Kaplan Critical Thinking 3

Question 1

Which of the following is the strongest counterargument to 'Organic food is healthier because it is natural'?

Accepted Answer

Many natural substances are toxic, so 'natural' does not guarantee safety or health

Answer

Many naturally occurring substances (e.g., arsenic, hemlock) are harmful, showing that 'natural' does not inherently mean healthy.

Question 2

What is the primary purpose of identifying unstated assumptions in an argument?

Accepted Answer

To expose hidden premises that the argument depends on and may be false

Answer

Unstated assumptions are the hidden premises on which an argument rests; if they are false, the argument may fail even if stated premises are true.

Question 3

A politician says: 'Senator Jones opposes the new highway bill, but he was convicted of a minor traffic violation ten years ago.' This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Ad hominem

Answer

Ad hominem attacks the person making the argument rather than addressing the argument's merits.

Question 4

Which scenario best illustrates deductive reasoning?

Accepted Answer

Given all mammals breathe air and whales are mammals, concluding whales breathe air

Answer

Deductive reasoning draws a certain conclusion from general premises; if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true.

Question 5

An editorial argues that crime is rising because rap music became popular in the 1980s. What logical error does this commit?

Accepted Answer

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Answer

Post hoc ergo propter hoc assumes that because B followed A, A caused B, ignoring other potential causes.

(Kaplan) Kaplan Test Prep Practice Test

(Kaplan) Kaplan Test Prep Practice Test

Kaplan Critical Thinking 3