| Critical Reasoning Butler: May 2025 |
| May 22 | CR 1 | CR 2 |
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CR 1 The airfares on almost all routes in the country have increased considerably in the past six months. In fact, on some routes, the fares have as much as doubled from what they were six months earlier. Since there has been no significant increase in the number of fliers in the country in the last six months, the media has blamed cartelization in the airline industry for this rapid increase in fares.
Which of the following, if true, undermines the argument above?
(A) The media is known to sensationalize events of public importance to gain more readership/viewership.
(B) The airfares on some routes have actually fallen over the past six months.
(C) Two of the six airline companies operating within the country have shut down operations in the last six months.
(D) The price of aviation fuel increased drastically two years back and has remained at that level since then.
(E) Other neighbouring countries have also seen similar rise in air fares but nobody has accused the airline companies in those countries of cartelization.
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CR 2 The GMAT is written in English. However, the average score of native English speakers is below 550, which is considered a relatively low score on a scale of 200-800.
Which of the following does LEAST to resolve the above paradox?
(A) The GMAT does not test English knowledge but skills such as analytical skills and logic.
(B) The GMAT includes a quantitative section, which tests mathematical skills.
(C) GMAT scores are calculated to create a bell-shaped normal Gaussian distribution, so scores are relative to others' performance.
(D) The GMAT has a severe time limit, and for many test takers, time ends before they have solved all the questions.
(E) About 60% of GMAT test-takers are American.