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TEST 23
SECTION II
Time 35 minutes 24 Questions
Directions: The questions in this section are based on the reasoning contained in brief statements or passages...
1. Director of Ace Manufacturing Company: Our manufacturing consultant proposes that we reassign staff so that all employees are doing both what they like to do and what they do well. This, she says, will “increase productivity by fully exploiting our available resources.” But Ace Manufacturing has a long-standing commitment not to exploit its workers. Therefore, implementing her recommendations would cause us to violate our own policy.
The director’s argument for rejecting the management consultant’s proposal is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds?
(A) failing to distinguish two distinct senses of a key term
(B) attempting to defend an action on the ground that it is frequently carried out
(C) defining a term by pointing to an atypical example of something to which the term applies
(D) drawing a conclusion that simply restates one of the premises of the argument（A）
(E) calling something by a less offensive term than the term that is usually used to name that thing
2. A large number of drivers routinely violate highway speed limits. Since driving at speeds that exceed posted limits is a significant factor in most accidents, installing devices in all cars that prevent those cars from traveling faster than the speed limit would prevent most accidents.
Which one
of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
(A) A person need not be a trained mechanic to install the device properly.
(B) Most accidents are caused by inexperienced drivers.
(C) A driver seldom needs to exceed the speed limit to avoid an accident when none of the other drivers involved are violating the speed limit.
(D) Most drivers who exceed the speed limit do so unintentionally.（C）
(E) Even if the fines for speed-limit violations were increased, the number of such violations would still not be reduced.
3. In a recession, a decrease in consumer spending causes many businesses to lay off workers or even to close. Workers who lose their jobs in a recession usually cannot find new jobs. The result is an increase in the number of people who are jobless. Recovery from a recession is defined by an increase in consumer spending and an expansion of business activity that creates a need for additional workers, but businesspeople generally have little confidence in the economy after a recession and therefore delay hiring additional workers as long as possible.
The
statements above, if true, provide most support for which one of the following
conclusions?
(A) Recessions are usually caused by a decrease in business people’s confidence in the economy.
(B) Governmental intervention is required in order for an economy to recover from a recession.
(C) Employees of businesses that close during a recession make up the majority of the workers who lose their jobs during that recession.
(D) Sometimes recovery from a recession does not promptly result in a decrease in the number of people who are jobless.（D）
(E) Workers who lose their jobs during a recession are likely to get equally good jobs when the economy recovers.
4. Scientists analyzing air bubbles that had been trapped in Antarctic ice during the Earth’s last ice age found that the ice-age atmosphere had contained unusually large amounts of ferrous material and surprisingly small amounts of carbon dioxide. One scientist noted that algae absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The scientist hypothesized that the ferrous material, which was contained in atmospheric dust, had promoted a great increase in the population of Antarctica algae such as diatoms.
Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously undermine the scientist’s hypothesis?
(A) Diatoms are a microscopic form of algae that has remained largely unchanged since the last ice age.
(B) Computer models suggest that a large increase in ferrous material today could greatly promote the growth of oceanic algae.
(C) The dust found in the air bubbles trapped in Antarctica ice contained other minerals in addition to the ferrous material.
(D) Sediment from the ocean floor near Antarctica reflects no increase, during the last ice age, in the rate at which the shells that diatoms leave when they die accumulated.（D）
(E) Algae that currently grow in the oceans near Antarctica do not appear to be harmed by even a large increase in exposure to ferrous material.
5. Adults who work outside the home spend, on average, 100 minutes less time each week in preparing dinner than adults who do not work outside the home. But, contrary to expectation, comparison show that the dinners eaten at home by the two groups of adults do not differ significantly with respect to nutritional value, variety of menus, or number of courses.
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above?
(A) The fat content of the dinners eaten at home by adults who do not work outside the home is 25 percent higher than national guidelines recommend.
(B) Adults who do not work the home tend to prepare breakfast more often than adults who work outside the home.
(C) Adults who work outside the home spend 2 hours less time per day on all household responsibilities, including dinner preparation, than do adults who do not work outside the home.
(D) Adults who work outside the home eat dinner at home 20 percent less often than do adults who do not work outside the home.（D）
(E) Adults who work outside the home are less likely to plan dinner menus well in advance than are adults who do not work outside the home.
6. Legislator: Your agency is responsible for regulating an industry shaken by severe scandals. You were given funds to hire 500 investigators to examine the scandals, but you hired no more than 400. I am forced to conclude that you purposely limited hiring in an attempt to prevent the full extent of the scandals from being revealed.
Regulator: We tried to hire the 500 investigators but the starting salaries for these positions had been frozen so low by the legislature that it was impossible to attract enough qualified applicants.
The regulator responds to the legislator’s criticism by
(A) shifting the blame for the scandals to the legislature
(B) providing information that challenges the conclusion drawn by legislator
(C) claiming that compliance with the legislature’s mandate would have been an insufficient response
(D) rephrasing the legislator’s conclusion in terms more favorable to the regulator（B）
(E) showing that the legislator’s statements are self contradictory
7. A commonly accepted myth is that left-handed people are more prone to cause accidents than are right-handed people. But this is, in fact, just a myth, as is indicated by the fact that more household accidents are caused by right-handed people than caused by left-handed people.
The reasoning is flawed because the argument
(A) makes a distinction where there is no real difference between the things distinguished
(B) takes no account of the relative frequency of left-handed people in the population as a whole
(C) uses the word “accidents” in two different senses
(D) ignores the possibility that some household accidents are caused by more than one person（B）
(E) gives wholly irrelevant evidence and simply disparage an opposing position by calling it a “myth”
Questions 8-9
Ornithologist: the curvature of the claws of the modern tree-dwelling birds enables them to perch in trees. The claws of Archeopteryx, the earliest known birdlike creature, show similar curvature that must have enabled the creature to perch on tree limbs. Therefore, Archeopteryx was probably a tree-dwelling creature.
Paleontologist: No, the ability to perch in trees is not good evidence that Archeopteryx was a tree-dwelling bird. Chickens also spend time perched in trees, yet chickens are primarily ground-dwelling.
8. In responding to the ornithologist’s hypothesis that Archeopteryx was tree-dwelling, the paleontologist
(A) questions the qualifications of the ornithologist to evaluate the evidence
(B) denies the truth of the claims the ornithologist makes in support of the hypothesis
(C) uses a parallel case to illustrate a weakness in the ornithologist’s argument
(D) shows that the hypothesis contradicts one of the pieces of evidence used to support it（C）
(E) provides additional evidence to support the ornithologist’s argument
9. Which one of the following is an assumption on which the ornithologist’s reasoning depends?
(A) Modern tree-dwelling birds are the direct descendants of Archeopteryx.
(B) Archeopteryx made use of the curvature of its claws.
(C) There have never been tree-dwelling birds without curved claws.
(D) Archeopteryx was in fact the earliest birdlike creature.（B）
(E) The curvature of the claws is the only available evidence for the claim that Archeopteryx was tree-dwelling.
10. There are rumors that the Premier will reshuffle the cabinet this week. However, every previous reshuffle that the Premier has made was preceded by meetings between the Premier and senior cabinet members. No such meetings have occurred or are planned. Therefore the rumors are most likely false.
Which one of the following most accurately expresses a principle of reasoning employed by the argument?
(A) When a conclusion follows logically from a set to premises, the probability that the conclusion is true cannot be any less the probability that the premises are all true.
(B) A hypothesis is undermined when a state of affairs does not obtain that would be expected to obtain if the hypothesis were true.
(C) It is possible for a hypothesis to be false even though it is supported by all the available data.
(D) Even if in the past a phenomenon was caused by particular circumstance, it is erroneous to assume that the phenomenon will recur only under the circumstances in which it previously occurred.（B）
(E) If two statements are known to be inconsistent with each other and if one of the statement s is known to be false, it cannot be deduced from these known facts that the other statement is true.
Questions 11-12
Carl: Researchers who perform operations on animals for experimental purposes are legally required to complete detailed pain protocols indicating whether the animals will be at risk of pain and, if so, what step will be taken to minimize or alleviate it. Yet when human beings undergo operations, such protocols are never required. If lawmakers were as concerned about human beings as they seem to be about animals, there would be pain protocols for human beings.
Debbie: But consider this: a person for whom a doctor wants to schedule surgery can simply be told what pain to expect and can then decide whether or not to undergo the operation. So you see, pain protocols are unnecessary for human beings.
11. Debbie attempts to counter Carl’s argument by
(A) showing that one of the claims on which Carl bases his conclusion is inaccurate
(B) pointing out a relevant difference to undermine an analogy on which Carl bases his conclusion
(C) claiming that Carl’s argument should be rejected because it is based on an appeal to sentimentality rather than on reasoned principles
(D) drawing an analogy that illustrates a major flaw in Carl’s argument（B）
(E) offering a specific example to demonstrate that Carl’s argument is based on a claim that can be neither confirmed nor disproved
12. Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument made by Debbie in response to Carl’s argument?
(A) Not all operations that are performed on human beings are painful.
(B) Some experimentation that is now done in animals need not be done at all.
(C) Preparing pain protocols is not a time-consuming or costly procedure.
(D) Some surgical operations performed on infants are painful.（D）
(E) Unalleviated pain after an operation tends to delay the healing process.
13. A company with long-outstanding bills owed by its customers can assign those bills to a collection agency that pays the company a fraction of their amount and then tries to collect payment from the customers. Since these agencies pay companies only 15 percent of the total amount of the outstanding bills, a company interested in reducing losses from long-outstanding bills would be well advised to pursue its debtors on its own.
The argument depends on the assumption that
(A) a company that pursues its debtors on its own typically collects more than 15 percent of total amount of the long-outstanding bills that it is owed
(B) the cost to a company of pursuing its debtors on its own for payment of long-outstanding bills does not exceed 15 percent of the total amount of those bills
(C) collection agencies that are assigned bills for collection by companies are unsuccessful in collecting, on average, only 15 percent of the total amount of those bills
(D) at least 15 percent of the customers that owe money to companies eventually pay their bills whether or not those bills are assigned to a collection agency（A）
(E) unless most of the customers of a company pay their bills, that company in the long run will not be profitable
14. Herbalist: Many of customers find that their physical coordination improves after drinking juice containing certain herbs. A few doctors assert that the herbs are potentially harmful, but doctors are always trying to maintain a monopoly over medical therapies. So there is no reason not to try my herb juice.
The reasoning in the herbalist’s argument is flawed because the argument
(A) attempts to force acceptance of a claim by inducing fear of the consequences of rejecting that claim
(B) bases a conclusion on claims that are inconsistent with each other
(C) rejects a claim by attacking the proponents of the claim rather than addressing the claim itself
(D) relies on evidence presented in terms that presuppose the truth if the claim for which the evidence is offered（C）
(E) mistakes the observation that one thing happens after another for proof that the second thing is the result of the first
15. Because of the lucrative but illegal trade in rhinoceros horns, a certain rhinoceros species has been hunted nearly to extinction. Therefore an effective way to ensure the survival of that species would be to periodically trim off the horns of all rhinoceroses, thereby eliminating the motivation for poaching.
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
(A) Most poachers who are discouraged from hunting rhinoceroses are not likely to hunt other animals for their horns.
(B) At lease some rhinoceroses whose horns are periodically trimmed off will be able to attract mates.
(C) Poachers hunt at lease some immature rhinoceroses whose horns have not yet started to develop.
(D) The demand for rhinoceros horns will remain constant even if the supply decreases after the periodical trimming-off of the rhinoceros horns has begun.（B）
(E) Rhinoceroses whose horns have been trimmed off are unable to defend themselves against predators.
16. Motorcoach driver: Professional drivers spend much more time driving, on average, than do other people and hence are more competent drivers than are other, less experienced drivers. Therefore, the speed limit on major highways should not be reduced, because that action would have the undesirable effect of forcing some people who are now both law-abiding and competent drivers to break the law.
Police officer: All drivers can drive within the legal speed limit if they wish, so it is not true to say that reducing the speed limit would be the cause of such illegal behavior.
The point at issue between the motorcoach driver and police officer is whether
(A) it would be desirable to reduce the speed limit on major highway
(B) professional drivers will drive within the legal speed limit if that limit is reduced
(C) reducing the speed limit on major highways would cause some professional drivers to break the law
(D) professional drivers are more competent drivers than are other less experienced drivers（C）
(E) all drivers wish to drive within the speed limit
17. People cannot devote themselves to the study of natural processes unless they have leisure, and people have leisure when resources are plentiful, not when resources are scarce. Although some anthropologists claim that agriculture, the cultivation of crops, actually began under conditions of drought and hunger, the early societies that domesticated plants must first have discovered how the plants they cultivated reproduced themselves and grew to maturity. These complex discoveries were the result of the active study of natural processes.
The argument is structured to lead to the conclusion that
(A) whenever a society has plentiful resources, some members of that society devote themselves to the study of natural processes
(B) plants cannot be cultivated by someone lacking theoretical knowledge of the principles of plant generation and grew
(C) agriculture first began in societies that at some time in their history had plentiful resources
(D) early agricultural societies knew more about the natural sciences than did early nonagricultural societies（C）
(E) early societies could have discovered by accident how the plants they cultivated reproduced and grew
18. In the past decade, a decreasing percentage of money spent on treating disease X went to pay for standard methods of treatment, which are known to be effective though they are expensive and painful. An increasing percentage is being spent on nonstandard treatments, which cause little discomfort. Unfortunately, the nonstandard treatments have proved to be ineffective. Obviously, less money is being spent on effective treatments of disease X than was spent ten years ago.
Which one of the following, if assumed, allows the conclusion above to be properly drawn?
(A) Varieties of disease X requiring expensive special treatment have become less common during the past decade.
(B) Nonstandard methods of treating disease X are more expensive now than they were a decade ago.
(C) Of total medical expenditures, the percentage that is due to treatment of disease X increased during the past decade.
(D) Most of the money spent on treating disease X during the last decade went to pay for nonstandard treatments.（E）
(E) The total amount of money spent on treating disease X slowly declined during the past decade.
19. When an ordinary piece of steel is put under pressure, the steel compresses: that is, its volume slightly decreases. Glass, however, is a fluid, so rather than compressing, it flows when put under pressure; its volume remains unchanged. Any portion of a sheet of glass that is under sustained pressure will very slowly flow to areas under less pressure. Therefore, if a single, extremely heavy object is placed in the middle of a horizontal sheet of glass of uniform thickness and if the glass is able to support the weight without cracking, the sheet of glass will eventually______
Which one of the following most logically completes the argument?
(A) become larger in size yet still be of uniform thickness
(B) flow toward the point at which the pressure of the object is greatest
(C) compress, although not as much as a piece of steel would
(D) divide into exactly two pieces that are equal in neither size nor shape to the original piece of glass（E）
(E) be thinner in the portion of the glass that is under the pressure of the object than in those portions of the glass that are not under that pressure
20. Anyone who insists that music videos are an art form should also agree that television gave rise to an art form, since television gave rise to music videos.
The pattern of reasoning displayed in the argument above most closely parallels that displayed in which one of the following?
(A) Anyone who claims that all vegetables are nutritious should also agree that some vegetables are harmful if eaten in large quantities.
(B) Anyone who holds that avocados are a fruit should also hold that pound cake is lower in fat than some fruit, since pound cake is lower in fat than avocados.
(C) Anyone who dislikes tomatoes should also agree that some people do like tomatoes, if that person agrees that no taste is universal.
(D) A person who eats a variety if vegetables is probably well nourished, since most people who eat a variety of vegetables generally eat well-balanced meals.（B）
(E) A person who claims to prefer fruit to vegetables should also prefer cake to bread, since fruit is sweeter than bread.
21. Medieval Arabs had manuscripts of many ancient Greek texts, which were translated into Arabic when there was a demand for them. Medieval Arab philosophers were very interested in Aristotle’s Poetics, an interest that evidently was not shared by Medieval Arab poets, because a poet interested in the Poetics would certainly have wanted to read Homer, to whose epics Aristotle frequently refers. But Homer was not translated into Arabic until modern times.
Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the argument above?
(A) A number of medieval Arab translators possessed manuscripts of the Homeric epics in their original Greek.
(B) Medieval Arabic story cycles, such as the Arabian Nights, are in some ways similar to parts of the Homeric epics.
(C) In addition to translating from Greek, medieval Arab translators produced Arabic editions of many works originally written in Indian languages and in Persian.
(D) Aristotle’s Poetics has frequently been cited and commented on by modern Arab poets.（A）
(E) Aristotle’s Poetics is largely concerned with drama, and dramatic works were written and performed by medieval Arabs.
22. Congenial guests and plentiful supply of good things to eat and drink will ensure a successful dinner party. Since Sylvia has prepared more than enough to eat and drink and her guests are all congenial people, her dinner party is certain to be a success.
The pattern of flawed reasoning exhibited by the argument above is most similar to that exhibited by which one of the following?
(A) The right ingredients, properly combined and baked in a reliable oven will always produce a well-baked cake. Since Emily has properly combined the right ingredients, her cake is certain to come out well if she bakes it in a reliable oven.
(B) If corn is baked with its husks on, the resulting dish will always be moist and sweet. Since George wishes to ensure that the corn he plans to serve is moist, he will be certain both to bake it and to leave its husks on.
(C) Making pie dough using ice water and thoroughly chilling the dough before rolling it out will ensure a flaky crust. Andrew thoroughly chilled his pie dough before rolling it out, so since he used ice water in making it, his pie is certain to have a flaky crust.
(D) If soup is made with a well-seasoned meat stock and fresh ingredients, it will always be welcome at dinner. Since to his meat stock Arnold added only very fresh ingredients, the resulting soup is certain to be welcome at dinner.（D）
(E) Fresh greens, carefully washed and served with a light dressing, always produce a refreshing salad. Since Tisha has developed an exceptionally light dressing but never washes her fresh greens, no salad she serves will be a refreshing one.
23. A museum directors, in order to finance expensive new acquisitions, discreetly sold some paintings by major artists. All of them were paintings that the director privately considered inferior. Critics roundly condemned the sale, charging that the museum had lost first-rate pieces, thereby violating its duty as a trustee of art for future generations. A few months after being sold by the museum, those paintings were resold, in an otherwise stagnant art market, at two to three times the prices paid to the museum. Clearly, these prices settle the issue, since they demonstrate the correctness of the critics’ evaluation.
The reasoning in the argument is vulnerable to the criticism that the argument does which one of the following?
(A) It concludes that a certain opinion is correct on the grounds that it is held by more people than hold the opposing views.
(B) It rejects the judgment of the experts in an area in which there is no better guide to the truth than expert judgment.
(C) It rejects a proven means of accomplishing an objective without offering any alternative means of accomplishing that objective.
(D) It bases a firm conclusion about a state of affairs in the present on somewhat speculative claims about a future state of affairs.（E）
(E) It bases its conclusion on facts that could, in the given situation, have resulted from causes other than those presupposed by the argument.
24. The United States ranks far behind countries such as Sweden and Canada when it comes to workplace safety. In all three countries, joint labor-management committees that oversee workplace safety conditions have been very successful in reducing occupational injuries. In the United States, such committees are found only in the few companies that have voluntarily established them. However, in Sweden and several Canadian provinces, joint safety committees are required by law and exist in all medium-sized and large workplaces.
Which one of the following is supported by the information above?
(A) The establishment of joint safety committees in all medium-sized and large workplaces in the United States would result in reduction of occupational injuries.
(B) A joint safety committee that is required by law is more effective at reducing occupational injuries than is a joint safety committee that is voluntarily established.
(C) Workplace in Sweden and Canada was superior to that in the United States even prior to the passage of laws requiring joint safety committees in all medium-sized and large workplaces.
(D) Joint safety committees had been voluntarily established in most medium-sized and large workplaces in Sweden and several Canadian provinces prior to the passage of laws requiring such committees.（A）
(E) The United States would surpass Sweden and Canada in workplace safety if joint safety committees were required in all medium-sized and large workplaces in the United States.
SECTION IV
Time 35 minutes 26 Questions
Directions: The questions in this section are based on the reasoning contained in brief statements or passages...
1. Three-year-old Sara and her playmate Michael are both ill and have the same symptoms. Since they play together every afternoon, Sara probably has the same illness as Michael does. Since Michael definitely does not have a streptococcal infection, despite his having some symptoms of one, the illness that Sara has is definitely not a streptococcal infection either.
The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument
(A) presuppose what it sets out to prove
(B) mistakes the cause of a particular phenomenon for the effect of that phenomenon
(C) fails to distinguish between acute streptococcal infections on the one hand, and less severe streptococcal infections on the other
(D) treats evidence that the conclusion is probably true as if that evidence establishes the certainty of the conclusion（D）
(E) makes a general claim based on particular examples that do not adequately represent the respective groups that they are each intended to represent
2. Lambert: The proposal to raise gasoline taxes to support mass transit networks is unfair. Why should drivers who will never use train or bus lines be forced to pay for them?
Keziah: You have misunderstood. The government has always spent far more, per user, from general revenue sources to fund highways than to fund mass transit. The additional revenue from the gasoline tax will simply allow the government to make its distribution of transportation funds more equitable.
Keziah uses which one of the following argumentative strategies in replying to Lambert?
(A) elaborating the context of the issue in order to place the proposal in a more favorable light
(B) appealing the principle that what benefits society as a whole benefits all individual within that society
(C) challenging the presupposition that fairness is an appropriate criterion on which to judge the matter
(D) demonstrating that the proposed tax increase will not result in increased expenses for drivers（A）
(E) declining to argue a point with someone who is poorly informed on the matter under discussion
3. The number of calories in a gram of refined cane sugar is the same as in an equal amount of fructose, the natural sugar found in fruits and vegetables. Therefore, a piece of candy made with a give amount of refined cane sugar is no higher in calories than a pieced of fruit that contains an equal amount of fructose.
The reasoning in the arguments is flawed because the argument
(A) fails to consider the possibility that fruit might contain noncaloric nutrients that candy does not contain
(B) presupposes that all candy is made with similar amounts of sugar
(C) confuses one kind of sugar with another
(D) presupposes what it sets out to establish, that fruit does not differ from sugar-based candy in the number of calories each contains（E）
(E) overlooks the possibility that sugar might not be the only calorie-containing ingredient in candy or fruit
4. In order to increase production, ABC Company should implement a flextime schedule, which would allow individual employees some flexibility in deciding when to begin and end their workday. Studies have shown that working under flextime schedules is associated with increased employee morale.
The argument depends on the assumption that
(A) the employees who prefer a flextime schedule are the most productive employees at ABC Company
(B) an increase in the morale of ABC Company’s employees could lead to increased production
(C) flextime schedules tend to be associated with reduced lateness and absenteeism
(D) employees are most productive during the part of the day when all employees are present（B）
(E) companies that are in competition with ABC Company also use a flextime schedule
5. Attorneys for a criminal defendant charged that the government, in a cover-up, had destroyed evidence that government replied that there is no evidence that would even tend to support the defendant in the case.
Which one
of the following is the most accurate evaluation of the government’s reply?
(A) It leaves open the question of whether the government had destroyed such evidence.
(B) It establishes that the attorneys’ charge is an exaggeration.
(C) It shows that the attorneys did not know whether their charge was true.
(D) It demonstrates the government’s failure to search for evidence in its files.（A）
(E) If true, it effectively disproves the charge made on behalf of the defendant.
6. Videocassette recorders (VCRs) enable people to watch movies at home on videotape. People who own VCRs go to movie theaters more often than do people who do not own VCRs. Contrary to popular belief, therefore, owning a VCR actually stimulates people to go to movie theaters more often than they otherwise would.
The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it
(A) concludes that a claim must be false because of the mere absence of evidence in its favor
(B) cites in support of the conclusion evidence that is inconsistent with other information that is provided
(C) fails to establish that the phenomena interpreted as cause and effect are not both direct effects of some other factor
(D) takes a condition that by itself guarantees the occurrence of a certain phenomenon to be a condition that therefore must be met for that phenomenon to occur（C）
(E) bases a broad claim about the behavior of people in general on a comparison between two groups of people that together include only a small proportion of people overall
7. The cumbersome spears that were the principal weapons used by certain tribes in the early Bronze Age precluded widespread casualties during intertribal conflicts. But the comparatively high number of warrior tombs found in recent excavations of the same tribes’ late Bronze Age settlements indicates that in the late Bronze Age, wars between these tribes were frequent, and the casualty rate was high. Hence some archaeologists claim that by the late Bronze Age, these tribes had developed new methods of warfare designed to inflict many casualties.
Which one of the following, if true, most supports the archaeologists’ claim?
(A) A royal tomb dating to the early Bronze Age contained pottery depicting battle scenes in which warriors use spears.
(B) There is evidence that many buildings dating to the late Bronze Age were built by prisoners of war taken in battles between enemy tribes.
(C) Scenes of violent warfare, painted in bright hues, frequently appear on pottery that has been found in some early Bronze Age tombs of warriors.
(D) Some tombs of warriors dating to the late Bronze Age contain armor and weapons that anthropologists believe were trophies taken from enemies in battle.（E）
(E) The marks on the bones of many of the late Bronze Age warriors whose tombs were excavated are consistent with the kind of wounds inflicted by arrowheads also found in many late Bronze Age settlements.
8. Based on data collected from policyholders, life insurance companies have developed tables that list standard weight ranges for various heights. Policyholders whose weight fell within the range given for their height lived longer than those whose weight fell outside their given range. Therefore, if people whose weight falls outside their given range modified their weight to fall within that range, their overall life expectancies would improve.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?
(A) Some people would be unwilling to modify their weights solely to increase the general population’s overall life expectancies.
(B) Life insurance companies intended their tables to guide individuals in adjusting their weights in order to increase their life spans.
(C) The tables include data gathered from policyholders whose deaths resulted from accidents in addition to those whose deaths resulted from natural causes.
(D) Holders of life insurance policies do not have longer overall life expectancies than the general population.（E）
(E) People’s efforts to modify their weight to conform to a given range would not damage their health enough to decrease their overall life expectancies.
9. Measurements of the motion of the planet Uranus seem to show Uranus being tugged by a force pulling it away from the Sun and the inner planets. Neptune and Pluto, the two known planets whose orbits are farther from the Sun than is the orbit of Uranus, do not have enough mass to exert the force that the measurements indicate. Therefore, in addition to the known planets, there must be at least one planet in our solar system that we have yet to discover.
Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
(A) Pluto was not discovered until 1930.
(B) There is a belt of comets beyond the orbit of Pluto with powerful gravitational pull.
(C) Neither Neptune nor Pluto is as massive as Uranus.
(D) The force the Sun exerts on Uranus is weaker than the force it exerts on the inner planets.（B）
(E) Uranus’ orbit is closer to Neptune’s orbit than it is to Pluto’s.
10. Audiences find a speaker more convincing if the speaker begins a speech by arguing briefly against his or her position before providing reasons for accepting it. The reason this technique is so effective is that it makes the speaker appear fair-minded and trustworthy. Therefore, candidates for national political office who wish to be successful in winning votes should use this argumentative technique in the speeches.
Which one of the following, if true, most seriously limits the effectiveness of adopting the argument’s recommendation?
(A) Political candidates typically have no control over which excerpts from their speeches will be reported by the news media.
(B) Many people do not find arguments made by politicians convincing, since the arguments are often one-sided or oversimplify the issues.
(C) People decide which political candidate to vote for more on the basis of their opinions of the candidate’s character than on the exact positions of the candidate.
(D) People regard a political candidate more favorably if they think that the candidate respects an opponent’s position even while disagreeing with it.（A）
(E) Political candidates have to address audiences of many different sizes and at many different locations in the course of a political campaign.
11. Five thousand of the 50,000 books published in country Z in 1991 were novels. Exactly 25 of the films released in country Z in 1992 were based on those novels. Since 100 films were released in country Z in 1992, no more than one-quarter of them were based on books published in country Z in 1991.
Which one of the following, if assumed, allows the conclusion above to be properly drawn?
(A) None of the scripts used in films released in 1992 were written by professional novelists.
(B) None of the films released in country Z in 1992 were based on books other than novels.
(C) None of the books that were published in country Z in 1992 were based on plots of films released in 1991.
(D) Some of the films released in country Z in 1992 were based on older films that had been released for the first time many years earlier.（B）
(E) Some of the films released in 1991 in country Z were based on novels that were published in 1991.
12. On their way from their nest to a food source, ants of most species leave a trail of chemicals called pheromones. The ants use the scent of the pheromones to guide themselves between the food and their nest. All pheromones evaporate without a trace almost immediately when temperatures rise above 45 degrees Celsius (113 degree Fahrenheit), as is typical during afternoons in places such as the Sahara Desert.
The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following?
(A) Most ants forage for food either only in the morning or only during the night.
(B) Most ants that do not use pheromones to mark the paths they take between their nest and food live in the Sahara Desert.
(C) If any ants live in the Sahara Desert and forage for food at no time but in the afternoon, those ants generally do not use pheromones to guide themselves between food and their nest.
(D) If any ants do not use pheromones to navigate between food and their nest, those ants use a different substance that does not evaporate in temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius.（C）
(E) If any Saharan ants forage for food in the afternoon, those ants forage for food less efficiently when temperatures are above 45 degrees Celsius than they do when temperatures are lower.
13. Some people think that in every barrel of politicians there are only a few rotten ones. But if deceit is a quality of rottenness, I believe all effective politicians are rotten. They must be deceitful in order to do the job properly. Someone who is scrupulously honest about obeying the rules of society will never be an effective politician.
Assuming that the author’s statements are accurate, which one of the following statements CANNOT be true?
(A) Some people think all politicians are rotten.
(B) Some politicians are scrupulously honest.
(C) Some people define a politician’s job as obeying the rules of society.
(D) Some deceitful politicians are ineffective.（E）
(E) Some scrupulously honest politicians are effective.
14. The Biocarb Company wants to build a sterilization plant to treat contaminated medical waste in a city neighborhood where residents and environmental activists fear that such a facility will pollute the area. Biocarb’s president argues that the operation of the plant cannot cause pollution because the waste would be sterile after processing by the plant. He claims that after exposure for an hour to superheated steam in the autoclave, such refuse would be far cleaner than food prepared in the cleanest kitchen.
The president’s argument depends on which one of the following assumptions?
(A) Environmental activists believe that waste treated with steam will not pollute.
(B) Handing of the waste before treatment in the proposed facility will not pose a threat of pollution to the area.
(C) Fear of pollution is the only argument against construction of an autoclave facility for medical waste.
(D) No others besides environmental activists are concerned about pollution hazards that can result from processing medical waste.（B）
(E) Treatment by superheated steam represents the surest method of sterilization.
15. Grow-Again ointment is a proven treatment for reversing male hereditary baldness. Five drops daily is the recommended dose, and exceeding this quantity does not increase the product’s effectiveness. Therefore, offering a manufacturer’s rebate on the purchase price of Grow-Again will not increase sales and consequently would be unprofitable for the manufacturer.
Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument?
(A) When using an ointment, people tend to believe that applying it in greater quantities can make it more effective.
(B) Grow-Again is more effective on some of the men who use it than it is on others.
(C) The rebate, if offered, would not attract purchasers who otherwise might not use Grow-Again.
(D) Baldness in men can be caused by a variety of factors, only one of which is heredity.（C）
(E) Grow-Again is a product whose per-unit manufacturing cost does not fall significantly when the product is produced in large quantities.
Questions 16-17
Henry: Some scientists explain the dance of honeybees as the means by which honeybees communicate the location of whatever food source they have just visited to other members of the hive. But honeybees do not need so complicated a mechanism to communicate that information. Forager honeybees returning to their hive simply leave a scent trail from the food source they have just visited. There must therefore be some other explanation for the honeybees’ dance.
Winifred: Not necessarily. Most animals have several ways of accomplishing critical tasks. Bees of some species can navigate using either the position of the Sun or the memory of landmarks. Similarly, for honeybees, scent trails are a supplementary not an exclusive means of communicating.
16. The point at issue between Henry and Winifred is whether
(A) theories of animal behavior can be established on the basis of evidence about only one species of animal
(B) there is more than one valid explanation for the dance of honeybees
(C) honeybees communicate the location of food sources through their dance
(D) the honeybee is the only species of bee that is capable of communicating navigational information to other hive members（C）
(E) the honeybee’s sense of smell plays a role in its foraging strategies
17. In Winifred’s response to Henry, the statement about how bees of some species navigate plays which one the following roles?
(A) It addresses an ambiguity in Henry’s use of the expression “communicate the location.”
(B) It provides evidence in support of a general claim.
(C) It calls into question the accuracy of key evidence cited by Henry.
(D) It points out that Henry’s conclusion directly contradicts one of his premises.（B）
(E) It proposes an alternative explanation for the honeybee’s dance.
18. Politician: A government that taxes incomes at a rate of 100 percent will generate no revenue because all economic activity will cease. So it follows that the lower the rate of income tax, the more revenue the government will generate by that tax.
Economist: Your conclusion cannot be correct, since it would mean that an income tax of 0 percent would generate the maximum revenue.
Which one of the following argumentative strategies is used by the economist in responding to the politician?
(A) stating a general principle that is incompatible with the conclusion the politician derives
(B) providing evidence that where the politician’s advice has been adopted, the results have been disappointing
(C) arguing that the principle derived by the politician, if applied in the limiting case, leads to an absurdly false conclusion
(D) undermining the credibility of the politician by openly questioning the politician’s understanding of economics（C）
(E) attacking the politician’s argument by giving reason to doubt the truth of a premise
19. Sponges attach to the ocean floor, continually filtering seawater for food and ejecting water they have just filtered to avoid reingesting it. Tubular and vase-shaped sponges can eject filtered water without assistance from surrounding ocean currents and thus are adapted to slow-moving, quiet waters. Because of their shape, however, these sponges cannot live in strong currents, since strong currents would dislodge them. Both of these varieties of sponge were widespread during the late Jurassic period.
The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following claims?
(A) Few tubular or vase-shaped sponges lived before the late Jurassic period.
(B) Tubular and vase-shaped sponges were more common during the late Jurassic period than in succeeding geological eras.
(C) During the late Jurassic period there were many areas of the ocean floor where currents were weak.
(D) All sponges that are neither tubular nor vase-shaped inhabit areas of the ocean floor where there are extremely strong currents.（C）
(E) No types of sponge live in large colonies, since sponges do not flourish in areas where much of the water has been filtered by other sponges.
20. There is strong evidence that the cause of migraines (severe recurrent headaches) is not psychological but instead is purely physiological. Yet several studies have found that people being professionally treated for migraines rate higher on a standard psychological scale of anxiety than do people not being professionally treated for migraines.
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above?
(A) People who have migraine headaches tend to have relatives who also have migraine headaches.
(B) People who have migraine headaches often suffer these headaches when under emotional stress.
(C) People who rate higher on the standard psychological scale of anxiety are more likely to seek professional treatment than are people who rate lower on the scale.
(D) Of the many studies done on the cause of migraine headaches, most of those that suggest that psychological factors such as anxiety cause migraines have been widely publicized.（C）
(E) Most people who have migraines and who seek professional treatment remain in treatment until they stop having migraines, whether their doctors consider the cause to be physiological or psychological.
21. Not all tenured faculty are full professors. Therefore, although every faculty member in the linguistics department has tenure, it must be the case that not all of the faculty members in the linguistics department are full professors.
The flawed pattern of reasoning exhibited by the argument above is most similar to that exhibited by which one of the following?
(A) Although all modern office towers are climate-controlled buildings, not all office buildings are climate-controlled. Therefore, it must be the case that not all office buildings are modern office towers.
(B) All municipal hospital buildings are massive, but not all municipal hospital buildings are forbidding in appearance. Therefore, massive buildings need not present a forbidding appearance.
(C) Although some buildings designed by famous architects are not well proportioned, all government buildings are designed by famous architects. Therefore, some government buildings are not well proportioned.
(D) Not all public buildings are well designed, but some poorly designed public buildings were originally intended for private use. Therefore, the poorly designed public buildings were all originally designed for private use.（C）
(E) Although some cathedrals are not built of stone, every cathedral is impressive. Therefore, buildings can be impressive even though they are not built of stone.
22. When a planetary system forms, the chances that a planet capable of supporting life will be formed are high. The chances that a large planet the size of Jupiter or Saturn will be formed, however, are low. Without Jupiter and Saturn, whose gravitational forces have prevented Earth from being frequently struck by large comets, intelligent life would never have arisen on Earth. Since planetary systems are unlikely to contain any large planets, the chances that intelligent life will emerge on a planet are, therefore, low.
Knowing which one of the following would be most useful in evaluating the argument?
(A) whether all planetary system are formed from similar amounts of matter
(B) whether intelligent species would be likely to survive if a comet struck their planet
(C) whether large comets could be deflected by only one large planet rather than be two
(D) how high the chances are that planetary systems will contain many large comets（D）
(E) how likely it is that planetary systems containing large planets will also contain planets the size of Earth
23. Construction contractors working on the cutting edge of technology nearly always work on a “cost-plus” basis only. One kind of cost-plus contract stipulates the contractor’s profit as a fixed percentage of the contractor’s costs; the other kind stipulates a fixed amount of profit over and above costs. Under the first kind of contract, higher costs yield higher profits for the contractor, so this is where one might expect final costs in excess of original cost estimates to be more common. Paradoxically, such cost overruns are actually more common if the contract is of the fixed-profit kind.
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox in the situation described above?
(A) Clients are much less likely to agree to a fixed-profit type of cost-plus contract when it is understood that under certain conditions the project will be scuttled than they are when there is no such understanding.
(B) On long-term contracts, cost projections take future inflation into account, but since the figures used are provided by the government, they are usually underestimates.
(C) On any sizable construction project, the contractor bills the client monthly or quarterly, so any tendency for original cost estimates to be exceeded can be detected early.
(D) Clients billed under a cost-plus contract are free to review individual billings in order to uncover wasteful expenditures, but they do so only when the contractor’s profit varies with cost.（D）
(E) The practice of submitting deliberately exaggerated cost estimates is most common in the case of fixed-profit contracts, because it makes the profit, as a percentage of estimated cost, appear modest.
24. That wall is supported by several joists. The only thing that can have caused the bulge that the wall now has is a broken joist. Therefore, at least one of the joists is broken.
Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its logical features to the argument above?
(A) A least one of the players in the orchestra must have made a mistake, since nothing else would have made the conductor grimace in the way she just did.
(B) The first piece must have been the easiest, since it was the only piece in the entire concert in which the orchestra did not make many mistakes.
(C) The players play well only when they like the music, since they tend to make mistakes when they play something they do not like.
(D) One of the orchestra’s players must be able to play the harp, since in one of the pieces they are playing at next week’s concert the composer specified that a harp should be played.（A）
(E) The emotion of the music is the only thing that can have caused the conductor to look so angry just then, since the orchestra was playing perfectly.
Questions 25-26
Sasha: Handwriting analysis should be banned in court as evidence of a person’s character: handwriting analysts called as witnesses habitually exaggerate the reliability of their analyses.
Gregory: You are right that the current use of handwriting analysis as evidence is problematic. But this problem exists only because there is no licensing board to set professional standards and thus deter irresponsible analyst from making exaggerated claims. When such a board is established, however, handwriting analysis by licensed practitioners will be a legitimate courtroom tool for character assessment.
25. Gregory does which one of the following in responding to Sasha’s argument?
(A) He ignores evidence introduced as support for Sasha’s recommendation.
(B) He defends a principle by restricting the class to which it is to be applied.
(C) He abstracts a general principle from specific evidence.
(D) He identifies a self-contradictory statement in Sasha’s argument.（B）
(E) He shows that Sasha’s argument itself manifests the undesirable characteristic that it condemns.
26. Which one of the following, if true, would provide Sasha with the strongest counter to Gregory’s response?
(A) Courts routinely use means other than handwriting analysis to provide evidence of a person’s character.
(B) Many people can provide two samples of their handwriting so different that only a highly trained professional could identify them as having been written by the same person.
(C) A licensing board would inevitably refuse to grant licenses to some responsible handwriting analysts for reasons having nothing to do with their reliability.
(D) The only handwriting analysts who claim that handwriting provides reliable evidence of a person’s character are irresponsible.（D）
(E) The number of handwriting analysts who could conform to professional standards set by a licensing board is very small.
TEST 23
SECTION II
|
1. A |
2. C |
3. D |
4. D |
5. D |
|
6. B |
7. B |
8. C |
9. B |
10. B |
|
11. B |
12. D |
13. A |
14. C |
15. B |
|
16. C |
17. C |
18. E |
19. E |
20. B |
|
21. A |
22. D |
23. E |
24. A |
25.
|
SECTION IV
|
1. D |
2. A |
3. E |
4. B |
5. A |
|
6. C |
7. E |
8. E |
9. B |
10. A |
|
11. B |
12. C |
13. E |
14. B |
15. C |
|
16. C |
17. B |
18. C |
19. C |
20. C |
|
21. C |
22. D |
23. D |
24. A |
25. B |
|
26. D |
27.
|
28.
|
29.
|
30.
|
Where's My Stuff? |
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