Outsourcing is the practice of obtaining from an independent supplier a product or service that a company has previously provided for itself. Vernon, Inc., a small manufacturing company that has in recent years experienced a decline in its profits, plans to boost its profits by outsourcing those parts of its business that independent suppliers can provide at lower cost than Vernon can itself.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction that Vernon's plan will achieve its goal?

Which of the following most logically completes the argument?

The last members of a now-extinct species of a European wild deer called the giant deer lived in Ireland about 16,000 years ago. Prehistoric cave paintings in France depict this animal as having a large hump on its back. Fossils of this animal, however, do not show any hump. Nevertheless, there is no reason to conclude that the cave paintings are therefore inaccurate in this regard, since __________.

For several years, per capita expenditure on prescription drugs in Voronia rose by fifteen percent or more annually. In order to curb these dramatic increases, the ministry of health prohibited drug manufacturers from raising any of their products' prices. Even though use of prescription drugs did not expand after this price freeze, per capita expenditure for prescription drugs continued to increase by a substantial percentage each year.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the ministry's action did not achieve its goal?

When a caterpillar emerges from the egg on a tree branch, it immediately climbs upward until it finds a leaf bud to eat. Biologists thought that this behavior displayed an innate tendency to move in the direction opposite to the pull of gravity. In a recent experiment, a strong light source was placed at the bottom of a tree, and caterpillars, after hatching, climbed downward.

Which of the following hypotheses is best supported by the statements given?

State spokesperson: Many businesspeople who have not been to our state believe that we have an inadequate road system. Those people are mistaken, as is obvious from the fact that in each of the past six years, our state has spent more money per mile on road improvements than any other state.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the reasoning in the spokesperson's argument?

Manufacturers issue cents-off coupons to get consumers to try their brand of product with the hope that the consumers who try their brand will switch their brand loyalty. So in the initial marketing of their new brand X, Hartman Industries should issue cents-off coupons, thereby attracting a large segment of potential consumers as loyal customers.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most serious doubt on the likelihood that the marketing strategy recommended above will have the result that is claimed?

A city plans to attract new citizens with new housing and new facilities such as parks, recreation centers, and libraries. One component of the city's plan is to require that developers seeking permission to build this new housing provide these additional facilities at no cost to the city.

Which of the following, if true, would point to a possible flaw in the city's plan?

To reduce the danger to life and property posed by major earthquakes, scientists have been investigating several techniques for giving advance warning of dangerous earthquakes. Since catfish swim erratically before earthquakes, some investigators have proposed monitoring catfish to predict dangerous earthquakes.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the usefulness of the proposal?

First-time computer buyers buying PXC home computers typically buy models that cost much less and have a smaller profit margin per computer than do PXC computers bought by people replacing their computers with more powerful models. Last year PXC's profits from computer sales were substantially higher than the previous year, although about the same number of PXC computers were sold and the prices and profit margins for each computer model that PXC sells remained unchanged.

If the statements above are true, which of the following is most strongly supported by them?

Plant scientists have used genetic engineering on seeds to produce crop plants that are highly resistant to insect damage. Unfortunately, the seeds themselves are quite expensive, and the plants require more fertilizer and water to grow well than normal ones. Thus, for most farmers the savings on pesticides would not compensate for the higher seed costs and the cost of additional fertilizer. However, since consumer demand for grains, fruits, and vegetables grown without the use of pesticides continues to rise, the use of genetically engineered seeds of this kind is likely to become widespread.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?