CR Conclusion Questions

GMAT Preparation
Conclusion Critical Reasoning Exercise
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Table Of Contents
Questions ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Answers ................................................................................................................................................ 35
Explanation ........................................................................................................................................... 38
2
Questions
1 Which of the following best completes the argument below?
One effect of the introduction of the electric refrigerator was a collapse in the market for ice.
Formerly householders had bought ice to keep their iceboxes cool and the food stored in the
iceboxes fresh. Now the iceboxes cool themselves. Similarly, the introduction of crops
genetically engineered to be resistant to pests will______
(A) increase the size of crop harvests
(B) increase the cost of seeds
(C) reduce demand for chemical pesticides
(D) reduce the value of farmland
(E) reduce the number of farmers keeping livestock
2 When the government of a nation announced recently that a leader of the nation’s political
opposition had died of a mysterious illness in prison, few seasoned observers of the regime
were surprised. As the police captain in an old movie remarked when asked about the
condition of a prisoner, “We’re trying to decide whether he committed suicide or died trying to
escape.”
The statements above invite which of the following conclusions?
(A) The opposition leader was probably killed trying to escape from prison.
(B) The opposition leader may not be dead at all.
(C) It is unlikely that the head of the regime knows the true cause of the opposition leader’s
death.
(D) The opposition leader probably killed himself.
(E) The regime very likely was responsible for the death of the opposition leader.
3 According to a recent study, fifteen corporations in the United States that follow a credo of
social responsibility are also very profitable. Because of their credos, these fifteen
corporations give generously to charity, follow stringent environmental-protection policies, and
have vigorous affirmative-action programs.
Which of the following can be correctly inferred from the statements above?
(A) Following a credo of social responsibility helps to make a corporation very profitable.
(B) It is possible for a corporation that follows a credo of social responsibility to be very
profitable.
(C) A corporation that gives generously to charity must be doing so because of its credo of
social responsibility.
(D) Corporations that are very profitable tend to give generously to charity.
(E) Corporations that have vigorous affirmative-action programs also tend to follow stringent
environmental-protection policies.
4 Which of the following best completes the passage below?

In a survey of job applicants, 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
3
5 A computer equipped with signature-recognition software, which restricts access to a
computer to those people whose signatures are on file, identifies a person’s signature by
analyzing not only the form of the signature but also such characteristics as pen pressure and
signing speed. Even the most adept forgers cannot duplicate all of the characteristics the
program analyzes.
Which of the following can be logically concluded from the passage above?
(A) The time it takes to record and analyze a signature makes the software impractical for
everyday use.
(B) Computers equipped with the software will soon be installed in most banks.
(C) Nobody can gain access to a computer equipped with the software solely by virtue of skill
at forging signatures.
(D) Signature-recognition software has taken many years to develop and perfect.
(E) In many cases even authorized users are denied legitimate access to computers equipped
with the software.
6 Between 1975 and 1985, nursing-home occupancy rates averaged 87 percent of capacity,
while admission rates remained constant, at an average of 95 admissions per 1,000 beds per
year. Between 1985 and 1988, however, occupancy rates rose to an average of 92 percent of
capacity, while admission rates declined to 81 per 1,000 beds per year.
If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions can be most properly
drawn?
(A) The average length of time nursing-home residents stayed in nursing homes increased
between 1985 and 1988.
(B) The proportion of older people living in nursing homes was greater in 1988 than in 1975.
(C) Nursing home admission rates tend to decline whenever occupancy rates rise.
(D) Nursing homes built prior to 1985 generally had fewer beds than did nursing homes built
between 1985 and 1988.
(E) The more beds a nursing home has, the higher its occupancy rate is likely to be.
7 Since applied scientific research is required for technological advancement, many have rightly
urged an increased emphasis in universities on applied research. But we must not give too
little attention to basic research, even though it may have no foreseeable application, for
tomorrow’s applied research will depend on the basic research of today.
If the statements above are true, which of the following can be most reliably inferred?
(A) If future technological advancement is desired, basic research should receive greater
emphasis than applied research.
(B) If basic research is valued in universities, applied research should be given less emphasis
than it currently has.
(C) If future technological advancement is desired, research should be limited to that with
some foreseeable application.
(D) If too little attention is given to basic research today, future technological advancement will
be jeopardized.
(E) If technological advancement is given insufficient emphasis, basic research will also
receive too little attention.
4
8 Increases in the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the human bloodstream lower
bloodstream-cholesterol levels by increasing the body’s capacity to rid itself of excess
cholesterol. Levels of HDL in the bloodstream of some individuals are significantly increased
by a program of regular exercise and weight reduction.
(A) Individuals who are underweight do not run any risk of developing high levels of
cholesterol in the bloodstream.
(B) Individuals who do not exercise regularly have a high risk of developing high levels of
cholesterol in the bloodstream late in life.
(C) Exercise and weight reduction are the most effective methods of lowering bloodstream
cholesterol levels in humans.
(D) A program of regular exercise and weight reduction lowers cholesterol levels in the
bloodstream of some individuals.
(E) Only regular exercise is necessary to decrease cholesterol levels in the bloodstream of
individuals of average weight.
9 After graduating from high school, people rarely multiply fractions or discuss ancient Rome,
but they are confronted daily with decisions relating to home economics. Yet whereas
mathematics and history are required courses in the high school curriculum, home economics
is only an elective, and few students choose to take it.
Which of the following positions would be best supported by the considerations above?
(A) If mathematics and history were not required courses, few students would choose to take
them.
(B) Whereas home economics would be the most useful subject for people facing the
decisions they must make in daily life, often mathematics and history can also help them face
these decisions.
(C) If it is important to teach high school students subjects that relate to decisions that will
confront them in their daily lives, then home economics should be made an important part of
the high school curriculum.
(D) Mathematics, history, and other courses that are not directly relevant to a person’s daily
life should not be a required part of the high school curriculum.
(E) Unless high schools put more emphasis on nonacademic subjects like home economics,
people graduating from high school will never feel comfortable about making the decisions
that will confront them in their daily lives.
10 Roland: The alarming fact is that 90 percent of the people in this country now report that they
know someone who is unemployed.
Sharon: But a normal, moderate level of unemployment is 5 percent, with 1 out of 20 workers
unemployed. So at any given time if a person knows approximately 50 workers, 1 or more will
very likely be unemployed.
Sharon’s argument is structured to lead to which of the following as a conclusion?
(A) The fact that 90% of the people know someone who is unemployed is not an indication
that unemployment is abnormally high.
(B) The current level of unemployment is not moderate.
(C) If at least 5% of workers are unemployed, the result of questioning a representative group
of people cannot be the percentage Roland cites.
(D) It is unlikely that the people whose statements Roland cites are giving accurate reports.
(E) If an unemployment figure is given as a certain percent, the actual percentage of those
without jobs is even higher.
5
In opposing government regulation of business, conservatives often appeal to the
Jeffersonian ideal of limited government, expressing the wish that government would “get off
the backs of the American people.” Yet, paradoxically, many of these same conservatives
address questions of private morality, such as those dealing with sexual behavior, by calling
for______
(A) a return to the restrictive sexual morality of the Victorian era
(B) a strengthening of the role of the family in setting moral norms for society
(C) a limitation on the amount of sexually provocative material appearing in books, motives,
and television shows
(D) greater freedom for individuals to choose their own way of handling sexual issues
(E) an increased governmental role in the regulation and control of private sexual behavior
12 In the effort to fire a Civil Service employee, his or her manager may have to spend up to
$100,000 of tax money. Since Civil Service employees know how hard it is to fire them, they
tend to loaf. This explains in large part why the government is so inefficient.
It can be properly inferred on the basis of the statements above that the author believes which
of the following?
I. Too much job security can have a negative influence on workers.
II. More government workers should be fired.
III. Most government workers are Civil Service employees.
(A) I only
(B) I and III only
(C) II only
(D) I, II, and III
(E) III only

In today’s pluralistic society, textbook publishers find themselves in an increasingly
uncomfortable position. Since the schools are regarded as a repository of society’s moral and
cultural values, each group within society wishes to prevent any material that offends its own
values from appearing in textbooks. As a result, stance on an issue is certain to run afoul of
one group or another. And since textbook publishers must rely on community goodwill to sell
their books, it is inevitable that______
(A) fewer and fewer publishers will be willing to enter the financially uncertain textbook
industry
(B) the ethical and moral content of textbooks will become increasingly neutral and bland
(C) more and more pressure groups will arise that seek to influence the content of textbooks
(D) the government will be forced to intervene in the increasingly rancorous debate over the
content of textbooks
(E) school boards, teachers, and principals will find it nearly impossible to choose among the
variety of textbooks being offered
14 Freud’s theories of the workings of the mind, while brilliant for their day, were formulated
before most of this century’s great advances in neurophysiology and biochemistry. Today, we
have a far deeper understanding of the biological components of thought, emotion, and
behavior than was dreamed of eighty years ago. It would be foolish to continue parroting
Freud’s psychological theories as if these advances had never occurred.
It can be inferred from the passage above that the author would be most likely to favor
(A) the abandonment of most of Freud’s theories
(B) a greater reliance on biological rather than psychological explanations of behavior
(C) a critical reexamination of Freud’s place in the history of psychology
(D) a reexamination of Freud’s theories in the light of contemporary biology
(E) increased financial support for studies in neurophysiology and biochemistry
6
15 James’s grade point average puts him in the top third of the graduating class of college A.
Nestor is in the top tenth of the same class. Elizabeth had the same grade point average as
Nestor. Nancy has a lower grade point average than Elizabeth.
If the information above is true, which of the following must also be true?
(A) James has a higher grade point average than Elizabeth.
(B) James has a higher grade point average than Nancy.
(C) Nestor has a higher grade point average than Nancy.
(D) Elizabeth and Nancy both have a higher grade point average than James.
(E) Nestor and James both have a higher grade point average than Nancy.
16 Currently people in the United States eat, on the average, 1,431 pounds of food per year, 35
pounds more than in 1980. This increase is, at least in part, because people between the
ages of 15 and 64 have accounted for an increasing share of the population.
Which of the following can be properly inferred from the passage above?
(A) More than half of the current population of the United States is between the ages of 15
and 64.
(B) The population has risen since 1980.
(C) Children below the age of 15 require, on the average, more food than do people over the
age of 64.
(D) Before 1980 children below the age of 15 outnumbered people between the ages of 15
and 64.
(E) Individuals between the ages of 15 and 64 consume, on the average, more food than do
those younger or older.
17 Each increase of 1 percent in real disposable personal income per capita will increase the
share of the electorate for an incumbent by about 2.2 percentage points, other things being
equal. Since 1952 there has been a decline in real disposable income during only one
presidential election year. The incumbent lost that election.
Which of the following conclusions can be properly drawn from the statements above?
(A) When an incumbent runs for office, he or she is likely to win.
(B) Political parties should take care to put forth a candidate who seems prosperous.
(C) Presidential candidates should put their greatest efforts into improving their public image.
(D) Because a presidential campaign requires the expenditure of large amounts of money, it
frequently impoverishes a candidate and his or her supporters.
(E) The outcome of a presidential election is substantially affected by factors other than the
ideological positions of the candidates.

When a project is failing and should be terminated, plan to bring in a new manager. New
managers are more likely to terminate the project than are the original managers
because______
(A) the project may have failed for reasons that the original manager could not have foreseen
(B) organizations tend to reward managers who can overcome problems
(C) managerial decisions to terminate a project should depend on the likelihood of the
project’s eventual success
(D) the original managers were not necessarily able to overcome problems caused by
external events over which they had no control
(E) the new managers have no need to justify the earlier decision to maintain the project
7
19 Sales taxes tend to be regressive, affecting poor people more severely than wealthy people.
When all purchases of consumer goods are taxed at a fixed percentage of the purchase price,
poor people pay a larger proportion of their income in sales taxes than wealthy people do.
It can be correctly inferred on the basis of the statements above that which of the following is
true?
(A) Poor people constitute a larger proportion of the taxpaying population than wealthy people
do.
(B) Poor people spend a larger proportion of their income on purchases of consumer goods
than wealthy people do.
(C) Wealthy people pay, on average, a larger amount of sales taxes than poor people do.
(D) The total amount spent by all poor people on purchases of consumer goods exceeds the
total amount spent by all wealthy people on consumer goods.
(E) The average purchase price of consumer goods bought by wealthy people is higher than
that of consumer goods bought by poor people.

The computer industry’s estimate that it loses millions of dollars when users illegally copy
programs without paying for them is greatly exaggerated. Most of the illegal copying is done
by people with no serious interest in the programs. Thus, the loss to the industry is much
smaller than estimated because______
(A) many users who illegally copy programs never find any use for them
(B) most of the illegally copied programs would not be purchased even if purchasing them
were the only way to obtain them
(C) even if the computer industry received all the revenue it claims to be losing, it would still
be experiencing financial difficulties
(D) the total market value of all illegal copies is low in comparison to the total revenue of the
computer industry
(E) the number of programs that are frequently copied illegally is low in comparison to the
number of programs available for sale
21 Meteorite explosions in the Earth’s atmosphere as large as the one that destroyed forests in
Siberia, with approximately the force of a twelve-megaton nuclear blast, occur about once a
century.
The response of highly automated systems controlled by complex computer programs to
unexpected circumstances is unpredictable.
Which of the following conclusions can most properly be drawn, if the statements above are
true, about a highly automated nuclear-missile defense system controlled by a complex
computer program?
(A) Within a century after its construction, the system would react inappropriately and might
accidentally start a nuclear war.
(B) The system would be destroyed if an explosion of a large meteorite occurred in the Earth’s
atmosphere.
(C) It would be impossible for the system to distinguish the explosion of a large meteorite from
the explosion of a nuclear weapon.
(D) Whether the system would respond inappropriately to the explosion of a large meteorite
would depend on the location of the blast.
(E) It is not certain what the system’s response to the explosion of a large meteorite would be,
if its designers did not plan for such a contingency.
8
People buy prestige when they buy a premium product. They want to be associated with
something special. Mass-marketing techniques and price-reduction strategies should not be
used because______
(A) affluent purchasers currently represent a shrinking portion of the population of all
purchasers
(B) continued sales depend directly on the maintenance of an aura of exclusivity
(C) purchasers of premium products are concerned with the quality as well as with the price of
the products
(D) expansion of the market niche to include a broader spectrum of consumers will increase
profits
(E) manufacturing a premium brand is not necessarily more costly than manufacturing a
standard brand of the same product
23 Rural households have more purchasing power than do urban or suburban households at the
same income level, since some of the income urban and suburban households use for food
and shelter can be used by rural households for other needs.
Which of the following inferences is best supported by the statement made above?
(A) The average rural household includes more people than does the average urban or
suburban household.
(B) Rural households have lower food and housing costs than do either urban or suburban
households.
(C) Suburban households generally have more purchasing power than do either rural or urban
households.
(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 their income on food and housing than on all
other purchases combined.
24 Kale has more nutritional value than spinach. But since collard greens have more nutritional
value than lettuce, it follows that kale has more nutritional value than lettuce.
Any of the following, if introduced into the argument as an additional premise, makes the
argument above logically correct EXCEPT:
(A) Collard greens have more nutritional value than kale.
(B) Spinach has more nutritional value than lettuce.
(C) Spinach has more nutritional value than collard greens.
(D) Spinach and collard greens have the same nutritional value.
(E) Kale and collard greens have the same nutritional value.
9
25 High levels of fertilizer and pesticides, needed when farmers try to produce high yield of the
same crop year after year, pollute water supplies. Experts therefore urge farmers to diversify
their crops and to rotate their plantings yearly.
To receive governmental price-support benefits for a crop, farmers must have produced that
same crop for the past several years.
The statements above, if true, best support which of the following conclusions?
(A) The rules for governmental support of farm prices work against efforts to reduce water
pollution.
(B) The only solution to the problem of water pollution from fertilizers and pesticides is to take
farmland out of production.
(C) Farmers can continue to make a profit by rotating diverse crops, thus reducing costs for
chemicals, but not by planting the same crop each year.
(D) New farming techniques will be developed to make it possible for farmers to reduce the
application of fertilizers and pesticides.
(E) Governmental price supports for farm products are set at levels that are not high enough
to allow farmers to get out of debt.
26 Large national budget deficits do not cause large trade deficits. If they did, countries with the
largest budget deficits would also have the largest trade deficits. In fact, when deficit figures
are adjusted so that different countries are reliably comparable to each other, there is no such
correlation.
If the statements above are all true, which of the following can properly be inferred on the
basis of them?
(A) Countries with large national budget deficits tend to restrict foreign trade.
(B) Reliable comparisons of the deficit figures of one country with those of another are
impossible.
(C) Reducing a country’s 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.
(E) Countries with the largest trade deficits never have similarly large national budget deficits.

The more worried investors are about losing their money, the more they will demand a high
potential return on their investment; great risks must be offset by the chance of great rewards.
This principle is the fundamental one in determining interest rates, and it is illustrated by the
fact that______
(A) successful investors are distinguished by an ability to make very risky investments without
worrying about their money
(B) lenders receive higher interest rates on unsecured loans than on loans backed by
collateral
(C) in times of high inflation, the interest paid to depositors by banks can actually be below the
rate of inflation
(D) at any one time, a commercial bank will have a single rate of interest that it will expect all
of its individual borrowers to pay
(E) the potential return on investment in a new company is typically lower than the potential
return on investment in a well-established company
10
28 A certain retailer promotes merchandise by using the following policy:
At all times there is either a “manager’s sale” or a “holiday sale” or both going on. All sales are
run for exactly one calendar month. In any given month, if a manager wishes to clear out
particular line of merchandise, then a managers’ sale is declared. If a holiday falls within the
calendar month and there is excess merchandise in the warehouse, then a holiday sale is
declared.
However, there is no holiday that falls within the month of August and, in that month, the
warehouse never contains excess merchandise.
Which one of the following can be concluded from the passage?
(A) If a holiday falls within a given month and there is no extra merchandise in the warehouse
that month, then a holiday sale is declared.
(B) If a holiday sale is not being run, then it is the month of August.
(C) If a manger’s sale is being run in some month, then there is no excess merchandise in the
warehouse in that month.
(D) If there is not a manger’s sale being run some month, then there is holiday sale being run
in that month.
(E) If there is no excess merchandise in the warehouse, then it is the month of August.
29 One method of dating the emergence of species is to compare the genetic material of related
species. Scientists theorize that the more genetically similar two species are to each other,
the more recently they diverged from a common ancestor. After comparing genetic material
from giant pandas, red pandas, raccoons, coatis, and all seven bear species, scientists
concluded that bears and raccoons diverged 30 to 50 million years ago. They further
concluded that red pandas separated from the ancestor of today’s raccoons and coatis a few
million years later, some 10 million years before giant pandas diverged from the other bears.
Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the passage?
(A) Giant pandas and red pandas are more closely related than scientists originally thought
they were.
(B) Scientists now count the giant panda as the eighth species of bear.
(C) It is possible to determine, within a margin of just a few years, the timing of divergence of
various species.
(D) Scientists have found that giant pandas are more similar genetically to bears than to
raccoons.
(E) There is substantial consensus among scientists that giant pandas and red pandas are
equally related to raccoons.
30 Among the more effective kinds of publicity that publishers can get for a new book is to have
excerpts of it published in a high-circulation magazine soon before the book is published. The
benefits of such excerption include not only a sure increase in sales but also a fee paid by the
magazine to the book’s publisher.
Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the information above?
(A) The number of people for whom seeing an excerpt of a book in a magazine provides an
adequate substitute for reading the whole book is smaller than the number for whom the
excerpt stimulates a desire to read the book.
(B) Because the financial advantage of excerpting a new book in a magazine usually accrues
to the book’s publisher, magazine editors are unwilling to publish excerpts from new books.
(C) In calculating the total number of copies that a book has sold, publishers include sales of
copies of magazines that featured an excerpt of the book.
(D) The effectiveness of having excerpts of a book published in a magazine, measured in
terms of increased sales of a book, is proportional to the circulation of the magazine in which
the excerpts are published.
(E) Books that are suitable for excerpting in high-circulation magazines sell more copies than
books that are not suitable for excerpting.
11
31 Naturally occurring chemicals cannot be newly patented once their structures have been
published. Before a naturally occurring chemical compound can be used as a drug, however,
it must be put through the same rigorous testing program as any synthetic compound,
culminating in a published report detailing the chemical’s structure and observed effects.
If the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true on the basis of
them?
(A) Any naturally occurring chemical can be reproduced synthetically once its structure is
known.
(B) Synthetically produced chemical compounds cannot be patented unless their chemical
structures are made public.
(C) If proven no less effective, naturally occurring chemicals are to be preferred to synthetic
compounds for use in drugs.
(D) Once a naturally occurring compound has been approved for use as a drug, it can no
longer be newly patented.
(E) A naturally occurring chemical cannot be patented unless its effectiveness as a drug has
been rigorously established.
32 History textbooks frequently need to be revised. The reasons for this are clear: new
discoveries of documents and remains, the discovery of mistaken inferences in prior histories,
the discovery of previously unnoticed relationships among data, and the application of hitherto
undiscovered principles of natural science all may indicate inadequacies in current history
texts. Any of these considerations may require that the past be reinterpreted in a manner that
is new and more illuminating.
Which one of the following can be inferred from the argument in the passage?
(A) The interpretation of historical events is affected by natural science.
(B) The past is constantly renewed because of illuminating reinterpretations.
(C) History books are outdated as soon as they are written.
(D) Natural scientists also function as historians.
(E) Historians’ mistaken inferences are caused by unnoticed relationships among data.
33 Although aspirin has been proven to eliminate moderate fever associated with some illnesses,
many doctors no longer routinely recommend its use for this purpose. A moderate fever
stimulates the activity of the body’s disease-fighting white blood cells and also inhibits the
growth of many strains of disease-causing bacteria.
If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions is most strongly supported
by them?
(A) Aspirin, an effective painkiller, alleviates the pain and discomfort of many illnesses.
(B) Aspirin can prolong a patient’s illness by eliminating moderate fever helpful in fighting
some diseases.
(C) Aspirin inhibits the growth of white blood cells, which are necessary for fighting some
illnesses.
(D) The more white blood cells a patient’s body produces, the less severe the patient’s illness
will be.
(E) The focus of modern medicine is on inhibiting the growth of disease-causing bacteria
within the body.
12
34 Since no one returns from death, we can never be certain about what passes through the
mind of the dying person. For the unconscious, the confused, and the heavily sedated, these
final moments are probably meaningless. However, for the mentally alert, it is quite possible
that death presents itself as an unbelievably glorious experience, a flight into an entirely new
universe of sensation. Why should we think so? Some people who have been reprieved from
“certain” death at the last moment have experienced what goes through the consciousness of
those who are not so fortunate. For example, parachutists who have survived falls report
experiences that resemble psychedelic “trips.”
The primary point of the argument in the passage is
(A) no one returns from death
(B) dying can be a glorious experience
(C) we can never know what passes through the mind of a dying person
(D) some people are reprieved from death at the last moment
(E) some people “die”, yet live to report their, experiences
35 A major art theft from a museum was remarkable in that the pieces stolen clearly had been
carefully selected. The criterion for selection, however, clearly had not been greatest
estimated market value. It follows that the theft was specifically carried out to suit the taste of
some individual collector for whose private collection the pieces were destined.
The argument tacitly appeals to which one of the following principles?
(A) Any art theft can, on the evidence of the selection of pieces stolen, be categorized as
committed either at the direction of a single known individual or at the direction of a group of
known individuals.
(B) Any art theft committed at the direction of a single individual results in a pattern of works
taken and works left alone that defies rational analysis.
(C) The pattern of works taken and works left alone can sometimes distinguish one type of art
theft from another.
(D) Art thefts committed with no preexisting plan for the disposition of the stolen works do not
always involve theft of the most valuable pieces only.
(E) The pattern of works taken and works left alone in an art theft can be particularly
damaging to the integrity of the remaining collection.
36 Some cleaning fluids, synthetic carpets, wall paneling, and other products release toxins, such
as formaldehyde and benzene, into the household air supply. This is not a problem in well-
ventilated houses, but it is a problem in houses that are so well insulated that they trap toxins
as well as heat. Recent tests, however, demonstrate that houseplants remove some
household toxins from the air and thereby eliminate their danger. In one test, 20 large plants
eliminated formaldehyde from a small, well-insulated house.
The passage is structured to lead to which one of the following conclusions?
(A) Houseplants can remove benzene from the air.
(B) Nonsynthetic products do not release toxins into houses.
(C) Keeping houseplants is an effective means of trapping heat in a poorly insulated house.
(D) Keeping houseplants can compensate for some of the negative effects of poor ventilation.
(E) The air in a well-insulated house with houseplants will contain fewer toxins than the air in a
well-ventilated house without houseplants.
13
37 Some cleaning fluids, synthetic carpets, wall paneling, and other products release toxins, such
as formaldehyde and benzene, into the household air supply. This is not a problem in well-
ventilated houses, but it is a problem in houses that are so well insulated that they trap toxins
as well as heat. Recent tests, however, demonstrate that houseplants remove some
household toxins from the air and thereby eliminate their danger. In one test, 20 large plants
eliminated formaldehyde from a small, well-insulated house.
Assume that a person who lives in a small, well-insulated house that contains toxin-releasing
products places houseplants, such as those tested, in the house. Which one of the following
can be expected as a result?
(A) There will no longer be any need to ventilate the house.
(B) The concentration of toxins in the household air supply will remain the same.
(C) The house will be warm and have a safe air supply.
(D) If there is formaldehyde in the household air supply, its level will decrease.
(E) If formaldehyde and benzene are being released into the household air supply, the
quantities released of each will decrease.
38 Patient: Doctor, I read an article that claimed that the first few hours after birth are very
important to establishing a mother-infant bond, which is the first step in building a healthy
relationship. Can you assure me that my relationship with my baby has not been permanently
harmed by our separation for several days after his birth?
Physician: Your relationship with your child has not been harmed by the separation. Mother-
infant bonding is not like an “instant glue” that cements your relationship forever. Having your
infant with you during the period immediately after birth does give your relationship a head
start, but many factors are involved in building a strong and lasting relationship between a
mother and her child.
If everything the doctor says is correct, which one of the following must be true?
(A) The best relationships between mothers and their children are caused by immediate
mother-infant bonding.
(B) There is a high degree of correlation between the best relationships between mothers and
their children and those that began with immediate mother-infant bonding.
(C) A strong and lasting relationship is necessary for mother-infant bonding.
(D) Where immediate mother-infant bonding takes place, a strong and lasting relationship
between a mother and her child will be assured.
(E) Immediate mother-infant bonding is not necessary for a strong and lasting relationship
between a mother and her child.
39 Consumer income reports produced by the government distinguish between households and
families by means of the following definition: “A family is a household containing a
householder and at least one person related to the householder.” Except for the homeless
and people in group living quarters, most people live in households.
According to the definition above, which of the following must be true?
(A) All householders are members of families.
(B) All families include a householder.
(C) All of the people related to a householder form a family.
(D) Some people residing in group living quarters are members of families.
(E) Some homeless people reside in group living quarters.
14
40 Mechanicorp’s newest product costs so little to make that it appears doubtful the company will
be able to sell it without increasing the markup the company usually allows for profit: potential
clients would simply not believe that something so inexpensive would really work. Yet
Mechanicorp’s reputation is built on fair prices incorporating only modest profit margins.
The statements above, if true, most strongly support which of the following?
(A) Mechanicorp will encounter difficulties in trying to set a price for its newest product that will
promote sales without threatening to compromise the company’s reputation.
(B) Mechanicorp achieves large annual profits, despite small profits per unit sold, by means of
a high volume of sales.
(C) Mechanicorp made a significant computational error in calculating the production costs for
its newest product.
(D) Mechanicorp’s newest product is intended to perform tasks that can be performed by
other devices costing less to manufacture.
(E) Mechanicorp’s production processes are designed with the same ingenuity as are the
products that the company makes.
41 Canadians now increasingly engage in “out-shopping,” which is shopping across the national
border, where prices are lower. Prices are lower outside of Canada in large part because the
goods-and-services tax that pays for Canadian social services is not applied.
Which one of the following is best supported on the basis of the information above?
(A) If the upward trend in out-shopping continues at a significant level and the amounts paid
by the government for Canadian social services are maintained, the Canadian goods-and-
services tax will be assessed at a higher rate.
(B) If Canada imposes a substantial tariff on the goods bought across the border, a reciprocal
tariff on cross-border shopping in the other direction will be imposed, thereby harming
Canadian businesses.
(C) The amounts the Canadian government pays out to those who provide social services to
Canadians are increasing.
(D) The same brands of goods are available to Canadian shoppers across the border as are
available in Canada.
(E) Out-shopping purchases are subject to Canadian taxes when the purchaser crosses the
border to bring them into Canada.
42 Leachate is a solution, frequently highly contaminated, that develops when water permeates a
landfill site. If and only if the landfill’s capacity to hold liquids is exceeded does the leachate
escape into the environment, generally in unpredictable quantities. A method must be found
for disposing of leachate. Most landfill leachate is send directly to sewage treatment plants,
but not all sewage plants are capable of handling the highly contaminated water.
Which one of the following can be inferred from the passage?
(A) The ability to predict the volume of escaping landfill leachate would help solve the disposal
problem.
(B) If any water permeates a landfill, leachate will escape into the environment.
(C) No sewage treatment plants are capable of handling leachate.
(D) Some landfill leachate is sent to sewage treatment plants that are incapable of handling it.
(E) If leachate does not escape from a landfill into the environment, then the landfill’s capacity
to hold liquids has not been exceeded.
15
43 Corporate officers and directors commonly buy and sell, for their own portfolios, stock in their
own corporations. Generally, when the ratio of such inside sales to inside purchases falls
below 2 to 1 for a given stock, a rise in stock prices is imminent. In recent days, while the
price of MEGA Corporation stock has been falling, the corporation’s officers and directors
have bought up to nine times as much of it as they have sold.
The facts above best support which of the following predictions?
(A) The imbalance between inside purchases and inside sales of MEGA stock will grow even
further.
(B) Inside purchases of MEGA stock are about to cease abruptly.
(C) The price of MEGA stock will soon begin to go up.
(D) The price of MEGA stock will continue to drop, but less rapidly.
(E) The majority of MEGA stock will soon be owned by MEGA’s own officers and directors.
44 Which of the following, if true, best completes the argument below?

Comparisons of the average standards of living of the citizens of two countries should reflect
the citizens’ comparative access to goods and services. Reliable figures in a country’s own
currency for the average income of its citizens are easily obtained. But it is difficult to get an
accurate comparison of average standards of living from these figures, because______
(A) there are usually no figures comparing how much of two different currencies must be
spent in order to purchase a given quantity of goods and services
(B) wage levels for the same job vary greatly from country to country, depending on cultural
as well as on purely economic factors
(C) these figures must be calculated by dividing the gross national product of a country by the
size of its population
(D) comparative access to goods and services is only one of several factors relevant in
determining quality of life
(E) the wealth, and hence the standard of living, of a country’s citizens is very closely related
to their income
45 Last year the worldwide paper industry used over twice as much fresh pulp (pulp made
directly from raw plant fibers) as recycled pulp (pulp made from wastepaper). A paper-industry
analyst has projected that by 2010 the industry will use at least as much recycled pulp
annually as it does fresh pulp, while using a greater quantity of fresh pulp than it did last year.
If the information above is correct and the analyst’s projections prove to be accurate, which of
the following projections must also be accurate?
(A) In 2010 the paper industry will use at least twice as much recycled pulp as it did last years.
(B) In 2010 the paper industry will use at least twice as much total pulp as it did last year.
(C) In 2010 the paper industry will produce more paper from a given amount of pulp than it did
last year.
(D) As compared with last year, in 2010 the paper industry will make more paper that contains
only recycled pulp.
(E) As compared with last year, in 2010 the paper industry will make less paper that contains
only fresh pulp.
16
The unemployment rate in the United States fell from 7.5 percent in 1981 to 6.9 percent in
1986. It cannot, however, be properly concluded from these statistics that the number of
unemployed in 1986 was lower than it had been in 1981 because______
(A) help-wanted advertisements increased between 1981 and 1986
(B) many of the high-paying industrial jobs available in 1981 were replaced by low-wage
service jobs in 1986, resulting in displacements of hundreds of thousands of workers
(C) in some midwestern industrial states, the unemployment rate was much higher in 1986
than it had been in 1981
(D) the total available work force, including those with and without employment, increased
between 1981 and 1986
(E) the average time that employees stay in any one job dropped during the period 1981 to
1986
47 If Country X does not intervene militarily in Country Y, then the whole region will definitely fall
under enemy influence.
It most logically follows from the statement above that, if Country X does intervene militarily in
Country Y, then the whole region
(A) Will definitely fall under enemy influence
(B) Will probably fall under enemy influence
(C) Will probably not fall under enemy influence
(D) Will definitely not fall under enemy influence
(E) May or may not fall under enemy influence
48 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 useful to China; that a capitalist
Hong Kong will be useful to China as long as Hong Kong is prosperous; and that Hong Kong
will remain prosperous as long as it retains its capitalist ways.
If the predictions above are correct, which of the following further predictions can logically be
derived from them?
(A) If Hong Kong fails to stay prosperous, it will no longer remain part of mainland China.
(B) If Hong Kong retains its capitalist ways until 1997, it will be allowed to do so afterward.
(C) If there is a world economic crisis after 1997, it will not adversely affect the economy of
Hong Kong.
(D) Hong Kong will be prosperous after 1997.
(E) The citizens of Hong Kong will have no restrictions placed on them by the government of
mainland China.
49 Local phone companies have monopolies on phone service within their areas. Cable
television can be transmitted via the wires that are already in place and owned by the phone
companies. Cable television companies argue that if the telephone companies were to offer
cable service, these telephone companies would have an unfair advantage, because their
cable transmissions could be subsidized by the profits of their monopolies on phone service.
On the basis of the information provided in the passage above, which of the following
questions can be answered?
(A) Are phone companies as efficient as cable companies in providing reliable and
inexpensive service?
(B) If phone companies were allowed to provide cable service, would they want to do so?
(C) Do the cable companies believe that the local phone companies make a profit on phone
service?
(D) Are local phone companies forbidden to offer cable service?
(E) Is it expected that phone companies will have a monopoly on cable service?
17
50 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.
51 In 1987 sinusitis was the most common chronic medical condition in the United States,
followed by arthritis and high blood pressure, in that order.
The incidence rates for both arthritis and high blood pressure increase with age, but the
incidence rate for sinusitis is the same for people of all ages.
The average age of the United States population will increase between 1987 and 2000.
Which of the following conclusions can be most properly drawn about chronic medical
conditions in the United States from the information given above?
(A) Sinusitis will be more common than either arthritis or high blood pressure in 2000.
(B) Arthritis will be the most common chronic medical condition in 2000.
(C) The average age of people suffering from sinusitis will increase between 1987 and 2000.
(D) Fewer people will suffer 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.
52 The teeth of some mammals show “growth rings” that result from the constant depositing of
layers of cementum as opaque bands in summer and translucent bands in winter. Cross
sections of pigs teeth found in an excavated Stone Age trash pit revealed bands of
remarkably constant width except that the band deposited last, which was invariably
translucent, was only about half the normal width.
The statements above most strongly support the conclusion that the animals died
(A) in an unusually early winter
(B) at roughly the same age
(C) roughly in midwinter
(D) in a natural catastrophe
(E) from starvation
53 For a trade embargo against a particular country to succeed, a high degree of both
international accord and ability to prevent goods from entering or leaving that country must be
sustained. A total blockade of Patria’s ports is necessary to an embargo, but such an action
would be likely to cause international discord over the embargo.
The claims above, if true, most strongly support which of the following conclusions?
(A) The balance of opinion is likely to favor Patria in the event of a blockade.
(B) As long as international opinion is unanimously against Patria, a trade embargo is likely to
succeed.
(C) A naval blockade of Patria’s ports would ensure that no goods enter or leave Patria.
(D) Any trade embargo against Patria would be likely to fail at some time.
(E) For a blockade of Patria’s ports to be successful, international opinion must be
unanimous.
18
54 United States hospitals have traditionally relied primarily on revenues from paying patients to
offset losses from unreimbursed care. Almost all paying patients now rely on governmental or
private health insurance to pay hospital bills. Recently, insurers have been strictly limiting
what they pay hospitals for the care of insured patients to amounts at or below actual costs.
Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the information above?
(A) Although the advance of technology has made expensive medical procedures available to
the wealthy, such procedures are out of the reach of low-income patients.
(B) If hospitals do not find ways to raising additional income for unreimbursed care, they must
either deny some of that care or suffer losses if they give it.
(C) Some patients have incomes too high for eligibility for governmental health insurance but
are unable to afford private insurance for hospital care.
(D) If the hospitals reduce their costs in providing care, insurance companies will maintain the
current level of reimbursement, thereby providing more funds for unreimbursed care.
(E) Even though philanthropic donations have traditionally provided some support for the
hospitals, such donations are at present declining.
55 Every painting hanging in the Hoular Gallery is by a French painter. No painting in the Hoular
Gallery is by a Vorticist. Only Vorticists use acrylic monochromes in their works.
If the information above is true, which of the following must also be true?
(A) No French painters are Vorticists.
(B) All Vorticists use acrylic monochromes in their works.
(C) Some French painters do not use acrylic monochromes in their works.
(D) No French painters use acrylic monochromes in their works.
(E) All French painters who use acrylics use acrylic monochromes in their works.
56 Measurements of the extent of amino-acid decomposition in fragments of eggshell found at

archaeological sites in such places as southern Africa can be used to obtain accurate dates
for sites up to 200,000 years old. Because the decomposition is slower in cool climates, the
technique can be used to obtain accurate dates for sites almost a million years old in cooler
regions.
The information above provides the most support for which one of the following conclusions?
(A) The oldest archaeological sites are not in southern Africa, but rather in cooler regions of
the world.
(B) The amino-acid decomposition that enables eggshells to be used in dating does not take
place in other organic matter found at ancient archaeological sites.
(C) If the site being dated had been subject to large unsuspected climatic fluctuations during
the time the eggshell has been at the site, application of the technique is less likely to yield
accurate results.
(D) After 200,000 years in a cool climate, less than one-fifth of the amino acids in a fragment
of eggshell that would provide material for dating with the technique will have decomposed
and will thus no longer be suitable for examination by the technique.
(E) Fragments of eggshell are more likely to be found at ancient archaeological sites in warm
regions of the world than at such sites in cooler regions.
19
57 Baking for winter holidays is tradition that may have a sound medical basis. In midwinter,
when days are short, many people suffer from a specific type of seasonal depression caused
by lack of sunlight. Carbohydrates, both sugars and starches, boost the brain’s levels of
serotonin, a neurotransmitter that improve the mood. In this respect, carbohydrates act on the
brain in the same way as some antidepressants. Thus, eating holiday cookies may provide an
effective form of self-prescribed medication.
(A) Seasonal depression is one of the most easily treated forms of depression.
(B) Lack of sunlight lowers the level of serotonin in the brain.
(C) People are more likely to be depressed in midwinter than at other times of the year.
(D) Some antidepressants act by changing the brain’s level of serotonin.
(E) Raising the level of neurotransmitters in the brain effectively relieves depression.
58 Any combination of overwork and stress inevitably leads of insomnia. Managers at HiCorp,
Inc., all suffer from stress. A majority of the managers—despite their doctors’ warnings—work
well over 60 hours per week, whereas the other managers work no more than the normal 40
hours per week. HiCorp gives regular bonuses only to employees who work more than 40
hours per week.
Which of the following conclusions is most strongly supported by the statements above?
(A) Managers at HiCorp work under conditions that are more stressful than the conditions
under which managers at most other companies work.
(B) Most of the employee bonuses given by HiCorp are given to managers.
(C) At HiCorp, insomnia is more widespread among managers than among any other group of
employees.
(D) No manager at HiCorp who works only 40 hours per week suffers from overwork.
(E) Most of the managers at HiCorp who receive regular bonuses have insomnia.
59 Governments have only one response to public criticism of socially necessary services:
regulation of the activity of providing those services. But governments inevitably make the
activity more expensive by regulating it, and that is particularly troublesome in these times of
strained financial resources. However, since public criticism of child-care services has
undermined all confidence in such services, and since such services are socially necessary,
the government is certain to respond.
Which one of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?
(A) The quality of child care will improve.
(B) The cost of providing child-care services will increase.
(C) The government will use funding to foster advances in child care.
(D) If public criticism of policy is strongly voiced, the government is certain to respond.
(E) If child-care services are not regulated, the cost of providing child care will not increase.
20
60 The advanced technology of ski boots and bindings has brought a dramatic drop in the
incidence of injuries that occur on the slopes of ski resorts: from 9 injuries per 1,000 skiers in
1950 to 3 in 1980. As a result, the remainder of ski-related injuries, which includes all injuries
occurring on the premises of a ski resort but not on the slopes, rose from 10 percent of all ski-
related injuries in 1950 to 25 percent in 1980. The incidence of these injuries, including
accidents such as falling down steps, increases with the amount of alcohol consumed per
skier.
(A) As the number of ski injuries that occur on the slopes decreases, the number of injuries
that occur on the premises of ski resorts increases.
(B) The amount of alcohol consumed per skier increased between 1950 and 1980.
(C) The technology of ski boots and bindings affects the incidence of each type of ski-related
injury.
(D) If the technology of ski boots and bindings continues to advance, the incidence of ski-
related injuries will continue to decline.
(E) Injuries that occurred on the slopes of ski resorts made up a smaller percentage of ski-
related injuries in 1980 than in 1950.
61 A scientific theory is a good theory if it satisfies two requirements: It must accurately describe
a large class of observations in terms of a model that is simple enough to contain only a few
elements, and it must make definite predictions about the results of future observations. For
example, Aristotle’s cosmological theory, which claimed that everything was made out of four
elements—earth, air, fire, and water—satisfied the first requirement, but it did not make any
definite prediction. Thus, Aristotle’s cosmological theory was not a good theory.
If all the statements in the passage are true, each of the following must also be true EXCEPT:
(A) Prediction about the results of future observations must be made by any good scientific
theory.
(B) Observation of physical phenomena was not a major concern in Aristotle’s cosmological
theory.
(C) Four elements can be the basis of a scientific model that is simple enough to meet the
simplicity criterion of a good theory.
(D) A scientific model that contains many elements is not a good theory.
(E) Aristotle’s cosmological theory described a large class of observations in terms of only
four elements.
62 There is little point in looking to artists for insights into political issues. Most of them hold
political views that are less insightful than those of any reasonably well-educated person who
is not an artist. Indeed, when taken as a whole, the statements made by artists, including
those considered to be great, indicate that artistic talent and political insight are rarely found
together.
Which one of the following can be inferred from the passage?
(A) There are no artists who have insights into political issues.
(B) A thorough education in art makes a person reasonably well educated.
(C) Every reasonably well-educated person who s not an artist has more insight into political
issues than any artist.
(D) Politicians rarely have any artistic talent.
(E) Some artists are no less politically insightful than some reasonably well-educated persons
who are not artists.
21
“Government” does not exist as an independent entity defining policy. Instead there exists a
group of democratically elected pragmatists sensitive to the electorate, who establish policies
that will result in their own reelection. Therefore, if public policy is hostile to, say,
environmental concerns, it is not because of governmental perversity but because elected
officials believe that______
(A) environmentalists would be extremely difficult to satisfy with any policy, however
environmentally sound
(B) environmental concerns are being accommodated as well as public funds permit
(C) the public is overly anxious about environmental deterioration
(D) the majority of voters vote for certain politicians because of those politicians’ idiosyncratic
positions on policy issues
(E) the majority of voters do not strongly wish for a different policy
64 People have long been fascinated by the paranormal. Over the years, numerous researchers
have investigated telepathy only to find that conclusive evidence for its existence has
persistently evaded them. Despite this, there are still those who believe that there must be
“something in it” since some research seems to support the view that telepathy exist.
However, it can often be shown that other explanations that do comply with known laws can
be given. Therefore, it is premature to conclude that telepathy is an alternative means of
communication.
In the passage, the author
(A) supports the conclusion by pointing to the inadequacy of evidence for the opposite view
(B) supports the conclusion by describing particular experiments
(C) supports the conclusion by overgeneralizing from a specific piece of evidence
(D) draws a conclusion that is not supported by the premises
(E) rephrases the conclusion without offering any support for it
One tax-reform proposal that has gained increasing support in recent years is the flat tax,
which would impose a uniform tax rate on incomes at every level. Opponents of the flat tax
say that a progressive tax system, which levies a higher rate of taxes on higher-income
taxpayers, is fairer, placing the greater burden on those better able to bear it. However, the
present crazy quilt of tax deductions, exemptions, credits, and loopholes benefits primarily the
high-income taxpayer, who is consequently able to reduce his or her effective tax rate, often
to a level below that paid by the lower-income taxpayer. Therefore, ______
(A) higher-income taxpayers are likely to lend their support to the flat-tax proposal now being
considered by Congress
(B) a flat-tax system that allowed no deductions or exemptions would substantially increase
actual government revenues
(C) the lower-income taxpayer might well be penalized by the institution of a flat-tax system in
this country
(D) the progressive nature of our present tax system is more illusory than real
(E) the flat tax would actually be fairer to the lower-income taxpayer than any progressive tax
system could be
22
66 Johnson is on firm ground when he asserts that the early editors of Dickinson’s poetry often
distorted her intentions. Yet Johnson’s own, more faithful, text is still guilty of its own forms of
distortion. To standardize Dickinson’s often indecipherable handwritten punctuation by the use
of the dash is to render permanent a casual mode of poetic phrasing that Dickinson surely
never expected to see in print. It implies that Dickinson chose the dash as her typical mark of
punctuation when, in fact, she apparently never made any definitive choice at all.
Which of the following best summarizes the author’s main point?
(A) Although Johnson is right in criticizing Dickinson’s early editors for their distortion of her
work, his own text is guilty of equally serious distortions.
(B) Johnson’s use of the dash in his text of Dickinson’s poetry misleads readers about the
poet’s intentions.
(C) Because Dickinson never expected her poetry to be published, virtually any attempt at
editing it must run counter to her intentions.
(D) Although Johnson’s attempt to produce a more faithful text of Dickinson’s poetry is well-
meaning, his study of the material lacks sufficient thoroughness.
(E) Dickinson’s editors, including Johnson, have failed to deal adequately with the problem of
deciphering Dickinson’s handwritten manuscripts.
67 Dear Applicant:
Thank you for your application. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you a position in our
local government office for the summer. As you know, funding for summer jobs is limited, and
it is impossible for us to offer jobs to all those who want them. Consequently, we are forced to
reject many highly qualified applicants.
Which of the following can be inferred from the letter?
(A) The number of applicants for summer jobs in the government office exceeded the number
of summer jobs available.
(B) The applicant who received the letter was considered highly qualified.
(C) Very little funding was available for summer jobs in the government office.
(D) The application of the person who received the letter was considered carefully before
being rejected.
(E) Most of those who applied for summer jobs were considered qualified for the available
positions.
68 As one who has always believed that truth is our nation’s surest weapon in the propaganda
war against our foes, I am distressed by reports of “disinformation” campaigns by American
intelligence agents in Western Europe. In a disinformation campaign, untruths are
disseminated through gullible local journalists in order to damage the interests of our enemies
and protect our own. Those who defend this practice say that lying is necessary to counter
Soviet disinformation campaigns aimed at damaging America’s political interests. These
apologists contend that one must fight fire with fire. I would point out to the apologists that the
fire department finds water more effective.
The author’s main point is that
(A) although disinformation campaigns may be effective, they are unacceptable on ethical
grounds
(B) America’s moral standing in the world depends on its adherence to the truth
(C) the temporary political gains produced by disinformation campaigns generally give way to
long-term losses
(D) Soviet disinformation campaigns have done little to damage America’s standing in Europe
(E) disinformation campaigns do not effectively serve the political interests of the United
States
23
69 A young man eager to become a master swordsman journeyed to the home of the greatest
teacher of swordsmanship in the kingdom. He asked the teacher, “How quickly can you teach
me to be a master swordsman?” The old teacher replied, “It will take ten years.” Unsatisfied,
the young man asked, “What if I am willing to work night and day, every day of the year?” the
teacher replied, “In that case, it will take twenty years.”
The teacher’s main point is that an important quality of a master swordsman is
(A) humility
(B) willingness to work hard
(C) respect for one’s elders
(D) patience
(E) determination
70 Below is an excerpt from a letter that was sent by the chairman of a corporation to the
stockholders.
A number of charges have been raised against me, some serious, some trivial. Individuals
seeking to control the corporation for their own purposes have demanded my resignation.
Remember that no court of law in any state has found me guilty of any criminal offense
whatsoever. In the American tradition, as you know, an individual is considered innocent until
proven guilty. Furthermore, as the corporation’s unbroken six-year record of growth will show,
my conduct of my official duties as chairman has only helped enhance the success of the
corporation, and so benefited every stockholder.
Which of the following can be properly inferred from the excerpt?
(A) The chairman believes that all those who have demanded his resignation are motivated by
desire to control the corporation for their own purposes.
(B) Any misdeeds that the chairman may have committed were motivated by his desire to
enhance the success of the corporation.
(C) The chairman is innocent of any criminal offense.
(D) The corporation has expanded steadily over the past six years.
(E) Any legal proceedings against the chairman have resulted in his acquittal.

A primary factor in perpetuating the low salaries of women workers has been their segregation
in the so-called pink-collar occupations, such as nursing, teaching, library science, and
secretarial work. Partly because these jobs have traditionally been held by women, their
salary levels have been depressed, and, despite increased attempts to unionize these
workers in recent years, their pay continues to lag. Moreover, although a large percentage of
women than ever before are now entering and remaining in the job market, most continue to
gravitate toward the pink-collar fields, despite the lower salaries. It seems clear, therefore, that
if the average salaries of women workers are to approach those of men, ______
(A) labor unions must redouble their efforts to improve the lot of working women
(B) society’s perception of pink-collar jobs as less important and less demanding than other
jobs must be changed
(C) more men must be encouraged to enter fields traditionally occupied by women
(D) the number of jobs in the pink-collar fields relative to the size of the work force as a whole
must be markedly increased
(E) more women must enter occupations other than those traditionally reserved for them
24
Monarch butterflies, whose average life span is nine months, migrate from the midwestern
United States to selected forests outside Mexico City. It takes at least three generations of
monarchs to make the journey, so the great-great-grandchildren who finally arrive in the
Mexican forests have never been there before. Yet they return to the same trees their
forebears left. Scientists theorize that monarchs, like homing pigeons, map their routes
according to the earth’s electromagnetic fields. As a first step in testing this theory,
lepidopterists plan to install a low-voltage transmitter inside one grove of “butterfly trees” in the
Mexican forests. If the butterflies are either especially attracted to the grove with the
transmitter or especially repelled by it, lepidopterists will have evidence that______
(A) monarch butterflies have brains, however minuscule
(B) monarch butterflies are sensitive to electricity
(C) low-voltage electricity can affect butterflies, whether positively or adversely
(D) monarchs map their routes according to the earth’s electromagnetic fields
(E) monarchs communicate in intergenerationally via electromagnetic fields
73 Although its purpose is laudable, the exclusionary rule, which forbids a court to consider
evidence seized in violation of the defendant’s constitutional rights, has unduly hampered law-
enforcement efforts. Even when the rights violation was a minor or purely technical one,
turning on a detail of procedure rather than on the abrogation of some fundamental liberty,
and even when it has been clear that the police officers were acting in good faith, the
evidence obtained has been considered tainted under this rule and may not even be
introduced. In consequence, defendants who were undoubtedly guilty have been set free,
perhaps to steal, rape, or murder again.
It can be inferred from the passage that the author would most likely endorse which of the
following proposals?
(A) Change of the exclusionary rule to admit evidence obtained by police officers acting in
good faith
(B) A constitutional amendment curtailing some of the protections traditionally afforded those
accused of a crime
(C) A statute limiting the application of the exclusionary rule to cases involving minor criminal
offenses
(D) Change of the exclusionary rule to allow any evidence, no matter how obtained, to be
introduced in court
(E) A constitutional amendment allowing police officers to obtain vital evidence by any means
necessary when in pursuit of a known criminal
25
74 In the industrialized nations, the last century has witnessed a shortening of the average
workday from twelve hours or longer to less than eight hours. Mindful of this enormous
increase in leisure time over the past century, many people assume that the same trend has
obtained throughout history, and that, therefore, prehistoric humans must have labored
incessantly for their very survival.
We cannot, of course, directly test this assumption. However, a study of primitive peoples of
today suggests a different conclusion. The Mbuti of central Africa, for instance, spend only a
few hours each day in hunting, gathering, and tending to other economic necessities. The rest
of their time is spent as they choose. The implication is that the short workday is not peculiar
to industrialized societies. Rather, both the extended workday of 1880 and the shorter
workday of today are products of different stages of the continuing process of industrialization.
Which of the following inferences about industrialization is best supported by the passage
above?
(A) People in advanced industrialized societies have more leisure time than those in
nonindustrialized societies.
(B) An average workday of twelve hours or more is peculiar to economies in the early stages
of industrialization.
(C) Industrialization involves a trade-off between tedious, monotonous jobs and the benefits of
increased leisure.
(D) It is likely that the extended workday of an industrializing country will eventually be
shortened.
(E) As industrialization progresses, people tend to look for self-fulfillment in leisure rather than
work.
75 A nutritionist studying the effects of massive doses of vitamin C found that of a group of 600
people who regularly took 1,500 mg of vitamin C daily for a year, fewer than 9 percent
suffered serious cases of flu; of a group of 600 people who took 250 mg of vitamin C (the
standard recommended daily allowance) daily for a year, 34 percent suffered at least one
serious case of flu; and of a group of 600 people who took no vitamin C for a year (other than
that found in the foods in a balanced diet), 32 percent suffered at least one serious case of flu.
Which of the following hypotheses is best supported by the evidence above?
(A) The effectiveness of vitamin C in preventing serious cases of flu increases in direct
proportion to the amount of vitamin C taken.
(B) Vitamin C is helpful in preventing disease.
(C) Doses of vitamin C that exceed the standard recommended daily allowance by 500
percent will reduce the incidence of serious cases of flu by 25 percent.
(D) Massive doses of vitamin C can help to prevent serious case of flu.
(E) A balanced diet contains less than 250 mg of vitamin C.

As long as savings deposits are insured by the government, depositors will have no incentive
to evaluate the financial strength of a savings bank. Yield alone will influence their choice of
bank. To attract deposits, banks will be forced to offer the highest possible interest rates. And
since paying higher rates inevitably strains the financial strength of a bank, ______
(A) the government will be forced o impose limitations on interest rates
(B) deposit insurance will ultimately lead to the financial weakening of many banks
(C) savers will be forced to choose between deposit insurance and higher interest rates
(D) deposits will tend to go to the banks with the greatest financial strength
(E) bank profits will tend to rise to ever-higher levels
26
77 We commonly speak of aesthetic judgments as subjective, and in the short term they are,
since critics often disagree about the value of a particular contemporary work of art. But over
time, the subjective element disappears. When works of art have continued to delight
audiences for centuries, as have the paintings of Michelangelo, the music of Bach, and the
plays of Shakespeare, we can objectively call them great.
The statements above best support which of the following conclusions?
(A) When Michelangelo, Bach, and Shakespeare were alive, critics disagreed about the value
of their work.
(B) The value of a contemporary work of art cannot be objectively measured.
(C) The reputation of a work of art often fluctuates greatly from one generation to the next.
(D) The mere fact that a work of art has endured for centuries does not establish its
greatness.
(E) If critics agree about the value of a particular cotemporary work of art, then the work can
objectively be called great.
78 Television programming experts maintain that with each 1% increase in the prime-time ratings
of a television station there is a 3.5% increase in the number of people who watch its evening
news program. However, in the last ten years at Channel NTR, there was only one year of
extremely high prime-time ratings and during that year, fewer people than ever watched
Channel NTR’s evening news program.
Which of the following conclusions can properly be drawn from the statements above?
(A) When a news program has good ratings, the channel as a whole will have good ratings.
(B) The programming experts neglected to consider daytime news programs.
(C) The year of high ratings at NTR was a result of two hit shows which were subsequently
canceled because of contractual problems.
(D) The ten-year period in question is not representative of normal viewing patterns.
(E) Prime-time ratings are not the only factor affecting how many people watch an evening
news program.
79 Informed people generally assimilate information from several divergent sources before
coming to an opinion. However, most popular news organizations view foreign affairs solely
through the eyes of our State Department. In reporting the political crisis in foreign country B,
news organizations must endeavor to find alternative sources of information.
Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the argument above?
(A) To the degree that a news source gives an account of another country that mirrors that of
our State Department, that reporting is suspect.
(B) To protect their integrity, news media should avoid the influence of State Department
releases in their coverage of foreign affairs.
(C) Reporting that is not influenced by the State Department is usually more accurate than are
other accounts.
(D) The alternative sources of information mentioned in the passage would probably not share
the same views as the State Department.
(E) A report cannot be seen as influenced by the State Department if it accurately depicts the
events in a foreign country.
27
80 Which of the following is the most logical completion of the passage below?
Many companies have been pushing for a three-week extension of daylight saving time, which
would mean that the sun would continue to set an hour later during the fall months. The
owners of a chain of convenience stores, for example, expect to gain $15 million a year in
additional sales, mostly from people who tend to______
(A) stay away from these stores after dark
(B) stay outdoors during the fall months
(C) spend more money in the fall
(D) spend less money in the fall
(E) shop at these stores when they are pressed for time
81 A violin constructed to have improved sound would sound different from the best-sounding
existing violins.
To professional violinists, a violin that sounds different from the best-sounding existing violins
sounds less like a violin and therefore worse than the best-sounding existing violins.
Professional violinists are the only accepted judges of the sound quality of violins.
Would be the best supported by those statements?
(A) Only amateur violinists should be asked to judge the sound quality of newly constructed
violins.
(B) Professional violinists supervise the construction of violins.
(C) The best-sounding existing violins have been in existence for several centuries.
(D) It is currently impossible to construct a violin that the only accepted judges will evaluate as
having improved sound.
(E) It is possible to construct a violin that sounds better than the best-sounding existing violins
to everyone but professional violinists.
82 Stronger patent laws are needed to protect inventions from being pirated. With that protection,
manufacturers would be encouraged to invest in the development of new products and
technologies. Such investment frequently results in an increase in a manufacturer’s
productivity.
Which of the following conclusions can most properly be drawn from the information above?
(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.

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 visitors entering or leaving the park
(D) encouraging as many people as possible to come to the park in order to eat at the
restaurants
(E) utilizing the restaurants at optimal levels for as much of the day as possible
28
84 Partly because of bad weather, but also partly because some major pepper growers have
switched to high-priced cocoa, world production of pepper has been running well below
worldwide sales for three years. Pepper is consequently in relatively short supply. The price of
pepper has soared in response: it now equals that of cocoa.
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 better off than if none of them had
switched; this conclusion, however, is unwarranted because it can be inferred to be likely that
(A) those growers could not have foreseen how high the price of pepper would go
(B) the initial cost involved in switching from pepper to cocoa is substantial
(C) supplies of pepper would not be as low as they are if those growers had not switched
crops
(D) cocoa crops are as susceptible to being reduced by bad weather as are pepper crops
(E) as more growers turn to growing cocoa, cocoa supplies will increase and the price of
cocoa will fall precipitously
85 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.
(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 innovations should be made a required part
of the public and private school curriculum.
(C) It should be suggested that prospective voters attend applied science courses in order to
acquire a minimal competency in technical matters.
(D) If young people are not to be overly influenced by famous technocrats, they must increase
their knowledge of pure science.
(E) On public referenda issues, young people tend to confuse real or probable technologies
with impossible ideals.
86 In a political system with only two major parties, the entrance of a third-party candidate into an
election race damages the chances of only one of the two major candidates. The third-party
candidate always attracts some of the voters who might otherwise have voted for one of the
two major candidates, but not voters who support the other candidate. Since a third-party
candidacy affects the two major candidates unequally, for reasons neither of them has any
control over, the practice is unfair and should not be allowed.
If the factual information in the passage above is true, which of the following can be most
reliably inferred from it?
(A) If the political platform of the third party is a compromise position between that of the two
major parties, the third party will draw its voters equally from the two major parties.
(B) If, before the emergence of a third party, voters were divided equally between the two
major parties, neither of the major parties is likely to capture much more than one-half of the
vote.
(C) A third-party candidate will not capture the votes of new voters who have never voted for
candidates of either of the two major parties.
(D) The political stance of a third party will be more radical than that of either of the two major
parties.
(E) The founders of a third party are likely to be a coalition consisting of former leaders of the
two major parties.
29
87 Archaeologists seeking the location of a legendary siege and destruction of a city are
excavating in several possible places, including a middle and a lower layer of a large mound.
The bottom of the middle layer contains some pieces of pottery of type 3, known to be from a
later period than the time of the destruction of the city, but the lower layer does not.
Which of the following hypotheses is best supported by the evidence above?
(A) The lower layer contains the remains of the city where the siege took place.
(B) The legend confuses stories from two different historical periods.
(C) The middle layer does not represent the period of the siege.
(D) The siege lasted for a long time before the city was destroyed.
(E) The pottery of type 3 was imported to the city by traders.
88 After the national speed limit of 55 miles per hour was imposed in 1974, the number of deaths
per mile driven on a highway fell abruptly as a result. Since then, however, the average speed
of vehicles on highways has risen, but the number of deaths per mile driven on a highway has
continued to fall.
(A) The speed limit alone is probably not responsible for the continued reduction in highway
deaths in the years after 1974.
(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.
89 The city’s public transportation system should be removed from the jurisdiction of the
municipal government, which finds it politically impossible either to raise fares or to institute
cost-saving reductions in service. If public transportation were handled by a private firm,
profits would be vigorously pursued, thereby eliminating the necessity for covering operating
costs with government funds.
The statements above best support the conclusion that
(A) the private firms that would handle public transportation would have experience in the
transportation industry
(B) political considerations would not prevent private firms from ensuring that revenues cover
operating costs
(C) private firms would receive government funding if it were needed to cover operating costs
(D) the public would approve the cost-cutting actions taken by the private firm
(E) the municipal government would not be resigned to accumulating merely enough income
to cover costs
30
90 Statement of a United States copper mining company: Import quotas should be imposed on
the less expensive copper mined outside the country to maintain the price of copper in this
country; otherwise, our companies will not be able to stay in business.
Response of a United States copper wire manufacturer: United States wire and cable
manufacturers purchase about 70 percent of the copper mined in the United States. If the
copper prices we pay are not at the international level, our sales will drop, and then the
demand for United States copper will go down.
If the factual information presented by both companies is accurate, the best assessment of
the logical relationship between the two arguments is 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
91 Blood banks will shortly start to screen all donors for NANB hepatitis. Although the new
screening tests are estimated to disqualify up to 5 percent of all prospective blood donors,
they will still miss two-thirds of donors carrying NANB hepatitis. Therefore, about 10 percent of
actual donors will still supply NANB-contaminated blood.
Which of the following inferences about the consequences of instituting the new tests is best
supported by the passage above?
(A) The incidence of new cases of NANB hepatitis is likely to go up by 10 percent.
(B) Donations made by patients specifically for their own use are likely to become less
frequent.
(C) The demand for blood from blood banks is likely to fluctuate more strongly.
(D) The blood supplies available from blood banks are likely to go down.
(E) The number of prospective first-time donors is likely to go up by 5 percent.
92 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 is neglected in favor of the coverage
of local events.
(C) Readers of local news in newspapers tend to overestimate the amount of crime in their
own localities relative to the amount of crime in other places.
(D) None of the events concerning other people that are reported in newspapers is so salient
in people’s minds as their own personal experiences.
(E) The press is the news medium that focuses people’s attention most strongly on local
crimes.
31
93 The cost of producing radios in Country Q is ten percent less than the cost of producing radios
in Country Y. Even after transportation fees and tariff charges are added, it is still cheaper for
a company to import radios from Country Q to Country Y than to produce radios in Country Y.
The statements above, if true, best support which of the following assertions?
(A) Labor costs in Country Q are ten percent below those in Country Y.
(B) Importing radios from Country Q to Country Y will eliminate ten percent of the
manufacturing jobs in Country Y.
(C) The tariff on a radio imported from Country Q to Country Y is less than ten percent of the
cost of manufacturing the radio in Country Y.
(D) The fee for transporting a radio from Country Q to 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 does in Country
Y.
94 If there is an oil-supply disruption resulting in higher international oil prices, domestic oil prices
in open-market countries such as the United States will rise as well, whether such countries
import all or none of their oil.
Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the statement above?
(A) Domestic producers of oil in open-market countries are excluded from the international oil
market when there is a disruption in the international oil supply.
(B) International oil-supply disruptions have little, if any, effect on the price of domestic oil as
long as an open-market country has domestic supplies capable of meeting domestic demand.
(C) The oil market in an open-market country is actually part of the international 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 export.
95 Radio interferometry is a technique for studying details of celestial objects that combines
signals intercepted by widely spaced radio telescopes. This technique requires ultraprecise
timing, exact knowledge of the locations of the telescopes, and sophisticated computer
programs. The successful interferometric linking of an Earth-based radio telescope with a
radio telescope on an orbiting satellite was therefore a significant technological
accomplishment.
(A) Special care was taken in the launching of the satellite so that the calculations of its orbit
would be facilitated.
(B) The signals received on the satellite are stronger than those received by a terrestrial
telescope.
(C) The resolution of detail achieved by the satellite-Earth interferometer system is inferior to
that achieved by exclusively terrestrial systems.
(D) The computer programs required for making use of the signals received by the satellite
required a long time for development.
(E) The location of an orbiting satellite relative to locations on Earth can be well enough
known for interferometric purposes.
32
96 Federal law prohibits businesses from reimbursing any employees for the cost of owning and
operating a private aircraft that is used for business purposes. Thus, many American
companies themselves purchase private aircraft. The vast majority of the business aviation
fleet is owned by small and mid-size businesses, and flights are strictly for business purposes,
with mostly mid-level employees on board. These companies and their boards of directors are
in full compliance with the law and with what is best for their businesses. Which of the
following can be most properly inferred from the statements above?
A) The Federal law in question costs businesses money.
B) Most executives would rather fly on company owned planes than on commercial airlines.
C) Large businesses usually have their executives fly first or business class on commercial
flights.
D) Upper level executives are less often in compliance with the law.
E) By not receiving any reimbursement for these flights, the mid-level executives on board are
complying with the law.
97 People with serious financial problems are so worried about money that they cannot be
happy. Their misery makes everyone close to them—family, friends, and colleagues—
unhappy as well. Only if their financial problems are solved can they and those around them
be happy. Which one of the following statements can be properly inferred from the passage?
A. Only serious problems make people unhappy.
B. People who solve their serious financial problems will be happy.
C. People who do not have serious financial problems will be happy.
D. If people are unhappy, they have serious financial problems.
E. If people are happy, they do not have serious financial problems.
98 Antoine: The alarming fact is that among children aged 19 years and younger, the number
taking antipsychotic medicines soared 73 percent in the last four years. That is greater than
the increase in the number of adults taking antipsychotic medicines during the same period.
Lucy: But the use of antipsychotic drugs by adults is considered normal at the current rate of
11 adults per 1,000 taking the drugs. In contrast, the number of children on antipsychotic
medication last year was 6.6 per 1,000 children. Lucy’s argument is structured to lead to
which of the following as a conclusion?
A) The current level of antipsychotic drug use in children is abnormally high.
B) The fact that the number of children taking antipsychotic medicines increased 73 percent
over the last four years is not an indication that the current level of use is abnormally high.
C) If only 6.6 out of every 1,000 children are taking an antipsychotic medication, the increase
in the use of such medicines cannot be the percentage Antoine cites.
D) It is unlikely that the increase in the use of antipsychotic medicines by children will continue
at the same rate.
E) If the number of children taking antipsychotic drugs is given as a certain number, the actual
rate of such drug use is even higher.
99 The axis of Earth’s daily rotation is tilted with respect to the plane of its orbit at an angle of
roughly 23 degrees. That angle can be kept fairly stable only by the gravitational influence of
Earth’s large, nearby Moon. Without such a stable and moderate axis tilt, a planet’s climate is
too extreme and unstable to support life. Mars, for example, has only very small moons, tilts at
wildly fluctuating angles, and cannot support life. If the statements above are true, which one
of the following must also be true on the basis of them?
A. If Mars had a sufficiently large nearby moon, Mars would be able to support life.
B. If Earth’s Moon were to leave Earth’s orbit Earth’s climate would be unable to support life.
C. Any planet with a stable, moderate axis tilt can support life.
D. Gravitational influences other than moons have little or no effect on the magnitude of the tilt
angle of either Earth’s or Mars’s axis.
E. No planet that has more than one moon can support life.
33
100 Biometric access-control systems—those using fingerprints, voiceprints, etc., to regulate
admittance to restricted areas—work by degrees of similarity, not by identity. After all, even
the same finger will rarely leave exactly identical prints. Such systems can be adjusted to
minimize refusals of access to legitimate access-seekers. Such adjustments, however,
increase the likelihood of admitting impostors.
Which of the following conclusions is most strongly supported by the information above?
(A) If a biometric access-control system were made to work by identity, it would not produce
any correct admittance decisions.
(B) If a biometric access-control system reliably prevents impostors from being admitted, it will
sometimes turn away legitimate access-seekers.
(C) Biometric access-control systems are appropriate only in situations in which admittance of
impostors is less of a problem than is mistaken refusal of access.
(D) Nonbiometric access-control systems—based, for example, on numerical codes—are less
likely than biometric ones to admit impostors.
(E) Anyone choosing an access-control system should base the choice solely on the ratio of
false refusals to false admittances.
196 Which of the following, if true, is the most logical completion of the argument below?
The tax system of the Republic of Grootland encourages borrowing by granting its taxpayers
tax relief for interest paid on loans. The system also discourages saving by taxing any interest
earned on savings. Nevertheless, it is clear that Grootland’s tax system does not consistently
favor borrowing over saving, for if it did, there would be no______
(A) tax relief in Grootland for those portions of a taxpayer’s income, if any, that are set aside
to increase that taxpayer’s total savings
(B) tax relief in Grootland for the processing fees that taxpayers pay to lending institutions
when obtaining certain kinds of loans
(C) tax relief in Grootland for interest that taxpayers are charged on the unpaid balance in
credit card accounts
(D) taxes due in Grootland on the cash value of gifts received by taxpayers from banks trying
to encourage people to open savings accounts
(E) taxes due in Grootland on the amount that a taxpayer has invested in interest-bearing
savings accounts
197 Holiday receipts—the total sales recorded in the fourth quarter of the year—determine the
economic success or failure of many retail businesses. Camco, a retailer selling just one
camera model, is an excellent example. Camco’s holiday receipts, on average, account for a
third of its yearly total receipts and about half of its yearly profits.
If the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true about Camco on the
basis of them?
(A) Its fixed expenses per camera sold are higher during the fourth quarter than for any of the
other three quarters.
(B) It makes more profit during the first and third quarters combined than during the fourth
quarter.
(C) Its per-camera retail price is lower, on average, during the fourth quarter than during any
one of the first three quarters.
(D) It makes less profit, on average, for a given dollar amount of sales during the first three
quarters combined than during the fourth quarter.
(E) The per-camera price it pays to wholesalers is higher, on average, during the fourth
quarter than during any of the other three quarters.
34
Answers
1 C
2 E
3 B
4 A
5 C
6 A
7 D
8 D
9 C
10 A
11 E
12 A
13 B
14 D
15 C
16 E
17 E
18 E
19 B
20 B
21 E
22 B
23 B
24 A
25 A
26 C
27 B
28 D
29 D
30 A
31 D
32 A
33 B
34 B
35 C
36 D
37 D
38 E
39 B
40 A
41 A
42 E
43 C
44 A
45 A
46 D
35
47 E
48 B
49 C
50 A
51 C
52 C
53 D
54 B
55 C
56 C
57 D
58 E
59 B
60 E
61 B
62 E
63 E
64 A
65 D
66 B
67 A
68 E
69 D
70 D
71 E
72 B
73 A
74 D
75 D
76 B
77 B
78 E
79 D
80 A
81 D
82 E
83 E
84 C
85 A
86 B
87 C
88 A
89 B
90 C
91 D
92 C
93 C
94 C
95 E
96 E
36
97 E
98 B
99 B
100 B
37
Explanation
1 Since the crops would inherently resist pests, external application of chemical pesticides would not
be required.
2 The entire argument points a finger on the government of that nation.
The argument says: few seasoned observers of the regime were surprised. Basically this means
that hardly any seasoned observers of the regime were surprised.
In other words, the seasoned observers were basically "expecting" the leader of the nation's
political opposition to die. Clearly these seasoned observers knew that the Government would
"kill" this leader of the nation's political opposition.
How about C? It is very clear that the regime was "definitely involved" in the death leader of the
nation’s political opposition. Hence, it is in fact very "likely" that the head of the regime knows the
"true cause" of the opposition leader’s death.
C however, says the opposite. It says: It is "unlikely" that the head of the regime knows the true
cause of the opposition leader’s death.
3 Option b is the only definitive conclusion that can be drawn from the stimulus.
How about C? From the stimulus what you can say is:
If a corporation has credo, it gives generously to charity ("Because of their credos, these fifteen
corporations give generously to charity").
C says exactly the opposite:
If a corporation gives generously to charity, it must be having a credo.
We know this is not true.
Remember X -> Y does "not" mean Y->X
4 If option a is true, then the conclusion that survey may underestimate the proportion of job
applicants is correct.
5 As per the stimulus, “even the most adept forgers cannot duplicate
all of the characteristics the program analyzes”. If this is true, clearly no one
forging signatures can gain access to a computer.
How about E? E says: "In many cases even authorized users are denied legitimate access to
computers equipped with the software."
Nothing in the argument suggests that. The intent of the signature-recognition software is to allow
only "authorized users" to access the computer. So, there is nothing to suggest that even
authorized users are denied access to computer.
6 Choice A states the most likely reason for higher occupancy.
38
"admission rates" would basically be the rate of "new admissions"; in other words, new patients
arriving at the nursing-home to get admitted.
"occupancy rates" would basically tell us how much "occupied" by patients, a nursing-home is. For
example, "occupancy rate" of 92% would indicate that out of every 100 beds in the nursing-home,
92 are occupied by patients.
So, the stimulus says that between between 1985 and 1988, following two things were
simultaneously true:
(i) There were "fewer" new patients getting admitted to the nursing-homes (as compared to the
period between 1975 and 1985).
(ii) The occupancy rates were "higher" (as compared to the period between 1975 and 1985)
Now if we observe, there seems to be a bit of contradiction between (i) and (ii). Normally if "fewer"
new patients getting admitted to the nursing-homes, one would normally expect a "lower"
occupancy rate. But what has been observed is that despite the fact that there are "fewer" new
patients getting admitted to the nursing-homes, the occupancy rates are actually "increasing".
This apparent contradiction can be explained by (A): Patients who are in the nursing-home are
staying longer in the nursing-home. This helps to explain that despite "fewer" new patients getting
admitted to the nursing-homes, the occupancy rates are actually "increasing". As an example, if
between 1975 and 1985, if patients were on an average, staying for a duration of (say) 5 days in
the nursing-home, between 1985 and 1988 the patients were on an average staying for a duration
of (say) 8 days in the nursing-home. Hence the higher occupancy rates despite fewer new
patients.
7 Choice D is directly supported by the stimulus.
8 Note how little the conclusion says in this case. This can be solved by logical relationship as well.
We can get the following two relationships:
(i) Regular exercise -> Increase in HDL -> increase body's capacity to rid itself of excess
cholesterol -> low cholesterol
The contrapositive of (i):
(ii) ~low cholesterol -> ~ increase body's capacity to rid itself of excess cholesterol -> ~ Increase in
HDL -> ~ Regular exercise
From relationship (i) above, we can clearly derive D: Regular exercise reduces cholesterol.
For example, (B) would not be correct because it "reverses" the relationship (ii). Remember that
such logical relationships only go from left to right. relationship (ii) says that if a person does not
have low cholesterol, it means that person does not exercise regularly. However, (B) says the
opposite: A person who does not exercise regularly does not have a low cholesterol (or has a high
risk of developing high levels of cholesterol).
9 Only choice C can be inferred from the stimulus.
10 From the argument, it is evident that Sharon is actually not at all alarmed by Roland's statement.
Sharon in fact gives statistics to state that the fact stated by Roland actually reflects a "moderate"
level of unemployment.
39
Notice that the question is: "Sharon’s argument is structured to lead to which of the following as a
conclusion".
What choice A states is exactly Sharon’s point, that this is a normal, moderate level of
unemployment.
11 Note that choice a is too extreme and hence not the best choice. Argument says: "Yet",
paradoxically, many of these same conservatives address questions of private morality..... The
usage of "yet" clearly shows that there is some "hypocrisy" in the stance of these conservatives.
So, the idea is that:
(i) While these conservatives "oppose" government regulation of business, these very idealists
(ii) Want an "increased" governmental role in the regulation and control of private sexual behavior
(choice E)
12 Neither II nor III can be definitively concluded based upon information provided in the stimulus.
In III, for “most” government workers to be Civil Service Employees, more than 50% of the
government workers must be Civil Service Employees. There really is nothing in the stimulus to
support this.
13 The stimulus argues that:

1. Each group wishes to prevent any material that offends its own values.
2. Each stance taken will be counter (not agreeable) to one group or the other.
3. Publishers rely on community goodwill to sell their books. i.e. they need to basically keep all the
groups pleased.
Given the above three statements, b follows.

14 Note that while options A and B might look tempting, these options go a bit too far in suggesting
abandonment of Freud's theories or a greater reliance on Biological than psychlogical
explanations of behavior.
if we read the argument carefully, it is centered around Freud’s theories.
Basically, the argument goes like this:

(i) 80 years ago, when Freud’s theories were formulated, they were brilliant (for their day)
(ii) In these past 80 years, we have developed far deeper understanding of the biological
components of thought, emotion, and behavior
(iii) In view of these developments, it is foolish to continue parroting Freud’s psychological theories
(as they were 80 years back).
So, clearly the argument is suggesting that because of our current deep understanding, we should
not continue "parroting" Freud's theories. In other words, in view of the advances made in last 80
years, we cannot just "parrot" Freud's theories. Now, Freud's theories need to be reexamined (in
light of the advances made in last 80 years).
At no point is the argument "preferring" biological rather than psychological explanations of

behavior (hence, B is not correct). The argument is just saying that in view of biological advances
made in last 80 years, we cannot just continue a "verbatim reproduction" (parroting) of Freud's
theories.
40
15 Assume 100 studnets in the class. James is no. 33, Nestor and Elizabeth are no. 10. Nancy is
lower than Elizabeth.
Note that there is no information provided about the relative ranking of James and Nancy.
C is the only option that can be inferred.
16 Notice how little option e says, but this is the only option that is necessarily true, based upon the
information provided to us in the stimulus.
17 Since increase in real disposable income is clearly not dependent upon the 'ideological position' of
the candidates, but significantly determines the outcome of an election, option e follows.
18 The stimulus starts by mentioning that if a project needs to be "terminated" then we should plan on
bringing a new manager.
Based on this, the question we should be asking is, as to why is this the case? In other words,
what is the correlation between termination and bringing in a new manager? Looking at it in the
other way, is there any correlation between the old manager the project "not" been terminated?
Perhaps yes. What if the old manager, for some reason, is "not" ready to terminate the project?
This is exactly what option E is saying: the new managers have no need to justify the decision to
maintain the project. In other words, if old managers are continued and new managers are not
brought in, then the chances are that the old managers would maintain the project and hence,
"not" terminate it.
This goes against the premise in the stimulus that the project "should" be terminated.
19 Option b is clearly what the stimulus is trying to say here.
20 The argument says:
Thus, the loss to the industry is much smaller than estimated because:
So, clearly we have to find a reason why the loss to the industry is much smaller than estimated.
B gives us that reason: most of the illegally copied programs would not be purchased even if
purchasing them were the only way to obtain them
Basically, B is saying that most users who illegally copy programs (without paying for them) would
actually "not" have purchased those programs, if purchasing those programs,were the only way to
obtain them.
If that's the case, clearly the loss to the industry (as a result of illegally copy of programs) is much
smaller than estimated.
Option A is not talking about loss/profit/revenue at all, and hence, is not relevant.
21 As per the argument, clearly explosion of a large meteorite is an "unexpected circumstance"

(since it occurs about once a century).
It is also given that the response of highly automated systems controlled by complex computer
programs to "unexpected circumstances" is "unpredictable".
41
"unpredictable" means "not certain". This is what E says: It is not certain what the system’s
response to the explosion of a large meteorite would be.
Notice that the stimulus says "unpredictable". Since it is unpredictable, we cannot say whether
something 'would' happen; what we can say is that something 'might' happen. Hence, options A
and C (that look tempting) are not correct, since they use 'would'.
D says: whether the system would respond inappropriately to the explosion of a large meteorite
would depend on the location of the blast.
There is nothing in the argument to suggest that "location of the blast" is a factor. Remember
conclusions must be directly inferable from the argument. We just cannot infer D.
22 If mass-marketing techniques and price reduction strategies are used, then the 'premium product'
would clearly not be associated with anything 'special'; hence, there would be no reason for
people to buy that premium product (since there would be no 'prestige' in buying that). Hence, b is
the most logical choice.
23 When the stimulus says: "some of the income urban and suburban households use for food and
shelter can be used by rural households for other needs", option b is what the stimulus is
essentially saying.
24 According to the stimulus:
K>S
C>L
Hence K>L
As per choice A, if C>K, then we cannot deduce that K>L. Hence A does not necessarily give us
any definite answer.
All other choices do make the argument above logically correct. For example, let's consider B:
S>L
So then, the equations we have are:
i) K>S
ii) C>L
iii) S>L
Combining i) and iii): K>S>L
Hence, we can conclude that K>L. So, B makes the conclusion K>L, logically correct.
Let's now consider C: S>C
So then, the equations we have are:
i) K>S
ii) C>L
iii) S>C
Combining i), ii) and iii): K>S>C>L
Hence, we can again conclude that K>L. So, C makes the conclusion K>L, logically correct.
Similarly, D and E will also make the conclusion K>L, logically correct.
A is the only one that does not contribute anything to making the conclusion K>L, logically correct.
42
25 If farmers produce same crop every year, water pollution increases.
Government rules encourage producing same crop every year.
From the above two statement, a follows.

26 Since there is no correlation between budget deficit and trade deficit, choice c is the most logical
choice.
27 Unsecured loans clearly have higher risk and as per the stimulus, those should be offset by the
chance of great rewards. Those rewards (for the lenders) come by way of higher interest rates.
28 A sale is ‘always’ running. So, if manager’s sale is not running, a holiday sale must be running.
29 Chronological sequence, according to argument:
Current time….
Current time – 10 million years

: giant pandas separated from the other bears. (x+10)
: red pandas separated from raccoons & coatis (x)
Current time – 40 million years: bears separated from raccoons (30-50)
As per Chronological sequence, giant pandas separated from the other bears most recently (in the
various separations in the history). So, clearly giant pandas are more similar genetically to bears
than to raccoons.
How about C? C says: "It is possible to determine, within a margin of just a few years, the timing of
divergence of various species".
We need to remember that in Conclusions questions, the correct answer choice "must" be true,
solely based upon the information provided in the passage. There is nothing in the passage ot
suggest/imply that the timing of divergence of various species cannot be determined, within a
margin of just a few years.
In any case, argument states that bears and raccoons diverged 30 to 50 million years ago.
Basically scientists say that diversion could have taken place at anytime between 30 million and
50 million years ago.
That's a margin of 20 million years! (50 million years - 20 million years). So, clearly, this cannot be
termed as "a margin of just a few years".
30 As the ‘sales’ increases, the statement in A ‘must’ be correct.
43
A very close choice between A and D. Perhaps D just looses out because of the word
“proportional”, since there is no such formal relationship that can be established on the basis of
the stimulus.
Coming to A, and taking it to the extreme and negating what is mentioned in A, let us say that for
“all” people, seeing an excerpt of a book in a magazine provides an adequate substitute for
reading the whole book. In that case, what the stimulus mentions - "sure increase in sales", would
not hold true.
C is out of scope. It says: "In calculating the total number of copies that a book has sold,
publishers include sales of copies of magazines that featured an excerpt of the book".
There is absolutely no information about this mentioned in the argument.
Remember conclusion is something that “must” be true based upon the information in the
stimulus.
31 Before a naturally occurring chemical compound can be approved for use a drug, report with
chemical’s structure must be published. But, Naturally occurring chemicals cannot be newly
patented once their structures have been published. These facts lead us to conclusion that once a
naturally occurring compound has been approved for use as a drug, it can no longer be newly
patented.
How about B? The argument does not talk about whether “Synthetically produced chemical
compounds” can or cannot be patented. The entire argument is about how/when “naturally
occurring chemicals” can or cannot be patented.
32 Choice A is the only logical interpretation that can be made on the basis of stimulus. The
argument starts with: "History textbooks frequently need to be revised".
Then it says: "application of hitherto undiscovered principles of natural science all may indicate
inadequacies in current history texts"
This clearly means that "natural science" *does* effect how historical events are interpreted.
How about E? We should remember that the correct answer "must" be true based upon the
information provided in the stimulus. The stimulus says:
History textbooks frequently need to be revised for the following reasons: "new discoveries of
documents and remains, the discovery of mistaken inferences in prior histories, the discovery of
previously unnoticed relationships among data...".
So, according to stimulus, "mistaken inferences" is one reason, "unnoticed relationships among
data" is "another" reason. E says: "mistaken inferences are caused by unnoticed relationships
among data"..really can is this "causal relationship" between the two reasons "most definitely true"
based on the stimulus? No.
33 Choice B is clearly supported by the stimulus.
Aspirin just eliminates moderate fever (it is not given how, and we have no reason to assume
anything). Since moderate fever is eliminated, following things do not happen (“because of aspirin
usage”):
1. WBCs are not stimulated to fight disease

2. Growth of many strains of disease-causing bacteria
44
So, because of 2. above, we can conclude that Aspirin can prolong a patient’s illness by
eliminating moderate fever helpful in fighting some diseases.
As for E, the stimulus just says “many” Doctors no longer recommend Aspirin usage. The least it
should have been, for us to perhaps conclude E is “most” Doctors (“many” really doesn’t tell us
anything conclusive/substantive).
How about C? C is saying: Aspirin inhibits the growth of white blood cells.
The best we can conclude is that aspiring does "not" stimulate the activity of WBCs, but no
information on aspirin "inhibiting the growth of WBCs" is provided.
34 Choice B really is the main point of the stimulus, going by the example that has been stated
(parachutists).
Let us "connect the dots".
The premise starts by saying:

For the mentally alert, it is quite [I]possible[/I] that death presents itself as an unbelievably glorious
experience
So, this is still a "possibility". But then, the argument "corroborates" this in the last sentence:
"parachutists who have survived falls report experiences that resemble psychedelic trips".
Connecting these pieces of information, we can conclude that dying can be a glorious experience.
How about C? C says: we can never know what passes through the mind of a dying person.
The argument says: we can never be "certain" about what passes through the mind of the dying
person.
So notice that the argument just says that we can never be "certain"; argument does not say we
can never know. In fact, the argument mentions: "it is quite possible that death presents itself as
an unbelievably glorious experience".
So, various possibilities are suggested.
35 Choice C is clearly supported by the stimulus.
This is more like Assumptions question.
A cannot be the right answer because it talks about “group of known individuals”; this is entire
outside the scope of the stimulus. There is absolutely no mention in the stimulus that on the
evidence of the selection of pieces stolen, an art theft can be categorized as committed at the
direction of a group of known individuals.
36 Choice D is clearly supported by the stimulus.
How about E? E talks about comparison of the amount of toxins between:
(i) well-insulated house with houseplants (insulation increases toxins while houseplants decrease
toxins)
(ii) well-ventilated house without houseplants (ventilation decreases toxins while "without
houseplants" increases toxins)
45
So, in each of the above, one factor increases toxins while another factor decreases toxins. But,
there is nothing in the stimulus to conclude that toxins in (i) will be lesser than toxins in (ii).
So, E cannot be the right answer.
37 Choice D is the only definite conclusion that can be drawn.
E says: The quantities "released" of each will decrease.
That is incorrect, because plants do not control how much formaldehyde and benzene is being
"released".
38 Choice E is exactly what the Physician explains to the patient.

39 Family = (Householder plus >= one person related to householder). So, there might be
householders (who don’t have any person related) who will not be part of families. Hence A is not
true. However all families will include a householder. Hence, B is correct.
40 Given the facts in the stimulus, there are contradictory things (Mechanicorp might not be able to
sell the product at lower price, but increasing the price might hurt it’s reputation), Mechanicorp will
encounter difficulties in trying to set a price for its newest product.Also, can be arrived at by
process of elimination, since none of the other choices are close.
41 If Canadians increase out-shopping -> fewer Canadian goods will be purchased by Canadians ->
Government of Canada has to impose higher taxes ‘per good’ to recover the same amount of tax.
This is what choice A states.
D is more extreme when it says same brands “are” available. Well, same brands may or may not
be. If a particular Canadian wishes to “only” buy Brands A, B and C, and if only brand B and C are
available outside Canada, there is nothing preventing him from shopping for brands B and C
outside Canada and shopping for Brand A within Canada itself. In other words, the stimulus would
still hold true even if all the same brands are not available across the border.
42 If landfill’s capacity exceeded -> Leachate escapes

Contrapostive is:
Leachate does not escape -> landfill’s capacity not exceeded
How about D?
The stimulus says:
Most landfill leachate is sent directly to sewage treatment plants, but not all sewage plants are
capable of handling leachate.
There really are "separate" pieces of information:

1. Most landfill leachate is send directly to sewage treatment plants.
2. Not all sewage plants are capable of handling leachate.
Essentially, if we were to paraphrase this, it would be:
Most landfill leachate is sent directly to sewage treatment plants. By the way, this landfill leachate
cannot be sent to "any" sweage plant, since not "all" sewage plants are capable of handling the
landfill leachate.
So, from the information provided in the stimulus, it cannot be "concluded" (without a doubt) that
any leachate is sent to those sewage treatment plants that are incapable of handling the leachate.
46
43 Even when ratio is < 2/1, rise in stock prices is imminent. As per argument, the ratio is actually 1/9
(way below 2/1).
In this case, the price of MEGA stock should go up.
44 Just knowing the average income of citizens of a country will not tell us whether citizens have
access to (can purchase) a given quantity of goods and services.
45 Let us say last year, fresh pulp = 2; recycled pulp = 1. By 2010: fresh pulp = 2+x; recycled pulp =
2+x. So, clearly, recycled pulp in 2010 (2+x) is at least twice as much recycled pulp as was used
last year (1).
46 Lets take some extreme examples; say the total available workforce was 100 people in 1981 and
1000 people in 1986, as stated in option D. Then, the number of unemployed people was 7.5 in
1981 and 69 in 1986.So, while the percentage of unemployment fell, the number of unemployed
people increased.
47 Logically:
~XI -> EF
However, it clearly does “not” follow that:
XI -> ~EF (if Country X does intervene, the whole region will not fall under enemy influence).
Basically, we just don’t know what will happen if Country X does intervene.
Between C and E:
Basically the "uncertainty associated" with what happens if Country X does intervene militarily in
Country Y, is best depicted as "may" and not as "will probably", because in some sense, if we are
saying: Will probably not fall under enemy influence, we are getting "inclined" towards concluding
that the whole region will most likely "not" fall under enemy influence.
However, the fact is that we have no idea about the outcomes (falling or not falling under enemy
influence). Hence E, which says that the whole region "may or may not fall under enemy
influence" is correct.
How about B? B says that the whole region will probably fall under enemy influence.
When we say "will probably fall", we are basically saying that chances are "more than 50%" that
the whole region will probably fall under enemy influence. But the thing is that we just "can't say"
what will happen if Country X does intervene.
48 The analyst predicts 3 things:

i) Hong Kong can retain its capitalist ways after it becomes part of mainland China in 1997 as long
as a capitalist Hong Kong is useful to China;
ii) a capitalist Hong Kong will be useful to China as long as Hong Kong is prosperous
iii) Hong Kong will remain prosperous as long as it retains its capitalist ways.
If you combine the three statements above, it is clear that if Hong Kong retains its capitalist ways
until 1997, it will be allowed to do so afterward.
Think about it. if Hong Kong retains its capitalist ways until 1997, then following will happen:
- Hong Kong will remain prosperous (as per iii) above)
- Since Hong Kong will remain prosperous, it will be "useful" to China (as per ii) above)
- Since Hong Kong will be "useful" to China, Hong Kong can retain its capitalist ways after it
becomes part of mainland China in 1997 (as per i) above)
47
This is exactly what B says: Hong Kong can retain its capitalist ways after it becomes part of
mainland China in 1997.
Note D says that Hong Kong ‘will be’ prosperous after 1997, but nothing in the argument suggests
that Hong Kong is not already prosperous.
How about A? Nothing in the argument says anything about Hong Kong not remaining part of
mainland China. The entire argument talks about whether Hong Kong can retain its capitalist ways
or not, after it becomes part of mainland China in 1997. So, Hong Kong not becoming a part of
China is out of question.
Notice how irrelevant the other options are, with respect to the scope of the argument.
For example, option C talks about "world economic crisis". Is there anything about world economic
crisis mentioned in the argument? No.
Similarly, option D talks about how prosperous Hong Kong will be after 1997. Can we really
conclude this for sure, based on the information provided in the argument? Clearly not.
Option E talks about the fact that the citizens of Hong Kong will have no restrictions placed by
China.Is there anything about restrictions mentioned in the agreement? Again no.
49 Note that the stem says: “their cable transmissions could be subsidized by the profits of their
monopolies". It clearly means that cable companies believe that the local phone companies make
a profit on phone service.
A says: Are phone companies as efficient as cable companies in providing reliable and
inexpensive service?
There is really no information about the relative "efficiency" of "phone companies" vis-a-vis "cable
companies". Remember all these are "conclusion" questions in which the right answer choice
"must be" true, based on the information provided in the argument.
50 Perhaps the answer can be best arrived at by Process of elimination.
Let's take E. It says: "Parasitic wasps use visual clues to calculate the size of a host egg". This
would mean that by looking at a host egg ("visual clues"), parasitic wasps calculate the size of a
host egg. Is this information "most definitely true" based on the stimulus? The stimulus actually
provides no information as to "how" parasitic wasps calculate the size of a host egg. Hence, E
cannot be the right answer.
The passage mentions: "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".
Therefore, we could observe the parasite's behavior until we saw a host egg for which "exactly the
right number" was 1 egg. Since the wasp cannot lay less than 1 egg, this particular egg would
then be the smallest possible host egg. Hence, A is correct.
51 See how little point C talks about; there is no mention about arthritis and high blood pressure;
perhaps the answer here can also be best arrived at by Process of elimination.
48
52 Since band was translucent with only about "half" the normal width, the animals perhaps died in
midwinter.
Since width of band was about "half" the normal width, these animals clearly died in "mid-winter".
Basically, it's given in the argument that trowth rings (bands) result from the constant depositing of
layers of cementum as translucent bands in winter.
Suppose that normal width of the band is 1 cm (developed due to constant depositing of layers of
cementum for say 6 months of winter).
Now, if the band deposited last has only 0.5 cm width (as opposed to 1 cm), then clearly, those
animals died in 3 months of winter (midwinter). If these animals had died towards the end of
winter, then the band width would have been 1 cm.
53 Hopefully it is clear that "accord" is the opposite of "discord".
According to the argument,

i) For successful trade embargo, International "accord" is necessary.
ii) However, if such embargo is attempted against Patria, it would result in international "discord"
This being the case, clearly a trade embargo against Patria is likely to "not" be successful. This is
what D says.
How about A? A seems very close. However, what is given in A is “already” mentioned/implied in
the stimulus (such an action would be likely to cause international discord over the embargo). But
as a “result” of this fact (international discord over the embargo), the conclusion, in light of the
information mentioned in the stimulus, is that trade embargo against Patria would not succeed –
this is what D states.
Basically, information mentioned in the stimulus:
1. For a trade embargo against a particular country to succeed, a high degree of international
accord is a pre-requisite
2. For attempts of trade embargo against Patria, International accord is not likely
On the basis of 1 and 2 above, the conclusion is that a trade embargo against Patria would not be
successful.
54 Hopefully from the context, it was clear that there are two kinds of patients:
i) Paying patients: Those who are actually able to pay for their treatment at the hospital and
ii) Non-Paying patients: Those who are "not" able to pay for their treatment at the hospital. Form a
hospital's perspective, this is "un-reimbursed care"
The argument says that till now, what has happened is that for the losses that hospitals suffer
because of "un-reimbursed care", the hospitals have been able to compensate for these losses by
virtue of the revenues that the hospitals collect from "paying patients". In other words the money
that the hospitals receive from "paying patients" is sufficient to cover for "un-reimbursed care".
However, according to the argument, what is "recently" happening is that "paying patients" are
actually "cutting down" on the payment they make to the hospitals (because insurers have been
strictly limiting what they pay hospitals for the care of insured patients).
If this is the scenario, then clearly, revenues that the hospitals collect from "paying patients" will
come down. This would mean that now, the money that the hospitals receive from "paying
49
patients" will be "in-sufficient" to cover for "un-reimbursed care". If that's the case, hospitals have
to find ways to raise "additional income" for "un-reimbursed care"; if hospitals do not find ways to
raise "additional income", hospitals will suffer losses for "un-reimbursed care". This is exactly
what B says.
55 Only Vorticists use acrylic monochromes in their works and no painting in the Hoular Gallery is by
a Vorticist.
This clearly means that no painting hanging in the Hoular Gallery uses acrylic monochromes.
Also, it is given that every painting hanging in the Hoular Gallery is by a French painter.
If we combine these two pieces of information, we can conclude that some French painters do not
use acrylic monochromes in their works.
How about B? B cannot be correct. For example, if we say:
Only boys are recruited as Fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force.
From this, we clearly cannot conclude:
All boys are recruited as Fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force.
How about D? Some painters who are Vorticists can be French people. So, we cannot conclude
for sure that No French painters use acrylic monochromes in their works.
56 Stimulus mentions that the extent of amino-acid decomposition, which in turn depends upon the
temperature of the sites, is used to date a site. This means that if the site has been subjected to
climatic fluctuations (temperature variations) through its history, this technique will not be
accurate.
57 Stimulus says that Carbohydrates boost the brain’s levels of serotonin in the same way as some
antidepressants. Hence, choice D is appropriate.
58 Stimulus says: “Any combination of overwork and stress inevitably leads of insomnia”. All
managers at HiCorp suffer from stress and HiCorp gives regular bonuses only to employees who
work more than 40 hours per week. All these facts directly lead to conclusion in choice E.
59 Stimulus says: the government is certain to respond. Further, the stimulus says: Governments
have only one response -> regulation of the activity. Also, governments inevitably make the
activity more expensive by regulating it. So, given all these facts, cost of providing child care will
increase.
60 Stimulus talks about dramatic drop in the incidence of injuries that occur “on the slopes” of ski
resorts and also that “as a result” the remainder of ski-related injuries increased in percentage.
This leads to choice E as the conclusion.
Basically, it is clear from the argument that:
All injuries occurring in skiing (100%) = Percentage of Injuries occurring on the slopes +
Percentage of Injuries occurring on the premises of a ski resort but not on the slopes
In 1950, it is given that Percentage of Injuries occurring on the premises of a ski resort but not on
the slopes = 10%
=> All injuries occurring in skiing (100%) = Percentage of Injuries occurring on the slopes + 10%
50
=> Percentage of Injuries occurring on the slopes = 90%.
In 1980, it is given that Percentage of Injuries occurring on the premises of a ski resort but not on
the slopes = 25%
=> All injuries occurring in skiing (100%) = Percentage of Injuries occurring on the slopes + 25%
=> Percentage of Injuries occurring on the slopes = 75%.
So, in 1950, Percentage of Injuries occurring on the slopes was 90%, while in 1980, Percentage of
Injuries occurring on the slopes = 75%
So, it is clear that Injuries that occurred on the slopes of ski resorts made up a smaller percentage
of ski-related injuries in 1980 than in 1950. This is what E says.
61 The passage never says anything about “physical phenomena”.
62 Remember that "most" cannot mean "all".
The argument says that “most” of the artists hold political views that are less insightful than those
of any reasonably well-educated person who is not an artist.
It means that there are at least "some" artists are no less politically insightful than some
reasonably well-educated persons who are not artists. This is what E says.
D says "Politicians rarely have any artistic talent". The argument is saying that artists have a lack
of political insight. D is completely reversing the argument and stating that Politicians rarely have
any artistic talent!
63 The stimulus suggests that public policies are formed so that public chooses the people who
formulate that public policy. So, if a certain public policy seems hostile, it is clearly because public
does not oppose it (in other words, majority of voters do not strongly wish for a different policy.
64 The view opposite to the conclusion is that telepathy “is” an alternative means of communication.
However, the stimulus mentions that there is not enough evidence to believe this opposite view.
Hence, choice A is appropriate.
65 Progressive tax system was formulated to impose higher rate of taxes on higher-income
taxpayers. However, as per the stimulus, because of the loopholes in the progressive tax system,
high-income taxpayer is able to reduce the tax rate to a level below that paid by the lower-income
taxpayer.
This clearly leads us to conclude that the progressive nature of our present tax system is more
illusory than real.
How about A? It is given that increasingly, the tax reform proposal is considering imposing flat-tax.
Subsequently, the entire stimulus talks about how the "progressive tax-system" has been
manipulated by the higher-income tax payers, to actually reduce their effective tax-rate to a level
even "below" the tax-rate paid by low-income tax payer!
If that's the case, then clearly the current progressive tax-system is actually "benefiting" the higher
income-tax payers (since they are paying a very low effective tax-rate). For higher income-tax
payers, since the current progressive tax-system is working well, these higher income-tax payers
have nothing to look forward to, if the flat-tax is implemented.
51
That being the case, there is no reason to conclude that higher income-tax payers are likely to
support the new flat-tax proposal. Hence, option A would be incorrect.
66 Note the use of 'equally' in choice A, which makes it the wrong choice, since there is no
information provided in the argument about the 'extent' of distortion. Choice B is the best summary
of the stimulus.
C says: "Because Dickinson never expected her poetry to be published, virtually any attempt at
editing it must run counter to her intentions". The second part of C is problematic. It says:
"virtually any attempt at editing it must run counter to her intentions".
Clearly, according to the argument, Johnson's attempt at editing Dickinson’s poetry ran counter to
Dickinson’s intentions; however, from this we cannot conclude that "any" attempt at editing
Dickinson’s poetry must run counter to Dickinson’s intentions.
E is also very close. Just that “deal adequately” is perhaps just a wee-bit less “definitive” than B,
which is directly addressed. In general, options such as “adequate”, “satisfactory”, “happiness” etc.
are considered a bit less definitive and “in general” not the preferred choice.
67 The argument says:
i) We are unable to offer you a position in our local government office for the summer
ii) It is impossible for us to offer jobs to all those who want them.
This clearly means that the availability of summer jobs was exceeded by the number of people
who applied. This is what A says.
The argument says: "funding for summer jobs is limited". "limited" means that the funding if
"fixed/not limitless". But from this, we cannot conclude that the funding was "very little". Hence C is
incorrect.
68 The last sentence says: "Fire department finds water more effective". This is a pointer that fire
(disinformation campaign) is more effectively countered by water (truth) and hence, to say that
America's political interests would be better served by Americans waging a disinformation
campaign, would not be correct.
How about A? We can rule out A for the simple reason that the stimulus does not mention
anywhere that disinformation campaigns may be effective. The stimulus just expresses a
“viewpoint” of those who defend the practice of disinformation campaigns, but falls short of
mentioning anywhere that the disinformation campaigns are or may-be effective.
Perhaps the following option, if present, may have been closer:
Even if disinformation campaigns are effective, they are unacceptable on ethical grounds.
How about B? If we look at the way the argument is structured, the argument is essentially
suggesting that the disinformation campaign by American Intelligence Agencies will ultimately
"not" serve the political interests of America. Hence, the only correlation the argument seeks to
establish, is between "truth" and "how truth will serve the political interests of America" (the
52
argument mentions: "truth is our nation’s surest weapon in the propaganda war against our foes";
so clearly, "political interests of America" are the prime focus).
The argument does not establish any correlation between "truth" and "moral standing" of America
in the world. In fact, no mention of "moral standing" has been made in the argument, either
explicitly or implicitly. As per the argument, it's not about "moral standing"; it's about American
"political interests" and the argument is suggesting that these "political interests" would be best
served by "truth" and not by disinformation campaign.
69 Clearly, what the person lacks is patience.
70 Choices A and D seem very close here. In A, the use of 'all' just tilts the balance against it a bit.
Choice D is clearly stated in the stimulus: "the corporation’s unbroken six-year record of growth".
How about C? The argument says: "no court of law in any state has found me guilty of any
criminal offense whatsoever". But just because no "court" has found him guilty, can we "really"
conclude that the chairman has actually not indulged in any criminal offense?
If we have to conclude that, then we have to make an additional (rather big) assumption that the
American court of law is foolproof.
How about B? We need to keep in mind "always" that the correct answer choice in "Conclusion" is
one that "must" be true, based upon information in the argument.
B says: Any misdeeds that the chairman may have committed were motivated by his desire to
enhance the success of the corporation.
Is this really "definitely true" based upon information in the argument? The argument does not
even mention that chairman did commit any misdeeds. So, it is quite hypothetical to "conclude"
(for sure) that any misdeeds that the chairman may have committed were motivated by his desire
to enhance the success of the corporation.
E says that "any" legal proceedings against the chairman have resulted in his acquittal. Well, we
can say that for this particular case, the court has acquitted chariman. But we can't conclude that
"any" proceeding (for example, a murder that he could have committed 20 years back) resulted in
his acquittal. The argument does not provide any information on this front.
71 The stimulus says: "most (women) continue to gravitate toward the pink-collar fields, despite the
lower salaries". So, it is clear that for average salaries of women workers to increase, more
women must enter occupations other than those traditionally reserved for them.
How about C? If we look at the entire argument, the main point of the argument is to how to "raise"
the salaries of women workers, so that the salaries of women workers comes close to the (already
high) average salary of men.
If C was true, then the whole point of the argument goes for a toss, because then we are not
looking at raising the salaries of women workers; C is proposing how average salary of men will
be brought down. But, that's not what the argument is proposing.
72 Note how c is a trap, since it says "butterflies" and not "monarch butterflies". Choice d is another
tempting option, but goes too far to make a grand inference.
53
73 Notice how the stimulus specifically defends the evidence obtained by police officers acting in
good faith. Choice C is not correct since it goes a bit too far in suggesting that exclusionary rule
should only be applied to cases involving minor criminal offenses.
D says "allow any evidence, no matter how obtained, to be introduced in court". This is really
extreme. For example, "no matter how obtained" could also mean confession extracted by torture!
The author clearly does not mention/suggest this in the argument.
74 See how little choice D says: "It is likely that the extended workday of an industrializing country will
eventually be shortened".
An "industrializing" country is obviously a country that is still in the process of being industrialized).
According to the stimulus, this is exactly what happened with the industrialized nations; when they
were industrializing, the workday was longer.
How about B? Notice how "definitive" option B gets when it says that an average workday of
twelve hours or more is peculiar to economies in the early stages of industrialization.
By the usage of the definitive word "is" ("is peculiar to economies.."), option B is making an
extremely definite statement. Can we be really 100% and for-sure conclude this, that economies in
the early stages of industrialization "will" have an average workday of twelve hours or more? No.
If B however, was this, then it would have been close: An average workday of twelve hours or
more are likely, in economies in the early stages of industrialization.
75 Notice how people consuming massive doses of vitamin C (1,500 mg daily) had a
disproportionately low incidence of serious cases of flu. This points to D.
How about C? C says: Doses of vitamin C that exceed the standard recommended daily
allowance by 500 percent will reduce the incidence of serious cases of flu by 25 percent.
The use of "will" suggests that the difference will always be "exactly" 25%. We can't necessarily
conclude this. After all, this is just an experiment (study) done on subjects. So, we can be
"absolutely" sure that the "exact percentage" difference will be always 25% (and not 26% or 24%).
How about E? According to the argument, 250 mg of vitamin C (total) is the standard
recommended daily allowance. If a total of 250 mg of Vitamin C is recommended, then clearly
there is reason to believe that "balanced diet" would also have Vitamin C "close to" 250 mg. Isn't
it?
But how close to 250 mg Vitamic C, does the balanced diet have? Is it 249 mg (less than 250 mg
of vitamin C) or 251 mg (more than 250 mg of vitamin C)....we don't know. The argument does not
tell us anything on that front.
How about B? Note that conclusion is something that "must" be true. Argument says:
In people who took 250 mg of vitamin C, 34% had flu; in people who took no vitamin C, 32% had
flu.
From this, we clearly cannot conclude that Vitamin C is helpful in preventing disease (since people
who took no Vitamin C had lesser incidence of flu than people who took 250 mg of vitamin C)
54
76 Let's understand what the argument means. Suppose I am a depositor who is looking for a bank in
which to deposit my savings. In other words, I want to open a savings deposit account with a
bank. What the argument is saying, is that my savings deposit in the banks is "insured" by the
government.
This basically means that if for some reason the bank ends up "loosing" the money in my savings
deposits, the government (and not the bank) will actually pay me my money back (because my
savings deposit is insured by the government).
That being the case, clearly as a depositor, I do not care about the "financial strength" of the bank,
because I know that even if the financial strength of a bank is weak, my savings deposit is not
going anywhere (because it is ultimately insured by the govenrment). Hence, the only factor that
influences my choice of the bank (when I am looking for a bank in which to open my savings
account) will be the bank that offers the highest possible interest rate; I don't care about the
financial strength of the bank.
Since banks would be aware that for depositors, "interest rate" (and not "financial strength") is the
only factor attracting me to the bank, the banks will try to "entice" me (attract me) by offering
unreasonably high rates (unreasonable because the banks might not ultimately be able to realize
those returns). These unreasonably high rates, in turn, obviously compromise the financial
strength of the banks. This is exactly what B says.
The stimulus mentions that paying higher rates (which is an indirect consequence of government
insuring deposits) strains the financial strength of a bank. This clearly means that deposit
insurance will ultimately lead to the financial weakening of many banks.
77 The entire stimulus points to the fact that critics often disagree about the value of a particular
contemporary work of art.
The meaning of "contemporary" (as used in option B) is "in the present time". So, that's exactly
what the argument is saying: When paintings of Michelangelo, the music of Bach, and the plays of
Shakespeare were actually produced, there was perhaps no objective agreement about the value
of these works.
However, many centuries later ("over time") also, since these works have continued to delight
audiences, it is very clear that the element of subjectivity (about the greatness of these works) has
disappeared.
Similarly, if "in the present time" ("contemporary") there is a work of art, then there will be element
of subjectivity about the value of that work. Only if that work of art continues to delight audiences
for centuries, then after many centuries can we actually "objectively" conclude that these works
are of great value.
How about A? The argument says: Critics "often" disagree about the value of a particular
contemporary work of art.
The argument does not say: Critics "always" disagree about the value of a particular contemporary
work of art.
So, we cannot say for "sure" that when Michelangelo, Bach, and Shakespeare were alive, critics
agreed or disagreed about the value of their work. Hence, A is not correct (remember that the
correct answer, in case of conclusions, "must" be true, and not "can" be true).
55
78 The experts "believe" (maintain) that with each 1% increase in the prime-time ratings of a
television station there is a 3.5% increase in the number of people who watch its evening news
program.
This "belief" is proved "incorrect" by an "evidence" (in the last ten years at Channel NTR, there
was only one year of extremely high prime-time ratings and during that year, fewer people than
ever watched Channel NTR’s evening news program).
So, it is clear that there is something "other" than prime-time affecting how many people watch an
evening news program. This is what E says.
D says: The ten-year period in question is not representative of normal viewing patterns.
Do we have any idea from the argument about what "normal viewing patterns" are? No. Hence, D
cannot be the answer.
79 The stimulus recommends news organizations to find alternative sources of information. Clearly,
the author of the stimulus believes that those alternative sources would have different views that
the State Department (else there would have been no need to find alternative sources of
information).
How about A? A says: To the degree that a news source gives an account of another country that
mirrors that of our State Department, that reporting is suspect.
This basically means that the State Department's account of another country is "always" wrong
(and hence, if a news source gives an account of another country that mirrors that of State
Department, that reporting is suspect).
The argument never says that State Department's account of another country is "always" wrong.
Argument just suggests that divergent sources (other than "only" the State Department) should be
used before coming to an opinion.
80 From people who tend to stay away from these stores after dark, since the sun would continue to
set an hour later, the stores would expect to gain from the additional 1 hr. that such people would
have, to shop for themselves.
81 Improved = Different
To professional violinists (who are the only accepted judges of sound quality of violins):
Different = bad
From above, D follows.
The entire argument talks about Professional violinists. Let us say "Jack" is a Professional
violinist. Now, suppose "Peter" constructs a violin that has an "improved sound". As per argument,
this violen would sound "different" from the best-sounding existing violins.
Again, as per the argument, any violen that sounds "different" from the best-sounding existing
violins, would be considered "worse" than the best-sounding existing violins.
So, if we add these pieces of information, it is clear that as far as "Jack" (a Professional violinist)
goes, it is impossible to construct a violin with "improved" sound (because "improved" sound
would mean "different" violen; "different" violen means "worse" violen).
56
82 Note that choice C is tempting, but the stimulus does not say that the manufacturers will
'decrease' investment unless there are stronger patent laws. What the stimulus does say is:
Stronger Patent laws -> Increase in investment -> Increased productivity
This also implies:
Stronger Patent laws -> Increased productivity, which is exactly what choice e suggests.
83 Maintaining an optimum level at the restaurants for as much of the day, is clearly the motive of the
live shows.
D says: encouraging as many people as possible to come to the park in order to eat at the
restaurants
So, it says that live shows encourage people to come to the park to eat! There is no indication in
the argument that "eating" is the "reason" why people come to the park.
84 The growers of pepper who swtiched to cocoa would 'now' (after the short supply of pepper) have
been as well off, as they are as cocoa growers. However, the point is that if those pepper growers
had not shifted, pepper would not have been in short supply in the first place.
85 "referenda" is a general vote by the people, on a single issue, which has been referred to them for
a direct decision. For example, there was a referendum for "Brexit" where people voted whether
Britain should move out of European Union.
Argument mentions that issues for public referenda will increasingly involve aspects of
'technology'. The argument also mentions that people between eighteen and twenty-four likely to
be technologically illiterate.
If that's the case, then clearly young people (between eighteen and twenty-four) must learn more
about technology, to make informed decisions on public referenda. This is what A says.
The stimulus mentions that young people are more likely to be technologically illiterate and yet,
public referenda increasingly involves aspects of technology. These pieces of information clearly
suggest that If young people are to make informed decisions on public referenda, many of them
must learn more about technology.
86 Notice that The third-party candidate always attracts some of the voters who might otherwise have
voted for one of the two major candidates. Essentially, the third party candidate does not make
voters to switch from one major candidate to another. It is just that one of the major candidates
looses his/her voters to the third party candidate. Hence, b is the most logical choice.
How about C? C says: A third-party candidate will not capture the votes of new voters who have
never voted for candidates of either of the two major parties.
Remember that the correct answer, in conclusions, "must" be true based upon the information in
the argument. The argument says: "The third-party candidate always attracts some of the voters
who might otherwise have voted for one of the two major candidates, but not voters who support
the other candidate".
However, the argument does not say that the third-party candidate will ONLY attract voters who
might otherwise have voted for one of the two major candidates. There can definitely be voters
who never voted for candidates of either of the two major parties, but will vote for the third-party
candidate. For example, Mr. X might never have voted for one of the two major candidates, but
Mr. X may vote for the third-party candidate. There is nothing in the argument that says that this
cannot happen.
57
87 A "mound" basically represents a "pile" of something. Things can only be placed on "top" of the
existing pile. Suppose that a pile consists of three layers: the bottom layer, the middle layer and
the top layer. Then we can safely conclude that the bottom layer came first in time, the middle
name came next in time and the top layer came last in time.
For example, hypothetically, from historical perspective for example, we can conclude that the
contents of the bottom layer were placed by people in the 10th century, the contents of the middle
layer were placed by people in the 11th century, and the contents of the top layer were placed by
people in the 12th century.
According to the argument:

i) The middle layer contains pieces of type 3 pottery
ii) This type 3 pottery came from a time period "after" time of the destruction/siege of the city,
Combining this information, it is clear that the middle layer represents a time "after" the
destruction/siege of the city.
In other words, middle layer does not represent the period of the destruction/siege of the city. This
is what C says.
Note that A is tempting, but we do not know for 'sure' whether the lower layer contains remains of
the city where the siege took place (the stimulus does not provide any information about this).
88 Its is clear after reading the stimulus that speed limit was not 'alone' responsible for redunction in
highway deaths. Note that choice e goes too far in suggesting that speed limit 'cannot' be
responsile for decline.
89 Removal from the jurisdiction of the municipal government is recommended here, since municipal
government has political compulsions that don't allow it to raise fares. The conclusion clearly is
that if public transportation were handled by a private firm, the private firm 'can' raise fairs and
would not be under any political pressure.
This is more of an “assumptions” question. If Private firms would receive Government funding to
cover operating costs (as mentioned in C), then there would be no difference between the
transportation system being handled by the Municipal Govt. vis-à-vis Private firm.
Municipal Government because of “political” considerations, cannot raise fares or institute cost-
saving reductions. So, the recommendation is that public transport should be transferred to Private
firm. The “assumption” clearly is that Private firms would not be bound by the “political”
considerations that prevent Municipal Government from raising fares or instituting cost-saving
reductions.
90 Copper that the copper mining companies mine, is obviously used by copper-wire manufacturers,
to manufacture copper wires.
The copper-mining company is saying that Copper imported from outside America is cheap and so
if the import of copper continues, then America's Mining industry will not be able to stay in
business. Reacting to this, an American copper-wire manufacturer says that if there is a ban on
copper import, then obviously the price of copper will go up and so the price of copper-wire
manufactured by the copper-wire manufacturers, will also go up.
58
That being the case, the copper-wire manufacturers will then not be competitive in the
international market because the price of copper-wire manufactured in America will be more than
the price of copper-wire manufactured elsewhere. Hence, the demand for copper-wire
manufactured in America will go down. America's copper-wire manufacturers currently purchase
the bulk of the copper mined in the United States (70%). However, since the demand for copper-
wire manufactured in America will go down, America's copper-wire manufacturers will require
much less copper. So, they will then buy much less copper mined in the United States. This would
mean that in turn, the mining company’s own business will get hurt.
This is exactly what C says.
Since wire manufacturers purchase 70% of copper mined in US but wire manufacturer's (and
consequently copper mining company's) business will go down by imposing import quotas, choice
C is correct.
91 Notice how little option d says; since 5% prospective blood donors would be disqualified, this
means that The blood supplies available from blood banks are likely to go down.
92 Given the fact about how people estimate the likelihood of an event's occurrence, and the fact that
newspapers emphasize stores about local crime, readers of the newspapers would have a
tendency to overestimate the amount of crime in their own localities relative to the amount of crime
in other places.
E says: The press is the news medium that focuses people’s attention most strongly on local
crimes.
The argument mentions that press (newspapers) emphasizes stories about local crime over
i) stories about crime elsewhere and
ii) about many other major events.
Notice that the argument says "many other major events" and not "all other major events". So, it
leaves open the possibility that at least some other major events can be emphasized over stories
about local crime.
Hence, we cannot definitely conclude that press focuses people’s attention "most strongly" on
local crimes.
93 When radios produced in Country Q are exported to Country Y, there are some additional
charges:
i) Cost of Transportation (from Country Q to Country Y)
ii) Tariff (which is a kind of "import duty tax" that Country Y would charge, for radios imported from
Country Q)
The following two pieces of information are given in the argument:
Cost of producing in Q = Cost of producing in Y - 10%....(1)

Cost of producing in Q + Tariff + Transportation < Cost of producing in Y…..(2)
Substituting (1) in (2):
Cost of producing in Y - 10% + Tariff + Transportation < Cost of producing in Y

=> Tariff + Transportation < 10%
=> Tariff < 10%
This is exactly what option C says. Cost of producing radios in Country Q is ten percent less than
the cost of producing radios in Country Y.
59
Even "after" we add tariff and transport costs to cost of producing radios in country Q, this total
cost is "still" less than cost of producing radios in country Y.
This clearly means that the tariff on a radio (and for that matter, even the transportation cost of a
radio) imported from Country Q to Country Y "has" to be less than ten percent of the cost of
manufacturing the radio in Country Y.
As is evident from the diagram:
Cost of producing radios in Country Q (innermost circle) + Frees for Transportation of radios from
Country Q to Country Y + Tariff charges for radios Imported from Country Q To Country Y < Cost
of producing radios in Country Y
So, from the diagram it is clear that the tariff on a radio imported from Country Q to Country Y is <
10% of the cost of manufacturing the radio in Country Y.
94 The stimulus suggests that irrespective of whether open-market countries import any oil, the
International oil prices do effect oil prices in open-market countries.
95 The stimulus says that exact location of the telecsopes (one of which is on the orbiting satellite)
needs to be known and that this was a significant technological accomplishment. Hence, option E
is the best.
As per the argument, this technique ("Radio interferometry") requires:
i) ultraprecise timing
ii) exact knowledge of the locations of the telescopes
iii) sophisticated computer programs
60
The argument further says that there was "successful interferometric linking". This clearly means
that all the following are correctly known (that's the reason interferometric linking is "successful":
i) ultraprecise timing
ii) exact knowledge of the locations of the telescopes
iii) sophisticated computer programs
E is basically a paraphrase of ii): The location of an orbiting satellite relative to locations on Earth
can be well enough known for interferometric purposes.
96 According to the statements, the companies that own private aircraft for business use are fully in
compliance with the relevant law, which is summarized. A Correct inference will be a statement
that must follow from at least part of the premises given. (E) Correct. If, as the statements indicate,
the companies are in full compliance with this law, it must be true that the executives following
their guidelines also are.
97 Argument says: serious financial problems -> ~happy

So, contrapositive would also be true: happy -> ~serious financial problems
Answer choice (E) is the contrapositive of the first sentence and a repeat of the third sentence.
How about D?
Argument says: serious financial problems -> ~happy
D says: ~happy -> serious financial problems
Clearly we cannot deduce this from the argument.
Remember if A->B, we "cannot" deduce that B->A
How about B? B says: People who solve their serious financial problems will be happy.
Argument says: Only if their financial problems are solved can they and those around them be
happy.
This means that People who solve their serious financial problems "can" be happy. This is
different from what B says: People who solve their serious financial problems "will" be happy.
In other words, the argument never claims that "serious financial problems" is the "only" reason to
by unhappy. There could be other reasons also and "serious financial problems" is one of them.
For example, it is possible that "serious financial problems" and "unsteady career" are two reasons
for unhappiness. So, it is clear that a person cannot be happy unless "both" these problems are
solved.
Hence, we cannot conclude that if financial problems are solved, then people will be happy
(because in "addition" to this, the "unsteady career" problem "also" needs to be solved, to make
people happy).
61
98 Antoine is alarmed that the number of children on antipsychotic medication has increased by 73
percent. Lucy begins her reply with “but,” indicating that she is about to counter either Antoine’s
facts or his alarm; she accepts his facts but addresses his alarm. If the number of children taking
antipsychotic medication is still within the normal range, the rate at which the total number has
increased is not cause for alarm. Lucy shows that even though the total number of children on
such medications has increased, children still take antipsychotic drugs at an even lower rate than
do adults, and the current adult rate is considered normal. (B) Correct. This statement properly
identifies the conclusion to which Lucy’s argument is leading.
99 If St - > Moon (If the axis is stable, there has to be a moon) Can be Stable only if there is moon
If Li -> St (If there is life, it implies that axis is stable) Can be Life only if Stability exists.
Combining: Li -> St -> Moon
Contrapositive: ~Moon -> ~St -> ~Li
Hence, above two are the only valid logical equations that are true, based on the question.
On the basis of above, B is the right answer.
A says: If Mars had a sufficiently large nearby moon, Mars would be able to support life. So, A
says: Moon -> Li. This is clearly not correct. The correct equation actually is: Li -> St -> Moon.
From this, we can conclude Li -> Moon, but can't conclude Moon -> Li (X -> Y does not mean Y ->
X). Hence, A is not correct.
Similarly, C says: Any planet with a stable, moderate axis tilt can support life. So, C says: St -> Li.
This is clearly not correct. The correct equation actually is: Li -> St -> Moon. From this, we can
conclude Li -> St, but can't conclude St -> Li (X -> Y does not mean Y -> X). Hence, C is not
correct.
100 As per choice B along with stimulus, if a biometric access-control ‘reliably’ prevents impostors, it
would imply that the system needs to be adjusted to be more ‘strict’ (lesser degrees of similarity),
and so, sometimes, legitimate access-seekers will also be turned away.
C says: Biometric access-control systems are appropriate only in situations in which admittance of
impostors is less of a problem than is mistaken refusal of access. In other words, C says that
Biometric access-control systems are appropriate in situations when:
a) Admittance of impostors would be considered acceptable, but

b) Refusals of access to legitimate access-seekers would not be considered acceptable.
One of the things that works against C is the presence of the word "only". While we know that this
is a situation in which Biometric access-control systems are appropriate, there are clearly others
as well. For example, other situation in which Biometric access-control systems are appropriate is:
a) Admittance of impostors is considered unacceptable, but

b) Refusals of access to some legitimate access-seekers would be considered acceptable.
62

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GMAT Preparation

Conclusion Critical Reasoning Exercise

4 Which of the following best completes the passage below?

13 Which of the following best completes the passage below?

18 Which of the following best completes the passage below?

20 Which of the following best completes the passage below?

27 Which of the following best completes the passage below?

44 Which of the following, if true, best completes the argument below?

56 Measurements of the extent of amino-acid decomposition in fragments of eggshell found at

71 Which of the following best completes the passage below?

76 Which of the following best completes the passage below?

83 Which of the following best completes the passage below?

2 The entire argument points a finger on the government of that nation.

C says exactly the opposite:

If a corporation gives generously to charity, it must be having a credo.

We know this is not true.

Remember X -> Y does "not" mean Y->X

6 Choice A states the most likely reason for higher occupancy.

7 Choice D is directly supported by the stimulus.

We can get the following two relationships:

The contrapositive of (i):

9 Only choice C can be inferred from the stimulus.

13 The stimulus argues that:

Given the above three statements, b follows.

if we read the argument carefully, it is centered around Freud’s theories.

Basically, the argument goes like this:

At no point is the argument "preferring" biological rather than psychological explanations of

C is the only option that can be inferred.

19 Option b is clearly what the stimulus is trying to say here.

20 The argument says:

21 As per the argument, clearly explosion of a large meteorite is an "unexpected circumstance"

So then, the equations we have are:

Combining i) and iii): K>S>L

Let's now consider C: S>C

So then, the equations we have are:

Combining i), ii) and iii): K>S>C>L

From the above two statement, a follows.

29 Chronological sequence, according to argument:

Current time – 10 million years

Current time – 20 million years

Current time – 50 million years

30 As the ‘sales’ increases, the statement in A ‘must’ be correct.

There is absolutely no information about this mentioned in the argument.

33 Choice B is clearly supported by the stimulus.

1. WBCs are not stimulated to fight disease

Let us "connect the dots".

The premise starts by saying:

So, various possibilities are suggested.

35 Choice C is clearly supported by the stimulus.

This is more like Assumptions question.

36 Choice D is clearly supported by the stimulus.

How about E? E talks about comparison of the amount of toxins between:

So, E cannot be the right answer.

37 Choice D is the only definite conclusion that can be drawn.

E says: The quantities "released" of each will decrease.

38 Choice E is exactly what the Physician explains to the patient.

42 If landfill’s capacity exceeded -> Leachate escapes

The stimulus says:

There really are "separate" pieces of information: