After successfully completing the CAT 2016 sprint series and the SNAP 2016 sprint series, we are back with the XAT 2017 – Critical Reasoning, Decision Making Marathon – 14 to boost your prep. This series will consist of 15 sets of questions that will test your reasoning skills and will enable you to do well in the crucial Decision Making section of XAT 2017.
You may check out the entire series here: XAT 2017 – Critical Reasoning, Decision Making Marathon
XAT 2017 – Critical Reasoning, Decision Making Marathon – 14
Directions: The questions in this section are based on the reasoning contained in brief statements or passages. For some questions, more than one of the choices could conceivably answer the question. However, you are to choose the best answer; that is, the response that most accurately and completely answers the question. You should not make assumptions that are by commonsense standards implausible, superfluous, or incompatible with the passage. After you have chosen the best answer, blacken the corresponding space on your answer sheet.
1. In a recent study of more than 400 North American men and women whose previous heart attack put them at risk for a second heart attack, about half were told to switch to a “Mediterranean-type diet”—one rich in fish, vegetables, olive oil, and grains—while the other half were advised to eat a more traditional “Western” diet but to limit their fat intake. Those following the Mediterranean diet were significantly less likely than those in the other group to have a second heart attack. But the Mediterranean diet includes a fair amount of fat from fish and olive oil, so the research suggests that a diet may not have to be extremely low in fat in order to protect the heart.
1. Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
(A) Research has shown that eliminating almost all fat from one’s diet can be effective in decreasing the likelihood of a second heart attack.
(B) Studies suggest that the kinds of oils in the fat included in the Mediterranean diet may protect the heart against potentially fatal disruptions of heart rhythms and other causes of heart attacks.
(C) The patients who consumed the Mediterranean diet enjoyed the food and continued to follow the diet after the experiment was concluded.
(D) Many people who have had heart attacks are advised by their cardiologists to begin an exercise regimen in addition to changing their diet.
(E) Some cardiologists believe that the protection afforded by the Mediterranean diet might be enhanced by drugs that lower blood-cholesterol levels.
2. Florist: Some people like to have green carnations on St. Patrick’s Day. But flowers that are naturally green are extremely rare. Thus, it is very difficult for plant breeders to produce green carnations. Before St. Patrick’s Day, then, it is wise for florists to stock up on white carnations, which are fairly inexpensive and quite easy to dye green.
Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion of the florist’s argument?
(A) It is a good idea for florists to stock up on white carnations before St. Patrick’s Day.
(B) Flowers that are naturally green are very rare.
(C) There are some people who like to have green carnations on St. Patrick’s Day.
(D) White carnations are fairly inexpensive and can easily be dyed green.
(E) It is very difficult to breed green carnations.
3. Millions of homes are now using low-energy lighting, but millions more have still to make the switch, a fact that the government and the home lighting industry are eager to change. Although low-wattage bulbs cost more per bulb than normal bulbs, their advantages to the homeowner are enormous, and therefore everyone should use low-wattage bulbs.
Information about which one of the following would be LEAST useful in evaluating the argument?
(A) the actual cost of burning low-wattage bulbs compared to that of burning normal bulbs
(B) the profits the home lighting industry expects to make from sales of low-wattage bulbs
(C) the specific cost of a low-wattage bulb compared with that of a normal bulb
(D) the opinion of current users of low-wattage bulbs as to their effectiveness
(E) the average life of a low-wattage bulb compared with that of a normal bulb
4. Swimming pools should be fenced to protect children from drowning, but teaching children to swim is even more important. And there is a principle involved here that applies to childrearing generally. Thus, while we should restrict children’s access to the soft drinks and candies advertised on television shows directed towards children, it is even more important to teach them _______.
Which one of the following most logically completes the passage?
(A) that television can be a good source of accurate information about many things
(B) that television advertisements are deceptive and misleading
(C) how to make nutritional choices that are conducive to their well-being
(D) the importance of physical activity to health and well-being
(E) how to creatively entertain themselves without watching television
5. In its coverage of a controversy regarding a proposal to build a new freeway, a television news program showed interviews with several people who would be affected by the proposed freeway. Of the interviews shown, those conducted with people against the new freeway outnumbered those conducted with people for it two to one. The television program is therefore biased against the proposed freeway.
Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
(A) Most of the people who watched the program were aware of the freeway controversy beforehand.
(B) Most viewers of television news programs do not expect those programs to be completely free of bias.
(C) In the interviews, the people against the new freeway expressed their opinions with more emotion than the people for the freeway did.
(D) Before the program aired, over twice as many people were against building the freeway than were in favor of it.
(E) The business interests of the television station that produced the program would be harmed by the construction of a new freeway.
6. Evan: I am a vegetarian because I believe it is immoral to inflict pain on animals to obtain food. Some vegetarians who share this moral reason nonetheless consume some seafood, on the grounds that it is not known whether certain sea creatures can experience pleasure or pain. But if it is truly wrong to inflict needless suffering, we should extend the benefit of the doubt to sea animals and refrain from eating seafood.
Which one of the following most closely conforms to the principle illustrated by Evan’s criticism of vegetarians who eat seafood?
(A) I do not know if I have repaid Farah the money she lent me for a movie ticket. She says that she does not remember whether or not I repaid her. In order to be sure that I have repaid her, I will give her the money now.
(B) It is uncertain whether all owners of the defective vehicles know that their vehicles are being recalled by the manufacturer. Thus, we should expect that some vehicles that have been recalled have not been returned.
(C) I am opposed to using incentives such as reduced taxes to attract businesses to our region. These incentives would attract businesses interested only in short-term profits. Such businesses would make our region’s economy less stable, because they have no long-term commitment to the community.
(D) Updating our computer security system could lead to new contracts. The present system has no problems, but we could benefit from emphasizing a state-of-the-art system in new proposals. If we do not get new customers, the new system could be financed through higher fees for current customers.
(E) Isabel Allende lived through the tragic events of her country’s recent history; no doubt her novels have been inspired by her memories of those events. Yet Allende’s characters are hopeful and full of joy, indicating that Allende’s own view of life has not been negatively marked by her experiences.
7. Economist: Government intervention in the free market in pursuit of socially desirable goals can affect supply and demand, thereby distorting prices. The ethics of such intervention is comparable to that of administering medicines. Most medicines have harmful as well as beneficial effects, so the use of a type of medicine is ethically justified only when its nonuse would be significantly more harmful than its use. Similarly, government intervention in the free market is justified only when it _______.
Which one of the following most logically completes the final sentence above?
(A) would likely be approved of by the majority of the affected participants
(B) has been shown to have few if any significantly harmful effects
(C) is believed unlikely to significantly exacerbate any existing problems
(D) would do less damage than would result from the government’s not intervening
(E) provides a solution to some otherwise insoluble problem
8. The proportion of fat calories in the diets of people who read the nutrition labels on food products is significantly lower than it is in the diets of people who do not read nutrition labels. This shows that reading these labels promotes healthful dietary behavior.
The reasoning in the argument above is flawed in that the argument
(A) illicitly infers a cause from a correlation
(B) relies on a sample that is unlikely to be representative of the group as a whole
(C) confuses a condition that is necessary for a phenomenon to occur with a condition that is sufficient for that phenomenon to occur
(D) takes for granted that there are only two possible alternative explanations of a phenomenon
(E) draws a conclusion about the intentions of a group of people based solely on data about the consequences of their behavior
9. Some paleontologists have suggested that Apatosaurus, a huge dinosaur, was able to gallop. This, however, is unlikely, because galloping would probably have broken Apatosaurus’s legs. Experiments with modern bones show how much strain they can withstand before breaking. By taking into account the diameter and density of Apatosaurus leg bones, it is possible to calculate that those bones could not have withstood the strains of galloping.
Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn by the argument as a whole?
(A) Galloping would probably have broken the legs of Apatosaurus.
(B) It is possible to calculate that Apatosaurus leg bones could not have withstood the strain of galloping.
(C) The claim of paleontologists that Apatosaurus was able to gallop is likely to be incorrect.
(D) If galloping would have broken the legs of Apatosaurus, then Apatosaurus was probably unable to gallop.
(E) Modern bones are quite similar in structure and physical properties to the bones of Apatosaurus.
10. A new process enables ordinary table salt to be fortified with iron. This advance could help reduce the high incidence of anemia in the world’s population due to a deficiency of iron in the diet. Salt is used as a preservative for food and a flavor enhancer all over the globe, and people consume salt in quantities that would provide iron in significant amounts.
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the statement that people consume salt in quantities that would provide iron in significant amounts?
(A) It is the conclusion of the argument.
(B) It provides support for the conclusion of the argument.
(C) It is a claim that the argument is directed against.
(D) It qualifies the conclusion of the argument.
(E) It illustrates a principle that underlies the argument.
Answer key:
1. B
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. D
6. A
7. D
8. A
9. C
10. B
Meanwhile, for those who want to solve quality questions from past year XAT papers, you may check out our ongoing XAT 2017 Sprint Preparation Series.
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