Critical Reasoning Practice Questions

1. City X has experienced a significant increase in traffic congestion over the past five years. The city council proposes building more roads to alleviate the problem. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the council's proposal?

Public transportation usage has increased by 20% in the same period

The population of City X has grown by 15% in the last five years

Similar cities that built more roads saw a 30% reduction in traffic congestion

The number of registered vehicles in City X has remained constant

2. A company found that employees who work from home are 20% more productive than those who work in the office. The CEO concludes that the company should implement a full work-from-home policy to increase overall productivity. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the CEO's conclusion?

Employees who work from home report higher job satisfaction

The company's competitors have successfully implemented work-from-home policies

The most productive employees were selected for the work-from-home trial

Working from home reduces the company's overhead costs

3. A study found that children who attend preschool perform better academically in later years. Therefore, the government should make preschool education mandatory for all children. Which of the following is an assumption underlying this argument?

All preschools provide the same quality of education

The benefits of preschool education apply equally to all children

Parents who send their children to preschool are more involved in their education

The cost of mandatory preschool education would not outweigh its benefits

4. A study finds that students who eat breakfast perform better on tests. The school board proposes providing free breakfast to all students to improve test scores. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken this proposal?

The study was conducted in a different country

Most students in the district already eat breakfast at home

The free breakfast program would be costly to implement

Some students perform well on tests regardless of whether they eat breakfast

5. A recent study found that people who regularly eat spicy foods have a lower risk of heart disease. However, it would be premature to conclude that eating spicy foods prevents heart disease. Which of the following, if true, would best explain why the conclusion might be premature?

The study was conducted over a short period of time

People who eat spicy foods tend to have other healthy lifestyle habits

The study did not account for genetic factors that might influence heart disease risk

The sample size of the study was relatively small

6. A company's sales have increased by 20% since implementing a new marketing strategy. The marketing director concludes that the new strategy is responsible for the increase in sales. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken this conclusion?

The company's main competitor went out of business during the same period

The company lowered its prices by 10% during the same period

The company's product quality improved during the same period

The overall market for the company's products grew by 25% during the same period

7. All roses are flowers. Some flowers are red. Therefore:

All roses are red

Some roses are red

No roses are red

None of the above

8. In a certain country, the number of reported burglaries decreased by 15% last year. The police chief claims this is due to increased police patrols in high-crime areas. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the police chief's claim?

The number of police officers remained the same as the previous year

There was a significant increase in the number of burglar alarms installed in homes

The decrease in burglaries was most pronounced in areas with increased police presence

Overall crime rates in neighboring countries also decreased during the same period

9. A politician argues that increasing funding for after-school programs will reduce juvenile crime rates. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken this argument?

Cities with well-funded after-school programs have lower juvenile crime rates

Juvenile crime rates have decreased in recent years without increased funding for after-school programs

After-school programs improve academic performance

Parents support increased funding for after-school programs

10. A study found that students who eat breakfast perform better on standardized tests than those who don't. Therefore, schools should provide free breakfast to all students to improve test scores. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this argument?

Many students who don't eat breakfast come from low-income families that may face other educational challenges

The study was conducted on a small sample of elementary school students

Eating breakfast has been shown to improve overall health and well-being

Some students perform better on tests when they're slightly hungry