38. Anuj wants to lose about 15 pounds. He knows several people who have lost 10 to 20 pounds in just one month with a particular over-the-counter diet pill. Anuj plans to buy the diet pill in order to lose 15 pounds in the same time period. Based on the previous information, for Anuj’s plan to succeed, which of the following must be true? a. Anuj’s body type, exercise regimen, and diet must be similar to those of the people who lost 15 pounds with the pill. b. Anuj must avoid certain foods that may counteract the effectiveness of the pill. c. Anuj must take the diet pill at the same time every day. d. Anuj must adjust his diet to include more protein and fewer carbohydrates. e. Anuj must monitor his weight loss very carefully. 39. In her old apartment, Hermione had trouble sleeping. She had difficulty falling asleep and would wake up several times in the night. Since Hermione moved from that apartment into her new home, she has been sleeping better. She is able to fall asleep quickly and usually stays asleep through the night. All of the following, if true, could account for the phenomenon described in the passage EXCEPT a. Hermione had loud neighbors when she lived in the apartment. b. Hermione was suffering from anxiety about buying a house and moving. c. Hermione discovered that she was allergic to cats and gave her cat away when she moved. d. Hermione’s apartment building was constructed prior to 1940, when stricter building codes were put into law. e. Hermione was having difficulties in her relationship with her boyfriend right before she moved. 40. Toby has breakfast at Good Eats Diner every morning before work. He always orders the same thing: two eggs over easy with three strips of extra crispy bacon, unbuttered wheat toast, and a large coffee. Today, he ordered a bagel with light cream cheese and a large orange juice. Something must be wrong with Toby. All of the following, if true, are also plausible explanations for Toby’s behavior EXCEPT a. Toby has decided to limit the cholesterol in his diet. b. a new cook started at Good Eats today. c. Toby simply wanted a change of pace. d. Toby has gone on a diet. e. Toby has decided to become a vegetarian. 41. Zsa Zsa has just opened a beauty salon in her neighborhood. The neighborhood already has two salons — one that caters mostly to older women and one that seems to cater to a general clientele. Zsa Zsa has decided to cater to young clientele to create a niche for herself in the neighborhood. Zsa Zsa’s plan of action is based on all of the following assumptions EXCEPT a. enough young people live in the neighborhood to establish a large enough client base. b. Zsa Zsa can provide the styles and services that will appeal to younger customers. c. younger clients in Zsa Zsa’s neighborhood will be able to afford her services. d. Zsa Zsa will establish friendly relationships with the owners of the other salons. e. young clients desire services and styles that are not available at the other salons. – VERBAL SECTION PRACTICE TEST– 183 42. Mary Shelley’s 1818 classic Frankenstein has been the most-taught novel on college campuses in the country for the past 10 years. This is due primarily to the worries about scientific responsibility brought on by the recent surge of advances in science and technology, especially biotechnology. Which of the following statements, if true, would be most helpful in evaluating this argument? a. Frankenstein is considered the first science-fiction novel. b. Most people who have not read the novel mistakenly assume that Frankenstein is the monster, not the scientist who created the monster. c. In the novel, Victor Frankenstein creates a monster and then abandons it, refusing to take responsi- bility for his creation. d. In the novel, Frankenstein’s creature causes a great deal of destruction because he is constantly rejected by others. e. Most Americans are opposed to cloning human beings. 43. Arthur: Do animals have rights? Well, they have feelings, and I think if you can feel pain, you do have some rights, particularly the right not to have pain inflicted on you. Brandon: Animals like lions would kill me if they were hungry for food. That inflicts pain on me, all right! Which of the following is the best criticism of Brandon’s response? a. He assumes that because some animals kill humans, humans have a right to kill those animals. b. He does not give specific examples to support his position. c. He attacks Arthur rather than addressing the issue. d. He takes an absolute position without allowing for exceptions. e. He brings in a different issue rather than addressing the question of whether or not animals have rights. 44. People who own dangerous pets such as poisonous snakes or ferocious dogs are morally and legally responsible for their pet’s actions. If someone is hurt by such a pet, the owner should be held 100% accountable. All of the following statements, if true, would strengthen this argument EXCEPT a. the physical whereabouts of pets are completely under the control of their owners. b. a pet is the legal property of a person, and people are responsible for damages inflicted by their property. c. a pet is like a young child in that its whereabouts must constantly be controlled and behaviors trained and monitored. d. pet owners cannot completely control their pets’ behaviors. e. a dangerous pet is no different from a dangerous weapon, and it must be cared for accordingly. – VERBAL SECTION PRACTICE TEST– 184 45. Since Lotta came out of her shell, she has made a lot of new friends. Which of the following is the best criticism of this statement? a. Lotta may have come out of her shell because she made new friends. b. Lotta may have come out of her shell because of accomplishments at her new job. c. Lotta may not have very close relationships with any of these new friends. d. Lotta often has periods of introversion. e. Lotta is a very likeable person. 46. All across Europe, midwives are the most common choice for prenatal care and delivery. In America, however, midwives are the minority, with most women choosing obstetricians to help them deliver their babies. But using midwives could save millions of dollars a year in healthcare costs. All of the following information would be helpful in evaluating this argument EXCEPT a. a comparison of the cost of an obstetrician birth and a midwife birth. b. a comparison of the percentage of costly procedures such as episiotomies and Caesarian sections in midwife- and obstetrician-led births. c. a description of the author’s experience with a midwife. d. a comparison of the procedures in an obstetrician birth and midwife birth. e. a description of how midwives are used in healthcare systems in other countries. 47. Increasing the speed limit to 65 miles per hour or more on highways is dangerous and only leads to more accidents. Whenever the highway speed has been increased, accident rates have increased in that state. Maine raised its turnpike speed to 65 mph in November, and more fatal accidents occurred in December than any other month in the year. Highway fatalities in December and January combined were up 18% from November. All of the following are valid criticisms of this argument EXCEPT a. it does not explain why the speed limit was originally set at 55 mph. b. it does not specify whether the accident rate increase was in accidents only on the highways where the speed limit was increased or on all highways. c. it does not consider other possible causes for increases in accidents, such as winter weather driving conditions in Maine. d. it only cites statistics for one state. e. it does not acknowledge that speed is not the only cause of accidents. 48. Don’t be surprised if we have an unusually cold winter this year. The last time we had a very cold win- ter was 12 years ago, and the last time before that was 12 years earlier, and the time before that was also 12 years earlier. Brace yourself for another cold one. Which of the following would most strengthen this argument? a. a chart showing the average temperature of winters over the last 11 years. b. a chart comparing the actual winter temperatures to predictions for the last 36 years. c. a chart with the average winter temperatures for the last 36 years. d. weather predictions from the National Weather Center. e. a discussion of weather patterns that create colder winters. – VERBAL SECTION PRACTICE TEST– 185 49. The main principle of feng shui is that our environment must be ordered to permit and encourage the free flow of energy. One of the fundamental steps is to eliminate clutter, which blocks the flow of energy. Based upon the previous information, which of the following statements is also likely to be true? a. Proper ventilation will improve the flow of energy. b. Objects should be dispersed as evenly as possible around the room. c. Square objects should be placed in corners. d. Walls should be kept bare except for mirrors. e. Light colored paints are best. 50. Of course, the Task Force on Crime is going to conclude that crime is on the way up. If they conclude it’s on the way down, they would have to disband, wouldn’t they? Which of the following assumptions is most pivotal to this argument? a. The Task Force is more concerned with its own existence than with carrying out its mission. b. The Task Force is led by an adversary of the speaker. c. The speaker was not asked to serve on the Task Force. d. The speaker’s leadership ability will be questioned by the findings of the Task Force. e. The Task Force wants to hire more police officers and other law enforcement personnel. Sentence Correction Directions: Each of the following questions presents a sentence, part or all of which is underlined. After the sentence, you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined portion. The first choice repeats the original; the other four choices present different options for phrasing the underlined text. Determine which choice best expresses the idea in the underlined text. If you think the original is best, choose option a. These questions test both the correctness and overall effectiveness of expression. When choosing your answer, pay attention to grammar, sentence construction, and word choice and style. The correct answer is the one that is clear, pre- cise, concise, and free of grammatical errors. 51. P resumed to be genetic or partially genetic in origin, about three in every 100 children are born with a se vere disorder. a. Presumed to be genetic or partially genetic in origin, about three in every 100 children are born with a severe disorder. b. Born with a severe disorder presumed to be genetic or partially genetic in origin, are about three in every 100 children. c. About three in every 100 children are born with a severe disorder presumed to be genetic or par- tially genetic in origin. d. About three in every 100 children, presumed to be genetic or partially genetic in origin, are born with a severe disorder. e. Severe disorders that are presumed to be genetic or partially genetic in origin are found in about three in every 100 children who are born. – VERBAL SECTION PRACTICE TEST– 186 52. By using tiny probes as neural prostheses, surgeons may be able to restore nerve function in quadriple- gics and make the blind see or the deaf hear. a. By using tiny probes as neural prostheses, b. Through the use of tiny probes used as neural prostheses, c. By using tiny probes, which will function as neural prostheses; d. As neural prostheses, and by using tiny probes, e. Since the use of tiny probes as neural prostheses, 53. The situation is too serious t o guess hazardously, we ne ed more data to draw a real conclusion. a. to guess hazardously, we need b. to hazard a guess; we need c. to be hazardous with a guess; we need d. to hazard guessing, we need e. for guessing hazardously; we need 54. M edical waste is g enerally collected by gravity chutes, carts, or pneumatic tubes, each of which have their own advantages and disadvantages. a. Medical waste is generally collected by gravity chutes, carts, or pneumatic tubes, each of which have their own advantages and disadvantages. b. Collected by gravity chutes, carts, or pneumatic tubes, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages, is medical waste. c. Medical waste is generally collected by gravity chutes, carts, or pneumatic tubes are also used, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. d. Medical waste is generally collected by gravity chutes, carts, or pneumatic tubes, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. e. There are advantages and disadvantages for each means of collection of medical waste, including gravity chutes, carts, and pneumatic tubes. 55. Because the Dvorak keyboard puts vowels and other frequently used letters right under the fingers on home row, where typists make 70% of their keystrokes, p eople can type 20% to 30% faster and make 50% less errors. a. people can type 20% to 30% faster and make 50% less errors. b. people can type making 50% less errors and 20% to 30% faster. c. people can type 20% to 30% faster and make 50% fewer errors. d. people can type faster (20% to30%), making errors less than 50% of the time. e. people can type 20% to 30% faster while making 50% errors less. – VERBAL SECTION PRACTICE TEST– 187 56. In order for us within our society to be able to make decisions about the kinds of punishments we impose upon those criminals who are convicted of crimes, we must first understand why we punish criminals. a. In order for us within our society to be able to make decisions about the kinds of punishments we impose upon those criminals who are convicted of crimes, we must first understand why we punish criminals. b. To make decisions about the kinds of punishments we impose upon criminals, we must first understand why we punish criminals. c. In order for us to be able to decide about the kinds of punishments we impose upon people con- victed of crimes, we must first understand why people should be punished. d. Beginning with understanding why we punish, we can then as a society make decisions about the kinds of punishments we impose upon criminals. e. Deciding upon the kinds of punishments we impose upon criminals, as a society, we must first understand why punishment is imposed upon criminals. 57. Known as the Australian Eleanor Roosevelt, Jessie Street li ved a life in privilege while at the same time d evot ing her efforts to working for the rights of the disenfranchised, including workers, women, refugees, and Aborigines. a. lived a life in privilege while at the same time devoting b. lived a life of privilege while simultaneously she devoted c. lived a life of privilege while devoting d. lived a life in privilege and devoting at the same time e. lived a life of privilege and wealth while at the same time devoted 58. T he main reason for the decline in worldwide illiteracy rates, which have dropped over the last 20 years, is the sharp increase of literacy rates among young women, which is the result of campaigns to increase educational opportunities for girls. a. The main reason for the decline in worldwide illiteracy rates, which have dropped over the last 20 years, b. Declining over the last 20 years, worldwide illiteracy rates have fallen for one main reason, which c. Declining over the last 20 years, the main reason for the fall in illiteracy rates d. The main reason worldwide illiteracy rates, having dropped over the last 20 years, e. The main reason for the decline in worldwide illiteracy rates over the last 20 years – VERBAL SECTION PRACTICE TEST– 188 . three in every 100 children. c. About three in every 100 children are born with a severe disorder presumed to be genetic or par- tially genetic in origin. d. About three in every 100 children,. in origin, about three in every 100 children are born with a se vere disorder. a. Presumed to be genetic or partially genetic in origin, about three in every 100 children are born with a severe. legally responsible for their pet’s actions. If someone is hurt by such a pet, the owner should be held 100 % accountable. All of the following statements, if true, would strengthen this argument EXCEPT a.