Reasoning Practice Questions: Statements and Arguments
Directions (1 – 10): In
making decisions about important questions, it is desirable to be able to
distinguish between “Strong” arguments and “Weak” arguments insofar as they
relate to the question. “Strong” arguments are those which are both important
and directly related to the question. “Weak” arguments are those which are of
minor importance and also may not be directly related to the question or may be
related to a trivial aspect of the question.
Instructions: Each question below is followed by
two arguments numbered I and II. You have to decide which of the arguments is a
strong argument and which is a weak argument. Give answer
A) if only argument I is strong.
B) if only argument II is strong.
C) if either I or II is strong.
D) if neither I nor II is strong; and
E) if both I and II are strong.
1. Statement: Should ‘literacy’ be the minimum
criterion for becoming a bus driver on the road of metropolitan cities?
Arguments:
I. Yes. Illiterate bus drivers are less
likely to understand the traffic rules and signals.
II. No. Driving needs mechanical skill only.
2. Statement: Should bullock carts be banned from running
on the busy city roads?
Arguments:
I. Yes. They are slow-moving vehicles
and compound the traffic problems for fast-moving vehicles.
II. No. It is cheap medium of
transportation as well as environment-friendly.
3. Statement: Should hallmarking of gold be made compulsory
in India?
Arguments:
I. Yes. This would not only protect
consumer interest, but also give more credibility to the manufacturers in the
international jewellery market.
II. No. Hallmarking would damage the
product and it will further decrease its utility.
4. Statement: Is the WTO regime unfair to India?
Arguments:
I. Yes. The WTO bureaucracy has been
openly supporting the agenda of large capital from the developed countries, and
increasingly does not even pay lip service to the genuine demands of developing
countries like India.
II. No. If India cannot come up with a consistent approach
that links its domestic economic policy to its global trade strategy, why blame
the WTO?
5. Statement: Is using Gandhi (father of the Indian
nation) as a brand an insult to him?
Arguments:
I. No. If we name a road, park, street,
stadium etc using the name of Gandhi, why using his name as a brand will be an
insult to him?
II. Yes. It is against the National Emblems Act and any
contract entered into under the Indian Contract Act which violates any Indian
law is void ab initio.
6. Statement: Should Indian government allow the neighbouring
country X to dump huge quantities of vanaspati ghee into India at a price which
is cheaper than market price?
Arguments:
I. No. It is a violation of the
fundamental right of the farmer to grow crops and of that of the industry to
operate with a level playing field.
II. Yes. It is essential for India to provide shelter to all
the industries of X at all costs because it is a neighbouring country.
7. Statement: Should all the students be given free
all route railway passes?
Arguments:
I. Yes. If we want real prosperity of
nation, we really need so.
II. No. We should not indulge in any plan to mar the life
of students.
8. Statement: Should state police or central police
be banned from firing indiscriminately on the rampant mob in a trouble-torn area?
Arguments:
I. Yes. Humans should always be treated
in a humanitarian way.
II. No. This is the only way to restrict
the rampant mob from indulging in illegal activities.
9. Statement: Should there be a screening test only
for those doctors who get their qualification from foreign universities and
want to practise in India?
Arguments:
I. Yes. The move will be effective by
controlling the quality of doctors coming into India.
II. No. There is no similar screening procedure for Indian
graduates.
10. Statement: Should there be a ban on Bt Cotton in
India?
Arguments:
I. Yes. Bt Cotton is aimed at the large
farmers and it is not useful for the tropical climate of India.
II. No. Many European countries have given their approval
to use this for their farmers.
Answers:
1. A)
Argument I is strong because it pinpoints the negative feature of an illiterate
bus driver. II is not strong because mechanical skill is not enough. Traffic
rules are also important.
2. A) I
is strong because it focusses on the problems caused by bullock carts.
3. A) I
is strong because it cares for consumers and manufacturers both. II is weak.
Because it wrongly assumes that there is no way of hallmarking of gold without
damaging its utility.
4. E) I is strong because being swept away
by money is unfair. II is strong because it shows why WTO can’t help India in
spite of being fair.
5. B) II is strong because it tells why the
move is illegal. I is weak because the given analogy is not appropriate. Nor is
it convincing.
6. A) I
is strong because it advocates for the interests of farmer and industries, the
backbone of our country. II is weak due to the wording “at all costs”.
7. D)
I does not answer
how the real prosperity of nation will come through the move. Hence I is weak.
II is also weak because it does not say how the free railway pass will be
harmful to students.
8. E) I
is strong on humanitarian ground. II is also strong because this is the
ultimate step to restrict the mob.
9. A) I
Only I is strong. Quality of a doctor must not be neglected. II is not strong
because it adds nothing to the statement.
10. A) I
is strong because agriculture policy must be in accordance with the farmers as
well as with the tropical climate of a country. II is weak because need of the
farmers, tropical climate and other such factors in India might be different
from those in European countries.
