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 Time: 85 Minutes Questions 1-60 DO NOT BEGIN THIS SECTION UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO 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 1-6) 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 If the ancient Greeks first inspired the ideological commitment to democracy that gripped Western thought especially during and after the Enlightenment, the Greek philosophers contributed to this development less by their embrace of the democratic principle than by their rejection of tyranny In Aristotle’s schema, tyranny is the most perverse of six types of government; Plato designated five types, with tyranny the least desirable, followed by democracy Yet less clear than Plato’s disregard for the tyrannical character is his sense of its basic constitution The best-known platonic depiction of tyranny appears in Republic, where the tyrant is beastly, subject to base and unnecessary appetites: power, vainglory, luxury, lust, and gluttony To the extent that passions control him—a decidedly male figure—the tyrant is a sort of slave, who depends on both taxation to support him and his “drinkmates…and…mistresses,” as well as bodyguards to protect him from assassins and other “worthless creatures” who proliferate under tyrannical rule An argument recently propounded by the historian of philosophy Matteo Giovannini threatens to unsettle this widely held view of the platonic tyrant as brutish slave According to Giovannini, the traditional view, while sound as far as it goes, is incomplete in that it ignores insights into the tyrannical character that are offered by Plato in the earlier and more obscure dialogue, Lysis 45 50 55 60 Giovannini’s account thus purports to complicate the one-dimensional view of tyranny associated with Republic But this account, while ingenious and provocative, is not beyond question Most significantly, Giovannini appears not to have anticipated an obvious objection to his research design While Lysis first appeared during Plato’s formative period of aporetic dialogues in which the principal interlocutors frequently pose questions but rarely provide lasting answers, Republic dates from a later, more mature period in the development of Plato’s thought, when conclusions are more frequent and less concealed The point is that if Plato intended the conception of tyranny that appears in Republic to be somehow bound up in a paradox with the conception of tyranny in Lysis, he would presumably have hinted as much Absent such indications, the danger is heightened that Giovannini may have invented, rather than discovered, subtle interconnections in Plato’s thought According to Giovannini, Lysis forms a counterpoint to Republic by depicting a tyrant whose status derives, not from his slavish dependency, but from his utter selfsufficiency; he is complete, or (to use the language of the ancient philosophers) perfect For such a figure, friendship—for many of the Greek philosophers, the foundation of healthy political community—is ultimately impossible, because “the one who is perfect does not depend on the many who are imperfect, but the many who are imperfect depend on the one who is perfect.” In short, Giovannini argues, the tyranny found in Lysis is the wake of a doomed union between the needy masses and the singular, complete one Viewed in the double light of Republic and Lysis, the platonic tyrant depicted by Giovannini is a paradoxical figure: here a slave, there the epitome of wholeness In paragraph 4, the author is primarily concerned with: A providing a richer alternative to the onedimensional view of tyranny furnished in Republic B establishing a relationship between the content of platonic dialogues and the order in which they first appeared C dismissing Giovannini’s findings on the grounds that they are more imagined than real D supplying an overall assessment of Giovannini’s argument about the platonic conception of tyranny GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 2 What does Giovannini suggest about tyrannical regimes as depicted in Lysis? A They fulfill the brutish desires of the tyrant B They are typically incompatible with the political community C They result from a severe imbalance in the relationship between the ruler and the ruled D They promote strength and self-reliance among the general populace A It would weaken Giovannini’s claim that the platonic tyrant is a paradoxical figure B It would verify the author’s assertion that Republic provides a reasonable but only partial depiction of Plato’s conception of the tyrannical character C It would weaken the author’s major criticism of Giovannini’s research D It would weaken the author’s assessment of Giovannini’s work as ingenious and provocative The author most likely mentions Aristotle in order to: A illustrate Greek philosophers’ rejection of tyranny as a desirable form of government B link ancient Greek political thought with that of the Enlightenment C exemplify the seminal nature of Plato’s political thought D provide a contrast to the position of tyranny in Plato’s classification of regimes Suppose conclusive evidence emerged that, in order to shield his audience from confusion, Plato on occasion intentionally avoided revealing complex or seemingly contradictory conclusions in his dialogues What relevance would this information have to the passage? The author of this passage criticizes Giovannini primarily on the basis of his: A bias against the slavish dependency of the platonic tyrant B over concern for the situation of the “needy masses” C failure to use original source materials in his research D treating Plato’s earliest works as deliberate contrasts to his mature works Which of the following is NOT presented as evidence for the best-known platonic characterization of the tyrannical figure? A reliance on taxation to support his personal social pursuits B slavish attachment to the friendship of the populace C excessive indulgence of base desires D dependence on physical protection from enemies GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE Passage II (Questions 7–12) 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 It has long been a commonplace that the idea of a state of nature is the conceptual starting point of Hobbesian political thought A war in which “every man is Enemy to every man” chiefly characterizes this state in which, because of limited resources and the absence of any summum bonum to fortify a moral order, anarchy rules and life is never without want and fear Even scholars who offer otherwise contrasting readings of Hobbes agree that its foundation is the state of nature For LaJoie, Hobbes’s state of nature “sets in motion the dominoes of deduction” from which ultimately issue the politics proper Saccente cautions against framing Hobbes’s thought within an “architectural analogue according to which the state of nature is the foundation of a structure and civil philosophy is its roof,” yet she too maintains that for Hobbes “civil philosophy begins with knowledge of human nature.” Hobbes presents no exception to the rule that at the outset, every social theorist, whatever else he or she argues, of necessity makes fundamental and seminal assumptions concerning human nature 60 65 70 To the extent that it involves a politics—what Hobbes calls civil philosophy—built on a philosophy of human nature, Hobbes’s thought constitutes a system in which the problems of political life in civil society are intertwined with the basic nature of the human condition By this view, humankind exists in a universe the entire content of which is no more or less than matter and motion A strict, raw, nominalist materialism circumscribes reality in this billiard-ball world of efficient causes, which manifest in personality as the passions that drive behavior What is usually termed ‘will’ is unreal, nothing more than the final derivative of appetite or aversion To understand the operation of these passions in human behavior, we are invited by Hobbes to explore a setting in which nothing impedes people’s acting on appetites and aversions This setting is, of course, the state of nature In addition to the absence in this state of any positive law, there is also no natural law in the scholastic sense of providentiallyprescribed rational commands of right conduct for everyone ‘Good’ is radically individual and utilitarian; it is always and only that to which appetite or aversion drives a person Possessed of a natural liberty to compete for limited resources and to win what security they can by whatever means they choose, actors in the natural state vie, according to the famous phrase, for “Power after power, that ceaseth only on Death.” thyself…whosoever looketh into himself…shall thereby read and know what are the thoughts and passions of all other men.” In De Corpore, Hobbes suggests that principles of human nature can be derived by ratiocination from “the first part of philosophy, namely, geometry and physics.” Among Hobbes scholars consensus lacks regarding how, and indeed whether, these scenarios reconcile Conclusions seem to change sometimes within a single tract Within the space of two lines in Konstantin’s influential Leviathan Logic, the state of nature changes from a mere “act of imagination” into a far more ambitious “ideal conception.” (What is more, Konstantin’s assertion that the state of nature could never be empirically observed contradicts Hobbes’s own reference to “they of America.”) LaJoie calls the state of nature a creation of logic, not history, while for Saccente the state of nature is a “thought-experiment” designed not to chronicle the essential condition of humankind, but to illuminate it Which of the following is NOT addressed in the passage? A the relationship between physics and human nature B Hobbes’s basic conception of the nature of universe C the role of self-reflection in relation to the principles of human nature D the requirements for emergence from the state of nature into civil society As used in the passage, the words “billiard-ball world of efficient causes” (lines 29–30) refer to: A the rejection of belief in transcendent or universal standards of right conduct B the philosophical relationship between political and pre-political society C the foundation of positive law in human nature D the derivation of will from basic appetites and aversions It is still an open question precisely how Hobbes conceptualized the state of nature; neither he nor his interpreters have been completely clear Hobbes offers three scenarios In De Cive, the state of nature is an empirical physical location in which war “is perpetuated in its own nature….They of America are examples hereof.” In Leviathan, Hobbes appears to conceive of the state of nature as a facet of personality, accessible through introspection or intuition: “Nosce teipsum, read Which of the following best characterizes the claim (lines 18-20) that “every social theorist, whatever else he or she argues, of necessity makes GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE fundamental and seminal assumptions concerning human nature?” 11 A It supports a viewpoint regarded by the author as widespread but groundless B It is at odds with the subsequent claim that Hobbes’s conception of the state of nature is an open question C It broadens the scope of a claim with which the author agrees D It demonstrates the systemic character of Hobbesian thought 10 According to the author, which of the following would be most analogous to conditions in the state of nature? A In a nuclear family, parents allow children to share in decision-making as the children develop a capacity to communicate increasingly thoughtful opinions B In warfare, belligerents adhere to principles such as proportionality, non-combatant immunity, and other norms of the “just war” principle C In international politics, sovereign states pursue their individual interests without reference to an overarching authority whose laws are backed by the threat of coercive force D In a crime-ridden neighborhood, a paroled criminal burgles homes and businesses despite the emergence of a vigilante group of hostile neighborhood residents convinced that police are incapable of capturing the criminal A key distinction between two types of social agreements—compacts of immediate performance and covenants of mutual trust—is that the latter, unlike the former, depend significantly on the presence of good faith and the expectation of longterm future cooperation among the parties to the covenant Given this, which of the following does the passage suggest would be LEAST likely to occur? A a compact of immediate performance in the state of nature B a compact of immediate performance in civil society C a covenant of mutual trust in the state of nature D a covenant of mutual trust in civil society 12 The passage suggests that LaJoie’s characterization of the state of nature is most consistent with that expressed in: A B C D Leviathan De Corpore De Cive Leviathan Logic GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE Passage III (Questions 13–18) 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 The idea of evolution is not at all new In its most simple form, the concept of evolution is that populations of organisms change over time One can trace the origins of evolutionary thought at least as far back as the Greeks Anaximander, in 500 BC, held the belief that living creatures were formed from water and that humans and other animals were descended from fishes Empedocles, around 400 BC, proposed an evolutionary hypothesis in which he stated that heads, limbs, and various other parts of animals were continuously joined in random combinations – e.g human heads with cows’ bodies – and that only some of these combinations were fit for survival 60 65 Christian philosophers later elaborated on the ideas of Aristotle and Plato when they reasoned that because existence is a good thing and because God is considered benevolent, God must have bestowed existence on all creatures This twist of circular reasoning, to which the name “natural theology” was applied, dominated the period preceding Darwin, and this philosophy resisted change long after Darwin published his theory of natural selection in 1859 The apparent change from the rather mechanistic explanation of evolution put forth by the Greeks to the more creationist reasoning found later in Europe was a significant paradigm shift, yet it is clear that the idea of evolution was not first pioneered by Darwin himself 70 evolutionary theory and the “theory” of creationism This extremely dangerous idea has been at the forefront of battles waged by so-called “creation-scientists” since the early 1970s in their attempts to overturn school curricula It is essential to confront the creationist issue and to look at it in a scientific manner Creationism is not science and doesn’t belong in the science classroom However, a frank discussion of creationism with students is also important To avoid it may suggest that perhaps there is something valid there, lurking in the irrationality The late Carl Sagan, one of the staunchest advocates of rationality and reason in the increasingly irrational and superstitious world in which we live, has defended the importance of good science teaching by saying: “In the demon-haunted world that we inhabit by virtue of being human, [science] may be all that stands between us and the enveloping darkness.” 13 Soon after Charles Darwin published his landmark work, universal school education began in Britain, and the teaching of evolution was a top priority in that new system Thomas Huxley, one of Darwin’s most ardent supporters, was one of the founding members of the powerful London School Board, which helped to set curriculum guidelines for students and teachers Yet, back in the United States, a strong biblical fundamentalism was taking hold, using the Bible as both a means of consolation as well as a guide for moral conduct Many states passed laws banning the teaching of evolution in schools, and teachers who persisted either did so quietly or allowed themselves to be martyred, as in the case of John Scopes, the Tennessee teacher convicted in 1925 of teaching evolution in his public school biology class Despite his conviction, his trial scored enough of a public victory for the teaching of evolution that the rising tide of creationism slowed considerably until many decades later The author contrasts the presence of Thomas Huxley on the London School Board with the growing biblical fundamentalism in the United States in order to: A show how unimportant the Bible was in British education B suggest that creationism was a movement specific to the United States C suggest that Darwin’s ideas needed a great deal of support in order to be allowed into England’s classrooms D demonstrate the continued presence of natural theology in United States curricula Most recently, those opposed to the teaching of evolution in schools have pressed the idea of “creation science,” a tactic devised by creationists in the late 1960s to infiltrate America’s science classrooms with religious ideas Creation science, despite the apparent oxymoron, is a phrase that has been widely used by creationists to add legitimacy to their claims by stating that creationism is a scientific theory just as much as evolution By claiming that their ideas are scientific, creationists could then demand equal time in the classroom devoted to both GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 14 When Carl Sagan speaks of “the demon-haunted world that we inhabit by virtue of being human,” what is he trying to say about us? 17 A All discussions of creationism and creation science should be eliminated from science classrooms B Most teachers who teach evolution would agree to splitting time in their classrooms equally between evolutionary theory and creation science C There is no room for irrationality and superstition, since it hides scientific truth and derails reason D The Bible may be an essential tool for guiding certain human behaviors, such as morals and ethics A Human claims that demons and other creatures exist on Earth should be believed B Humans are innately superstitious beings and irrationality is part of being human C We should put more emphasis into the teaching of science and reason so that we can understand better what makes us human D We tend to turn to fantastic and irrational explanations in order to explain phenomena in the world which we not understand 15 Alfred Russell Wallace is widely credited with having arrived at an almost identical theory of natural selection to Darwin’s at about the same time that Darwin was ready to go public with his ideas Yet, the one aspect of natural history that Wallace could not reconcile with according to his theory was human intelligence, crediting something supernatural for the evolution of this trait Thus, Wallace’s ideas on evolution might be best characterized as: 18 In 1968, Epperson v Arkansas legalized the teaching of evolution while blocking attempts to ban the teaching of evolution in the state of Arkansas In doing so, however, this Supreme Court case did all of the following EXCEPT: A allow teachers to emulate John Scopes without fear of prosecution B provide equal time for the teaching of creationism alongside evolution C prevent the teaching of creation science along with the teaching of evolution D grant a victory for scientists and rational thinkers alike A Thomas Huxley’s views with some natural theology mixed in B those of a natural theologist C entirely creationist D a combination of biblical fundamentalism and natural theology 16 The author would most likely agree with which of the following statements? The author’s main idea in this passage is: A to explain the differences between natural selection and creation science B to show how the continued spread of creationist views is a potentially dangerous affront to a rational, scientific understanding of evolution C to contrast the creationist viewpoints, such as fundamentalism and natural theology with more ancient views of evolution D to explain why the concepts of evolution are more scientifically correct than those of “creation science.” GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE Passage IV (Questions 19–25) 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Coral reef ecosystems provide habitat for many diverse organisms The reef itself is alive with many billions of coral colonies plus other limestone-depositing organisms, growing among the skeletons of their predecessors Reefs grow on the continental shelf edge, on the shelf itself, along islands and atolls, and from the continental mainland Reefs are found in two general locations: the Indo-Pacific, where Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is located, and the Western Atlantic, which includes Caribbean reefs While strict requirements concerning the amount of available light, and the ocean’s clarity, temperature, and movement have restricted the geographic locations of the Earth’s reefs, these requirements have not limited the ecological complexity of reef communities Species representing more phyla than those found in a tropical rainforest live on coral reefs Scientists counted 1,441 worms on one coral head alone, and these worms belonged to over a hundred different families Six of the Earth’s seven species of marine turtles inhabit the Great Barrier Reef Four thousand species of fishes, more than a third of all marine fish species, make coral ecosystems their home Cartilaginous sharks and rays, perciform fish families, and some lower teleost are found Perhaps more notably, representatives from all fish families and most genera are reef inhabitants Although annelid, mollusk, and insect faunas eclipse reef fish assemblages, fish diversity exemplifies the richness of coral environments 55 60 65 70 75 Scientists study reef fishes not only because of the diverse sampling of species but also because of the range of behaviors and relationships between species and other animals that is available for analysis Intense competition and predation have caused fishes to carve out special niches Mimicry and camouflage offer just two ways for species to blend in with their surroundings Juvenile rockmover wrasses mimic dead leaves by floating along with currents, and peacock flounder blend in so well with the sea floor that only their sudden movement will betray location Symbiotic relationships between fish and other organisms also occur with frequency on coral reefs Small cleaner wrasse and gobies enter the mouth of larger species and emerge unscathed because cleaner fishes eat dead skin and external parasites from other fishes Cleaner fishes are necessary to sustain the health of organisms on a reef The anemonefish share their habitat with sea anemones in a symbiotic relationship that scientists have yet to unravel completely The defensive nematocysts of the anemone are used to stun prey, but the anemonefish are resistant to these stinging cells Researchers believe that the fish secrets a mucous coating that mimics that of the anemone allowing for chemical signals to prohibit the firing of the cells One theory holds that the fish obtain these chemicals by rubbing against the sea anemone’s tentacles The benefits, if any, to the anemone for having these fish live with them is not clear The variety of fish reproduction techniques provides another example of the adaptive complexity that ecologists have found on reefs Most spawning is synchronized with phases of the moon, and eggs are fertilized in the water column However, some species lay eggs on the sea bottom or in a protected area Damselfishes will guard their nests quite aggressively, while jawfish and cardinalfish incubate eggs in the mouth Seahorse and pipefish carry their eggs in a pouch For some species sex is determined at an early stage of development, while others have the ability to alter sex depending on circumstance Most hermaphroditic species follow the protogynous pattern of the fairy basselet If the male disappears, the dominant female in his harem will change sex within days and take over his role within hours However, a few species are protandrous where the fish are male first and then become female Much remains to be learned about fish reproduction, and evolutionary biologists find that the coral environment provides them with many opportunities to observe a variety of species and specialized behaviors 19 Based on the passage, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with? A More effort should be made to protect Australia’s Great Barrier Reef B The absence of diverse phyla in terrestrial ecosystems makes them irrelevant for Earth’s biodiversity C The richness of coral reef diversity should be recognized and studied D Ecologists should focus research efforts on environments other than coral reefs GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 20 It can be inferred from the passage that scientists studying hermaphroditic reef fishes would be most interested in research concerning: 24 A the complexity of reproductive behaviors of perciform families in light of fish evolution B the prevalence of shark attacks on reef divers C the development of coral spawning behavior in reef communities D the specific temperature requirements, broken down by latitude, for coral growth 21 A More mollusk diversity can be found on a reef than fish diversity B Evidence of the diversity of fish behavior in other ecosystems surpasses that of the Great Barrier Reef C The discovery of new teleost species not found in marine environments D Coral bleaching causes fish species to die off The author discusses the number of species found on a coral head (line 17) in order to: 25 A provide an example of an abnormal phenomenon B emphasize how much greater the diversity of worms are on a reef than fish C highlight the importance of coral reef preservation D illustrate the diversity found in coral reefs 22 Evidence of which of the following would most weaken the author’s argument concerning fish diversity? The passage suggests that which of the following is implicit in discussions concerning biodiversity? A The larger the number of marine turtle species, the greater the biodiversity B Higher population numbers mean greater biodiversity C The larger the number of phyla, the greater the biodiversity D Geographic location correlates with the amount of biodiversity It can be inferred from the passage that changes in an ocean’s water clarity and temperature would concern researchers studying coral reefs because: A water clarity and temperature directly limit ecological biodiversity B symbiotic relationships between organisms are complex and interesting C water clarity and temperature affect the growth of coral communities D scientists studying reefs also study climate change 23 Which of the following theories is supported by the example of the anemonefish in lines 45-55? A Coral animals and fish often operate independently in the same realm B Complex symbiotic relationships operate on different levels C Symbiotic relationships only work when both species receive tangible benefits D Many smaller fish will hide in coral nooks and crannies to avoid predators GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE Passage V (Questions 26–31) 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 The phenomenon of “tracking” is a common one in our nation’s schools Tracking places different students in groups that are usually based on the academic ability of these students as demonstrated by their grades and as described in teacher reports These tracks mean that a student will proceed through every school day with essentially the same group of peers, assigned to classes at a particular level of difficulty Researcher R Slavin notes that “students at various track levels experience school differently,” depending on their track assignments There are differences, for example, in how fast a class progresses through material, how talkative and energetic the classroom is, even how stressed or relaxed the teacher appears 55 ways, a means to alleviate difficulties faced by administrators in scheduling their student body for classes 26 Tracking has the ability to create divergent experiences, even in identical courses that are meant to be taught at the same level and speed Administrators who support tracking generally assume that it promotes student achievement, citing that most students seem to learn best and develop the most confidence when they are grouped amongst classmates with similar capabilities Yet, at least for the lower level tracks, this method of class assignment can encourage “dumbing down,” or teaching to the lowest common denominator of ability within a particular class, rather than accommodating differences and pushing all students equally hard If it were found that students who were tracked did better overall on standardized tests than those who were not tracked, this would most likely weaken the author's argument that: A tracking has the ability to create a diversity of student experience in the classroom B tracking encourages teaching to the lowest common denominator C tracking allows administrators to overcome scheduling difficulties D tracking allows students to learn best when grouped with similar-ability classmates 27 One of the major problems with tracking is that whatever level students are initially placed in often determines not only where they remain throughout high school, but also the kinds of courses they are allowed to take For example, schools that offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses often require that students take the honorslevel version of the introductory course before enrolling in the AP course a year or two later A student who is tracked into the “regular” introductory course, rather than the honors level, may not be able to take the AP course even after doing an exemplary job in the introductory course, simply because the honors course is offered a year earlier than the regular one – allowing honors-track students to complete enough other graduation requirements to have time for the AP course later on And, even if the “regular”track student could make it into the AP course, he or she would be at a disadvantage, because the introductory course couldn’t cover key concepts when the teacher was compelled to slow down the class for the less able students The main idea of the passage is that: A tracking should not be used by schools to try and promote student achievement B tracking can be used in schools, but only with careful monitoring of student progress C teachers of tracked classes are often stressed and run their classes at a slow pace D scheduling is a major problem for school administrators In this way, tracking seems to contradict the oft-stated assumption that “all kids can learn.” If certain students are better in certain subjects, they must be allowed to excel in those areas and not be relegated to an inferior class simply because they have been tracked in another subject in which they don’t excel The major obstacle to eliminate tracking seems to be scheduling, and tracking has become, in many GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 10 28 The author’s argument that tracking contradicts the assumption that “all kids can learn” would be strengthened by which of the following findings? I II III 30 Honors-track students almost always have AP classes on their transcripts, while regular-track students not Students in tracked classes significantly better on standardized tests appropriate for their class level Teachers of the lower math track in a particular school were unable to cover more than ¾ of the textbook over the past few years A the student has been placed in a track that is too high B the student is unmotivated and should be disciplined C the student has been placed in a track that is too low D the student should be in AP level classes 31 A B C D 29 I only III only II and III I and III In paragraph 2, the author is primarily concerned with: A contrasting administrative views of tracking with his own views B defining “dumbing down” and its effect on students C describing the diverse experiences students face when tracked D conveying the importance of pushing all students equally hard According to the passage, students may fall into a particular track because of all of the following conditions EXCEPT: A B C D If the author were to encounter a student in a class who was not doing the work because he or she claimed to be so bored by the material, the author would most likely conclude that: high grades learning difficulties honors-course enrollment how talkative and energetic they are GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 11 Passage VI (Questions 32–39) 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 The politics of race in the United States has been mainly a struggle to restructure constitutional meaning and to establish certain legal claims This emphasis was necessary precisely because the citizenship status of Blacks was defined for a long period as quite different from that of Whites After the abolition of slavery, approximately one hundred years ensued—into the 1960s—that were devoted essentially to interpreting the new constitutional status of the emancipated Black citizens Thus a “civil rights” movement developed that saw ninety-five years (1870-1965) devoted to establishing the privilege of Blacks to vote unencumbered by racial barriers The main arena was the court system Congress and the presidency were not principal participants, because the political constituencies supporting their elections did not favor such participation Civil rights advocates went to federal courts to challenge “grandfather clauses,” White primaries, evasive voter registration practices, as well as economic intimidation These important, tedious battles created a cadre of constitutional lawyers who became in a real sense the focal points of the civil rights struggle Such was the situation in the famous Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott from 1955 to 1957, which began when Rosa Parks refused to abide by a municipal law requiring her to sit in the rear of the city bus, and ended when the U.S Supreme Court in Gayle v Browder said she did not have to so 32 The author mentions the Gayle v Browder case in order to: A provide an example of civil disobedience that led to a change in the law B show how civil rights activists distrusted the higher court system C examine how the struggle for resources utilized the lower court systems to achieve certain goals D refute the claim that the federal government was not involved in the civil rights movement 33 According to the passage, how did the struggle for resources differ from the struggle for rights? A focus on grass-roots activism instead of electoral power B emphasis on control and political representation at a local level C dedication to effecting changes through election to national political positions D cooperation with newly-arrived immigrant populations This civil rights movement developed at the same time we were witnessing the development of pluralist politics in this country And very much of the latter, especially in the northern urban area, was infused with a heavy dose of ethnicity As Blacks were coming out of slavery and going into courts, immigrant groups were coming out of Europe, passing through Ellis Island, and going into local political clubs and machines But while the politics of race was characterized by a struggle for rights, the politics of plural-ethnicity was characterized by a struggle for resources The latter was a struggle to capture and control public office and the ability to dispense patronage and divisible and indivisible benefits Instead of nurturing and training lawyers and plaintiffs, plural-ethnicity focused on precinct captains and patronage While the Black racial political struggle utilized constitutional lawyers as sophisticated interpreters of new constitutional meaning, the ethnics utilized lawyers to interpret immigration rules, obtain pushcart licenses, and negotiate the bureaucratic passage from alien to citizen Both roles were fundamentally critical, but also fundamentally different The point is the following: when the civil rights struggle evolved from rights to resources, as it certainly did beginning substantially in the 1960s, it took with it the orientation, language, and some of the tactics of the earlier struggle for constitutional rights 34 According to the passage, why was the Executive Branch of the government not targeted for civil rights participation in the 1950s? A Early activists had little political clout on a federal level at that time B Federal policies banned lobbying of Congress by civil rights advocates C Elected officials acted according to the expressed opinions of their voters D No members of Congress were interested in enforcing new voting laws 35 Which of the following statements best describes the structure of the passage? GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 12 38 A Two historical developments are described and contrasted B A historical movement is praised using two closely connected examples C A general history of a struggle is presented, with a suggestion of how it will be resolved in the future D Two different approaches to a problem are analyzed and then combined 36 A concentrated more on elections as a way to achieve important goals B initiated court cases for more sophisticated and theoretical reasons C was more concerned with the dispensation and control of patronage benefits D was more based on immigrant ethnicity in northern urban regions According to the author, prior to 1965 the civil rights movement on behalf of Blacks was characterized by which of the following? A an emphasis on removing restrictions on Black voting through court cases B a struggle to overturn the decisions of constitutional lawyers C the increasing ability of Black voters to mobilize and elect Black politicians to office D frequent conflict between the Congress and Supreme Court over controversial issues 47 According to the author, the “politics of pluralethnicity” discussed in the second paragraph differed from the Black civil rights movement before 1965 in all of the following ways EXCEPT that it: 39 The author would most likely agree with which of the following statements regarding the relationship between pluralist politics and the civil rights movement? A In the 1960s, the civil rights movement took on some of the less legalistic characteristics of pluralist politics B The civil rights movement remained fundamentally unaffected by pluralist politics C During the 1950s, the tactics of pluralist politics came to dominate the civil rights movement D The civil rights movement benefited from the constitutional rights achieved by pluralist politics The author cites the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott (lines 22-27) as an example of: A a crucial incident which marked the turn of the civil rights movement toward the goal of controlling resources B an event important because it began the leadership career of Martin Luther King, Jr C one of the better-known battles to assert the civil rights of Blacks D an event whose primary importance was its impact on the enforcement of constitutional rights GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 13 Passage VII (Questions 40–47) 10 15 20 25 30 Instead, it is a part of the grammar of virtue: it shows what kind of thing virtue is Virtue is not so much a matter of learning specific rules or principles or maxims as it is one of developing the knack of exercising one’s capacity for right action Since “virtue” can mean both “moral goodness” and “successful or excellent action,” my comments about the teaching of virtue are intended to apply to both senses or uses of the term, narrow and broad Both are matters of human action or activity and, as such, are taught nondidactically, performatively 40 That virtue is taught (and learned) performatively has something to with the ineluctably normative quality of human action or activity Norms are ways of doing something, getting something done; these ways of acting are taught by doing and showing how to Being normative, however, human actions can go wrong They can be done wrong, or be wrongly done As Stanley Cavell wrote: “The most characteristic fact about actions is that they can—in various specific ways—go wrong, that they can be performed incorrectly This is not, in any restricted sense, a moral assertion, though it points the moral of intelligent activity And it is as true of describing as it is of calculating or of promising or plotting or warning or asserting or defining These are actions which we perform, and our successful performance of them depends upon our adopting and following the ways in which the action in question is done, upon what is normative for it.” Thus, in talking about virtue, we are talking about normative matters, matters taught and learned in terms of successful or unsuccessful human action As such, we are speaking about the cultivation of human skills and practices, human ways of acting (or ways of acting humanly) in this world In the last paragraph, the most probable reason for the author’s comparison between virtue and language is to: A suggest that neither skill can be learned through indoctrination B prove that both skills are more easily acquired at a young age C show that both skills are based on certain human actions D make a case for the theoretical acquisition of language 41 Which of the following are used to bolster the author’s assertion in the second paragraph that “human actions can go wrong”? I II 35 40 45 50 55 Whether virtue is narrowly or broadly understood, the teaching of virtue is the teaching of a skill within a practice or form of life, the training of a capacity, not the memorization or indoctrination of rules or guidelines The latter may indeed play some part in teaching a skill within a practice, but it is not all, or even most, of what I understand the teaching of virtue to be Virtue is embodied in action; accordingly, our knowledge of virtue is a kind of performative knowledge—both knowledge acquired through action and knowledge expressed or revealed in action, in performing a task Our knowledge of virtue is not, then, a matter of propositional knowledge, but rather a matter of performative knowledge This helps account for our relative inability to define or say what virtue is with any confidence or assurance Knowing what virtue is, is not the same as knowing what some kind of object is, because virtue is not an object And since so much of Western thought uses our knowledge of objects as the paradigm of knowledge, any kind of knowledge that does not fit the model is apt to seem not quite or fully knowledge at all In this respect, virtue is like language Both are taught by example Hence, an inability to articulate the meaning of virtue is not a sign of the lack of knowledge of virtue, contrary to Socrates (or Plato) III A B C D reference to the inherent nature of virtue as propositional knowledge expert testimony that supports the author’s definition of virtue additional explanation of the nature of human actions I only III only I, II, and III II and III GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 14 42 Based on the information given in the passage, we can infer that the author would most likely agree that: 46 A cannot successfully teach virtue to others B may impart knowledge of excellent action but not of moral goodness C can teach didactically but not performatively D may still have a knowledge of virtue A moral values must be learned through memorization of societal norms B abstract ideas can only be understood through extensive study of human nature C virtue can be explained through intensive philosophical discussion D some skills can only be demonstrated by the completion of a certain action 43 47 As the term is used in the second paragraph of the passage, “normative” human actions are based upon: Which of the following would the author consider an example of the “propositional knowledge” referred to in line 44? A experiments conducted on a trial and error basis B practicing virtue by imitating moral actions C learning a language in conversational classes D memorizing various philosophical definitions of virtue A lessons learned from life experiences and observations B examples provided by historical precedents C cultivation and development of skills and practices D comprehension of what is right and what is wrong 44 According to the passage, a person who is unable to define virtue: According to the author, we can distinguish the broad and narrow meanings of virtue from each other on the basis that: A the broad definition focuses primarily on the moral rightness of human actions B the narrow definition was understood by Socrates to signal a lack of knowledge C the narrow definition involves the teaching of a skill D the broad definition concerns nondidactic actions 45 The author would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about norms? A They are derived from specific maxims that define different aspects of virtue B Only by faithfully following behavioral norms can virtue be acquired C Many norms are simply the correct way of performing a certain action D They are the product of didactic teaching GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 15 Passage VIII (Questions 48–53) 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 The modern codification tradition to which the Model Penal Code (1962) belongs has its roots in the new rationalism of the eighteenth century Enlightenment, which saw reason as the instrument both for understanding and mastering the world For law, reason provided a lodestar and an instrument for reform The ideas of the Enlightenment took hold in England as well as the Continent and led to a powerful movement toward codification of law But it was through the work of one man, Jeremy Bentham, that these ideas had their greatest influence on law reform Bentham’s thinking on codification of criminal law had a powerful influence on every codification effort in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, not excluding the Model Penal Code Within Bentham’s legacy are such concepts as: law defined in advance with clarity and certainty to maximize its potential for guiding behavior; judicial discretion to make or change the law eliminated as productive of uncertainty and arbitrariness; the doctrines of the criminal law and the principles of punishment justified only by their service to the purpose of the criminal law to prevent crime; penalties proportioned to the offense; and no punishment where it would be “groundless, inefficacious, unprofitable, or needless.” 60 detailed specifications of rules Other notable characteristics of the Code include its rejection of capital punishment, its moderation of punishments, its forceful protection of freedom of speech and the rights of the accused, the prominent place it gave to reform of the offender and its provision of means to accomplish it The author of the passage would most likely agree with which of the following statements? A Edward Livingston’s personal commitment to the codification of laws greatly influenced his colleagues, including Jeremy Bentham B English and Continental lawmakers agreed wholeheartedly on the need for standardization of laws during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries C Developments in intellectual and philosophical thought during the Enlightenment were a major factor in leading to the establishment of the first penal codes D The Benthamite concept of penal codes has been highly influential in theory, but rarely successful when written into law The first great penal code in the Benthamite tradition, although never enacted, was prepared by an American, Edward Livingston, for the state of Louisiana in 1826 What led to the appearance of this draft code at this time in Louisiana? Many factors, doubtlessly, but conspicuously among them was the commitment of one man to the idea of codification Livingston was a learned man, well read in Continental as well as English intellectual and social developments He was captured by the ideas of Bentham and the ferment for legal reform and codification in revolutionary America and France Earlier in his career as a United States Congressman he sought a revision of the United States penal law That his code was drafted for Louisiana may be due simply to the accident that led him to leave New York and to transplant his legal and public career there 49 This Penal Code, breathtaking in conception and achievement, included a Code of Procedure, a Code of Evidence, a Code of Reform and Prison Discipline, and a Code of Crimes and Punishments Livingston’s unassisted completion of this task within three years was one of those prodigious, virtuoso performances that is scarcely imaginable today His Benthamite philosophy was manifested in many of the Code’s provisions, notably those relating to the judicial function Livingston distrusted judges no less than Bentham; consequently, common-law crimes, use of common-law terms, and all means through which judges might infuse their own moral views into the definition of crimes were outlawed The object of the Code, to leave as little as possible to judicial creativity, is apparent in its preference for exhaustive and Which of the following is NOT attributed by the author to Bentham’s work on legal reform? I II III IV A B C D making sure the punishment fits the crime outlawing unjust and arbitrary penalties legalization of capital punishment editing laws to make them clear and unambiguous II only III only I, III, and IV I, II, and III GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 16 50 According to the passage, which of the following was one of the primary reasons for the creation of Livingston’s penal code? 53 A historical background of a topic, presentation of a thesis based on this topic, refutation of the thesis and suggestion of a different explanation B introduction of a controversial thesis, discussion of an example of the thesis, defense of a potential alternative thesis C objective presentation of a historical legal development, description of successive stages in this development, judgement of the outcome of this development D contextualization of a theory, application of the theory in a different circumstance, description of the new application and comparison to the original A Influence from previous codification efforts had finally spread from other parts of the country into Louisiana B American legal figures were impressed by the legal systems in England and wished to emulate them C Livingston was inspired by intellectual and social changes and progress from abroad D Colleagues in the legal profession encouraged Livingston to develop a Penal Code based on the Benthamite tradition 51 Which of the following best describes the method used by the author to structure this passage? All of the following are strengths of Livingston’s penal code EXCEPT: A specific protection of defendants’ civil rights B emphasis on reform rather than on punishment C constraints on judicial discretion to modify rules and legal procedures D successful implementation and expansion of his code 52 One of the guiding motivations for Livingston’s development of a penal code was: A to afford broader rights and less severe punishments to convicted criminals B to decrease the possibility of judicial misinterpretation of laws C to define penalties and crimes based on common-law terms D to protect certain freedoms and civil rights of defendants GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 17 Passage IX (Questions 54–60) 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Fully literate persons can only with great difficulty imagine what a primary oral culture, i.e., a culture with no knowledge of writing, is like Without writing, words as such have no visual presence, even when the objects they represent are visual Thus, for most literates, to think of words as totally disassociated from writing is psychologically threatening, for literates’ sense of control over language is closely tied to the visual transformations of language Writing makes “words” appear similar to things because we think of words as the visible marks signaling words to decoders, and we have an inability to represent to our minds a heritage of verbally organized materials except as some variant of writing A literate person, asked to think of the word “nevertheless” will normally have some image of the spelled-out word and be quite unable to think of the word without adverting to the lettering Thus the thought processes of functionally literate human beings not grow out of simply natural powers but out of these powers as structured by the technology of writing More than any other single invention, writing has transformed human consciousness 55 60 65 Nevertheless, without writing, human consciousness cannot achieve its fuller potentials, cannot produce other beautiful and powerful creations Literacy is absolutely necessary for the development not only of science, but also of history, philosophy, explicative understanding of literature and of any art, and indeed for the explanation of language (including oral speech) itself Literate users of a grapholect such as standard English have access to vocabularies hundreds of times larger than any oral language can manage Thus, in many ways, writing heightens consciousness Technology, properly interiorized, does not degrade human life but enhances it 54 In the total absence of any writing, there is nothing outside the writer, no text, to enable him or her to produce the same line of thought again or even verify whether he has done so or not In primary oral culture, to solve effectively the problem of retaining and retrieving carefully articulated thought, you have to your thinking in mnemonic patterns, shaped for ready oral recurrence A judge in an oral culture is often called upon to articulate sets of relevant proverbs out of which he can produce equitable decisions in the cases under formal litigation under him The more sophisticated orally patterned thought is, the more it is likely to be marked by set expressions skillfully used Among the ancient Greeks, Hesiod, who was intermediate between oral Homeric Greece and fully developed Greek literacy, delivered quasiphilosophic material in the formulaic verse forms from which he had emerged In paragraph 2, the author mentions Hesiod in order to: A prove that oral poets were more creative than those who put their verses in written words B show that some sophisticated expressions can be found among the pre-literate ancient Greeks C demonstrate that a culture that is partially oral and partially literate forms the basis of an ideal society D thinking in mnemonic patterns is an unsuccessful memory device 55 Because we have so deeply interiorized writing, we find it difficult to consider writing to be an alien technology, as we commonly assume printing and the computer to be Most people are surprised to learn that essentially the same objections commonly urged today against computers were urged by Plato in the Phaedrus, against writing Writing, Plato has Socrates say, is inhuman, pretending to establish outside the mind what in reality can be only in the mind Secondly, Plato’s Socrates urges, writing destroys memory Those who use writing will become forgetful, relying on external resource for what they lack in internal resources Thirdly, a written text is basically unresponsive, whereas real speech and thought always exist essentially in a context of give-and-take between real persons According to the passage, the thought patterns of most literates are based on which of the following processes? A consistent reference to the written word as a visual coding device B acquired abilities to interpret oral communication in a textual context C learned abilities that are acquired by all humans during the early childhood years D conscious transformation of viewed objects into visual language GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 18 56 The author of the passage would most likely agree that: A computer advances in the recent decades will prove to be advantageous to human life B the development of writing has been detrimental to the progress of intellectual thought C communication in primary oral cultures was flawed and untrustworthy D beautiful and powerful creations cannot be produced through oral communication 57 58 A B C D 59 Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author’s conclusion about the benefits of writing? A Data from a study of primary oral cultures prove that advances in philosophy in these cultures have been sophisticated and meaningful B Researches have shown that children who are blind from birth and are never exposed to writing are just as likely to excel in all academic and artistic endeavors as sighted children C Historical evidence suggests that fewer developments in history and art were achieved in pre-literate ancient cultures D Tests on stroke patients whose language processing centers have been damaged have shown no proof of an increased reliance on oral communication According to the author, an important difference between oral and literate cultures can be expressed as: extensive versus limited reliance on memory chaotic versus structured modes of thought simple versus complex use of language barbaric versus civilized forms of communication The author refers to Plato in the third paragraph primarily to: A provide an example of literate Greek philosophy B suggest the possible disadvantages of writing C illustrate common misconceptions about writing D define the differences between writing and computer technology 60 The author views the technology of writing as: A conflicting with the structure of human consciousness B enriching the possibilities of human achievement C damaging to essential human resources D essential for any artistic creation STOP IF YOU FINISH BEFORE TIME IS CALLED, CHECK YOUR WORK YOU MAY GO BACK TO ANY QUESTION IN THIS SECTION ONLY STOP .. .Verbal Reasoning Time: 85 Minutes Questions 1-60 DO NOT BEGIN THIS SECTION UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO VERBAL REASONING DIRECTIONS: There are nine passages in the Verbal Reasoning test. .. equally hard If it were found that students who were tracked did better overall on standardized tests than those who were not tracked, this would most likely weaken the author's argument that:... while regular-track students not Students in tracked classes significantly better on standardized tests appropriate for their class level Teachers of the lower math track in a particular school