Practice MCQ Questions and Answer on Analyzing Arguments

1.

In the 1966 Supreme Court decision Miranda v. Arizona, the court held that before the police can obtain statements from a person subjected to an interrogation, the person must be given a Miranda warning. This warning means that a person must be told that he or she has the right to remain silent during the police interrogation. Violation of this right means that any statement that the person makes is not admissible in a court hearing.
This paragraph best supports the statement that

• (A) police who do not warn persons of their Miranda rights are guilty of a crime.
• (B) a Miranda warning must be given before a police interrogation can begin.
• (C) the police may no longer interrogate persons suspected of a crime unless a lawyer is present.
• (D) the 1966 Supreme Court decision in Miranda should be reversed.

Show Answer

 This answer is clearly supported in the second sentence. Nothing in the paragraph suggests that it is a crime not to give a Miranda warning, so choice a is incorrect. Choice c is also wrong because police may interrogate as long as a warning is given. There is no support given for either choice d or e.

2.

The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures. No search of a person's home or personal effects may be conducted without a written search warrant issued on probable cause. This means that a neutral judge must approve the factual basis justifying a search before it can be conducted.
This paragraph best supports the statement that the police cannot search a person's home or private papers unless they have

• (A) legal authorization.
• (B) direct evidence of a crime.
• (C) read the person his or her constitutional rights.
• (D) a reasonable belief that a crime has occurred.

Show Answer

 The second and third sentence combine to give support to choice a. The statement stresses that there must be a judge's approval (i.e., legal authorization) before a search can be conducted. Choices b and d are wrong because it is not enough for the police to have direct evidence or a reasonable belief—a judge must authorize the search for it to be legal. Choices c and e are not mentioned in the passage.

3.

On what does Quinn rely in making her argument?

• (A) statistics
• (B) emotion
• (C) fairness
• (D) anecdotes

Show Answer

 Quinn discusses the fairness of changing the law and raising the age at which one can receive a driver's license. Emotion (choice b) may be involved, but the argument relies on the fairness issue.

4.

Walk into any supermarket or pharmacy and you will find several shelves of products designed to protect adults and children from the sun. Additionally, a host of public health campaigns have been created, including National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, that warn us about the sun's damaging UV rays and provide guidelines about protecting ourselves. While warnings about the sun's dangers are frequent, a recent survey found that fewer than half of all adults adequately protect themselves from the sun.
This paragraph best supports the statement that

• (A) children are better protected from the sun's dangerous rays than adults
• (B) sales of sun protection products are at an all-time high.
• (C) adults are not heeding the warnings about the dangers of sun exposure seriously enough.
• (D) more adults have skin cancer now than ever before.

Show Answer

 The last sentence gives direct support for this response. Although children might be better protected from the sun than adults, the paragraph does not specifically cite statistics about children, so we can't know for sure, ruling out choice a. There is no evidence provided in the paragraph to support choices b and d. Choice e is incorrect since the last sentence tells us that warnings about the sun's dangers are frequent.

5.

Yoga has become a very popular type of exercise, but it may not be for everyone. Before you sign yourself up for a yoga class, you need to examine what it is you want from your fitness routine. If you're looking for a high-energy, fast-paced aerobic workout, a yoga class might not be your best choice.
This paragraph best supports the statement that

• (A) yoga is more popular than high-impact aerobics.
• (B) before embarking on a new exercise regimen, you should think about your needs and desires.
• (C) yoga is changing the world of fitness in major ways.
• (D) yoga benefits your body and mind.

Show Answer

 The second sentence points out that people should examine what they want from a fitness routine before signing up for a new exercise class. There is no evidence to support choice a. Choice c might sound reasonable due to the fact that the paragraph tells us that yoga has become very popular, but this statement is not supported by the information provided in the paragraph. Choices d and e are also not supported since the paragraph doesn't tell us whether yoga is good for both body and mind or what people think about it.

6.

The image of a knitter as an older woman sitting in a comfortable, old-fashioned living room with a basket of yarn at her feet and a bun in her hair is one of the past. As knitting continues to become more popular and increasingly trendy, it is much more difficult to describe the average knitter. Knitters today might be 18, 28, 40, or 65. They might live in a big urban center and take classes in a knitting shop that doubles as a café or they may gather in suburban coffee shops to support one another in knitting and other aspects of life. They could be college roommates knitting in their dorm room or two senior citizens knitting in a church hall. Even men are getting in the act. It would be incredibly difficult to come up with an accurate profile of a contemporary knitter to replace that image of the old woman with the basket of yarn!
This paragraph best supports the statement that

• (A) people are returning to knitting in an attempt to reconnect with simpler times.
• (B) knitting is now more of a group activity, as opposed to an individual hobby.
• (C) creating an accurate profile of a particular type of person depends on the people in this group having traits and characteristics in common.
• (D) today's knitters are much less accomplished than knitters of the past.

Show Answer

 The statement that it is difficult to create an accurate profile of a contemporary knitter comes immediately after a discussion about how different today's knitters are from one another and from knitters of the past. Choices a and d are not supported by the paragraph. Although the paragraph does discuss knitting done in group settings, it does not specifically say that more of today's knitting is done in groups; therefore, choice b is incorrect. Young people may be turning to knitting in record numbers, but again, that statement is not verified by the information provided in the paragraph, so choice e must be ruled out as well.

7.

Which of the following, if true, would strengthen the speaker's argument?

• (A) studies showing computers are expensive.
• (B) research on the effect of computer games on children.
• (C) examples of high school students who use computers improperly.
• (D) proof that the cost of computers is coming down.

Show Answer

Answer & Solution Answer: Option E Solution: This evidence would back up the speaker's contention that young students should learn the basics before learning computers. Choices a and d, which are both about cost, would have no effect on the argument. Choices b and c are too vague.

8.

Obesity is a serious problem in this country. Research suggests that obesity can lead to a number of health problems including diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. Recent research has even indicated that there may be a relationship between obesity and some types of cancer. Major public health campaigns that increase awareness and propose simple lifestyle changes that will, with diligence and desire, eliminate or least mitigate the incidence of obesity are a crucial first step in battling this critical problem.
This paragraph best supports the statement that

• (A) public health campaigns that raise consciousness and propose lifestyle changes are a productive way to fight obesity.
• (B) obesity is the leading cause of diabetes in our country.
• (C) people in our country watch too much television and do not exercise enough.
• (D) a decline in obesity would radically decrease the incidence of asthma.

Show Answer

 The support for this choice is in the last sentence, which states that major public health campaigns that increase awareness and propose lifestyle changes are important in our fight against obesity. Choice b can be ruled out because although the paragraph states that obesity can lead to diabetes, it doesn't tell us that it is the leading cause of this disease. Choices c and e might sound reasonable and true, but they are not supported in the paragraph. And although we are told that obesity has been connected to asthma, this fact is not quantified in any way, so choice d is also not supported by the information given.

9.

Generation Xers are those people born roughly between 1965 and 1981. As employees, Generation Xers tend to be more challenged when they can carry out tasks independently. This makes Generation Xers the most entrepreneurial generation in history.
This paragraph best supports the statement that Generation Xers

• (A) work harder than people from other generations.
• (B) have a tendency to be self-directed workers.
• (C) have an interest in making history.
• (D) tend to work in jobs that require risk-taking behavior.

Show Answer

 The support for choice b is given in the second sentence of the paragraph. Generation Xers like to work independently, which means they are self-directed. No support is given for either choice a or choice c. Choice d is not related to the paragraph. Although the paragraph mentions that Generation Xers like to be challenged, it does not say they like to challenge their bosses attitudes; therefore, choice e can be ruled out.

10.

The criminal justice system needs to change. The system could be more just if it allowed victims the opportunity to confront the person who has harmed them. Also, mediation between victims and their offenders would give the offenders a chance to apologize for the harm they have done.
This paragraph best supports the statement that victims of a crime should

• (A) learn to forgive their offenders.
• (B) have the right to confront their offenders.
• (C) learn the art of mediation.
• (D) insist that their offenders be punished.

Show Answer

 This answer is clearly stated in the first sentence of the paragraph. There is no support in the passage for choices a, d,or e. As for choice c, although mediation is mentioned, the statement does not indicate that victims should be the mediators.