| Critical Reasoning Butler: April 2025 |
| April 3 | CR 1 | CR 2 |
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CR 1 Since abnormal proteins in an organism can affect the organism’s nervous system, the development of nerve cell dysfunctions in people could be due to the spontaneous formation of abnormal proteins in humans. Some scientists, however, believe that most nerve cell dysfunctions in people are developed because of human consumption of meat.
Which of the following statements, if true, would most significantly strengthen the hypothesis of the scientists?
A. People who have never eaten meat are those who are equally likely to develop nerve cell dysfunctions.
B. Most people who develop nerve cell dysfunctions are treated with gene therapy that involves the introduction of abnormal proteins.
C. The incidence of nerve cell dysfunctions in people tends to be considerably higher in urban areas than in rural areas where meat is of comparable quality.
D. Livestock producers often fortify their livestock feed with the remains of animals, many of whom may have died from nerve cell dysfunctions.
E. Livestock producers claim that meat infected with abnormal proteins cannot transmit such proteins to humans.
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CR 2 It will not be productive for the trading vessel the Selene to hire three new disciplinary officers, as proposed. The ship’s operational budget is sufficient to pay the salaries of the new officers, but not the salaries of additional legal and bureaucratic employees needed to process the increased number of infractions typically generated by new officers.
Which of the following, if true, will most seriously weaken the conclusion drawn above?
A. Studies have shown that having more disciplinary officers on board does not necessarily improve discipline among shipmates.
B. When another trading vessel of the same size as the Selene increased its number of disciplinary officers by twenty percent last year, there were forty-two percent more disciplinary infractions, and of them, twelve percent required legal action.
C. The Selene’s crew has reached the size at which an increase in the number of disciplinary officers will have a corrective effect on the discipline among shipmates.
D. On most ships, not every disciplinary infraction leads to punitive action, and not every punitive action necessitates legal proceedings.
E. If the funding needed to expand the crew of the Selene is increased, the budget of other ships in the company’s fleet will have to be reduced during the next fiscal year.