答案解析
Prep2012-Pack1-CR-061 VCR001371 Hard
Reasoning
What roles do the two boldfaced statements play in the passage? The first boldfaced statement provides background information about the census records. The passage says that the situation described by the first boldfaced statement makes a certain observation stand out. To explain that observation, the passage then argues that the records were probably falsified; the second boldfaced statement presents a hypothesis about economic incentives that supports that argument's conclusion. Therefore, the second boldfaced statement is a premise in the argument.
A. The historian seeks to establish the position that the records were falsified, and the hypothesis about economic incentives explains why they would have been falsified.
B. Correct. The completeness of the records provides a context for the evidence supporting the conclusion that the records were falsified; the hypothesis about economic incentives supports the same conclusion by explaining why the records would have been falsified.
C. The passage does not argue that the records are complete, but simply states that they were; the hypothesis about economic incentives is not used to argue that the records are incomplete, but rather that they are inaccurate.
D. The completeness of the records does not support the hypothesis that the villagers had an economic incentive to record fewer people when the tax went up.
E. The historian does not deny that the records are complete, but rather that they are accurate.
The correct answer is B. Prep2012-Pack1-CR-062 VCR002697 Hard
Reasoning
What must be true in order for the given information to justify the conclusion that the outlaw fishing boats harvested about 9,000 tons of lobster in 1996? The argument is that since the legal catch was 9,000 tons lower in 1996 than the total annual catch was before 1992, even though the level of legal lobster activity did not decline, the illegal catch in 1996 must have been about 9,000 tons. Despite the fact that the conclusion says about 9,000 tons, this is still a rather specific number. How can such a specific number be inferred? The argument must be assuming that the total annual catch was roughly the same in 1996 as it had been before 1992. Furthermore, there would be no justification for inferring such a specific number regarding the illegal lobster catch, unless the argument assumed that the number of catchable lobsters in 1996 was not dramatically different from the number in 1992, since the level of
illegal lobster activity was not known (as appears to be the case, since the argument is intended to make an inference related to that level of activity). Consider the answer choices and find one that expresses or follows from the assumption.
A. Correct. If illegal lobster harvesting had been so extensive that the population of catchable lobsters in Belukia's territorial waters had sharply declined by 1996, then the number of catchable lobsters would have been dramatically different that year from what it had been in 1992, and it would be impossible to infer, from the
premises given, such a specific number as is given in the conclusion.
B. The argument does not discuss how many lobsters have been caught illegally each year since 1992, but rather how many were caught in 1996 specifically.
C. Whether the illegal catch in 1996 was higher or lower than the legal catch, it still could have been 9,000 tons.
D. The annual legal catch before 1992 could not have been less than 9,000 tons, but the legal catch in 1996 could have been.
E. The argument says there was no reduction in the amount of legal lobster activity. Therefore, it does not assume that any lobster boats went out of business.
The correct answer is A.Prep2012-Pack1-CR-063 VCR003782 Hard
Reasoning
What would make it least likely that the Ink Jet Division is contributing less to the company’s profits than it used to?
PrintwelI's ink-jet printer sales have increased, but manufacturing expenses per printer have not fallen. Therefore, total expenses for printer manufacturing have increased. But total monthly revenues from the printer sales have not increased. Therefore, total monthly profits from the printers must have fallen. The argument concludes that total profits from the Ink Jet Division have fallen. But, since the Ink Jet Division also produces ink cartridges, this reasoning assumes that profits from the ink cartridges have not increased enough to compensate for the lower profits from the printers. Therefore, look for an answer option that undermines this assumption by suggesting that profits from the ink cartridges have increased.
A. Correct. This suggests that Printwell's ink-cartridge sales have increased along with its ink-jet printer sales, which might compensate for the falling profits from the printers.
B. The retailers’ added costs would probably make the Ink Jet Division less profitable, not more profitable.
C. Even if ink-jet printer profits have fallen less than those of some other manufacturers, they may still have fallen.
D. Printwell’s monthly revenues from ink-jet printer sales have not increased, but costs per printer sold have not decreased. Therefore, this evidence that Printwell has been selling more ink-jet printers supports the argument's reasoning that Printwell's total profits from ink-jet printer sales must have fallen.
E. As in option D, evidence that Printwell has been selling more ink-jet printers supports the argument's reasoning that Printwell's total profits from ink-jet printer sales must have fallen.
The correct answer is A.
