Inference from Passages Flashcards

A passage notes that in a blind taste test, 60% of participants preferred the generic brand over the name brand of a soft drink. What can most safely be inferred?

Answer: Name brand loyalty among consumers may be influenced by factors other than taste

When taste preferences don't match purchasing behavior, non-taste factors like branding must be influencing consumer choices.

A legal passage states that a contract is void if one party lacked mental capacity at the time of signing. The plaintiff argues she was mentally incapacitated when she signed. If true, what follows?

Answer: The contract is void

The passage states directly that such contracts are void, not merely voidable, so the condition renders the contract void.

A passage describes two countries with identical poverty rates but very different distributions of wealth. Country A has wealth concentrated among 1% of residents; Country B has it spread across the middle class. What can be inferred?

Answer: Poverty rate alone does not capture a society's economic inequality

Identical poverty rates but divergent wealth distributions show that poverty rate is an incomplete measure of economic equity.

A passage states that a historian's account of a battle is the only surviving primary source from that era. A critic argues the account may be biased. What can most reasonably be inferred?

Answer: The account may be the best available evidence despite potential bias

Being the sole surviving source means it retains evidential value even if bias must be accounted for in analysis.

A passage explains that an employee was terminated for violating company policy, but notes the policy was never clearly communicated to employees. What can most reasonably be inferred?

Answer: The fairness of the termination is questionable given the lack of clear communication

Without clear communication of the policy, the employee's ability to comply was undermined, raising fairness concerns.

A passage states that a river's fish population declined after upstream industrial development, then partially recovered after a factory installed filtration systems. What inference is best supported?

Answer: Reducing industrial pollution into the river likely aided the fish population's recovery

The recovery following filtration installation supports a causal link between reduced industrial pollution and improved fish population.

A passage notes that a philosopher's later writings contradict positions taken in her early career. A biographer describes this as intellectual growth. What can be inferred about the biographer's interpretation?

Answer: The biographer believes changing one's views reflects positively on a thinker

Framing contradictions as 'intellectual growth' implies the biographer views evolving positions as a positive intellectual trait.