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Critical Reasoning

GMAT Critical Reasoning Strengthens: Phone Snooping and Advertising

Consumers have reported companies targeting Ads based on their private conversation, but if you look at the number of Ads that an average consumer is exposed, it has increased from 2000 per day in 1990 to 5000 in 2018, across platforms and devices. Under such circumstances, if the technology truly exists to target based on conversation, it would be in the interest of the largest advertising companies - G and F, to offer the service to all advertisers instead of a select few.

Which of the following statement strengthens the author's position?

GMAT Critical Reasoning Weakens - AI (China vs the US)

Out of the top 20 academic organizations, Chinese constitute 17 of those who were patenting in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and among 10 of the 20 publications leading the scientific research publications in the industry. From 2013 to 2016, Chinese organization have overtaken the growth rate of patent filing in other countries. However, Alphabet the US holding company of technology giant Google ranks #1 in terms of acquiring AI companies. Despite the competition, China would lead the world in AI technology by 2030

GMAT CR Inference - American Tax Rates

During world war 1 and 2, the top income tax rate jumped to 77% and 94% respectively.  From 1950 to 1980, the tax rates remained above 70%. When the United States faced an unprecedented recession from July 1981, the republicans sponsored the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 that cut the top tax rate to 50%.  The Tax Reform Act led by Republic president Nixon in 1986, broadened the tax based and dropped the tax rate to 28% from 1988.

GMAT CR Assumption - Retail Chains in Latin America

In Latin America, despite the growing influence of international retail chains, small independent supermarkets run by solopreneurs and traditional stores managed by families account for 45% to 61% of all consumer-goods sold. By offering coupons as credit and providing a complete shopping experience - childcare, cheaper bus service to the store, and offering personal attention, international chains could gain market share of low to middle-income Latin Americans.

For the above plan to work, what assumption do the Author most rely on?

GMAT CR Weakens - India Pulse

India produced a record high - more than 23 million metric ton in pulses in 2016-17. In spite of an above average monsoon and minimum droughts in the agricultural heartland, the government imported equivalent to 1/3rd of the total locally produced pulses under zero-duty imports, contributing towards drastically reducing the price of the pulses to 30% below the peak price in 2016. For Indians to have disposable income and contribute towards 8-9% annual GDP growth rate, imports of pulses should be limited?

GMAT CR Inference - Japan's Economy

Following the 1991 economic crash, Japan was in a two-decade stagnation, only to be revived in 2013, when the change in real GDP per working adult matched the American’s 45% over a 25-year period. The turnaround is credited to Prime Minister Abe’s aggressive money printing policy that has skyrocketed the debt to GDP ratio to 237% in 2017.

GMAT CR Strengthens - Opioid Crisis

To overcome the Opioid abuse seen in patients with chronic pain, the scientists at Stanford University have come up with a solution of silencing the neurons in the brain that register pain. The study conducted on mice along the amygdala region that is similar to humans and responsible for controlling emotions, isolated the region associated with pain from the regions responsible for negative emotions and positive rewards. However, it is the negative manifestation of the pain that protects humans from danger and fatal injuries. 

Plagiarism in Songs (GMAT Critical Reasoning Weaken Question)

Q) The Chorus from Sam Smith's "Stay With Me" has an eerie resemblance to Tom Petty's 1989 song - “I Won’t Back Down. Mr. Petty and Jeff Lynne, the Songwriters, filed a copyright violation case and settled out of court. Modern song creation has evolved away from the standard process - starting with the lyrics, the sheet music, and finally the tune. For new song creators, it would be impossible to fight cases where some parts of the song had similar sheet music as the songs in the 70s and 80s.

Challenge your Faulty Assumptions and solve GMAT 700+ Critical Reasoning and Data Sufficiency Questions

GMAT Faulty Assumptions
During GMAT Preparation, Critical Reasoning and Data Sufficiency sections require a great deal of adjustment compared to GMAT Reading Comprehension and Sentence correction. The linear thinking that involve variables, data substitution, rules, and logical thinking might not completely work for 700+ GMAT CR and DS sections. Here is Why!

Sony PS4 vs Microsoft XBox (GMAT Critical Reasoning Conclusion Question)

Q) If you go by the popularity of Gaming units, as of Jan 4th 2015, Sony’s PS4 sold 18.5 million units and reached 10.9 million PlayStation Plus subscribers, a growth of 37.9% from October 2014.  Despite the massive growth, Sony’s PlayStation is behind Microsoft’s Xbox One, which in November 2014 accelerated its sales due to a $50 price cut, and a bundle of free games. On 28th January 2015, Spotify, the leading music subscription service announced an exclusive partnership with PS4, and offered digital music to 64 million PlayStation Network users. With the announcement, Feb 2015 saw a spike in sales for the PS4 units by 45%.

Which one of the following conclusions is valid for the above statements?

Answer Choices

GMAT Critical Reasoning: Finding/Drawing a Conclusion

GMAT CR Conclusion Question TypeReaching a conclusion in an argument depends on the premise(s) and the assumption.

In simple terms,

Premise(s) + Assumption = Conclusion

What confuses GMAT test takers is the extent to which assumptions can be used to reach a conclusion. A wrong answer choice can plant the idea that it is all right to use personal biases, and knowledge outside the given statements to reach a conclusion.

Answering GMAT Critical Reasoning Conclusion Question Type


GMAT Critical Reasoning Bold Faced & Finding Structure: 7 BB Technique

GMAT CR Bold Faced
The structure of an argument in GMAT Critical reasoning comes in two forms: Bold Faced and Summary. In Bold Faced question type, the parts of the arguments that the test taker should focus are marked in Bold Font, while for the Summary, the test creators will ask how the argument is structured.


How to answer: Finding Structure of a GMAT Critical Reasoning Question


Affirming the Consequent – GMAT Critical Reasoning

GMAT CR Affirming the Consequent
We have learned how to divide an argument into premises and a conclusion. While splitting the argument, you should watch out for the order in which premises are stated. A common deductive fallacy seen in Critical reasoning question is when the premises and conclusions are true but invalid.

The test taker evaluates them separately and finds truth in the statements, thus assuming that truth equals validity. This is not the case, and test creators are using ‘Affirming the Consequent’ fallacy to trap the GMAT test taker.

Find out how to spot Affirming the Consequent GMAT Critical Reasoning Fallacy

Slippery Slope in GMAT Critical Reasoning

GMAT Critical Reasoning Slippery Slope
GMAT Critical reasoning assumption questions depend on arguments that involve Slippery Slope. This type of critical reasoning fallacy might not be mentioned in Official GMAT Guide, but the test creators often use this fallacy in various answer choices. It is easy to spot them if you pay attention to how the conclusions are reached.


Find out how to spot Slippery Slope in GMAT Critical Reasoning Questions

Ad Hominem in GMAT Critical Reasoning

Ad Hominem in GMAT Critical ReasoningOnce you get a feel of the various GMAT Critical Reasoning question types, it is important that you understand the fallacies in arguments that would be part of the answer choices. A common one seen in assumption and conclusion question type is the Fallacies resulting from Ad Hominem.

Ad Hominem is a Latin Word that translates to “To the Man” or more precisely “Against the man”. Politicians are experts at using Ad Hominem. In this type of fallacy, the author or source of the argument is attacked instead of attacking the argument per se.

Read how to spot Ad Hominem in GMAT Critical Reasoning

GMAT CR: Sanskrit Scholars are a minority in the Syllabus review committee

GMAT Critical Reasoning Must Be TrueSanskrit Scholars are a minority in the Syllabus review committee. Since the committee offers recommendations on syllabus changes, the below par representation of Sanskrit Scholars would lead to fewer years of mandatory Sanskrit classes in schools.

If the statements above are correct, they strongly support which of the following?

Learn about the answer choices and find out the correct answer

In 2013, the sea ice in Antarctica reached a record high (GMAT CR Assumption)

GMAT CR AssumptionIn 2013, the sea ice in Antarctica reached a record high. 80% of the increase in ice volume can be attributed to the strong westerly winds in the South Pole. The ice level is much higher than the recorded ice level during the 1970s. This proves that Global Warming is a hoax.

The argument above is based on which of the following assumptions?

a) Global warming and sea ice level are correlated.
b) Sea Ice Level in Antarctica has a stronger correlation to Global Warming
c) One of the effects of Global Warming is the melting of sea ice.
d) Increase in Ice Volume is the result of low temperature
e) There was no interruption in collecting data about sea ice level from 1970 to 2013

Find out the answer

How to solve GMAT Critical Reasoning Inference question

GMAT Critical Reasoning Inferenc“Infer” is, as you can see, a word with fairly flexible meaning.  We most often use it in day-to-day life to mean “make an educated guess.”  If your friend Jane says she doesn’t eat hot fudge sundaes, you apply your existing knowledge about the possible reasons someone could have for not enjoying the hot fudge and ice cream deliciousness, and you make an educated guess as to what her reasons could be.  On the GMAT, however, “inference” has a different meaning.  Think of inferring as the process of deriving the strict logical consequences of assumed premises. Learn how to answer GMAT CR infer Question

Avoid these 4 GMAT Critical Reasoning Fallacies...

GMAT Critical Reasoning Logical FallaciesCritical reasoning, like its name, is a critical component of the GMAT exam. It is part of the Verbal Section, with 41 questions that need to be completed in 75 minutes. The Critical Reasoning component is comprised of 14 to 16 questions.

They are designed to test reasoning abilities, and how well the test taker can judge the flaws, assumptions and conclusions in a given statement. Find out about 4 common logical fallacies made in GMAT Critical Reasoning questions.

Essential GMAT Reading Comprehension Guide (2023 Edition)


Chapters

  • Collecting and Interpreting Facts: GMAT Reading Comprehension    

  • Effective Note-taking for GMAT Reading Comprehension   

  • 5 Questions to Speed up Summary Creation   

  • Mastering GMAT Reading Comprehension: 3 Best Practices   

  • How to Remember Information   

  • How to improve comprehension by Questioning the Author   

  • How to Read Faster   

  • How to Answer GMAT Reading Comprehension Title question

  • How to Answer GMAT Reading Comprehension Main Idea Question   

  • How to Answer GMAT Reading comprehension inference question   

  • How to Answer GMAT Reading Comprehension Purpose Question   

  • How to Answer GMAT Reading Comprehension Detail Question   

  • How to Answer the GMAT organization of passage Question   

  • How to Improve GMAT Reading Comprehension Score?   

Passage #1: Protein-Rich Diet    Passage #2: Pregnant Women and Stress Management   
Passage #3: F Losing Momentum   
Passage #4: Conservatives and Automation   
Passage #5: Collaboration, Team size and Performance   
Passage #6: Effective Altruism   
Passage #7: Loneliness Epidemic   
Passage #8: Space Exploration   
Passage #9: Lab-Grown Meat   
Passage #10: Minimum Wage in the US   
Passage #11: AI and Creativity   
Passage #12: Bias Against Healthcare in Developing Economies   
Passage #13: Legacy Admissions   
Passage #14: Plastic Ban and alternatives   
Passage #15: Underestimating Homo Sapiens   
Passage #16: Conspiracy Theories   
Passage #17: Relative Poverty   
Passage #18: Why Paintings are expensive   
Passage #19: US Obesity Epidemics   
Passage #20: The Future of Advertising   
Passage #21: Breaking Large Companies   
Passage #22: Helicopter Parenting   
Passage #23: Future of Democracy   
Passage #24: Technology and Global Citizenship  

Passage #25: Morality and Investment   

Answers: 157 to 294

Pages: 295

Questions: 100+

Download F1GMAT's Essential GMAT Reading Comprehension Guide (2023 Edition)

 

Mastering GMAT Critical Reasoning (2023 Edition)


Chapters
1) Introduction   
2) 6 Step Strategy to solve GMAT Critical Reasoning Questions   
3) How to overcome flawed thinking in GMAT Critical Reasoning?   
4) 4 GMAT Critical Reasoning Fallacies   
5) Generalization in GMAT Critical Reasoning   
6) Inconsistencies in Arguments   
7) Eliminate Out of Scope answer choices using Necessary and Sufficient Conditions   
8) Ad Hominem in GMAT Critical Reasoning   
9) Slippery Slope in GMAT Critical Reasoning   
10) Affirming the Consequent – GMAT Critical Reasoning   
11) How to Paraphrase GMAT Critical Reasoning Question   
12) How to Answer Assumption Question Type   
13) How to Answer Conclusion Question Type   
14) How to Answer Inference Question Type   
15) How to Answer Strengthen Question Type   
16) How to Answer Weaken Question Type   
17) How to Answer bold-faced and Summary Question Types   
18) How to Answer Parallel Reasoning Questions   
19) How to Answer the Fill in the Blanks Question   
Question Bank   
Question 1: 5G Technology (Inference)   
Question 2: Water Purifier vs. Minerals (Fill in the Blanks)   
Question 3: Opioid Abuse (Strengthens)   
Question 4: Abe and Japan’s Economy (Inference)   
Question 5: Indians and Pulse Import (Weakens)   
Question 6: Retail Chains in Latin America (Assumption)   
Question 7: American Tax Rates – Republican vs. Democrats (Inference)   
Question 8: AI – China vs the US (Weakens)   
Question 9: Phone Snooping (Strengthens)   
Question 10:  Traditional Lawns (Assumption)   
Question 11:  Appraisal-Tendency Framework (Inference)   
Question 12:  Meta-Analysis of Diet Trials (Weakens)   
Question 13:  Biases in AI (Strengthens)   
Question 14:  Stock Price and Effectiveness of Leadership (Inference)   
Question 15:  US Border Wall (Weakens)   
Question 16:  Driverless Car and Pollution (Assumption)   
Question 17:  Climate Change (Inference)   
Question 18:  Rent a Furniture (Weakens)   
Question 19:  Marathon Performance and Customized Shoes (Weakens)   
Question 20:  Guaranteed Basic Income (Assumption)   
Question 21:  Brexit (Infer)   
Question 22:  AB vs Traditional Hotels (Assumption)   
Question 23:  Tax Incentive and Job Creation (Weakens)   
Question 24:  Obesity and Sleeve Gastrectomy (Inference)   
Question 25:  Recruiting Executives (Weaken)   

Answers with Detailed Explanation
 
 
 
 

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