| Critical Reasoning Butler: August 2026 |
| August 12 | CR 1 | CR 2 |
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CR 1 Certain types of finished wood are coated in toxic termite repellent. Some types of termite, however, have developed a resistance to the toxin, and they retain the toxin in their bodies after ingesting the wood. When certain birds, such as sparrows, ingest the toxified termites, they die. Thus, by using toxic termite repellent, a homeowner puts the entire neighborhood sparrow population at risk.
Which of the following would be most useful to determine in order to evaluate the argument?
A. Whether the toxic wood finish is more effective than other types of termite repellent.
B. Whether toxified termites remain toxic regardless of how long they have been removed from the toxic wood source.
C. Whether sparrows are actively feeding on the household termites that have fed on toxic wood finish.
D. Whether resistant termites suffer any averse effects in the long term from consuming toxic wood finish.
E. Whether there are other insects that suffer as a consequence of the use of toxic wood finish.
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CR 2 In comparable restaurants with similar diner profiles, the total cost of a steak dinner has always been greater in Fairview than in Centerville, two towns of about equal populations. However, consumer studies indicate that steakhouses in Fairview process more meal transactions than steakhouses in Centerville. Therefore it is obvious that restaurant owners in Fairview are more successful than those in Centerville.
In evaluating the argument, it would be most useful to compare
A. the land area of Fairview with the land area of Centerville
B. the climate in Fairview with the climate in Centerville
C. the number of restaurants in Fairview with the number of restaurants in Centerville
D. the difficulty of acquiring restaurant licenses in Fairview with the difficulty of acquiring restaurant licenses in Centerville
E. the cost of steak dinners in other cities with the cost of steak dinners in Fairview and Centerville