| Critical Reasoning Butler: July 2025 |
| July 22 | CR 1 | CR 2 |
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CR 1 To save time and money on water and maintenance, many homeowners are opting for the use of synthetic potted plants, instead of real plants, for the decoration of the interiors of their homes. The synthetic plants being sold today are very realistic in their details and often quite beautiful. Since most homeowners welcome ways to reduce expenses, synthetic plants are increasing in popularity. Because of these benefits, homeowners should replace their live indoor plants with synthetic plants.
The answer to which of the following would be most useful in evaluating the argument?
A. Are synthetic plants replicas of real live plant species, or are they original designs based on common plant forms?
B. Can the efficiency of the photosynthesis of a live indoor plant be affected by the behavior of humans in its surroundings?
C. Do homeowners with live plants spend more than 5% of their overall home expenses on the maintenance of such plants?
D. Are the organic gaseous exchanges of a live plant advantageous to its immediate surrounding environment?
E. What percentage of homeowners are interested in cutting down the costs associated with general home maintenance?
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CR 2 Many children in the public schooling system who are aged 6-8 suffer from temper tantrums in classrooms. Most of these temper tantrums are preceded by the child experiencing a growing aggravation. The use of a new learning-conducive medication can prevent up to 80% of these aggravation-spawned temper tantrums by limiting the rise in heart rate, a psychosomatic facilitator of a strong sense of aggravation.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the view that it would NOT be advisable to treat children with the new learning-conducive medication?
(A) Many emotional states conducive to learning are preceded by a rise in heart rate.
(B) Medical research has proven that twenty percent of aggravation-related temper tantrums continue to occur when a child uses the medication.
(C) Since the medication is only efficient for 8 hours, the child will have to take the medication daily to avoid temper tantrums.
(D) Though tried on an initial reference group, it will take years until large scale production is available.
(E) Some of the temper tantrums can be addressed through calming the child by a teacher's aid.