AILET entrance exam Question Bank Solutions for Logical Reasoning

Read the following short passage and choose the best answer to the question following the passage.

Cuisine from the north of China is one of the most popular kinds of food in India. But this is not the case for Southern  Chinese cuisine. In fact, in a recent survey, Southern Chinese cuisine was voted one of the least popular styles of cooking in the country. 

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox described above? 

Read the following short passage and choose the best answer to the question following the passage.

Experts musicologists believe that Beethoven wrote his last piano sonata in 1824, three years before his death. However,  the manuscript of a piano sonata was recently discovered that bears Beethoven's name and dates from 1825. Clearly,  the experts are mistaken because not every piece that  Beethoven wrote was catalogued in his lifetime, and it is known that Beethoven continued to compose until just weeks before his death.   

The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to which of the following criticisms? 

In making a decision about an important question, it is desirable to distinguish between a 'strong' argument and a 'weak' argument. A 'strong' argument must be both important and directly related to the question. A 'weak' argument may not be directly related to the question and may be of minor importance or may be related to the trivial aspect of the question. The question below is followed by two arguments numbered I and II. You have to decide which of the arguments is 'strong' and which is 'weak'.

Statement

• Should coal engines be replaced by electric engines in trains?

Arguments

1. Yes, coal engines cause a lot of pollution.
2. No, India does not produce enough electricity to fulfill even the domestic needs.

In making a decision about an important question, it is desirable to distinguish between a 'strong' argument and a 'weak' argument. A 'strong' argument must be both important and directly related to the question. A 'weak' argument may not be directly related to the question and may be of minor importance or may be related to the trivial aspect of the question. The question below is followed by two arguments numbered I and II. You have to decide which of the arguments is 'strong' and which is 'weak'.

Statement

• Should English be the medium of instruction for higher education in India?

Arguments

1. Yes, even in advanced countries like the UK and the USA, the medium of instruction is English for higher education.
2. Yes, English is a much widely spoken language in the world today.

In making a decision about an important question, it is desirable to distinguish between a 'strong' argument and a 'weak' argument. A 'strong' argument must be both important and directly related to the question. A 'weak' argument may not be directly related to the question and may be of minor importance or may be related to the trivial aspect of the question. The question below is followed by two arguments numbered I and II. You have to decide which of the arguments is 'strong' and which is 'weak'.

Statement 

• Should there be only a uniform rate of income tax irrespective of the level of income?

Arguments

1. Yes, this will substantially reduce the work of the officials of the income tax department. 

2. No, this will reduce government tax collection to a large extent.

In making a decision about an important question, it is desirable to distinguish between a 'strong' argument and a 'weak' argument. A 'strong' argument must be both important and directly related to the question. A 'weak' argument may not be directly related to the question and may be of minor importance or may be related to the trivial aspect of the question. The question below is followed by two arguments numbered I and II. You have to decide which of the arguments is 'strong' and which is 'weak'.

Statement 

• Should all the factories in the cities be shifted to the outskirts, far away from the main city?

Arguments

1. Yes, this is an essential Step for controlling pollution in the city.
2. No, such a Step will lead to a lot of inconveniences to the employees of the factories and their families as well.

In making decisions about an important question, it is desirable to be able to distinguish between 'strong' arguments and 'weak' arguments. 'Strong' arguments must be both important and directly related to the question. 'Weak' arguments may not be directly related to the question and may be of minor importance or may be related to the trivial aspects of the question. The question below is followed by three arguments numbered I, II, and III. You have to decide which of the arguments is a 'strong' argument and which is a 'weak' argument.

Statement Should the salary and perquisites of the public sector undertaking employees be made equivalent to those in the private sector?

Arguments

1. Yes, this will help the public sector undertaking to attract and retain a competent workforce.
2. No, public sector undertakings cannot afford to pay salaries to the level of the private sector.
3. Yes, otherwise the public sector undertakings will not be able to compete with the private sector organisations.

In making decisions about an important question, it is desirable to be able to distinguish between 'strong' arguments and 'weak' arguments. 'Strong' arguments must be both important and directly related to the question. 'Weak' arguments may not be directly related to the question and may be of minor importance or may be related to the trivial aspects of the question. The question below is followed by three arguments numbered I, II, and III. You have to decide which of the arguments is a 'strong' argument and which is a 'weak' argument.

Statement Should there be a limit on drawing groundwater for irrigation purposes in India?

Arguments

1. No, irrigation is of prime importance for food production in India and it is heavily dependent on groundwater in many parts of the country.
2. Yes, water tables have gone down to alarmingly low levels in some parts of the country where irrigation is primarily dependent on groundwater, which may lead to serious environmental consequences.
3. Yes, India just cannot afford to draw groundwater any further as the international agencies have cautioned India against it.

In making a decision about an important question, it is desirable to distinguish between a 'strong' argument and a 'weak' argument. A 'strong' argument must be both important and directly related to the question. A 'weak' argument may not be directly related to the question and may be of minor importance or may be related to the trivial aspect of the question. The question below is followed by four arguments numbered I, II, Ill, and IV. You have to decide which of the arguments is 'strong' and which is 'weak'.

Statement

• Should people with educational qualifications higher than the optimum requirements be debarred from seeking jobs?

Arguments

1. No, it will further aggravate the problem of educated unemployment.
2. Yes, it creates complexes among employees and affects the work adversely.
3. No, this goes against the basic rights of the individuals.
4. Yes, this will increase productivity.

In making decisions about an important question, it is desirable to distinguish between a 'strong' argument and a 'weak' argument. A 'strong' argument must be both important and directly related to the question. A 'weak' argument may not be directly related to the question and may be of minor importance or may be related to the trivial aspect of the question. The question below is followed by four arguments numbered I, II, III, and IV. You have to decide which of the arguments is 'strong' and which is 'weak'.

Statement

• Should all the management institutes in the country be brought under government control?

Arguments

1. No, the government does not have adequate resources to run such institutes effectively.
2. No, each institute should be given the freedom to function on its own.
3. Yes, this will enable to have standarised education for all the students.
4. Yes, only then the quality of education would be improved.

Experts musicologists believe that Beethoven wrote his last piano sonata in 1824, three years before his death. However, the manuscript of a piano sonata was recently discovered that bears Beethoven's name and dates from 1825. Clearly, the experts are mistaken because not every piece that Beethoven wrote was cataloged in his lifetime, and it is known that Beethoven continued to compose until just weeks before his death.

The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to which of the following criticisms?

Cuisine from the North of China is one of the most popular kinds of food in India. But this is not the case for Southern Chinese cuisine. In fact, in a recent survey, Southern Chinese cuisine was voted one of the least popular styles of cooking in the country.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox described above?

Information that is published is part of the public record. But the information that a reporter collects, and sources that he contacts, must be protected in order for our free press to function free of fear.

The above argument is most severely weakened by which one of the following statements?

Psychological novels are superior to novels of adventure. Immature readers prefer novels of adventure to novels with less action and greater psychological depth. The immature reader: who prefers James Bond's exploits to the subtleties of Henry James, can be identified easily by his choice of inferior reading matter.

A criticism of the logic of this argument would be likely to find fault with the author's.

Vijay claimed that the large dent in the fender of the company-owned vehicle he had borrowed was caused by the careless actions of another motorist, who backed into the car when it was parked in a public garage. Yet Vijay's own car has several dents in its fenders, all of which he acknowledges as having caused by his own careless driving. Therefore, Vijay's contention that the dent in the formerly undented company-owned vehicle was caused by the careless actions of another person is not true.

The reasoning in this argument is vulnerable because of it

Plato said 'that government is the best government which governs least'. This statement contradicts from which of the following options?

A growing number of ecologists have begun to recommend lifting the ban on the hunting of leopards, which are not an endangered species, and on the international trade of leopard's skin. Why, then, do I continue to support the protection of leopards?
For the same reason, I oppose the hunting of people. Admittedly, there are far too many human beings on this planet to qualify us for inclusion on the list of endangered species. Still, I doubt the same ecologists endorsing the resumption of leopard hunting would use that fact to recommend the hunting of human beings.

Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the author's argument?

Read the following short passage and choose the best answer to the questions that follow each passage.

With social media emerging as one of the most popular hangouts for Indians, brand endorsement deals in the country are getting hugely influenced by how active celebrities are on Twitter, Facebook Instagram, and blogs.

Which of the following substantially weakens the argument given in the above statement?

Read the following short passage and choose the best answer to the question that follows

Cocoa and chocolate products have been used as medicine in many cultures for centuries. Chocolate is made from plants. which means it contains many of the health benefits of leafy vegetables.

Which of the following statements weakens the above argument?

1. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants which slow down the ageing process.
2. A small study revealed that regular intake of chocolate increases insulin sensitivity, thus lowering the chances of diabetes.
3. Green leafy vegetables have substances which protect skin from UV rays.
4. Chocolates have three types of fats, one of which increases the cholesterol level.
5. Cocoa increases blood flow to the retina, thus giving a boost to vision.

The question below is given a statement followed by two assumptions numbered I and II. An assumption is something supposed or taken for granted. You have to consider the statement and the following assumptions and decide which of the assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement.

Statement The school authority decided to rent out the school premises during weekends and holidays for organizing various functions to augment its resources.

Assumptions

1. The parents of the school students may protest against the decision of the school authority.
2. There may not be enough demand for hiring the school premises for organizing functions.