| Critical Reasoning Butler: March 2025 |
| March 24 | CR 1 | CR 2 |
________________________
CR 1 In the 1950s, a popular camping site became the subject of persistent rumors centered on the presence of extra-terrestrials. In a survey conducted at the site in 2020, it was found that approximately half of all visitors to the camping site that year were aware of the rumors and the second half was unaware. The survey also revealed that the first half consistently reported significantly more unusual experiences than the second half did. On the basis of this data, the surveyors’ concluded that supposed extra-terrestrial encounters generally stem from the pre-existing expectations of such an event occurring.
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the surveyors’ reasoning?
A. None of the visitors in the second half believed that the unusual experiences they reported were related to extra-terrestrials.
B. Those that the visitors in the first half reported their experiences to did not believe in the presence of extra-terrestrials.
C. Before visiting the camping site, the visitors within each group had considerably varied beliefs about extra-terrestrial life.
D. All of the unusual experiences reported by the visitors were caused by factors other than extra-terrestrials.
E. All of the visitors in the first half believed that the rumors regarding the presence of extra-terrestrials were hoaxes.
________________________
CR 2 As do most printer manufacturers, Bi Sheng Printers makes most of its profits on ink cartridges, not the printers themselves. As Bi Sheng Printers cannot sell its ink cartridges as cheaply as other manufacturers can, it plans to modify its printers to only work with a newly designed Bi Sheng ink cartridge, which will cost as much as Bi Sheng Printers’ current ink cartridge does.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports Bi Sheng Printers’ projection that its plan will lead to an increase in its sales of ink cartridges?
A. First-time printer buyers tend to purchase the least expensive printers available.
B. In extensive test marketing, printer users did not find the new Bi Sheng printer any superior to the current Bi Sheng printers.
C. A Bi Sheng executive is studying cost reduction methods, pertaining to manufacturing ink cartridges.
D. A rival manufacturer recently announced similar plans to introduce a printer that would work with only the ink cartridges produced by that manufacturer.
E. The total number of printers sold annually by all manufacturers is expected to double over the next four years.