Week 4 - Critical Thinking Quiz
Started: Apr 23 at 5:25am
Quiz Instructions
Critical Thinking Quiz
The quiz contains 25 questions providing scenarios which will challenge you to use your critical
thinking skills so that you can choose the best option. This quiz is worth 10% of your grade. The
answers are not found in your required weekly sources, however they can be used for guidance
on how to think critically. The quiz assesses your critical thinking skills and problem-solving
abilities that you have developed throughout your college education.You will have 13 hours to
complete the quiz and it must be taken in one sitting. Click on the Take the Quiz button when
you are ready to start this exam. When finished, click on Submit Quiz.
Note: this is a timed quiz. You may check the remaining time you have at any point while taking
the quiz by pressing the keyboard combination SHIFT, ALT, and T... Again: SHIFT, ALT, and
T...
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Question 1 1 pts
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:
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.
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Question 2 1 pts
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:
is not a noted painting expert.
relies on contradictory facts.
misinterprets a key term.
provides no evidence.
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Question 3 1 pts
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?
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.
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Question 4 1 pts
The average height of members of the high school basketball team is six feet,
three inches. Jerry is on the high school basketball team, so Jerry must be taller than six feet.
The argument above is flawed because it confuses
an average for the individuals that make up that average.
people who are six feet three inches tall for people who are exactly six feet tall
the members of one team with the members of another team
Jerry with other members of the team
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Question 5 1 pts
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:
more students may have taken the test in the afternoon than in the morning.
some of the students who passed the afternoon test may have received information about the
test from morning students.
some students may have been absent from both classes.
more students in the morning class may have passed the test than failed the test.
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Question 6 1 pts
Catherine goes to her local movie theater only to see romantic comedies.
Since Catherine did not go to the movies yesterday, there is not a romantic comedy playing at her
local theater.
The reasoning above is flawed because the evidence:
does not suggest that Catherine goes to see every romantic comedy that plays at her local
movie theater.
implies that Catherine is uninterested in most types of movies.
does not indicate whether Catherine watches only romantic comedies at home.
suggests that Catherine’s local movie theater hardly ever shows romantic comedies.
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Question 7 1 pts
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?
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.
A majority of voters surveyed agree that politicians sometimes make society’s problems
worse.
Most people who hear the politicians’ speeches on the environment are unconvinced by
their arguments.
Some of the politicians try to hide the fact that they travel by private plane to their speeches
around the country.
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Question 8 1 pts
Career counselor: It is best for artists to build a practical and safe career that
will guarantee them a secure income, and then pursue their art in their spare time. That way, they
will be motivated to work hard at their day jobs to support their art making, and both their career
and their art will thrive.
Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument?
Splitting time between two pursuits in life often causes both to suffer.
Having the time and money to make art doesn’t guarantee an artist commercial success.
Many people who aren’t artists prefer to pursue practical and safe careers.
Some forms of art making are expensive and require a good deal of money to pursue.
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Question 9 1 pts
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?
Researchers at other universities are conducting research into the potential applications of
solar power.
Officials at Professor Hathaway’s university have refused requests to make Professor
Hathaway’s research public.
Not all professors at Professor Hathaway’s university knew that he was conducting research
into the uses of solar power.
Professor Hathaway’s research can be used by other scientists to create useful applications.
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Question 10 1 pts
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?
Some employees were laid off as a number of old positions were eliminated in the
reorganization.
The new positions were created to respond to a greater demand for company X’s products.
Some employees who quit over dissatisfaction with the reorganization were immediately
replaced by new hires.
Some employees of the company were switched into new departments to fill the new
positions.
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Question 11 1 pts
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?
People with a weight problem are most likely to check calorie information before eating.
Some people who check calorie information before eating don’t consume any fewer calories
than they would if they didn’t check.
People who usually check calorie information before eating consume more calories if they
stop checking.
There are fewer people who check calorie information before eating than people who don’t
check calorie information before eating.
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Question 12 1 pts
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
ruler : math
stop sign : driver
symphony : composer
baton : conductor
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Question 13 1 pts
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
color : size
hot : temperature
feather : scale
dry : wet
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Question 14 1 pts
Choose the pair of words/phrases among the choices that exhibits the same
logical relationship as the words/phrases in the following pair.
conductor : orchestra
director : cast
producer : movie
teacher : principal
skater : rink
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Question 15 1 pts
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:
disagree on whether an author’s enjoyment in creating a mystery novel influences whether
that novel will have a believable solution.
disagree on whether a believable solution is required for the enjoyment of a mystery novel.
agree that a suspenseful mood and colorful characters add to the enjoyment of a mystery
novel.
agree that most mystery novels do not have believable solutions.
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Question 16 1 pts
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?
The legal system will soon be unable to administer justice to people who deserve it.
Many unwarranted lawsuits are sweeping the country.
Barney’s lawsuit against Pinetree Café is unwarranted.
Barney is likely to win his case against Pinetree Café.
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Question 17 1 pts
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:
is not the most important factor they consider when comparing two films.
is the most important factor they consider when comparing two films.
is the least important factor they consider when comparing two films.
is the only factor they consider when comparing two films.
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Question 18 1 pts
Some drugs combat obesity or alcohol addiction by turning off pleasure
centers in the brain. However, if the dosage is too high, there’s a risk that people taking them
will be plunged into depression.
The statements above, if true, support which one of the following assertions?
Drugs that affect pleasure centers in the brain are often taken at dosages considered to be
too high.
The benefits of a medication may be at least somewhat offset by its side effects.
All drugs, if taken at too high a dosage, pose the risk that the people taking them will be
plunged into depression.
It is useless to try to treat obesity or alcohol addiction through drugs.
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Question 19 1 pts
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:
should be discouraged because it lessens a quality that makes that antique desirable.
should be encouraged because it increases the likelihood that antique will be sold.
will guarantee that the antique will not sell at a profit.
will likely increase people’s expectations that the antique is valuable.
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Question 20 1 pts
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:
the benefit of the company investing in employee training seminars cannot be measured at
all.
the employee training seminars would focus on teaching employees to use the updated
computer network.
the more measurable a benefit, the greater value that benefit has to a company.
investing in employee training seminars would yield negative results for the company.
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Question 21 1 pts
Looking to increase the profits of his lemonade stand, Johann doubled the
price of a cup of lemonade from 25 cents to 50 cents. This clearly shows Johann’s lack of
business sense, for now he’ll almost certainly sell fewer cups at the new price and therefore
make less money than before.
The argument above assumes that:
even if Johann sells more cups at the new price than he did at the old price, he’ll still lose
money on the lemonade stand.
profits from the price increase will not offset the money lost when fewer cups are sold.
the price increase will likely put Johann out of business.
Johann is looking to double the profits of his lemonade stand.
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Question 22 1 pts
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:
the four Texas congressmen who voted for the bill were against it before they spoke to the
president.
the president did not try to influence the votes of any congressmen outside of Texas.
the Texas congressmen who voted against the bill were persuaded by someone other than
the president to vote the way they did.
the bill will not pass because a majority of Texas congressmen did not vote for it.
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Question 23 1 pts
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:
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.
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Question 24 1 pts
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?
The use of immunizations has led to an increase in allergies.
Viruses that once caused polio now cause allergies.
Immunizations have been very successful in eliminating life-threatening diseases.
Immunizations often have surprising side effects.
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Question 25 1 pts
Political science professor: Many people insist that the Internet is
revolutionizing the political process. They argue that Internet debates and online political polls
and chat rooms give people greater access to political information. And they’re right that online
political chatter increases daily. But offering or reading anonymous online opinions does not by
itself make for active political participation. In the past one would attend a rally, protest, or town
meeting to engage in real politics. Today, people sit passively in front of computer screens under
the illusion that they are connecting with their fellow citizens.
Which one of the following best expresses the main idea of the professor’s argument?
Internet debates and online political polls and chat rooms give people greater access to
political information.
Political organizations of the past bear no resemblance to the political organizations of
today.
While the Internet has made more political content available, meaningful political
involvement has decreased.
The Internet has revolutionized the political process because it has allowed many more
political viewpoints to be expressed.
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