusal
B. indecision D. a question