Quicklearn and Smartstudy are two leading schools at Glendale. Their faculty salaries account for thirty percent of the student fee earned. In an attempt to increase enrolments and reduce costing, Quicklearn is considering lowering the school fee (to attract more students) as well as faculty salaries (to rationalize costing).

Which of the following, if true, would make the above proposal counterproductive?

A pre-election survey revealed that 32 per cent of the population surveyed planned to vote for the candidate John and only 18 percent for his opponent James. In the final tally, candidate James received 51 percent of the votes and candidate John received 40 percent. This shows that the poll procedure was seriously flawed.

Which of the following statements most directly contradicts the conclusion drawn above?

In a recent study, researchers observed that old people are more likely to suffer from depression immediately after the holiday season. They concluded that this was because old people are exhausted by the end of the holidays.

Which of the following statements most directly contradicts the conclusion drawn above?

All students who earned advance management degree from Abacus University received several excellent job offers. Typically, many graduates of Payola College have gone on to pursue advance management degrees at Abacus. Thus, enrolling as an undergraduate at Payola College is a wise choice for students who wish to ensure success in their careers.

Which of the following would most strengthen the conclusion?

Some developing countries use their limited foreign exchange reserves to buy iron ore for producing steel. This steel earns more foreign exchange than it costs. However, this is a foolish policy, especially as most of these countries have large deposits of iron are, which can be mined with minimal foreign exchange expense.

Which of the following, if true, most supports the policy of these countries to purchase iron ore abroad?

The government recently raised the price of alcohol to compensate for the increase in the import duty of the foreign liquor. This raise in the price of alcohol is a healthy step because it would bring down the consumption of alcohol among people. Also it would drastically reduce domestic violence, health issues and crime, which were encouraged by drinking alcohol.

Which of the following statements would seriously pose a doubt on the argument?

The management of Highway Mall was thinking of opening a book store to attract readers. Cloud 9 mall in the city had done a similar thing recently and had got a great response. Critics said that due to the location of the Highway Mall, it may not get a good response. According to them, the malls situated on highways attract only travellers who shop for snacks, travel accessories or car care products. The management of Highway Mall nevertheless went ahead and opened the book store.

Which of the following statements would strengthen the management's decision?

The airport in Flyville faces problems like flight delays and traffic congestion during winters. This results in a great discontent among the passengers and the people expecting cargo and shipments. The authorities have proposed to construct a parallel runway to the existing one. They expect it to solve the troubles involving delays and congestion. Although the cost of construction of a new runway is extremely high, the management thinks it would help increase the revenue and reduce flight delays.

Which of the following statements most directly contradicts the conclusion drawn above?

The public has reacted sharply to the recent ban on screening of politicians at airports. According to the spokesperson of the airport authority, politicians form an elite part of any society. People with high profile should be respected by masses and be given preferential treatment for the name and fame they bring to the society. Also, because they pose no threat to the security, it is reasonable to waive off the security procedures for such people.

All of the following factors strengthen the spokesperson's assertion except:

A housing society was surveyed by a commuter company last year. The results showed that most of the residents gave their affirmation for the concept of carpool. The carpooling, they felt, would benefit them through huge savings on fuel and time. Hence, carpool is recommended for a better tomorrow.

Which of the following, if true, will strengthen the author's argument?

It is argued by some scientists/environmentalists that the near extinction of India's white tigers is caused by state funded and promoted real estate projects that allow tree cutting and thus, greatly reduce the species' natural habitat and privacy.

Which of the following statements most directly contradicts the conclusion drawn above?

Juvenile crime in the state has increased by 20% over the last year. This is because of a flaw in the legislative system: judges are so unwilling to pass strict sentences that young miscreants are no longer afraid of the consequences of their acts.

Which of the following statements most directly contradicts the conclusion drawn above?

The police arrested 6 teenagers from the Olive Apartment Complex yesterday. More than 25 lbs of opium has been confiscated from them. A month ago, 3 more people arrested from adjacent areas were found in possession of illegal drugs. As a precautionary measure, the police have issued an advisory for the residents of the town to keep their children away from Olive Apartment Complex.

Which of the following measures would strengthen the issuance of the advisory?