HAST Logical Reasoning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Identify the assumption: 'We should increase funding for public libraries because reading improves literacy.'
- Libraries are expensive to run
- Public libraries promote reading (Correct answer)
- Literacy is not important
- Funding has no effect on libraries
Correct answer: Public libraries promote reading
The argument assumes that public libraries promote reading, connecting the funding to the literacy benefit.
Question 2: Three friends—Ava, Ben, and Cara—each prefer a different sport: soccer, tennis, or swimming. Ava does not swim. Ben does not play soccer. Cara plays tennis. What sport does Ava prefer?
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Soccer (Correct answer)
- Basketball
Correct answer: Soccer
Cara takes tennis, Ava cannot swim, so Ava must play soccer; this leaves swimming for Ben.
Question 3: All squares are rectangles. Some rectangles are not squares. Which statement is logically consistent?
- No rectangles are squares
- There exist rectangles that are not squares (Correct answer)
- All rectangles are squares
- Squares and rectangles share no properties
Correct answer: There exist rectangles that are not squares
The premise directly states that some rectangles are not squares, making this statement consistent.
Question 4: A train leaves Station A every 15 minutes. Another leaves Station B every 20 minutes. If both leave at 8:00 AM, when do they next leave at the same time?
- 8:30 AM
- 8:45 AM
- 9:00 AM (Correct answer)
- 9:15 AM
Correct answer: 9:00 AM
The LCM of 15 and 20 is 60 minutes, so both trains next coincide at 9:00 AM.
Question 5: Which argument contains a logical flaw? A) All birds have wings; penguins are birds; so penguins have wings. B) Some fish swim; sharks are fish; so sharks swim. C) No plants think; roses are plants; so roses think. D) All metals conduct electricity; copper is a metal; so copper conducts electricity.
- Argument A
- Argument B
- Argument C (Correct answer)
- Argument D
Correct answer: Argument C
Argument C concludes 'roses think' from 'no plants think,' which is the opposite of what the premise supports — a clear logical flaw.
Question 6: In a code, CAT = 3-1-20 and DOG = 4-15-7. What does the number sequence 2-9-18-4 represent?
- CAGE
- BIRD (Correct answer)
- BARK
- BITE
Correct answer: BIRD
Each number corresponds to the letter's position in the alphabet: B=2, I=9, R=18, D=4 → BIRD.
Question 7: If A > B and B > C, which relationship must be true?
- C > A
- A = C
- A > C (Correct answer)
- B = A
Correct answer: A > C
By the transitive property of inequalities, if A > B and B > C, then A > C.
HAST Logical Reasoning 2
Identify the assumption: 'We should increase funding for public libraries because reading improves literacy.'