MCAT verbal test (5)

MCAT Section Tests Dear Future Doctor, The following Section Test and explanations should be used to practice and to assess your mastery of critical thinking in each of the section areas Topics are confluent and are not necessarily in any specific order or fixed proportion This is the level of integration in your preparation that collects what you have learned in the Kaplan classroom and synthesizes your knowledge with your critical thinking Simply completing the tests is inadequate; a solid understanding of your performance through your Score Reports and the explanations is necessary to diagnose your specific weaknesses and address them before Test Day All rights are reserved pursuant to the copyright laws and the contract clause in your enrollment agreement and as printed below Misdemeanor and felony infractions can severely limit your ability to be accepted to a medical program and a conviction can result in the removal of a medical license We offer this material for your practice in your own home as a courtesy and privilege Practice today so that you can perform on test day; this material was designed to give you every advantage on the MCAT and we wish you the best of luck in your preparation Sincerely, Albert Chen Executive Director, Pre-Health Research and Development Kaplan Test Prep © 2003 Kaplan, Inc All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by Photostat, microfilm, xerography or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical without the written permission of Kaplan, Inc This book may not be duplicated, distributed or resold, pursuant to the terms of your Kaplan Enrollment Agreement VERBAL REASONING TEST Time – 85 Minutes 60 Questions 10 15 20 25 30 35 DIRECTIONS: There are nine passages in this Verbal Reasoning test Each passage is followed by several questions After reading a passage, select the one best answer to each question If you are not certain of an answer, eliminate the alternatives that you know to be incorrect and then select an answer from the remaining alternatives sensibly improved and developed, but you look at the Passage I (Questions 1-6) masterpieces of art with an analysing and comprehending 40 Just to paint is great fun One begins to see, for eye instance, that painting a picture is like fighting a battle; and trying to paint a picture as an amateur is, I suppose, like But it is in the use and withholding of their reserves trying to fight a battle It is, if anything, more exciting than that the great commanders have generally excelled After fighting the battle successfully But the principle is the all, when once the last reserve has been thrown in, the same 45 commander’s part is played If that does not win the battle, he has nothing else to give The event must be left to luck In all battles two things are usually required of the and to the fighting troops But these last, in the absence of Commander-in-Chief: to make a good plan for his army high direction, are apt to get into sad confusion, all mixed and, secondly, to keep a strong reserve Both of these are together in a nasty mess, without order or plan—and also obligatory upon the painter To make a plan, thorough consequently without effect Mere masses count no more reconnaissance of the country where the battle is to be 50 The largest brush, the brightest colors cannot even make an fought is needed Its fields, its mountains, its rivers, its impression The pictorial battefield becomes a sea of mud bridges, its trees, its flowers, its atmosphere—all require mercifully veiled by the fog of war It is evident there has and repay attentive observation from a special point of been a serious defeat Even though the General plunges in view himself and emerges bespattered, as he sometimes does, he 55 I think this heightened sense of observation of Nature is will not retrieve the day one of the chief delights that have come to me through In painting, the reserves consist in Proportion or painting No doubt many people who are lovers of art have Relation And it is here that the art of the painter marches acquired it in a high degree without actually practising But along the road which is traversed by all the greatest I expect that nothing will make one observe more quickly or harmonies in thought At one side of the palette there is more thoroughly than having to face the difficulty of 60 white, at the other black; and neither is ever used ‘neat.’ representing the thing observed And mind you, if you Between these two rigid limits all the action must lie, all the observe accurately and with refinement, and if you power required must be generated Black and white record what you have seen with tolerable correspondence, themselves placed in juxtaposition make no great the result follows on the canvas with startling obedience impression; and yet they are the most that you can in pure 65 contrast It is wonderful—after one has tried and failed But in order to make his plan, the General must not only reconnoitre the battle-ground, he must also study the often—to see how easily and surely the true artist is able to achievements of the great Captains of the past He must produce every effect of light and shade, of sunshine and bring the observations he has collected in the field into the shadow, of distance and nearness, simply by expressing comparison with the treatment of similar incidents by justly the relations between the different planes and surfaces 70 with which he is dealing This is founded upon a sense of famous chiefs proportion, trained no doubt by practice, but which in its Then the galleries of Europe take on a new—and to me essence is a frigid manifestation of mental power at least a severely practical—interest “This, then, is how — — painted a cataract Exactly, and there is that same light I noticed last week in the waterfall at ——.” And so on You see the difficulty that baffled you yesterday; and you see how easily it has been overcome by a great or even by a GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE skillful painter Not only is your observation of Nature The existence of which of the following would most strongly challenge the author’s conception of the process of painting? A A watercolor of waves crashing on the beach B A famous artist who has never been in a European art gallery C A medieval masterpiece that portrays the gates of heaven D A commander who retreats hastily when his troops are losing A the painter may not feel creatively inspired B nothing can make up for a lack of sense of proportion C the quality of a painting’s colors may not make an impression on the viewer D painting is in the final analysis a matter of luck In the context of the passage, the Commander-in-Chief is to the battleground as the: A B C D A It supports the author’s claim that the great artists are worthy of imitation B It supports the author’s claim that neither black nor white is ever used ‘neat.’ C It weakens the author’s claim that black and white themselves placed in juxtaposition make no great impression D It weakens the author’s claim that great painters take Nature as their subject Based on the passage, which of the following opinions could most reasonably be ascribed to the author? A Becoming an artist is a matter of training rather than talent B One learns more from failures than from successes C Modern artists can scarcely hope to equal the achievements of the masters D One can convey ideas about art through analogies to other experiences painter is to the subject being painted painter is to the canvas of the painting painter is to the paint colors painter is to the art gallery Following the example of the master Manet, the young Matisse often inserted in his pictures areas of white such as tablecloths or crockery that allowed for striking contrasts with black objects such as a knife or a dark bottle What is the relevance of this information to the passage? The passage suggests that having the finest art supplies at hand may NOT always be helpful to a painter because: The author’s statement “But [the fighting troops], in the absence of high direction, are apt to get into sad confusion, all mixed together in a nasty mess, without order or plan—and consequently without effect” assumes that: A chaotic painting cannot have an unintended artistic effect B an artist naturally resists direction from another individual C a painting cannot help but reflect the mental state of its painter D it is impossible for painters to collaborate on a work without confusion GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE as developed by 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Passage II (Questions 7-12) Although the concepts and categories of ethics may be applied to the conduct of corporations, there are important differences between the values and principles underlying corporate behavior and those underlying the actions of most individuals As individuals, we are often concerned with integrity, autonomy, and responsibility even when they cannot be shown to further a basic goal such as overall happiness We regard them as important and valuable in themselves and not simply as a means to some other more basic ends But a preoccupation with integrity, autonomy, and responsibility for their own sakes cannot be ascribed to corporations or corporate persons As formal organizations, business corporations are distinguished by their particular goals, which include maximization of profits, growth, and survival Providing goods and services is a means to this end The following statement from the board of directors of the 3M Company is exemplary in this regard: “The objective of the 3M Company is to produce quality goods and services that are useful and needed by the public, acceptable to the public, and in the best interests of the global economy—and thereby to earn a profit which is essential to the perpetuation of the useful role of the company.” These goals provide the raison d’etre and ultimate ethical values of the 3M Company Other things have ethical value only insofar as they are instrumental in furthering the ultimate goals .If, for example, a number of individuals (outsiders or even insiders) believe that a company’s aggressive marketing of infant formula in third world countries is morally wrong, the company is unlikely to be moved by moral arguments alone as long as what it is doing remains profitable But if those opposed to the company’s practice organize a highly effective boycott of the company’s products, their moral views will soon enter into the company’s deliberations indirectly as limiting operating conditions They can, at this point, no more be ignored than a prohibitive increase in the costs of certain raw materials 55 60 65 70 75 80 the corporation had produced and distributed a vehicle that was known to be defective at the time of production and sale and that even after a great deal of additional information accumulated regarding the nature of the problems, the corporation took no action to correct them The obvious noncorporate analogy would be the prosecution of a person who was driving a car with brakes known to be faulty, who does not have them repaired because it would cost too much, and who kills someone when the brakes eventually fail and the car does not stop in time Such cases involving individuals are prosecuted and won regularly If corporations have no concept of right or wrong because they are exclusively goal-directed, can they be convicted in cases of this type, and what purpose would be served by such a conviction? Remember that we are talking only about the corporate entity itself—not its managers, agents, and owners who, as human persons, can be held to interpersonal standards of moral and legal responsibility It is very difficult to argue for holding goal-directed entities to interpersonal standards; in fact, we not believe it can be done Perhaps we can make a utilitarian argument for convicting corporations of such crimes The argument would be that of deterrence; conviction and punishment would deter other corporations from taking similar actions under similar circumstances However, there appears to be considerable evidence that deterrence does not work on corporations, even if, arguably, it works on individuals The penalties imposed not appear to discourage other corporations from engaging in similar acts The possibility of being discovered and the potential magnitude of the fine merely become more data to be included in the analysis of limiting conditions 85 .If corporations are by their nature end- or goaldirected how can they acknowledge acts as wrong in and of themselves? Is it possible to hold one criminally responsible for acts that if performed by a human person would result in criminal liability? The first case of this type to achieve widespread public attention was the attempt to prosecute the Ford Motor Company for manslaughter as the result of alleged negligent or reckless decision making concerning the safety engineering of the Pinto vehicle Although the defendant corporation and its officers were found innocent after trial, the case can serve as an exemplar for our purposes In essence, the prosecution in this case attempted to show that GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 7 The claim that things “have ethical value [to corporations] only insofar as they are instrumental in furthering the ultimate goals” of the corporation (lines 25-27) is: A necessarily true, given the information presented in the passage B perhaps true, and supported by the information presented in the passage C perhaps true, but not supported by any information in the passage D necessarily false, given the information presented in the passage 10 If a company that produced shampoo products opted to stop the routine testing of its products on animals because it decided that it is wrong to cause the animals pain, what effect would this have on the argument made in the passage? A It would strongly support the argument B It would support the argument somewhat, but not conclusively C It would neither support nor substantially weaken the argument D It would substantially weaken the argument In the context of the passage, the phrase limiting operating conditions (lines 36-37) refers primarily to: 11 The author’s analogy of the alleged actions of the Ford Motor Company to those of a person who knowingly drives with faulty brakes suggests that: A the factors that will adversely impact a company’s profit-making capacity B the prevailing moral opinions of the public concerning a company’s products C the availability of raw materials necessary for producing a particular good D the difficulty a company’s officers have in trying to ignore ethical issues A Ford should have been convicted of the crime of manslaughter in the trial B the Ford corporation was capable of understanding the moral concepts of right and wrong C the problem with the safety engineering of the Pinto had to specifically with its brakes D Ford may have ignored the Pinto’s defects because they would be too costly to correct Implicit in the author’s discussion of whether or not a corporation can be convicted in cases like the one involving the Pinto vehicle is the assumption that: A most corporations have committed both moral and legal transgressions B a corporation has an identity above and beyond its individual members C few corporate persons will question their corporation’s actions D corporations not always believe that the end justifies the means 12 Which of the following assertions would most strengthen the author’s claim that deterrence will not work on corporations? A The possibility of punishment does not deter many individuals from committing crimes B The penalties imposed on companies have amounted to a small fraction of their profits C Strict anti-pollution laws have cut down on the waste dumped by companies into rivers D The trial of a corporation is often extended over a period of several years GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE as developed by 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Passage III (Questions 13-21) Few ideas are more deeply entrenched in our political culture than that of impending ecological doom Beginning in 1962, when Rachel Carson warned that pollution was a threat to all human and animal life on the planet, pessimistic appraisals of the health of the environment have been issued with increasing urgency And yet, thanks in large part to her warnings, a powerful political movement was born and a series of landmark environmental bills became law These laws and their equivalents in Western Europe, along with a vast array of private efforts spurred by environmental consciousness that Carson helped raise, have been a stunning success In both the United States and Europe, environmental trends are, for the most part, positive; and environmental regulations, far from being burdensome and expensive, have proved to be strikingly effective, have cost less than was anticipated, and have made the economies of the countries that have put them into effect stronger, not weaker Nevertheless, the vocabulary of environmentalism has continued to be dominated by images of futility, crisis, and decline Nor are environmentalists the only people reluctant to acknowledge the good news; advocates at both ends of the political spectrum, each side for its reasons, seem to have tacitly agreed to play it down The left is afraid of the environmental good news because it undercuts stylish pessimism; the right is afraid of the good news because it shows that governmental regulations might occasionally amount to something other than wickedness incarnate, and actually produce benefits at an affordable cost Consider some of what has been accomplished in this country Thanks to legislation, technical advances, and lawsuits that have forced polluters to pay liability costs, America’s air and water are getting cleaner, forests are expanding, and many other environmental indicators are on the upswing In recent years, several worrisome environmental trends have either declined from their peak or ended altogether The amount of household trash dumped in landfills, for example, has been diminishing since the late nineteen eighties, when recycling began to take hold Recycling, which was a fringe idea a decade ago, is now a major growth industry, and is converting more than twenty per cent of America’s municipal wastes into useful products Despite start-up problems, many municipal recycling programs now pay for themselves Emissions of chlorofluorocarbons, which deplete the ozone layer, have been declining since 1987 Studies now suggest that ozonelayer replenishment may begin within a decade Dozens of American cities once dumped raw sludge into the ocean This category of pollution passed into history in 1992, when the final load of New York City sludge slithered off a barge imaginatively named Spring Brook Today, instead of being dumped into the ocean, municipal 55 60 65 70 75 80 sludge is either disposed of in regulated landfills or, increasingly, put to good use as fertilizer America’s record of protecting species threatened with extinction, which is often depicted as dismal, is in truth enviable Since 1973, when the Endangered Species Act took effect, seven animal species in North America have disappeared, but several hundred others once considered certain to die out continue to exist in the wild A number of species, including the bald eagle and the Arctic peregrine falcon, are doing so well that they have been or are being taken off the priority-protection list It’s true, of course, that some environmental programs are muddled For instance, the Endangered Species Act can have the unfair effect of penalizing landholders who discover rare creatures on their property, by prohibiting use of the land In the main, though, conservation has been an excellent investment for society Environmental initiatives worked well even in their early years, when they were driven by top-heavy federal edicts They work even better as new regulations have centered on market mechanisms and voluntary choice; new acid-rain reductions, for example, are being achieved at unexpectedly affordable rates, thanks to a free-market program under which companies trade pollution “allowances” with each other Western market economies excel at producing what they are asked to produce, and, increasingly, the market is being asked to produce conservation Environmental reform should be seen as a boon to Western industry, impelling it toward efficiencies that enhance its long-term competitiveness 13 For which of the following claims does the passage provide some supporting evidence or explanation? A Environmental good news undercuts stylish pessimism B The vocabulary of environmentalists is dominated by images of doom C Environmental regulations in Europe have proven to be strikingly effective D Environmental initiatives have worked when centered on market mechanisms GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 14 Suppose that current models of automobiles emit an average of eighty per cent less pollution per mile than was emitted by cars in 1970 How would this information affect the claim that landmark environmental bills have been a stunning success? A It would support the claim B It would refute the claim C It would support the claim if it were shown that the emissions reductions were a consequence of environmental bills D It would support the claim if it were shown that the emissions reductions were not a consequence of environmental bills 15 Based on information in the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true? A Chlorofluorocarbons no longer damage the ozone layer B Technical advances have contributed to conservation C Raw sludge is no longer a source of ocean pollution D Recycling has had an impact on landfill dumping 16 Based on information in the passage, each of the following statements is a plausible explanation of why pessimistic appraisals of the environment continue to be issued EXCEPT: A environmentalists and politicians are unaware of the successes of the movement B an immense amount of work still needs to be done to save the environment C optimistic evaluations would have unwanted political repercussions D environmentalists garner support by arousing concerns and fears 17 According to the passage, which of the following is most likely to be true about the impact of the Endangered Species Act on the overall number of animal species in America? A The Endangered Species Act has caused number of species to increase gradually B The Endangered Species Act has caused number of species to rebound markedly C The Endangered Species Act has slowed decline in the number of species D The Endangered Species Act has had significant effect on the number of species the the the no 18 The head of the Environmental Protection Agency recently gave a series of speeches pointing out that there were many signs of environmental progress in America Which of the following best characterizes the relevance of this to the passage? A It supports the claim that efforts at environmental reform have been costly but effective B It weakens the claim that efforts at environmental reform have been costly but effective C It supports the claim that the vocabulary of environmentalism is dominated by images of futility D It weakens the claim that the vocabulary of environmentalism is dominated by images of futility 19 If the claims made in the passage are correct, how would politicians on the political right be expected to react to America’s program to protect endangered species from extinction? A They would extol it because its success is not attributable to governmental regulation B They would extol it because its success refutes the pessimistic claims of the political left C They would reject it because its success was due to unjust and costly regulations D They would reject it because it has not shown any measurable success GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE as developed by 20 The author of this passage would probably give his greatest support to which of the following actions by the Congress? A Establishing a subcommittee that would be devoted to environmental issues B Streamlining the inefficient bureacracies that arose during environmental reform C Legislation that make anti-pollution regulations difficult to enforce D Passing bills that encourage rather than coerce industries to control pollution 21 The existence of which of the following phenomena would most strongly challenge the information in the passage? A A speech by a senator who takes credit for saving his state’s environment B A species of animal that has disappeared in the past year C A prediction by an environmentalist that the ozone layer problem will worsen D A recycling program that is supported by federal funds GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Passage IV (Questions 22-27) While most archeologists believe that primitive European societies were patriarchal in both their social and religious structures, a new controversial theory challenges these traditional views This new theory suggests that during the Stone Age there thrived peace-loving, matriarchal communities in which men and women lived together as equals, respected nature, and worshipped a nurturing deity called the Great Goddess According to this feminist theory, the people of “Old Europe”—Europe from 7000 B.C to 3500 B.C.—lived in stable agricultural societies in which women headed clans and men labored as hunters and builders, but neither sex dominated the other War was shunned and craftspeople created comfortable dwellings and graceful ceramics instead of weapons Like the woman-centered social system, the religion of Stone Age Europe focused on women in its veneration of the life-generating Great Goddess and other female deities Worship was closely linked to the themes of respect for life and regeneration Proponents of this theory contend that this peaceful and harmonious society was shattered by waves of IndoEuropean invaders in about the year 3500 B.C., when marauders from the Russian steppes transformed Europe from a peaceful, agrarian culture to one in which men dominated women and wars raged Social and sexual egalitarianism were replaced by patriarchy and hierarchy, and warrior gods dethroned the Great Goddess With the widespread decimation of Old Europe, the goddess-centered religion went underground However, its symbols have reappeared over the centuries in the forms of the female deities of Greece and Rome, in the Virgin Mary, and in the belief in spiritual forces lurking within the natural world The theory of the Great Goddess has been hailed by feminist social critics, artists, and religious thinkers for providing an important alternative to traditional, patriarchal mythologies and paradigms, as well as for providing a new and more positive model for the human relationship to the natural world But while eminent anthropologist Ashley Montagu calls the theory “a benchmark in the history of civilization,” many other investigators into prehistoric Europe consider the theory an unsubstantiated and ideological version of history To a number of critics, the chief problem in this radical theory is one of method Traditional archeologists, taking issue with unorthodox speculation on ancient belief systems, contend that archeological evidence may tell us something about what people ate in the small villages of prehistoric Europe, how they built their homes, and what they traded, but cannot tell us much about what the dwellers of the ancient world actually thought Such specu- lation, they say, is illegitimate The most severe critics warn that, in blurring the distinction between intuition and fact, proponents of the new theory have failed as scientists 55 60 But supporters of the theory of a goddess-worshipping Old Europe counter that such critiques reveal a certain narrow-mindedness on the part of scientists rather than weaknesses on the part of their theory They argue that some degree of speculation is important, perhaps even necessary, for progress in archeology and other fields This element of speculation, they say, helps reveal the implications of a theory While such theories may never be proven, they have the ability to spark debate, stimulate future scholarship, and provide imaginative alternatives to more conventional theories 22 Which of the following would a proponent of the theory of the Great Goddess most likely NOT agree with? A The available archaeological evidence does not rule out the idea that Old European matriarchal communities existed B The field of archaeology has been dominated in the past by male-oriented scholarship C Matriarchy is conducive to establishing a healthy relationship with the natural world D The decimation of Old European society wiped away all traces of the Great Goddess religion GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 45 50 as developed by 23 Supporters of the Great Goddess theory might justifiably counter the argument of traditionalists that archeological evidence “cannot tell us much about what the dwellers of the ancient world actually thought” by pointing out that this implies that: A archeology cannot hope to be anything more than a fruitless enterprise B there is no good reason to think that primitive European society was socially patriarchal C understanding the thinking of more modern cultures should likewise be considered impossible D ancient people functioned at a considerably lower intellectual level than modern humans 26 Which of the following maxims seems most in agreement with the argument the supporters of the Great Goddess theory put forth in response to criticism? A Those who live by the sword will die by the sword B A mind is like a parachute in that it only works when open C He who does not understand his opponent’s arguments does not understand his own D The squeaky wheel gets the grease 27 A proponent of the matriarchal theory might argue that the theory serves all of the following purposes EXCEPT: 24 Which of the following statements about prehistoric European society would traditional archeologists most likely consider illegitimate? A The people were agrarian and not nomadic B Food was cooked in clay vessels over a fire C Arrows and spears were the most commonly used instruments of warfare D The people were worried about invasion A showing the existence of bias in the scientific establishment B providing a model of sexual equality for presentday society to emulate C broadening the unnecessarily conservative limits of conventional archeology D demonstrating that matriarchies are consistently more egalitarian than are patriarchies 25 If it were conclusively demonstrated through archeological evidence that the society of Old Europe had in fact been patriarchal and warlike, one would expect those who had supported the Great Goddess theory to contend that: A it was a mistake to have extended the bounds of scientific scholarship to the realm of imagination B speculating incorrectly had nevertheless been a valuable exercise C no one could have anticipated that the more unorthodox theory would be the correct one D traditional archeologists must have doctored the evidence to fit their conclusions GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Passage V (Questions 28-33) Rhetoric for the Greeks was both an essential part of their lives and a serious obstacle to progress In public life, a man had to make his way at every step by the immediate persuasion of the spoken word Whether he was addressing an assembly or law-court or a more restricted body, he would be speaking to a public meeting rather than to a quiet committee, without the support of circulated documents, and with no backcloth of daily journalism to make his own or others’ views familiar to his hearers The immediate effect was all-important; it would be naive to expect that mere reasonableness or a good case would be enough It was early realized that persuasion was an art, up to a point teachable, and professional teaching was well established in the second half of the fifth century When the sophists claimed to teach their pupils how to succeed in public life, rhetoric was a large part of what they meant, though, to them justice, it was not the whole The contests of Attic tragedy exhibit all the tricks of this trade, as well as the art of the poets; and the private life of the Greeks was lived so much in public that the pervasive rhetorical manner crept in here too Skill naturally bred mistrust If a man of good will needed to learn how to present his argument effectively, the selfish or malicious could be taught to dress their case in well-seeming guise It was a standing charge against the sophists that they ‘made the worse appear the better cause,’ and it was this immoral lesson which the hero of Aristophanes’ Clouds went to learn from, of all people, Socrates Again, the charge is often made in court that the opponent is a skillful speaker and the jury must be aware of being deceived by him From the frequency with which this crops up, it is clear that the accusation of cleverness might damage a man Juries, of course, were familiar with the style, and would recognize the more obvious artifices, but it was worth a litigant’s while to get his speech written for him by an expert Persuasive oratory was certainly one of the pressures that would be effective in an Athenian lawcourt A more insidious danger was the inevitable desire to display this art as an art It is not easy to define the point at which a legitimate concern with style shades off into preoccupation with manner at the expense of matter; but it is easy to perceive that many Greek writers of the fourth and later centuries passed that danger point The most influential was Isocrates, who polished for long years his pamphlets, written in the form of speeches, and taught to many pupils the smooth and easy periods he had perfected This was a style of only limited use in the abrupt vicissitudes of politics Isocrates took to the written word in compensation for his inadequacy in live oratory; the tough and nervous tones of a Demosthenes were far removed from his, though they, too, were based on study and practice The exaltation of virtuosity did palpable 55 60 65 harm This was not due mainly to the influence of Isocrates: public display was normal and inevitable for a world which talked and listened far more than it read The balance was always delicate, between style as a vehicle and style as an end in itself We must not try to pinpoint a specific moment when it, once and for all, tipped over; but certainly, as time went on, virtuosity weighed heavier While Greek freedom lasted, and it mattered what a Greek city decided to do, rhetoric was a necessary preparation for public life, whatever its side effects When the study became, in the gloomiest sense of the word, academic, only the side effects remained, and they were not such as to encourage depth of thought It had been a source of strength for Greek civilisation that its problems, of all kinds, were thrashed out very much in public The shallowness which the study of rhetoric might (not must) encourage was the corresponding weakness 70 28 The author of the passage would most likely have the highest regard for an orator who: A roused his hearers to immediate and decisive action B understood that rhetoric serves an aesthetic as well as a practical purpose C relied on facts and reason rather than on rhetorical devices in making his case D passed on the techniques he had perfected to many students 29 Historians agree that those seeking public office in modern America make far fewer speeches in the course of their campaign than those seeking a public position in ancient Greece did The author would most likely explain this by pointing out that: A speeches are now only of limited use in the abrupt vicissitudes of politics B modern politicians need not rely exclusively on speeches to make themselves known C modern audiences are easier to persuade through rhetoric than were the Greek audiences D modern politicians not make a study of rhetoric as did the Greeks GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 50 10 as developed by 30 The passage suggests that being particularly adept at rhetoric was NOT always to a Greek’s advantage because: A success in public life naturally bred considerable jealousy in rivals B public figures forfeited their right to a private life C listeners were wary of being misled by skillful language D verbosity was a character trait not held in high regard among the Greeks 33 In the context of the passage, the term side effects refers primarily to: A an understanding of the importance of public debate to keeping freedom B a misplaced emphasis on rhetorical style as opposed to substance C a tendency to ignore the potential of the written word D the exclusion from leadership of those not proficient in oratory 31 Which of the following claims would most weaken the author’s assertion that “the accusation of cleverness might damage a man” (lines 32–33) in Greek court? A Greek juries frowned on personal attacks on an opponent’s character B Alerting the jury to the possibility of deceit caused them to doubt what they subsequently heard C Those accused of cleverness usually counterattacked with a similar accusation D Greek citizens naturally expected some speakers to use rhetorical tricks 32 Implicit in the statement that the exaltation of virtuosity was not due mainly to Isocrates because public display was normal in a world that talked far more than it read is the assumption that: A Isocrates was actually concerned as much with the content of his speeches as with their style B excessive concern with style is bound to arise in a world dominated by public display C the Greeks were guilty of exalting virtuosity in their public art and architecture as well D Isocrates was less influential than previous historians estimated GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Passage VI (Questions 34-41) No one pretends that actions should be as free as opinions On the contrary, even opinions lose their immunity when the circumstances in which they are expressed are such as to constitute their expression a positive instigation to some mischievous act An opinion that corn dealers are starvers of the poor, or that private property is robbery, ought to be unmolested when simply circulated through the press, but may justly incur punishment when delivered orally to an excited mob assembled before the house of a corn dealer, or when handed about among the same mob in the form of a placard Acts, of whatever kind, which without justifiable cause harm to others may be, and in the more important cases absolutely require to be, controlled by the unfavorable sentiments, and, when needful, by the active interference of mankind The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people But if he refrains from molesting others in what concerns them, and merely acts according to his own inclination and judgment in things which concern himself he should be allowed, without molestation, to carry his opinions into practice at his own cost As it useful that while mankind are imperfect there should be different opinions, so it is that there should be different experiments of living; that free scope should be given to varieties of character, short of injury to others; and that the worth of different modes of life should be proved practically, when anyone thinks fit to try them It is desirable, in short, that in things which not primarily concern others individuality should assert itself Where not the person’s own character but the traditions of customs of other people are the rule of conduct, there is wanting one of the principal ingredients of human happiness, and quite the chief ingredient of individual and social progress .It would be absurd to pretend that people ought to live as if nothing whatever had been known in the world before they came into it; as if experience had as yet done nothing toward showing that one mode of existence, or of conduct, is preferable to another Nobody denies that people should be so taught and trained in youth as to know and benefit by the ascertained results of human experience But it is the privilege and proper condition of a human being, arrived at the maturity of his faculties, to use and interpret experience in his own way It is for him to find out what part of recorded experience is properly applicable to his own circumstances and character The traditions and customs of other people are, to a certain extent, evidence of what their experience has taught them—presumptive evidence, and as such, have a claim to his deference: but, in the first place, their experience may be too narrow, or they may have not interpreted it rightly Secondly, their interpretation of experience may be correct, but unsuitable to him Customs are made for customary circumstances and 55 60 customary characters; and his circumstances or his character may be uncustomary Thirdly, though the customs be both good as customs and suitable to him, yet to conform to custom merely as custom does not educate or develop him any of the qualities which are the distinctive endowment of a human being The human faculties of perception, judgment, discriminative feeling, mental activity, and even moral preference are exercised only in making a choice He who does anything because it is the custom makes no choice He gains no practice either in discerning or desiring what is best 34 Based on information in the passage, with which of the following statements about opinions would the author most likely agree? A Different opinions exist because people are imperfect B An opinion can be relatively harmless in one context and dangerous in another C Opinions directed specifically against fellow human beings should be punished D All expressions of opinion should really be considered actions 35 Implicit in the passage’s discussion of the circumstances under which “opinions lose their immunity” is the assumption that: A ownership of private property discriminates against the poor B an excited mob is likely to attack someone expressing an unpopular opinion C corn dealers refuse to make charitable gifts of corn to the needy D opinions circulated through the press will not instigate mischievous acts GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 50 12 as developed by 36 Based on the information in the passage, which of the following would the author NOT approve of? A Scolding a young boy for continually teasing a classmate B Defending an accused murderer on the grounds that he acted in self-defense C Taking cigarettes away from a teenager to prevent her from smoking D Publishing an editorial that decries domestic violence 37 In order to apply to specific situations the general view that “the liberty of the individual must be [to a certain degree] limited,” it would be most helpful to know: A how to determine whether a harmful act was justifiable B how long criminals should be incarcerated C whether the author would want his own liberty to be limited D why the author felt compelled to write about the subject of individual liberty 40 The passage suggests that even customs based on correctly-interpreted experiences may NOT be helpful as guides for action because: A customs cannot be applied to unusual situations or people B the number of possible experiences is nearly infinite C it is unlikely that the same experiences will be repeated D customs vary from one culture to the next 41 The existence of which of the following phenomena would most strongly challenge the author’s argument about “conforming to custom merely as custom”? A A class in morality taught at a parochial high school B An important discovery made by a researcher who uses unconventional methods C A culture in which it is traditional to let children make their own decisions D A custom that involves celebrating a noteworthy historical event 38 Based on the passage, the author probably believes that acting in accordance with a custom observed by people in the past is: A B C D always good always bad sometimes good and sometimes bad lacking in intrinsic value 39 The author holds that one should not necessarily defer to the traditions and customs of other people The author supports his position by arguing that: I traditions and customs are usually the result of misinterpreted experiences II customs are based on experiences in the past, which are different from modern experiences III customs can stifle one’s individual development A B C D II only III only I and III only II and III only GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 14 as developed by 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Passage VII (Questions 42-48) Medicine is a fertile area for pseudoscientific claims for a simple reason Most diseases or conditions (a) improve by themselves; (b) are self-limiting; or (c) even if fatal, seldom follow a strictly downward spiral In each case, intervention, no matter how worthless, can appear to be quite efficacious This becomes clearer if you assume the point of view of a knowing practitioner of fraudulent medicine To take advantage of the natural ups and downs of any disease (as well as of any placebo effect), it’s best to begin your worthless treatment when the patient is getting worse In this way, anything that happens can more easily be attributed to your wonderful and probably expensive intervention If the patient improves, you take credit; if he remains stable, your treatment stopped his downward course On the other hand, if the patient worsens, the dosage or intensity of the treatment was not great enough; if he dies, he delayed too long in coming to you In any case, the few instances in which your intervention is successful will likely be remembered (not so few, if the disease in question is self-limiting), while the vast majority of failures will be forgotten and buried Chance provides more than enough variation to account for the sprinkling of successes that will occur with almost any treatment; indeed, it would be a miracle if there weren’t any “miracle cures” Even in outlandish cases, it’s often difficult to refute conclusively some proposed cure or procedure Consider a quack diet doctor who directs his patients to consume two whole pizzas, four birch beers, and two pieces of cheesecake for every breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and an entire box of fig bars with a quart of milk for a bedtime snack, claiming that other people have lost six pounds a week on such a regimen When several patients follow his instructions for three weeks, they find they’ve gained about seven pounds each Have the doctor’s claims been refuted? Not necessarily, since he might respond that a whole host of auxiliary understandings weren’t met: the pizzas had too much sauce, or the dieters slept sixteen hours a day, or the birch beer wasn’t the right brand The point is that one can usually find loopholes which will enable one to hold on to whatever pet theory one fancies The philosopher Willard Van Orman Quine goes even further and maintains that experience never forces one to reject any particular belief He views science as an integrated web of interconnecting hypotheses, procedures, and formalisms, and argues that any impact of the world on the web can be distributed in many different ways If we’re willing to make drastic enough changes in the rest of the 50 55 60 web of our beliefs, the argument goes, we can hold to our belief in the efficacy of the above diet, or indeed in the validity of any pseudoscience Less controversial is the contention that there are no clear-cut, easy algorithms that allow us to distinguish science from pseudoscience in all cases The boundary between them is too fuzzy Number and probability do, however, provide the basis for statistics, which, together with logic, constitutes the foundation of the scientific method, which will eventually sort matters out if anything can However, just as the existence of pink does not undermine the distinction between red and white, and dawn doesn’t indicate that day and night are really the same, this problematic fringe area doesn’t negate the fundamental differences between science and its impostors 42 The claim that “it would be a miracle if there weren’t any ‘miracle cures’” would be most weakened by evidence that showed that: A some crackpot treatments have turned out to have authentic medical benefit B the possibility of improvement is nonexistent during the course of many illnesses C the number of fraudulent medical practitioners has dwindled considerably D some patients recover from illness without any sort of intervention at all 43 In the context of the passage, the term self-limiting refers to medical conditions that: A run a definite course that does not result in the patient’s death B impair the patient’s ability to engage in everyday activities C have a very high rate of mortality D never shows improvement GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 45 44 Suppose that in order to demonstrate the legitimacy of his work, a faith healer compiles a book of interviews of people who swear that he has cured them just by blessing them The author would most likely respond by asserting that: A eyewitness testimony of emotional events tends to be unreliable B the interviewees would have gotten better without the healer’s intervention C the ability to cure people does not justify shameless self-promotion D the interviewees have been deluded into thinking that they have improved when they have not 45 According to the passage, which of the following is most likely to be the best way to determine whether a practitioner’s intervention is worthwhile or not? A Keep a record of the time it takes for a patient to respond to the practitioner’s treatment B Keep a record of the number of patients the practitioner has treated successfully C Keep a record of the dosage that the practitioner employs in his treatment D Keep a record of both the successes and failures of the practitioner 47 Doctors and scientists continue to debate whether certain types of alternative medicine are scientific or pseudoscientific How is this information relevant to the passage? A It weakens the claim that one can hold on to whatever pet theory one fancies B It weakens the claim that the scientific method is useful in sorting science from pseudoscience C It strengthens the claim that there is a fundamental difference between medicine and science D It strengthens the claim that science and pseudoscience cannot always be distinguished 48 The author of the passage would most likely argue that W.V.O Quine’s philosophical views are: A extreme, because some beliefs can be proven to be either true or false B insightful, because any set of beliefs has to be as valid as any other C flawed, because they not explain why anyone would reject any belief D bankrupt, because they not apply to any particular situation 46 Based on the information in the passage, which of the following opinions could most reasonably be ascribed to the author? A Too often nothing truly effective can be done to ameliorate the illness of a patient B There is no way that pseudoscience will ever be eliminated C Beliefs can be maintained even in the absence of strong supporting evidence D Experience never forces one to reject any particular belief GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 16 as developed by 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Passage VIII (Questions 49-55) In the decades following World War II, American business had undisputed control of the world economy, producing goods of such high quality and low cost that foreign corporations were unable to compete But in the mid-1960s the United States began to lose its advantage and by the 1980s American corporations lagged behind the competition in many industries In the computer chip industry, for example, American corporations had lost most of both domestic and foreign markets by the early 1980s The first analysts to examine the decline of American business blamed the U.S government They argued that stringent governmental restrictions on the behavior of American corporations, combined with the wholehearted support given to foreign firms by their governments, created and environment in which American products could not compete Later analysts blamed predatory corporate raiders who bought corporations, not to make them more competitive in the face of foreign competition, but rather to sell of the most lucrative divisions for huge profits Still later analysts blamed the American workforce, citing labor demands and poor productivity as the reasons American corporations have been unable to compete with Japanese and European firms Finally, a few analysts even censured American consumers for their unpatriotic purchases of foreign goods While there is an element of truth to all of these explanations, the real blame for the decline of American business lies with corporate management, which has made serious errors based on misconceptions about what it takes to be successful in the marketplace These misconceptions appear to have been especially damaging These involve labor costs, production choices, and growth strategies Even though labor costs typically account for less than 15% of a product’s total cost, management has been quick to blame the costs of workers’ wages for driving up prices, making American goods uncompetitive As a result of attempts to minimize the cost of wages, American corporations have had trouble recruiting and retaining skilled workers The emphasis on cost minimization has also led to another blunder: an overconcentration on high technology products Many foreign firms began by specializing in the mass production and sale of low technology products, gaining valuable experience and earning tremendous profits Later, these corporations were able to break into high technology markets without much trouble; they simply applied their previous manufacturing experience and ample financial resources to the production of higher quality goods American business has consistently ignored this very sensible approach As a result of management’s unwillingness to sanction the design and manufacture of low technology products, American business has lost both the financial and technological edge it once enjoyed 55 60 The recent rash of corporate mergers and acquisitions in the U.S has not helped the situation either While American firms have neglected long-range planning and production, preferring instead to reap fast profits through mergers and acquisitions, foreign firms have been quick to exploit opportunities to ensure their domination over future markets by investing in the streamlining and modernization of their facilities Without a change in the traditional American philosophy toward management, the outlook for American business is bleak Today’s corporate executives lack the empire-building vision which once propelled American business to a position of unrivaled dominance 65 49 Suppose that labor costs were the only part of the total cost of producing goods to have risen since the mid1960s What is the relevance of this information to the passage? A It supports the author’s claim that labor demands have hurt American corporations B It supports the author’s claim that workers’ wages have made American goods uncompetitive C It weakens the author’s claim that American corporations have had trouble retaining skilled workers D It weakens the author’s claim that management was wrong to blame labor costs for driving up prices 50 The passage suggests that compared to Japanese workers, American workers are often considered: A B C D more content and more productive more content but less productive less content and less productive less content but more productive 51 With which of the following general statements would the author most likely NOT agree? A American business has been hurt by the inability to plan for the long-term B Cutting production costs always leads to increased competitiveness C American consumers are not the prime cause of the decline of American business D Initial analysis of the decline of American business yielded only partially accurate conclusions GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 50 52 Which of the following would most weaken the author’s argument about the overconcentration of high technology products? A Producing low tech products is not as profitable as is producing high tech products B Manufacturing high tech products is a completely different process from manufacturing low tech goods C Most of the low tech products purchased by Americans are made by foreign firms D Most of the high tech products purchased by Americans are made by foreign firms 55 Economics experts have asserted that the American share of foreign and domestic markets was no greater in the 1950s than in the 1980s If true, this would cause the author to modify the claim that: A the American workforce has been unable to compete with European firms B American business squandered its advantage over foreign competition C American goods can be produced in such a way as to be competitive D the errors made by corporate management date back to the post-World War II years 53 Adopting the author’s views as presented in the passage would most likely mean acknowledging that: A it should be the goal of American business to regain control of the market B the major blunder of American businesses was to alienate the skilled workers C the future of American business would appear to be hopeless D the foreign market is more important for business survival than the domestic market 54 The author of this passage would probably give his greatest support to which of the following actions by the corporate management of an American company? A Acquiring a smaller company in order to gain financial resources B Considering the option of paying the most highly skilled workers a higher wage C Imitating the general management strategy of foreign firms D Paying for television advertisements that will win back American consumers GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 18 as developed by 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Passage IX (Questions 56-60) The woman-suffrage campaign was indeed as much evangelism—a kind of social gospel—as it was politics The copious documentation the suffragists left behind tells a story of missionary zeal, untiring political education, and commitment to a conception of America as an experiment in civic justice Underpinning this ideology were strands of American exceptionalism, occasional self-righteousness, and appeals to female moral superiority The suffragists revealed an eclectic social philosophy that oscillated between the poles of preaching women’s superior virtues and proclaiming their essential humanity .As events showed, the leading suffragists understood the uses of public drama—and were well attuned to the vitality of political rhetoric They exploited the great American narratives, biblical and civic, stories of new beginnings, brave struggles, repentance and renewal, and effectively turned them to their own purposes Southern suffragists often coupled panegyrics to woman’s purity with appeals to racial and ethnic prejudices One leader argued openly in 1903 that “enfranchisement of women would insure immediate and durable white supremacy.” Even more moderate suffragists believed that American women who know history “will always resent the fact that American men chose to enfranchise Negroes fresh from slavery before enfranchising American wives and mothers, and allowed hordes of European immigrants totally unfamiliar with the traditions and ideals of American government to be enfranchised and thus qualified to pass upon the question of the enfranchisement of American women.” Suffragists sought to capitalize on this antiimmigrant, anti-black sentiment in order to promote their own ends—a story that has been told, and lamented, by later generations of feminists and historians .Educated adults of the day—and the suffragists were overwhelmingly drawn from the ranks of the educated— knew their Bunyan, understood that overcoming adversity was a test of character, even believed that overcoming adversity was the way character was formed Above all, suffragists saw in the vote a great engine for social change, a way to tap woman’s greater capacity for human empathy, her status as “the mother of the race.” Women, they believed, would vote en bloc, for the good of humanity, and the world would look different forever Some argued that if the moral power of women could be utilized through the ballot, human suffering would be alleviated; social wrongs would be righted; a new democratic age would begin .Perhaps the fact that no clear-cut voting patterns have emerged simply tells us that the political attitudes of women, like those of men, are not a function of how they are supposed to think or act No consensus has been reached on the dimensions of the gender gap, its importance 55 60 or its potential for affecting the outcome of elections or public policy more generally Our attention should be focused not so much on whether women will vote or govern differently from men, but rather on why suffrage is so vital to a democratic society Suffrage is to the individual what sovereignty is to states: the insignia of membership in a political society; the mark of political standing and dignity Civic emancipation, of which the franchise is the indispensable feature, is the only sure and certain basis for democratic political life It cannot accomplish every good end But no good political end can be achieved without it 56 In the context of the passage, political rhetoric ( line 14) refers to: A The guidelines used by political speechwriters B The suffragettes’ effective presentation of American ideology in order to make political gains C The suffragettes’ circumlocution of historical facts and ideas in an attempt to confuse voters D The code that successful politicians must follow during an election campaign 57 With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree? A Suffragette exploitation of American ideology was a severe violation of moral principles B Due to their lack of education, the suffragettes believed that their prejudice against blacks and immigrants had no similarity to the prejudice they experienced as women C Suffragists were ahead of their time in believing that “women would vote en bloc for the good of humanity ” D The end result suffragettes achieved, civic emancipation, is essential to maintaining a democratic society GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 58 Based on information in the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true? A Women suffragists often came from educated backgrounds and had a solid understanding of American politics B To promote their own cause, suffragists took advantage of popular sentiments toward immigrants C Women tend to vote in distinct patterns related to their gender D Many suffragists believed that women were part of a superior group 60 The passage implies that modern day feminists and historians would most likely feel that tactics used by suffragists were: A valid, yet often hurt minorities such as immigrants and blacks B useless and functioned to prevent women from finally gaining the right to vote C effective, but compromised the integrity of their pursuit of equality D ignorant since the suffragists did not consider other groups 59 The author would most likely agree with which of the following statements? A Suffragists didn’t realize that their exploitation of other minorities was hypocritical in itself B The suffragists’ ultimate achievement may not guarantee a good society, but it does ensure the survival of democracy C The suffragists’ extensive knowledge of American history helped them to accurately predict women’s voting patterns D The suffragist movement may have helped women gain rights, but it did not help society progress on any other level 20 as developed by Material in this test was adapted from the following sources: Winston Churchill, Amid These Storms Reprinted in A Quarto of Modern Literature , by Leonard Brown and Porter Perrin, eds.© 1957 by Charles Scribner’s Sons Martin Benjamin and Daniel A Bronstein, “Moral & Criminal Responsibility & Corporate Persons.” Reprinted in Corporations and Society: Power and Responsibility © 1987 by Greenwood Press Greg Easterbrook, “Here Comes the Sun.” © 1995 by The New Yorker Antony Andrews, The Greeks © 1967 by W.W Norton & Company John Allen Paulos, Innumeracy © 1989 by Hill and Wang Jean Bethke Elshtain, What Feminists Could Learn from Ms Anthony © 1995 by Civilization  .. .VERBAL REASONING TEST Time – 85 Minutes 60 Questions 10 15 20 25 30 35 DIRECTIONS: There are nine passages in this Verbal Reasoning test Each passage is followed... no more reconnaissance of the country where the battle is to be 50 The largest brush, the brightest colors cannot even make an fought is needed Its fields, its mountains, its rivers, its impression... a high degree without actually practising But along the road which is traversed by all the greatest I expect that nothing will make one observe more quickly or harmonies in thought At one side