Verbal: Strengthen/Weaken Arguments Flashcards

A study found that people who regularly drink at least one cup of green tea daily have a lower incidence of heart disease than people who do not. The study's authors concluded that the compounds in green tea are directly responsible for a reduced risk of heart disease.

Answer: Individuals who regularly drink green tea are also significantly more likely to engage in other healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as regular exercise and a balanced diet.

This statement weakens the argument by introducing a potential alternative cause for the observed outcome. If green tea drinkers are also more likely to exercise and eat well, then these other behaviors, rather than the green tea itself, could be the reason for their lower incidence of heart disease. This breaks the direct causal link the author asserts between green tea and heart health, which is a classic correlation vs. causation flaw.

The city of Northwood has experienced a significant increase in traffic congestion. To combat this, the city council proposes implementing a congestion pricing system, charging drivers a fee to enter the downtown area during peak hours. The council argues this plan will be effective in reducing the number of cars downtown and alleviating congestion.

Answer: In a neighboring city with a similar demographic and economic profile, the implementation of a congestion pricing system last year led to a 30% reduction in peak-hour traffic.

This statement provides the strongest support by offering a direct, analogous precedent. If a similar city successfully implemented the same policy and achieved the desired outcome (reduced traffic), it makes it much more likely that the plan will work in Northwood. This is a powerful way to strengthen an argument that proposes a specific plan of action.

The CEO of software company TechFirm argues that the company must transition to a fully remote work model to increase profitability. The CEO's primary justification is that eliminating office space will lead to significant cost savings from rent and utilities.

Answer: Studies of companies in the same industry that transitioned to fully remote work showed a consistent and significant drop in employee productivity and collaborative innovation.

The CEO's argument connects cost savings directly to increased profitability. This answer choice severely undermines that connection. A significant drop in productivity and innovation would likely lead to a drop in revenue, which could easily outweigh the cost savings from rent. If revenue drops more than costs, profitability will decrease, directly contradicting the CEO's conclusion.

A wildlife biologist observes that the population of the arctic fox in a specific region has declined sharply. The biologist hypothesizes that the cause is a recent and unusually severe crash in the population of lemmings, the fox's primary food source.

Answer: The populations of other predators in the region that also rely heavily on lemmings, such as the snowy owl, have also experienced a sharp decline.

This observation strengthens the biologist's hypothesis by showing a consistent pattern across the ecosystem. If other animals that depend on the same limited food source are also suffering, it strongly points to the scarcity of that food source as the common causal factor. It rules out a fox-specific disease and makes the food-scarcity explanation more likely.

A university administrator claims that the university's new mandatory "Financial Literacy for Undergraduates" course has been a success. As evidence, the administrator cites a survey showing that students who completed the course reported feeling more confident about managing their personal finances than students who had not yet taken it.

Answer: The survey was administered to students immediately after they completed the course, before they had any practical experience applying the concepts learned.

This statement most weakens the argument by questioning the validity of the evidence. The administrator equates "success" with "reported confidence." This answer choice points out that the confidence was measured before it could be tested in any real-world scenario. This suggests the feeling of confidence might be temporary or illusory, and not an accurate measure of the course's actual impact on students' financial skills, thus weakening the conclusion that the course was a success.

A manufacturer of high-end, durable office furniture has seen its sales decline over the past two years. The company's management concludes that this decline is solely due to increased competition from new companies offering cheaper, lower-quality furniture.

Answer: Several of the company's most experienced and award-winning product designers left the company just over two years ago.

This statement most seriously weakens the management's conclusion by providing a compelling alternative explanation for the decline in sales. If the top designers left, it is plausible that the quality or appeal of the company's new products has diminished, leading to lower sales. This directly challenges the conclusion that competition is the *sole* cause.