GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

The quiz contains 25 questions providing scenarios which will challenge you to use your critical thinking skills so that you can choose the best option. This quiz is worth 10% of your grade. The answers are not found in your required weekly sources, however they can be used for guidance on how to think critically. The quiz assesses your critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities that you have developed throughout your college education.You will have 13 hours to complete the quiz and it must be taken in one sitting. Click on the Take the Quiz button when you are ready to start this exam. When finished, click on Submit Quiz.

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Attempt history

	Attempt	Time	Score
LATEST	Attempt 1	42 minutes	25 out of 25

Score for this quiz: 25 out of 25

Submitted 3 Jul at 9:49

This attempt took 42 minutes.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Question 1

1 / 1 pts

<11{1[2(06)06]}> Reporter: A new campaign finance reform bill being considered by Congress would limit the amount of campaign contributions that political candidates can receive. However, a survey of candidates running for mayor, governor, and senate seats shows that not one of them favors the bill. Clearly, there is no desire among politicians to limit campaign contributions.
Which one of the following points out the flaw in the reporter’s argument above?

The views of candidates currently running for office do not necessarily represent the views of all politicians.

The reporter wrongly assumes that no politician has ever supported a bill intended to limit campaign contributions.

The evidence provided by the reporter suggests that most politicians are in favor of the new bill.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

The reporter doesn’t indicate the amount that the new bill would limit campaign contributions.

Question 2

1 / 1 pts

<21{1[1(13)13]}> A recent study of 100 employees from six departments of a major corporation found 65% to be sleep deprived. The researchers concluded that the majority of corporate employees are sleep deprived.
The researcher’s conclusion is suspect because it:

relies on a sample that is too small to represent the entire corporate workforce.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

fails to describe the effects the sleep deprivation has.

is based on evidence that is statistically impossible.

assumes that corporate employees are more sleep deprived than other people.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Question 3

1 / 1 pts

<11{1[4(17)17]}> Mrs. Orlof teaches two history classes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Yesterday she gave the same test to both classes. Anyone who failed the test must take a retest. Since a greater percentage of students who took the morning test failed the test than students who took the afternoon test, more of Orlof’s morning history students than afternoon history students will have to take the retest.
The conclusion above is not necessarily valid because:

more students may have taken the test in the afternoon than in the morning.

some of the students who passed the afternoon test may have received information about the test from morning students.

some students may have been absent from both classes.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

more students in the morning class may have passed the test than failed the test.

Question 4

1 / 1 pts

<11{1[4(23)23]}> People have claimed that Jamie’s paintings have given them the blues. Clearly this cannot be entirely , since many of Jamie’s paintings contain no blue at all.
The argument above is flawed because the author:

is not a noted painting expert.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

relies on contradictory facts.

misinterprets a key term.

provides no evidence.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Question 5

1 / 1 pts

<21{1[2(24)24]}> The average height of members of the high school basketball team is six feet, three inches. Jerry is on the high school basketball team, so Jerry must be taller than six feet.
The argument above is flawed because it confuses

an average for the individuals that make up that average.

people who are six feet three inches tall for people who are exactly six feet tall

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

the members of one team with the members of another team

Jerry with other members of the team

Question 6

1 / 1 pts

<21{1[1(01)01]}> Since Jessica’s participation in local politics increased significantly after she joined her school’s political science club, it is clear that her involvement in that club led her to take an interest in politics.
The argument above is flawed because:

it doesn’t say which political issues Jessica is interested in.

it states that the only purpose of the political science club is to spark an interest in politics.

it misuses the word “significantly.”

it’s possible that an interest in politics caused Jessica to join the political science club.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Question 7

1 / 1 pts

<11{2[3(11)35]}> Some politicians claim to support the environment in speeches they make around the country. However, to get to those speeches they ride in gas guzzling, pollution creating private planes. They therefore clearly don’t believe a word of what they say and are actually making the environmental problem worse.
Which one of the following, if true, would best weaken the argument above?

Improvements to the environment brought about through the politicians’ public support of environmental regulations more than offset the damage done to the environment by the politicians’ private planes.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

A majority of voters surveyed agree that politicians sometimes make society’s problems worse.

Most people who hear the politicians’ speeches on the environment are unconvinced by their arguments.

Some of the politicians try to hide the fact that they travel by private plane to their speeches around the country.

Question 8

1 / 1 pts

<21{2[2(12)36]}> Career counselor: It is best for artists to build a practical and safe career that will guarantee them a secure income, and then pursue their art in their spare time. That way, they will be motivated to work hard at their day jobs to support their art making, and both their career and their art will thrive.
Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument?

!GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Splitting time between two pursuits in life often causes both to suffer.

Having the time and money to make art doesn’t guarantee an artist commercial success.

Many people who aren’t artists prefer to pursue practical and safe careers.

Some forms of art making are expensive and require a good deal of money to pursue.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Question 9

1 / 1 pts

<21{2[1(01)25]}> The untimely death of Professor Hathaway halted his groundbreaking research into the uses of solar power. It therefore appears that Hathaway’s research will not result in practical applications.
Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

Researchers at other universities are conducting research into the potential applications of solar power.

Officials at Professor Hathaway’s university have refused requests to make Professor Hathaway’s research public.

Not all professors at Professor Hathaway’s university knew that he was conducting research into the uses of solar power.

!GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Professor Hathaway’s research can be used by other scientists to create useful applications.

Question 10

1 / 1 pts

<21{3[2(08)44]}> Surveys show that people who use calorie information to decide which foods to eat consume on average 100 calories less than they would if they didn’t check calorie information before eating. Strangely though, people who use calorie information in this way weigh more on average than people who don’t check calorie information before eating.
Which one of the following, if true, best explains the surprising statistic stated above?

People with a weight problem are most likely to check calorie information before eating.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Some people who check calorie information before eating don’t consume any fewer calories than they would if they didn’t check.

People who usually check calorie information before eating consume more calories if they stop checking.

There are fewer people who check calorie information before eating than people who don’t check calorie information before eating.

Question 11

1 / 1 pts

<11{3[1(07)43]}> As part of its reorganization, company X created five new positions within the company. However, after the reorganization was complete, company X had fewer employees than before the reorganization.
Which one of the following, if true, would best explain the result described above?

Some employees were laid off as a number of old positions were eliminated in the reorganization.

The new positions were created to respond to a greater demand for company X’s products.

Some employees who quit over dissatisfaction with the reorganization were immediately replaced by new hires.

Some employees of the company were switched into new departments to fill the new positions.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Question 12

1 / 1 pts

<11{4[2(12)56]}> Choose the pair of words/phrases among the choices that exhibits the same logical relationship as the words/phrases in the following pair.
building : blueprint

guitar : song

bridge : island

cake : recipe

ship : sea

Question 13

1 / 1 pts

<21{4[1(10)54]}> Choose the pair of words/phrases among the choices that exhibits the same logical relationship as the words/phrases in the following pair.
heavy : weight

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

color : size

hot : temperature

feather : scale

dry : wet

Question 14

1 / 1 pts

<11{4[2(06)50]}> Choose the pair of words/phrases among the choices that exhibits the same logical relationship as the words/phrases in the following pair.
gavel : judge

ruler : math

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

stop sign : driver

symphony : composer

baton : conductor

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Question 15

1 / 1 pts

<11{5[1(05)61]}> Memmie: The greater the population near a restaurant, the more potential customers it has and the greater chance its popularity will spread through word-of-mouth. O’Sullivans Restaurant just opened in the very densely populated town of Redville, so its chances for success are great.
Sam: But the more people living in an area, the more restaurants there are in that area, so the more competition each one faces. There are twelve other restaurants serving the people of Redville.
Memmie and Sam seem to disagree about whether:

O’Sullivans will serve a different kind of food than the other restaurants in Redville.

O’Sullivans will fail in its first few months.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

word-of-mouth about a restaurant can spread in a densely populated town like Redville.

the high population of Redville ensures that O’Sullivan’s has a great chance for success.

Question 16

1 / 1 pts

<21{5[1(03)59]}> Barney: Last winter, I slipped on the outside stairs of PineTree Café and broke my leg. My fall was caused by ice on the stairs that the restaurant failed to remove. Since the restaurant clearly did not provide a safe atmosphere for its customers, I am justified in taking it to court.
Lydia: Unwarranted lawsuits are sweeping the country—lawsuits that have no legal merit and are brought simply to make lawyers and their clients rich. If this trend continues, soon our legal system will be swamped to the point where it won’t be able to administer justice to people who truly deserve it. You therefore should drop your case against PineTree Café.
The speakers above appear to disagree on which one of the following points?

The legal system will soon be unable to administer justice to people who deserve it.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Many unwarranted lawsuits are sweeping the country.

Barney’s lawsuit against Pinetree Café is unwarranted.

Barney is likely to win his case against Pinetree Café.GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Question 17

1 / 1 pts

<7{6[3(02)66]}> In a survey of 10 film historians, half voted for Nosferatu as the greatest vampire film ever made, and the other half voted for Dracula. However, when asked which lead vampire character they considered more charismatic, all of the film critics chose Dracula over Nosferatu.
Based on the information above, it must be true that for some film critics, their feelings about the charisma of the lead character:

is not the most important factor they consider when comparing two films.

is the most important factor they consider when comparing two films.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

is the least important factor they consider when comparing two films.

is the only factor they consider when comparing two films.

Question 18

1 / 1 pts

<11{6[1(07)71]}> The higher the price of an antique, the greater people’s expectation that the object is rare. That, in turn, makes the antique appear more valuable.
If the statements above are , then offering an antique for sale at a bargain price:

should be discouraged because it lessens a quality that makes that antique desirable.

should be encouraged because it increases the likelihood that antique will be sold.

will guarantee that the antique will not sell at a profit.

will likely increase people’s expectations that the antique is valuable.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Question 19

1 / 1 pts

<11{6[2(03)67]}> Only circus animals with a clean bill of health will perform in today’s exhibition. A monkey, a poodle, and a horse will perform in today’s exhibition. No circus animals with a clean bill of health were prescribed medications this week.
If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true on the basis of them?

Neither the monkey nor the horse performing in today’s circus exhibition were prescribed medications this week.

No more than two circus animals have a clean bill of health.

No circus animals were prescribed medications this week.

The monkey, poodle, and horse are the only animals performing in today’s circus exhibition.

Question 20

1 / 1 pts

<11{7[2(03)79]}> Looking to increase the profits of his lemonade stand, Johann doubled the price of a cup of lemonade from 25 cents to 50 cents. This clearly shows Johann’s lack of business sense, for now he’ll almost certainly sell fewer cups at the new price and therefore make less money than before.
The argument above assumes that:

even if Johann sells more cups at the new price than he did at the old price, he’ll still lose money on the lemonade stand.

!GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

profits from the price increase will not offset the money lost when fewer cups are sold.

the price increase will likely put Johann out of business.

Johann is looking to double the profits of his lemonade stand.

Question 21

1 / 1 pts

<21{7[1(04)80]}> A company can either invest in employee training seminars or update its computer network. Since updating the computer network would result in more measurable benefits, the company would be best off updating its computer network.
The argument above assumes that:

the benefit of the company investing in employee training seminars cannot be measured at all.

the employee training seminars would focus on teaching employees to use the updated computer network.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

the more measurable a benefit, the greater value that benefit has to a company.

investing in employee training seminars would yield negative results for the company.

Question 22

1 / 1 pts

<11{7[3(08)84]}> The president spoke to 19 congressmen from Texas to encourage them to vote for a bill. Since four of the 19 congressmen went on to vote for the bill, it is clear that the president persuaded those four to vote the way they did.
The argument above assumes that:

the four Texas congressmen who voted for the bill were against it before they spoke to the president.

the president did not try to influence the votes of any congressmen outside of Texas.

the Texas congressmen who voted against the bill were persuaded by someone other than the president to vote the way they did.

the bill will not pass because a majority of Texas congressmen did not vote for it.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Question 23

1 / 1 pts

<11{8[1(04)92]}> The very large increase in allergies over the last thirty years is due to the great success of immunizations administered over this time period. Since immunizations have nearly eliminated life-threatening diseases such as polio, the human immune system increasingly targets other environmental substances in order to keep working properly. Allergy symptoms such as runny nose and itchy eyes result when the immune system attacks pollen that is breathed in from the air.
Which one of the following best expresses the main point of the passage above?

The use of immunizations has led to an increase in allergies.

Viruses that once caused polio now cause allergies.

Immunizations have been very successful in eliminating life-threatening diseases.

Immunizations often have surprising side effects.

Question 24

1 / 1 pts

<11{8[1(10)98]}> Sometimes people get caught in a “downward spiral,” a case in which something leads to a result which in turn leads to more of the original thing, bringing on more of the result. As the process continues, the result continually gets worse and worse. An example is when people turn to binge eating when depressed, which causes them to put on weight and feel unhealthy, which then makes them more depressed, leading to more overeating, and so on.
The author is mainly concerned with:

convincing people not to overeat.

!GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

explaining the process of the “downward spiral.”

showing how overeating can lead to depression.

showing how some processes lead to surprising results.

Question 25

1 / 1 pts

<21{8[1(07)95]}> Political science professor: Many people insist that the Internet is revolutionizing the political process. They argue that Internet debates and online political polls and chat rooms give people greater access to political information. And they’re right that online political chatter increases daily. But offering or reading anonymous online opinions does not by itself make for active political participation. In the past one would attend a rally, protest, or town meeting to engage in real politics. Today, people sit passively in front of computer screens under the illusion that they are connecting with their fellow citizens.
Which one of the following best expresses the main idea of the professor’s argument?

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment

Internet debates and online political polls and chat rooms give people greater access to political information.

Political organizations of the past bear no resemblance to the political organizations of today.

While the Internet has made more political content available, meaningful political involvement has decreased.

The Internet has revolutionized the political process because it has allowed many more political viewpoints to be expressed.

GEN 499 Week 4 – Critical Thinking Assignment