CRITICAL REASONING TEST SECTION 1 their claim

30 Minutes 20 Questions (B) imply an analogy between

the law and some New
1. Nearly one in three subscribers to Financial Forecaster Deal programs
is (C) point out that the
a millionaire, and over half are in top management. opponents’ claims imply a
Shouldn’t you subscribe to Financial Forecaster now? dilemma
(D) show that the opponents’
A reader who is neither a millionaire nor in top reasoning leads to an
management would be most likely to act in accordance absurd conclusion
with the advertisement’s suggestion if he or she drew (E) show that the New Deal
which of the following questionable conclusions also called for
invited by the advertisement? indiscriminate cuts in the
federal budget
(A) Among finance-related periodicals. Financial
Forecaster provides the most detailed financial
information.
(B) Top managers cannot do their jobs properly without
reading Financial Forecaster.
(C) The advertisement is placed where those who will
be likely to read it are millionaires.
(D) The subscribers mentioned were helped to become
millionaires or join top management by reading
Financial Forecaster.
(E) Only those who will in fact become millionaires, or
at least top managers, will read the advertisement.

Questions 2-3 are based on the following.

Contrary to the charges made by some of its opponents,
the provisions of the new deficit-reduction law for
indiscriminate cuts in the federal budget are justified.
Opponents should remember that the New Deal pulled
this country out of great economic troubles even though
some of its programs were later found to be
unconstitutional.

2. The author’s method of attacking the charges of certain

opponents of the new deficit-reduction law is to

(A) attack the character of the opponents rather than

1
 to 22 percent of their
3. The opponents could effectively defend their position annual income for
against the author’s strategy by pointing out that housing.
(A) the expertise of those opposing the law is
outstanding
(B) the lack of justification for the new law does not
imply that those who drew it up were either inept
or immoral
(C) the practical application of the new law will not
entail indiscriminate budget cuts
(D) economic troubles present at the time of the New
Deal were equal in severity to those that have led
to the present law
(E) the fact that certain flawed programs or laws have
improved the economy does not prove that every
such program can do so

4. In Millington, a city of 50,000 people, Mercedes

Pedrosa, a realtor, calculated that a family with
Millington’s median family income, $28,000 a year,
could afford to buy Millington’s median-priced
$77,000 house. This calculation was based on an 11.2
percent mortgage interest rate and on the realtor’s
assumption that a family could only afford to pay up to
25 percent of its income for housing.

Which of the following corrections of a figure

appearing in the passage above, if it were the only
correction that needed to be made, would yield a new
calculation showing that even incomes below the
median family income would enable families in
Millington to afford Millington’s median-priced house?

(A) Millington’s total population was 45,000 people.

(B) Millington’s median annual family income was
$27,000
(C) Millington’s median-priced house cost $80,000
(D) The rate at which people in Millington had to pay
mortgage interest was only 10 percent.
(E) Families in Millington could only afford to pay up

2
 Julia: Wrong. A close look at the
5. Psychological research indicates that college hockey records shows that X has
and football players are more quickly moved to been profitable since the
hostility and aggression than are college athletes in appointment of a first-class
noncontact sports such as swimming. But the manager, which happened
researchers’ conclusion—that contact sports encourage while X was still in the
and teach participants to be hostile and aggressive—is pubic sector.
untenable. The football and hockey players were
Which of the following best
probably more hostile and aggressive to start with than
describes the weak point in
the swimmers.
Ross’s claim on which Julia’s
Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen response focuses?
the conclusion drawn by the psychological researchers?
(A) The evidence Ross cites
(A) The football and hockey players became more comes from only a single
hostile and aggressive during the season and observed case, that of
remained so during the off-season, whereas there Company X.
was no increase in aggressiveness among the (B) The profitability of
swimmers. Company X might be only
(B) The football and hockey players, but not the temporary.
swimmers, were aware at the start of the (C) Ross’s statement leaves
experiment that they were being tested for open the possibility that
aggressiveness. the cause he cites came
(C) The same psychological research indicated that the after the effect he
football and hockey players had a great respect for attributes to it.
cooperation and team play, whereas the swimmers (D) No mention is made of
were most concerned with excelling as individual companies that are partly
competitors. government owned and
(D) The research studies were designed to include no partly privately owned.
college athletes who participated in both contact (E) No exact figures are given
and noncontact sports. for the current profits of
(E) Throughout the United States, more incidents of fan Company X.
violence occur at baseball games than occur at
hockey or football games.

6.Ross: The profitability of Company X, restored to

private
ownership five years ago, is clear evidence that
businesses will always fare better under private than
under public ownership.

3
 visitors entering or
7. Stronger patent laws are needed to protect inventions leaving the park
from being pirated. With that protection, manufacturers (D) encouraging as many
would be encouraged to invest in the development of people as possible to
new products and technologies. Such investment come to the park in order
frequently results in an increase in a manufacturer’s to eat at the restaurants
productivity. (E) utilizing the restaurants at
Which of the following conclusions can most properly optimal levels for as
be drawn from the information above? much of the day as
possible
(A) Stronger patent laws tend to benefit financial
institutions as well as manufacturers.
(B) Increased productivity in manufacturing is likely to
be accompanied by the creation of more
manufacturing jobs.
(C) Manufacturers will decrease investment in the
development of new products and technologies
unless there are stronger patent laws.
(D) The weakness of current patent laws has been a
cause of economic recession.
(E) Stronger patent laws would stimulate improvements
in productivity for many manufacturers.

8. Which of the following best completes the passage

below?

At large amusement parks, live shows are used very

deliberately to influence crowd movements. Lunchtime
performances relieve the pressure on a park’s
restaurants. Evening performances have a rather
different purpose: to encourage visitors to stay for
supper. Behind this surface divergence in immediate
purpose there is the unified underlying goal of _ _ _ _
_.

(A) keeping the lines at the various rides short by

drawing off part of the crowd
(B) enhancing revenue by attracting people who come
only for the live shows and then leave the park
(C) avoiding as far as possible traffic jams caused by

4
 better off than if none of
9.James weighs more than Kelly. them had switched; this
Luis weighs more than Mark. conclusion, however, is
Mark weighs less than Ned. unwarranted because it can
Kelly and Ned are exactly the same weight. be inferred to be likely that
If the information above is true, which of the following (A) those growers could not
must also be true? have foreseen how high
(A) Luis weighs more than Ned. the price of pepper would
(B) Luis weighs more than James. go
(C) Kelly weighs less than Luis. (B) the initial cost involved
(D) James weighs more than Mark in switching from pepper
(E) Kelly weighs less than Mark. to cocoa is substantial
(C) supplies of pepper
Questions 10-11 are based on the following. would not be as low as
Partly because of bad weather, but also partly because they are if those growers
some major pepper growers have switched to high-priced had not switched crops
cocoa, world production of pepper has been running well (D) cocoa crops are as
below worldwide sales for three years. Pepper is susceptible to being
consequently in relatively short supply. The price of reduced by bad weather
pepper has soared in response: it now equals that of as are pepper crops
cocoa. (E) as more growers turn to
growing cocoa, cocoa
10. Which of the following can be inferred from the supplies will increase and
passage? the price of cocoa will fall
(A) Pepper is a profitable crop only if it is grown on precipitously.
a large scale.
(B) World consumption of pepper has been unusually
high for three years.
(C) World production of pepper will return to
previous levels once normal weather returns.
(D) Surplus stocks of pepper have been reduced in
the past three years.
(E) The profits that the growers of pepper have made
in the past three years have been unprecedented.

11. Some observers have concluded that the rise in the

price of pepper means that the switch by some
growers from pepper to cocoa left those growers no

5
12. Using computer techniques, researchers analyze Verdant’s term.
layers of paint that lie buried beneath the surface (B) Both federal and state
layers of old paintings. They claim, for example, that income tax rates have
additional mountainous scenery once appeared in been lowered considerably
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, which was later during Verdant’s term in
painted over. Skeptics reply to these claims, office.
however, that X-ray examinations of the Mona Lisa (C) In each year of
do not show hidden mountains. Verdant’s term in office,
the state’s budget has
Which of the following, if true, would tend most to
shown some increase in
weaken the force of the skeptics’ objections?
spending over the
(A) There is no written or anecdotal record that previous year.
Leonardo da Vinci ever painted over major areas (D) During Verdant’s term
of his Mona Lisa. in office, the state has
(B) Painters of da Vinci’s time commonly created either discontinued or
images of mountainous scenery in the begun to charge private
backgrounds of portraits like the Mona Lisa. citizens for numerous
(C) No one knows for certain what parts of the Mona services that the state
Lisa may have been painted by da Vinci’s offered free to citizens
assistants rather than by da Vinci himself. during the previous
(D) Infrared photography of the Mona Lisa has governor’s term.
revealed no trace of hidden mountainous scenery. (E) During the previous
(E) Analysis relying on X-rays only has the capacity governor’s term in office,
to detect lead-based white pigments in layers of the state introduced
paint beneath a painting’s surface layers. several so-called
“austerity” budgets
13. While Governor Verdant has been in office, the state’s
intended to reduce the
budget has increased by an average of 6 percent each
growth in state spending.
year. While the previous governor was in office, the
state’s budget increased by an average of 11.5
percent each year. Obviously, the austere budgets
during Governor Verdant’s term have caused the
slowdown in the growth in state spending.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously

weaken the conclusion drawn above?

(A) The rate of inflation in the state averaged 10

percent each year during the previous governor’s
term in office and 3 percent each year during

6
 innovations should be
14. Federal agricultural programs aimed at benefiting one made a required part of
group whose livelihood depends on farming often the public and private
end up harming another such group. school curriculum.
Which of the following statements provides support (C) It should be suggested
for the claim above? that prospective voters
attend applied science
Ⅰ. An effort to help feed-grain producers resulted in
courses in order to
higher prices for their crops, but the higher prices
acquire a minimal
decreased the profits of livestock producers.
competency in technical
Ⅱ. In order to reduce crop surpluses and increase
matters.
prices, growers of certain crops were paid to leave
(D)If young people are not
a portion of their land idle, but the reduction was
to be overly influenced by
not achieved because improvements in efficiency
famous technocrats, they
resulted in higher production on the land in use.
must increase their
Ⅲ.Many farm workers were put out of work when a
knowledge of pure
program meant to raise the price of grain provided
science.
grain growers with an incentive to reduce
(E) On public referenda
production by giving them surplus grain from
issues, young people tend
government reserves.
to confuse real or
(A) Ⅰ, but not Ⅱ and not Ⅲ
probable technologies
(B) Ⅱ, but not Ⅰand not Ⅲ
with impossible ideals.
(C) Ⅰand Ⅲ, but not Ⅱ
(D) Ⅱ and Ⅲ, but not Ⅰ
(E) Ⅰ,Ⅱand Ⅲ

15. Technological education is worsening. People

between eighteen and twenty-four, who are just
emerging from their formal education, are more
likely to be technologically illiterate than somewhat
older adults. And yet, issues for public referenda will
increasingly involve aspects of technology.

Which of the following conclusions can be properly

drawn from the statements above?

(A) If all young people are to make informed

decisions on public referenda, many of them must
learn more about technology.
(B) Thorough studies of technological issues and

7
16. In a political system with only two major parties, the 17. Companies considering new
entrance of a third-party candidate into an election cost-cutting manufacturing
race damages the chances of only one of the two processes often compare the
major candidates. The third-party candidate always projected results of making
attracts some of the voters who might otherwise have the investment against the
voted for one of the two major candidates, but not alternative of not making
voters who support the other candidate. Since a third- the investment with costs,
party candidacy affects the two major candidates selling prices, and share of
unequally, for reasons neither of them has any market remaining constant.
control over, the practice is unfair and should not be
Which of the following,
allowed.
assuming that each is a
If the factual information in the passage above is realistic possibility,
true, which of the following can be most reliably constitutes the most serious
inferred from it? disadvantage for companies
of using the method above
(A) If the political platform of the third party is a
for evaluating the financial
compromise position between that of the two
benefit of new
major parties, the third party will draw its voters
manufacturing processes?
equally from the two major parties.
(B) If, before the emergence of a third party, voters (A) The costs of materials
were divided equally between the two major required by the new
parties, neither of the major parties is likely to process might not be
capture much more than one-half of the vote. known with certainty.
(C) A third-party candidate will not capture the votes (B) In several years interest
of new voters who have never voted for candidates rates might go down,
of either of the two major parties. reducing the interest costs
(D) The political stance of a third party will be more of borrowing money to
radical than that of either of the two major parties. pay for the investment.
(E) The founders of a third party are likely to be a (C) Some cost-cutting
coalition consisting of former leaders of the two processes might require
major parties. such expensive
investments that there
would be no net gain for
many years, until the
investment was paid for
by savings in the
manufacturing process.
(D) Competitors that do

8
 invest in a new process might reduce their selling Questions 19-20 are based on the
prices and thus take market share away from following
companies that do not. Archaeologists seeking the
(E) The period of year chosen for averaging out the location of a legendary siege and
cost of the investment might be somewhat longer destruction of a city are
or shorter, thus affecting the result. excavating in several possible
places, including a middle and a
18. There are far fewer children available for adoption lower layer of a large mound.
than there are people who want to adopt. Two million The bottom of the middle layer
couples are currently waiting to adopt, but in 1982, contains some pieces of pottery
the last year for which figures exist, there were only of type 3, known to be from a
some 50,000 adoptions. later period than the time of the
Which of the following statements, if true, most destruction of the city, but the
strengthens the author’s claim that there are far fewer lower layer does not.
children available for adoption than there are people
19. Which of the following
who want to adopt?
hypotheses is best supported
(A) The number of couples waiting to adopt has by the evidence above?
increased significantly in the last decade.
(A) The lower layer
(B) The number of adoptions in the current year is
contains the remains of
greater than the number of adoptions in any
the city where the siege
preceding year.
took place.
(C) The number of adoptions in a year is
(B) The legend confuses
approximately equal to the number of children
stories from two different
available for adoption in that period.
historical periods.
(D) People who seek to adopt children often go
(C) The middle layer does
through a long process of interviews and
not represent the period
investigation by adoption agencies.
of the siege.
(E) People who seek to adopt children generally
(D) The siege lasted for a
make very good parents.
long time before the city
was destroyed.
(E) The pottery of type 3
was imported to the city
by traders.

20. The force of the evidence

cited above is most
seriously weakened if which
of the following is true?
9
(A) Gerbils, small animals long native to the area,
dig large burrows into which objects can fall when
the burrows collapse.
(B) Pottery of types 1 and 2, found in the lower level,
was used in the cities from which, according to the
legend, the besieging forces came.
(C) Several pieces of stone from a lower-layer wall
have been found incorporated into the remains of a
building in the middle layer.
(D) Both the middle and the lower layer show
evidence of large-scale destruction of habitations
by fire.
(E) Bronze axheads of a type used at the time of the
siege were found in the lower level of excavation.

10
 CRITICAL REASONING TEST SECTION 2 allowing the harmful
30 Minutes 20 Questions insects and fungi to
thrive.
1. After the national speed limit of 55 miles per hour was (D) Pollutants that are
imposed in 1974, the number of deaths per mile driven invisible and odorless are
on a highway fell abruptly as a result. Since then, emitted into the
however, the average speed of vehicles on highways surrounding air by the
has risen, but the number of deaths per mile driven on a refinery.
highway has continued to fall. (E) The various species of
Which of the following conclusions can be properly insects and fungi
drawn from the statements above? mentioned in the study
have been occasionally
(A) The speed limit alone is probably not responsible
found in the locality
for the continued reduction in highway deaths in
during the past hundred
the years after 1974.
years.
(B) People have been driving less since 1974.
(C) Driver-education courses have been more effective
since 1974 in teaching drivers to drive safely.
(D) In recent years highway patrols have been less
effective in catching drivers who speed.
(E) The change in the speed limit cannot be responsible
for the abrupt decline in highway deaths in 1974.

2. Neighboring landholders: Air pollution from the giant

aluminum refinery that has been built next to our land
is killing our plants.

Company spokesperson: The refinery is not to blame,

since our study shows that the damage is due to insects
and fungi.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens

the conclusion drawn by the company spokesperson?

(A) The study did not measure the quantity of

pollutants emitted into the surrounding air by the
aluminum refinery.
(B) The neighboring landholders have made no change
in the way they take care of their plants.
(C) Air pollution from the refinery has changed the
chemical balance in the plants’ environment,

11
 than does television-
3. Sales taxes tend to be regressive, affecting poor people watching.
more severely than wealthy people. When all purchases (C) The incidence of
of consumer goods are taxed at a fixed percentage of mosquito-borne
the purchase price, poor people pay a larger proportion encephalitis in counties
of their income in sales taxes than wealthy people do. with the largest number
It can be correctly inferred on the basis of the of television sets per
statements above that which of the following is true? capita is likely to
decrease even further.
(A) Poor people constitute a larger proportion of the
(D) The more time people in a
taxpaying population than wealthy people do.
county spend outdoors,
(B) Poor people spend a larger proportion of their
the greater their
income on purchases of consumer goods than
awareness of the dangers
wealthy people do.
of mosquito-borne
(C) Wealthy people pay, on average, a larger amount of
encephalitis.
sales taxes than poor people do.
(E) The more television sets
(D) The total amount spent by all poor people on
there are per capita in a
purchases of consumer goods exceeds the total
county, the more time the
amount spent by all wealthy people on consumer
average county resident
goods.
spends watching
(E) The average purchase price of consumer goods
television.
bought by wealthy people is higher than that of
consumer goods bought by poor people.

4. Reviewing historical data, medical researchers in

California found that counties with the largest number
of television sets per capita have had the lowest
incidence of a serious brain disease, mosquito-borne
encephalitis. The researchers have concluded that
people in these counties stay indoors more and thus
avoid exposure to the disease.

The researchers’ conclusion would be most

strengthened if which of the following were true?

(A) Programs designed to control the size of disease-

bearing mosquito populations have not affected
the incidence of mosquito- borne encephalitis.
(B) The occupations of county residents affect their risk
of exposure to mosquito-borne encephalitis more

12
 $50 would not be
5. The city’s public transportation system should be persuaded to spend more
removed from the jurisdiction of the municipal by any discount program.
government, which finds it politically impossible either (C) Most people who received
to raise fares or to institute cost-saving reductions in discounts on home
service. If public transportation were handled by a appliances through Red
private firm, profits would be vigorously pursued, Label’s program will shop
thereby eliminating the necessity for covering operating at Red Label after the
costs with government funds. program ends.
The statements above best support the conclusion that (D) Since the beginning of the
discount program, most
(A) the private firms that would handle public
of the people who spend
transportation would have experience in the
$50 or more at Red Label
transportation industry
are people who have
(B) political considerations would not prevent private
never before shopped
firms from ensuring that revenues cover operating
there and whose average
costs
grocery bill has always
(C) private firms would receive government funding if
been higher than $50.
it were needed to cover operating costs
(E) Almost all of the people
(D) the public would approve the cost-cutting actions
who have begun spending
taken by the private firm
$50 or more at Red Label
(E) the municipal government would not be resigned to
since the discount
accumulating merely enough income to cover
program began are
costs
longtime customers who
6. To entice customers away from competitors, Red Label have increased the
supermarkets have begun offering discounts on home average amount of their
appliances to customers who spend $50 or more on shopping bills by making
any shopping trip to Red Label. Red Label executives fewer trips.
claim that the discount program has been a huge
success, since cash register receipts of $50 or more are
up thirty percent since the beginning of the program.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens

the claim of the Red Label executives?

(A) Most people who switched to Red Label after the

program began spend more than $50 each time
they shop at Red Label.
(B) Most people whose average grocery bill is less than

13
 constant.
7. Throughout the 1950’s, there were increases in the (C) Employers often hire extra
numbers of dead birds found in agricultural areas after help during holiday and
pesticide sprayings. Pesticide manufacturers claimed warm weather seasons.
that the publicity given to bird deaths stimulated (D) The teenage
volunteers to look for dead birds, and that the increase unemployment rate rose
in numbers reported was attributable to the increase in more quickly in the
the number of people looking. 1970’s than it did in the
Which of the following statements, if true, would help 1960’s.
to refute the claim of the pesticide manufacturers? (E) The teenage
unemployment rate has
(A)The publicity given to bird deaths was largely
occasionally declined in
regional and never reached national proportions.
the years since 1960.
(B) Pesticide sprayings were timed to coincide with
various phases of the life cycles of the insects they
destroyed.
(C)No provision was made to ensure that a dead bird
would not be reported by more than one observer.
(D) Initial increases in bird deaths had been noticed by
agricultural workers long before any publicity had
been given to the matter.
(E) Dead birds of the same species as those found in
agricultural areas had been found along coastal
areas where no farming took place.

8. Teenagers are often priced out of the labor market by

the government-mandated minimum-wage level
because employers cannot afford to pay that much for
extra help. Therefore, if Congress institutes a
subminimum wage, a new lower legal wage for
teenagers, the teenage unemployment rate, which has
been rising since 1960, will no longer increase.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the

argument above?

(A) Since 1960 the teenage unemployment rate has

risen when the minimum wage has risen.
(B) Since 1960 the teenage unemployment rate has
risen even when the minimum wage remained

14
 of other divisions is
9. Which of the following best completes the passage irrelevant.
below? (C) If this is the first year
The computer industry’s estimate that it loses millions that the New Hampshire
of dollars when users illegally copy programs without Division has been last in
paying for them is greatly exaggerated. Most of the sales among Company
illegal copying is done by people with no serious X’s divisions, the new
interest in the programs. Thus, the loss to the industry record is not surprising at
is much smaller than estimated because all.
(D) If overall sales for
(A) many users who illegally copy programs never find
Company X were greater
any use for them
than usual, it is not
(B) most of the illegally copied programs would not be
surprising that the New
purchased even if purchasing them were the only
Hampshire Division was
way to obtain them
last in sales.
(C) even if the computer industry received all the
(E) Since the New
revenue it claims to be losing, it would still be
Hampshire Division has
experiencing financial difficulties
the smallest potential
(D) the total market value of all illegal copies is low in
market, it is not surprising
comparison to the total revenue of the computer
that it had the lowest
industry
sales.
(E) the number of programs that are frequently copied
illegally is low in comparison to the number of
programs available for sale

10. This year the New Hampshire Division of Company

X, set a new record for annual sales by that division.
This record is especially surprising since the New
Hampshire Division has the smallest potential
market and the lowest sales of any of Company X’s
divisions.

Which of the following identifies a flaw in the

logical coherence of the statement above?

(A) If overall sales for Company X were sharply

reduced, the New Hampshire Division’s new sales
record is irrelevant to the company’s prosperity.
(B) Since the division is competing against its own
record, the comparison of its sales record with that

15
 best support the new
11. Statement of a United States copper mining company: report’s suggestion?
Import quotas should be imposed on the less
(A) In cases where X occurs
expensive copper mined outside the country to
but Y does not, X is
maintain the price of copper in this country;
usually followed by Z.
otherwise, our companies will not be able to stay in
(B) In cases where X
business.
occurs, followed by Y, Y
Response of a United States copper wire is usually followed by Z.
manufacturer: United States wire and cable (C) In cases where Y occurs
manufacturers purchase about 70 percent of the but X does not, Y is
copper mined in the United States. If the copper usually followed by Z.
prices we pay are not at the international level, our (D) In cases where Y occurs
sales will drop, and then the demand for United but Z does not, Y is
States copper will go down. usually preceded by X.
If the factual information presented by both (E) In cases where Z occurs,
companies is accurate, the best assessment of the it is usually preceded by
logical relationship between the two arguments is X and Y.
that the wire manufacturer’s argument

(A) is self-serving and irrelevant to the proposal of

the mining company
(B) is circular, presupposing what it seeks to prove
about the proposal of the mining company
(C) shows that the proposal of the mining company
would have a negative effect on the mining
company’s own business
(D) fails to give a reason why the proposal of the
mining company should not be put into effect to
alleviate the concern of the mining company for
staying in business
(E) establishes that even the mining company’s
business will prosper if the mining company’s
proposal is rejected

12. Y has been believed to cause Z. A new report, noting

that Y and Z are often observed to be preceded by X,
suggests that X, not Y, may be the cause of Z.

Which of the following further observations would

16
 seat belts when traveling
13. Mr. Primm: If hospitals were private enterprises, by car.
dependent on profits for their survival, there would (C) More drivers and front-
be no teaching hospitals, because of the intrinsically seat passengers in the
high cost of running such hospitals. survey than rear-seat
Ms. Nakai: I disagree. The medical challenges passengers were very
provided by teaching hospitals attract the very best severely injured.
physicians. This, in turn, enables those hospitals to (D) More than half of the
concentrate on nonroutine cases. drivers and front-seat
passengers in the survey
Which of the following, if true, would most
were not wearing seat
strengthen Ms. Nakai’s attempt to refute Mr. Primm’s
belts at the time of their
claim?
accidents.
(A) Doctors at teaching hospitals command high (E) Most of the auto
salaries. accidents reported to
(B) Sophisticated, nonroutine medical care police in Dole County do
commands a high price. not involve any serious
(C) Existing teaching hospitals derive some revenue injury.
from public subsidies.
(D) The patient mortality rate at teaching hospitals is
high.
(E) The modern trend among physicians is to become
highly specialized.

14. A recent survey of all auto accident victims in Dole

County found that, of the severely injured drivers
and front-seat passengers, 80 percent were not
wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents. This
indicates that, by wearing seat belts, drivers and
front-seat passengers can greatly reduce their risk of
being severely injured if they are in an auto accident.

The conclusion above is not properly drawn unless

which of the following is true?

(A) Of all the drivers and front-seat passengers in the

survey, more than 20 percent were wearing seat
belts at the time of their accidents.
(B)Considerably more than 20 percent of drivers and
front-seat passengers in Dole County always wear

17
 Which of the following best
15. Six months or so after getting a video recorder, many describes how the consumer
early buyers apparently lost interest in obtaining counters the advertiser’s
videos to watch on it. The trade of businesses selling argument?
and renting videos is still buoyant, because the
(A) By alleging something
number of homes with video recorders is still
that, if true, would
growing. But clearly, once the market for video
weaken the plausibility of
recorders is saturated, businesses distributing videos
the advertiser’s
face hard times.
conclusion
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously (B) By questioning the truth
weaken the conclusion above? of the purportedly factual
(A) The market for video recorders would not be statement on which the
considered saturated until there was one in 80 advertiser’s conclusion is
percent of homes. based
(B) Among the items handled by video distributors (C) By offering an
are many films specifically produced as video interpretation of the
features. advertiser’s opening
(C) Few of the early buyers of video recorders raised statement that, if accurate,
any complaints about performance aspects of the shows that there is an
new product. implicit contradiction in it
(D) The early buyers of a novel product are always (D) By pointing out that the
people who are quick to acquire novelties, but also advertiser’s point of view
often as quick to tire of them. is biased
(E) In a shrinking market, competition always (E) By arguing that the
intensifies and marginal businesses fail. advertiser too narrowly
restricts the discussion to
16. Advertiser: The revenue that newspapers and the effects of advertising
magazines earn by publishing advertisements allows that are economic
publishers to keep the prices per copy of their
publications much lower than would otherwise be
possible. Therefore, consumers benefit economically
from advertising.

Consumer: But who pays for the advertising that

pays for low-priced newspapers and magazines? We
consumers do, because advertisers pass along
advertising costs to us through the higher prices they
charge for their products.

18
 recession when rumors of
17. Mr. Lawson: We should adopt a national family policy cutbacks and layoffs at
that includes legislation requiring employers to Lark Manufacturing were
provide paid parental leave and establishing plentiful .
government-sponsored day care. Such laws would (B) The surveys also
decrease the stress levels of employees who have showed that those Lark
responsibility for small children. Thus, such laws machine operators who
would lead to happier, better-adjusted families. neither participated in
Which of the following, if true, would most Quality Circles nor knew
strengthen the conclusion above? anyone who did so
reported the same degree
(A) An employee’s high stress level can be a cause of
of lessened satisfaction
unhappiness and poor adjustment for his or her
with their work situations
family.
as did the Lark machine
(B) People who have responsibility for small
operators who
children and who work outside the home have
participated in Quality
higher stress levels than those who do not.
Circles.
(C) The goal of a national family policy is to lower
(C) While participating in
the stress levels of parents.
Quality Circles at Lark
(D) Any national family policy that is adopted would
Manufacturing, machine
include legislation requiring employers to provide
operators exhibited two of
paid parental leave and establishing government-
the primary indicators of
sponsored day care.
improved job satisfaction:
(E) Most children who have been cared for in
increased productivity
daycare centers are happy and well adjusted.
and decreased
18. Lark Manufacturing Company initiated a voluntary absenteeism.
Quality Circles program for machine operators.
Independent surveys of employee attitudes indicated
that the machine operators participating in the
program were less satisfied with their work situations
after two years of the program’s existence than they
were at the program’s start. Obviously, any workers
who participate in a Quality Circles program will, as
a result, become less satisfied with their jobs.

Each of the following, if true, would weaken the

conclusion drawn above EXCETP:

(A) The second survey occurred during a period of

19
 (D) Several workers at Lark Manufacturing who had consequences of instituting
participated in Quality Circles while employed at the new tests is best
other companies reported that, while participating supported by the passage
in Quality Circles in their previous companies, above?
their work satisfaction had increased.
(A) The incidence of new
(E) The machine operators who participated in
cases of NANB hepatitis
Quality Circles reported that, when the program
is likely to go up by 10
started, they felt that participation might improve
percent.
their work situations.
(B) Donations made by
patients specifically for
Questions 19-20 are based on the following.
their own use are likely to
Blood banks will shortly start to screen all donors for
become less frequent.
NANB hepatitis. Although the new screening tests are
(C) The demand for blood
estimated to disqualify up to 5 percent of all prospective
from blood banks is likely
blood donors, they will still miss two-thirds of donors
to fluctuate more
carrying NANB hepatitis. Therefore, about 10 percent of
strongly.
actual donors will still supply NANB-contaminated
(D) The blood supplies
blood.
available from blood
banks are likely to go
19. The argument above depends on which of the
down.
following assumptions?
(E) The number of
(A) Donors carrying NANB hepatitis do not, in a prospective first-time
large percentage of cases, carry other infections for donors is likely to go up
which reliable screening tests are routinely by 5 percent.
performed.
(B) Donors carrying NANB hepatitis do not, in a
large percentage of cases, develop the disease
themselves at any point.
(C) The estimate of the number of donors who would
be disqualified by tests for NANB hepatitis is an
underestimate.
(D) The incidence of NANB hepatitis is lower
among the potential blood donors than it is in the
population at large.
(E) The donors who will still supply NANB-
contaminated blood will donate blood at the
average frequency for all donors.

20. Which of the following inferences about the

20
 CRITICAL REASONING TEST SECTION 3 (E) Are there plants that
30 Minutes 20 Questions require specific periods of
darkness in order to
1. Child’s World, a chain of toy stores, has relied on a bloom?
“supermarket concept” of computerized inventory control
and customer self-service to eliminate the category of 3. Millions of identical copies of
sales clerks from its force of employees. It now plans to a plant can be produced using
employ the same concept in selling children’s clothes. new tissue-culture and cloning
The plan of Child’s World assumes that techniques.

(A) supermarkets will not also be selling children’s If plant propagation by such
clothes in the same manner methods in laboratories proves
(B) personal service by sales personnel is not required economical, each of the
for selling children’s clothes successfully following, if true, represents a
(C) the same kind of computers will be used in benefit of the new techniques
inventory control for both clothes and toys at to farmers
Child’s World EXCEPT:
(D) a self-service plan cannot be employed without (A) The techniques allow the
computerized inventory control development of superior
(E) sales clerks are the only employees of Child’s strains to take place more
World who could be assigned tasks related to rapidly, requiring fewer
inventory control generations of plants
grown to maturity.
2. Continuous indoor fluorescent light benefits the health
of hamsters with inherited heart disease. A group of
them exposed to continuous fluorescent light survived
twenty-five percent longer than a similar group
exposed instead to equal periods of indoor fluorescent
light and of darkness.

The method of the research described above is most

likely to be applicable in addressing which of the
following questions?

(A) Can industrial workers who need to see their work

do so better by sunlight or by fluorescent light?
(B) Can hospital lighting be improved to promote the
recovery of patients?
(C) How do deep-sea fish survive in total darkness?
(D) What are the inherited illnesses to which hamsters
are subject?
21
 (B) It is less difficult to care for plants that will grow at the weapons for its own
rates that do not vary widely. purposes.
(C) Plant diseases and pests, once they take hold, (B) If a government claims
spread more rapidly among genetically uniform that it knew nothing about
plants than among those with genetic variations. a particular weapons-
(D) Mechanical harvesting of crops is less difficult if smuggling incident, it
plants are more uniform in size. must have known
(E) Special genetic traits can more easily be introduced everything about it.
into plant strains with the use of the new (C) If a government does not
techniques. permit weapons to enter a
country, it is a closed
4. Which of the following best completes the passage society.
below? (D) If a country is a closed
Sales campaigns aimed at the faltering personal society, its government
computer market have strongly emphasized ease of use, has a large contingent of
called user-friendliness. This emphasis is oddly armed guards patrolling
premature and irrelevant in the eyes of most potential its borders.
buyers, who are trying to address the logically prior (E) If a country is a closed
issue of whether---- society, its government
has knowledge about
(A) user-friendliness also implies that owners can
everything that occurs in
service their own computers
the country.
(B) personal computers cost more the more user-
friendly they are
(C) currently available models are user-friendly enough
to suit them
(D) the people promoting personal computers use them
in their own homes
(E) they have enough sensible uses for a personal
computer to justify the expense of buying one

5. A weapons-smuggling incident recently took place in

country Y. We all know that Y is a closed society. So
Y’s government must have known about the weapons.

Which of the following is an assumption that would

make the conclusion above logically correct?

(A) If a government knows about a particular weapons-

smuggling incident, it must have intended to use

22
 is neglected in favor of
6. Banning cigarette advertisements in the mass media the coverage of local
will not reduce the number of young people who events.
smoke. They know that cigarettes exist and they know (C) Readers of local news in
how to get them. They do not need the advertisements newspapers tend to
to supply that information. overestimate the amount
The above argument would be most weakened if which of crime in their own
of the following were true? localities relative to the
amount of crime in other
(A) Seeing or hearing an advertisement for a product
places.
tends to increase people’s desire for that product.
(D) None of the events
(B) Banning cigarette advertisements in the mass media
concerning other people
will cause an increase in advertisements in places
that are reported in
where cigarettes are sold.
newspapers is so salient
(C) Advertisements in the mass media have been an
in people’s minds as their
exceedingly large part of the expenditures of the
own personal
tobacco companies.
experiences.
(D) Those who oppose cigarette use have advertised
(E) The press is the news
against it in the mass media ever since cigarettes
medium that focuses
were found to be harmful.
people’s attention most
(E) Older people tend to be less influenced by mass-
strongly on local crimes.
media advertisements than younger people tend to
be.

7. People tend to estimate the likelihood of an event’s

occurrence according to its salience; that is, according
to how strongly and how often it comes to their
attention.

By placement and headlines, newspapers emphasize

stories about local crime over stories about crime
elsewhere and about many other major events.

It can be concluded on the basis of the statements

above that, if they are true, which of the following is
most probably also true?

(A) The language used in newspaper headlines about

local crime is inflammatory and fails to respect the
rights of suspects.
(B)The coverage of international events in newspapers

23
 (E) an attack on the character
8. By analyzing the garbage of a large number of average- of the opposition.
sized households, a group of modern urban
anthropologists has found that a household discards 10. Which of the following, if
less food the more standardized—made up of canned true, would most likely be
and prepackaged foods—its diet is. The more part of the evidence used to
standardized a household’s diet is, however, the greater refute the conclusion above?
the quantities of fresh produce the household throws
(A) Accountants, lawyers,
away.
and physicians attained
Which of the following can be properly inferred from their current relatively
the passage? high levels of income and
prestige at about the same
(A) An increasing number of households rely on a
time that the pay and
highly standardized diet.
status of teachers, bank
(B) The less standardized a household’s diet is, the
tellers, and secretaries
more nonfood waste the household discards.
slipped.
(C) The less standardized a household’s diet is, the
(B) When large numbers of
smaller is the proportion of fresh produce in the
men join a female-
household’s food waste.
dominated occupation,
(D) The less standardized a household’s diet is, the
such as airline flight
more canned and prepackaged foods the household
attendant, the status and
discards as waste.
pay of the occupation
(E) The more fresh produce a household buys, the more
tend to increase.
fresh produce it throws away.

Questions 9–10 are based on the following.

In the past, teachers, bank tellers, and secretaries were
predominantly men; these occupations slipped in pay and
status when they became largely occupied by women.
Therefore, if women become the majority in currently
male-dominated professions like accounting, law, and
medicine, the income and prestige of these professions
will also drop.
9. The argument above is based on

(A) another argument that contains circular reasoning

(B) an attempt to refute a generalization by means of an
exceptional case
(C) an analogy between the past and the future
(D) an appeal to popular beliefs and values
24
 (C) The demand for teachers and secretaries has accurate mathematical model of
increased significantly in recent years, while the the atmosphere with all its
demand for bank tellers has remained relatively complexities, they could forecast
stable. the weather with real precision.
(D) If present trends in the awarding of law degrees But this is an idle boast, immune
to women continue, it will be at least two decades to any evaluation, for any
before the majority of lawyers are women. inadequate weather forecast
(E) The pay and status of female accountants, would obviously be blamed on
lawyers, and physicians today are governed by imperfections in the model.
significantly different economic and sociological
forces than were the pay and status of female 12. Which of the following, if
teachers, bank tellers, and secretaries in the past. true, could best be used as a
basis for arguing against the
11. An electric-power company gained greater profits and author’s position that the
provided electricity to consumers at lower rates per meteorologists’ claim
unit of electricity by building larger-capacity more cannot be evaluated?
efficient plants and by stimulating greater use of
(A) Certain unusual
electricity within its area. To continue these financial
configurations of data can
trends, the company planned to replace an old plant
serve as the basis for
by a plant with triple the capacity of its largest plant.
precise weather forecasts
The company’s plan as described above assumed even though the exact
each of the following EXCEPT: causal mechanisms are
not understood.
(A) Demand for electricity within the company’s
area of service would increase in the future.
(B) Expenses would not rise beyond the level that
could be compensated for by efficiency or volume
of operation, or both.
(C) The planned plant would be sufficiently reliable
in service to contribute a net financial benefit to
the company as a whole.
(D) Safety measures to be instituted for the new plant
would be the same as those for the plant it would
replace.
(E) The tripling of capacity would not result in
insuperable technological obstacles to efficiency.

Questions 12-13 are based on the following

Meteorologists say that if only they could design an

25
 (B) Most significant gains in the accuracy of the exporters in 1953, four had
relevant mathematical models are accompanied by the same share of total
clear gains in the precision of weather forecasts. world exports in 1984 as in
(C) Mathematical models of the meteorological 1953. Theses countries can
aftermath of such catastrophic events as volcanic therefore serve as models
eruptions are beginning to be constructed. for those countries that wish
(D) Modern weather forecasts for as much as a full to keep their share of the
day ahead are broadly correct about 80 percent of global export trade stable
the time. over the years.
(E) Meteorologists readily concede that the accurate
Which of the following, if
mathematical model they are talking about is not
true, casts the most serious
now in their power to construct.
doubt on the suitability of
those four countries as
13. Which of the following, if true, would cast the most
models in the sense
serious doubt on the meteorologists’ boast, aside
described?
from the doubt expressed in the passage above?
(A) Many countries wish to
(A) The amount of energy that the Earth receives
increase their share of
from the Sun is monitored closely and is known
world export trade, not
not to be constant.
just keep it stable.
(B) Volcanic eruptions, the combustion of fossil
(B) Many countries are less
fuels, and several other processes that also cannot
concerned with exports
be quantified with any accuracy are known to have
alone than with he
a significant and continuing impact on the
balance between exports
constitution of the atmosphere.
and imports.
(C) As current models of the atmosphere are
improved, even small increments in complexity
will mean large increases in the number of
computers required for the representation of the
models.
(D) Frequent and accurate data about the atmosphere
collected at a large number of points both on and
above the ground are a prerequisite for the
construction of a good model of the atmosphere.
(E) With existing models of the atmosphere, large
scale weather patterns can be predicted with
greater accuracy than can relatively local weather
patterns.

14. Of the countries that were the world’s twenty largest

26
 (C) With respect to the mix of products each exports, 16. Which of the following
the four countries are very different from each questions can be answered
other. on the basis of the
(D) Of the four countries, two had a much larger, and information in the passage
two had a much smaller, share of total world above?
exports in 1970 than in 1984.
(A) Is the Postal Service as
(E) The exports of the four countries range from 15
efficient as privately
percent to 75 percent of the total national output.
owned electric
transmission services?
Questions 15-16 are based on the following
(B) If private operators were
In the United States, the Postal Service has a monopoly
allowed to operate first-
on first-class mail, but much of what is sent first class
class mail services, would
could be transmitted electronically. Electronic transmittal
they choose to do so?
operators argue that if the Postal Service were to offer
(C) Do the electronic
electronic transmission, it would have an unfair
transmittal operators
advantage, since its electronic transmission service could
believe that the Postal
be subsidized from the profits of the monopoly.
Service makes a profit on
first-class mail?
15. Which of the following, if each is true, would allay
(D) Is the Postal Service
the electronic transmittal operators’ fears of unfair
prohibited from offering
competition?
electronic transmission
(A) If the Postal Service were to offer electronic services ?
transmission, it could not make a profit on first- (E) Is the Postal Service
class mail. expected to have a
(B) If the Postal Service were to offer electronic monopoly on electronic
transmission, it would have a monopoly on that transmission?
kind of service.
(C) Much of the material that is now sent by first-
class mail could be delivered much faster by
special package couriers, but is not sent that way
because of cost.
(D) There is no economy of scale in electronic
transmission—that is, the cost per transaction does
not go down as more pieces of information are
transmitted.
(E) Electronic transmission will never be cost-
effective for material not sent by first-class mail
such as newspapers and bulk mail.

27
17. Lists of hospitals have been compiled showing which argument?
hospitals have patient death rates exceeding the
(A) It cites evidence that, if
national average. The data have been adjusted to
true, tends to disprove the
allow for differences in the ages of patients.
evidence cited by Teresa
Each of the following, if true, provides a good in drawing her
logical ground for hospitals to object to interpreting conclusion.
rank on these lists as one of the indices of the quality (B) It indicates a logical gap
of hospital care EXCEPT: in the support that Teresa
offers for her conclusion.
(A) Rank order might indicate insignificant
(C) It raises a consideration
differences, rather than large differences, in
that outweighs the
numbers of patient deaths.
argument Teresa makes.
(B) Hospitals that keep patients longer are likely to
(D) It does not meet
have higher death rates than those that discharge
Teresa’s point because it
patients earlier but do not record deaths of patients
assumes that there is no
at home after discharge.
serious impediment to
(C) Patients who are very old on admission to a
transporting people into
hospital are less likely than younger patients to
space, but this was the
survive the same types of illnesses or surgical
issue raised by Teresa.
procedures.
(E) It fails to respond to
(D) Some hospitals serve a larger proportion of low-
Teresa’s argument
income patients, who tend to be more seriously ill
because it does not
when admitted to a hospital.
address the fundamental
(E) For-profit hospitals sometimes do not provide
issue of whether space
intensive-care units and other expensive services
activities should have
for very sick patients but refer or transfer such
priority over other claims
patients to other hospitals.
on the national budget.
18. Teresa: Manned spaceflight does not have a future,
since it cannot compete economically with other
means of accomplishing the objectives of
spaceflight.

Edward: No mode of human transportation has a

better record of reliability: two accidents in twenty-
five years. Thus manned spaceflight definitely has a
positive future.

Which of the following is the best logical evaluation

of Edward’s argument as a response to Teresa’s

28
19. Black Americans are, on the whole, about twice as 20. The following proposal to
likely as White Americans to develop high blood amend the bylaws of an
pressure. This likelihood also holds for westernized organization was circulated
Black Africans when compared to White Africans. to its members for
comment.
Researchers have hypothesized that this
predisposition in westernized Blacks may reflect an When more than one
interaction between western high-salt diets and genes nominee is to be named for
that adapted to an environmental scarcity of salt. an office, prospective
nominees must consent to
Which of the following statements about present-day,
nomination and before
westernized Black Africans, if true, would most tend
giving such consent must be
to confirm the researchers’ hypothesis?
told who the other nominees
(A) The blood pressures of those descended from will be.
peoples situated throughout their history in
Which of the following
Senegal and Gambia, where salt was always
comments concerning the
available, are low.
logic of the proposal is
(B) The unusually high salt consumption in certain
accurate if it cannot be
areas of Africa represents a serious health
known who the actual
problem.
nominees are until
(C) Because of their blood pressure levels, most
prospective nominees have
White Africans have markedly decreased their salt
given their consent to be
consumption.
nominated?
(D) Blood pressures are low among the Yoruba, who,
throughout their history, have been situated far (A) The proposal would
inland from sources of sea salt and far south of make it possible for each
Saharan salt mines. of several nominees for
(E) No significant differences in salt metabolism an office to be aware of
have been found between those people who have who all of the other
had salt available throughout their history and nominees are.
those who have not. (B) The proposal would
widen the choice
available to those
choosing among the
nominees.
(C) If there are several
prospective nominees, the
proposal would deny the
last nominee equal
29
 treatment with the first. CRITICAL REASONING
(D)The proposal would enable a prospective TEST SECTION 4
nominee to withdraw from competition with a 30 Minutes 20 Questions
specific person without making that withdrawal
known. 1. Which of the following best
(E) If there is more than one prospective nominee, completes the passage below?
the proposal would make it impossible for anyone In a survey of job applicants,
to become a nominee. two-fifths admitted to being at
least a little dishonest.
However, the survey may
underestimate the proportion
of job applicants who are
dishonest, because——.

(A) some dishonest people

taking the survey might
have claimed on the
survey to be honest
(B) some generally honest
people taking the survey
might have claimed on
the survey to be dishonest
(C) some people who claimed
on the survey to be at
least a little dishonest
may be very dishonest
(D) some people who claimed
on the survey to be
dishonest may have been
answering honestly
(E) some people who are not
job applicants are
probably at least a little
dishonest

Questions 2-3 are based on the

following.
The average life expectancy for
the United States population as a

30
whole is 73.9 years, but children born in Hawaii will live
an average of 77 years, and those born in Louisiana, 71.7 3. Which of the following
years. If a newlywed couple from Louisiana were to begin statements, if true, would most
their family in Hawaii, therefore, their children would be significantly strengthen the
expected to live longer than would be the case if the conclusion drawn in the
family remained in Louisiana. passage?

(A) As population density

2. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously
increases in Hawaii, life
weaken the conclusion drawn in the passage?
expectancy figures for
(A) Insurance company statisticians do not believe that that state are likely to be
moving to Hawaii will significantly lengthen the revised downward.
average Louisianian’s life. (B) Environmental factors
(B) The governor of Louisiana has falsely alleged that tending to favor longevity
statistics for his state are inaccurate. are abundant in Hawaii
(C) The longevity ascribed to Hawaii’s current and less numerous in
population is attributable mostly to genetically Louisiana.
determined factors. (C) Twenty-five percent of all
(D) Thirty percent of all Louisianians can expect to live Louisianians who move
longer than 77 years. to Hawaii live longer than
(E) Most of the Hawaiian Islands have levels of air 77 years.
pollution well below the national average for the (D) Over the last decade,
United States. average life expectancy
has risen at a higher rate
for Louisianians than for
Hawaiians.
(E) Studies show that the
average life expectancy
for Hawaiians who move
permanently to Louisiana
is roughly equal to that of
Hawaiians who remain in
Hawaii.

4. Insurance Company X is
considering issuing a new
policy to cover services
required by elderly people
who suffer from diseases that
afflict the elderly. Premiums
31
for the policy must be low enough to attract customers.
Therefore, Company X is concerned that the income 5. A program instituted in a
from the policies would not be sufficient to pay for the particular state allows parents
claims that would be made. to prepay their children’s
future college tuition at current
Which of the following strategies would be most likely
rates. The program then pays
to minimize Company X’s losses on the policies?
the tuition annually for the
(A) Attracting middle-aged customers unlikely to child at any of the state’s
submit claims for benefits for many years public colleges in which the
(B) Insuring only those individuals who did not suffer child enrolls. Parents should
any serious diseases as children participate in the program as a
(C) Including a greater number of services in the policy means of decreasing the cost
than are included in other policies of lower cost for their children’s college
(D) Insuring only those individuals who were rejected education.
by other companies for similar policies
Which of the following, if
(E) Insuring only those individuals who are wealthy
true, is the most appropriate
enough to pay for the medical services
reason for parents not to
participate in the program?

(A) The parents are unsure

about which pubic college
in the state the child will
attend.
(B) The amount of money
accumulated by putting
the prepayment funds in
an interest-bearing
account today will be
greater than the total cost
of tuition for any of the
pubic colleges when the
child enrolls.
(C) The annual cost of tuition
at the state’s pubic
colleges is expected to
increase at a faster rate
than the annual increase
in the cost of living
(D) Some of the state’s public

32
 colleges are contemplating large increases in
tuition next year. 7. The ice on the front
(E) The prepayment plan would not cover the cost of windshield of the car had
room and board at any of the state’s public formed when moisture
colleges. condensed during the night.
The ice melted quickly after
6. Company Alpha buys free-travel coupons from people the car was warmed up the
who are awarded the coupons by Bravo Airlines for next morning because the
flying frequently on Bravo airplanes. The coupons are defrosting vent, which blows
sold to people who pay less for the coupons than they only on the front windshield,
would pay by purchasing tickets from Bravo. This was turned on full force.
marketing of coupons results in lost revenue for Bravo.
Which of the following, if
To discourage the buying and selling of free-travel true, most seriously
coupons, it would be best for Bravo Airlines to restrict jeopardizes the validity of the
the explanation for the speed with
which the ice melted?
(A) number of coupons that a person can be awarded in
a particular year (A) The side windows had no
(B) use of the coupons to those who were awarded the ice condensation on them.
coupons and members of their immediate families (B) Even though no attempt
(C) days that the coupons can be used to Monday was made to defrost the
through Friday back window, the ice
(D) amount of time that the coupons can be used after there melted at the same
they are issued rate as did the ice on the
(E) number of routes on which travelers can use the front windshield.
coupons (C) The speed at which ice on
a window melts increases
as the temperature of the
air blown on the window
increases.
(D) The warm air from the
defrosting vent for the
front windshield cools
rapidly as it dissipates
throughout the rest of the
car.
(E) The defrosting vent
operates efficiently even
when the heater, which

33
 blows warm air toward the feet or faces of the
driver and passengers, is on. 9. A conservation group in the
United States is trying to
8. To prevent some conflicts of interest, Congress could change the long-standing
prohibit high-level government officials from accepting image of bats as frightening
positions as lobbyists for three years after such officials creatures. The group contends
leave government service. One such official concluded, that bats are feared and
however, that such a prohibition would be unfortunate persecuted solely because they
because it would prevent high-level government are shy animals that are active
officials from earning a livelihood for three years. only at night.

The official’s conclusion logically depends on which of Which of the following, if

the following assumptions? true, would cast the most
serious doubt on the accuracy
(A) Laws should not restrict the behavior of former
of the group’s contention?
government officials.
(B) Lobbyists are typically people who have previously (A) Bats are steadily losing
been high-level government officials. natural roosting places
(C) Low-level government officials do not often such as caves and hollow
become lobbyists when they leave government trees and are thus turning
service. to more developed areas
(D) High-level government officials who leave for roosting.
government service are capable of earning a (B) Bats are the chief
livelihood only as lobbyists. consumers of nocturnal
(E) High-level government officials who leave insects and thus can help
government service are currently permitted to act make their hunting
as lobbyists for only three years. territory more pleasant for
humans.
(C) Bats are regarded as
frightening creatures not
only in the United States
but also in Europe,
Africa, and South
America.
(D) Raccoons and owls are
shy and active only at
night; yet they are not
generally feared and
persecuted.
(E) People know more about

34
 the behavior of other greatly feared animal Questions 11-12 are based on the
species, such as lions, alligators, and snakes, than following.
they do about the behavior of bats. The fewer restrictions there are
on the advertising of legal
10. Meteorite explosions in the Earth’s atmosphere as services, the more lawyers there
large as the one that destroyed forests in Siberia, with are who advertise their services,
approximately the force of a twelve-megaton nuclear and the lawyers who advertise a
blast, occur about once a century. specific service usually charge
The response of highly automated systems controlled less for that service than lawyers
by complex computer programs to unexpected who do not advertise. Therefore,
circumstances is unpredictable. if the state removes any of its
current restrictions, such as the
Which of the following conclusions can most
one against advertisements that
properly be drawn, if the statements above are true,
do not specify fee arrangements,
about a highly automated nuclear-missile defense
overall consumer legal costs will
system controlled by a complex computer program?
be lower than if the state retains
(A) Within a century after its construction, the its current restrictions.
system would react inappropriately and might
accidentally start a nuclear war. 11. If the statements above are
(B) The system would be destroyed if an explosion true, which of the following
of a large meteorite occurred in the Earth’s must be true?
atmosphere. (A) Some lawyers who now
(C) It would be impossible for the system to advertise will charge
distinguish the explosion of a large meteorite from more for specific services
the explosion of a nuclear weapon. if they do not have to
(D) Whether the system would respond specify fee arrangements
inappropriately to the explosion of a large in the advertisements.
meteorite would depend on the location of the (B) More consumers will
blast. use legal services if there
(E) It is not certain what the system’s response to the are fewer restrictions on
explosion of a large meteorite would be, if its the advertising of legal
designers did not plan for such a contingency. services.
(C) If the restriction against
advertisements that do not
specify fee arrangements
is removed, more lawyers
will advertise their
services.

35
 (D) If more lawyers advertise lower prices for 13. Defense Department analysts
specific services, some lawyers who do not worry that the ability of the
advertise will also charge less than they currently United States to wage a
charge for those services. prolonged war would be
(E) If the only restrictions on the advertising of legal seriously endangered if the
services were those that apply to every type of machine-tool manufacturing
advertising, most lawyers would advertise their base shrinks further. Before
services. the Defense Department
publicly connected this
12. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously security issue with the
weaken the argument concerning overall consumer import quota issue,
legal costs? however, the machine-tool
(A) The state has recently removed some other industry raised the national
restrictions that had limited the advertising of legal security issue in its petition
services. for import quotas.
(B) The state is unlikely to remove all of the Which of the following, if
restrictions that apply solely to the advertising of true, contributes most to an
legal services. explanation of the machine-
(C) Lawyers who do not advertise generally provide tool industry’s raising the
legal services of the same quality as those issue above regarding
provided by lawyers who do advertise. national security?
(D) Most lawyers who now specify fee arrangements
(A) When the aircraft
in their advertisements would continue to do so
industries retooled, they
even if the specification were not required.
provided a large amount
(E) Most lawyers who advertise specific services do
of work for tool builders.
not lower their fees for those services when they
(B) The Defense
begin to advertise.
Department is only
marginally concerned
with the effects of foreign
competition on the
machine-tool industry.
(C) The machine-tool
industry encountered
difficulty in obtaining
governmental protection
against imports on
grounds other than
defense.

36
 (D) A few weapons important for defense consist of
parts that do not require extensive machining. 15. The cost of producing radios
(E) Several federal government programs have been in Country Q is ten percent
designed which will enable domestic machine-tool less than the cost of
manufacturing firms to compete successfully with producing radios in Country
foreign toolmakers. Y. Even after transportation
fees and tariff charges are
14. Opponents of laws that require automobile drivers and added, it is still cheaper for
passengers to wear seat belts argue that in a free a company to import radios
society people have the right to take risks as long as from Country Q to Country
the people do not harm others as a result of taking Y than to produce radios in
the risks. As a result, they conclude that it should be Country Y.
each person’s decision whether or not to wear a seat
The statements above, if
belt.
true, best support which of
Which of the following, if true, most seriously the following assertions?
weakens the conclusion drawn above?
(A) Labor costs in Country
(A) Many new cars are built with seat belts that Q are ten percent below
automatically fasten when someone sits in the those in Country Y.
front seat. (B) Importing radios from
(B) Automobile insurance rates for all automobile Country Q to Country Y
owners are higher because of the need to pay for will eliminate ten percent
the increased injuries or deaths of people not of the manufacturing jobs
wearing seat belts. in Country Y.
(C) Passengers in airplanes are required to wear seat (C) The tariff on a radio
belts during takeoffs and landings. imported from Country Q
(D) The rate of automobile fatalities in states that do to Country Y is less than
not have mandatory seat-belt laws is greater than ten percent of the cost of
the rate of fatalities in states that do have such manufacturing the radio
laws. in Country Y.
(E) In automobile accidents, a greater number of (D) The fee for transporting
passengers who do not wear seat belts are injured a radio from Country Q to
than are passengers who do wear seat belts. Country Y is more than
ten percent of the cost of
manufacturing the radio
in Country Q.
(E) It takes ten percent less
time to manufacture a
radio in Country Q than it

37
 does in Country Y.
17. One state adds a 7 percent
16. During the Second World War, about 375,000 sales tax to the price of most
civilians died in the United States and about 408,000 products purchased within
members of the United States armed forces died its jurisdiction. This tax,
overseas. On the basis of those figures, it can be therefore, if viewed as tax
concluded that it was not much more dangerous to be on income, has the reverse
overseas in the armed forces during the Second effect of the federal income
World War than it was to stay at home as a civilian. tax: the lower the income,
the higher the annual
Which of the following would reveal most clearly
percentage rate at which the
the absurdity of the conclusion drawn above?
income is taxed.
(A) Counting deaths among members of the armed
The conclusion above
forces who served in the United States in addition
would be properly drawn if
to deaths among members of the armed forces
which of the following were
serving overseas
assumed as a premise?
(B) Expressing the difference between the numbers
of deaths among civilians and members of the (A) The amount of money
armed forces as a percentage of the total number citizens spend on
of deaths products subject to the
(C) Separating deaths caused by accidents during state tax tends to be equal
service in the armed forces from deaths caused by across income levels.
combat injuries (B) The federal income tax
(D) Comparing death rates per thousand members of favors citizens with high
each group rather than comparing total numbers of incomes, whereas the
deaths state sales tax favors
(E) Comparing deaths caused by accidents in the citizens with low
United States to deaths caused by combat in the incomes.
armed forces. (C) Citizens with low
annual incomes can
afford to pay a relatively
higher percentage of their
incomes in state sales tax,
since their federal income
tax is relatively low.
(D) The lower a state’s sales
tax, the more it will tend
to redistribute income
from the more affluent

38
 citizens to the rest of society. Questions 19-20 are based on the
(E) Citizens who fail to earn federally taxable following.
income are also exempt from the state sales tax. Surveys show that every year
only 10 percent of cigarette
smokers switch brands. Yet the
manufacturers have been
18. The average age of chief executive officers (CEO’s) in spending an amount equal to 10
a large sample of companies is 57. The average age percent of their gross receipts on
of CEO’s in those same companies 20 years ago was cigarette promotion in
approximately eight years younger. On the basis of magazines. It follows from these
those data, it can be concluded that CEO’s in general figures that inducing cigarette
tend to be older now. smokers to switch brands did not
Which of the following casts the most doubt on the pay, and that cigarette companies
conclusion drawn above? would have been no worse off
economically if they had
(A) The dates when the CEO’s assumed their current dropped their advertising.
positions have not been specified.
(B) No information is given concerning the average 19. Of the following, the best
number of years that CEO’s remain in office. criticism of the conclusion
(C) The information is based only on companies that that inducing cigarette
have been operating for at least 20 years. smokers to switch brands
(D) Only approximate information is given did not pay is that the
concerning the average age of the CEO’s 20 years conclusion is based on
ago.
(A) computing advertising
(E) Information concerning the exact number of
costs as a percentage of
companies in the sample has not been given.
gross receipts, not of
overall costs
(B) past patterns of smoking
and may not carry over to
the future
(C) the assumption that each
smoker is loyal to a single
brand of cigarettes at any
one time
(D) the assumption that
each manufacturer
produces only one brand
of cigarettes

39
 (E) figures for the cigarette industry as a whole and CRITICAL REASONING
may not hold for a particular company TEST SECTION 5
30 MINUTES 20
20. Which of the following, if true, most serinously QUESTIONS
weakens the conclusion that cigarette companies
could have dropped advertising without suffering 1. Toughened hiring standards
economically? have not been the primary
cause of the present staffing
(A) Cigarette advertisements provide a major
shortage in public schools.
proportion of total advertising revenue for
The shortage of teachers is
numerous magazines.
primarily caused by the fact
(B) Cigarette promotion serves to attract first-time
that in recent years teachers
smokers to replace those people who have stopped
have not experienced any
smoking.
improvements in working
(C) There exists no research conclusively demon-
conditions and their salaries
strating that increases in cigarette advertising are
have not kept pace with
related to increases in smoking.
salaries in other professions.
(D) Advertising is so firmly established as a major
business activity of cigarette manufacturers that Which of the following, if
they would be unlikely to drop it. true, would most support the
(E) Brand loyalty is typically not very strong among claims above?
those who smoke inexpensive cigarettes.
(A) Many teachers already in
the profession would not
have been hired under the
new hiring standards.
(B) Today more teachers are
entering the profession
with a higher educational
level than in the past.
(C) Some teachers have cited
higher standards for
hiring as a reason for the
current staffing shortage.
(D) Many teachers have cited
low pay and lack of
professional freedom as
reasons for their leaving
the profession.
(E) Many prospective teachers

40
 have cited the new hiring standards as a reason for
not entering the profession. 3. Even though most universities
retain the royalties from
2. A proposed ordinance requires the installation in new faculty members’ inventions,
homes of sprinklers automatically triggered by the the faculty members retain the
presence of a fire. However, a home builder argued that royalties from books and
because more than ninety percent of residential fires are articles they write. Therefore,
extinguished by a household member, residential faculty members should retain
sprinklers would only marginally decrease property the royalties from the
damage caused by residential fires. educational computer software
they develop.
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously
weaken the home builder’s argument? The conclusion above would
be more reasonably drawn if
(A) Most individuals have no formal training in how to
which of the following were
extinguish fires.
inserted into the argument as
(B) Since new homes are only a tiny percentage of
an additional premise?
available housing in the city, the new ordinance
would be extremely narrow in scope. (A) Royalties from inventions
(C) The installation of smoke detectors in new are higher than royalties
residences costs significantly less than the from educational software
installation of sprinklers. programs.
(D) In the city where the ordinance was proposed, the (B) Faculty members are more
average time required by the fire department to likely to produce
respond to a fire was less than the national educational software
average. programs than inventions.
(E) The largest proportion of property damage that (C) Inventions bring more
results from residential fires is caused by fires that prestige to universities
start when no household member is present. than do books and
articles.
(D) In the experience of most
universities, educational
software programs are
more marketable than are
books and articles.
(E) In terms of the criteria
used to award royalties,
educational software
programs are more nearly
comparable to books and

41
 articles than to inventions.
5. When limitations were in
4. Increases in the level of high-density lipoprotein effect on nuclear-arms testing,
(HDL) in the human bloodstream lower bloodstream- people tended to save more of
cholesterol levels by increasing the body’s capacity to their money, but when nuclear-
rid itself of excess cholesterol. Levels of HDL in the arms testing increased, people
bloodstream of some individuals are significantly tended to spend more of their
increased by a program of regular exercise and weight money. The perceived threat of
reduction. nuclear catastrophe, therefore,
decreases the willingness of
Which of the following can be correctly inferred from
people to postpone
the statements above?
consumption for the sake of
(A) Individuals who are underweight do not run any saving money.
risk of developing high levels of cholesterol in the
The argument above assumes
bloodstream.
that
(B) Individuals who do not exercise regularly have a
high risk of developing high levels of cholesterol (A) the perceived threat of
in the bloodstream late in life. nuclear catastrophe has
(C) Exercise and weight reduction are the most increased over the years.
effective methods of lowering bloodstream (B) most people supported the
cholesterol levels in humans. development of nuclear
(D) A program of regular exercise and weight reduction arms
lowers cholesterol levels in the bloodstream of (C) people’s perception of the
some individuals. threat of nuclear
(E) Only regular exercise is necessary to decrease catastrophe depends on
cholesterol levels in the bloodstream of individuals the amount of nuclear-
of average weight. arms testing being done
(D) the people who saved the
most money when
nuclear-arms testing was
limited were the ones
who supported such
limitations
(E) there are more consumer
goods available when
nuclear-arms testing
increases

42
6. Which of the following best completes the passage
below? 7. A cost-effective solution to the
problem of airport congestion
People buy prestige when they buy a premium product.
is to provide high-speed
They want to be associated with something special.
ground transportation between
Mass-marketing techniques and price-reduction
major cities lying 200 to 500
strategies should not be used because _______.
miles apart. The successful
(A) affluent purchasers currently represent a shrinking implementation of this plan
portion of the population of all purchasers would cost far less than
(B) continued sales depend directly on the maintenance expanding existing airports
of an aura of exclusivity and would also reduce the
(C) purchasers of premium products are concerned with number of airplanes clogging
the quality as well as with the price of the products both airports and airways.
(D) expansion of the market niche to include a broader
Which of the following, if
spectrum of consumers will increase profits
true, could proponents of the
(E) manufacturing a premium brand is not necessarily
plan above most appropriately
more costly than manufacturing a standard brand
cite as a piece of evidence for
of the same product
the soundness of their plan?

(A)An effective high-speed

ground-transportation
system would require
major repairs to many
highways and mass-
transit improvements.
(B) One-half of all departing
flights in the nation’s
busiest airport head for a
destination in a major city
225 miles away.
(C) The majority of travelers
departing from rural
airports are flying to
destinations in cities over
600 miles away.
(D) Many new airports are
being built in areas that
are presently served by
high-speed ground-

43
 transportation systems.
(E) A large proportion of air travelers are vacationers 9. Which of the following
who are taking long-distance flights. conclusions is best supported
by the statement above?
Questions 8-9 are based on the following. (A) Domestic producers of oil
If there is an oil-supply disruption resulting in higher in open-market countries
international oil prices, domestic oil prices in open- are excluded from the
market countries such as the United States will rise as international oil market
well, whether such countries import all or none of their when there is a disruption
oil. in the international oil
supply.
8. If the statement above concerning oil-supply
(B) International oil-supply
disruptions is true, which of the following policies in an
disruptions have little, if
open-market nation is most likely to reduce the long-
any, effect on the price of
term economic impact on that nation of sharp and
domestic oil as long as an
unexpected increases in international oil prices?
open-market country has
(A) Maintaining the quantity of oil imported at constant domestic supplies capable
yearly levels of meeting domestic
(B) Increasing the number of oil tankers in its fleet demand.
(C) Suspending diplomatic relations with major oil- (C) The oil market in an open-
producing nations market country is actually
(D) Decreasing oil consumption through conservation part of the international
(E) Decreasing domestic production of oil oil market, even if most
of that country’s domestic
oil is usually sold to
consumers within its
borders.
(D) Open-market countries
that export little or none
of their oil can maintain
stable domestic oil prices
even when international
oil prices rise sharply.
(E) If international oil prices
rise, domestic distributors
of oil in open-market
countries will begin to
import more oil than they

44
 export. 11. Red blood cells in which the
malarial-fever parasite
10. The average normal infant born in the United States resides are eliminated from
weighs between twelve and fourteen pounds at the a person’s body after 120
age of three months. Therefore, if a three-month-old days. Because the parasite
child weighs only ten pounds, its weight gain has cannot travel to a new
been below the United States average. generation of red blood
Which of the following indicates a flaw in the cells, any fever that
reasoning above? develops in a person more
than 120 days after that
(A) Weight is only one measure of normal infant
person has moved to a
development.
malaria-free region is not
(B) Some three-month-old children weigh as much
due to the malarial parasite.
as seventeen pounds.
(C) It is possible for a normal child to weigh ten Which of the following, if
pounds at birth. true, most seriously
(D) The phrase “ below average” does not weakens the conclusion
necessarily mean insufficient. above?
(E)Average weight gain is not the same as average (A) The fever caused by the
weight. malarial parasite may
resemble the fever caused
by flu viruses.
(B) The anopheles
mosquito, which is the
principal insect carrier of
the malarial parasite, has
been eradicated in many
parts of the world.
(C) Many malarial
symptoms other than the
fever, which can be
suppressed with
antimalarial medication,
can reappear within 120
days after the medication
is discontinued.
(D) In some cases, the
parasite that causes
malarial fever travels to

45
 cells of the spleen, which are less frequently 13. The number of people
eliminated from a person’s body than are red blood diagnosed as having a
cells. certain intestinal disease has
(E) In any region infested with malaria-carrying dropped significantly in a
mosquitoes, there are individuals who appear to be rural county this year, as
immune to malaria. compared to last year,
Health officials attribute this
12. Fact 1: Television advertising is becoming less decrease entirely to
effective: the proportion of brand names promoted improved sanitary
on television that viewers of the advertising can conditions at water-
recall is slowly decreasing. treatment plants, which
Fact 2: Television viewers recall commercials aired made for cleaner water this
first or last in a cluster of consecutive commercials year and thus reduced the
far better than they recall commercials aired incidence of the disease.
somewhere in the middle. Which of the following, if
Fact 2 would be most likely to contribute to an true, would most seriously
explanation of fact 1 if which of the following were weaken the health officials’
also true? explanation for the lower
incidence of the disease?
(A) The average television viewer currently recalls
fewer than half the brand names promoted in (A) Many new water-
commercials he or she saw. treatment plants have
(B) The total time allotted to the average cluster of been built in the last five
consecutive television commercials is decreasing. years in the rural county.
(C) The average number of hours per day that people (B) Bottled spring water has
spend watching television is decreasing. not been consumed in
(D) The average number of clusters of consecutive significantly different
commercials per hour of television is increasing. quantities by people
(E) The average number of television commercials in diagnosed as having the
a cluster of consecutive commercials is increasing. intestinal disease, as
compared to people who
did not contract the
disease.
(C) Because of a new
diagnostic technique,
many people who until
this year would have been
diagnosed as having the
intestinal disease are now

46
 correctly diagnosed as suffering from intestinal 15. Some who favor putting
ulcers. governmental enterprises
(D) Because of medical advances this year, far fewer into private hands suggest
people who contract the intestinal disease will that conservation objectives
develop severe cases of the disease. would in general be better
(E) The water in the rural county was brought up to served if private
the sanitary standards of the water in neighboring environmental groups were
counties ten years ago. put in charge of operating
and financing the national
14. The price the government pays for standard weapons park system, which is now
purchased from military contractors is determined by run by the government.
a pricing method called “historical costing.”
Which of the following,
Historical costing allows contractors to protect their
assuming that it is a realistic
profits by adding a percentage increase, based on the
possibility, argues most
current rate of inflation, to the previous year’s
strongly against the
contractual price.
suggestion above?
Which of the following statements, if true, is the best
(A) Those seeking to
basis for a criticism of historical costing as an
abolish all restrictions on
economically sound pricing method for military
exploiting the natural
contracts?
resources of the parks
(A) The government might continue to pay for past might join the private
inefficient use of funds. environmental groups as
(B) The rate of inflation has varied considerably over members and eventually
the past twenty years. take over their leadership.
(C) The contractual price will be greatly affected by (B) Private environmental
the cost of materials used for the products. groups might not always
(D) Many taxpayers question the amount of money agree on the best ways to
the government spends on military contracts. achieve conservation
(E) The pricing method based on historical costing objectives.
might not encourage the development of (C) If they wished to extend
innovative weapons. the park system, the
private environmental
groups might have to seek
contributions from major
donors and the general
public.
(D) There might be
competition among

47
 private environmental groups for control of certain
park areas. 17. Tocqueville, a nineteenth-
(E) Some endangered species, such as the California century writer known for his
condor, might die out despite the best efforts of the study of democracy in the
private environmental groups, even if those groups United States, believed that
are not hampered by insufficient resources. a government that
centralizes power in one
16. A recent spate of launching and operating mishaps individual or institution is
with television satellites led to a corresponding surge dangerous to its citizens.
in claims against companies underwriting satellite Biographers claim that
insurance. As a result, insurance premiums shot up, Tocqueville disliked-
making satellites more expensive to launch and centralized government
operate. This, in turn, has added to the pressure to because he blamed
squeeze more performance out of currently operating Napoleon’s rule for the
satellites. poverty of his childhood in
Normandy.
Which of the following, if true, taken together with
the information above, best supports the conclusion Which of the following, if
that the cost of television satellites will continue to true, would cast the most
increase? serious doubt on the
biographers’ claim?
(A) Since the risk to insurers of satellites is spread
over relatively few units, insurance premiums are (A) Although Napoleon was
necessarily very high. popularly blamed at the
(B) When satellites reach orbit and then fail, the time for the terrible living
causes of failure are generally impossible to conditions in Normandy,
pinpoint with confidence. historians now know that
(C) The greater the performance demands placed on bad harvests were really
satellites, the more frequently those satellites break to blame for the poor
down. economic conditions.
(D) Most satellites are produced in such small (B) Napoleon was notorious
numbers that no economies of scale can be for refusing to share
realized. power with any of his
(E) Since many satellites are built by unwieldy political associates.
international consortia, inefficiencies are (C) Tocqueville said he
inevitable. knew that if his father had
not suffered ill health, his
family would have had a
steady income and a
comfortable standard of

48
 living.
(D) Although Tocqueville asserted that United States 19. Recent estimates predict that
political life was democratic, the United States of between 1982 and 1995 the
the nineteenth century allowed political power to greatest increase in the
be concentrated in a few institutions. number of people employed
(E) Tocqueville once wrote in a letter that, although will be in the category of
his childhood was terribly impoverished, it was low-paying service
not different from the experience of his friends and occupations. This category,
neighbors in Normandy. however, will not increase
its share of total
18. Radio interferometry is a technique for studying employment, whereas the
details of celestial objects that combines signals category of high-paying
intercepted by widely spaced radio telescopes. This service occupations will
technique requires ultraprecise timing, exact increase its share.
knowledge of the locations of the telescopes, and
If the estimates above are
sophisticated computer programs. The successful
accurate, which of the
interferometric linking of an Earth-based radio
following conclusions can
telescope with a radio telescope on an orbiting
be drawn?
satellite was therefore a significant technological
accomplishment. (A) In 1982 more people
were working in low-
Which of the following can be correctly inferred
paying service
from the statements above?
occupations than were
(A) Special care was taken in the launching of the working in high-paying
satellite so that the calculations of its orbit would service occupations.
be facilitated. (B) In 1995 more people
(B) The signals received on the satellite are stronger will be working in high-
than those received by a terrestrial telescope. paying service
(C) The resolution of detail achieved by the satellite- occupations than will be
Earth interferometer system is inferior to that working in low-paying
achieved by exclusively terrestrial systems. service occupations.
(D) The computer programs required for making use (C) Nonservice occupations
of the signals received by the satellite required a will account for the same
long time for development. share of total employment
(E) The location of an orbiting satellite relative to in 1995 as in 1982.
locations on Earth can be well enough known for (D) Many of the people who
interferometric purposes. were working in low-
paying service
occupations in 1982 will

49
 be working in high-paying service occupations by CRITICAL REASONING
1995. TEST SECTION 6
(E) The rate of growth for low-paying service 30 MINUTES 20
occupations will be greater than the overall rate of QUESTIONS
employment growth between 1982 and 1995.
1. Rural households have more
20. For a local government to outlaw all strikes by its purchasing power than do
workers is a costly mistake, because all its labor urban or suburban households
disputes must then be settled by binding arbitration, at the same income level, since
without any negotiated public-sector labor some of the income urban and
settlements guiding the arbitrators. Strikes should be suburban households use for
outlawed only for categories of public-sector food and shelter can be used
workers for whose services no acceptable substitute by rural households for other
exists. needs.

The statements above best support which of the Which of the following
following conclusions? inferences is best supported by
the statement made above?
(A) Where public-service workers are permitted to
strike, contract negotiations with those workers are (A) The average rural
typically settled without a strike. household includes more
(B) Where strikes by all categories of pubic-sector people than does the
workers are outlawed, no acceptable substitutes for average urban or
the services provided by any of those workers are suburban household.
available. (B) Rural households have
(C) Binding arbitration tends to be more lower food and housing
advantageous for public-service workers where it costs than do either urban
is the only available means of settling labor or suburban households.
disputes with such workers. (C) Suburban households
(D) Most categories of public-sector workers have no generally have more
counterparts in the private sector. purchasing power than do
(E) A strike by workers in a local government is either rural or urban
unlikely to be settled without help from an households.
arbitrator. (D) The median income of
urban and suburban
households is generally
higher than that of rural
households.
(E) All three types of
households spend more of

50
 their income on food and housing than on all other
purchases combined. 3. Affirmative action is good
business. So asserted the
2. In 1985 state border colleges in Texas lost the National Association of
enrollment of more than half, on average, of the Manufacturers while urging
Mexican nationals they had previously served each retention of an executive order
year. Teaching faculties have alleged that this extreme requiring some federal
drop resulted from a rise in tuition for international and contractors to set numerical
out-of-state students from $40 to $120 per credit hour. goals for hiring minorities and
women. “Diversity in work
Which of the following, if feasible, offers the best
force participation has
prospects for alleviating the problem of the drop in
produced new ideas in
enrollment of Mexican nationals as the teaching
management, product
faculties assessed it?
development, and marketing,”
(A) Providing grants-in-aid to Mexican nationals to the association claimed.
study in Mexican universities
The association’s argument as
(B) Allowing Mexican nationals to study in Texas
it is presented in the passage
border colleges and to pay in-state tuition rates,
above would be most
which are the same as the previous international
strengthened if which of the
rate
following were true?
(C) Reemphasizing the goals and mission of the Texas
state border colleges as serving both in-state (A) The percentage of
students and Mexican nationals minority and women
(D) Increasing the financial resources of Texas colleges workers in business has
by raising the tuition for in-state students attending increased more slowly
state institutions than many minority and
(E) Offering career counseling for those Mexican women’s groups would
nationals who graduate from state border colleges prefer.
and intend to return to Mexico (B) Those businesses with the
highest percentages of
minority and women
workers are those that
have been the most
innovative and profitable
(C) Disposable income has
been rising as fast among
minorities and women as
among the population as a
whole.

51
 (D) The biggest growth in sales in the manufacturing
sector has come in industries that market the most 5. Which of the following, if
innovative products. true, would most strengthen
(E) Recent improvements in management practices the conclusion drawn in the
have allowed many manufacturers to experience second sentence?
enormous gains in worker productivity. (A) Commercial airliners are
already required by law to
Questions 4-5 refer to the following. be equipped with
If the airspace around centrally located airports were extremely sophisticated
restricted to commercial airliners and only those private radar systems.
planes equipped with radar, most of the private-plane (B) Centrally located airports
traffic would be forced to use outlying airfields. Such a are experiencing over-
reduction in the amount of private-plane traffic would crowded airspace
reduce the risk of midair collision around the centrally primarily because of
located airports. sharp increases in
commercial-airline
4. The conclusion drawn in the first sentence depends on
traffic.
which of the following assumptions?
(C) Many pilots of private
(A) Outlying airfields would be as convenient as planes would rather buy
centrally located airports for most pilots of private radar equipment than be
planes. excluded from centrally
(B) Most outlying airfields are not equipped to handle located airports.
commercial-airline traffic. (D) The number of midair
(C) Most private planes that use centrally located collisions that occur near
airports are not equipped with radar. centrally located airports
(D) Commercial airliners are at greater risk of has decreased in recent
becoming involved in midair collisions than are years.
private planes. (E) Private planes not
(E) A reduction in the risk of midair collision would equipped with radar
eventually lead to increases in commercial-airline systems cause a
traffic. disproportionately large
number of midair
collisions around
centrally located airports.

6. Which of the following best

completes the passage below?

Established companies

52
concentrate on defending what they already have.
Consequently, they tend not to be innovative 7. Most archaeologists have held
themselves and tend to underestimate the effects of the that people first reached the
innovations of others. The clearest example of this Americas less than 20,000
defensive strategy is the fact that……. years ago by crossing a land
bridge into North America.
(A) ballpoint pens and soft-tip markers have eliminated
But recent discoveries of
the traditional market for fountain pens, clearing
human shelters in South
the way for the marketing of fountain pens as
America dating from 32,000
luxury or prestige items
years ago have led researchers
(B) a highly successful automobile was introduced by
to speculate that people
the same company that had earlier introduced a
arrived in South America first,
model that had been a dismal failure
after voyaging across the
(C) a once-successful manufacturer of slide rules
Pacific, and then spread
reacted to the introduction of electronic calculators
northward.
by trying to make better slide rules
(D) one of the first models of modern accounting Which of the following, if it
machines, designed for use in the banking were discovered, would be
industry, was purchased by a public library as well pertinent evidence against the
as by banks speculation above?
(E) the inventor of a commonly used anesthetic did not (A) A rock shelter near
intend the product to be used by dentists, who Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
currently account for almost the entire market for contains evidence of use
that drug by human beings 19,000
years ago.
(B) Some North American
sites of human habitation
predate any sites found in
South America.
(C) The climate is warmer at
the 32,000-year-old south
American site than at the
oldest known North
American site.
(D) The site in South America
that was occupied 32,000
years ago was
continuously occupied
until 6,000 years ago.

53
 (E) The last Ice Age, between 11,500 and 20,000 years 9. Since the mayor’s publicity
ago, considerably lowered worldwide sea levels. campaign for Greenville’s bus
service began six months ago,
8. In Asia, where palm trees are non-native, the trees' morning automobile traffic
flowers have traditionally been pollinated by hand, into the midtown area of the
which has kept palm fruit productivity unnaturally low. city has decreased seven
When weevils known to be efficient pollinators of palm percent. During the same
flowers were introduced into Asia in 1980, palm fruit period, there has been an
productivity increased—by up to fifty percent in some equivalent rise in the number
areas—but then decreased sharply in 1984. of persons riding buses into
Which of the following statements, if true, would best the midtown area. Obviously,
explain the 1984 decrease in productivity? the mayor’s publicity
campaign has convinced many
(A) Prices for palm fruit fell between 1980 and 1984
people to leave their cars at
following the rise in production and a concurrent
home and ride the bus to
fall in demand.
work..
(B) Imported trees are often more productive than
native trees because the imported ones have left Which of the following, if
behind their pests and diseases in their native true, casts the most serious
lands. doubt on the conclusion drawn
(C) Rapid increases in productivity tend to deplete trees above?
of nutrients needed for the development of the (A) Fares for all bus routes in
fruit-producing female flowers. Greenville have risen an
(D) The weevil population in Asia remained at average of five percent
approximately the same level between 1980 and during the past six
1984. months.
(E) Prior to 1980 another species of insect pollinated (B) The mayor of Greenville
the Asian palm trees, but not as efficiently as the rides the bus to City Hall
species of weevil that was introduced in 1980. in the city’s midtown
area.
(C) Road reconstruction has
greatly reduced the
number of lanes available
to commuters in major
streets leading to the
midtown area during the
past six months.
(D) The number of buses
entering the midtown area

54
 of Greenville during the morning hours is exactly 11. With the emergence of
the same now as it was one year ago. biotechnology companies, it
(E) Surveys show that longtime bus riders are no more was feared that they would
satisfied with the Greenville bus service than they impose silence about
were before the mayor’s publicity campaign proprietary results on their
began. in-house researchers and
their academic consultants.
10. In the aftermath of a worldwide stock-market crash, This constraint, in turn,
Country T claimed that the severity of the stock- would slow the
market crash it experienced resulted from the development of biological
accelerated process of denationalization many of its science and engineering.
industries underwent shortly before the crash.
Which of the following, if
Which of the following, if it could be carried out, true, would tend to weaken
would be most useful in an evaluation of Country T’s most seriously the
assessment of the causes of the severity of its stock- prediction of scientific
market crash? secrecy described above?
(A) Calculating the average loss experienced by (A) Biotechnological
individual traders in Country T during the crash research funded by
(B) Using economic theory to predict the most likely industry has reached
date of the next crash in Country T some conclusions that are
(C) Comparing the total number of shares sold during the of major scientific
worst days of the crash in Country T to the total importance.
number of shares sold in Country T just prior to the (B) When the results of
crash. scientific research are
(D) Comparing the severity of the crash in Country T to kept secret, independent
the severity of the crash in countries otherwise researchers are unable to
economically similar to Country T that have not build on those results.
experienced recent denationalization (C) Since the research
(E) Comparing the long-term effects of the crash on the priorities of
purchasing power of the currency of Country T to biotechnology companies
the immediate, more severe short-term effects of are not the same as those
the crash on the purchasing power of the currency of academic institutions,
of Country T the financial support of
research by such
companies distorts the
research agenda.
(D) To enhance the companies'
standing in the scientific

55
 community, the biotechnology companies
encourage employees to publish their results, 13. The tobacco industry is still
especially results that are important. profitable and projections
(E)Biotechnology companies devote some of their are that it will remain so. In
research resources to problems that are of the United States this year,
fundamental scientific importance and that are not the total amount of tobacco
expected to produce immediate practical sold by tobacco-farmers has
applications. increased, even though the
number of adults who
12. Some people have questioned the judge’s objectivity smoke has decreased.
in cases of sex discrimination against women. But
Each of the following, if
the record shows that in sixty percent of such cases,
true, could explain the
the judge has decided in favor of the women. This
simultaneous increase in
record demonstrates that the judge has not
tobacco sales and decrease
discriminated against women in cases of sex
in the number of adults who
discrimination against women.
smoke EXCEPT.
The argument above is flawed in that it ignores the
(A) During this year, the
possibility that
number of women who
(A) a large number of the judge’s cases arose out of have begun to smoke is
allegations of sex discrimination against women greater than the number
(B) many judges find it difficult to be objective in of men who have quit
cases of sex discrimination against women smoking.
(C) the judge is biased against women defendants or (B) The number of teen-age
plaintiffs in cases that do not involve sex children who have begun
discrimination to smoke this year is
(D) the majority of the cases of sex discrimination greater than the number
against women that have reached the judge’s court of adults who have quit
have been appealed from a lower court smoking during the same
(E) the evidence shows that the women should have period.
won in more than sixty percent of the judge’s cases (C) During this year, the
involving sex discrimination against women number of nonsmokers
who have begun to use
chewing tobacco or snuff
is greater than the number
of people who have quit
smoking.
(D) The people who have
continued to smoke

56
 consume more tobacco per person than they did in
the past. 15. On the basis of a decrease in
(E) More of the cigarettes made in the United States the college-age population,
this year were exported to other countries than was many colleges now
the case last year. anticipate increasingly
smaller freshman classes
14. Kale has more nutritional value than spinach. But each year. Surprised by a 40
since collard greens have more nutritional value than percent increase in qualified
lettuce, it follows that kale has more nutritional value applicants over the previous
than lettuce. year, however,
administrators at Nice
Any of the following, if introduced into the argument
College now plan to hire
as an additional premise, makes the argument above
more faculty for courses
logically correct EXCEPT:
taken by all freshmen.
(A) Collard greens have more nutritional value than
Which of the following
kale.
statements about Nice
(B) Spinach has more nutritional value than lettuce.
College’s current qualified
(C) Spinach has more nutritional value than collard
applicants, if true, would
greens.
strongly suggest that the
(D) Spinach and collard greens have the same
administrators’ plan is
nutritional value.
flawed?
(E) Kale and collard greens have the same nutritional
value. (A) A substantially higher
percentage than usual
plan to study for
advanced degrees after
graduation from college.
(B) According to their
applications, their level of
participation in
extracurricular activities
and varsity sports is
unusually high.
(C) According to their
applications, none of
them lives in a foreign
country.
(D) A substantially lower
percentage than usual rate

57
 Nice College as their first choice among the
colleges to which they are applying. 17. The researcher’s conclusion
(E) A substantially lower percentage than usual list would be most seriously
mathematics as their intended major. weakened if it were true that

(A) there was a one-year

Questions 16-17 are based on the following. delay between the
A researcher discovered that people who have low levels completion of a pilot
of immune-system activity tend to score much lower on study for the experiment
tests of mental health than do people with normal or high and the initiation of the
immune-system activity. The researcher concluded from experiment itself
this experiment that the immune system protects against (B) people’s levels of
mental illness as well as against physical disease. immune-system activity
are not affected by their
16. The researcher’s conclusion depends on which of the
use of medications
following assumptions?
(C) a few people with high
(A) High immune-system activity protects against immune-system activity
mental illness better than normal immune-system had scores on the test of
activity does. mental health that were
(B) Mental illness is similar to physical disease in its similar to the scores of
effects on body system. people who had normal
(C) People with high immune-system activity cannot immune-system activity
develop mental illness. (D) people who have low
(D) Mental illness does not cause people’s immune- immune-system activity
system activity to decrease. tend to contract more
(E) Psychological treatment of mental illness is not viral infections than do
as effective as is medical treatment. people with normal or
high immune-system
activity
(E) high levels of stress first
cause mental illness and
then cause decreased
immune-system activity
in normal individuals

18. The value of a product is

determined by the ratio of
its quality to its price. The
higher the value of a
product, the better will be
58
its competitive position. Therefore, either increasing
the quality or lowering the price of a given product 19. In January there was a large
will increase the likelihood that consumer will select drop in the number of new
that product rather than a competing one. houses sold, because
interest rates for mortgages
Which of the following, if true, would most
were falling and many
strengthen the conclusion drawn above?
consumers were waiting to
(A) It is possible to increase both the quality and the see how low the rates would
price of a product without changing its competitive go. This large sales drop
position. was accompanied by a sharp
(B) For certain segments of the population of rise in the average price of
consumers, higher-priced brands of some product new houses sold.
lines are preferred to the lower-priced brands.
Which of the following, if
(C) Competing products often try to appeal to
true, best explains the sharp
different segments of the population of consumers.
rise in the average price of
(D) The competitive position of a product can be
new houses?
affected by such factors as advertising and brand
loyalty. (A) Sales of higher-priced
(E) Consumers’ perceptions of the quality of a houses were unaffected
product are based on the actual quality of the by the sales drop because
product. their purchasers have
fewer constraints limiting
the total amount they pay.
(B) Labor agreements of
builders with construction
unions are not due to
expire until the next
January.
(C) The prices of new
houses have been rising
slowly over the past three
years because there is an
increasing shortage of
housing.
(D) There was a greater
amount of moderate-
priced housing available
for resale by owners
during January than in the

59
 preceding three months. CRITICAL REASONING
(E) Interest rates for home mortgages are expected to TEST SECTION 7
rise sharply later in the year if predictions of 30 MINUTES 20
increased business activity in general prove to be QUESTIONS
accurate.
1. A milepost on the towpath
20. Seven countries signed a treaty binding each of them read “21” on the side facing
to perform specified actions on a certain fixed date, the hiker as she approached it
with the actions of each conditional on simultaneous and “23” on its back. She
action taken by the other countries. Each country was reasoned that the next milepost
also to notify the six other countries when it had forward on the path would
completed its action. indicate that she was halfway
between one end of the path
The simultaneous-action provision of the treaty
and the other. However, the
leaves open the possibility that
milepost one mile further on
(A) the compliance date was subject to read “20” facing her and “24”
postponement, according to the terms of the treaty behind.
(B) one of the countries might not be required to
make any changes or take any steps in order to Which of the following, if
comply with the treaty, whereas all the other true, would explain the
countries are so required. discrepancy described above?
(C) each country might have a well-founded excuse,
(A) The numbers on the next
based on the provision, for its own lack of
milepost had been
compliance
reversed.
(D) the treaty specified that the signal for one of the
(B) The numbers on the
countries to initiate action was notification by the
mileposts indicate
other countries that they had completed action
kilometers, not miles.
(E) there was ambiguity with respect to the date after
(C) The facing numbers
which all actions contemplated in the treaty are to
indicate miles to the end
be complete.
of the path, not miles
from the beginning.
(D) A milepost was missing
between the two the hiker
encountered.
(E) The mileposts had
originally been put in
place for the use of
mountain bikers, not for

60
 hikers.
3. Guitar strings often go
2. Airline: Newly developed collision-avoidance systems, “dead”—become less
although not fully tested to discover potential responsive and bright in tone
malfunctions, must be installed immediately in —after a few weeks of intense
passenger planes. Their mechanical warnings enable use. A researcher whose son is
pilots to avoid crashes. a classical guitarist
Pilots: Pilots will not fly in planes with collision- hypothesized that dirt and oil,
avoidance systems that are not fully tested. rather than changes in the
Malfunctioning systems could mislead pilots, causing material properties of the
crashes. string, were responsible.
The pilots’ objection is most strengthened if which of Which of the following
the following is true? investigations is most likely to
yield significant information
(A) It is always possible for mechanical devices to
that would help to evaluate the
malfunction.
researcher’s hypothesis?
(B) Jet engines, although not fully tested when first put
into use, have achieved exemplary performance (A) Determining if a metal
and safety records. alloy is used to make the
(C) Although collision-avoidance systems will enable strings used by classical
pilots to avoid some crashes, the likely guitarists
malfunctions of the not-fully-tested systems will (B) Determining whether
cause even more crashes. classical guitarists make
(D) Many airline collisions are caused in part by the their strings go dead
exhaustion of overworked pilots. faster than do folk
(E) Collision-avoidance systems, at this stage of guitarists
development, appear to have worked better in (C) Determining whether
passenger planes than in cargo planes during identical lengths of string,
experimental flights made over a six-month of the same gauge, go
period. dead at different rates
when strung on various
brands of guitars.
(D) Determining whether a
dead string and a new
string produce different
qualities of sound
(E) Determining whether
smearing various
substances on new guitar

61
 strings causes them to go dead 5. Two decades after the Emerald
River Dam was built, none of
4. Most consumers do not get much use out of the sports the eight fish species native to
equipment they purchase. For example, seventeen the Emerald River was still
percent of the adults in the United States own jogging reproducing adequately in the
shoes, but only forty-five percent of the owners jog river below the dam. Since the
more than once a year, and only seventeen percent jog dam reduced the annual range
more than once a week. of water temperature in the
Which of the following, if true, casts most doubt on the river below the dam from 50
claim that most consumers get little use out of the degrees to 6 degrees, scientists
sports equipment they purchase? have hypothesized that sharply
(A) Joggers are most susceptible to sports injuries rising water temperatures must
during the first six months in which they jog. be involved in signaling the
(B) Joggers often exaggerate the frequency with which native species to begin the
they jog in surveys designed to elicit such reproductive cycle.
information.
(C) Many consumers purchase jogging shoes for use in Which of the following
activities other than jogging. statements, if true, would most
(D) Consumers who take up jogging often purchase an strengthen the scientists’
athletic shoe that can be used in other sports. hypothesis?
(E) Joggers who jog more than once a week are often (A) The native fish species were
active participants in other sports as well. still able to reproduce only
in side streams of the river
below the dam where the
annual temperature range
remains approximately 50
degrees.
(B) Before the dam was built,
the Emerald River
annually overflowed its
banks, creating
backwaters that were
critical breeding areas for
the native species of fish.
(C) The lowest recorded
temperature of the
Emerald River before the
dam was built was 34

62
 degrees, whereas the lowest recorded temperature
of the river after the dam was built has been 43 7. In recent years many
degrees. cabinetmakers have been
(D)Nonnative species of fish, introduced into the Emerald winning acclaim as artists. But
River after the dam was built, have begun competing since furniture must be useful,
with the declining native fish species for food and cabinetmakers must exercise
space. their craft with an eye to the
(E) Five of the fish species native to the Emerald River practical utility of their
are not native to any other river in North America. product. For this reason,
cabinetmaking is not art.
6. It is true that it is against international law to sell Which of the following is an
plutonium to countries that do not yet have nuclear assumption that supports
weapons. But if United States companies do not do so, drawing the conclusion above
companies in other countries will. from the reason given for that
Which of the following is most like the argument above conclusion?
in its logical structure?
(A) Some furniture is made to
(A) It is true that it is against the police department’s be placed in museums,
policy to negotiate with kidnappers. But if the where it will not be used
police want to prevent loss of life, they must by anyone.
negotiate in some cases. (B) Some cabinetmakers are
(B) it is true that it is illegal to refuse to register for more concerned than
military service. But there is a long tradition in the others with the practical
United States of conscientious objection to serving utility of the products
in the armed forces. they produce.
(C) It is true that it is illegal for a government official to (C) Cabinetmakers should be
participate in a transaction in which there is an more concerned with the
apparent conflict of interest. But if the facts are practical utility of their
examined carefully, it will clearly be seen that there products than they
was no actual conflict of interest in the defendant’s currently are.
case. (D) An object is not an art
(D) It is true that it is against the law to burglarize object if its maker pays
people’s homes. But someone else certainly would attention to the object’s
have burglarized that house if the defendant had practical utility.
not done so first. (E) Artists are not concerned
(E) It is true that company policy forbids supervisors to with the monetary value
fire employees without two written warnings. But of their products.
there have been many supervisors who have
disobeyed this policy. 8. Although custom prosthetic
bone replacements produced
63
through a new computer-aided design process will cost
more than twice as much as ordinary replacements, 9. Extinction is a process that
custom replacements should still be cost-effective. Not can depend on a variety of
only will surgery and recovery time be reduced, but ecological, geographical, and
custom replacements should last longer, thereby physiological variables. These
reducing the need for further hospital stays. variables affect different
Which of the following must be studied in order to species of organisms in
evaluate the argument presented above? different ways, and should,
therefore, yield a random
(A) The amount of time a patient spends in surgery
pattern of extinctions.
versus the amount of time spent recovering from
However, the fossil record
surgery
shows that extinction occurs in
(B) The amount by which the cost of producing custom
a surprisingly definite pattern,
replacements has declined with the introduction of
with many species vanishing
the new technique for producing them
at the same time.
(C)The degree to which the use of custom replacements
Which of the following, if
is likely to reduce the need for repeat surgery
true, forms the best basis for at
when compared with the use of ordinary
least a partial explanation of
replacements
the patterned extinctions
(D) The degree to which custom replacements
revealed by the fossil record?
produced with the new technique are more
carefully manufactured than are ordinary (A) Major episodes of
replacements extinction can result from
(E) The amount by which custom replacements widespread
produced with the new technique will drop in cost environmental
as the production procedures become standardized disturbances that affect
and applicable on a larger scale numerous different
species.
(B) Certain extinction
episodes selectively affect
organisms with particular
sets of characteristics
unique to their species.
(C) Some species become
extinct because of
accumulated gradual
changes in their local
environments.
(D) In geologically recent

64
 times, for which there is no fossil record, human 11.Certain messenger molecules
intervention has changed the pattern of extinctions. fight damage to the lungs
(E) Species that are widely dispersed are the least likely from noxious air by telling
to become extinct. the muscle cells encircling
the lungs’ airways to
10. Neither a rising standard of living nor balanced trade, contract. This partially seals
by itself, establishes a country’s ability to compete in off the lungs. An asthma
the international marketplace. Both are required attack occurs when the
simultaneously since standards of living can rise messenger molecules are
because of growing trade deficits and trade can be activated unnecessarily, in
balanced by means of a decline in a country’s response to harmless things
standard of living. like pollen or household
dust.
If the facts stated in the passage above are true, a Which of the following, if
proper test of a country’s ability to be competitive is true, points to the most
its ability to serious flaw of a plan to
(A) balance its trade while its standard of living rises develop a medication that
(B) balance its trade while its standard of living falls would prevent asthma
(C) increase trade deficits while its standard of living attacks by blocking receipt
rises of any messages sent by the
(D) decrease trade deficits while its standard of living messenger molecules
falls referred to above?
(E) keep its standard of living constant while trade (A) Researchers do not yet
deficits rise. know how the body
produces the messenger
molecules that trigger
asthma attacks.
(B) Researchers do not yet
know what makes one
person’s messenger
molecules more easily
activated than another’s.
(C) Such a medication
would not become
available for several
years, because of long
lead times in both
development and

65
 manufacture.
(D) Such a medication would be unable to distinguish 13. The recent decline in the
between messages triggered by pollen and value of the dollar was
household dust and messages triggered by noxious triggered by a prediction of
air. slower economic growth in
(E) Such a medication would be a preventative only the coming year. But that
and would be unable to alleviate an asthma attack prediction would not have
once it had started. adversely affected the dollar
had it not been for the
12. Since the routine use of antibiotics can give rise to government’s huge budget
resistant bacteria capable of surviving antibiotic deficit, which must
environments, the presence of resistant bacteria in therefore be decreased to
people could be due to the human use of prescription prevent future currency
antibiotics. Some scientists, however, believe that declines.
most resistant bacteria in people derive from human Which of the following, if
consumption of bacterially infected meat. true, would most seriously
weaken the conclusion
Which of the following statements, if true, would about how to prevent future
most significantly strengthen the hypothesis of the currency declines?
scientists?
(A) The government has
(A) Antibiotics are routinely included in livestock made little attempt to
feed so that livestock producers can increase the reduce the budget deficit.
rate of growth of their animals. (B) The budget deficit has
(B) Most people who develop food poisoning from not caused a slowdown in
bacterially infected meat are treated with economic growth.
prescription antibiotics. (C) The value of the dollar
(C) The incidence of resistant bacteria in people has declined several times in
tended to be much higher in urban areas than in the year prior to the
rural areas where meat is of comparable quality. recent prediction of
(D) People who have never taken prescription slower economic growth.
antibiotics are those least likely to develop (D) Before there was a large
resistant bacteria. budget deficit, predictions
(E) Livestock producers claim that resistant bacteria of slower economic
in animals cannot be transmitted to people through growth frequently caused
infected meat. declines in the dollar’s
value.
(E) When there is a large
budget deficit, other

66
 events in addition to predictions of slower
economic growth sometimes trigger declines in 15. Traditionally, decision-
currency value. making by managers that is
reasoned step-by-step has
14. Which of the following best completes the passage been considered preferable
below? to intuitive decision-
At a recent conference on environmental threats to making. However, a recent
the North Sea, most participating countries favored study found that top
uniform controls on the quality of effluents, whether managers used intuition
or not specific environmental damage could be significantly more than did
attributed to a particular source of effluent. What most middle-or lower-level
must, of course, be shown, in order to avoid managers. This confirms the
excessively restrictive controls, is that ___________. alternative view that
intuition is actually more
(A) any uniform controls that are adopted are likely
effective than careful,
to be implemented without delay
methodical reasoning.
(B) any substance to be made subject to controls can
The conclusion above is
actually cause environmental damage
based on which of the
(C) the countries favoring uniform controls are those
following assumptions?
generating the largest quantities of effluents
(D) all of any given pollutant that is to be controlled (A) Methodical, step-by-
actually reaches the North Sea at present step reasoning is
(E) environmental damage already inflicted on the inappropriate for making
North Sea is reversible many real-life
management decisions.
(B) Top managers have the
ability to use either
intuitive reasoning or
methodical, step-by-step
reasoning in making
decisions.
(C) The decisions made by
middle-and lower-level
managers can be made as
easily by using
methodical reasoning as
by using intuitive
reasoning.
(D) Top managers use

67
 intuitive reasoning in making the majority of their
decisions. 17. Correctly measuring the
(E) Top managers are more effective at decision- productivity of service
making than middle-or lower-level managers workers is complex.
Consider, for example,
16. The imposition of quotas limiting imported steel will postal workers: they are
not help the big American steel mills. In fact, the often said to be more
quotas will help “mini-mills” flourish in the United productive if more letters
States. Those small domestic mills will take more are delivered per postal
business from the big Americal steel mills than worker. But is this really
would have been taken by the foreign steel mills in true? what if more letters
the absence of quotas. are lost or delayed per
worker at the same time that
Which of the following, if true, would cast the most more are delivered?
serious doubt on the claim made in the last sentence The objection implied above
above? to the productivity measure
described is based on doubts
(A) Quality rather than price is a major factor in
about the truth of which of
determining the type of steel to be used for a
the following statements?
particular application.
(B) Foreign steel mills have long produced grades of (A) Postal workers are
steel comparable in quality to the steel produced representative of service
by the big American mills. workers in general.
(C) American quotas on imported goods have often (B) The delivery of letters is
induced other countries to impose similar quotas the primary activity of the
on American goods. postal service.
(D) Domestic “mini-mills” consistently produce (C) Productivity should be
better grades of steel than do the big American ascribed to categories of
mills. workers, not to
(E) Domestic “mini-mills” produce low-volume, individuals.
specialized types of steels that are not produced by (D) The quality of services
the big American steel mills. rendered can
appropriately be ignored
in computing
productivity.
(E) The number of letters
delivered is relevant to
measuring the
productivity of postal

68
 workers.
19. A greater number of
18. Male bowerbirds construct elaborately decorated newspapers are sold in
nests, or bowers. Basing their judgment on the fact Town S than in Town T.
that different local populations of bowerbirds of the Therefore, the citizens of
same species build bowers that exhibit different Town S are better informed
building and decorative styles, researchers have about major world events
concluded that the bowerbirds’ building styles are a than are the citizens of
culturally acquired, rather than a genetically Town T.
transmitted, trait. Each of the following, if
Which of the following, if true, would most true, weakens the
strengthen the conclusion drawn by the researchers? conclusion above EXCEPT:

(A) There are more common characteristics than (A) Town S has a larger
there are differences among the bower-building population than Town T.
styles of the local bowerbird population that has (B) Most citizens of Town T
been studied most extensively work in Town S and buy
(B) Young male bowerbirds are inept at bower- their newspapers there.
building and apparently spend years watching their (C) The average citizen of
elders before becoming accomplished in the local Town S spends less time
bower style. reading newspapers than
(C) The bowers of one species of bowerbird lack the does the average citizen
towers and ornamentation characteristic of the of Town T.
bowers of most other species of bowerbird. (D) A weekly newspaper
(D) Bowerbirds are found only in New Guinea and restricted to the coverage
Australia, where local populations of the birds of local events is
apparently seldom have contact with one another. published in Town S.
(E) It is well known that the song dialects of some (E) The average newsstand
songbirds are learned rather than transmitted price of newspapers sold
genetically. in Town S in lower than
the average price of
newspapers sold in Town
T.

20. One analyst predicts that

Hong Kong can retain its
capitalist ways after it
becomes part of mainland
China in 1997 as long as a
capitalist Hong Kong is
69
useful to China; that a capitalist Hong Kong will be CRITICAL REASONING
useful to China as long as Hong Kong is prosperous; TEST SECTION 8
and that Hong Kong will remain prosperous as long 30 MINUTES 20
as it retains its capitalist ways. QUESTIONS
If the predictions above are correct, which of the
following further predictions can logically be derived 1. A drug that is highly effective
from them? in treating many types of
infection can, at present, be
(A) If Hong Kong fails to stay prosperous, it will no
obtained only from the bark of
longer remain part of mainland China.
the ibora, a tree that is quite
(B) If Hong Kong retains its capitalist ways until
rare in the wild. It takes the
1997, it will be allowed to do so afterward.
bark of 5,000 tree to make one
(C) If there is a world economic crisis after 1997, it
kilogram of the drug. It
will not adversely affect the economy of Hong
follows, therefore, that
Kong.
continued production of the
(D) Hong Kong will be prosperous after 1997
drug must inevitably lead to
(E) The citizens of Hong Kong will have no
the ibora’s extinction.
restrictions placed on them by the government of
mainland China.
Which of the following, if
true, most seriously weakens
the argument above?

(A) The drug made from ibora

bark is dispensed to
doctors from a central
authority.
(B) The drug made from ibora
bark is expensive to
produce.
(C) The leaves of the ibora are
used in a number of
medical products.
(D) The ibora can be
propagated from cuttings
and grown under
cultivation.
(E) The ibora generally grows
in largely inaccessible
places.

70
2. High levels of fertilizer and pesticides, needed when
farmers try to produce high yield of the same crop year 3. Shelby Industries
after year, pollute water supplies. Experts therefore manufactures and sells the
urge farmers to diversify their crops and to rotate their same gauges as Jones
plantings yearly. Industries. Employee wages
account for forty percent of
To receive governmental price-support benefits for a the cost of manufacturing
crop, farmers must have produced that same crop for gauges at both Shelby
the past several years. Industries and Jones
Industries. Shelby Industries is
The statements above, if true, best support which of the seeking a competitive
following conclusions? advantage over Jones
Industries. Therefore, to
(A) The rules for governmental support of farm prices
promote this end, Shelby
work against efforts to reduce water pollution.
Industries should lower
(B) The only solution to the problem of water pollution
employee wages.
from fertilizers and pesticides is to take farmland
out of production.
Which of the following, if
(C) Farmers can continue to make a profit by rotating
true, would most weaken the
diverse crops, thus reducing costs for chemicals,
argument above?
but not by planting the same crop each year.
(D) New farming techniques will be developed to make (A) Because they make a
it possible for farmers to reduce the application of small number of precision
fertilizers and pesticides. instruments, gauge
(E) Governmental price supports for farm products are manufacturers cannot
set at levels that are not high enough to allow receive volume discounts
farmers to get out of debt. on raw materials.
(B) Lowering wages would
reduce the quality of
employee work, and this
reduced quality would
lead to lowered sales.
(C) Jones Industries has taken
away twenty percent of
Shelby Industries’
business over the last
year.
(D) Shelby Industries pays its
employees, on average,

71
 ten percent more than does Jones Industries.
(E) Many people who work for manufacturing plants 5. Large national budget deficits
live in areas in which the manufacturing plant they do not cause large trade
work for is the only industry. deficits. If they did, countries
with the largest budget deficits
4. Some communities in Florida are populated almost would also have the largest
exclusively by retired people and contain few, if any, trade deficits. In fact, when
families with small children. Yet these communities are deficit figures are adjusted so
home to thriving businesses specializing in the rental of that different countries are
furniture for infants and small children. reliably comparable to each
other, there is no such
Which of the following, if true, best reconciles the correlation.
seeming discrepancy described above?
If the statements above are all
(A) The businesses specializing in the rental of
true, which of the following
children’s furniture buy their furniture from
can properly be inferred on the
distributors outside of Florida.
basis of them?
(B) The few children who do reside in these
communities all know each other and often make (A) Countries with large
overnight visits to one another’s houses. national budget deficits
(C) Many residents of these communities who move tend to restrict foreign
frequently prefer renting their furniture to buying trade.
it outright. (B) Reliable comparisons of
(D) Many residents of these communities must provide the deficit figures of one
for the needs of visiting grandchildren several country with those of
weeks a year. another are impossible.
(E) Children’s furniture available for rental is of the (C) Reducing a country’s
same quality as that available for sale in the stores. national budget deficit
will not necessarily result
in a lowering of any trade
deficit that country may
have.
(D) When countries are
ordered from largest to
smallest in terms of
population, the smallest
countries generally have
the smallest budget and
trade deficits.

72
 (E) Countries with the largest trade deficits never have
similarly large national budget deficits. 7. Many breakfast cereals are
fortified with vitamin
6. “Fast cycle time” is a strategy of designing a manu- supplements. Some of these
facturing organization to eliminate bottlenecks and cereals provide 100 percent of
delays in production. Not only does it speed up the recommended daily
production, but it also assures quality. The reason is requirement of vitamins.
that the bottlenecks and delays cannot be eliminated Nevertheless, a well-balanced
unless all work is done right the first time. breakfast, including a variety
of foods, is a better source of
The claim about quality made above rests on a ques- those vitamins than are such
tionable presupposition that fortified breakfast cereals
alone.
(A) any flaw in work on a product would cause a
bottleneck or delay and so would be prevented
Which of the following, if
from occurring on a “fast cycle” production line
true, would most strongly
(B) the strategy of “fast cycle time” would require
support the position above?
fundamental rethinking of product design
(C) the primary goal of the organization is to produce a (A) In many foods, the natural
product of unexcelled quality, rather than to combination of vitamins
generate profits for stockholders with other nutrients
(D) “fast cycle time” could be achieved by shaving makes those vitamins
time off each of the component processes in more usable by the body
production cycle than are vitamins added
(E) “fast cycle time” is a concept in business strategy in vitamin supplements.
that has not yet been put into practice in a factory (B) People who regularly eat
cereals fortified with
vitamin supplements
sometimes neglect to eat
the foods in which the
vitamins occur naturally.
(C)Foods often must be
fortified with vitamin
supplements because
naturally occurring
vitamins are removed
during processing.
(D) Unprocessed cereals are
naturally high in several

73
 of the vitamins that are usually added to fortified
breakfast cereals. 9. A famous singer recently won
(E) Cereals containing vitamin supplements are no a lawsuit against an
harder to digest than similar cereals without added advertising firm for using
vitamins. another singer in a
commercial to evoke the
8. Which of the following best completes the passage famous singer’s well-known
below? rendition of a certain song.
The more worried investors are about losing their As a result of the lawsuit,
money, the more they will demand a high potential advertising firms will stop
return on their investment; great risks must be offset by using imitators in
the chance of great rewards. This principle is the commercials. Therefore,
fundamental one in determining interest rates, and it is advertising costs will rise,
illustrated by the fact that——. since famous singers’
services cost more than
(A) successful investors are distinguished by an ability
those of their imitators.
to make very risky investments without worrying
The conclusion above is
about their money
based on which of the
(B) lenders receive higher interest rates on unsecured
following assumptions?
loans than on loans backed by collateral
(C) in times of high inflation, the interest paid to (A) Most people are unable
depositors by banks can actually be below the rate to distinguish a famous
of inflation singer’s rendition of a
(D) at any one time, a commercial bank will have a song from a good
single rate of interest that it will expect all of its imitator’s rendition of the
individual borrowers to pay same song.
(E) the potential return on investment in a new (B) Commercials using
company is typically lower than the potential famous singers are
return on investment in a well-established usually more effective
company than commercials using
imitators of famous
singers.
(C) The original versions of
some well-known songs
are unavailable for use in
commercials.
(D) Advertising firms will
continue to use imitators
to mimic the physical

74
 mannerisms of famous singers.
(E) The advertising industry will use well-known 11. A group of children of
renditions of songs in commercials. various ages was read
stories in which people
10. A certain mayor has proposed a fee of five dollars per caused harm, some of those
day on private vehicles entering the city, claiming people doing so
that the fee will alleviate the city’s traffic congestion. intentionally, and some
The mayor reasons that, since the fee will exceed the accidentally. When asked
cost of round-trip bus fare from many nearby points, about appropriate
many people will switch from using their cars to punishments for those who
using the bus. had caused harm, the
younger children, unlike the
Which of the following statements, if true, provides older ones, assigned
the best evidence that the mayor’s reasoning is punishments that did not
flawed? vary according to whether
the harm was done
(A) Projected increases in the price of gasoline will
intentionally or accidentally.
increase the cost of taking a private vehicle into
Younger children, then, do
the city.
not regard people’s
(B) The cost of parking fees already makes it
intentions as relevant to
considerably more expensive for most people to
punishment.
take a private vehicle into the city than to take a
bus.
Which of the following, if
(C) Most of the people currently riding the bus do
true, would most seriously
not own private vehicles.
weaken the conclusion
(D) Many commuters opposing the mayor’s plan
above?
have indicated that they would rather endure
traffic congestion than pay a five-dollar-per day (A) In interpreting these
fee. stories, the listeners had
(E) During the average workday, private vehicles to draw on a relatively
owned and operated by people living within the mature sense of human
city account for twenty percent of the city’s traffic psychology in order to
congestion. tell whether harm was
produced intentionally or
accidentally.
(B) In these stories, the
severity of the harm
produced was clearly
stated.

75
 (C) Younger children are as likely to produce harm
Questions 13-14 are based on the
unintentionally as are older children.
following.
(D) The older children assigned punishment in a way
that closely resembled the way adults had assigned The program to control the entry
punishment in a similar experiment. of illegal drugs into the country
(E) The younger children assigned punishments that was a failure in 1987. If the
varied according to the severity of the harm done program had been successful, the
by the agents in the stories. wholesale price of most illegal
drugs would not have dropped
12. When hypnotized subjects are told that they are deaf
substantially in 1987.
and are then asked whether they can hear the
hypnotist, they reply, “No.” Some theorists try to 13. The argument in the passage
explain this result by arguing that the selves of depends on which of the
hypnotized subjects are dissociated into separate following assumptions?
parts, and that the part that is deaf is dissociated from
(A) The supply of illegal
the part that replies.
drugs dropped
substantially in 1987.
Which of the following challenges indicates the most
(B) The price paid for most
serious weakness in the attempted explanation
illegal drugs by the
described above?
average consumer did not
(A) Why does the part that replies not answer, drop substantially in
“Yes”? 1987.
(B) Why are the observed facts in need of any special (C) Domestic production of
explanation? illegal drugs increased at
(C) Why do the subjects appear to accept the a higher rate than did the
hypnotist’s suggestion that they are deaf? entry of such drugs into
(D) Why do hypnotized subjects all respond the same the country.
way in the situation described? (D) The wholesale price of a
(E) Why are the separate parts of the self the same few illegal drugs
for all subjects? increased substantially in
1987.
(E) A drop in demand for
most illegal drugs in 1987
was not the sole cause of
the drop in their
wholesale price.

14. The argument in the passage

76
would be most seriously weakened if it were true that
15. Excavation of the ancient
(A) in 1987 smugglers of illegal drugs, as a group,
city of Kourion on the
had significantly more funds at their disposal than
island of Cyprus revealed a
did the country’s customs agents
pattern of debris and
(B) domestic production of illegal drugs increased
collapsed buildings typical
substantially in 1987
of towns devastated by
(C) the author’s statements were made in order to
earthquakes. Archaeologists
embarrass the officials responsible for the drug-
have hypothesized that the
control program
destruction was due to a
(D) in 1987 illegal drugs entered the country by a
major earthquake known to
different set of routes than they did in 1986
have occurred near the
(E) the country’s citizens spent substantially more
island in A.D.365.
money on illegal drugs in 1987 than they did in
1986.
Which of the following, if
true, most strongly supports
the archaeologists’
hypothesis?

(A) Bronze ceremonial

drinking vessels that are
often found in graves
dating from years
preceding and following
A.D.365 were also found
in several graves near
Kourion.
(B) No coins minted after
A.D.365 were found in
Kourion, but coins minted
before that year were
found in abundance.
(C) Most modern histories
of Cyprus mention that an
earthquake occurred near
the island in A.D.365.
(D) Several small statues
carved in styles current in
Cyprus in the century

77
 between A.D.300 and 400 were found in Kourion. 17. Many institutions of higher
(E) Stone inscriptions in a form of the Greek education suffer declining
alphabet that was definitely used in Cyprus after enrollments during periods
A.D.365 were found in Kourion. of economic slowdown. At
two-year community
16. Sales of telephones have increased dramatically over colleges, however,
the last year. In order to take advantage of this enrollment figures boom
increase, Mammoth Industries plans to expand during these periods when
production of its own model of telephone, while many people have less
continuing its already very extensive advertising of money and there is more
this product. competition for jobs.

Which of the following, if true, provides most support Each of the following, if
for the view that Mammoth Industries cannot increase true, helps to explain the
its sales of telephones by adopting the plan outlined enrollment increases in two-
above? year community colleges
(A) Although it sells all of the telephones that it described above EXCEPT:
produces, Mammoth Industries’ share of all (A) During periods of
telephone sales has declined over the last year. economic slowdown,
(B) Mammoth Industries’ average inventory of two-year community
telephones awaiting shipment to retailers has colleges are more likely
declined slightly over the last year. than four-year colleges to
(C) Advertising has made the brand name of prepare their students for
Mammoth Industries’ telephones widely known, the jobs that are still
but few consumers know that Mammoth Industries available.
owns this brand. (B) During periods of
(D) Mammoth Industries’ telephone is one of three economic prosperity,
brands of telephone that have together accounted graduates of two-year
for the bulk of the last year’s increase in sales. community colleges often
(E) Despite a slight decline in the retail price, sales continue their studies at
of Mammoth Industries’ telephones have fallen in four-year colleges.
the last year. (C) Tuition at most two-year
community colleges is a
fraction of that at four-
year colleges.
(D) Two-year community
colleges devote more
resources than do other

78
 colleges to attracting those students especially
affected by economic slowdowns. 19. Which of the following, if
(E) Students at two-year community colleges, but not true and known by the
those at most four-year colleges, can control the ranchers, would best help
cost of their studies by choosing the number of explain the results of the
courses they take each term. study?

(A) With private grazing

Question 18-19 are based on the following. land, both the costs and
Hardin argued that grazing land held in common (that is, the benefits of overuse
open to any user) would always be used less carefully fall to the individual user.
than private grazing land. Each rancher would be tempted (B) The cost in reduced land
to overuse common land because the benefits would quality that is attributable
accrue to the individual, while the costs of reduced land to any individual user is
quality that results from overuse would be spread among less easily measured with
all users. But a study comparing 217 million acres of common land than it is
common grazing land with 433 million acres of private with private land.
grazing land showed that the common land was in better (C) An individual who
condition. overuses common grazing
land might be able to
18. The answer to which of the following questions would
achieve higher returns
be most useful in evaluating the significance, in
than other users can, with
relation to Hardin’s claim, of the study described
the result that he or she
above?
would obtain a
(A) Did any of the ranchers whose land was studied competitive advantage.
use both common and private land? (D) If one user of common
(B) Did the ranchers whose land was studied tend to land overuses it even
prefer using common land over using private land slightly, the other users
for grazing? are likely to do so even
(C) Was the private land that was studied of more, with the
comparable quality to the common land before consequence that the
either was used for grazing? costs to each user
(D) Were the users of the common land that was outweigh the benefits.
studied at least as prosperous as the users of the (E)There are more acres of
private land? grazing land held
(E) Were there any owners of herds who used only privately than there are
common land, and no private land, for grazing? held in common.

20. In tests for pironoma, a

serious disease, a false
79
positive result indicates that people have pironoma CRITICAL REASONING
when, in fact, they do not; a false negative result TEST SECTION 9
indicates that people do not have pironoma when, in 30 MINUTES 20
fact, they do. To detect pironoma most accurately, QUESTIONS
physicians should use the laboratory test that has the
lowest proportion of false positive results. Questions 1-2 are based on the
following.
Which of the following, if true, gives the most
Companies O and P each have
support to the recommendation above?
the same number of employees
(A) The accepted treatment for pironoma does not who work the same number of
have damaging side effects. hours per week. According to
(B) The laboratory test that has the lowest proportion records maintained by each
of false positive results causes the same minor side company, the employees of
effects as do the other laboratory tests used to Company O had fewer job-
detect pironoma. related accidents last year than
(C) In treating pironoma patients, it is essential to did the employees of Company
begin treatment as early as possible, since even a P. Therefore, employees of
week of delay can result in loss of life. Company O are less likely to
(D) The proportion of inconclusive test results is have job-related accidents than
equal for all laboratory tests used to detect are employees of Company P.
pironoma.
(E) All laboratory tests to detect pironoma have the 1. Which of the following, if
same proportion of false negative results. true, would most strengthen
the conclusion above?

(A) Company P manufactures

products that are more
hazardous for workers to
produce than does
Company O.
(B) Company P holds more
safety inspections than
does Company O.
(C) Company P maintains a
more modern infirmary
than does Company O.
(D) Company O paid more for
new job-related medical
claims than did Company

80
 P. 3. In comparison to the standard
(E) Company P provides more types of health-care typewriter keyboard, the
benefits than does Company O. EFCO keyboard, which places
the most-used keys nearest the
2. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the typist’s strongest fingers,
conclusion above? allows faster typing and results
(A) The employees of Company P lost more time at in less fatigue, Therefore,
work due to job-related accidents than did the replacement of standard
employees of Company O. keyboards with the EFCO
(B) Company P considered more types of accidents to keyboard will result in an
be job-related than did Company O. immediate reduction of typing
(C) The employees of Company P were sick more often costs.
than were the employees of Company O.
(D) Several employees of Company O each had more Which of the following, if
than one job-related accident. true, would most weaken the
(E) The majority of job-related accidents at Company conclusion drawn above?
O involved a single machine. (A) People who use both
standard and EFCO
keyboards report greater
difficulty in the transition
from the EFCO keyboard
to the standard keyboard
than in the transition from
the standard keyboard to
the EFCO keyboard.
(B) EFCO keyboards are no
more expensive to
manufacture than are
standard keyboards and
require less frequent
repair than do standard
keyboards.
(C) The number of businesses
and government agencies
that use EFCO keyboards
is increasing each year.
(D) The more training and
experience an employee

81
 has had with the standard keyboard, the more
costly it is to train that employee to use the EFCO 5. Which of the following, if
keyboard. true, would best help explain
(E) Novice typists can learn to use the EFCO keyboard how the sweetener might
in about the same amount of time it takes them to produce the observed effect?
learn to use the standard keyboard. (A) The government’s analysis
of the artificial sweetener
Questions 4-5 are based on the following. determined that it was
Half of the subjects in an experiment—the experimental sold in relatively pure
group—consumed large quantities of a popular artificial form.
sweetener. Afterward, this group showed lower cognitive (B) A high level of the amino
abilities than did the other half of the subjects—the acid in the blood inhibits
control group—who did not consume the sweetener. The the synthesis of a
detrimental effects were attributed to an amino acid that is substance required for
one of the sweetener’s principal constituents. normal brain functioning.
(C) Because the sweetener is
4. Which of the following, if true, would best support the
used primarily as a food
conclusion that some ingredient of the sweetener was
additive, adverse
responsible for the experimental results?
reactions to it are rarely
(A) Most consumers of the sweetener do not consume noticed by consumers.
as much of it as the experimental group members (D) The amino acid that is a
did. constituent of the
(B) The amino acid referred to in the conclusion is a sweetener is also sold
component of all proteins, some of which must be separately as a dietary
consumed for adequate nutrition. supplement.
(C) The quantity of the sweetener consumed by (E) Subjects in the experiment
individuals in the experimental group is did not know whether
considered safe by federal food regulators. they were consuming the
(D) The two groups of subjects were evenly matched sweetener or a second,
with regard to cognitive abilities prior to the harmless substance.
experiment.
(E) A second experiment in which subjects consumed 6. Adult female rats who have
large quantities of the sweetener lacked a control never before encountered rat
group of subjects who were not given the pups will start to show
sweetener. maternal behaviors after being
confined with a pup for about
seven days. This period can be
considerably shortened by
disabling the female’s sense of
82
smell or by removing the scent-producing glands of the
pup. 7. The interview is an essential
Which of the following hypotheses best explains the part of a successful hiring
contrast described above? program because, with it, job
applicants who have
(A) The sense of smell in adult female rats is more
personalities that are unsuited
acute than that in rat pups.
to the requirements of the job
(B) The amount of scent produced by rat pups increases
will be eliminated from
when they are in the presence of a female rat that
consideration.
did not bear them.
(C) Female rats that have given birth are more affected
The argument above logically
by olfactory cues than are female rats that have
depends on which of the
never given birth.
following assumptions?
(D) A female rat that has given birth shows maternal
behavior toward rat pups that she did not bear (A) A hiring program will be
more quickly than does a female rat that has never successful if it includes
given birth. interviews.
(E) The development of a female rat's maternal interest (B) The interview is a more
in a rat pup that she did not bear is inhibited by the important part of a
odor of the pup. successful hiring program
than is the development
of a job description.
(C) Interviewers can
accurately identify
applicants whose
personalities are unsuited
to the requirements of the
job.
(D) The only purpose of an
interview is to evaluate
whether job applicants’
personalities are suited to
the requirements of the
job.
(E) the fit of job applicants’
personalities to the
requirements of the job
was once the most
important factor in

83
 making hiring decisions.
9. Useful protein drugs, such as
8. An overly centralized economy, not the changes in the insulin, must still be
climate, is responsible for the poor agricultural administered by the
production in Country X since its new government cumbersome procedure of
came to power. Neighboring Country Y has injection under the skin. If
experienced the same climatic conditions, but while proteins are taken orally, they
agricultural production has been falling in Country X, it are digested and cannot reach
has been rising in Country Y. their target cells. Certain
nonprotein drugs, however,
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the contain chemical bonds that
argument above? are not broken down by the
digestive system. They can,
(A) Industrial production also is declining in Country
thus, be taken orally.
X.
(B) Whereas Country Y is landlocked, Country X has a
The statements above most
major seaport.
strongly support a claim that a
(C) Both Country X and Country Y have been
research procedure that
experiencing drought conditions.
successfully accomplishes
(D) The crops that have always been grown in Country
which of the following would
X are different from those that have always been
be beneficial to users of
grown in Country Y.
protein drugs?
(E) Country X’s new government instituted a
centralized economy with the intention of ensuring (A) Coating insulin with
an equitable distribution of goods. compounds that are
broken down by target
cells, but whose chemical
bonds are resistant to
digestion
(B) Converting into protein
compounds, by
procedures that work in
the laboratory, the
nonprotein drugs that
resist digestion
(C) Removing permanently
from the digestive system
any substances that digest
proteins

84
 (D) Determining, in a systematic way, what enzymes
and bacteria are present in the normal digestive 11. Last year the rate of inflation
system and whether they tend to be broken down was 1.2 percent, but for the
within the body current year it has been 4
(E) Determining the amount of time each nonprotein percent. We can conclude
drug takes to reach its target cells. that inflation is on an
upward trend and the rate
10. Country Y uses its scarce foreign-exchange reserves will be still higher next year.
to buy scrap iron for recycling into steel. Although
the steel thus produced earns more foreign exchange Which of the following, if
than it costs, that policy is foolish. Country Y’s own true, most seriously
territory has vast deposits of iron ore, which can be weakens the conclusion
mined with minimal expenditure of foreign above?
exchange.
(A) The inflation figures
were computed on the
Which of the following, if true, provides the
basis of a representative
strongest support for Country Y’s policy of buying
sample of economic data
scrap iron abroad?
rather than all of the
(A) The price of scrap iron on international markets available data.
rose significantly in 1987. (B) Last year a dip in oil
(B) Country Y’s foreign-exchange reserves dropped prices brought inflation
significantly in 1987. temporarily below its
(C) There is virtually no difference in quality recent stable annual level
between steel produced from scrap iron and that of 4 percent.
produced from iron ore. (C) Increases in the pay of
(D) Scrap iron is now used in the production of some workers are tied to
roughly half the steel used in the world today, and the level of inflation, and
experts predict that scrap iron will be used even at an inflation rate of 4
more extensively in the future. percent or above, these
(E) Furnaces that process scrap iron can be built and pay raises constitute a
operated in Country Y with substantially less force causing further
foreign exchange than can furnaces that process inflation.
iron ore. (D) The 1.2 percent rate of
inflation last year
represented a ten-year
low.
(E) Government
intervention cannot affect

85
 the rate of inflation to any significant degree.
13. In the United States in 1986,
12. Because no employee wants to be associated with bad the average rate of violent
news in the eyes of a superior, information about crime in states with strict
serious problems at lower levels is progressively gun-control laws was 645
softened and distorted as it goes up each step in the crimes per 100,000 persons
management hierarchy. The chief executive is, —about 50 percent higher
therefore, less well informed about problems at than the average rate in the
lower levels than are his or her subordinates at those eleven states where strict
levels. gun-control laws have never
been passed. Thus one way
The conclusion drawn above is based on the to reduce violent crime is to
assumption that repeal strict gun control
laws.
(A) problems should be solved at the level in the
management hierarchy at which they occur
Which of the following, if
(B) employees should be rewarded for accurately
true, would most weaken
reporting problems to their superiors
the argument above?
(C) problem-solving ability is more important at
higher levels than it is at lower levels of the (A) The annual rate of
management hierarchy violent crime in states
(D) chief executives obtain information about with strict gun-control
problems at lower levels from no source other than laws has decreased since
their subordinates the passage of those laws.
(E) some employees are more concerned about truth (B) In states with strict gun-
than about the way they are perceived by their control laws, few
superiors individuals are prosecuted
for violating such laws.
(C) In states without strict
gun-control laws, many
individuals have had no
formal training in the use
of firearms.
(D) The annual rate of
nonviolent crime is lower
in states with strict gun-
control laws than in states
without such laws.
(E) Less than half of the

86
 individuals who reside in states without strict gun-
control laws own a gun. 15. The proposal to hire ten new
police officers in
14. Corporate officers and directors commonly buy and Middletown is quite foolish.
sell, for their own portfolios, stock in their own There is sufficient funding
corporations. Generally, when the ratio of such inside to pay the salaries of the
sales to inside purchases falls below 2 to 1 for a new officers, but not the
given stock, a rise in stock prices is imminent. In salaries of additional court
recent days, while the price of MEGA Corporation and prison employees to
stock has been falling, the corporation’s officers and process the increased
directors have bought up to nine times as much of it caseload of arrests and
as they have sold. convictions that new
officers usually generate.
The facts above best support which of the following
predictions? Which of the following, if
true, will most seriously
(A) The imbalance between inside purchases and
weaken the conclusion
inside sales of MEGA stock will grow even
drawn above?
further.
(B) Inside purchases of MEGA stock are about to (A) Studies have shown that
cease abruptly. an increase in a city’s
(C) The price of MEGA stock will soon begin to go police force does not
up. necessarily reduce crime.
(D) The price of MEGA stock will continue to drop, (B) When one major city
but less rapidly. increased its police force
(E) The majority of MEGA stock will soon be owned by 19 percent last year,
by MEGA’s own officers and directors. there were 40 percent
more arrests and 13
percent more convictions.
(C) If funding for the new
police officers’ salaries is
approved, support for
other city services will
have to be reduced during
the next fiscal year.
(D) In most United States
cities, not all arrests result
in convictions, and not all
convictions result in

87
 prison terms. 17. There is a great deal of
(E) Middletown’s ratio of police officers to citizens geographical variation in the
has reached a level at which an increase in the frequency of many surgical
number of officers will have a deterrent effect on procedures—up to tenfold
crime. variation per hundred
thousand between different
16. A recent report determined that although only three areas in the numbers of
percent of drivers on Maryland highways equipped hysterectomies,
their vehicles with radar detectors, thirty-three prostatectomies, and
percent of all vehicles ticketed for exceeding the tonsillectomies.
speed limit were equipped with them. Clearly, To support a conclusion that
drivers who equip their vehicles with radar detectors much of the variation is due
are more likely to exceed the speed limit regularly to unnecessary surgical
than are drivers who do not. procedures, it would be
most important to establish
The conclusion drawn above depends on which of which of the following?
the following assumptions?
(A) A local board of review at
(A) Drivers who equip their vehicles with radar each hospital examines the
detectors are less likely to be ticketed for records of every operation
exceeding the speed limit than are drivers who do to determine whether the
not. surgical procedure was
(B) Drivers who are ticketed for exceeding the speed necessary.
limit are more likely to exceed the speed limit (B) The variation is unrelated to
regularly than are drivers who are not ticketed. factors (other than the
(C) The number of vehicles that were ticketed for surgical procedures
exceeding the speed limit was greater than the themselves) that influence
number of vehicles that were equipped with radar the incidence of diseases for
detectors. which surgery might be
(D) Many of the vehicles that were ticketed for considered.
exceeding the speed limit were ticketed more than (C) There are several categories of
once in the time period covered by the report. surgical procedure (other than
(E) Drivers on Maryland highways exceeded the hysterectomies,
speed limit more often than did drivers on other prostatectomies, and
state highways not covered in the report. tonsillectomies) that are often
performed unnecessarily.
(D) For certain surgical
procedures, it is difficult to
determine after the

88
 operation whether the procedures were necessary or
whether alternative treatment would have succeeded. 19. In 1987 sinusitis was the
(E) With respect to how often they are performed most common chronic
unnecessarily, hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and medical condition in the
tonsillectomies are representative of surgical United States, followed by
procedures in general. arthritis and high blood
pressure, in that order.
18. Researchers have found that when very overweight The incidence rates for both
people, who tend to have relatively low metabolic arthritis and high blood
rates, lose weight primarily through dieting, their pressure increase with age,
metabolisms generally remain unchanged. They will but the incidence rate for
thus burn significantly fewer calories at the new sinusitis is the same for
weight than do people whose weight is normally at people of all ages.
that level. Such newly thin persons will, therefore, The average age of the
ultimately regain weight until their body size again United States population
matches their metabolic rate. will increase between 1987
The conclusion of the argument above depends on and 2000.
which of the following assumptions?
Which of the following
(A) Relatively few very overweight people who have
conclusions can be most
dieted down to a new weight tend to continue to
properly drawn about
consume substantially fewer calories than do people
chronic medical conditions
whose normal weight is at that level.
in the United States from
(B) The metabolisms of people who are usually not
the information given
overweight are much more able to vary than the
above?
metabolisms of people who have been very overweight.
(C) The amount of calories that a person usually burns in (A) Sinusitis will be more
a day is determined more by the amount that is common than either
consumed that day than by the current weight of the arthritis or high blood
individual. pressure in 2000.
(D) Researchers have not yet determined whether the (B) Arthritis will be the
metabolic rates of formerly very overweight individuals most common chronic
can be accelerated by means of chemical agents. medical condition in
(E) Because of the constancy of their metabolic rates, 2000.
people who are at their usual weight normally have as (C) The average age of
much difficulty gaining weight as they do losing it. people suffering from
sinusitis will increase
between 1987 and 2000.
(D) Fewer people will suffer

89
 from sinusitis in 2000 than suffered from it in
1987.
(E) A majority of the population will suffer from at
least one of the medical conditions mentioned
above by the year 2000.

20. Parasitic wasps lay their eggs directly into the eggs of
various host insects in exactly the right numbers for
any suitable size of host egg. If they laid too many
eggs in a host egg, the developing wasp larvae would
compete with each other to the death for nutrients
and space. If too few eggs were laid, portions of the
host egg would decay, killing the wasp larvae.

Which of the following conclusions can properly be

drawn from the information above?

(A) The size of the smallest host egg that a wasp

could theoretically parasitize can be determined
from the wasp’s egg-laying behavior.
(B) Host insects lack any effective defenses against
the form of predation practiced by parasitic wasps.
(C) Parasitic wasps learn from experience how many
eggs to lay into the eggs of different host species.
(D) Failure to lay enough eggs would lead to the
death of the developing wasp larvae more quickly
than would laying too many eggs.
(E) Parasitic wasps use visual clues to calculate the
size of a host egg.

90