The GMAT Verbal Section - Verbal Pretest

C H A P T E R Verbal Pretest The Verbal section of the GMAT® exam is the last part of the test, but it is the first section covered in this book because many of the concepts and skills you need to well on the Verbal section are also important to your success on the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section In the following chapters, you will learn all about the Verbal section: what this portion of the test is like, what kinds of questions to expect, and how to tackle those questions You will also review the core skills you will need for each type of question and specific tips and strategies to use on the exam Before you begin this section, take a few minutes to the pretest that follows The passage and questions on the pretest are the same types you will find on the GMAT exam When you are finished, check the answer key carefully to assess your results Your pretest score will help you determine how much preparation you need and the areas in which you need the most careful review and practice 51 – VERBAL PRETEST –  Pretest The Verbal section pretest contains 20 multiple-choice questions—approximately half the number of questions you will see on the actual exam To practice the timing of the GMAT exam, take approximately 37 minutes to complete the pretest Record your answers on the answer sheet provided on this page Make sure you mark your answer clearly in the circle that corresponds to the question Remember that the GMAT exam is a CAT, so you will not be able to write anywhere on the exam To mimic the exam environment, not write on the pretest pages Make any notes or calculations on a separate piece of paper ANSWER SHEET  a a a a a a a b b b b b b b c c c c c c c d d d d d d d e e e e e e e 10 11 12 13 14 a a a a a a a b b b b b b b c c c c c c c d d d d d d d e e e e e e e 15 16 17 18 19 20 a a a a a a b b b b b b c c c c c c d d d d d d e e e e e e Reading Comprehension Directions: Questions 1—6 are based on the following passage Read the passage carefully and then choose the best answer to each question Answer the questions based upon what is stated or implied in the reading passage In Ursula LeGuin’s short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” everyone in the city of Omelas is happy—everyone, that is, except the child who is kept locked in a basement closet The child is left entirely alone and neglected except for occasional visits from the citizens of Omelas They come at a certain age as a rite of initiation, to learn the secret of the happiness they enjoy They come to learn that their happiness has a price: the suffering of an innocent child In the end, most people stay in Omelas; but a few, unable to bear the fact that they are responsible for the suffering of that child, reject this utopia built upon a utilitarian morality Utilitarianism is an ethical theory based upon the belief that happiness is the ultimate good and that people should use happiness as the measure for determining right and wrong For utilitarians, the right thing to is that which will bring about the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people Furthermore, utilitarianism argues that the intention of people’s actions does not matter; only the consequences of their actions are morally relevant, because only the consequences determine how much happiness is produced Although many useful social policies and much legislation are founded on this “greatest good” philosophy, utilitarianism can be problematic as a basis for morality First, happiness is not so easy to quantify, and any 52 – VERBAL PRETEST – measurement is bound to be subjective Second, in a theory that treats everything except happiness as instrumentally rather than intrinsically valuable, anything—or, more importantly, anyone—can (and should) be treated as a means to an end, if it means greater happiness This rejects the notion that human beings have their own intrinsic value Further, utilitarianism puts the burden of the happiness of the masses on the suffering of the few Is the happiness of many worth the suffering of a few? Why those few deserve to suffer? Isn’t this burden of suffering morally irresponsible? This is the dilemma so brilliantly illustrated in LeGuin’s story Which of the following best sums up the author’s opinion of utilitarianism? a It is an ethical theory b It is the ethical theory that people should all live by c It is a useful but problematic ethical theory d It does not adequately measure happiness e It underestimates the intrinsic value of human beings According to the passage, in utilitarianism a only intentions have moral significance b consequences are important, but intentions are more important c intentions and consequences are equally important d intentions are important, but consequences are more important e only consequences have moral significance The author summarizes LeGuin’s story primarily to a show how good the story is b get readers interested in the story c illustrate the power of words d illustrate the central problem with utilitarianism e illustrate a utilitarian utopia From the passage, it can be inferred that the author a may use utilitarianism occasionally but not as a guiding moral principle b would never use utilitarianism to make a decision about what is right or wrong c uses utilitarianism regularly to make moral decisions d believes utilitarianism is a good basis for social policy e thinks most people not really understand utilitarianism From the author’s summary of LeGuin’s story, the reader can infer that a most people in Omelas are utilitarians b most people in Omelas reject utilitarianism c everyone in Omelas is happy d the child willingly sacrifices himself for others e LeGuin is a popular science-fiction writer 53 – VERBAL PRETEST – Utilitarianism could best be expressed in which of the following formulas? X  action Y  consequences that create happiness Z  consequences that create unhappiness a Do X if Y  Z b Do X if Y  Z c Do X if Y  Z d Do X if Y  Z e Do X if Y  Z  Critical Reasoning Directions: For each question, select the best answer from the choices given Unemployment in Winston County has risen only 4% since I took office Under my predecessor, unemployment rose 14% Clearly, my economic policies are far more effective Which of the following must be true in order for this argument to be valid? a Winston County’s population dropped significantly during the current administration b The national unemployment rate increased by 12% during the previous administration but only 2% during the current administration c Key socioeconomic variables such as the state of the national economy and the demographics of Winston County are comparable for each administration d Key policy changes, such as increased job training for the unemployed, were implemented under the current administration e Tax incentives have been implemented to bring new businesses to Winston County Morning Glory, the coffee shop on the corner, has lost nearly 50% of its business because a national retail coffee chain opened up a store down the street Instead of closing up shop, the owner of Morning Glory plans to draw in customers by offering coffee, tea, and pastries at much lower prices than the national coffee chain The owner’s plan of action is based on all of the following assumptions EXCEPT a some customers will choose the coffee shop that offers the lowest price b the quality of Morning Glory’s coffee is comparable to that of the national coffee chain c Morning Glory can afford to cut its profit margin in order to lower prices d Morning Glory’s customers are very loyal e the national coffee chain will not lower its prices in order to compete with Morning Glory 54 – VERBAL PRETEST – When romance novels were located in the back of the bookstore, they accounted for approximately 6% of total sales Since we moved romance novels close to the front of the store and put several books on display, sales of romance novels have increased to 14% to 18% of total sales All of the following conclusions can logically be drawn from this argument EXCEPT a customers who bought one romance novel are likely to come back for another b customers are more likely to buy books located near the front of the bookstore than at the back c the display caught the interest of people who might not have otherwise purchased a romance novel d customers believe that bookstores put their best books near the front of the store e sales of romance novels may increase even more if the section were moved all the way to the front 10 With more and more classes being offered online, more and more students will earn their degrees in virtual universities Students in California will graduate from schools in New York without ever leaving their state Because online courses offer flexibility without geographic boundaries, virtual degrees will be in greater demand, and colleges and universities should invest the bulk of their resources in developing online degree programs All of the following, if true, are valid objections to this argument EXCEPT a online courses are more time consuming for faculty to develop than regular courses b many students need the ability to attend class outside of regular classroom hours c some students prefer the traditional classroom to the virtual classroom d not every course is suitable for an online environment e there is no way to ensure the authenticity of a student’s work in an online environment 11 Property values in South Orange, New Jersey, have nearly doubled in the last six years South Orange is located in Essex County, 17 miles from New York City Which of the following, if true, best explains the results described in the statement? a the proximity of South Orange to New York City b the completion of a direct rail line to New York City c the addition of 240 housing units in South Orange d improved schools and a renovated downtown in South Orange e the relocation of a major technical corporation to Union, New Jersey, two miles from South Orange 12 One out of four heart surgery patients at St Vincent’s dies from complications during surgery Only one out of six heart surgery patients at St Mary’s dies from complications during surgery If you need heart surgery, make sure you go to St Mary’s, not St Vincent’s Which of the following, if true, is the best reason to reject this argument? a St Vincent’s specializes in heart surgery for elderly and high-risk patients b St Mary’s surgical equipment is more up to date than St Vincent’s c St Vincent’s has the most renowned heart surgeon in the country on its staff d St Vincent’s offers flexible payment options for balances not covered by insurance e Two doctors who used to work at St Mary’s now work at St Vincent’s 55 – VERBAL PRETEST – 13 DNA evidence has increasingly been used in court to prove guilt and to exonerate the innocent Because so many convicted felons have been cleared by DNA evidence, all cases in which someone was convicted largely on circumstantial evidence should be called into question and reviewed Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this argument? a One in three convictions today rests largely on DNA evidence b DNA evidence is admissible even after the statute of limitations has expired c Of every ten cases in which DNA evidence becomes available post-conviction, five convictions are overturned d DNA evidence is 99.8% accurate e DNA evidence is very difficult to falsify or tamper with  Sentence Correction Directions: The following questions each present a sentence, part or all of which is underlined Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined portion The first choice repeats the original; the other four choices present different options for phrasing the underlined text Determine which choice best expresses the idea in the underlined text If you think the original is best, choose option a These questions test both the correctness and overall effectiveness of expression In choosing your answer, pay attention to grammar, sentence construction, and word choice and style The correct answer is free of grammatical errors, clear, precise, and concise 14 Despite growing evidence of global warming; 34 different states plan to develop nearly 100 new coalburning electric plants in the next decade a warming; 34 different states b warming Thirty-four different states c warming: 34 different states d warming, 34 different states e warming, for 34 different states 15 Suggested by new research is the fact that people who achieve phenomenal success so, not only by visualizing their success in future endeavors, but also, by recalling their past successes, creating a tremendous surge in confidence a Suggested by new research is the fact that people who achieve phenomenal success so, not only by visualizing their success in future endeavors, but also, by recalling their past successes, creating a tremendous surge in confidence b New research suggests that people that achieve phenomenal success visualize their success in future endeavors and also recall their past successes to create a tremendous surge in confidence c New research suggests that the achievement of phenomenal success by persons is accomplished not only by the visualization of success in future endeavors but also by the recollection of past successes, which creates a tremendous surge in confidence 56 – VERBAL PRETEST – d New research suggests that people who achieve phenomenal success so not only by visualizing their success in future endeavors but also by recalling their past successes, creating a tremendous surge in confidence e New research suggests that people who achieve phenomenal success so not only by visualizing their success in future endeavors, but also they recall their past successes, creating a tremendous surge in confidence 16 Creating a fundamental shift in American foreign policy and establishing a “policy of containment” that framed our foreign policy as a battle between the forces of good (America and other democratic societies) and evil (the Soviet Union and other communist nations), was the 1947 Truman Doctrine a Creating a fundamental shift in American foreign policy and establishing a “policy of containment” that framed our foreign policy as a battle between the forces of good (America and other democratic societies) and evil (the Soviet Union and other communist nations), was the 1947 Truman Doctrine b The 1947 Truman Doctrine created a fundamental shift in American foreign policy, establishing a “policy of containment” that framed our foreign policy as a battle between the forces of good (America and other democratic societies) and evil (the Soviet Union and other communist nations) c Creating a fundamental shift in American foreign policy was the Truman Doctrine, which was put forth in 1947, and which established a “policy of containment” that framed our foreign policy as a battle between the forces of good (America, along with other democratic societies) and the forces of evil (the Soviet Union, along with other communist nations) d The 1947 Truman Doctrine created a fundamental shift in American foreign policy, establishing a “policy of containment” that framed our foreign policy as a battle between American and other democratic societies, which it considered the forces of good, and the Soviet Union and other communist nations, which it considered the forces of evil e A fundamental shift in American foreign policy was created in 1947 by the Truman Doctrine, which importantly established a “policy of containment,” a policy that framed our foreign policy in terms of a battle between good and evil, with the good forces being America and other democracies and the evil forces being the Soviet Union and other communist nations 17 The first science-fiction novel, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, actually contains very little science, but it masterfully explores the social and moral repercussions of what might happen if certain scientific advances were possible a but it masterfully explores the social and moral repercussions of what might happen b but it explores in a masterful way the social and moral repercussions of what might happen c but, exploring the social and moral repercussions, it masterfully considers what might happen d but it masterfully explores repercussions, social and moral in nature, of what might happen e but it masterfully explores what are the social and moral repercussions 57 – VERBAL PRETEST – 18 The most important issue relating to computer technology and the Internet is the right of individual privacy, this includes the privacy of our personal data and our actions in cyberspace a Internet is the right of individual privacy, this includes the privacy b Internet is the right of individual privacy, being the privacy c Internet is the right of individual privacy, including the privacy d Internet is the right of individuals to have privacy, and included in this consideration is the privacy e Internet is an individual’s right to privacy Including the privacy 19 While diabetes does not interfere with digestion, on the other hand, it does prevent the body from converting an important product of digestion, glucose, which is commonly known as sugar, into energy a While diabetes does not interfere with digestion, on the other hand, it does prevent the body from converting an important product of digestion, glucose, which is commonly known as sugar, into energy b Diabetes does not interfere with digestion, but it does prevent the body from using glucose, which is commonly known as sugar, which is a product of digestion and which is converted into energy c Commonly known as sugar, glucose is an important product of digestion, which is prevented from being converted by the body into energy by diabetes, although diabetes does not interfere with digestion d Diabetes does not interfere with digestion, but it does prevent the body from converting an important product of digestion, glucose (commonly known as sugar), into energy e Diabetes does not interfere with digestion, but glucose (commonly known as sugar) is an important product of digestion and is unable to be converted into energy by the body because of the disease 20 With an increasing amount of vegetarians, more stores are beginning to stock their shelves with standard vegetarian fare, such as soy milk and tofu a With an increasing amount of vegetarians b With the number of vegetarians on the rise c With the number of vegetarians, which is on the rise d Increasingly, there are more and more vegetarians, so e Increasing in number are vegetarians, so  Answer Explanations c The author is critical of utilitarianism, but she also includes evidence that it is a useful theory LeGuin’s story, for example, shows how the sacrifice of one can create the happiness of many The author also notes that “many useful social policies and much legislation are founded on” utilitarianism, demonstrating that it is a useful ethical theory The word choice throughout also indicates that 58 – VERBAL PRETEST – the author feels that this ethical theory has both positive and negative aspects For example, she calls it “problematic,” but not “wrongheaded” or “faulty.” She calls the problem of the suffering of the few for the happiness of the many a “dilemma,” not a “flaw” or “failure.” She asks questions rather than making statements about the immorality of utilitarian choices Choice a is incorrect because it simply states a fact from the essay; it does not express an opinion The author clearly states that “there are several serious problems with utilitarianism as a basis for morality,” so choice b is incorrect Although the statements in choices d and e are true and clearly stated in the text, these are specific criticisms of utilitarianism and not sum up the author’s opinion of this ethical theory e In the second paragraph, the author states that “only the consequences of [people’s] actions are morally relevant, because only the consequences determine how much happiness is produced.” d LeGuin’s story illustrates the problem with utilitarianism by describing how one person (the child) lives in misery so that others can be happy The author explains that “utilitarianism puts the burden of the happiness of the masses on the suffering of the few” and then states that this problem is “so brilliantly illustrated in LeGuin’s story.” Choice a is incorrect because the author does not comment on or make any inferences about the overall quality of the story; she only comments on it in relation to its demonstration of the dilemma of utilitarianism Readers may be interested in the story after reading this passage (choice b), but again, the purpose of including the story is made evident by the last sentence in the passage The author does not quote directly from the story, and she is clearly not summarizing it to illustrate the power of words, so choice c is incorrect a The author is critical of utilitarianism and admits it has several problems, but she does not reject it as an ethical theory In fact, she concedes that it is useful in creating social policies and legislation Therefore, the most logical inference is that she may use utilitarianism occasionally but not as a guiding moral principle Choices b and c are therefore incorrect Choice d is incorrect because nothing in the passage indicates how she feels about utilitarianism as a basis for social policy The passage does not state that she believes most people not really understand utilitarianism, so choice e is incorrect a The author states that “most people stay in Omelas” after they have visited the child This indicates that they understand and have accepted the utilitarian nature of their society Only a few walk away and reject the society, so choice b is incorrect The summary clearly states that everyone except the child and the ones who are “unable to bear the fact that they are responsible for the suffering of that child” are happy, so choice c is incorrect No evidence indicates that the child willingly sacrifices himself for others (choice d) The passage makes no reference to LeGuin’s popularity or success as a science-fiction writer, so choice e is incorrect d The basic principle of utilitarianism as explained in the passage is that people should “that which will bring about the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.” Therefore, humans should choose actions that will have more happy consequences (Y) than unhappy consequences (Z); Y must be greater than () Z c In order for the two administrations to be compared, the socioeconomic variables must be comparable If Winston County’s economy had relied largely upon a factory that closed down during the previous administration, then the unemployment rate would necessarily rise considerably following that event The state of the national, state, and local economies and the demographic makeup of 59 – VERBAL PRETEST – 10 11 Winston County (e.g., no significant increase or decrease in population) need to be nearly identical for the speaker to make a fair comparison and claim that his or her policies are more effective If Winston County’s population dropped significantly (choice a), it could explain why the unemployment rate dropped as well—but it does not support the speaker’s claim that his or her policies “are far more effective.” Choice b, which reflects the state of the national economy, also offers an explanation for the change in unemployment rates in Winston County, again contradicting the speaker’s claim that his or her economic policies made the difference If the speaker had implemented key policy changes (choice d) or tax incentives (choice e), they could have significantly reduced unemployment However, the unemployment rates still cannot be compared unless other variables are comparable d The owner’s plan—to lower prices to attract customers—assumes that some customers will choose the lower price (choice a), that the quality of Morning Glory’s products is comparable to its competitor (choice b), that Morning Glory can afford to offer lower prices (choice c), and that its competitor will also not lower its prices (choice e) The plan does not rest on any assumptions about the loyalty of Morning Glory customers (choice d) Indeed, there is evidence that the customers are not loyal, because Morning Glory has already lost 50% of its business a The significant increase in sales after the relocation of the books indicates that customers are more likely to buy books at the front of the store (choice b) and that the display may have caught the interest of people who might not otherwise purchase a romance novel (choice c) It is also logical to conclude that sales would further increase if the books were moved even farther toward the front of the store (choice e) Choices b and e and the increase in sales all suggest that customers believe the best books are near the front of the store (choice d) The only conclusion that cannot logically be drawn from this scenario is that customers will come back to purchase more romance novels (choice a) The data does not indicate repeat purchases for customers b All of the choices except b offer reasons why online degree programs are problematic, suggesting that resources should not be focused on developing online degree programs Choice b offers support for the argument by stating that the flexibility of online classes will attract students who would not normally be able to attend regular classes b The direct rail line is the most logical explanation for an increase in property values The proximity to New York City in itself (choice a) would not necessarily increase property values, but the addition of public transportation that provides direct access to the city would make the town a more desirable place to live When a place becomes more desirable, real-estate values increase Choice c, the addition of housing units, is likely an effect of the direct rail line and an increase in the desirability of the location The improvement of the schools and the renovation of the downtown (choice d) may or may not be related to the increase in property values It would be logical to conclude that funds for improving the schools and downtown could be gleaned from additional resources from increased property taxes, another effect of increased property values The relocation of a major corporation to a neighboring town (choice e) could account for the increased desirability of property in South Orange, but the direct access to the city is a more compelling reason Perhaps a few hundred persons may work in the corporation, but many thousands are likely to want an easy commute to the city 60 – VERBAL PRETEST – 12 a Statistics can be very deceiving In this case, based only on the numbers, St Mary’s seems like a safer place to undergo heart surgery But what you not know about St Mary’s and St Vincent’s can lead you to make a poor choice If St Vincent’s specializes in heart surgery for elderly and highrisk patients (choice a), then it is logical that it would have a higher rate of mortality among its patients Indeed, given this fact, the difference in mortality rates may make a case for going to St Vincent’s instead of St Mary’s Assuming you are not an elderly or high-risk patient, to make an informed choice, you would need statistics about St Vincent’s mortality rates for surgery on patients who are not elderly or high risk Up-to-date equipment is important (choice b), but the condition of the patients prior to surgery and the skill of the surgeons are more important considerations The fact that St Vincent’s has the best heart surgeon in the country (choice c) is compelling, but it does not contradict the statistics The payment options (choice d) are irrelevant if you not survive the surgery, and there can be many reasons why the doctors who worked at St Mary’s are now at St Vincent’s (choice e), so you cannot consider this factor without more information 13 c The fact that would most strengthen this argument is the percentage of cases in which DNA evidence overturned prior convictions If half of all cases resulted in erroneous convictions that were later cleared by DNA evidence, then that should certainly draw other convictions into doubt The fact that one in three of today’s convictions rest on DNA evidence has no bearing on prior convictions, so choice a is incorrect Similarly, the admissibility of DNA evidence (choice b) has no bearing on the quality of prior convictions That DNA evidence is accurate (choice d) and difficult to tamper with (choice e) strengthens the argument for the use of DNA evidence in court, but it does not directly strengthen the argument that prior convictions should be called into doubt 14 d Despite growing evidence of global warming is a dependent clause that should be followed by a comma when preceding an independent clause (34 different states ) Choice a is incorrect because a semi-colon should not be used between a dependent and independent clause Choice b creates a sentence fragment because the dependent clause is set off as a separate sentence Choice c incorrectly uses a colon, which should only be used to introduce lists, quotations, or explanations Choice e creates an illogical sentence that uses both despite and for, confusing the relationship between the two clauses 15 d This version states the idea clearly, correctly, and concisely, using parallel structure Choice a is bulky and awkward with its opening phrase suggested by new research is the fact that; it also has several superfluous commas Choice b incorrectly uses that instead of who to refer to people, and while it is not wordy, it is not as fluent as choice d Choice c is wordy, relying on bulky passive constructions and prepositional phrases Choice e is incorrect because it lacks parallel structure 16 b This version is the most active and direct, starting with the agent of action (the Truman Doctrine) and clearly and concisely stating the effects of the doctrine Choices a and c awkwardly put the action before the subject, and choice c also breaks up the two actions, interrupting the fluency of the sentence Choice d uses two bulky which clauses, rather than the more concise parenthetical phrases of choice b Choice e begins with a passive construction and is both wordy and redundant 61 – VERBAL PRETEST – 17 a This is the most concise, precise, and correct choice Choice b is wordy, using the phrase in a masterful way instead of masterfully Choice c uses awkward word order that requires the addition of a verb (considers) because explores is moved to before the subject Choice d is wordy as the result of moving social and moral from their position directly before the noun they modify Choice e awkwardly places what are after explores and deletes the important idea of possibility conveyed by of what might happen 18 c Choice a is a run-on sentence and is therefore incorrect Choice b uses being in an awkward and grammatically incorrect manner Choice d is unnecessarily wordy, and choice e replaces the comma with a period and creates a sentence fragment 19 d This is the most concise and fluent version Choice a incorrectly uses the transitional phrase on the other hand, and because it puts which is commonly known as sugar into a nonrestrictive clause immediately after the appositive glucose, the sentence may be confusing Choice b is grammatically correct but quite awkward, using which three times in one sentence Choice c inverts the sentence, making it less direct and therefore less clear Choice e is correct but less direct and slightly more wordy than d because it uses the passive construction (converted by the body) 20 b Choice b presents the most concise and fluent version Choice a incorrectly uses amount instead of number Choice c is unnecessarily wordy, using the nonrestrictive phrase which is on the rise instead of on the rise Choice d is also unnecessarily wordy and less direct Choice e is awkward, with an inverted word order  Pretest Assessment How did you on the pretest? If you answered nearly all of the questions correctly, congratulations If you missed more than three questions, chances are most of your incorrect answers were in one category Perhaps your reading comprehension skills are strong, but you need to focus on building your critical-reasoning skills Clearly, the more questions you got wrong in each section, the more time you should devote to your review of that material It is difficult to scale your performance on this pretest to its actual GMAT equivalent because the GMAT CAT factors in both the number of questions answered and the level of difficulty of each question to determine your score However, a simple percentage of correct answers in each category should give you a good indication of how you might perform on the Verbal section If you missed three or more questions in any section, you will probably need several weeks of concentrated study to well on those questions during the actual exam 62 ...– VERBAL PRETEST –  Pretest The Verbal section pretest contains 20 multiple-choice questions—approximately half the number of questions you will see on the actual exam To practice the timing... the notion that human beings have their own intrinsic value Further, utilitarianism puts the burden of the happiness of the masses on the suffering of the few Is the happiness of many worth the. .. visits from the citizens of Omelas They come at a certain age as a rite of initiation, to learn the secret of the happiness they enjoy They come to learn that their happiness has a price: the suffering