The passage suggests that the fable is superior to the parable and the tale for which of the following reasons?. Most present-day animal phyla had appeared during the “Cambrian explosion
Trang 1MCAT Section Tests
Dear Future Doctor,
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Kaplan Test Prep
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Trang 2Verbal Reasoning
Time: 85 Minutes Questions 1-60
DO NOT BEGIN THIS SECTION UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO.
Trang 3
VERBAL REASONING
DIRECTIONS: There are nine passages in the Verbal Reasoning test
Each passage is followed by several questions After reading a passage, select the 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 Indicate your selection
by blackening the corresponding oval on your answer document
Passage I (Questions 1- 7)
The Tale, the Parable, and the Fable are all common
and popular modes of conveying instruction Each is
distinguished by its own special characteristics The Tale
consists simply in the narration of a story either founded
on facts, or created solely by the imagination, and not
5
necessarily associated with the teaching of any moral
lesson The Parable is the designed use of language
purposely intended to convey a hidden and secret meaning
other than that contained in the words themselves;
and which may or may not bear a special reference to the
10
hearer, or reader The Fable partly agrees with, and partly
differs from both of these It will contain, like the Tale, a
short but real narrative; it will seek, like the Parable, to
convey a hidden meaning, and that not so much by the use
of language, as by the skilful introduction of fictitious
15
characters; and yet unlike to either Tale or Parable, it will
ever keep in view, as its high prerogative, and inseparable
attribute, the great purpose of instruction, and will
necessarily seek to inculcate some moral maxim, social
duty, or political truth
20
The true Fable, if it rise to its high requirements, ever
aims at one great end and purpose: the representation of
human motive, and the improvement of human conduct,
and yet it so conceals its design under the disguise of
fictitious characters, by clothing with speech the animals
25
of the field, the birds of the air, the trees of the wood, or
the beasts of the forest, that the reader shall receive advice
without perceiving the presence of the adviser Thus
the superiority of the counsellor, which often renders
counsel unpalatable, is kept out of view, and the lesson
30
comes with the greater acceptance when the reader is led,
unconsciously to himself, to have his sympathies enlisted
in behalf of what is pure, honorable, and praiseworthy, and
to have his indignation excited against what is low,
ignoble, and unworthy
35
The true fabulist, therefore, discharges a most
important function He is neither a narrator, nor an
allegorist He is a great teacher, a corrector of morals, a
censor of vice, and a commender of virtue In this consists
the superiority of the Fable over the Tale or the Parable
40
The fabulist is to create a laugh, but yet, under a merry
guise, to convey instruction Phaedrus, the great
imitator of Aesop, plainly indicates this double purpose to
be the true office of the writer of fables
1 The author would agree with all of the following EXCEPT:
A Instruction can be communicated successfully
through more than one type of narrative construct
B The use of rhetorical devices is incompatible
with the didactic purpose of narrative writing
C Education is more effective when a reader
arrives independently at an understanding of the intended lesson
D Humor in fables can be a useful educational
device
2 The passage suggests that the fable is superior to the parable and the tale for which of the following reasons?
I The fable contains a moral lesson within its narrative
II The parable’s message may be too enigmatic for a reader to comprehend III The tale is a chronicle of recent historical events
A I only
B I and II
C II and III
D I, II, and III
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3
inferior narrative forms for conveying instruction
depends on the assumption that:
A readers learn most successfully when an
educational lesson is integrated within an
entertaining narrative framework
B a long and purely descriptive narrative relies
too heavily on the author’s creative powers of
imagination
C faulty historical accuracy subverts the
instructional goal of the tale
D most authors are not sufficiently trained in the
art of persuasion to successfully communicate
a moral lesson to their readers
4 According to the passage, which of the following is
NOT a requirement for a narrative text to be
classified as a fable?
A use of fictional characters, such as personified
animals and natural objects
B inclusion of social, moral, or political
references relevant to contemporary readers
C constant awareness of and attention to a
particular instructional goal
D figurative or poetic language to demonstrate
the author’s creative talent
5 Another fabulist, Phaedrus, is referenced by the
author in the final paragraph in order to:
A prove the hypothesis that learned philosophers
can be effective fabulists
B counteract potential criticism of the author’s
analysis of different narrative forms
C support the idea that fables provide readers
with education and entertainment
D illustrate Aesop’s influence on his fellow
writers
the author’s conclusion as to the efficacy of moral instruction through fables?
A Readers never perceive fictional ideas or
lessons as relevant to their own lives
B Most readers can identify with non-human
characters
C Excessive use of rhetorical language makes
fabulist texts incomprehensible
D Studies have shown that readers learn most
successfully when they are diverted
7 Which of the following best characterizes the claim that the fabulist is a “great teacher, a corrector of morals, a censor of vice, and a commender of virtue?”
A It is an analysis of the importance of the
fabulist’s role in society
B It is a conclusion that fabulists should be
honored above writers of parables or tales
C It is appreciation for the fabulist’s ability to
multi-task
D It is advocating increased honor and respect due
to the fabulist
Trang 5Passage II (Questions 8–13)
Until the 1970s, the pattern of early marine animal
evolution seemed to be well established Most present-day
animal phyla had appeared during the “Cambrian
explosion,” an extraordinary burgeoning of multicellular
life in the warm seas of the Cambrian period, between 570
5
and 500 million years ago It was assumed that, despite the
very large number of species that appeared during the
Cambrian explosion, nearly all fit into the same rather
small number of phyla that exist today Each phylum—a
group of organisms with the same basic pattern of
10
organization, such as the radial symmetry of jellyfish and
other coelenterates or the segmented structure of worms
and other annelids—was seen as evolutionarily stable
Innumerable individual species have arisen and died out,
but development and extinction were assumed to take
15
place within existing phyla; the elimination of entire phyla
was thought to be extremely rare
However, a diverse group of marine fossils, known
collectively as the “Problematica,” presented difficulties
for this interpretation The Problematica show patterns of
20
organization so bizarre that it is hard to fit any of them
into present-day phyla They include the banana-shaped
Tullimonstrum and the spiked, spiny Hallucigenia,
creatures whose very names reflect the classifier’s
discomfort The “Ediacaran fauna,” which respired,
25
absorbed nutrients, and eliminated wastes directly through
their external surfaces, are also included among the
Problematica Theirs was an approach taken by only a few
modern multicelled creatures (such as tapeworms) that are
otherwise totally unlike them
30
Recently, several theorists have argued that the
Problematica are not just hard to classify—they are
evidence that the conventional view of the Cambrian
explosion is wrong They contend that the Cambrian
explosion represented the simultaneous appearance of a
35
much larger number of animal phyla than exists today
Each was a separate “experiment” in basic body design,
and the Cambrian seas teemed with many different phyla,
or basic body plans, each represented by only a few
species Today, the number of phyla has fallen drastically,
40
but each surviving phylum contains a much larger number
of species The Problematica, then, were not unsuccessful
variants within present-day phyla; each represented a
distinct phylum in its own right
Revisionists and conventional theorists agree that
45
modern marine species are products of natural selection
But the revisionists contend that the selection process
eliminated not only particular unfavorable traits, but entire
body plans and approaches to survival The Ediacaran
fauna, for example, represented a particular structural
50
solution to the basic problems of gas and fluid exchange
with the environment This approach to body engineering
was discarded at the same time as the Ediacaran fauna
themselves were wiped out; given the improbability of
duplicating an entire body plan through chance mutation, it
55
was unlikely that this particular approach would ever be tried again
8 The author implies that revisionists would view efforts to classify the Problematica in present-day phyla:
A enthusiastically
B optimistically
C skeptically
D with indifference
9 The description in the latter half of the second paragraph of how the Ediacaran fauna carried out respiration, absorption, and excretion tends to support the view that they:
A were probably not members of any present-day
phylum
B had physiologic processes different from those
of any other known organisms
C could not absorb or excrete fluids
D were members of the same phylum as
Tullimonstrum
10 The passage implies that present-day phyla contain:
A only a few species each
B species more dissimilar than many phyla in the
Cambrian period
C many species showing basic structural
similarities
D species that undergo no evolutionary change
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5
11 The author mentions coelenterates and annelids in
order to give examples of:
A phyla that died out because their body plans
were not viable
B the structural patterns characteristic of some
modern phyla
C phyla that are closely related to the
Problematica
D phyla that have evolved since the Cambrian
period
revisionist theorists disagree about all of the
following EXCEPT:
A the accuracy of the conventional view of early
marine evolution
B the probable number of marine animal phyla
during the Cambrian period
C the likelihood of entire phyla becoming extinct
D the applicability of the theory of natural
selection to the Cambrian period
13 According to the passage, the Problematica are
difficult to classify because:
I some had unusual shapes
II some of them functioned physiologically
differently from modern organisms
III they became extinct at the end of the
Cambrian period
A I only
B II only
C I and II only
D I and III only
Trang 7Passage III (Questions 14–20)
One of the most well-known female writers to adopt a
masculine pen name was George Sand, born Aurore Dupin
in 1804, who became one of the most prolific and admired
French authors – female or male – during the nineteenth
century The true identity of George Sand did not remain a
5
secret for long, for after 1830 the author used this name in
her everyday-life, and close friends commonly referred to
her as “George.” Most portraits of the author as an adult
are entitled simply George Sand and make no reference to
her given name Her son, too, adopted this new last name
10
even though association with his famous author-mother
did not bring him any obvious benefits, other than to
indicate that his relationship with his mother was closer
than that of his sister Given that the name “George Sand”
is radically different from Aurore Dupin’s birth name,
15
many readers have wondered how the author formulated
her masculine pen name
At least two possible answers spring to mind The
first, as indicated in Curtis Cate’s biography George Sand,
is that the idea for this pseudonym arose from a
20
collaboration with her first lover, Jules Sandeau, with
whom she co-authored several articles as well as a
full-length novel entitled Rose et Blanche On the advice of
their publisher, the lovers signed this latter work under the
name “J Sand.” Once Aurore’s writing began to
25
overshadow that of Jules, she decided to sign her solo
works as “Georges Sand,” which eventually became simply
“George Sand.” Since her own literary output was a great
success in the 1830s-1850s, she quickly became known by
this name, and began to use her pen-name on a daily basis
30
By continuing to use the name initially assigned to
collaborative writings with her lover, perhaps Aurore
hoped to maintain her connection to Sandeau Perhaps she
fondly remembered their time together and wished to have
a permanent reminder of their relationship Or perhaps she
35
simply realized that it would be much more expedient to
continue to write under a name which was already familiar
to her audience thanks to the joint works she and Sandeau
had published
A second possible reason for the pseudonym is more
40
sentimental, but also gives more credit to the author
herself by focusing on the symbolism of the last name
Taking each letter of “Sand” as an allusion to names,
places, or people from Aurore’s life, this name can be seen
as a representation of Aurore’s childhood and early
45
married life The “A” stands for “Aurore,” her given first
name; likewise, the “D” stands for “Dupin,” her given last
name, or perhaps for “Dudevant,” her married name; the
“N” is for “Nohant,” her childhood home, which she
loved, and which became a refuge for her from Paris
50
throughout her life; and finally, the “S” maintains her link
with her first lover by indicating “Sandeau.” This
explanation of George Sand’s pen-name in some ways
contradicts the previous explanation by showing that
Aurore invented the name herself, and that it was neither
55
Jules nor their publisher who suggested the pseudonym Even if George did create the name, however, she was well aware of the similarity to her lover’s name, and was equally aware that many of her readers would make this connection As an intelligent and perceptive woman, she
60
recognized that such an association with a male author would help to validate her early writing career before she had succeeded in establishing her own reputation as a talented and publishable author
Given that George Sand began writing under this
65
masculine name at around the same time as she began to roam around Paris in pants and a jacket – typically male clothing – it is not hard to understand why she chose a masculine pseudonym, since, like her choice of clothes, this male identity gave her more freedom of expression,
70
both literally and figuratively And once she became known as a successful author under this name, there was
no reason to change it Writing under a false name allowed her to distance parts of her character – her roles as wife, mother, and lover – from the creative and literary
75
parts that formed the basis for her role as an author Using
a male name set her apart and added to her persona as an unusual and fascinating woman And in the end, the reason why she chose this particular pen-name is not nearly as important as the vast quantity of writing –
80
articles, letters, novels, plays – that forms her legacy to the field of French literature
14 The author’s attitude towards the use of male pseudonyms by female authors can best be described as:
A skeptical of the usefulness of pseudonyms
B critical of the women’s adoption of a male
name
C appreciative of female authors’ efforts to be
published at any cost
D intrigued by the creation of a pseudonym
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7
15 According to the passage, the following were all
reasons for George Sand to create a pseudonym
EXCEPT:
A she began publishing collaborative works with
Jules Sandeau
B her new name reflected important parts of her
life
C she was not able to publish any works under
her own given name
D the works published under her pen name sold
well
16 With which of the following statements would the
author most likely agree?
A Aurore Dupin should have written works under
her own name once the secret of her
pseudonym was revealed
B By writing under a pseudonym, George Sand
created for herself a new identity which
allowed her to transcend the limitations of
society
C George Sand owed her early success to her
partner, Jules Sandeau
D The choice of a masculine pseudonym was
restrictive for George Sand and forced her to
live as a man throughout her life
17 The author mentions Curtis Cate in order to:
A refute his claims about the reason for Aurore
Dupin’s choice of a male pseudonym
B provide support for a plausible explanation of
the creation of Aurore Dupin’s pseudonym
C advocate the reason for Aurore Dupin’s
pseudonym as presented in this particular
biography
D show that biographers do not always write
accurately about their subjects
18 According to the passage, which of the following is NOT proof of the widespread use of the pseudonym George Sand?
A Members of her family used part of her
pseudonym for themselves
B Aurore Dupin’s lovers and close friends called
her “George.”
C Portraitists and the general public knew her
predominantly be her pen name
D Early book reviews of her works never referred
to her given name
for George Sand’s pen name is:
A more likely since it demonstrates the author’s
creativity and independence
B equally plausible as the first reason even
though it has no relevance to the writer’s family
C too sentimental for such a rational and
innovative writer
D based on reading she did during her childhood
and early married life
20 According to the passage, George Sand’s male pen name and her choice of clothing are related because:
A both acknowledge her strong masculine side
B both provide evidence of her androgyny
C both freed her from stereotypical female
constraints
D both permitted her to succeed in a patriarchal
society
Trang 9Passage IV (Questions 21-26)
The 1960s and 1970s witnessed a new boomtown era
in the West The typical contemporary boomtown is
fueled by a quest for energy in the form of a fossil-fueled
electric generating plant, a hydroelectric dam or a new
mine The energy project is located near a small
5
community or is forced to start a community from scratch
Often, the boomtown is poorly planned and
under-financed Longtime residents find their community
changed for the worse and newcomers find the town an
undesirable place to live The boomtown is characterized
10
by inadequate public services, undesirable labor
conditions, confusion in community structure, and
deterioration of the quality of life arising from rapid
population growth due to a major economic stimulus
Accelerated growth is the most distinguishing
15
characteristic of a boomtown
Problems of rapid growth in some boomtowns are
compounded by the fact that most of the population
disappears with the completion of project construction
Five times as many workers may be needed to construct a
20
power plant as to operate it The numbers may be even
more disproportionate for a major pipeline or dam When
the construction ends, a substantial reduction in
population is virtually guaranteed Hence, there may be no
justification for providing an infrastructure necessary to
25
maintain adequate levels of service during the construction
period
A critical problem of the boomtown is that money
necessary to build water systems, schools and roads and to
fund salaries and maintenance costs is mismatched by
30
traditional taxing programs The construction project is
usually not subject to local property tax until it nears
completion, which may be five years after the impact has
occurred Alternative sources of tax revenue cannot begin
to cover the cost of providing the necessary services Even
35
if some governments have money, they may not be the
right governments Some entities may suffer the impact of
development without being able to tax it For example, a
development may be located in the county just outside the
limits of an incorporated city The county will be entitled
40
to tax the property while the city may receive most of the
project population and demand for services
Studies have shown that large-scale development in
sparsely populated areas causes major social problems
Housing, street and water systems construction, school
45
development and police and fire protection lag far behind
population growth Rent and property tax increases join
with a rise in the general cost of living to harm persons on
fixed incomes Education in the community may suffer
One result of boomtown living is higher incidence of
50
divorce, depression, alcoholism and attempted suicide
Until recently, planners have ignored or understated such
problems While the boomtown promotes an “us against
them” mentality — the old timers versus persons brought
to the community by the boom — the fact remains that all
55
parties suffer Newcomers are as plagued by lack of public services as long-time residents Newcomers may blame old-timers for a lack of support just as old-timers may blame them for a deterioration of community life Consequences of the boomtown also harm the project
60
developer The undesirable community results in poor worker productivity and frequent worker turnover, factors that delay construction and push projects over budget
21 It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following are possible ways in which a boomtown
is affected by poor planning and under- financing?
I Unsatisfactory labor conditions
II Inadequate police protection III Poor community relations
A II only
B I and III only
C II and III only
D I, II, and III
22 The passage suggests that all of the following are possible causal factors for the lack of services associated with a boomtown EXCEPT:
A the expected loss of a substantial number of
residents after the completion of a project
B lack of support from long-time residents
C the location of an energy project just outside
the limits of an incorporated city
D the time lag between the beginning of project
construction and the onset of tax payments for
it
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9
23 The passage suggests that improved public services
in boomtowns could result from which of the
following?
A establishment of an adequate infrastructure
during project construction
B increased support by long-time residents
C better enforcement of tax programs
D limiting services to the anticipated levels
necessary for towns’ long-term needs
24 The tone of the author’s discussion of traditional
taxing programs in regard to boomtowns can best
be described as:
A outraged
B concerned
C disbelieving
D complacent
25 The author would be most likely to agree with
which of the following statements concerning
community life in a boomtown?
A Old-timers suffer the most from the new
developments that occur because of energy
project construction
B A smaller number of boomtown residents
would suffer from depression or alcoholism if
planners did not understate such problems
C Project developers would experience less
worker turnover if they acknowledged the
complaints of long-time residents
D An “us against them” mentality is unproductive
because all residents suffer from a boomtown’s
failings
26 Which of the following best describes the organization of the fourth paragraph of the passage?
A A finding is cited and then discussed
B A prediction is made, but then qualified
C A point of view is set forth and then justified
D A proposal is presented and then dismissed