(Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills ) Flashcards

A passage argues that the peer review system in science, while imperfect, remains the best available mechanism for quality control. The author's attitude toward peer review is best described as:

Answer: Qualified endorsement that acknowledges flaws while defending its utility

Phrases like 'while imperfect, remains the best' signal qualified endorsement: the author sees flaws but still defends the system's value.

An economist's passage claims that rent control reduces housing supply in the long run. A city planner counters that rent control preserves affordable housing in the short run. These two positions:

Answer: Operate on different time horizons and may both be correct within their own frames

The economist addresses long-run supply effects while the planner addresses short-run affordability; both claims can be true simultaneously because they address different time frames.

A CARS passage on evolutionary biology states: 'Altruistic behavior in animals poses a challenge to naive interpretations of natural selection.' The word 'naive' as used here most nearly means:

Answer: Oversimplified and failing to account for complexity

In academic prose, 'naive' applied to a theory means it oversimplifies and fails to capture the phenomenon's full complexity.

A passage traces how 'progress' changed meaning from a religious concept (divine plan) to a secular concept (scientific advancement) during the Enlightenment. The author's primary purpose is most likely to:

Answer: Show how a key concept's meaning shifts across historical and intellectual contexts

Tracing semantic shifts over historical periods is a classic humanities method for showing how ideas are culturally and historically constructed.

A CARS passage presents an argument that ends with: 'For these reasons, the conclusion seems inescapable.' The phrase 'seems inescapable' is best interpreted as:

Answer: A hedged claim that the author believes the argument is strong but implicitly acknowledges possible objections

'Seems' is a hedging word that qualifies the claim, signaling the author finds the conclusion very compelling while leaving slight room for alternative views.

A passage about legal philosophy argues that laws derive legitimacy from social consensus rather than from natural law or divine authority. A question asks which scenario would most challenge this view. The best answer is:

Answer: A democratic majority passes a law later found to violate individual rights

If a law emerges from social consensus yet violates rights, it challenges the idea that consensus alone is sufficient for legitimacy—suggesting laws may need an external standard beyond mere agreement.

During a timed CARS section, a student reads a passage but finds the main argument unclear after the first read-through. The most effective strategy is to:

Answer: Use the questions themselves to identify what aspects of the passage are most important, then re-read targeted sections

CARS questions highlight what the test-makers consider most important; using them to guide targeted re-reading is more efficient than a full second read under time pressure.