General Knowledge & Logics Quizz

Which of the following states is NOT a permanent member of the UN Security Council?

When mobile phones were introduced there were concerns about the microwaves produced and the effects that these could have on the brain, given that phones would be held close to the ear when being used. These concerns have been shown to be mistaken since mobile phones are used for sending text messages far more than for making phone calls. Sending a text message does not require the phone to be anywhere near to the brain so it cannot cause any problems. Which one of the following identifies the flaw in this argument?

The following information appears on a 200g packet of biscuits:

How many biscuits are there in a full packet?

One radioactive substance, P, is gradually changed by radioactive decay into another, Q. Q itself decays into a third substance, R, which does not decay. The graphs below show how the quantities of P, Q and R varied with time during an experiment.

What do the graphs 1, 2 and 3 represent?

Three months ago, Jane had 5 times as many DVDs as Duncan. Since then they have both bought 12 more DVDs. Jane now has twice as many as Duncan. How many DVDs does Jane have now?

87% of the world population are right-handed. The human world is organised to make success in life easier for the majority. Left-handed people should therefore be considered as having a disability and receive appropriate support. Which one of the following, if true, weakens this argument?

The ingredients list on a tin of baked beans reads as follows (in order of descending weight):
- Navy beans (51%)
- Water
- Sugar
- Tomato puree (4.5%)
- Modified maize starch
- Salt
- Natural flavorings
- Onion powder
- Paprika
What is the maximum percentage of water the tin could contain?

Ten years ago in many European cities, offices typically had spaces for six bicycles, half of which were never used and spaces for 50 cars which were always full. Today, there are fewer car spaces and many more spaces for bicycles which are always full. This change to cycling may seem strange to some as cycling is more effort. Possible causes are rising fuel prices, the introduction of higher parking charges for drivers in major cities, increasing awareness of environmental issues, expensive public transport and traffic jams. Which one of the following can be drawn as a conclusion from the above passage?

The table below relates to electricity generation in the United Kingdom:

Which category of station made the largest contribution to the increase in total units generated over the 10 years covered by the table?

Over the last twenty years the number of people, including children, classed as overweight, and therefore at risk of serious health problems, has risen alarmingly. This trend could be caused by an increase in the amount people eat or by a decrease in the amount of exercise they take. Most of us exercise less than people did twenty years ago, and the average number of calories consumed per person is now less than it was twenty years ago. So the increase in the number of overweight people is clearly caused by lack of exercise. Thus the government does not need to worry about trying to change people's diets. Which one of the following identifies the flaw in this argument?

Two security guards, Dave and Geoff, are patrolling an airbase. Dave passes the front gate
every 8 minutes. Geoff passes the front gate every 15 minutes. They have just set off on their individual routes at the start of their shift. How long will it be before they meet up at the front gate again?

Migratory birds which are unable to fly long distances without resting have to use the shortest distance over water in their flights to and from Africa, and so they cross at the Straits of Gibraltar. It is essential for these birds, some of which are very rare, that the route remains open. For that reason, it is important that plans to build electricity-generating wind farms on the hills surrounding the Straits of Gibraltar do not go ahead. Which one of the following is an assumption on which this argument depends?

There are four rivers in Bolandia, each claiming to be the longest. Tourist board brochures in the regions containing the rivers, make the following statements:
1. The Dile is shorter than the Cubba.
2. The Bongo is shorter than the Esun.
3. The Esun is longer than the Cubba.
If all of the above are correct, which one of the following statements is definitely true?

Rating figures for music are now much more difficult to calculate compared to a decade ago. The introduction of new formats for selling music means that figures have to be calculated based on more methods such as downloads, in addition to the sales of CDs in shops. Additionally, the availability of more formats means that there is more potential for copies of works to be shared with other fans, who do not pay for them. These fans do not show up in the ratings, so the official ratings do not reflect the relative popularity of a work. Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the above argument?

Which set of statements about Dante Alighieri is correct?

A chain link has the following dimensions:

If you join six of these links together, and stretch the chain to its full extent, what is the total length of the chain?

I have far too much small change in my pocket: 6 x 1c coins, 3 x 2c coins, 2 x 5c coins, 3 x 10c coins and 2 x 50c coins. I want to buy a chocolate bar for 37c using as many coins as possible. What is the largest number of coins I can use to pay the exact price?

The 100W light bulb (cost €0.60) is not going to be used anymore and is being replaced with the 20W (cost €3) low energy light bulb. If electricity is charged at €0.15 per kWh, for how many hours must the low energy bulb be used in order for the lower cost of running it to exactly compensate for its higher initial cost?

My three local supermarkets all currently have offers on my favourite breakfast cereal as follows:
1 Buy one standard pack get a second half price.
2 Price of a standard pack reduced by 1/3.
3 Normal price of a standard pack, pack contains 25% extra.
Which of the offers are equivalent in terms of price per unit amount of cereal?

A comparison has been made between fast food restaurants and factories. This is not as unrealistic as it might first appear. Fast food is mass produced, as heavily processed as any other factory product, and restaurant workers have jobs which are just as routine and boring as those in manufacturing. So not only does fast food taste the same everywhere, but all workers involved are on low wages and have little power to improve their conditions. Which one of the following best expresses the conclusion of this argument?

Child actors tend to become addicted to drink and drugs in later life, usually when they become adults but are not as successful as they were previously. The actors frequently blame their parents, who often manage their children's career and so have a reason to work them hard when they are young and enjoy the wealth their children generate for them. The child actors who avoid this are often the ones who were encouraged to keep up their schooling and explore other career options. Which one of the following can be drawn as a conclusion from the above passage?

In North America in the 1800s, arguments were often settled by gunfights, in which two people stood face to face a distance apart and tried to shoot one another. Recent experiments on human response times have shown that people act more quickly when responding to an action than when they are the first to move. This supports the view that our brain uses different routes in our nervous system to send messages for intentional and reactive movements. Which one of the following can be drawn as a conclusion from the above passage?