Verbal Reasoning: Parallel Reasoning

This is an MCQ quiz for GMAT, which includes questions on verbal reasoning (parallel reasoning).

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All English Springer Spaniels have long hair. All Rottweilers have short hair. Each of Tina"s dogs is a cross between an English Springer Spaniel and a Rottweiler. Therefore, Tina"s dogs have medium-length hair. Which one of the following uses flawed reasoning that most closely resembles the flawed reasoning used in the argument above?

All economists know linear algebra. All physicists know relativistic mechanics. Wilma is both an economist and a physicist. Therefore, Wilma knows both linear algebra and relativistic mechanics. All players on the Wildcats have brown hair. All players on the Razorbacks have red hair. Members of the Moye family are on both the Wildcats and the Razorbacks. Therefore, some members of the Moye family have brown hair and others have red hair. All typists who practice at least one hour per day can type one hundred words per minute. But some typists who do not practice can also type one hundred words per minute. Mike, a typist, practices thirty minutes per day. Therefore, Mike types fifty words per minute. All cars made by Chord are very well made. All cars made by Fysler are very poorly made. Half of the cars on Jim's lot are very well made and the other half are very poorly made. Therefore, half of the cars on Jim's lot are Chords and half are Fyslers. All halogen gases are toxic to humans. All non-radioactive noble gases are non-toxic to humans.

After replacing her old air conditioner with a new, energy-efficient unit, Paula’s electric bills increased. Each of the following, if true, contributes to an explanation of the increase mentioned above EXCEPT:

Following the installation of her new air conditioner, Paula's neighborhood experienced a prolonged and severe heat wave, requiring heavy use of the new unit. Soon after the new air conditioner was installed, Paula adopted a child, doubling the size of her household. Paula installed an electricity-intensive indoor tanning bed after she replaced her air conitioning unit. Paula's electricity costs increased by 15 cents per kilowatt hour after she replaced her air conditioner. The new air conditioner uses a smaller share of the electricity used by Paula’s home than did the old unit.

Advertisement: Coma Cola is the best-tasting cola on the market and we conducted a test using over 1000 cola consumers to prove it. Each consumer was given two identical cups filled with a carbonated beverage from the same fountain. One cup was filled with Coma Cola and the other was filled with unadulterated soda water. Ninety-nine percent of the consumers preferred the Coma Cola. So, Coma Cola is the best tasting cola available. The advertisement’s reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it fails to consider whether ___________________

Coma Cola is cheaper or more expensive than other colas. The consumers tested had the opportunity to evaluate flavored soft drinks other than colas. The consumers tested had the opportunity to evaluate colas other than Coma Cola. Coma Cola has more or less caffeine than other colas. Any portion of the population is allergic to any of the ingredients in Coma Cola.

Eggplants are always purple. John bought a purple vegetable. Therefore, it was an eggplant. Which of the following arguments contains reasoning most similar to the flawed reasoning in the above argument?

Gambling is a risky hobby. Jamie likes taking risks. Therefore, she likes to gamble. Except for 2, prime numbers are always odd. The number 13 is odd. Therefore, it is prime. Jenny always eats healthy. Salmon is a healthy food. Therefore, she eats salmon. Rabbits are fast creatures. A fast creature ran by. Therefore, it may have been a rabbit. Bluebirds are not always blue. A brown bird was outside the window. Therefore, it may or may not have been a blue bird.

Two students were given practice exams. One exam ordered the questions from hardest to easiest, while the other exam ordered the questions from easiest to hardest. The student who took the test with questions ordered hardest to easiest performed more poorly than the other student. Therefore, tests that ordered hardest to easiest will cause a student to perform more poorly. This argument is most vulnerable to criticism if which of the following statements is true?

The students had the same grade point averages. The students took the exam in different classrooms, one of which was more spacious. The student who performed more poorly has a lower grade point average than the other student. One student was from Los Angeles, while the other student was from New York. The test consisted solely of math questions, rather than being a blend of content.

Thousands of people contract tonsillitis every year, and yet all go on to live normal lives after the operation. We can conclude, from this observation, that the tonsils have no function in the body. The argument would be most weakened by which of the following, if it were true?

Another part of the body can take over the function of the tonsils if they are removed. Tonsillectomies are performed only when the tonsils become seriously infected. The tonsils have been shown to have a vital role to play in the physiology of laboratory rabbits and mice. The human tonsil develops as part of the immune system, a system of vital importance in defense against disease. People live normal lives after appendectomies, but the appendix is known to be part of the digestive system.

According to an article in a nutritional magazine, eating beets significantly lowers the risk of cancer. The article refers to a study that found that people who consumed one or more beets per day were half as likely to be diagnosed with cancer as people who did not. Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument in the magazine article?

Participants in the study reported consuming no vegetables other than beets. The study was only conducted in one city. Another study found that people who consumed one tablespoon of fish oil per day were more than four times less likely to be diagnosed with cancer as those who did not. In another experiment, cancer patients who ate one or more beets per day were no more likely to recover than those who ate no beets. The participants in the study who ate beets were more likely to exercise regularly than those who did not eat beets.

Students from outside the province of Merryweather, who in any given academic year pay twice as much tuition each as do students from within Merryweather, had traditionally accounted for at least two-thirds of the enrollment at Central Merryweather College. Over the past years academic standards at the college have risen, and the proportion of students who are not from Merryweather has dropped to around . Which one of the following reasonably be inferred from the statements above?

Over the past years academic standards at Central Merryweather College have risen more than academic standards at any other college in Merryweather. If the college’s per capita revenue from tuition has remained the same, tuition fees have increased over the past years. If academic standards had not risen over the past years, students who are not from Merryweather would still account for at least two-thirds of the college’s enrollment. Over the past years the number of students from Merryweather increased and the number of students from outside Merryweather decreased. If it had not been for the high tuition paid by students from outside Merryweather, the college could not have improved its academic standards over the past years.

A medical degree is necessary for appointment to the hospital"s board of directors. Further, no one having more than a five-percent equity stake in a pharmaceutical company can be appointed to the board of directors. Consequently, Dell, a practicing physician with a PhD in bioethics, cannot be appointed the hospital"s treasurer, since he owns fifteen percent of PillCo, a pharmaceutical company. The argument’s conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?

Anyone with a medical degree who does not hold more than a five-percent stake in any pharmaceutical company is eligible for appointment to the hospital's board of directors. A PhD is not necessary for appointment to the position of treasurer. If Dell sold his stake in PillCo, he would be appointed treasurer. Only those eligible for appointment to the hospital's board of directors can be appointed as the hospital's treasurer. PillCo is one of the hospital's pharmaceutical vendors.

Quiz/Test Summary

Title: Verbal Reasoning: Parallel Reasoning

Questions: 9

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