1. In order to measure the effect of environmental factors on attitudes and behaviors, students at a local high school were given a survey in their Social Studies class. The results of that survey indicated that students who spend a minimum of two hours on social media such as Facebook are more likely to indulge in online bullying. Therefore, spending time on Facebook encourages bullying among teens.
Which of the following is an assumption that is made in the argument presented in the passage?

2. A school is considering changing its daily schedule. Currently, this school requires all students to arrive for class at 8:30 a.m. The proposed policy would permit each student to decide when to arrive from as early as 6 a.m. to as late as 10 a.m., beginning class when they are ready.
The argument presented is most vulnerable to which of the following arguments?

3. In Gortown, there are many shops that sell postal stamps as one of the items available at the counter. Yet Gortown also has two major post offices, which offer a variety of services. One of the post offices is open 24 hours a day. It is strange that people continue to buy stamps at the shops when the post offices are available.
Which of the following is an assumption made in drawing the conclusion above?

4. A city newspaper experienced a major drop in subscriptions in the month following its coverage of a controversial new building downtown. The newspaper also received a flurry of complaints via reader letter, e-mail, and tweets. The newspaper, however, maintains that the negative reactions to its coverage of the building had nothing to do with the cancelled subscriptions.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the newspaper’s stance?

5. In the week before a local election, a news website polled registered voters in the area to ask them which candidate they planned to vote for. 10 percent of registered voters were polled, and 48 percent of them said they would vote for the incumbent, Jane Smith, in the election. Based on the poll results, the website concluded that Smith would win the election.
In the argument presented above, what role does the portion presented in boldface play?

6. The Good Manufacturing Consortium has received complaints about the quality of the products in their Books Made Simple product line. To eliminate these complaints, the operations director has decided to adopt a quality assurance program similar to that of the Highbrow Manufacturing Company, which has a high customer satisfaction rate.
Which of the following may most reasonably be inferred from the statements above?

7. In the week before a local election, a news website polled registered voters in the area to ask them which candidate they planned to vote for. 10 percent of registered voters were polled, and 48 percent of them said they would vote for the incumbent, Jane Smith, in the election. Based on the poll results, the website concluded that Smith would win the election.
In the argument presented above, what role does the portion presented in boldface play?

8. Fisherman: Most people blame fishermen for the decline over the last 15 years in freshwater trout found in Ohiopyle State Park. But fishermen alone aren’t the problem. In the past 15 years, Ohiopyle has been inundated with grizzly and black bears that are natural consumers of trout.
In the fisherman’s argument, the portion in bold plays which of the following roles?

9. Last year, the rate of inflation was about 1 percent, but for the current year, it has been 3 percent. We can conclude that inflation is on an upward trend and the rate will be as high as 7 percent next year.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the conclusion above?

10. Many recent scientific studies have found that preservatives can be harmful when added to food. That’s why here at Hansen Foodstuffs, we make sure that all of our food is produced without preservatives. You can be sure you are doing the right thing for your family’s health when you buy our products.
If the statements above are true, what must also be true?

11. Andrew is a student at a local college. In order to improve his grades, he has decided to study for a minimum of two hours per night and to take vitamins to improve his memory.
Which of the statements below, if true, weakens Andrew’s likelihood of success?

12. Andrew is a student at a local college. In order to improve his grades, he has decided to study for a minimum of two hours per night and to take vitamins to improve his memory.
Which of the following, if true, offers the strongest support for Andrew’s plan?

13. A zoologist with extensive knowledge and experience working with North American snakes attempted to rally local public interest in saving the endangered Watersmith snake, native to the region. She eventually concluded that although she had attempted to make clear the vital role that Watersmith snakes play in preserving the ecology of the local river system, people could not find it in themselves to make an effort to save creatures they found so repellent.
The zoologist’s opinion would be most strengthened by which of the following statements?

14. In Gortown, there are many shops that sell postal stamps as one of the items available at the counter. Yet Gortown also has two major post offices, which offer a variety of services. One of the post offices is open 24 hours a day. It is strange that people continue to buy stamps at the shops when the post offices are available.
Which of the following should be studied in order to evaluate the validity of the conclusion presented above?

15. A school is considering changing its daily schedule. Currently, this school requires all students to arrive for class at 8:30 a.m. The proposed policy would permit each student to decide when to arrive from as early as 6 a.m. to as late as 10 a.m., beginning class when they are ready.
The adoption of this policy would be most likely to increase students’ attendance if the following were true:

16. Last year, the rate of inflation was about 1 percent, but for the current year, it has been 3 percent. We can conclude that inflation is on an upward trend and the rate will be as high as 7 percent next year.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the conclusion above?

17. A zoologist with extensive knowledge and experience working with North American snakes attempted to rally local public interest in saving the endangered Watersmith snake, native to the region. She eventually concluded that although she had attempted to make clear the vital role that Watersmith snakes play in preserving the ecology of the local river system, people could not find it in themselves to make an effort to save creatures they found so repellent.
Which of the following, if true, most clearly points to a flaw in the zoologist’s reasoning?

18. A zoologist with extensive knowledge and experience working with North American snakes attempted to rally local public interest in saving the endangered Watersmith snake, native to the region. She eventually concluded that although she had attempted to make clear the vital role that Watersmith snakes play in preserving the ecology of the local river system, people could not find it in themselves to make an effort to save creatures they found so repellent.
The zoologist’s opinion would be most strengthened by which of the following statements?

19. A city newspaper experienced a major drop in subscriptions in the month following its coverage of a controversial new building downtown. The newspaper also received a flurry of complaints via reader letter, e-mail, and tweets. The newspaper, however, maintains that the negative reactions to its coverage of the building had nothing to do with the cancelled subscriptions.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the newspaper’s stance?

20. The Good Manufacturing Consortium has received complaints about the quality of the products in their Books Made Simple product line. To eliminate these complaints, the operations director has decided to adopt a quality assurance program similar to that of the Highbrow Manufacturing Company, which has a high customer satisfaction rate.
Which of the following, if true, offers the strongest support for the operation director’s plan?