7. The following appeared as part of an article in a daily newspaper:

“The computerized onboard warning system that will be installed in commercial airliners¹ will virtually solve the problem of midair plane collisions. One plane’s warning system can receive signals from another’s transponder—a radio set that signals a plane’s course—in order to determine the likelihood of a collision and recommend evasive action.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.

8. The following appeared in a presentation by the chief production manager of a machine parts manufacturing company at a management meeting:

“Our factory in Cookville is our most advanced and efficient. It is capable of producing ten drill bits for each dollar of production costs, whereas none of our other factories can produce more than seven drill bits per dollar of production costs. Therefore, we can reduce our overall drill bit production costs by devoting the Cookville factory entirely² to drill bit production. Since reducing the production costs of individual machine parts is the only way to achieve our larger goal of reducing our overall production costs, dedicating the Cookville factory entirely to drill bit production and shifting all other machine part production to our other factories will help us to attain³ that larger goal.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.

9.The following appeared in a memorandum⁴ to a team developing accounting⁵ software for SmartPro Software, Inc.:

“Currently, more professional accountants use SmartPro accounting software than any other brand. However, in the market for personal accounting software for non-professionals to use in preparing their income tax returns, many of our competitors are outselling us. In surveys, our professional customers repeatedly say that they have chosen SmartPro Software because our most sophisticated software products include more advanced special features than competing brands. Therefore, the most effective way for us to increase sales of our personal accounting software for home users would clearly be to add the advanced special features that our professional software products currently offer.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.

10. The following appeared in a memorandum from the marketing⁶ department of a children’s clothing manufacturer:

“Our HuggyBunny brand is the bestselling brand of children’s clothing. Parents everywhere recognize the HuggyBunny logo as a mark of quality, and most of our customers show great brand loyalty⁷. Sales reports have shown that parents are more likely to buy children’s clothes with the familiar HuggyBunny brand and logo than otherwise identical clothes without it. Therefore, if we use the HuggyBunny brand name and logo for the new line of clothing for teenagers that our company will soon be introducing, that clothing will sell better than it would if we labeled it with a new brand name and logo.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.

11.The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a local newspaper:

“Our city council’s neglect of the impoverished⁸ Railroad Flats neighborhood has left businesses with little incentive⁹ to locate there. Building a new professional football stadium in the neighborhood would solve this problem. Thousands

of football fans would travel to the area to see games, and they would buy from local merchants, encouraging new businesses to open. So our city council should move quickly to fund the construction of a professional football stadium in Railroad Flats in order to help the neighborhood develop a thriving economy.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.

12.The following appeared in a research paper written for an introductory economics course:

“For the past century, an increase in the number of residential¹⁰ building permits issued per month in a particular region has been a reliable indicator¹¹ of coming improvements to that region’s economy. If the monthly number of residential building permits issued rises consistently for a few months, the local unemployment rate almost always falls and economic production increases. This well-established connection reveals an effective method by which a regional government can end a local economic downturn: relax regulations governing all construction so that many more building permits can be issued.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.