The Little Blue Reasoning Book - Brandon Royal [37]
A) Some subjects in the high-viewing group experienced lower levels of aggression than did other subjects in the high-viewing group.
B) Some subjects in the low-viewing group did not experience any aggression.
C) Fear of aggressive tendencies as a result of watching large amounts of TV was the reason some subjects restricted their viewing of TV.
D) Some subjects watched live programming whereas other viewers watched pre-recorded TV programs.
E) Some subjects’ already-high levels of aggression caused them to increase their viewing, particularly of violent TV programs.
See solution
Tip #35: Test the opposite scenario — if you hear that a full moon causes the crime rate to rise, always ask what the crime rate is like when the moon is not full.
Problem 24: Shark
In a marine reserve off the south coast of Australia, people sometimes are attacked by sharks. Here, it is believed that the sharks will only attack people who are mistaken for seals, which occurs when surfers wear entirely black body suits. So for the past few years, surfers have started wearing bright metallic body suits. While many area residents remain skeptical, no surfer wearing a metallic body suit has yet been attacked by a shark.
Which of the statements below, if true, would best support the argument of those who advocate the use of metallic body suits?
A) Surfers at other surf areas who wear metallic body suits have not been attacked recently by sharks.
B) A number of surfers in this marine area wearing black body suits have been attacked recently by sharks.
C) No sharks have been spotted in this marine reserve off the south coast of Australia in recent months.
D) Some of the surfers who wear metallic suits also wear wristbands that contain metal bells in order to frighten away any sharks.
E) Underwater divers have observed sharks attacking tuna and other ocean fish, some of them black in color.
See solution
Tip #36: Theory may be divorced from practice. Plans may not equal completed action. Do not assume that plans will be implemented without a hitch.
Problem 25: Solar Energy
Energy from the sun suffers none of the major problems of more traditional energy sources, such as oil, coal, and nuclear energy. It requires no imports from foreign countries, it creates no air and water pollution, it threatens no one with death from radiation, and it cannot be withheld by powerful utility monopolies. Therefore, we should encourage families to use solar energy.
Which of the following statements, if true, most seriously weakens the argument in the passage above?
A) There have been very few studies on the use of solar energy in the average household.
B) Most of the studies critical of solar energy have been conducted by powerful utility monopolies.
C) Research has not yet developed an effective way to capture and store solar energy in a way that most individual families can employ.
D) Federal price controls on domestically produced crude oil and natural gas could reduce the cost of fuel to the average family.
E) The cost of building and installing the apparatus needed to collect enough solar energy for a family of four is equal to the amount a family of four would pay for oil, coal, or nuclear-based energy in one year.
See solution
Tip #37: “Can” does not equal “will.” The ability to do something should not imply application of that ability, whether due to choice or neglect.
Problem 26: Classics
Any literate person who is not lazy can read the classics. Since few literate persons have read the classics, it is clear that most literate persons are lazy.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument above is based?
A) Only literate persons can understand the classics.
B) Any literate person should read the classics.
C) Any literate person who is lazy has no chance of reading the classics.
D) Any literate person who will not read the classics is lazy.
E) Any literate person who can