In social science research, "highest education level attained" would refer to the most advanced grade or degree achieved by an individual-for some individuals, it may be a grade in grade school, and for other individuals, it may be a Bachelor's Degree, a Master's Degree, or Ph.D. (which is considered the highest education level). A recent study has shown a strong correlation between highest education level attained and proficiency in chess. Another result, studied at many points throughout the 20th century, shows a marked positive correlation between highest education level attained and income level. Assuming the statements above are true, what conclusion can be drawn?

In the last decade, the country of Alumba has undergone a massive construction boom. In one city, Semanta, hundreds of new buildings have been erected and, as a result, the ambient light at night has increased from 0.10 lux to 10 lux, causing migratory birds flying to alter their traditional path and fly into Semanta, where they often crash into buildings. The mayor believes that to ensure the birds keep to their traditional flight path while flying through Alumba, the city should turn off lights throughout the city at night during the bird's migratory season, so that ambient light is around 0.10 lux. Which of the following, is necessary, to evaluate the mayor's proposal for limiting the amount of night light that Semanta emits?

The prevalence of a simian virus has been directly correlated with population density in gorillas. Recent fieldwork in the Republic of Dunaga, based on capturing gorillas and testing the gorillas for the virus, has shown that Morgania Plain gorillas are more than twice as likely to be infected than are the Koluga Mountain gorillas. Nevertheless, the population density of Koluga gorillas is significantly greater than that of Morgania gorillas. Which of the following could best account for the discrepancy noted above?

Forty miles to the west of Tucson, a developer attempted to develop an "oasis" glade in the Sonoran Desert. He created a glade that, the developer claims, is as lush and plant-filled as the ambient 35° C temperatures allow. In particular, the developer planted several native fruit-bearing plants, such as prickly-pear cactus. Once the glade was established, a number of desert birds and mammals would regularly inhabit the glade, often eating most of the fruit that falls from the plants. The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that:

If shoplifting at ToySMart continues at the current rate, the shop's owner will be forced to close the store. Raising the prices of the goods sold at ToySMart by 10% will help make up the shortfall in the store's income; this change will therefore protect ToySMart from having to close.Which of the following is an assumption made in drawing the conclusion above?

After the recent court rulings, commercial shark fishing and shark hunting will resume in Diamond Bay. Many citizens of the communities around the bay have hailed this move, believing that a decrease in sharks will lead to an increase in all smaller fish, including the endangered Green-Gilled Silverfish, whose only ecosystem is within Diamond Bay. Ecologists, though, disagree, pointing out that a decrease in sharks will lead to a surge in Sea Lions, which are the principal predator of the Green-Gilled Silverfish. In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

Marijuana advocate: If marijuana were legalized in this state, the state could start assessing tax on the drug, increasing state revenues. Since sales would be legal, the criminal culture supporting the drug would vanish; as crimes ceased, the state would save money on fighting crime. Overall, the state has a tremendous amount to gain by making the drug legal. Attorney General: Studies of legalizing previously illegal drugs in other countries suggests that criminals controlling the business will not be eager either to sacrifice their profits or to play by the rules. Moreover, diverting money from crime-fighting after such legalization gives those criminals more free rein. The Attorney General uses which of the following techniques in responding to the marijuana advocate?

Anselm of Canterbury (1033 – 1109) was a medieval theologian. According to Anselm's ontological argument for the existence of God, "accidental beings" are all those things -- essentially all sense objects -- whose non-existence could be imagined without inherent contradiction, and "necessary beings" are those things whose existence is guaranteed precisely by what they are. Because accidental beings could not have guaranteed that they ever would come into existence, there must be a necessary being upon whom all the accidental beings depends to bring them into existence; and this necessary being Anselm identifies with God, who therefore clearly must exist.In our modern analysis, this eleventh century argument is most vulnerable to what criticism?

Nutritionist: Your company's fruit-processing technologies add unacceptable amounts of copper to the orange juice you sell. Because copper blocks the absorption of Vitamin C, your advertising campaign claiming that your juice is a good source of Vitamin C is faulty and should be removed.Juice Manufacturer: Some amount of copper is necessary for optimal health. Recent studies have shown that as many as 25 percent of Americans do not get enough copper in their diets; therefore, the benefits of the copper that our process adds to the juice outweigh the costs of any Vitamin C that it may block.The juice manufacturer's response is flawed as a refutation of the nutritionist's argument because it

In the next decade, a large percentage of municipalities throughout the country will experience power failures if they do not modernize their electrical substations. The vast majority of substations in the country already handle currents between 60% and 80% of their maximum capacity, and currents are expected to rise, perhaps by as much as a factor of 3 in the next decade, because of population increase and the increased demand from both industry and electronics in individual homes. Which of the following is an assumption of the above argument?

A high percentage of injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) occurs in athletes. A sophisticated statistical analysis looked at the number of athletes who suffered an ACL injury, and assigned numerical values to both the nature of the stress that produced the injury and to the resultant level of damage to the ACL. Researchers expected that, controlling for level of injury-causing stress, all athletically inclined individuals would show similar tendency toward ACL injury regardless of the specific sport. A surprising outcome is that, equalizing for injuring-causing stress, it appears that gymnasts have a much higher tendency toward ACL injury than do members of the National Football League (NFL), but this is most likely because _______________ Which of the following most logically completes the argument?

Medical Investigator: "Podiatrists initially assumed that Meyer's Rash, an itchy rash between the toes, was a fungal infection similar to athlete's foot. At first, only Dr. Pannikar argued that Meyer's Rash was viral in nature. All anti-fungal medications proved utterly ineffective in addressing Meyer's Rash. Now, recent antibody studies seem to suggest, quite surprisingly, that Meyer's Rash is caused by a virus."In the medical investigator's argument, the portion in boldface plays which of the following roles?

The Aquipos toucan is able to use its long beak to reach inside apertures in a tree's bark and feed on the insects that dwell within and that are the toucan's main food source. Several noted ornithologists have speculated that because the toucan's beak is curved in a manner similar to the openings in the bark, the beak evolved so that the toucan can best take advantage of the insects lying deep inside. Which of the following, if true, argues most strongly against the ornithologists` speculation?

Research has shown that shoppers who purchase garments in a "luxury" material, such as cashmere or angora, are likely to purchase garments in more than one other luxury materials, as well. A recent livestock disease has significantly reduced the amount of cashmere available on the market. This, in turn, has driven up the prices of the cashmere products still available for purchase. We can therefore conclude that more people will be buying angora items of clothing this year than they did in previous years.Which of the following, if true, best supports the claim that more people will be buying angora clothing this year?

The members of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) are famed for their intense devotion to one another. The Marine motto "Semper Fidelis" (Latin, "Always Faithful") is taken to connote, among other things, the lifelong devotion a Marine has to his or her comrades in the corps. Psychologists who study cohesion among groups have concluded that the USMC creates this intense bond through its unique Recruit Training program.Which of the following, if true, most helps to justify the psychologists' position?