Which one of the following is an assumption underlying the argument in the passage?
(A) Airplane travel is still relatively safe, despite the increase in reported mechanical problems.
(B) Mechanical problems in airplanes have increased dramatically since last August.
(C) Mechanical problems in airplanes have not increased by 50 percent since last August.
(D) Airlines are less reluctant to report mechanical problems than they previously were.（C）
(E) Mechanical problems in airplanes have become easier to detect since last August.
17. The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it robs the human race. It takes from posterity, as well as the existing generation, and from those who dissent from the opinion even more than from those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth; if it is wrong, they lose what is almost as great a benefit: the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.
Which one of the following best expresses the conclusion presented in the argument?
(A) Silencing the expression of an opinion is robbing the human race.
(B) Silencing the expression of an opinion harms those who dissent more than those who agree.
(C) Anyone who agrees with an opinion would not want to silence its expression.
(D) Gaining a clearer perception and livelier impression of truth is a great benefit.（A）
(E) The greatest benefit is the opportunity of exchanging truth for error.
18. Brushing your teeth regularly, no matter which toothpaste you use, will reduce your chances of tooth decay. Scientists have concluded that, when you brush, you reduce tooth decay by removing the film of plaque that forms on teeth and gums. So, you can forget about fluorides: brush your teeth carefully and say goodbye to cavities.
Which one of the following is a criticism of the reasoning in the argument?
(A) Brushing with fluoride toothpaste has been shown to reduce tooth decay.
(B) The fact that brushing will reduce tooth decay does not show that fluorides are of no value.
(C) Few people adequately remove plaque by brushing.
(D) People have plaque on their teeth most of the time.（B）
(E) Scientists have been wrong about fluorides.
19. Some good cooks are gourmet cooks who pride themselves on always using extravagantly rich ingredients in elaborate recipes. Some good cooks can be characterized as fast-food cooks. They may use rich ingredients as long as the recipes are easy to follow and take little time. Other good cooks are health food enthusiasts, who are concerned primarily with the nutritional value of food. But even though not all good cooks are big eaters, they all enjoy preparing and serving food.
If the information in the passage is true, which one of the following CANNOT be true?
(A) Most good cooks do not use extravagantly rich ingredients.
(B) Everyone who enjoys preparing and serving food is a good cook.
(C) More good cooks who use extravagantly rich ingredients are big eaters than are good cooks who do not use such ingredients.
(D) There are fewer good cooks who enjoy serving and preparing food than there are good cooks who are big eaters.（D）
(E) Gourmet cooks, fast-food cooks, and cooks who are health food enthusiasts are all big eaters.
20. Most discussions of the factors contributing to improvements in public health greatly underestimate the influence of the values held by individuals. This influence is indicated by the fact that the astonishing decline in mortality from infectious disease during the past century was primarily due to an improvement in living conditions. To a substantial degree, these improvements depended on the emphasis by an increasing share of the population on cleanliness, prudence, and moderation.
The main point of the passage is made primarily by
(A) analyzing existing data on medical practices and health outcomes
(B) presenting a set of related cause-and-effect assertions
(C) applying several general principles to a specific case
(D) presenting a general observation and supporting it with several specific examples（B）
(E) refuting in detail a commonly accepted argument
Questions 21-22
If the city council institutes new parking regulations, city revenues will surely increase, since studies have conclusively shown that, if such parking regulations are put into effect, there is an increase in parking violations, and an increase in parking violations will result in a greater number of parking fines collected.
21. Which one of the following is closest, in terms of its logical features, to the reasoning used in the argument above?
(A) Last year’s increase in revenues can be easily explained. That was the year the city council instituted new parking regulations. No doubt the new law brought with it an increase in the number of parking violations.
(B) If taxes were increased, this act would naturally result in increased revenues for the city, and increased revenues would make some desirable social programs possible. So, if taxes were increased, some desirable social programs would become possible.
(C) Henry says that, if the city council goes into closed session, an important matter of personnel policy is being discussed. However, no personnel matters were discussed at the council meeting, so if Henry is right, the council did not go into closed session.
(D) All cars parked on the north side of the street were ticketed last night, and the same cars were towed away this morning. So beware! A car ticketed in this city also gets towed away.（B）
(E) Allen says that, if the city council institutes new parking regulations, it is unlikely that revenues for the city will increase. If Allen is right, then the parking regulation plan should not be instituted.
22. If the statements in the passage are true, which one of the following must also be true?
(A) Unless there is an increase in the number of parking violations in the city, city revenues will not increase.
(B) If the city council institutes new parking regulations, the council will fall from favor with the citizens.
(C) The city council will institute new parking regulations only if an increase in city revenues can be expected to result.
(D) If the city council’s new regulations cause more parking violators to be ticketed, the city revenues will increase.（D）
(E) Unless the city institutes a complex system of parking regulations, the city cannot expect traffic violations to increase.
23. The function of government is to satisfy the genuine wants of the masses, and government cannot satisfy those wants unless it is informed about what those wants are. Freedom of speech ensures that such information will reach the ears of government officials. Therefore, freedom of speech is indispensable for a healthy state.
Which one of the following, if true, would NOT undermine the conclusion of the argument?
(A) People most often do not know what they genuinely want.
(B) Freedom of speech tends ultimately to undermine social order, and social order is a prerequisite for satisfying the wants of the masses.
(C) The proper function of government is not to satisfy wants, but to provide equality of opportunity.
(D) Freedom of speech is not sufficient for satisfying the wants of the masses: social order is necessary as well.（D）
(E) Rulers already know what the people want.
24. An unbiased observer of everyday encounters in Western societies would surely not find many instances of unkindness by people under 65 toward people over 65. There are undoubtedly incidents of unkindness based on age, and these warrant reproof. However, the very fact that such reproof occurs and is generally accepted implies that our Western societies basically respect the elderly. The same conclusion can be drawn from a recent survey finding: 71 percent of the under 65 population agreed with the statement that “people over 65 receive too little respect from society”, while only 44 percent of the over-65 population, the target of the alleged irreverence agreed with it.
The author concludes that Western societies basically respect the elderly partly because
(A) people under 65 are just as kind to people over 65 as they are to people of their own age group
(B) survey data suggest that fewer people over 65 than under 65 get too little respect
(C) disrespect for the elderly does not go so far as to result in actual harm
(D) survey data suggest that people over 65 are more aware of incidents involving disrespect to the elderly than are people under 65（E）
(E) incidents of unkindness to the elderly are neither common nor generally accepted in Western societies
25. These days, everyone talks about being too busy. But all this busyness does not seem to result in things getting done. Just as many tasks are still left uncompleted, phone calls unreturned, and appointments missed as there were in the days before this outbreak of busyness. Therefore, people must not be as busy as they claim.
Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the conclusion in the passage?
(A) These days, looking busy is a status symbol.
(B) People have to do much more these days than before the so-called outbreak of busyness.
(C) People waste so much time talking about being busy that they fail to get things done.
(D) Just as many things are getting done now as before the so-called outbreak of busyness.（B）
(E) People have more leisure time these days than before the so-called outbreak of busyness.
6. No senator spoke at the convention unless he or she was a Democrat. No Democrat both spoke at the convention and was a senator.
Which one of the following conclusions can be correctly drawn from the statements above?
(A) No one but
责任编辑：mman
