Critical Reasoning Paradox Mock Tests

13 questions available

Critical Reasoning Paradox Mock Test 1

Questions: 13

Sample Questions

GRE Verbal Reasoning

A company introduced a flexible work-from-home policy that allowed employees to choose their own schedules. Management expected this to increase productivity, as employees would be able to work during their most productive hours. However, six months after the policy's implementation, the company's overall productivity had decreased by eight percent. Which of the following, if true, best explains the discrepancy between management's expectation and the actual outcome?

A The decrease in productivity was concentrated in teams that required real-time collaboration, where asynchronous schedules made coordination difficult.

B Some employees who worked from home reported feeling more isolated and less motivated than when they worked in the office.

C The company's competitors also introduced flexible work policies during the same period, making it harder to measure relative productivity.

D Management had based their expectations on self-reported productivity data from a small pilot program.

GRE Verbal Reasoning

Read the passage and answer the question. Volcanic eruptions can have both warming and cooling effects on global climate. When a volcano erupts, it releases carbon dioxide — a greenhouse gas that traps heat — which would tend to warm the planet. However, it also releases sulfur dioxide, which reacts with water vapor to form tiny sulfate aerosols that reflect sunlight back into space. In the case of large, explosive eruptions, the cooling effect of the aerosols typically overwhelms the warming effect of the carbon dioxide. The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, for example, lowered global temperatures by approximately 0.5 degrees Celsius for about two years. Which of the following can be most reasonably inferred from the passage?

A All volcanic eruptions produce sufficient sulfur dioxide to cause measurable cooling.

B The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo released more carbon dioxide than sulfur dioxide.

C Small volcanic eruptions are more likely to have a net warming effect than a net cooling effect.

D Carbon dioxide is the most significant greenhouse gas produced by volcanic eruptions.

GRE Verbal Reasoning

The company announced record profits for the third consecutive quarter, yet its stock price fell sharply on the news. Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve this apparent paradox?

A The company's CEO resigned unexpectedly on the same day as the announcement.

B Investors had anticipated even higher profits, and the results, while record-breaking, fell short of market expectations.

C Competitor companies also reported strong profits during the same quarter.

D The stock price had risen significantly during the previous quarter, and the fall was simply a return to normal levels.

GRE Verbal Reasoning

Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the paradox below? Paradox: A recent study found that cities with the highest number of fire stations also have the greatest number of fires. However, this does not mean that fire stations cause fires.

A Cities with more fires build more fire stations in response to the increased demand.

B Fire stations are often located in densely populated areas where fires are more likely to occur.

C The number of fires has been decreasing in most cities over the past decade.

D Some fire stations have more firefighters than others, which affects their response time.

GRE Verbal Reasoning

The word "paradox" is best illustrated by which of the following scenarios?

A A scientist who studies climate change has a carbon footprint larger than the national average.

B A library that contains more books than any other in the country runs out of funding.

C A city that promotes walking and cycling has the highest rate of car ownership in the region.

D A teacher who advocates for less homework assigns difficult assignments every night.

GRE Verbal Reasoning

The 2008 financial crisis was preceded by a period of unprecedented economic growth and rising home prices. Central banks kept interest rates low, and financial institutions issued mortgages to borrowers with poor credit histories. Yet despite these warning signs, most economists failed to predict the collapse. Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the economists' failure to predict the crisis?

A The models economists relied on assumed that housing prices would continue to rise steadily, making a nationwide decline seem statistically implausible.

B Financial institutions were more profitable in the years leading up to the crisis than at any previous point in history.

C Central banks monitored the housing market closely but chose not to intervene because they believed the market was self-correcting.

D Some economists who did predict the crisis were ignored because their views conflicted with the prevailing consensus.

GRE Verbal Reasoning

In the 1990s, a city introduced a comprehensive recycling program that included curbside collection of paper, glass, and plastic. Participation rates were high — over 80 percent of households enrolled. Yet the city's overall waste reduction was minimal, with less than 5 percent of total landfill waste diverted. Which of the following, if true, best resolves the apparent discrepancy?

A The recycling program did not include recyclable materials such as metal cans, electronics, and construction debris, which constitute the majority of landfill waste by weight.

B Many households that enrolled in the program did not actually separate their recyclables correctly, contaminating entire loads of material.

C The city's population increased by fifteen percent during the period following the introduction of the recycling program.

D The cost of operating the recycling program exceeded the revenue generated from selling recycled materials.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning

A city installed cameras at all intersections to detect red-light running. After six months, the number of red-light violations decreased by 40%. However, the number of accidents at intersections increased by 10%. Traffic safety experts suggest that drivers who slow down to check for the camera may be more likely to cause rear-end collisions when stopped suddenly. Which of the following, if true, would most help resolve the apparent paradox presented in the passage?

A The cameras were installed at intersections that had the highest number of red-light violations before installation, meaning these intersections were not necessarily the safest to begin with.

B The 10% increase in accidents occurred primarily in minor rear-end collisions, while the 40% decrease in violations prevented what would have been more severe T-bone and head-on crashes.

C Some drivers who were caught running red lights received hefty fines, which motivated them to be more cautious at intersections.

D The city plans to expand the camera system to additional intersections based on the reduction in red-light violations.

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