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Critical Reasoning Warmup Exercise

Read the question stem for each question and then answer the questions about them.

  http://www.testmagic.com/Knowledge_Base/critical_reasoning/warm_ups_01_answers.htm

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Simplified Question Stems

1.

The best movie showing in the US right now is Mission Ridiculous, Part XXIV--it has been in the #1 position for three weeks.

  • How can we weaken this argument?

We could show that a popular movie is not necessarily a good movie. In other words, just because it's popular doesn't mean it's good.

  • How can we strengthen this argument?

We could show that a popular movie is always a good movie. In other words, there is a direct relationship between popularity and quality (probably not true in this case).

 

2.

All mammals have hair. Therefore, elephants have hair.

  • If so, what is the "missing step," or "hidden assumption."

An elephant is a mammal.

 

3.

Lucy Magic has recently suggested that all people should go to school for at least 14 years. However, this argument is clearly wrong since Lucy Magic only went to school for four years.

  • How could we weaken this argument?

Lucy Magic's personal background is not related to her suggestion.

  • How could we strengthen this argument?

Lucy Magic's personal background is related to her suggestion.

 

4.

To raise your test scores, you should study and practice the test a lot. However, Mike Magic used this strategy and he did not get the score that he wanted. Therefore, this strategy is not helpful.

  • How could we weaken this argument?

Mike Magic's results will not be the same as the results of other people.

  • How could we strengthen this argument?

Mike Magic's results will be the same as the results of other people.

 

5.

It is a commonly known fact that most people do not pay for street parking for all the time that they are parked--how many times have you walked down the street and seen cars parked with expired meters? We can therefore conclude that the system of using parking meters is useless.

  • How could we weaken this argument?

Essentially less than 100% does not equal 0%; in other words, just because a parking meter is not 100% effective, it doesn't mean that it is 0% effective.

  • How could we strengthen this argument?

We would have to show that somehow we need to have 100% efficiency in order for something to be useful.

 

6.

Frozen water is less dense than liquid water. Therefore, frozen water will float in liquid water.

  • What is the "missing step," or "hidden assumption."

If we have two things and we put them together, the thing that is less dense will float in the thing that is more dense.

 

7.

President Magic has recently suggested adding fluoride to all public water sources. This is obviously a bad idea since many of the former communist countries also added fluoride to all their public water sources.

  • How could we weaken this argument?

Again, the background of the former communist countries has no relationship with how well the plan will work.

  • How could we strengthen this argument?

Again, the background of the former communist countries does have a relationship with how well the plan will work.

 

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