Thinking skills RGSW OCR Legacy jan 2009

Instructions

yourself

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New research shows that long-term exposure to noise pollution could be causing thousands of premature deaths from heart disease. It is thought that as many as 3% of all deaths that result from heart disease are due to long-term noise exposure, including traffic noise. People may not be aware of the damaging effect of noise and we must ensure that those who live in noisy areas are given adequate information. Which of the following is the best statement of the main conclusion in the above argument?

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In 2006 almost 200,000 British-born citizens emigrated from the UK. The major reason for this huge migration was the need for more sunshine and, not surprisingly, sunny Australia and Spain were two of the most popular destinations. Long-term weather forecasts suggest our summer weather will be wetter and many people now believe that employment prospects are better in some EU countries. Which of the following is the conclusion that can best be drawn from the above passage?

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Study after study has shown the beneficial effects of a vegetarian diet. Apart from the reduced risk of heart disease, people who are vegetarian have an IQ that is about 5 points higher than meat eaters. This greater intelligence could bring many benefits in life such as improved exam success and greater employment opportunities. It is a very competitive world so we should encourage all school age children to become vegetarians. Which of the following is the best statement of the flaw in the above argument?

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Sales of milk chocolate have always been considerably higher than dark chocolate in this country. However, new evidence that dark chocolate can help our hearts and increase our sexual energy may change that. Other foods that have been discovered to increase sexual energy have become more popular amongst consumers. Once people have tasted a good quality dark chocolate, they continue to buy it as they find that they prefer it to milk chocolate. Which of the following is the conclusion that can best be drawn from the above passage?

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What is the best statement of the main conclusion in the following argument?

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There has been a glut of films recently in which good-for-nothing men behave in an unappealing and lazy fashion and somehow end up with gorgeous, smart, and dynamic women. Despite these crass plots, the films have been hugely popular with audiences and critics alike. In reality, this type of male behavior is not attractive to women and we should not be encouraging it. It is hoped that Hollywood will take a new direction in its mainstream comedies. We should also be ashamed of the endless jokes about bodily functions in these films.

What is the best statement of the main conclusion of the argument?

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Which of the following is an underlying assumption of the above argument?

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Despite not allowing the viewer to taste or smell the food, TV cookery programmes are very popular. It therefore seems unlikely that the popularity is due to an enjoyment of the food and there must be something else going on. Most of the programmes feature only a kitchen, ingredients, and a chef. Our enjoyment of the programmes must therefore be more about the personality of the chef than the quality of the food. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the above argument?

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Successfully banning smoking in public places has already led to considerable improvements in the health of the nation. The introduction of the ban was followed by a considerable drop in the number of people admitted to hospital as a result of heart attacks. Further restrictions on smoking and sales of cigarettes would therefore bring even more health benefits as it is widely accepted that smoking is a causal factor in heart disease. Even if these restrictions are unpopular, the government would be wise to introduce further restrictions on smoking and the sales of cigarettes. Which of the following is an underlying assumption of the above argument?

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Superfoods have amazing properties. Broccoli, for example, can help prevent cancer and heart disease. Red cabbage is also thought to guard against breast cancer. Cancer rates have been increasing steadily for many years at the same time as vegetables and salad have become less popular. If these foods are so potent, it must be the case that the increase in cancer rates is a result of a decrease in consumption of broccoli and all the other superfoods. We should be wise to dramatically increase our consumption of these superfoods. Which of the following is the best statement of the flaw in the above argument?

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A common image seen on video-sharing sites is of Americans blowing up fruit. Whether it be watermelons or mangos, they seem to love the sight of exploding fruit. It might be tempting to see this behaviour as limited to Americans alone but this would be wrong. We all enjoy the colours of fireworks exploding and who can say that they haven’t enjoyed dropping a big stone into a pool to watch the splash? If further proof were needed, the amazing popularity of action films featuring non-stop explosions should suffice. This suggests that it is a part of human nature to enjoy watching an explosion like blowing up fruit. The many video clips posted by Americans could also simply be because they have more video equipment than other nations to make these clips. Which of the following is the best statement of an intermediate conclusion in the above argument?

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Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the above argument?

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Worries that computer encryption codes may be broken by hackers in the near future are misplaced. Currently, it would take 10 trillion calculations to find the necessary prime numbers to crack a 50-digit code – the sort that might be used to protect bank accounts and other sensitive data. Even the fastest computer in the world would take 100 years to perform that many calculations. Laser-based quantum computers could potentially crack codes in minutes, but these are still in their infancy and only exist in one or two research laboratories. Which of the following is NOT an underlying assumption of the above argument?

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Which of the following is the best statement of the main conclusion in the above argument?

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Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the above argument?

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Which of the following is an underlying assumption of the above argument?

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Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the above argument?

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Which of the following is the best statement of the flaw in the above argument?

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Which of the following is an underlying assumption of the above argument?

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What is the best statement of the main conclusion in the following argument?

Which of the following is an underlying assumption of the above argument?

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the above argument?

Which of the following is the best statement of the main conclusion in the above argument?

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the above argument?

Which of the following is an underlying assumption of the above argument?

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the above argument?

Which of the following is the best statement of the flaw in the above argument?

Which of the following is an underlying assumption of the above argument?

Which of the following is NOT a statement of a flaw in the above argument?