| Critical Reasoning Butler: May 2025 |
| May 8 | CR 1 | CR 2 |
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CR 1 If a poor harvest season in a major corn-producing state results in higher prices for a bushel of corn, corn prices in other states will rise as well, whether or not those states are net importers of corn.
Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the statement above?
A. Agricultural commodities companies in states that are not net importers of corn are excluded from the national corn market when there is a disruption in the national corn supply.
B. National corn supply disruptions have little, if any, effect on the price of local corn as long as the locality is in a state that is not a net importer of corn.
C. The corn market in any state is part of the national corn market even if most of the corn consumed in the state is produced in the state.
D. Poor harvesting seasons come at predictable regular intervals.
E. Higher prices for corn tend to lead to increased prices for livestock, which rely on corn feed.
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CR 2 Sedonia town meeting announcement: "Parking ordinances recently imposed by the mayor of Sedonia call for unprecedented reductions in the amount of public land devoted to downtown parking spaces. Compliance with these ordinances will require new underground parking garages that cost millions of dollars to construct. The resulting price increases for parking in Sedonia will lead many residents to sell their cars. Therefore, the mobility of Sedonian residents will in the future be significantly decreased."
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument in the meeting announcement?
A. The parking ordinances were put in place to make room for bus-only lanes that would allow Sedonia to add several new public bus routes.
B. The ordinances are expected to hurt downtown businesses that currently have several street parking spaces in front of their stores.
C. The ordinances are likely to raise demand for housing closer to the downtown headquarters of Sedonia's largest employers.
D. When the ordinances take effect, Sedonia will have fewer downtown parking spaces per capita than any other metropolitan area in the state.
E. The development of underground parking garages will result in more jobs and higher wages for the construction industry in Sedonia