A) Playing action video games does not have any negative effects on other cognitive abilities. B) There are no other activities that improve visual attention more effectively than action video games. C) The improvement in visual attention from playing action video games is not outweighed by other factors. D) The studies mentioned are applicable to the person being addressed. E) Visual attention is a desirable trait to cultivate. Environmentalist: The new factory will emit 500 tons of pollutant X per year. The current legal limit is 600 tons, so the factory is legal. But pollutant X causes respiratory illness even in small amounts. Therefore, the factory should not be built.

The professor’s argument is most vulnerable to the objection that:

A) It assumes what it seeks to prove about the fairness of curve grading. B) It fails to address the specific complaint about competition. C) It relies on an example of an unusually hard exam without showing it is common. D) It confuses the purpose of grading with the method of grading. E) It ignores the possibility of other grading systems that avoid both problems. Biologist: The Tuatara lizard of New Zealand has a “third eye” on top of its head with a lens and retina, though it is covered by scales. This structure is not used for vision but regulates circadian rhythms. The existence of such a complex structure with a non-visual function suggests that evolution sometimes retains elaborate features for new purposes.

A) Most children prefer sugary cereals to low-sugar cereals. B) Candy bars are not marketed as breakfast foods. C) The same cereals also contain fiber and protein that candy bars lack. D) Parents have access to nutritional information on the side of the box. E) Other countries have banned similar packaging with positive results. If you are a licensed driver, you have passed a written exam. Some licensed drivers have not passed a road test. Therefore, some people who have passed a written exam have not passed a road test.

A) Military spending did not decrease after the tax revenue drop. B) Economic factors are more important than military factors in empire survival. C) No other empire in history has survived a similar fiscal imbalance. D) The drop in tax revenues was not caused by military defeats. E) The fiscal imbalance was not offset by other sources of income. Some ethicists argue that it is permissible to lie to prevent a violent crime. But if we allow lying in such cases, people will begin to justify lying for lesser reasons, and eventually trust in communication will erode. Therefore, we should never lie, even to prevent a violent crime.