Critical Reasoning section 3 MCQ Detailed Explanation And More Example

Question : 1

Developed countries have made adequate provisions for social security for senior citizens. State insurers (as well as private ones) offer medicare and pension benefits to people who can no longer earn. In India, with the collapse of the joint family system, the traditional shelter of the elderly has disappeared. And a state faced with a financial crunch is not in a position to provide financial security, So, it is advisable that the working population give serious thought to building a financial base for itself. Which one of the following, if it were to happen, weakens the conclusion drawn in the above passage the most

a) The insurance sector is under developed and trends indicate that it will be extensively privatized in the future.

b) India is on a path of development that will take it to a developed country status, with all its positive and negative implications.

c) The insurance sector is under developed and trends indicate that it will be extensively privatized in the future.

d) If the working population builds a stronger financial base, there will be a revival of the joint family system.

Question : 2

Most citizens are very conscientious about observing a law when they can see the reason behind it. For instance, there has been very little need to actively enforce the recently implemented law that increased the penalty for godmen duping people of their money by playing with their emotions. This is because citizens are very conscientious about duping someone in the name of religion, as it leaves their religious gurus with a bad name. Which of the following statements would the author of this passage be most likely to believe?

a) The increased penalty alone is a significant motivation for most citizens to obey the law.

b) Godmen should not be allowed to play with the emotions of the people.

c) There are still too many inconsiderate citizens in the society.

d) Society should make an effort to teach citizens the reasons for its laws.

Question : 3

Some scientists believe that, in certain species of birds, actual particles of metal within the brain react to the Earth's magnetic field in the same way as the needle in a compass. It is this mechanism that is thought to underlie the birds'amazing ability to navigate accurately over distances of thousands of miles by day and night during migration. To test this theory, researchers surgically removed the metal particles from the heads of some birds and then released them, alongwith a number of untreated birds, at the usual time and place of their annual winter migration. Which of the following results would most seriously weaken the theory being tested?

a) The untreated birds were confused by the erratic flight patterns of the surgically treated birds and failed to migrate successfully.

b) The surgically treated birds were able to migrate about as accurately as the untreated birds.

c) The surgically treated birds were able to follow their usual flight patterns successfully by day, but not by night.

d) The surgically treated birds were able to migrate successfully only when closely following a group of untreated birds.

Question : 4

Choose the option that best captures the essence of the text given below : Physically, inertia is a feeling that you just can't move; mentally, it is a sluggish mind. Even if you try to be sensitive, if your mind is sluggish, you just don't feel anything intensely. You may even see a tragedy enacted in front of your eyes and not be able to respond meaningfully. You may see one person exploiting another, one group persecuting another, and not be able to get angry. Your energy is frozen. You are not deliberately refusing to act; you just don't have the capacity. A. Inertia makes your body and mind sluggish. They become insensitive to tragedies, exploitation, and persecution because it freezes your energy and decapacitates it. B. When you have inertia you don't act although you see one person exploiting another or one group persecuting another. You don't get angry because you are incapable. C. Inertia is of two types – physical and mental. Physical inertia restricts bodily movements. Mental inertia prevents mental response to events enacted in front of your eyes. D. Physical inertia stops your body from moving; mental inertia freezes your energy, and stop your mind from responding meaningfully to events, even tragedies, in front of you.

a) A

b) C

c) B

d) D

Question : 5

The burning of coal, oil and other combustible energy sources produces carbon dioxide, a natural constituent of the atmosphere. Elevated levels of carbon dioxide are thought to be responsible for half the greenhouse effect. Enough carbon dioxide has been sent into the atmosphere already to cause a significant temperature increase. Growth in industrial production must be slowed, or production processes must be changed. Which of the following, if true, would tend to weaken the strength of the above conclusion?

a) Many areas of the world are cold anyway, so a small rise in temperature would be welcome.

b) Most carbon dioxide is emitted by automobiles.

c) Carbon dioxide is bad for health

d) Industry is switching over to synthetic liquid fuel extracted from coal.

Question : 6

Newspaper publishers earn their profits primarily from advertising revenue, and potential advertisers are more likely to advertise in newspapers with a wide circulation—a large number of subscribers and other readers—than with other newspapers. But the circulation of the newspaper that is currently the most profitable one in this city has steadily declined during the last two years, while the circulation of one of its competitors has steadily increased. Any of the following, if true, would help explain the apparent discrepancy between the two statements above EXCEPT:

a) Advertisers generally switch from the most widely circulated newspaper to another one only when the other one becomes the most widely circulated newspaper instead.

b) The most profitable newspaper in the city receives revenue from its subscribers as well from advertisers.

c) Advertising rates charged by the most profitable newspaper in the city are significantly higher than those charged by its competitors.

d) The number of newspapers competing viably with the most profitable newspaper in the city has increased during the last two years.