LSAT*

PrepTest 55October 2008

Test ID: LL3055

A complete version of PrepTest 55 has been reproduced withthe permission of Law School Admission Council, Inc.

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n Logical Reasoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECTION I

n Reading Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECTION II

n Logical Reasoning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECTION III

n Analytical Reasoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECTION IV

n Writing Sample Materials

1. The editor of a magazine has pointed out severalerrors of spelling and grammar committed on arecent TV program. But she can hardly be trusted topass judgment on such matters: similar errors havebeen found in her own magazine.

The flawed reasoning in the argument above is mostsimilar to that in which one of the following?

(A) Your newspaper cannot be trusted with theprerogative to criticize the ethics of ourcompany: you misspelled our presidents name.

(B) Your news program cannot be trusted to judgeour hiring practices as unfair: you yourselvesunfairly discriminate in hiring andpromotion decisions.

(C) Your regulatory agency cannot condemn ourproduct as unsafe: selling it is allowed underan existing-product clause.

(D) Your coach cannot be trusted to judge ourswimming practices: he accepted a lucrativepromotional deal from a soft-drink company.

(E) Your teen magazine should not run this featureon problems afflicting modern high schools:your revenue depends on not alienating thehigh school audience.

2. Soaking dried beans overnight before cooking themreduces cooking time. However, cooking withoutpresoaking yields plumper beans. Therefore, when abean dishs quality is more important than the need tocook that dish quickly, beans should not be presoaked.

Which one of the following is an assumptionrequired by the argument?

(A) Plumper beans enhance the quality of a dish. (B) There are no dishes whose quality improves

with faster cooking. (C) A dishs appearance is as important as its taste. (D) None of the other ingredients in the dish need

to be presoaked. (E) The plumper the bean, the better it tastes.

3. Durth: Increasingly, businesses use direct mailadvertising instead of paying for advertisingspace in newspapers, in magazines, or onbillboards. This practice is annoying and alsoimmoral. Most direct mail advertisements arethrown out without ever being read, and thepaper on which they are printed is wasted. Ifanyone else wasted this much paper, it wouldbe considered unconscionable.

Which one of the following most accurately describesDurths method of reasoning?

(A) presenting a specific counterexample to thecontention that direct mail advertising is notimmoral

(B) asserting that there would be very undesirableconsequences if direct mail advertising becamea more widespread practice than it is now

(C) claiming that direct mail advertising isimmoral because one of its results would bedeemed immoral in other contexts

(D) basing a conclusion on the claim that directmail advertising is annoying to those whoreceive it

(E) asserting that other advertising methods donot have the negative effects of direct mailadvertising

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SECTION I

Time35 minutes

25 Questions

Directions: The questions in this section are based on the reasoning contained in brief statements or passages. For somequestions, more than one of the choices could conceivably answer the question. However, you are to choose the best answer; thatis, the response that most accurately and completely answers the question. You should not make assumptions that are bycommonsense standards implausible, superfluous, or incompatible with the passage. After you have chosen the best answer, blacken the corresponding space on your answer sheet.

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4. Among the various models of Delta vacuum cleaners,one cannot accurately predict how effectively aparticular model cleans simply by determining howpowerful its motor is. The efficiency of dust filtrationsystems varies significantly, even between models ofDelta vacuum cleaners equipped with identicallypowerful motors.

The arguments conclusion is properly drawn ifwhich one of the following is assumed?

(A) For each Delta vacuum cleaner, the efficiencyof its dust filtration system has a significantimpact on how effectively it cleans.

(B) One can accurately infer how powerful a Deltavacuum cleaners motor is from the efficiencyof the vacuum cleaners dust filtration system.

(C) All Delta vacuum cleaners that clean equallyeffectively have identically powerful motors.

(D) For any two Delta vacuum cleaners withequally efficient dust filtration systems, theone with the more powerful motor cleansmore effectively.

(E) One cannot accurately assess how effectivelyany Delta vacuum cleaner cleans withoutknowing how powerful that vacuum cleanersmotor is.

5. Many scientists believe that bipedal locomotion(walking on two feet) evolved in early hominids inresponse to the move from life in dense forests to lifein open grasslands. Bipedalism would have allowedearly hominids to see over tall grasses, helping themto locate food and to detect and avoid predators.However, because bipedalism also would haveconferred substantial advantages upon earlyhominids who never left the forestin gatheringfood found within standing reach of the forest floor,for exampledebate continues concerning itsorigins. It may even have evolved, like the uprightthreat displays of many large apes, because itbettered an individuals odds of finding a mate.

Which one of the following statements is mostsupported by the information above?

(A) For early hominids, forest environments weregenerally more hospitable than grasslandenvironments.

(B) Bipedal locomotion would have helped earlyhominids gather food.

(C) Bipedal locomotion actually would not beadvantageous to hominids living in opengrassland environments.

(D) Bipedal locomotion probably evolved amongearly hominids who exclusively inhabitedforest environments.

(E) For early hominids, gathering food was morerelevant to survival than was detecting andavoiding predators.

6. Mathematics teacher: Teaching students calculusbefore they attend university may significantlybenefit them. Yet if students are taughtcalculus before they are ready for the level ofabstraction involved, they may abandon thestudy of mathematics altogether. So if we aregoing to teach pre-university students calculus,we must make sure they can handle the level ofabstraction involved.

Which one of the following principles most helps tojustify the mathematics teachers argument?

(A) Only those who, without losing motivation,can meet the cognitive challenges that newintellectual work involves should beintroduced to it.

(B) Only those parts of university-levelmathematics that are the most concreteshould be taught to pre-university students.

(C) Cognitive tasks that require exceptional efforttend to undermine the motivation of thosewho attempt them.

(D) Teachers who teach university-levelmathematics to pre-university studentsshould be aware that students are likely tolearn effectively only when the application ofmathematics to concrete problems is shown.

(E) The level of abstraction involved in a topicshould not be considered in determiningwhether that topic is appropriate for pre-university students.

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7. In 1955, legislation in a certain country gave thegovernment increased control over industrialworkplace safety conditions. Among the high-riskindustries in that country, the likelihood that aworker will suffer a serious injury has decreased since1955. The legislation, therefore, has increased overallworker safety within high-risk industries.

Which one of the following, if true, most weakens theargument above?

(A) Because of technological innovation, mostworkplaces in the high-risk industries do notrequire as much unprotected interactionbetween workers and heavy machinery asthey did in 1955.

(B) Most of the work-related injuries that occurredbefore 1955 were the result of workercarelessness.

(C) The annual number of work-related injurieshas increased since the legislation took effect.

(D) The number of work-related injuries occurringwithin industries not considered high-risk hasincreased annually since 1955.

(E) Workplace safety conditions in all industrieshave improved steadily since 1955.

8. Economist: Historically, sunflower seed was one of thelargest production crops in Kalotopia, and itcontinues to be a major source of income forseveral countries. The renewed growing ofsunflowers would provide relief to Kalotopiasfarming industry, which is quite unstable.Further, sunflower oil can provide a variety ofproducts, both industrial and consumer, at littlecost to Kalotopias already fragile environment.

The economists statements, if true, most stronglysupport which one of the following?

(A) Kalotopias farming industry will deteriorate ifsunflowers are not grown there.

(B) Stabilizing Kalotopias farming industry wouldimprove the economy without damaging theenvironment.

(C) Kalotopias farming industry would be betteroff now if it had never ceased to grow any ofthe crops that historically were largeproduction crops.

(D) A crop that was once a large production cropin Kalotopia would, if it were grown thereagain, benefit that countrys farmers andgeneral economy.

(E) Sunflower seed is a better crop for Kalotopiafrom both the environmental and theeconomic viewpoints than are most crops thatcould be grown there.

9. Several major earthquakes have occurred in a certainregion over the last ten years. But a new earthquakeprediction method promises to aid local civil defenseofficials in deciding exactly when to evacuate varioustowns. Detected before each of these major quakeswere certain changes in the electric current in theearths crust.

Which one of the following, if true, most weakens theargument?

(A) Scientists do not fully understand what broughtabout the changes in the electric current in theearths crust that preceded each of the majorquakes in the region over the last ten years.

(B) Most other earthquake prediction methodshave been based on a weaker correlation thanthat found between the changes in the electriccurrent in the earths crust and thesubsequent earthquakes.

(C) The frequency of major earthquakes in theregion has increased over the last ten years.

(D) There is considerable variation in the length oftime between the changes in the electriccurrent and the subsequent earthquakes.

(E) There is presently only one station in theregion that is capable of detecting the electriccurrent in the earths crust.

10. Unlike many machines that are perfectly useful inisolation from others, fax machines must work withother fax machines. Thus, in the fax industry, theproliferation of incompatible formats, which resultedfrom the large number of competing manufacturers,severely limited the usefulnessand hence thecommercial viabilityof fax technology until themanufacturers agreed to adopt a common format fortheir machines.

The information above provides the most supportfor which one of the following propositions?

(A) Whenever machines are dependent on othermachines of the same type, competition amongmanufacturers is damaging to the industry.

(B) In some industries it is in the interest ofcompetitors to cooperate to some extent withone another.

(C) The more competitors there are in a high-techindustry, the more they will have to cooperatein determining the basic design of theirproduct.

(D) Some cooperation among manufacturers inthe same industry is more beneficial than ispure competition.

(E) Cooperation is beneficial only in industrieswhose products depend on other products ofthe same type.

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11. In comparing different methods by which a teachersperformance can be evaluated and educationaloutcomes improved, researchers found that a critiqueof teacher performance leads to enhancededucational outcomes if the critique is accompaniedby the information that teacher performance ismerely one of several factors that, in concert withother factors, determines the educational outcomes.

Which one of the following best illustrates theprinciple illustrated by the finding of the researchers?

(A) Children can usually be taught to mastersubject matter in which they have no interestif they believe that successfully mastering itwill earn the respect of their peers.

(B) People are generally more willing to accept anegative characterization of a small group ofpeople if they do not see themselves asmembers of the group being so characterized.

(C) An actor can more effectively evaluate themerits of her own performance if she cansuccessfully convince herself that she is reallyevaluating the performance of another actor.

(D) The opinions reached by a social scientist inthe study of a society can be considered asmore reliable and objective if that socialscientist is not a member of that society.

(E) It is easier to correct the mistakes of an athleteif it is made clear to him that the criticism ispart of an overarching effort to rectify theshortcomings of the entire team on whichhe plays.

12. Critic: A novel cannot be of the highest quality unlessmost readers become emotionally engagedwith the imaginary world it describes. Thusshifts of narrative point of view within a novel,either between first and third person or ofsome other sort, detract from the merit of thework, since such shifts tend to make mostreaders focus on the author.

Which one of the following is an assumption necessaryfor the critics conclusion to be properly drawn?

(A) Most readers become emotionally engaged withthe imaginary world described by a novel onlyif the novel is of the highest quality.

(B) A novel is generally not considered to be ofhigh quality unless it successfully engages theimagination of most readers.

(C) Most readers cannot become emotionallyinvolved with a novels imaginary world ifthey focus on the author.

(D) Most readers regard a novels narrative pointof view as representing the perspective of thenovels author.

(E) Shifts in narrative point of view serve noliterary purpose.

13. People aged 46 to 55 spend more money per capitathan people of any other age group. So it is puzzlingthat when companies advertise consumer productson television, they focus almost exclusively on peopleaged 25 and under. Indeed, those who make decisionsabout television advertising think that the value of atelevision advertising slot depends entirely on thenumber of people aged 25 and under who can beexpected to be watching at that time.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps toexplain the puzzling facts stated above?

(A) The expense of television advertising slots makesit crucial for companies to target people whoare most likely to purchase their products.

(B) Advertising slots during news programs almostalways cost far less than advertising slotsduring popular sitcoms whose leadingcharacters are young adults.

(C) When television executives decide which showsto renew, they do so primarily in terms ofthe shows ratings among people aged 25and under.

(D) Those who make decisions about televisionadvertising believe that people older than 25almost never change their buying habits.

(E) When companies advertise consumer productsin print media, they focus primarily onpeople aged 26 and over.

14. Eighteenth-century moralist: You should never makean effort to acquire expensive new tastes, sincethey are a drain on your purse and in thecourse of acquiring them you may exposeyourself to sensations that are obnoxious toyou. Furthermore, the very effort that must beexpended in their acquisition attests theirsuperfluity.

The moralists reasoning is most vulnerable tocriticism on the grounds that the moralist

(A) draws a conclusion that simply restates a claimpresented in support of that conclusion

(B) takes for granted that the acquisition ofexpensive tastes will lead to financialirresponsibility

(C) uses the inherently vague term sensationswithout providing a definition of that term

(D) mistakes a cause of acquisition of expensivetastes for an effect of acquisition of such tastes

(E) rejects trying to achieve a goal because of thecost of achieving it, without considering thebenefits of achieving it

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15. Zacks Coffeehouse schedules free poetry readingsalmost every Wednesday. Zacks offers half-pricedcoffee all day on every day that a poetry reading isscheduled.

Which one of the following can be properly inferredfrom the information above?

(A) Wednesday is the most common day on whichZacks offers half-priced coffee all day.

(B) Most free poetry readings given at Zacks arescheduled for Wednesdays.

(C) Free poetry readings are scheduled on almostevery day that Zacks offers half-priced coffeeall day.

(D) Zacks offers half-priced coffee all day on mostif not all Wednesdays.

(E) On some Wednesdays Zacks does not offerhalf-priced coffee all day.

16. Philosopher: An event is intentional if it is a humanaction performed on the basis of a specificmotivation. An event is random if it is notperformed on the basis of a specificmotivation and it is not explainable by normalphysical processes.

Which one of the following inferences conformsmost closely to the philosophers position?

(A) Tarik left the keys untouched on the kitchencounter, but he did not do so on the basis of aspecific motivation. Therefore, the keysremaining on the kitchen counter was arandom event.

(B) Ellis tore the envelope open in order to read itscontents, but the envelope was empty.Nevertheless, because Ellis acted on the basisof a specific motivation, tearing the envelopeopen was an intentional event.

(C) Judiths hailing a cab distracted a driver in theleft lane. She performed the action of hailingthe cab on the basis of a specific motivation,so the drivers becoming distracted was anintentional event.

(D) Yasuko continued to breathe regularlythroughout the time that she was asleep. Thiswas a human action, but it was not performedon the basis of a specific motivation.Therefore, her breathing was a random event.

(E) Henry lost his hold on the wrench anddropped it because the handle was slippery.This was a human action and is explainableby normal physical processes, so it was anintentional event.

17. It is a mistake to conclude, as some have, that ancientpeople did not know what moral rights were simplybecause no known ancient language has anexpression correctly translatable as a moral right.This would be like saying that a person who discoversa wild fruit tree and returns repeatedly to harvestfrom it and study it has no idea what the fruit is untilnaming it or learning its name.

Which one of the following is an assumptionrequired by the argument?

(A) To know the name of something is to knowwhat that thing is.

(B) People who first discover what something isknow it better than do people who merelyknow the name of the thing.

(C) The name or expression that is used to identifysomething cannot provide any informationabout the nature of the thing that is identified.

(D) A person who repeatedly harvests from a wildfruit tree and studies it has some idea of whatthe fruit is even before knowing a name forthe fruit.

(E) One need not know what something is beforeone can name it.

18. There is little plausibility to the claim that it isabsurd to criticize anyone for being critical.Obviously, people must assess one another and notall assessments will be positive. However, there iswisdom behind the injunction against beingjudgmental. To be judgmental is not merely to assesssomeone negatively, but to do so prior to a seriouseffort at understanding.

Which one of the following most accurately expressesthe main conclusion drawn in the argument?

(A) To be judgmental is to assess someonenegatively prior to making a serious effort atunderstanding.

(B) It is absurd to criticize anyone for being critical. (C) There is some plausibility to the claim that it is

absurd to criticize anyone for being critical. (D) Not all assessments people make of one

another will be positive. (E) There is wisdom behind the injunction against

being judgmental.

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19. Even those who believe that the art of each age andculture has its own standards of beauty must admitthat some painters are simply superior to others in theexecution of their artistic visions. But this superioritymust be measured in light of the artists purposes, sincethe high merits, for example, of Jose Rey Toledos workand his extraordinary artistic skills are not in doubt,despite the fact that his paintings do not literallyresemble what they represent.

The claim that some painters are superior to othersin the execution of their artistic visions plays whichone of the following roles in the argument?

(A) It is a hypothesis that the argument attemptsto refute.

(B) It is a generalization, one sort of objection towhich the argument illustrates by givingan example.

(C) It is a claim that, according to the argument, isto be understood in a manner specified by theconclusion.

(D) It is a claim that the argument derives fromanother claim and that it uses to support itsconclusion.

(E) It is a generalization that the argument uses tojustify the relevance of the specific exampleit cites.

20. A study of rabbits in the 1940s convinced manybiologists that parthenogenesisreproductionwithout fertilization of an eggsometimes occurs inmammals. However, the studys methods have sincebeen shown to be flawed, and no other studies havesucceeded in demonstrating mammalianparthenogenesis. Thus, since parthenogenesis isknown to occur in a wide variety of nonmammalianvertebrates, there must be something aboutmammalian chromosomes that precludes thepossibility of parthenogenesis.

A flaw in the reasoning of the argument is that theargument

(A) takes for granted that something that has notbeen proven to be true is for that reasonshown to be false

(B) infers that a characteristic is shared by allnonmammalian vertebrate species merelybecause it is shared by some nonmammalianvertebrate species

(C) rules out an explanation of a phenomenonmerely on the grounds that there is anotherexplanation that can account for thephenomenon

(D) confuses a necessary condition forparthenogenesis with a sufficient conditionfor it

(E) assumes that the methods used in a study ofone mammalian species were flawed merelybecause the studys findings cannot begeneralized to all other mammalian species

21. Advertiser: Most TV shows depend on funding fromadvertisers and would be canceled without suchfunding. However, advertisers will not pay tohave their commercials aired during a TV showunless many people watching the show buy theadvertised products as a result. So if peoplegenerally fail to buy the products advertisedduring their favorite shows, these shows willsoon be canceled. Thus, anyone who feels that aTV show is worth preserving ought to buy theproducts advertised during that show.

The advertisers reasoning most closely conforms towhich one of the following principles?

(A) If a TV show that one feels to be worthpreserving would be canceled unless one tookcertain actions, then one ought to take thoseactions.

(B) If a TV show would be canceled unless manypeople took certain actions, then everyonewho feels that the show is worth preservingought to take those actions.

(C) If a TV show is worth preserving, then everyoneshould take whatever actions are necessary toprevent that show from being canceled.

(D) If one feels that a TV show is worthpreserving, then one should take at least someactions to reduce the likelihood that the showwill be canceled.

(E) If a TV show would be canceled unless manypeople took certain actions, then those whofeel most strongly that it is worth preservingshould take those actions.

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22. Psychologist: It is well known that becoming angryoften induces temporary incidents of highblood pressure. A recent study further showed,however, that people who are easily angeredare significantly more likely to havepermanently high blood pressure than arepeople who have more tranquil personalities.Coupled with the long-established fact thatthose with permanently high blood pressureare especially likely to have heart disease, therecent findings indicate that heart disease canresult from psychological factors.

Which one of the following would, if true, mostweaken the psychologists argument?

(A) Those who are easily angered are less likely torecover fully from episodes of heart diseasethan are other people.

(B) Medication designed to control high bloodpressure can greatly affect the moods of thosewho use it.

(C) People with permanently high blood pressurewho have tranquil personalities virtuallynever develop heart disease.

(D) Those who discover that they have heartdisease tend to become more easily frustratedby small difficulties.

(E) The physiological factors that causepermanently high blood pressure generallymake people quick to anger.

23. A professor of business placed a case-studyassignment for her class on her universitys computernetwork. She later found out that instead of readingthe assignment on the computer screen, 50 out of the70 students printed it out on paper. Thus, it is notthe case that books delivered via computer will makeprinted books obsolete.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthensthe argument?

(A) Several colleagues of the professor have foundthat, in their non-business courses, several oftheir students behave similarly in relation toassignments placed on the computer network.

(B) Studies consistently show that most computerusers will print reading material that is morethan a few pages in length rather than read iton the computer screen.

(C) Some people get impaired vision from longperiods of reading printed matter oncomputer screens, even if they use highquality computer screens.

(D) Scanning technology is very poor, causingbooks delivered via computer to be full oferrors unless editors carefully read thescanned versions.

(E) Books on cassette tape have only a small fractionof the sales of printed versions of the samebooks, though sales of videos of books thathave been turned into movies remain strong.

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24. Advertisement: Researchers studied a group ofpeople trying to lose weight and discoveredthat those in the group who lost the mostweight got more calories from protein thanfrom carbohydrates and ate their biggest mealearly in the day. So anyone who follows ourdiet, which provides more calories fromprotein than from anything else and whichrequires that breakfast be the biggest meal ofthe day, is sure to lose weight.

The reasoning in the advertisement is mostvulnerable to criticism on the grounds that theadvertisement overlooks the possibility that

(A) eating foods that derive a majority of theircalories from carbohydrates tends to make onefeel fuller than does eating foods that derive amajority of their calories from protein

(B) a few of the people in the group studied wholost significant amounts of weight got nearlyall of their calories from carbohydrates andate their biggest meal at night

(C) the people in the group studied who increasedtheir activity levels lost more weight, onaverage, than those who did not, regardless ofwhether they got more calories from proteinor from carbohydrates

(D) some people in the group studied lost noweight yet got more calories from proteinthan from carbohydrates and ate their biggestmeal early in the day

(E) people who eat their biggest meal at night tendto snack more during the day and so tend totake in more total calories than do peoplewho eat their biggest meal earlier in the day

25. Some twentieth-century art is great art. All great artinvolves original ideas, and any art that is notinfluential cannot be great art.

Each of the following statements follows logicallyfrom the set of statements above EXCEPT:

(A) Some influential art involves original ideas. (B) Some twentieth-century art involves original

ideas. (C) Only art that involves original ideas is

influential.(D) Only art that is influential and involves

original ideas is great art. (E) Some twentieth-century art is influential and

involves original ideas.

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S T O PIF YOU FINISH BEFORE TIME IS CALLED, YOU MAY CHECK YOUR WORK ON THIS SECTION ONLY.

DO NOT WORK ON ANY OTHER SECTION IN THE TEST.

2 -10- 2

Often when a highly skilled and experiencedemployee leaves one company to work for another,there is the potential for a transfer of sensitiveinformation between competitors. Two basic principlesin such cases appear irreconcilable: the right of thecompany to its intellectual propertyits proprietarydata and trade secretsand the right of individuals toseek gainful employment and to make free use of theirabilities. Nevertheless, the courts have often tried topreserve both parties legal rights by refusing toprohibit the employee from working for the competitor,but at the same time providing an injunction againstdisclosure of any of the former employers secrets. Ithas been argued that because such measures helpgenerate suspicions and similar psychological barriersto full and free utilization of abilities in the employeesnew situation, they are hardly effective in upholdingthe individuals rights to free employment decisions.But it is also doubtful that they are effective inpreserving trade secrets.

It is obviously impossible to divest oneself of thatpart of ones expertise that one has acquired fromformer employers and coworkers. Nor, in general, canone selectively refrain from its use, given that it hasbecome an integral part of ones total intellectualcapacity. Nevertheless, almost any such informationthat is not public knowledge may legitimately beclaimed as corporate property: normal employmentagreements provide for corporate ownership of allrelevant data, including inventions, generated by theemployee in connection with the companys business.

Once an employee takes a position with acompetitor, the trade secrets that have been acquired bythat employee may manifest themselves clearly andconsciously. This is what court injunctions seek toprohibit. But they are far more likely to manifestthemselves subconsciously and inconspicuouslyforexample, in ones daily decisions at the new post, or inthe many small contributions one might make to a largeteam effortoften in the form of an intuitive sense ofwhat to do or to avoid. Theoretically, an injunction alsoprohibits such inadvertent leakage. However, theformer employer faces the practical problem ofsecuring evidence of such leakage, for little willusually be apparent from the public activities of thenew employer. And even if the new employeesactivities appear suspicious, there is the furtherproblem of distinguishing trade secrets from what maybe legitimately asserted as technological skillsdeveloped independently by the employee or already

possessed by the new employer. This is a majorstumbling block in the attempt to protect trade secrets,since the proprietor has no recourse against others whoindependently generate the same information. It istherefore unlikely that an injunction against disclosureof trade secrets to future employers actually preventsany transfer of information except for the passage ofdocuments and other concrete embodiments of thesecrets.

1. Which one of the following most accurately expressesthe main point of the passage?

(A) There are more effective ways than courtinjunctions to preserve both a companysright to protect its intellectual property andindividuals rights to make free use of theirabilities.

(B) Court injunctions must be strengthened ifthey are to remain a relevant means ofprotecting corporations trade secrets.

(C) Enforcement of court injunctions designed toprotect proprietary information is impossiblewhen employees reveal such information tonew employers.

(D) Court injunctions prohibiting employees fromdisclosing former employers trade secrets tonew employers probably do not achieve all oftheir intended objectives.

(E) The rights of employees to make full use oftheir talents and previous training are beingseriously eroded by the prohibitions placedon them by court injunctions designed toprevent the transfer of trade secrets.

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SECTION II

Time35 minutes

27 Questions

Directions: Each set of questions in this section is based on a single passage or a pair of passages. The questions are to be answeredon the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage or pair of passages. For some of the questions, more than one of the choicescould conceivably answer the question. However, you are to choose the best answer; that is, the response that most accurately andcompletely answers the question, and blacken the corresponding space on your answer sheet.

22

(5)

(10)

(15)

(20)

(25)

(30)

(35)

(40)

(45)

(50)

(55)

2-11-22. Given the passages content and tone, which one of

the following statements would most likely be foundelsewhere in a work from which this passage is anexcerpt?

(A) Given the law as it stands, corporationsconcerned about preserving trade secretsmight be best served by giving theiremployees strong incentives to stay in theircurrent jobs.

(B) While difficult to enforce and interpret,injunctions are probably the most effectivemeans of halting the inadvertent transfer oftrade secrets while simultaneously protectingthe rights of employees.

(C) Means of redress must be made available tocompanies that suspect, but cannot prove,that former employees are revealing protectedinformation to competitors.

(D) Even concrete materials such as computerdisks are so easy to copy and conceal that itwill be a waste of time for courts to try toprevent the spread of information throughphysical theft.

(E) The psychological barriers that an injunctioncan place on an employee in a new workplaceare inevitably so subtle that they have noeffect on the employee.

3. The authors primary purpose in the passage is to

(A) suggest that injunctions against the disclosureof trade secrets not only create problems foremployees in the workplace, but also areunable to halt the illicit spread of proprietaryinformation

(B) suggest that the information contained indocuments and other concreteembodiments is usually so trivial thatinjunctions do little good in protectingintellectual property

(C) argue that new methods must be found toaddress the delicate balance betweencorporate and individual rights

(D) support the position that the concept ofprotecting trade secrets is no longer viable inan age of increasing access to information

(E) argue that injunctions are not necessary forthe protection of trade secrets

4. The passage provides the most support for which oneof the following assertions?

(A) Injunctions should be imposed by the courts onlywhen there is strong reason to believe that anemployee will reveal proprietary information.

(B) There is apparently no reliable way to protectboth the rights of companies to protect tradesecrets and the rights of employees to seeknew employment.

(C) Employees should not be allowed to take jobswith their former employers competitorswhen their new job could compromise tradesecrets of their former employers.

(D) The multiplicity of means for transferringinformation in the workplace only increasesthe need for injunctions.

(E) Some companies seek injunctions as a meansof punishing employees who take jobs withtheir competitors.

5. With which one of the following statements regardingdocuments and other concrete embodiments mentionedin line 58 would the author be most likely to agree?

(A) While the transfer of such materials would bedamaging, even the seemingly innocuouscontributions of an employee to a competitorcan do more harm in the long run.

(B) Such materials are usually less informativethan what the employee may recollect about aprevious job.

(C) Injunctions against the disclosure of tradesecrets should carefully specify whichmaterials are included in order to focus onthe most damaging ones.

(D) Large-scale transfer of documents and othermaterials cannot be controlled by injunctions.

(E) Such concrete materials lend themselves tocontrol and identification more readily thando subtler means of transferring information.

6. In the passage, the author makes which one of thefollowing claims?

(A) Injunctions against the disclosure of tradesecrets limit an employees chances of beinghired by a competitor.

(B) Measures against the disclosure of tradesecrets are unnecessary except in the case ofdocuments and other concrete embodimentsof the secrets.

(C) Employees who switch jobs to work for acompetitor usually unintentionally violate thelaw by doing so.

(D) Employers are not restricted in the tactics theycan use when seeking to secure protectedinformation from new employees.

(E) What may seem like intellectual theft may in factbe an example of independent innovation.

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2 -12- 2The following passages concern a plant called purpleloosestrife. Passage A is excerpted from a report issuedby a prairie research council; passage B from a journalof sociology.

Passage A

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), anaggressive and invasive perennial of Eurasian origin,arrived with settlers in eastern North America in theearly 1800s and has spread across the continentsmidlatitude wetlands. The impact of purple loosestrifeon native vegetation has been disastrous, with morethan 50 percent of the biomass of some wetlandcommunities displaced. Monospecific blocks of thisweed have maintained themselves for at least 20 years.Impacts on wildlife have not been well studied,but serious reductions in waterfowl and aquaticfurbearer productivity have been observed. Inaddition, several endangered species of vertebratesare threatened with further degradation of theirbreeding habitats. Although purple loosestrife caninvade relatively undisturbed habitats, the spread anddominance of this weed have been greatly acceleratedin disturbed habitats. While digging out the plantscan temporarily halt their spread, there has been littleresearch on long-term purple loosestrife control.Glyphosate has been used successfully, but nomeasure of the impact of this herbicide on nativeplant communities has been made.

With the spread of purple loosestrife growingexponentially, some form of integrated control isneeded. At present, coping with purple loosestrifehinges on early detection of the weeds arrival inareas, which allows local eradication to be carried outwith minimum damage to the native plant community.

Passage B

The war on purple loosestrife is apparentlyconducted on behalf of nature, an attempt to liberatethe biotic community from the tyrannical influence ofa life-destroying invasive weed. Indeed, purpleloosestrife control is portrayed by its practitioners asan environmental initiative intended to save naturerather than control it. Accordingly, the purpleloosestrife literature, scientific and otherwise,dutifully discusses the impacts of the weed onendangered speciesand on threatened biodiversitymore generally. Purple loosestrife is a pollution,according to the scientific community, and all ofnature suffers under its pervasive influence.

Regardless of the perceived and actual ecologicaleffects of the purple invader, it is apparent thatpopular pollution ideologies have been extended intothe wetlands of North America. Consequently, thescientific effort to liberate nature from purpleloosestrife has failed to decouple itself from itsphilosophical origin as an instrument to control natureto the satisfaction of human desires. Birds,particularly game birds and waterfowl, provide thebulk of the justification for loosestrife management.

However, no bird species other than the canvasbackhas been identified in the literature as endangered bypurple loosestrife. The impact of purple loosestrife onfurbearing mammals is discussed at great length,though none of the species highlighted (muskrat,mink) can be considered threatened in North America.What is threatened by purple loosestrife is theeconomics of exploiting such preferred species andthe millions of dollars that will be lost to theeconomies of the United States and Canada fromreduced hunting, trapping, and recreation revenuesdue to a decline in the production of the wetlandresource.

7. Both passages explicitly mention which one of thefollowing?

(A) furbearing animals (B) glyphosate (C) the threat purple loosestrife poses to economies (D) popular pollution ideologies (E) literature on purple loosestrife control

8. Each of the passages contains information sufficientto answer which one of the following questions?

(A) Approximately how long ago did purpleloosestrife arrive in North America?

(B) Is there much literature discussing thepotential benefit that hunters might derivefrom purple loosestrife management?

(C) What is an issue regarding purple loosestrifemanagement on which both hunters andfarmers agree?

(D) Is the canvasback threatened with extinctiondue to the spread of purple loosestrife?

(E) What is a type of terrain that is affected in atleast some parts of North America by thepresence of purple loosestrife?

9. It can be inferred that the authors would be mostlikely to disagree about which one of the following?

(A) Purple loosestrife spreads more quickly indisturbed habitats than in undisturbedhabitats.

(B) The threat posed by purple loosestrife to localaquatic furbearer populations is serious.

(C) Most people who advocate that eradicationmeasures be taken to control purpleloosestrife are not genuine in their concernfor the environment.

(D) The size of the biomass that has been displacedby purple loosestrife is larger than is generallythought.

(E) Measures should be taken to prevent othernon-native plant species from invading NorthAmerica.

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(65)

2-13-210. Which one of the following most accurately describes

the attitude expressed by the author of passage Btoward the overall argument represented by passage A?

(A) enthusiastic agreement (B) cautious agreement (C) pure neutrality (D) general ambivalence (E) pointed skepticism

11. It can be inferred that both authors would be mostlikely to agree with which one of the followingstatements regarding purple loosestrife?

(A) As it increases in North America, some wildlifepopulations tend to decrease.

(B) Its establishment in North America has had adisastrous effect on native North Americanwetland vegetation in certain regions.

(C) It is very difficult to control effectively withherbicides.

(D) Its introduction into North America was agreat ecological blunder.

(E) When it is eliminated from a given area, ittends to return to that area fairly quickly.

12. Which one of the following is true about therelationship between the two passages?

(A) Passage A presents evidence that directlycounters claims made in passage B.

(B) Passage B assumes what passage A explicitlyargues for.

(C) Passage B displays an awareness of thearguments touched on in passage A, but notvice versa.

(D) Passage B advocates a policy that passage Arejects.

(E) Passage A downplays the seriousness of claimsmade in passage B.

13. Which one of the following, if true, would cast doubton the argument in passage B but bolster theargument in passage A?

(A) Localized population reduction is often aprecursor to widespread endangerment of aspecies.

(B) Purple loosestrife was barely noticed in NorthAmerica before the advent of suburbansprawl in the 1950s.

(C) The amount by which overall hunting, trapping,and recreation revenues would be reduced as aresult of the extinction of one or more speciesthreatened by purple loosestrife represents asignificant portion of those revenues.

(D) Some environmentalists who advocate takingmeasures to eradicate purple loosestrife viewsuch measures as a means of controllingnature.

(E) Purple loosestrife has never become a problemin its native habitat, even though no effort hasbeen made to eradicate it there.

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2 -14- 2With their recognition of Maxine Hong Kingston

as a major literary figure, some critics have suggestedthat her works have been produced almost ex nihilo,saying that they lack a large traceable body of directliterary antecedents especially within the ChineseAmerican heritage in which her work is embedded. Butthese critics, who have examined only the developmentof written texts, the most visible signs of a culturesnarrative production, have overlooked Kingstonsconnection to the long Chinese tradition of a highlydeveloped genre of song and spoken narrative knownas talk-story (gong gu tsai).

Traditionally performed in the dialects of variousethnic enclaves, talk-story has been maintained withinthe confines of the family and has rarely surfaced intoprint. The tradition dates back to Sung dynasty(A.D. 9701279) storytellers in China, and in theUnited States it is continually revitalized by anoverlapping sequence of immigration from China.Thus, Chinese immigrants to the U.S. had a fullyestablished, sophisticated oral culture, already ancientand capable of producing masterpieces, by the timethey began arriving in the early nineteenth century.This transplanted oral heritage simply embraced newsubject matter or new forms of Western discourse, as inthe case of Kingstons adaptations written in English.

Kingston herself believes that as a literary artist sheis one in a long line of performers shaping arecalcitrant history into talk-story form. Shedistinguishes her thematic storytelling memoryprocesses, which sift and reconstruct the essentialelements of personally remembered stories, from thememory processes of a print-oriented culture thatemphasizes the retention of precise sequences ofwords. Nor does the entry of print into the storytellingprocess substantially change her notion of the characterof oral tradition. For Kingston, writer is synonymouswith singer or performer in the ancient sense ofprivileged keeper, transmitter, and creator of storieswhose current stage of development can be frozen inprint, but which continue to grow both around andfrom that frozen text.

Kingstons participation in the tradition oftalk-story is evidenced in her book China Men, whichutilizes forms typical of that genre and common tomost oral cultures including: a fixed grammar ofrepetitive themes; a spectrum of stock characters;symmetrical structures, including balanced oppositions(verbal or physical contests, antithetical characters,dialectical discourse such as question-answer formsand riddles); and repetition. In China Men, Kingstonalso succeeds in investing idiomatic English with theallusive texture and oral-aural qualities of the Chineselanguage, a language rich in aural and visual puns,making her work a written form of talk-story.

14. Which one of the following most accurately states themain point of the passage?

(A) Despite some critics comments, Kingstonswritings have significant Chinese Americanantecedents, which can be found in thetraditional oral narrative form known astalk-story.

(B) Analysis of Kingstons writings, especiallyChina Men, supports her belief that literaryartists can be performers who continue toreconstruct their stories even after they havebeen frozen in print.

(C) An understanding of Kingstons work and ofChinese American writers in general revealsthat critics of ethnic literatures in the UnitedStates have been mistaken in examining onlywritten texts.

(D) Throughout her writings Kingston usestechniques typical of the talk-story genre,especially the retention of certain aspects ofChinese speech in the written English text.

(E) The writings of Kingston have rekindled aninterest in talk-story, which dates back to theSung dynasty, and was extended to the UnitedStates with the arrival of Chinese immigrantsin the nineteenth century.

15. Which one of the following can be most reasonablyinferred from the passage?

(A) In the last few years, written forms oftalk-story have appeared in Chinese as oftenas they have in English.

(B) Until very recently, scholars have held that oralstorytelling in Chinese ethnic enclaves was aunique oral tradition.

(C) Talk-story has developed in the United Statesthrough a process of combining Chinese,Chinese American, and other oral storytellingforms.

(D) Chinese American talk-story relies uponmemory processes that do not emphasize theretention of precise sequences of words.

(E) The connection between certain aspects ofKingstons work and talk-story is argued bysome critics to be rather tenuous andquestionable.

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2-15-216. It can be inferred from the passage that the author

uses the phrase personally remembered stories(line 32) primarily to refer to

(A) a literary genre of first-person storytelling(B) a thematically organized personal narrative of

ones own past(C) partially idiosyncratic memories of narratives(D) the retention in memory of precise sequences

of words(E) easily identifiable thematic issues in literature

17. In which one of the following is the use of cotton fibersor cotton cloth most analogous to Kingstons use of theEnglish language as described in lines 5155?

(A) Scraps of plain cotton cloth are used to createa multicolored quilt.

(B) The surface texture of woolen cloth issimulated in a piece of cotton cloth by aspecial process of weaving.

(C) Because of its texture, cotton cloth is used for acertain type of clothes for which linen isinappropriate.

(D) In making a piece of cloth, cotton fiber issubstituted for linen because of the roughlysimilar texture of the two materials.

(E) Because of their somewhat similar textures,cotton and linen fibers are woven together ina piece of cloth to achieve a savings in priceover a pure linen cloth.

18. The passage most clearly suggests that Kingstonbelieves which one of the following about at leastsome of the stories contained in her writings?

(A) Since they are intimately tied to the nature ofthe Chinese language, they can beapproximated, but not adequately expressed,in English.

(B) They should be thought of primarily as ethnicliterature and evaluated accordingly by critics.

(C) They will likely be retold and altered to someextent in the process.

(D) Chinese American history is best chronicled bytraditional talk-story.

(E) Their significance and beauty cannot becaptured at all in written texts.

19. The authors argument in the passage would be mostweakened if which one of the following were true?

(A) Numerous writers in the United States havebeen influenced by oral traditions.

(B) Most Chinese American writers work is verydifferent from Kingstons.

(C) Native American storytellers use narrativedevices similar to those used in talk-story.

(D) China Men is for the most part atypical ofKingstons literary works.

(E) Literary critics generally appreciate theauthenticity of Kingstons work.

20. The authors specific purpose in detailing typicaltalk-story forms (lines 4351) is to

(A) show why Kingstons book China Menestablishes her as a major literary figure

(B) support the claim that Kingstons use oftypically oral techniques makes her work apart of the talk-story tradition

(C) dispute the critics view that Chinese Americanliterature lacks literary antecedents

(D) argue for Kingstons view that the literaryartist is at best a privileged keeper of stories

(E) provide an alternative to certain critics viewthat Kingstons work should be judgedprimarily as literature

21. Which one of the following most accurately identifiesthe attitude shown by the author in the passagetoward talk-story?

(A) scholarly appreciation for its longstandingartistic sophistication

(B) mild disappointment that it has notdistinguished itself from other oral traditions

(C) tentative approval of its resistance to criticalevaluations

(D) clear respect for the diversity of its ancientsources and cultural derivations

(E) open admiration for the way it uses song toexpress narrative

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2 -16- 2In economics, the term speculative bubble

refers to a large upward move in an assets pricedriven not by the assets fundamentalsthat is, bythe earnings derivable from the assetbut rather bymere speculation that someone else will be willing topay a higher price for it. The price increase is thenfollowed by a dramatic decline in price, due to a lossin confidence that the price will continue to rise, andthe bubble is said to have burst. According toCharles Mackays classic nineteenth-century account,the seventeenth-century Dutch tulip market providesan example of a speculative bubble. But theeconomist Peter Garber challenges Mackays view,arguing that there is no evidence that the Dutch tulipmarket really involved a speculative bubble.

By the seventeenth century, the Netherlands hadbecome a center of cultivation and development ofnew tulip varieties, and a market had developed inwhich rare varieties of bulbs sold at high prices. Forexample, a Semper Augustus bulb sold in 1625 for anamount of gold worth about U.S.$11,000 in 1999.Common bulb varieties, on the other hand, sold forvery low prices. According to Mackay, by 1636 rapidprice rises attracted speculators, and prices of manyvarieties surged upward from November 1636 throughJanuary 1637. Mackay further states that in February1637 prices suddenly collapsed; bulbs could not besold at 10 percent of their peak values. By 1739, theprices of all the most prized kinds of bulbs had fallento no more than one two-hundredth of 1 percent ofSemper Augustuss peak price.

Garber acknowledges that bulb prices increaseddramatically from 1636 to 1637 and eventuallyreached very low levels. But he argues that thisepisode should not be described as a speculativebubble, for the increase and eventual decline in bulbprices can be explained in terms of the fundamentals.Garber argues that a standard pricing pattern occursfor new varieties of flowers. When a particularlyprized variety is developed, its original bulb sells fora high price. Thus, the dramatic rise in the price ofsome original tulip bulbs could have resulted as tulipsin general, and certain varieties in particular, becamefashionable. However, as the prized bulbs becomemore readily available through reproduction from theoriginal bulb, their price falls rapidly; after less than30 years, bulbs sell at reproduction cost. But thisdoes not mean that the high prices of original bulbsare irrational, for earnings derivable from the millionsof bulbs descendent from the original bulbs can bevery high, even if each individual descendent bulbcommands a very low price. Given that an originalbulb can generate a reasonable return on investmenteven if the price of descendent bulbs decreasesdramatically, a rapid rise and eventual fall of tulipbulb prices need not indicate a speculative bubble.

22. Which one of the following most accurately expressesthe main point of the passage?

(A) The seventeenth-century Dutch tulip market iswidely but mistakenly believed by economiststo provide an example of a speculative bubble.

(B) Mackay did not accurately assess the earningsthat could be derived from rare and expensiveseventeenth-century Dutch tulip bulbs.

(C) A speculative bubble occurs whenever theprice of an asset increases substantiallyfollowed by a rapid and dramatic decline.

(D) Garber argues that Mackays classic account ofthe seventeenth-century Dutch tulip marketas a speculative bubble is not supported bythe evidence.

(E) A tulip bulb can generate a reasonable returnon investment even if the price starts veryhigh and decreases dramatically.

23. Given Garbers account of the seventeenth-centuryDutch tulip market, which one of the following ismost analogous to someone who bought a tulip bulbof a certain variety in that market at a very highprice, only to sell a bulb of that variety at a muchlower price?

(A) someone who, after learning that many othershad withdrawn their applications for aparticular job, applied for the job in the beliefthat there would be less competition for it

(B) an art dealer who, after paying a very highprice for a new painting, sells it at a very lowprice because it is now considered to be aninferior work

(C) someone who, after buying a box of raremotorcycle parts at a very high price, is forcedto sell them at a much lower price because ofthe sudden availability of cheap substitute parts

(D) a publisher who pays an extremely high pricefor a new novel only to sell copies at a priceaffordable to nearly everyone

(E) an airline that, after selling most of the ticketsfor seats on a plane at a very high price, mustsell the remaining tickets at a very low price

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22

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2-17-224. The passage most strongly supports the inference

that Garber would agree with which one of thefollowing statements?

(A) If speculative bubbles occur at all, they occurvery rarely.

(B) Many of the owners of high-priced originaltulip bulbs could have expected to at leastrecoup their original investments from salesof the many bulbs propagated from theoriginal bulbs.

(C) If there is not a speculative bubble in a market,then the level of prices in that market is notirrational.

(D) Most people who invested in Dutch tulip bulbsin the seventeenth century were generallyrational in all their investments.

(E) Mackay mistakenly infers from the fact thattulip prices dropped rapidly that the very lowprices that the bulbs eventually sold for wereirrational.

25. The passage states that Mackay claimed which one ofthe following?

(A) The rapid rise in price of Dutch tulip bulbswas not due to the fashionability of theflowers they produced.

(B) The prices of certain varieties of Dutch tulipbulbs during the seventeenth century were, atleast for a time, determined by speculation.

(C) The Netherlands was the only center ofcultivation and development of new tulipvarieties in the seventeenth century.

(D) The very high prices of bulbs in theseventeenth-century Dutch tulip market werenot irrational.

(E) Buyers of rare and very expensive Dutch tulipbulbs were ultimately able to derive earningsfrom bulbs descendent from the original bulbs.

26. The main purpose of the second paragraph is to

(A) present the facts that are accepted by allexperts in the field

(B) identify the mistake that one scholar allegesanother scholar made

(C) explain the basis on which one scholar makesan inference with which another scholardisagrees

(D) undermine the case that one scholar makes forthe claim with which another scholardisagrees

(E) outline the factual errors that led one scholarto draw the inference that he drew

27. The phrase standard pricing pattern as used inline 38 most nearly means a pricing pattern

(A) against which other pricing patterns are to bemeasured

(B) that conforms to a commonly agreed-uponcriterion

(C) that is merely acceptable (D) that regularly recurs in certain types of cases (E) that serves as an exemplar

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S T O PIF YOU FINISH BEFORE TIME IS CALLED, YOU MAY CHECK YOUR WORK ON THIS SECTION ONLY.

DO NOT WORK ON ANY OTHER SECTION IN THE TEST.

33 -18-

1. Aristophanes play The Clouds, which was writtenwhen the philosopher Socrates was in his mid-forties,portrays Socrates as an atheistic philosopherprimarily concerned with issues in natural science.The only other surviving portrayals of Socrates werewritten after Socrates death at age 70. Theyportrayed Socrates as having a religious dimensionand a strong focus on ethical issues.

Which one of the following, if true, would most help toresolve the apparent discrepancy between Aristophanesportrayal of Socrates and the other surviving portrayals?

(A) Aristophanes portrayal of Socrates in TheClouds was unflattering, whereas the otherportrayals were very flattering.

(B) Socrates philosophical views and interestschanged sometime after his mid-forties.

(C) Most of the philosophers who lived beforeSocrates were primarily concerned withnatural science.

(D) Socrates was a much more controversial figurein the years before his death than he was inhis mid-forties.

(E) Socrates had an influence on many subsequentphilosophers who were primarily concernedwith natural science.

2. Board member: The J Foundation, a philanthropicorganization, gave you this grant on thecondition that your resulting work not containany material detrimental to the J Foundationsreputation. But your resulting work nevermentions any of the laudable achievements ofour foundation. Hence your work fails to meetthe conditions under which the grant was made.

The reasoning in the board members argument isvulnerable to criticism on the grounds that theargument

(A) takes for granted that a work that nevermentions any laudable achievements cannotbe of high intellectual value

(B) confuses a condition necessary for the receiptof a grant with a condition sufficient for thereceipt of a grant

(C) presumes, without providing justification, thata work that does not mention a foundationslaudable achievements is harmful to thatfoundations reputation

(D) fails to consider that recipients of a grant usuallystrive to meet a foundations conditions

(E) fails to consider the possibility that the work thatwas produced with the aid of the grant mayhave met all conditions other than avoidingdetriment to the J Foundations reputation

3. Psychiatrist: Breaking any habit is difficult, especiallywhen it involves an addictive substance. Peoplewho break a habit are more likely to bemotivated by immediate concerns than bylong-term ones. Therefore, people who succeedin breaking their addiction to smokingcigarettes are more likely to be motivated bythe social pressure against smokingwhich isan immediate concernthan by healthconcerns, since _______.

The conclusion of the psychiatrists argument is moststrongly supported if which one of the followingcompletes the argument?

(A) a habit that involves an addictive substance islikely to pose a greater health threat than ahabit that does not involve any addictivesubstance

(B) for most people who successfully quit smoking,smoking does not create an immediate healthconcern at the time they quit

(C) some courses of action that exacerbate healthconcerns can also relieve social pressure

(D) most people who succeed in quitting smokingsucceed only after several attempts

(E) everyone who succeeds in quitting smoking ismotivated either by social pressure or byhealth concerns

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SECTION III

Time35 minutes

25 Questions

Directions: The questions in this section are based on the reasoning contained in brief statements or passages. For somequestions, more than one of the choices could conceivably answer the question. However, you are to choose the best answer; thatis, the response that most accurately and completely answers the question. You should not make assumptions that are bycommonsense standards implausible, superfluous, or incompatible with the passage. After you have chosen the best answer, blacken the corresponding space on your answer sheet.

33 3

3-19-34. Cassie: In order to improve the quality of customer

service provided by our real estate agency, weshould reduce client loadsthe number ofclients each agent is expected to serve at onetime.

Melvin: Although smaller client loads are desirable,reducing client loads at our agency is simplynot feasible. We already find it very difficult torecruit enough qualified agents; recruitingeven more agents, which would be necessary inorder to reduce client loads, is out of thequestion.

Of the following, which one, if true, is the logicallystrongest counter that Cassie can make to Melvinsargument?

(A) Since reducing client loads would improveworking conditions for agents, reducing clientloads would help recruit additional qualifiedagents to the real estate agency.

(B) Many of the real estate agencys current clientshave expressed strong support for efforts toreduce client loads.

(C) Several recently conducted studies of realestate agencies have shown that small clientloads are strongly correlated with highcustomer satisfaction ratings.

(D) Hiring extra support staff for the real estateagencys main office would have many of thesame beneficial effects as reducing clientloads.

(E) Over the last several years, it has becomeincreasingly challenging for the real estateagency to recruit enough qualified agents justto maintain current client loads.

5. The star-nosed mole has a nose that ends in a pair ofseveral-pointed stars, or tentacles that are crucial forhunting, as moles are poor-sighted. These tentaclescontain receptors that detect electric fields producedby other animals, enabling the moles to detect andcatch suitable prey such as worms and insects.

Which one of the following is most stronglysupported by the information above?

(A) Both worms and insects produce electric fields. (B) The star-nosed mole does not rely at all on its

eyesight for survival. (C) The star-nosed mole does not rely at all on its

sense of smell when hunting. (D) Only animals that hunt have noses with

tentacles that detect electric fields.(E) The star-nosed mole does not produce an

electric field.

6. In her recent book a psychologist described severalcases that exhibit the following pattern: A child,denied something by its parent, initiates problematicbehavior such as screaming; the behavior escalatesuntil finally the exasperated parent acquiesces to thechilds demand. At this point the child, havingobtained the desired goal, stops the problematicbehavior, to the parents relief. This self-reinforcingpattern of misbehavior and accommodation isrepeated with steadily increasing levels ofmisbehavior by the child.

The cases described by the psychologist illustrateeach of the following generalizations EXCEPT:

(A) A child can develop problematic behaviorpatterns as a result of getting what it wants.

(B) A child and parent can mutually influence eachothers behavior.

(C) Parents, by their choices, can inadvertentlyincrease their childs level of misbehavior.

(D) A child can unintentionally influence aparents behavior in ways contrary to thechilds intended goals.

(E) A child can get what it wants by doing what itsparent doesnt want it to do.

7. Scientist: In our study, chemical R did not causecancer in laboratory rats. But we cannotconclude from this that chemical R is safe forhumans. After all, many substances known tobe carcinogenic to humans cause no cancer inrats; this is probably because some carcinogenscause cancer only via long-term exposure andrats are short lived.

Which one of the following most precisely describesthe role played in the scientists argument by thestatement that chemical R did not cause cancer inlaboratory rats?

(A) It is cited as evidence against the conclusionthat chemical R is safe for humans.

(B) It is advanced to support the contention thattest results obtained from laboratory ratscannot be extrapolated to humans.

(C) It illustrates the claim that rats are too shortlived to be suitable as test subjects for thecarcinogenic properties of substances towhich humans are chronically exposed.

(D) It is used as evidence to support the hypothesisthat chemical R causes cancer in humans vialong-term exposure.

(E) It is cited as being insufficient to support theconclusion that chemical R is safe for humans.

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33 -20-8. Department store manager: There is absolutely no

reason to offer our customers free giftwrapping again this holiday season. If mostcustomers take the offer, it will be expensiveand time-consuming for us. On the otherhand, if only a few customers want it, there isno advantage in offering it.

Which one of the following is an assumption requiredby the department store managers argument?

(A) Gift wrapping would cost the store moreduring this holiday season than in previousholiday seasons.

(B) Anything that slows down shoppers during theholiday season costs the store money.

(C) It would be to the stores advantage to chargecustomers for gift wrapping services.

(D) It would be expensive to inform customersabout the free gift wrapping service.

(E) Either few customers would want free giftwrapping or most customers would want it.

9. Among people who have a history of chronic troublefalling asleep, some rely only on sleeping pills to helpthem fall asleep, and others practice behaviormodification techniques and do not take sleepingpills. Those who rely only on behavior modificationfall asleep more quickly than do those who rely onlyon sleeping pills, so behavior modification is moreeffective than are sleeping pills in helping people tofall asleep.

Which one of the following, if true, most weakens theargument?

(A) People who do not take sleeping pills spend atleast as many total hours asleep each night asdo the people who take sleeping pills.

(B) Most people who have trouble falling asleep andwho use behavior modification techniques fallasleep more slowly than do most people whohave no trouble falling asleep.

(C) Many people who use only behaviormodification techniques to help them fallasleep have never used sleeping pills.

(D) The people who are the most likely to takesleeping pills rather than practice behaviormodification techniques are those who havepreviously had the most trouble falling asleep.

(E) The people who are the most likely to practicebehavior modification techniques rather thantake sleeping pills are those who prefer not touse drugs if other treatments are available.

10. Lawyer: This witness acknowledges being present atthe restaurant and watching when my client, afamous television personality, was assaulted.Yet the witness claims to recognize theassailant, but not my famous client. Therefore,the witnesss testimony should be excluded.

The lawyers conclusion follows logically if which oneof the following is assumed?

(A) If a witness claims to recognize both partiesinvolved in an assault, then the witnessstestimony should be included.

(B) There are other witnesses who can identify thelawyers client as present during the assault.

(C) It is impossible to determine whether thewitness actually recognized the assailant.

(D) The testimony of a witness to an assault shouldbe included only if the witness claims torecognize both parties involved in the assault.

(E) It is unlikely that anyone would fail torecognize the lawyers client.

11. Biologist: Many paleontologists have suggested thatthe difficulty of adapting to ice ages wasresponsible for the evolution of the humanbrain. But this suggestion must be rejected, formost other animal species adapted to ice ageswith no evolutionary changes to their brains.

The biologists argument is most vulnerable tocriticism on which one of the following grounds?

(A) It fails to address adequately the possibilitythat even if a condition is sufficient toproduce an effect in a species, it may not benecessary to produce that effect in thatspecies.

(B) It fails to address adequately the possibilitythat a condition can produce a change in aspecies even if it does not produce thatchange in other species.

(C) It overlooks the possibility that a conditionthat is needed to produce a change in onespecies is not needed to produce a similarchange in other species.

(D) It presumes without warrant that humanbeings were presented with greater difficultiesduring ice ages than were individuals of mostother species.

(E) It takes for granted that, if a conditioncoincided with the emergence of a certainphenomenon, that condition must have beencausally responsible for the phenomenon.

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3-21-312. The total number of book titles published annually

in North America has approximately quadrupledsince television first became available. Retail sales ofnew titles, as measured in copies, increased rapidly inthe early days of television, though the rate ofincrease has slowed in recent years. Librarycirculation has been flat or declining in recent years.

Which one of the following is most stronglysupported by the information above?

(A) Television has, over the years, brought about areduction in the amount of per capita readingin North America.

(B) The introduction of television usually bringsabout a decrease in library use.

(C) Book publishers in North America now sellfewer copies per title than they sold in theearly days of television.

(D) The availability of television does not alwayscause a decline in the annual number of booktitles published or in the number of books sold.

(E) The introduction of television expanded themarket for books in North America.

13. Botanist: It has long been believed that people withchildren or pets should keep poinsettia plantsout of their homes. Although this belief hasbeen encouraged by child-rearing books,which commonly list poinsettias as poisonousand therefore dangerous, it is mistaken. Ourresearch has shown, conclusively, thatpoinsettias pose no risk to children or pets.

Which one of the following most accurately expressesthe conclusion drawn in the botanists argument?

(A) Child-rearing books should encourage peoplewith children to put poinsettias in their homes.

(B) Poinsettias are not dangerously poisonous. (C) According to many child-rearing books,

poinsettias are dangerous. (D) The belief that households with children or

pets should not have poinsettias is mistaken. (E) Poinsettias pose no risk to children or pets.

14. Archaeologist: An ancient stone building at ourexcavation site was composed of three kinds ofstonequartz, granite, and limestone. Ofthese, only limestone occurs naturally in thearea. Most of the buildings at the site from thesame time period had limestone as their onlystone component, and most were humandwellings. Therefore, the building we arestudying probably was not a dwelling.

Which one of the following, if true, would moststrengthen the archaeologists reasoning?

(A) Most of the buildings that were used asdwellings at the site were made, at least inpart, of limestone.

(B) Most of the buildings at the site that were notdwellings were made, at least in part, fromtypes of stone that do not occur naturally inthe area.

(C) Most of the buildings that were built fromstones not naturally occurring in the areawere not built with both quartz and granite.

(D) Most of the buildings at the site were used asdwellings.

(E) No quartz has been discovered on the site otherthan that found in the building being studied.

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33 -22-15. Theodore will be able to file his tax return on time only

in the event that he has an accountant prepare his taxreturn and the accountant does not ask Theodore forany additional documentation of his businessexpenses. If he does have an accountant prepare hisreturn, the accountant will necessarily ask Theodore toprovide this additional documentation. Therefore,Theodore will not be able to file on time.

The pattern of reasoning in which one of thefollowing arguments most closely parallels thepattern of reasoning in the argument above?

(A) Given the demands of Timothys job, his nextfree evening will occur next Friday. Since hespent a lot of money on his last evening out,he will probably decide to spend his next freeevening at home. Therefore, Timothy willprobably be at home next Friday evening.

(B) Tovah cannot attend the concert next week ifshe is away on business. If she misses thatconcert, she will not have anotheropportunity to attend a concert this month.Since she will be away on business, Tovah willnot be able to attend a concert this month.

(C) Marks children will not be content thisweekend unless he lets them play video gamessome of the time. Mark will let them playvideo games, but only at times when he hasno other activities planned. Therefore, unlessMark and his children take a break fromplanned activities, Marks children will not becontent this weekend.

(D) If Teresa is not seated in first class on herairline flight, she will be seated in businessclass. Therefore, since she cannot be seated infirst class on that flight, she will necessarily beseated in business class.

(E) Susannah will have a relaxing vacation only ifher children behave especially well and shedoes not start to suspect that they areplanning some mischief. Since she willcertainly start to suspect that they areplanning some mischief if they behaveespecially well, Susannahs vacation cannotpossibly be relaxing.

16. When a threat to life is common, as are automobileand industrial accidents, only unusual instances tendto be prominently reported by the news media.Instances of rare threats, such as product tampering,however, are seen as news by reporters and areuniversally reported in featured stories. People ingeneral tend to estimate the risk of various threats byhow frequently those threats come to their attention.

If the statements above are true, which one of thefollowing is most strongly supported on the basis ofthem?

(A) Whether governmental action will be taken tolessen a common risk depends primarily onthe prominence given to the risk by the newsmedia.

(B) People tend to magnify the risk of a threat ifthe threat seems particularly dreadful or ifthose who would be affected have no controlover it.

(C) Those who get their information primarilyfrom the news media tend to overestimate therisk of uncommon threats relative to the riskof common threats.

(D) Reporters tend not to seek out informationabout long-range future threats but toconcentrate their attention on the immediatepast and future.

(E) The resources that are spent on avoidingproduct tampering are greater than theresources that are spent on avoiding threatsthat stem from the weather.

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3-23-317. Real estate agent: Upon selling a home, the sellers are

legally entitled to remove any items that arenot permanent fixtures. Legally, largeappliances like dishwashers are not permanentfixtures. However, since many prospectivebuyers of the home are likely to assume thatlarge appliances in the home would beincluded with its purchase, sellers who will bekeeping the appliances are morally obligedeither to remove them before showing thehome or to indicate in some other way that theappliances are not included.

Which one of the following principles, if valid, mosthelps to justify the real estate agents argumentation?

(A) If a homes sellers will be keeping anybelongings that prospective buyers of thehome might assume would be included withthe purchase of the home, the sellers aremorally obliged to indicate clearly that thosebelongings are not included.

(B) A homes sellers are morally obliged to ensurethat prospective buyers of the home do notassume that any large appliances arepermanent fixtures in the home.

(C) A homes sellers are morally obliged to includewith the sale of the home at least some of theappliances that are not permanent fixturesbut were in the home when it was shown toprospective buyers.

(D) A homes sellers are morally obliged not todeliberately mislead any prospective buyers oftheir home about which belongings areincluded with the sale of the home and whichare not.

(E) If a homes sellers have indicated in some waythat a large appliance is included with thehomes purchase, then they are morallyobliged not to remove that appliance aftershowing the home.

18. Many parents rigorously organize their childrensactivities during playtime, thinking that doing so willenhance their childrens cognitive development. Butthis belief is incorrect. To thoroughly structure achilds playtime and expect this to produce a creativeand resourceful child would be like expecting a goodnovel to be produced by someone who was toldexactly what the plot and characters must be.

The argument is most vulnerable to criticism onwhich one of the following grounds?

(A) It takes for granted that if something isconducive to a certain goal it cannot also beconducive to some other goal.

(B) It overlooks the possibility that many childrenenjoy rigorously organized playtime.

(C) It takes a necessary condition for somethingsenhancing a childs creativity andresourcefulness to be a sufficient conditionfor its doing so.

(D) It fails to consider the possibility that beingable to write a good novel requires somethingmore than creativity and resourcefulness.

(E) It fails to consider the possibility thatsomething could enhance a childs overallcognitive development without enhancing thechilds creativity and resourcefulness.

19. Bureaucrat: The primary, constant goal of an idealbureaucracy is to define and classify allpossible problems and set out regulationsregarding each eventuality. Also, an idealbureaucracy provides an appeal procedure forany complaint. If a complaint reveals anunanticipated problem, the regulations areexpanded to cover the new issue, and for thisreason an ideal bureaucracy will have an ever-expanding system of regulations.

Which one of the following is an assumption thebureaucrats argument requires?

(A) An ideal bureaucracy will provide an appealprocedure for complaints even after it hasdefined and classified all possible problems andset out regulations regarding each eventuality.

(B) For each problem that an ideal bureaucracyhas defined and classified, the bureaucracyhas received at least one complaint revealingthat problem.

(C) An ideal bureaucracy will never bepermanently without complaints aboutproblems that are not covered by thatbureaucracys regulations.

(D) An ideal bureaucracy can reach its primarygoal if, but only if, its system of regulations isalways expanding to cover problems that hadnot been anticipated.

(E) Any complaint that an ideal bureaucracyreceives will reveal an unanticipated problemthat the bureaucracy is capable of definingand classifying.

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33 -24-20. Scientists studying a common type of bacteria have

discovered that most bacteria of that type are inhibernation at any given time. Some microbiologistshave concluded from this that bacteria in general areusually in hibernation. This conclusion would bereasonable if all types of bacteria were rather similar.But, in fact, since bacteria are extremely diverse, it isunlikely that most types of bacteria hibernate regularly.

Which one of the following most accurately expressesthe overall conclusion of the argument?

(A) Bacteria of most types are usually inhibernation.

(B) It is probably not true that most types ofbacteria hibernate regularly.

(C) If bacteria are extremely diverse, it is unlikelythat most types of bacteria hibernateregularly.

(D) The conclusion that bacteria in general areusually in hibernation would be reasonable ifall types of bacteria were rather similar.

(E) It is likely that only one type of bacteriahibernates regularly.

21. Any student who is not required to hand in writtenhomework based on the reading assignments in acourse will not complete all of the readingassignments. Even highly motivated students willneglect their reading assignments if they are notrequired to hand in written homework. Therefore, ifthe students in a course are given several readingassignments and no written assignments, no studentin that course will receive a high grade for the course.

The conclusion of the argument follows logically ifwhich one of the following is assumed?

(A) No student who completes anything less thanall of the reading assignments for a coursewill earn a high grade for that course.

(B) Any student who completes all of the readingand written assignments for a course will earna high grade in that course.

(C) All highly motivated students who complete allof the reading assignments for a course willreceive high grades for that course.

(D) If highly motivated students are required tohand in written homework on their readingassignments, then they will complete all oftheir reading assignments.

(E) Some highly motivated students will earn highgrades in a course if they are required to handin written homework on their readingassignments.

22. In a study, one group of volunteers was fed a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet; another group wasfed a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet. Both dietscontained the same number of calories, and eachvolunteers diet prior to the experiment hadcontained moderate levels of proteins andcarbohydrates. After ten days, those on the low-carbohydrate diet had lost more weight than thoseon the high-carbohydrate diet. Thus, the mosteffective way to lose body fat is to eat much proteinand shun carbohydrates.

Which one of the following, if true, most weakens theargument above?

(A) A low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet causesthe human body to retain water, the addedweight of which largely compensates for theweight of any body fat lost, whereas a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet does not.

(B) Many people who consume large quantities ofprotein nevertheless gain significant amountsof body fat.

(C) A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet willoften enable the human body to convert somebody fat into muscle, without causing anysignificant overall weight loss.

(D) In the experiment, the volunteers on the high-carbohydrate die