27. In the figure above, the centers of all three circles lie on the same line. The radius of the middle-sized circle is twice that of the smallest circle. If the radius of the smallest circle is 1, what is the length of the boundary of the shaded region? (A) 12p (B) 6p (C) 12 (D) 3p (E) 9 28. Among registered voters in a certain district, the ratio of male to female voters is 3:5. If the district currently includes 2,400 registered voters, how many addi- tional males must register to make the ratio 4:5, assuming the number of registered female voters remains unchanged? (A) 120 (B) 150 (C) 240 (D) 300 (E) 360 practicetest Practice Test 3 453 . www.petersons.com VERBAL REASONING 30 Questions • 30 Minutes NOTE: In this section, questions of different formats are interspersed, just as they are on the computer-based GRE. However, this practice session contains more challenging questions than easy ones, whereas the actual computer-based GRE adapts to your ability level. 1. ITINERANT: (A) settled (B) paralyzed (C) fixated (D) linear (E) lethargic 2. WEAPON : INTIMIDATE :: (A) memory : recall (B) donor : give (C) icebox : preserve (D) sun : shine (E) meal : serve 3. NATAL : GESTATION :: (A) wealthy : investment (B) conclusive : premise (C) humble : conceit (D) truthful : proof (E) feeble : cowardice 4. INCREDULITY: (A) truthfulness (B) faith (C) credibility (D) loyalty (E) reverence 5. The _______ and _______ lifestyle of certain types of primates differs greatly from the habits of most primate species, who are active during the day and who form soci- eties based on quite complex interre- lationships. (A) sedentary . . omnivorous (B) inactive . . monogamous (C) nomadic lonely (D) nocturnal . . solitary (E) diurnal . . gregarious 6. VIE: (A) grow weary (B) fall behind (C) admit defeat (D) reduce expectations (E) change priorities 7. VERDANT: (A) incomplete (B) immature (C) forbidding (D) diminutive (E) desolate 8. Personality is rooted as deeply in the need for _______, or at least personal interaction, as _______ well-being is rooted in chemical needs. (A) love . . physical (B) hope biological (C) affection . . social (D) self-respect bodily (E) companionship . . natural PART VI: Five Practice Tests454 . www.petersons.com Questions 9–11 are based on the following passage. Late Victorian and modern ideas of culture are indebted to Matthew Arnold, who, largely through his Culture and Anarchy (1869), placed the word at the center of debates about the goals of intel- lectual life and humanistic society. Arnold defined culture as “the pursuit of per- fection by getting to know the best which has been thought and said.” Through this knowledge, Arnold hoped, we can turn “a fresh and free thought upon our stock notions and habits.” Although Arnold helped to define the purposes of the liberal arts curriculum in the century following the publication of Culture, three concrete forms of dissent from his views have had considerable impact of their own. The first protests Arnold’s fearful desig- nation of “anarchy” as culture’s enemy, viewing this dichotomy simply as another version of the struggle between a privi- leged power structure and radical chal- lenges to its authority. But while Arnold certainly tried to define the arch—the legitimizing order of value—against the anarch of existentialist democracy, he himself was plagued in his soul by the blind arrogances of the reactionary powers in his world. The writer who regarded the contemporary condition with such appre- hension in Culture is the poet who wrote “Dover Beach,” not an ideologue rounding up all the usual modern suspects. Another form of opposition saw Arnold’s culture as a perverse perpetuation of clas- sical and literary learning, outlook, and privileges in a world where science had become the new arch and from which any substantively new order of thinking must develop. At the center of the “two cultures” debate were the goals of the formal educa- tional curriculum, the principal vehicle through which Arnoldian culture operates. However, Arnold himself had viewed culture as enacting its life in a much more broadly conceived set of institutions. A third form is so-called “multicultur- alism,” a movement aimed largely at gaining recognition for voices and visions that Arnoldian culture has implicitly sup- pressed. In educational practice, multicul- turalists are interested in deflating the imperious authority that “high culture” exercises over curriculum while bringing into play the principle that we must learn what is representative, for we have over- emphasized what is exceptional. Though the multiculturalists’ conflict with Arnoldian culture has clear affinities with the radical critique, multiculturalism actually affirms Arnold by returning us more specifically to a tension inherent in the idea of culture rather than to the cul- ture-anarchy dichotomy. 9. Based on the information in the passage, Arnold would probably agree that the educational cur- riculum should (A) focus on the sciences more than the humanities (B) strike a balance between practicality and theory (C) reflect the dominant culture of the day (D) be more rigorous than during the past (E) deemphasize what is represen- tative 10. It can be inferred from the passage that the two-cultures debate (A) emerged as a reaction to the multiculturalist movement (B) developed after 1869 (C) influenced Arnold’s thinking about culture (D) was carried on by American as well as European scientists (E) led to a schizophrenic educa- tional system practicetest Practice Test 3 455 . www.petersons.com 11. The author’s primary concern in the passage is to (A) argue against those who have opposed Arnold’s ideas (B) describe Arnold’s conception of culture (C) explain why Arnold considered the pursuit of perfection to be the essence of culture (D) trace Arnold’s influence on the liberal arts educational cur- riculum (E) examine the different views of culture that have emerged since the eighteenth century 12. DECREE : INFORM :: (A) fascinate : interest (B) gallop : canter (C) resign : quit (D) endure : persist (E) shout : whisper 13. CINNAMON : CONFECTION :: (A) villain : tale (B) cliff : plateau (C) collar : cuff (D) cell : prison (E) flank : horse 14. Considering today’s high divorce rate and growing number of single-parent households, it is _______ that the most Americans still adhere to the _______ belief in the importance of an intact nuclear family. (A) surprising . . superficial (B) encouraging . . obsolete (C) interesting . . popular (D) illuminating . . controversial (E) astonishing traditional 15. LATITUDE: (A) conformity (B) point of focus (C) strictness (D) inflection (E) restraint Questions 16–18 are based on the following passage. A certain strain of bacteria called lyngbya majuscula, an ancient ancestor of modern-day algae, is making a comeback in ocean waters just off the world’s most industrialized coastal regions. This primitive bacteria has survived for nearly three billion years due to a variety of sur- vival mechanisms. It can produce its own fertilizer by pulling nitrogen out of the air; it relies on a different spectrum of light than algae do, allowing it to thrive even in deep, murky waters; and when it dies and decays, it releases its own nitrogen and phosphorous, on which the next gen- eration of lyngbya feeds. Lyngbya emits more than one hundred different toxins harmful to other ocean life as well as to humans. Commercial fish- ermen and divers who come in contact with the bacteria frequently complain of skin rashes and respiratory problems, which can keep these workers off the job for months at a time. The bacteria further disrupts local economies by blocking sun- light to sea grasses that attract fish and other sea life. Scientists attribute the modern-day reappearance of lyngbya, and the resulting problems, chiefly to nitrogen- and phosphorous-rich sewage partially processed at wastewater treatment plants and pumped into rivers that feed coastal ocean waters. 16. The passage as a whole can appro- priately be viewed as an examination of which of the following? (A) The causes and consequences of the re-emergence of lyngbya (B) The possible means of halting and reversing the spread of lyngbya (C) The economic impact of lyngbya on certain coastal communities (D) The survival mechanisms and life cycle of lyngbya (E) The ecological fallout resulting from coastal sewage runoff PART VI: Five Practice Tests456 . www.petersons.com 17. It can be inferred from the passage that the lyngbya majuscula strain has survived for billions of years partly because it (A) is threatened by few, if any, natural predators (B) emits harmful toxins that ward off potential predators (C) does not depend on light for its existence (D) possesses the ability to essen- tially feed on itself (E) adapts easily to changes in water temperature 18. According to passage, the lyngbya majuscula strain I. depends largely on nitrogen and phosphorous as nutrients II. can harm other ocean life as a result of its high toxicity III. thrives mainly in waters where algae is largely absent (A) I only (B) III only (C) I and II only (D) II and III only (E) I, II, and III 19. PITH: (A) frivolity (B) bore (C) surplus (D) chasm (E) tangent 20. RUNT : SIBLING :: (A) athlete : league (B) spade : suit (C) veneer : shield (D) penny : currency (E) peephole : panorama 21. The high incidence of speech articu- lation disorders among young children suggests that such “dis- orders” are _______ developmental phenomena, since they generally occur less frequently among _______ age groups. (A) very serious . . most (B) relatively rare . . certain (C) actually normal . . other (D) clinically acceptable . . younger (E) commonly misunderstood . . older 22. CARETAKER : ATTENTIVE :: (A) hair : curly (B) writing : legible (C) mule : obstinate (D) mansion : spacious (E) meat : broiled 23. TRAVESTY : RIDICULE :: (A) reproduction : copy (B) treachery : reprieve (C) speech : imitate (D) language : understand (E) forgery : deceive 24. The _______ of the judging process might be compromised unless each contestant is assigned a unique code number by which he or she is solely identified. (A) accuracy (B) finality (C) authority (D) impartiality (E) decisions 25. SHORE : PRECARIOUS :: (A) plane : irregular (B) boil : tepid (C) frequent : uninviting (D) stiffen : pliable (E) douse : damp practicetest Practice Test 3 457 . www.petersons.com Questions 26 and 27 are based on the following passage. In the United States, the extent of adult illiteracy at the workplace has been obscured by adequate employment for adults with few or no literacy skills, too- simple definitions of literacy, faulty survey methods, and a stigma associated with illiteracy that keeps many people from admitting illiteracy or seeking help in overcoming it. With today’s increasingly rapid technological advances and increased foreign competition, however, U.S. businesses are growing more and more aware of the extent and the costs of illiteracy in the work force. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics warns that the U.S. labor-force entrants in the years ahead may not have the skills that employers need—that new jobs in the service industries, where most job growth is projected to occur, will demand much higher literacy skill levels than today’s service jobs, and few new jobs will be created for those who cannot read and follow directions, fill out forms and com- municate by e-mail with coworkers, and perform simple arithmetical computations applying the basic rules of mathematics. 26. Which of the following can be inferred solely on the basis of infor- mation in the passage? (A) Illiteracy is more common among older workers than young ones. (B) Technology jobs require greater literacy skills than other jobs. (C) New U.S. service-industry jobs are likely to be filled by workers from outside the U.S. (D) U.S. schools do an inadequate job in teaching literacy skills. (E) Declining U.S. productivity is attributable primarily to workplace illiteracy. 27. It can be inferred from the passage that (A) workers today should learn to speak more than one language (B) math skills are becoming more and more valuable at the workplace (C) government projections about the future job market are unreliable (D) solving workplace problems usually requires face-to-face communication (E) workplace literacy programs are generally ineffective 28. OBLIGATE: (A) treat fairly (B) allow to occur (C) refrain from interfering (D) excuse from debt (E) comply with an order PART VI: Five Practice Tests458 . www.petersons.com 29. Great achievers are by nature (i)_______, and therefore tend to be dissatisfied and discontent with their accomplishments—no matter how great. Perhaps the (ii)_______ modern example of this phenomenon was the eminent physicist Albert Einstein, whose theoretical break- throughs in physics only raised new theoretical (iii)_______, which Ein- stein himself recognized and spent the last twenty years of his life struggling unsuccessfully to solve. Blank (i) perpetually malcontent insatiably ambitious tenaciously obsessive Blank (ii) most illustrious paradigmatic unrivaled Blank (iii) dilemmas concepts challenges 30. SWEAR : OATH :: (A) follow : leader (B) obey : rule (C) solve : problem (D) sign : contract (E) issue : warning practicetest Practice Test 3 459 . www.petersons.com ANSWER KEY AND EXPLANATIONS Analytical Writing ISSUE TASK: EVALUATION AND SCORING Evaluate your Issue task essay on a scale of 0 to 6 (6 being the highest score) according to the following five criteria: Does your essay develop a position on the issue through the use of incisive reasons and persuasive examples? Are your essay’s ideas conveyed clearly and articulately? Does your essay maintain proper focus on the issue, and is it well organized? Does your essay demonstrate proficiency, fluency, and maturity in its use of sentence structure, vocabulary, and idiom? Does your essay demonstrate command of the elements of Standard Written English, including grammar, word usage, spelling, and punctuation? ARGUMENT TASK: EVALUATION AND SCORING Evaluate your Argument task essay on a scale of 0 to 6 (6 being the highest score) according to the following five criteria: Does your essay identify and articulate the argument’s key unstated assump- tions? Does your essay explain how the argument relies on these unstated assumptions, and what the implications are if these assumptions are unwarranted? Does your essay develop its ideas in a clear, organized manner, with appropriate transitions to help connect ideas together? Does your essay demonstrate proficiency, fluency, and maturity in its use of sentence structure, vocabulary, and idiom? Does your essay demonstrate command of the elements of Standard Written English, including grammar, word usage, spelling, and punctuation? To help you evaluate your essay in terms of criteria 1 and 2, the following is a series of questions that identify four distinct unstated assumptions upon which the argument relies. To earn a score of 4 or higher, your essay should identify and explain at least three of these assumptions. Identifying and explaining at least four of the unstated assumptions would help earn you an even higher score. • Does the Argument draw a questionable analogy between Oak City’s circum- stances and Mapleton’s? (Perhaps the percentage of students needing off-campus housing, which might affect property values, is significantly greater in one town than the other.) PART VI: Five Practice Tests460 . www.petersons.com • Does the Argument draw a questionable analogy between four-year colleges and community colleges? (Perhaps a four-year college would bring greater prestige or higher culture to the town.) • Is the presence of Mapleton’s new community college necessarily the actual cause of the decline in Mapleton’s property values and rents? (Perhaps some other recent development is responsible instead.) • Is it necessary to refuse the new college in order to prevent a decline in property values and rents? (Perhaps Oak City can counteract downward pressure on property values and rents through some other means.) answers practicetest3 Practice Test 3 461 . www.petersons.com Quantitative Reasoning 1. E 2. B 3. D 4. A 5. E 6. A 7. C 8. B 9. D 10. D 11. C 12. C 13. B 14. A 15. C 16. E 17. C 18. B 19. D 20. A 21. C 22. C 23. C 24. 4/5 25. A 26. E 27. B 28. D 1. The correct answer is (E). Add the two equations: xya xyb xab xab += −= =+ =+ ( ) ________________ 2 1 2 2. The correct answer is (B). The problem can be simplified. When you divide 8 by 7, the remainder is 1. When you divide 5 by 3, the remainder is 2. 3. The correct answer is (D). Because the two lines are parallel, the two triangles are the same shape, and their corresponding angles are equal in size ( x = p and y = q), and therefore x 2 y = p 2 q. However, the quantity x 2 y is being compared here to q 2 p, not p 2 q. The two quantities are equal in size only if all four angles are equal (56°). It is not possible to determine whether all four angles are the same size, regardless of the measure of the third angle. Even though it appears from the figure that x 2 y is a negative number and q 2 p is a positive number, you can’t assume that. 4. The correct answer is (A). The question is essentially asking: “1 is to m as what is to p?” First, set up a proportion (equate two ratios, or fractions). Then convert either pieces of paper to reams (divide m by 500) or reams to pieces (multiply p by 500). (The second conversion method is used below.) Cross-multiply to solve for x: 1 500 500 500 m x p mx p x p m = = = 5. The correct answer is (E). In com- bining the four fractions, cancel all variables except a (in the numerator) and e (in the denominator), leaving a e z x = 1. To isolate x on one side of the equation, multiply both sides by e a : e a z a e z x =1z e a x = e a 6. The correct answer is (A). Any fraction between 0 and 1 is greater than the square of that fraction. Thus, a + b must be greater than a 2 + b 2 . 7. The correct answer is (C). Mul- tiply Quantity B by $1.20 to determine whether (and by how much) the cost of p cans exceeds the cost of a case. ($1.20)(15) = $18.00, PART VI: Five Practice Tests462 . www.petersons.com . in the idea of culture rather than to the cul- ture-anarchy dichotomy. 9. Based on the information in the passage, Arnold would probably agree that the. 27. In the figure above, the centers of all three circles lie on the same line. The radius of the middle-sized circle is twice that of the smallest