| Critical Reasoning Butler: February 2025 |
| February 23 | CR 1 | CR 2 |
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CR 1 Gaida and Carcassa are two neighboring cities in Lamoraland; the average net worth of residents of Gaida is $100,000, and the average net worth of residents of Carcassa is $120,000. Therefore, if a newlywed couple from Gaida moved to Carcassa before starting a family, their children would be expected to accumulate a greater net worth than if the family had remained in Gaida.
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the conclusion drawn in the passage?
A. Carcassa is home to a many of the richest Lamoralanders who inherited wealth from their forefathers.
B. The Mayor of Gaida has falsely claimed that statistics published regarding his city are inaccurate.
C. Financial planners do not believe that moving to Carcassa will significantly improve the net worth of the average Gaidan.
D. Twenty percent of all Gaidans can expect to accumulate a net worth of $250,000.
E. Most regions of Carcassa have a minimum wage higher than the average minimum wage in Gaida.
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CR 2 Galen: I do not think I shall take up a factory job with Agone Industries. The company is not concerned with ensuring the safety of its workers.
Arie: But, last month the company proactively agreed to adhere to the government’s latest round of worker safety requirements.
Galen: If Agone Industries has proactively agreed to adhere to safety requirements, these requirements must not be very stringent.
The biggest logical flaw in Galen’s reasoning is identified by which of the following?
A. The facts put forward by Galen do not support the claim that Agone Industries is not concerned with ensuring the safety of its workers.
B. Galen assumes without any logical basis that worker safety is the most important factor to be considered in deciding whether to accept a factory job.
C. In making the choice to not accept the factory job, Galen does not consider any issue besides worker safety.
D. Galen attacks Agone Industries on moral grounds rather than on its commitment to worker safety.
E. Galen employs circular logic, employing an unsubstantiated assertion to dismiss the validity of information that weakens his argument.