A recent survey conducted in the New Homes magazine indicated that more than 70% of its readers are planning to purchase or build a new home over the next two years. Based on the results of the survey, the editor of the magazine concluded that over the next two years, the real estate industry is likely to experience rapid growth driven by the high market demand for new homes.

Which of the following statements, if true, would be the most damaging to the conclusion of the magazine's editor?

Antoine: The alarming fact is that among children aged 19 years and younger, the number taking antipsychotic medicines soared 73 percent in the last four years. That is greater than the increase in the number of adults taking antipsychotic medicines during the same period.

Lucy: But the use of antipsychotic drugs by adults is considered normal at the current rate of 11 adults per 1,000 taking the drugs. In contrast, the number of children on antipsychotic medication last year was 6.6 per 1,000 children.

Lucy's argument is structured to lead to which of the following as a conclusion?

Congressman Jones experienced a drop in his approval numbers after announcing that taxes in his district would increase the following year. His office also received a significant number of phone calls decrying this tax raise. Nevertheless, he claims that reactions to the tax increase were unrelated to his drop in voters' approval of him.Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports Congressman Jones's position?

Traditionally, the foundations of houses were made of concrete. A builder is experimenting with using a hard plastic polymer for foundations. A foundation made with the polymer is about the same price to construct and install as is concrete foundation. Unlike concrete, the polymer will block all water flow and is not prone to cracking with age. The builder argues that houses built with the polymer foundation will last longer. Which of the following must be studied in order to evaluate the argument presented above?

At HappyDay farms, seasonal staff is employed to pick apples during the harvest season each year. This staff is trained to identify and select only high quality apples, table-worthy apples. As part of this process, apples that have been visibly damaged by insects or disease are left to rot in the fields. The farmer who owns the property and sells the fruit is, therefore, less well informed about potential problems with his crops, such as insect infestations, than are the pickers themselves.The conclusion drawn above is based on the assumption that

Cognitive psychologist: The argument against IQ as a hereditary trait that is fixed throughout one's lifetime ignores the evidence of eye orientation. That is, there is a high correlation between the speed in which a person's eyes orient towards a stimulus and that person's IQ. Specifically, an experiment measured the number of milliseconds subjects required to orient their eyes to the where on a large screen a word was flashed. The study found that the more rapid the response the higher that person's IQ. Which of the following is an assumption the cognitive psychologist makes?

The Interstate Bridge over the Apache River, built in the 1950s, shows a substantial amount of rust: as much as 45% of its surface is coated in rust. Community activists have argued that the bridge presents a hazard: it is likely to collapse in places where it has rusted through. Professors of mechanical engineering at the local university did an extensive analysis of the bridge. These professors and their graduate students determined that 98% of the rust on the bridge exists on the surface only, and actually seals the underlying steel from the corrosive influence of the elements. The results of this academic study suggest that the bridge is safe for continued use. In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

The price of the SuperPixel high definition television, by Lux Electronics, has typically been out of the range of most consumers, a few of whom nonetheless save up for the television. This past July, the SuperPixel reduced its price by 40%, and sales during that month nearly tripled. TechWare, a popular electronics magazine, claims that the SuperPixel television should continue to see sales grow at this rate till the end of August. Which of the following suggests that TechWare's forecast is misguided?

Last week, an investigative journalist published an exposé in the newspaper, demonstrating that many of the shoes sold in a certain department store in California were made overseas in sweatshops that are alleged to use child labor. This week, the department store experienced a drop in shoe sales, after twelve weeks of robust sales of shoes. The management team of the department store maintains that the unfavorable article in the newspaper last week had nothing to do with their drop in shoe sales this week. Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the management team's position?

A certain city has had many vacant homes in the downtown neighborhoods. The city loses significant tax revenue each year because those houses stand unoccupied. The city felt that the fear of crime was keeping professionals from moving into these houses. Over 80% of the city's professional work force live outside of the city, in nearby suburbs, and commute daily. Plan: Five years ago, the city tripled the size of the municipal police force, increasing patrols throughout the city. All studies have confirmed that crime has dropped substantially. Result: the vacancy rate in these single-family houses has not changed substantially in five years. Further information: Almost all of the vacant houses are in excellent condition, ready for occupancy. The city supports a number of high-paying professional jobs, and the state economy has been booming over the past five years. In light of the further information, which of the following, if true, does most to explain the result that followed the implementation of the plan?

A coffee manufacturer wants more restaurant chains to serve its brands of coffee. The manufacturer is considering a plan to offer its coffee to large chains at a significantly lower price, at least for a certain period. This lower price initially will reduce the manufacturer's profits, but they hope to get into enough nationwide restaurant chains that their volume increases significantly. Once they have a much higher volume, even a small increase in their price would have an enormous effect on their profits.In evaluating the plan's chances of success, it would be most helpful to know which of the following?

Prof. Hernandez's monumental work The History of Central America covers everything about the region from the origin of the Mesoamerican period to the end of the Cold War. While the book has several informative maps and charts, many of the chapters spend less time describing facts and more time explaining Prof. Hernandez's theories. Indeed, the last two chapters consist exclusively of his exposition of theory of the role of Central America in post WWII world politics. Therefore, properly speaking, this book is not a history book. Which of the following is an assumption that supports drawing the conclusion above from the reasons given for that conclusion?

Government official: Currently many business travelers rely on a one-hour flight between the cities, but complain about congestion and delays at the airport. The new high-speed railway between Hamport and Dudley, Aplandia's two major financial hubs, will be able to make the same trip in slightly less than three hours. Given this option, many who fly between the two cities during the week will choose the railway, since it will allow them to travel between the city centers in less time than a flight with the expected delays plus the commute to and from airports would take. Which of the following, if true, would most cast doubt on his proposal above?

In a certain state, over 80% of the land is comprised of farms, but historically, large farm machinery has not sold well in this state. The percentage of land devoted to farms is not expected to increase. In fact, the number of farms in the state has been slowly declining over the past decade. A new manufacturer of large farm equipment is building a factory in the middle of this state, and the manufacturer's plans for success depend on strong in-state sales of their product. Both the manufacturer and the industry analysts are expecting this manufacturer to be quite successful over the next few years.Which of the following, if true, most helps to provide a justification for the manufacturer's and the industry analysts' optimistic expectations?

In August, the Williamstown main city parking garage was completely full every single day of the month. This phenomenon indicates that the main city parking garage in Williamstown is a popular place for parking. herefore, the Williamstown parking garage will be full every day of the month for September. Which of the following, if true, cast the most doubt on the conclusion above?