TSA Verbal Reasoning & Reading Comprehension 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 'Some doctors are researchers. All researchers are scientists. Therefore, some doctors are scientists.' This argument is:
- Invalid because doctors cannot be scientists
- Valid — the conclusion follows logically from the premises (Correct answer)
- Invalid because 'some' cannot lead to a definite conclusion
- Valid only if all doctors are also researchers
Correct answer: Valid — the conclusion follows logically from the premises
The doctors who are researchers must also be scientists since all researchers are scientists, making the conclusion logically valid.
Question 2: A text states: 'The ancient Romans built roads that lasted centuries. Modern infrastructure rarely lasts more than 50 years.' The author most likely intends to:
- Praise modern construction techniques
- Suggest Roman engineering was superior to modern practices (Correct answer)
- Claim Romans had access to better raw materials
- Criticize modern society for its technology reliance
Correct answer: Suggest Roman engineering was superior to modern practices
The comparison implies Roman engineering produced more durable results, suggesting their practices were superior.
Question 3: Which word best fills the blank? 'The scientist's theory, though initially _____, was eventually proven correct.'
- celebrated
- refuted
- controversial (Correct answer)
- straightforward
Correct answer: controversial
'Controversial' (debated or disputed) creates meaningful contrast with 'eventually proven correct,' a common arc in scientific discovery.
Question 4: A passage states: 'Students who read more perform better in school.' This claim is best described as:
- A universal law applicable to every student
- A correlation that may or may not imply causation (Correct answer)
- A proven causal relationship
- An irrelevant observation about student habits
Correct answer: A correlation that may or may not imply causation
This is a correlation — reading and performance are related, but the statement alone doesn't prove reading causes better performance.
Question 5: What does it mean when an author 'concedes a point' in an argument?
- They abandon their main argument entirely
- They acknowledge a valid aspect of the opposing view (Correct answer)
- They repeat their main claim more forcefully
- They provide additional evidence for their position
Correct answer: They acknowledge a valid aspect of the opposing view
Conceding a point means acknowledging the opposing side has a valid argument while still maintaining your overall position.
Question 6: 'The fact that crime rates fell after the new policy proves the policy was effective.' This reasoning commits which fallacy?
- Valid deductive reasoning
- Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy (Correct answer)
- Valid inductive reasoning
- Circular reasoning
Correct answer: Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy
Post hoc ergo propter hoc assumes that because one event followed another, the first caused it — but crime rates could have fallen for other reasons.
Question 7: An author uses 'however' to begin a new sentence. What does this transitional word signal?
- A continuation of the previous idea
- A contrast or counterpoint to what was stated before (Correct answer)
- A supporting example for the previous claim
- A conclusion to the current argument
Correct answer: A contrast or counterpoint to what was stated before
'However' is a transitional word signaling a contrast or opposition to what was previously stated.
TSA Verbal Reasoning & Reading Comprehension 2
'Some doctors are researchers.
All researchers are scientists.
Therefore, some doctors are scientists.' This argument is: