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12. The only physical factor preventing a human journey to Mars has been weight. Carrying enough fuel to propel a conventional spacecraft to Mars and back would make even the lightest craft too heavy to be launched from Earth. A device has recently been invented, however, that allows an otherwise conventional spacecraft to refill the craft’s fuel tanks with fuel manufactured from the Martian atmosphere for the return trip. Therefore, it is possible for people to go to Mars in a spacecraft that carries this device and then return.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

A. The amount of fuel needed for a spacecraft to return from Mars is the same as the amount of fuel needed to travel from Earth to Mars.
B. The fuel manufactured from the Martian atmosphere would not differ in composition from the fuel used to travel to Mars.
C. The device for manufacturing fuel from the Martian atmosphere would not take up any of the spaceship crew’s living space.
D. A conventional spacecraft equipped with the device would not be appreciably more expensive to construct than current spacecraft typically are.
E. The device for manufacturing fuel for the return to Earth weighs less than the tanks of fuel that a conventional spacecraft would otherwise need to carry from Earth for the return trip.

The correct answer is (E)

See: Assumption question

Think: I have to find the conclusion, then the evidence, and from them figure out the central assumption.

Do:
Conclusion: The “what” of an argument

In this case:
It is possible for people to go to Mars in a spacecraft that carries this device and then return.

Evidence: The “Why” of an argument

In this case:
E1:
The only physical factor preventing a human journey to Mars has been weight. Carrying enough fuel to propel a conventional spacecraft to Mars and back would make even the lightest craft too heavy to be launched from Earth.
E2:
A device has recently been invented, however, that allows an otherwise conventional spacecraft to refill the craft’s fuel tanks with fuel manufactured from the Martian atmosphere for the return trip

Assumption: Facts or ideas, not stated in the passage. The assumption must be true if the argument is to be considered valid. The assumption typical directly links the evidence with the conclusion. The best way to tackle it is to negate it.

In this case:
The device for manufacturing fuel for the return to Earth weighs less than the tanks of fuel that a conventional spacecraft would otherwise need to carry from Earth for the return trip.


If we negate the assumption, the conclusion can’t come to pass.

The device for manufacturing fuel for the return to Earth weighs more than the tanks of fuel that a conventional spacecraft would otherwise need to carry from Earth for the return trip, then the conclusion can’t come to pass in new invented device term.

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11. The average cable television company offers its customers 50 channels, but new fiber-optic lines will enable telephone companies to provide 100 to 150 television channels to their customers for the same price as cable companies charge for 50. Therefore, the new companies will displace cable companies within a few years.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to strengthen the argument?

A. The initial cost per household of installing new fiber-optic television service will exceed the current cost of installing cable television service.
B. The most popular movies and programs on channels carried by cable companies will also be offered on channels carried by the fiber-optic lines owned by the telephone companies.
C. Cable television companies will respond to competition from the telephone companies by increasing the number of channels they offer.
D. Some telephone companies own cable companies in areas other than those in which they provide telephone services.
E. The new fiber-optic services offered by telephone companies will be subject to more stringent governmental programming regulations than those to which cable companies are now subject.

The correct answer is B.

See: Strengthen question

Think: I need the choice that confirms the central assumption. In other words, Strengthen the argument = Strengthen the assumption.

Do:
Conclusion: The “what” of an argument

In this case:
Cable companies will be displaced by the new companies within a few years.
.
Evidence: The “Why” of an argument

In this case:
The average cable television company offers its customers 50 channels, but new fiber-optic lines will enable telephone companies to provide 100 to 150 television channels to their customers for the same price as cable companies charge for 50.

Assumption: Facts or ideas, not stated in the passage. The assumption must be true if the argument is to be considered valid. The assumption typical directly links the evidence with the conclusion. The best way to tackle it is to negate it.

In this case:
The channels, if not all, the most of them must be overlapped from both providers.

The choice B, only B, confirms the central assumption. So it’s the correct answer.

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10. In order to pressure the government of Country S to become less repressive, some legislators in Country R want to ban all exports from R to S. Companies in R that manufacture telecommunication equipment such as telephones and fax machines have argued that exports of their products should be exempted from the ban, on the ground that it is impossible for a country to remain repressive when telecommunication equipment is widely available to the population of that country.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument given by the manufacturers depends?

A. The government of S has recently increased the amount of telecommunication equipment it allows to be imported into the country.
B. The telecommunication equipment that would be imported into S if the exemption were to be granted would not be available solely to top development officials in S.
C. A majority of the members of R’s legislature do not favor exempting telecommunication equipment from the ban on exports to Country S.
D. Of all exports that could be sent to Country S, telecommunication equipment would be the most effective in helping citizens of S oppose that country’s repressive government.
E. Without pressure from Country R, the government of S would be able to continue repressing its citizens indefinitely.

The correct answer is B.

See: Assumption question

Think: I have to find the conclusion, then the evidence, and from them figure out the central assumption.

Do:
Conclusion: The “what” of an argument

In this case:
In order to pressure the government of Country S to become less repressive, some legislators in Country R want to ban all exports from R to S.

Evidence: The “Why” of an argument

In this case:
It’s impossible for a country to remain repressive when telecommunication equipment is widely available to the population of that country.

Assumption: Facts or ideas, not stated in the passage. The assumption must be true if the argument is to be considered valid. The assumption typical directly links the evidence with the conclusion. The best way to tackle it is to negate it.

In this case:
The telecommunication equipment that would be imported into S if the exemption were to be granted would not be available solely to top development officials in S.

If we negate the assumption, the conclusion can’t come to pass.
:
The telecommunication equipment that would be allowed to export into S (exempted) would be AVAILABLE SOLELY to top development officials in S, then the proposal to pressure the government of Country S to become less repressive by using ban will be failed. As a result, the argument that manufacture gave that telecommunication equipment such as telephones and fax machines have argued that exports of their products should be exempted from the ban will be failed.

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9. Astronauts who experience weightlessness frequently get motion sickness. The astronauts see their own motion relative to passing objects, but while the astronauts are weightless their inner ears indicate that their bodies are not moving. The astronauts’ experience is best explained by the hypothesis that conflicting information received by the brain about the body’s motion causes motion sickness.

Which one of the following, if true, provides the strongest additional support for the hypothesis above?

A. During rough voyages ship passengers in cabins providing a view of the water are less likely to get motion sickness than are passengers in cabins providing no view.
B. Many people who are experienced airplane passengers occasionally get motion sickness.
C. Some automobile passengers whose inner ears indicate that they are moving and who have a clear view of the objects they are passing get motion sickness.
D. People who have aisle seats in trains or airplanes are as likely to get motion sickness as are people who have window seats.
E. Some astronauts do not get motion sickness even after being in orbit for several days.

答案：A
思路：搭桥法，建立A与B的联系。仔细读题可知：这种运动性疾病是由于大脑接受了不同的矛盾的信息。有两个信息源：一个来自内耳（静止），一个来自眼睛（运动）。
选项中只有A,C,D涉及这样两个信息源。
A指出接受两种不同的信息较容易获得运动性疾病比起获得两种一致的信息。C：虽有两种信息，但两者是一致的（都是运动的）。
C, D：指出接受两种一致的信息较容易获得运动性疾病比起获得两种不同的信息。与题目的例子相反。所以只有A是正确选项。

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8. The stable functioning of a society depends upon the relatively long-term stability of the goals of its citizens. This is clear from the fact that unless the majority of individuals have a predictable and enduring set of aspirations, it will be impossible for a legislature to craft laws that will augment the satisfaction of the citizenry, and it should be obvious that a society is stable only if its laws tend to increase the happiness of its citizens.

The claim that a society is stable only if its laws tend to increase the happiness of its citizens plays which one of the following roles in the argument?

A. It is the conclusion of the argument.
B. It helps to support the conclusion of the argument.
C. It is a claim that must be refuted if the conclusion is to be established.
D. It is a consequence of the argument.
E. It is used to illustrate the general principle that the argument presupposes.

这是一个典型的必要题型，题目之所以觉得有难度，
因为conclusion 在首而论证过程在后，而且还有概念的等价交换：to increase the happiness of its citizens　＝＝to augment the satisfaction of the citizenry

Conclusion: The stable functioning of a society depends upon the relatively long-term stability of the goals of its citizens.

it should be obvious that a society is stable only if its laws tend to increase the happiness of its citizens.
A society is stable (a) à its laws tend to increase the happiness of its citizens. (b)

This is clear from the fact that unless the majority of individuals have a predictable and enduring set of aspirations, it will be impossible for a legislature to craft laws that will augment the satisfaction of the citizenry,
To craft laws that will augment the satisfaction of the citizenry (b)à the majority of individuals have a predictable and enduring set of aspirations, (c)

Therefore, A requires C. (the conclusion)
看懂文章后，不难得到正确答案B.

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7. Problems caused by the leaching of pollutants from dumps and landfills are worst in countries with an annual per capita economic output of $4,000 to $5,000, and less severe for considerably poorer and considerably richer countries. This is so because pollution problems increase during the early stages of a country’s industrial development but then diminish as increasing industrial development generates adequate resources to tackle such problems. Therefore, problems caused by such leaching in Country X, where the annual per capita economic output is now $5,000, should begin to diminish in the next few years.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

A. Within the next few years, Country X will impose a system of fines for illegal waste disposal by its industrial companies.
B. Countries surrounding Country X will reduce the amount of pollution that their factories release into the air and water.
C. Industrial development in Country X will increase in the next few years.
D. Country X will begin the process of industrialization in the next few years.
E. No other country with a similar amount of industrial development has pollution problems that are as severe as those in Country X.

Principle: Problems caused by the leaching of pollutants from dumps and landfills are worst in countries with an annual per capita economic output of $4,000 to $5,000, and less severe for considerably poorer and considerably richer countries.
Premise: (大前提）pollution problems increase during the early stages of a country’s industrial development but then diminish as increasing industrial development generates adequate resources to tackle such problems，用来支持最后的 conclusion:　: problems in Country X should begin to diminish in the next few years.
Evidence: in Country X, where the annual per capita economic output is now $5,000,
Conclusion: problems in Country X should begin to diminish in the next few years.
是对 premise 的一次改写。
Hidden Assumption: The industrial development in Country X will increase in the next years so that its economic output will be more than $5,000, it passes over the early stage of industrial development and has adequate resources to tackle leaching problems.

题目问Assumption, 即必要条件。 只有这个必要条件成立，结论才能成立(A->B ) 。没有这个必要条件，结论是不可能成立的（非B-> 非A)

A. 高额的罚款并不是country X抯 problem will diminish. 的必要条件。因为如果由公司从自身的经济利益出发，宁愿选择接受罚款，则结论不成立。
B. out of scope
C. Correct Answer. 正符合我们的 Assumption.
D. Weaken the conclusion --- because that pollution problems increase during the early stages of a country’s industrial development (early stages == begin the process of industrialization)
E. 时间不一致，（一般现在式与begin to diminish in the next few years.）
比较对象不对。（Other country 与 Country X vs. Country X 现在 与 未来）

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6. Which one of the following, if true, most seriously calls into question the accountant’s argument?

A. The company’s restaurants last year dropped from their menus most of the new dishes that had been introduced the year before.
B. Prior to last year there was an overall downward trend in the company’s sales.
C. Those of the company’s restaurants that did increase their sales last year did not offer large discounts on prices to attract customers.
D. Sales of the company’s most expensive meal contributed little to the overall two-year sales increase.
E. Most of the company’s restaurants that were in operation throughout both last year and the year before are located in areas where residents experienced a severe overall decline in income last year.

Sales Manager: the total number of meals sold last year much higher à consumers desire our meals
Accountant: the number of meals sold by every restaurants operating these two years actually decreased last year from the year before （事实）à the desirability of our meals has decreased ( conclusion) à a trend toward fewer sales (conclusion)
1， 不同的取样，Sales Manager depends on the total number of meals sold in the company in the last year, while Accountant depends on each of 2-year-history restaurant；
2， 论据与结论之间没有必然的联系，却被当成充分条件。他因可以解释结论。

A. Reason to explain why the sale of each sample restaurant decreased last year. （无关）
B. 总公司前年的下降不能否定去年的下降，也不能支持。（无关）
C. 那些去年销量不降反增的公司是因为没有降价太多。不降反增的公司与下降的公司是两个不同的集合，描述对象不正确。如果我们推出那些下降的公司是因为降价太多，也只能是给出一个原因来解释为什么下降。　（无关）
D. 公司最贵的招牌菜并没有给公司带来销售的增加。也属于一个解释，解释为什么总量会下降。但与Accountant 的观点并没有直接的联系。既没有针对描述对象：2-year-history restaurant，也没有削弱论据与结论之间的必然联系。
E. 答案。针对描述对象：2-year-history restaurant，他因：a severe overall decline in income
时间的一致：last year.

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Questions 5-6
Sales manager: Last year the total number of meals sold in our company restaurants was much higher than it was the year before. Obviously consumers find our meals desirable.
Accountant: If you look at individual restaurants, however, you find that the number of meals sold actually decreased substantially at every one of our restaurants that was in operation both last year and the year before. The desirability of our meals to consumers has clearly decreased, given that this group of restaurants---the only ones for which we have sales figures that permit a comparison between last year and the year before---demonstrates a trend toward fewer sales.

5. If the sales figures cited by the accountant and the sales manager are both accurate, which one of the following must be true?

A. The company opened at least one new restaurant in the last two years.
B. The company’s meals are less competitive than they once were.
C. The quality of the company’s meals has not improved over the last two years.
D. The prices of the company’s meals have changed over the past two years.
E. The market share captured by the company’s restaurants fell last year.

参考答案：A
思路：简单数学计算题。个体收入（利润，成本等）x 数量=总数
A：个体收入减少，总收入上升，必然是数量增加。所赐选项正确。
遇到这种题，只要列出公式即可解决。

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4. The gray squirrel, introduced into local woodlands ten years ago, threatens the indigenous population of an endangered owl species, because the squirrels’ habitual stripping of tree bark destroys the trees in which the owls nest. Some local officials have advocated setting out poison for the gray squirrels. The officials argue that this measure, while eliminating the squirrels, would pose no threat to the owl population, since the poison would be placed in containers accessible only to squirrels and other rodents.

Which one of the following, if true, most calls into question the officials’ argument?

A. One of the species whose members are likely to eat the poison is the red squirrel, a species on which owls do not prey.
B. The owls whose nesting sites are currently being destroyed by the gray squirrels feed primarily on rodents.
C. No indigenous population of any other bind species apart from the endangered owls is threatened by the gray squirrels.
D. The owls that tare threatened build their nests in the tops of trees, but the gray squirrels strip away back from the trunks.
E. The officials’ plan entails adding the poison to food sources that are usually eaten by rodents but not by other animals.

参考答案：B
思路：本题的错误在于，作者提出一种解决问题的方法，但忽略了他的副作用或反作用，从而没有从根本上解决问题或引出其他更重要的问题。
A：无关 red squirrel
B：如果rodents是owls的主要食物，那毒死rodents将更严重的减少owls的数量。
C：无关 Here the concerned object is the owl, not the other birds
D：无关
E：无关选项 Without further information about the rodents, this choice does not bother the argument

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3. Because of the recent recession in Country A most magazines published there have experienced decreases in advertising revenue, so much so that the survival of the most widely read magazines is in grave doubt. At the same time, however, more people in Country A are reading more magazines than ever before, and the number of financially successful magazines in Country A is greater than ever.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resole the apparent discrepancy in the information above?

A. Most magazines reduce the amount they charge for advertisement’s during a recession.
B. The audience for a successful television show far exceeds the readership of even the most widely read magazine.
C. Advertising is the main source of revenue only for the most widely read magazines; other magazines rely on circulation for their revenue.
D. Because of the recession, people in Country A have cut back on magazine subscriptions and are reading borrowed magazines.
E. More of the new general interest magazines that were launched this year in Country A have survived than survived in previous years.

参考答案：C

思路：explain题型的阅读要点是分歧主要在哪里。
A：无法解释后一现象
B：无关选项
C：抓住了分歧点：the most widely read magazines和financially successful magazines的区别
D：无法解释后一现象
E：无关选项（无关对比）