Question: Large groups of prospective jurors are dispatched to courtrooms where they sit around for three to four days. Then attorneys and judges, in between other extensive court business, query each prospective juror over and over again with the same time-consuming questions to see if the juror should be excused, picked, or challenged. The process is maddening to watch and listen to. More often than not, after being required to report to the courtroom for three to four days the prospective jurors, in droves, are dismissed.
Answer Choices:
a. Argument; conclusion: More often than not … are dismissed.
b. Argument; conclusion: The process is maddening to watch and listen to.
c. Argument; conclusion: Attorneys and judges … or challenged.
d. Nonargument.
e. Argument; conclusion: Large groups of prospective jurors … four days.
Answer: b. Argument; conclusion: The process is maddening to watch and listen to.
Question: If banks are prevented from engaging in risky practices, predatory lending is criminalized, trading in derivatives is made transparent and backed up by capital, and Wall Street lobbyists are held in check, then accountability and responsibility will be restored to the financial system, “too big to fail” will become a thing of the past, and a repeat of the Great Recession will be avoided.
Answer Choices:
a. Argument; conclusion: Accountability and responsibility … financial system.
b. Argument; conclusion: Banks are prevented from engaging in risky practices.
c. Argument; conclusion: Wall Street lobbyists are held in check.
d. Nonargument.
e. Argument; conclusion: A repeat of the Great Recession will be avoided.
Answer: b. Argument; conclusion: Banks are prevented from engaging in risky practices.
Question: Mrs. Stevenson is a philanthropist. Therefore, she must give away a lot of money or property to what she considers worthy causes.
Answer Choices:
a. Inductive, weak
b. Deductive, sound
c. Deductive, valid
d. Deductive, invalid
e. Inductive, strong
Answer: c. Deductive, valid
Question: If people are not informed about the workings of government, then they cannot vote intelligently. People cannot vote intelligently. Therefore, people are not informed about the workings of government.
Answer Choices:
a. Inductive, strong
b. Deductive, invalid
c. Deductive, sound
d. Deductive, valid
e. Inductive, weak
Answer: b. Deductive, invalid
Question: Each of the codefendants testified that the other defendant killed the victim. Therefore, we can only conclude that both defendants killed the victim.
Answer Choices:
a. Deductive, unsound
b. Deductive, invalid
c. Deductive, valid
d. Inductive, weak
e. Inductive, strong
Answer: d. Inductive, weak
Question: No supporters of abortion rights are fundamentalist Christians. Therefore, no fundamentalist Christians are supporters of abortion rights.
Answer Choices:
a. Deductive, valid
b. Inductive, strong
c. Inductive, uncogent
d. Inductive, weak
e. Deductive, invalid
Answer: a. Deductive, valid
Question: The highway sign says that the risk of forest fires in this area is extremely high right now. Therefore, we must conclude that the risk of forest fires is indeed high right now.
Answer Choices:
a. Deductive, invalid
b. Deductive, valid
c. Inductive, cogent
d. Inductive, weak
e. Inductive, strong
Answer: e. Inductive, strong
Question: Less than one percent of 38-year-old expectant mothers give birth to a Down syndrome baby. Therefore, since Pamela is a 38-year-old expectant mother, it is unlikely that she will give birth to a Down syndrome baby.
Answer Choices:
a. Deductive, invalid
Answer: a. Deductive, invalid
Question: All credit cards are invitations to overspend, and some invitations to overspend are precursors of bankruptcy. Therefore, some credit cards are precursors of bankruptcy.
Answer Choices:
a. Deductive, invalid
b. Deductive, sound
c. Inductive, strong
d. Deductive, valid
e. Inductive, weak
Answer: a. Deductive, invalid
Question: DNA tests of blood found at the crime scene indicate a match with the defendant’s blood. Therefore, the defendant must have been present at the crime scene.
Answer Choices:
a. Inductive, weak
b. Inductive, strong
c. Deductive, valid
d. Deductive, invalid
e. Inductive, cogent
Answer: b. Inductive, strong
Question: Sandra is older than Florence, and Florence is younger than Carl. Therefore, it necessarily follows that Sandra is older than Carl.
Answer Choices:
a. Inductive, strong
b. Inductive, weak
c. Deductive, invalid
d. Inductive, uncogent
e. Deductive, valid
Answer: c. Deductive, invalid
Question: Given that x – y = 13 and x = 18. It follows that y = 4.
Answer Choices:
a. Inductive, strong
b. Deductive, invalid
c. Inductive, uncogent
d. Inductive, weak
e. Deductive, valid
Answer: b. Deductive, invalid
Question: Today’s edition of the New York Times ran a long article on the terrorist bombing in Israel. Therefore, probably the Los Angeles Times, which covers international news about as well as the New York Times, also has an article on that bombing.
Answer Choices:
a. Inductive, weak
b. Deductive, valid
c. Inductive, strong
d. Deductive, cogent
e. Deductive, invalid
Answer: c. Inductive, strong
Question: Either the painting is a forgery, or it’s worth a small fortune. Therefore, the painting is worth a small fortune, since it’s not a forgery.
Answer Choices:
a. Deductive, valid
b. Deductive, invalid
c. Deductive, sound
d. Inductive, weak
e. Inductive, strong
Answer: a. Deductive, valid
Question: The Director of the National Park Service stated in an interview that vegetation in the parks is seriously threatened by air pollution. Therefore, it must be the case that park vegetation is indeed threatened by air pollution, just as the Director says.
Answer Choices:
a. Deductive, valid
b. Deductive, invalid
c. Inductive, weak
d. Inductive, uncogent
e. Inductive, strong
Answer: e. Inductive, strong
Question: The bumper sticker says “Vote for Frank Jordan for Sheriff.” The obvious conclusion is that Jordan is the best man for the job.
Answer Choices:
a. Deductive, valid
b. Inductive, strong
c. Deductive, sound
d. Inductive, weak
e. Deductive, invalid
Answer: d. Inductive, weak
Question: Which of the following is a premise indicator?
Answer Choices:
a. Whence.
b. We may infer that.
c. Implies that.
d. Because
e. Accordingly.
Answer: d. Because
Question: Which of the following is a conclusion indicator?
Answer Choices:
a. Given that.
b. As.
c. For the reason that.
d. Owing to the fact that.
e. As a result.
Answer: e. As a result
Question: Which of the following sentences is a statement?
Answer Choices:
a. What is the density of gold?
b. Look!
Answer: a. What is the density of gold?
Question: Which of the following is a deductive argument?
Answer Choices:
a. An expository passage.
b. An argument from authority.
c. A casual inference.
d. A disjunctive syllogism.
e. A command.
Answer: d. A disjunctive syllogism.