Section I, Critical Reasoning


Questions 11 - 15

Study the two diagrams below and use the data in the graphs to answer the questions which follow.

Question 11
If you overheard a conversation between a farmer from Omaha and a farmer from Iowa in 1997 (who started farming in ’94), what would be the most reasonable and true statement you might hear from either party out of these four, given the data in the graphs above?

A “Worst Spring slaughter prices yet, last year.”
B “Never had such a bad December as this year.”
C “Slaughter prices rose March through May this year”.
D A and C.

Question 12
Which farmer would be able to make this statement truthfully in 1997?

“Last year was my worst for slaughter sale prices until the start of July, but my best from just before the end of July onwards”

A The farmer from Omaha.
B The farmer from Iowa.
C Neither.
D Both.

Question 13
Which was the most variable year in slaughter prices for both farmers?

A 1994.
B 1996.
C There wasn’t one.
D A and B are roughly equally variable years.

Question 14
For which years, and which farmers, is the following statement applicable?

“Prices were generally higher in January through to May than in July through to October.”

A 1994 and 1995 for both farmers.
B 1994 for Omaha, 1995 for Iowa.
C 1994 for both, 1997 for Omaha, 1995 for Iowa.
D 1994 for both farmers.

Question 15
According to the graphs, work out for how many months in 1997 each farmer was selling cattle at a price that topped any other year, on the 1st of those months. Total the figures you get for each farmer (ie. July, June, May, equals 3 months). What is the result?

A 2.
B 4.
C 3.
D 1.

Answers for questions 11-15