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Question ID:PT88 S1 Q5 Passage:An animal rescue organization is planning a display at an upcoming adoption event. The display will feature five animals available for adoption, each in its own pen. The pens will be arranged one next to another in a single row. The organization has eight animals available to bring to the event: four kittens‚ Fluffy, Garnet, Honey, and Jaguar‚ and four puppies‚ Raisin, Scamp, Taffy, and Wags. The display is subject to the following rules:The first and fifth pens must hold kittens.Taffy cannot be displayed next to any kitten.Either Garnet or Honey, but not both, must be included in the display.If Wags is included in the display, Garnet must be in the second pen. Stem:If Jaguar is not included in the display, which one of the following could be true? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:Garnet is in the fourth pen. Choice B:Honey is in the fifth pen. Choice C:Raisin is in the third pen. Choice D:Scamp is in the third pen. Choice E:Wags is in the fourth pen. | PT88 S1 Q5 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q6 Passage:An animal rescue organization is planning a display at an upcoming adoption event. The display will feature five animals available for adoption, each in its own pen. The pens will be arranged one next to another in a single row. The organization has eight animals available to bring to the event: four kittens‚ Fluffy, Garnet, Honey, and Jaguar‚ and four puppies‚ Raisin, Scamp, Taffy, and Wags. The display is subject to the following rules:The first and fifth pens must hold kittens.Taffy cannot be displayed next to any kitten.Either Garnet or Honey, but not both, must be included in the display.If Wags is included in the display, Garnet must be in the second pen. Stem:If Scamp is not included in the display, which one of the following must be true? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Fluffy is in the first pen. Choice B:Fluffy is in the fifth pen. Choice C:Garnet is in the second pen. Choice D:Raisin is in the third pen. Choice E:Taffy is in the third pen. | PT88 S1 Q6 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q7 Passage:A museum will display seven artifacts‚ a goblet, a helmet, a javelin, a mask, a necklace, a pot, and a scythe‚ in individual display cases, one artifact per case. The seven display cases will be arranged in a circle and numbered in order from 1 through 7, with case 7 next to case 1. The display of the artifacts must conform to the following conditions:Either the helmet or the javelin is in case 7.The necklace is in a lower-numbered case than the mask.The helmet is next to the mask.The pot is not next to the scythe.Neither the pot nor the scythe is next to the javelin. Stem:Which one of the following could be the order in which the artifacts are displayed, from case 1 to case 7? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:goblet, pot, mask, helmet, scythe, necklace, javelin Choice B:javelin, goblet, pot, necklace, scythe, mask, helmet Choice C:javelin, necklace, pot, helmet, mask, scythe, goblet Choice D:necklace, pot, mask, scythe, goblet, javelin, helmet Choice E:scythe, goblet, pot, necklace, helmet, mask, javelin | PT88 S1 Q7 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q8 Passage:A museum will display seven artifacts‚ a goblet, a helmet, a javelin, a mask, a necklace, a pot, and a scythe‚ in individual display cases, one artifact per case. The seven display cases will be arranged in a circle and numbered in order from 1 through 7, with case 7 next to case 1. The display of the artifacts must conform to the following conditions:Either the helmet or the javelin is in case 7.The necklace is in a lower-numbered case than the mask.The helmet is next to the mask.The pot is not next to the scythe.Neither the pot nor the scythe is next to the javelin. Stem:If the goblet is in case 6, which one of the following artifacts must be next to the javelin? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:the helmet Choice B:the mask Choice C:the necklace Choice D:the pot Choice E:the scythe | PT88 S1 Q8 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q9 Passage:A museum will display seven artifacts‚ a goblet, a helmet, a javelin, a mask, a necklace, a pot, and a scythe‚ in individual display cases, one artifact per case. The seven display cases will be arranged in a circle and numbered in order from 1 through 7, with case 7 next to case 1. The display of the artifacts must conform to the following conditions:Either the helmet or the javelin is in case 7.The necklace is in a lower-numbered case than the mask.The helmet is next to the mask.The pot is not next to the scythe.Neither the pot nor the scythe is next to the javelin. Stem:If the scythe is in case 3, which one of the following must be true? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:The goblet is in case 4. Choice B:The javelin is in case 1. Choice C:The mask is in case 6. Choice D:The necklace is in case 2. Choice E:The pot is in case 5. | PT88 S1 Q9 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q10 Passage:A museum will display seven artifacts‚ a goblet, a helmet, a javelin, a mask, a necklace, a pot, and a scythe‚ in individual display cases, one artifact per case. The seven display cases will be arranged in a circle and numbered in order from 1 through 7, with case 7 next to case 1. The display of the artifacts must conform to the following conditions:Either the helmet or the javelin is in case 7.The necklace is in a lower-numbered case than the mask.The helmet is next to the mask.The pot is not next to the scythe.Neither the pot nor the scythe is next to the javelin. Stem:Which one of the following could be true? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:The javelin is in case 2. Choice B:The javelin is in case 4. Choice C:The javelin is in case 6. Choice D:The pot is in case 1. Choice E:The pot is in case 6. | PT88 S1 Q10 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q11 Passage:A museum will display seven artifacts‚ a goblet, a helmet, a javelin, a mask, a necklace, a pot, and a scythe‚ in individual display cases, one artifact per case. The seven display cases will be arranged in a circle and numbered in order from 1 through 7, with case 7 next to case 1. The display of the artifacts must conform to the following conditions:Either the helmet or the javelin is in case 7.The necklace is in a lower-numbered case than the mask.The helmet is next to the mask.The pot is not next to the scythe.Neither the pot nor the scythe is next to the javelin. Stem:Which one of the following could be the artifacts in case 1 and case 3, respectively? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:the goblet and the helmet Choice B:the helmet and the javelin Choice C:the helmet and the scythe Choice D:the javelin and the mask Choice E:the javelin and the scythe | PT88 S1 Q11 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q12 Passage:A museum will display seven artifacts‚ a goblet, a helmet, a javelin, a mask, a necklace, a pot, and a scythe‚ in individual display cases, one artifact per case. The seven display cases will be arranged in a circle and numbered in order from 1 through 7, with case 7 next to case 1. The display of the artifacts must conform to the following conditions:Either the helmet or the javelin is in case 7.The necklace is in a lower-numbered case than the mask.The helmet is next to the mask.The pot is not next to the scythe.Neither the pot nor the scythe is next to the javelin. Stem:If the pot is in case 2, which one of the following could be true? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:The goblet is in case 4. Choice B:The helmet is in case 7. Choice C:The javelin is in case 5. Choice D:The mask is in case 6. Choice E:The necklace is in case 4. | PT88 S1 Q12 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q13 Passage:Solomon, Tabitha, Ursula, Will, and Zepi each make an arrangement of exactly four individual flowers, selecting from gardenias, hyacinths, lilies, and roses. Each person uses exactly three kinds of flowers. The following conditions must apply:Solomon and no one else uses two roses.Tabitha uses exactly one hyacinth and at least one gardenia.Ursula uses exactly one rose and at least one hyacinth.Will uses two gardenias.Zepi and no one else uses exactly one hyacinth and exactly one rose.Exactly one person uses two lilies. Stem:Which one of the following could be an accurate inventory of the flowers in Ursula's arrangement? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:two gardenias, one lily, one rose Choice B:two gardenias, one hyacinth, one rose Choice C:one gardenia, one hyacinth, two roses Choice D:one gardenia, two hyacinths, one rose Choice E:one hyacinth, two lilies, one rose | PT88 S1 Q13 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q14 Passage:Solomon, Tabitha, Ursula, Will, and Zepi each make an arrangement of exactly four individual flowers, selecting from gardenias, hyacinths, lilies, and roses. Each person uses exactly three kinds of flowers. The following conditions must apply:Solomon and no one else uses two roses.Tabitha uses exactly one hyacinth and at least one gardenia.Ursula uses exactly one rose and at least one hyacinth.Will uses two gardenias.Zepi and no one else uses exactly one hyacinth and exactly one rose.Exactly one person uses two lilies. Stem:Which one of the following could be a pair of people whose arrangements are identical? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Solomon and Tabitha Choice B:Solomon and Ursula Choice C:Tabitha and Will Choice D:Ursula and Will Choice E:Will and Zepi | PT88 S1 Q14 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q15 Passage:Solomon, Tabitha, Ursula, Will, and Zepi each make an arrangement of exactly four individual flowers, selecting from gardenias, hyacinths, lilies, and roses. Each person uses exactly three kinds of flowers. The following conditions must apply:Solomon and no one else uses two roses.Tabitha uses exactly one hyacinth and at least one gardenia.Ursula uses exactly one rose and at least one hyacinth.Will uses two gardenias.Zepi and no one else uses exactly one hyacinth and exactly one rose.Exactly one person uses two lilies. Stem:If lilies are used by exactly two of the people, and if of those two, only one uses any hyacinths, then those two people could be Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Solomon and Ursula Choice B:Solomon and Will Choice C:Tabitha and Will Choice D:Tabitha and Zepi Choice E:Ursula and Will | PT88 S1 Q15 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q16 Passage:Solomon, Tabitha, Ursula, Will, and Zepi each make an arrangement of exactly four individual flowers, selecting from gardenias, hyacinths, lilies, and roses. Each person uses exactly three kinds of flowers. The following conditions must apply:Solomon and no one else uses two roses.Tabitha uses exactly one hyacinth and at least one gardenia.Ursula uses exactly one rose and at least one hyacinth.Will uses two gardenias.Zepi and no one else uses exactly one hyacinth and exactly one rose.Exactly one person uses two lilies. Stem:Which one of the following must be true? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:Tabitha's arrangement contains no lilies. Choice B:Tabitha's arrangement contains no roses. Choice C:Solomon's arrangement contains no lilies. Choice D:Will's arrangement contains no hyacinths. Choice E:Will's arrangement contains no roses. | PT88 S1 Q16 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q17 Passage:Solomon, Tabitha, Ursula, Will, and Zepi each make an arrangement of exactly four individual flowers, selecting from gardenias, hyacinths, lilies, and roses. Each person uses exactly three kinds of flowers. The following conditions must apply:Solomon and no one else uses two roses.Tabitha uses exactly one hyacinth and at least one gardenia.Ursula uses exactly one rose and at least one hyacinth.Will uses two gardenias.Zepi and no one else uses exactly one hyacinth and exactly one rose.Exactly one person uses two lilies. Stem:Suppose the condition that only Zepi uses exactly one hyacinth and exactly one rose is replaced with the condition that Zepi and at least one other person use exactly one hyacinth and exactly one rose. If all the other initial conditions hold as given, then which one of the following must be true? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:Tabitha's arrangement contains exactly one rose. Choice B:Exactly one arrangement contains no roses. Choice C:Exactly two arrangements each contain one rose and one hyacinth. Choice D:At least one arrangement contains no hyacinths. Choice E:At least one arrangement contains no lilies. | PT88 S1 Q17 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q18 Passage:On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week, an accountant will hold exactly five meetings, each with a different client‚ Garvey, Hosnani, Juarez, Kallin, or Lemmon. Six slots are available: one each morning and one each afternoon. The schedule for the meetings is subject to the following constraints:Hosnani and Lemmon must be scheduled for morning meetings.Juarez must be scheduled for the day before Garvey.At most one other client can be scheduled between the meetings with Garvey and Kallin. Stem:Which one of the following could be the meeting schedule for mornings and afternoons, in order from Wednesday through Friday? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:mornings: Garvey, Hosnani, Lemmonafternoons: Kallin, Juarez, none Choice B:mornings: Juarez, none, Lemmonafternoons: Hosnani, Garvey, Kallin Choice C:mornings: Juarez, Garvey, Hosnaniafternoons: Lemmon, none, Kallin Choice D:mornings: Kallin, Hosnani, Lemmonafternoons: Juarez, Garvey, none Choice E:mornings: Lemmon, Hosnani, Garveyafternoons: none, Juarez, Kallin | PT88 S1 Q18 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q19 Passage:On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week, an accountant will hold exactly five meetings, each with a different client‚ Garvey, Hosnani, Juarez, Kallin, or Lemmon. Six slots are available: one each morning and one each afternoon. The schedule for the meetings is subject to the following constraints:Hosnani and Lemmon must be scheduled for morning meetings.Juarez must be scheduled for the day before Garvey.At most one other client can be scheduled between the meetings with Garvey and Kallin. Stem:Kallin CANNOT be scheduled for Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:Wednesday morning Choice B:Wednesday afternoon Choice C:Thursday morning Choice D:Thursday afternoon Choice E:Friday morning | PT88 S1 Q19 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q20 Passage:On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week, an accountant will hold exactly five meetings, each with a different client‚ Garvey, Hosnani, Juarez, Kallin, or Lemmon. Six slots are available: one each morning and one each afternoon. The schedule for the meetings is subject to the following constraints:Hosnani and Lemmon must be scheduled for morning meetings.Juarez must be scheduled for the day before Garvey.At most one other client can be scheduled between the meetings with Garvey and Kallin. Stem:If there is a day on which Kallin is the only client scheduled, which one of the following could be true? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:Garvey is scheduled for Thursday morning. Choice B:Hosnani is scheduled for Thursday morning. Choice C:Juarez is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Choice D:Kallin is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Choice E:Lemmon is scheduled for Friday morning. | PT88 S1 Q20 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q21 Passage:On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week, an accountant will hold exactly five meetings, each with a different client‚ Garvey, Hosnani, Juarez, Kallin, or Lemmon. Six slots are available: one each morning and one each afternoon. The schedule for the meetings is subject to the following constraints:Hosnani and Lemmon must be scheduled for morning meetings.Juarez must be scheduled for the day before Garvey.At most one other client can be scheduled between the meetings with Garvey and Kallin. Stem:Which one of the following must be false? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Hosnani is the only client scheduled for a Wednesday meeting. Choice B:Garvey is the only client scheduled for a Thursday meeting. Choice C:Hosnani is the only client scheduled for a Thursday meeting. Choice D:Kallin is the only client scheduled for a Friday meeting. Choice E:Lemmon is the only client scheduled for a Friday meeting. | PT88 S1 Q21 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q22 Passage:On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week, an accountant will hold exactly five meetings, each with a different client‚ Garvey, Hosnani, Juarez, Kallin, or Lemmon. Six slots are available: one each morning and one each afternoon. The schedule for the meetings is subject to the following constraints:Hosnani and Lemmon must be scheduled for morning meetings.Juarez must be scheduled for the day before Garvey.At most one other client can be scheduled between the meetings with Garvey and Kallin. Stem:If Lemmon is scheduled for Friday, which one of the following pairs CANNOT be scheduled for the same day as each other? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:Garvey and Kallin Choice B:Hosnani and Garvey Choice C:Juarez and Kallin Choice D:Kallin and Hosnani Choice E:Lemmon and Garvey | PT88 S1 Q22 |
Question ID:PT88 S1 Q23 Passage:On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week, an accountant will hold exactly five meetings, each with a different client‚ Garvey, Hosnani, Juarez, Kallin, or Lemmon. Six slots are available: one each morning and one each afternoon. The schedule for the meetings is subject to the following constraints:Hosnani and Lemmon must be scheduled for morning meetings.Juarez must be scheduled for the day before Garvey.At most one other client can be scheduled between the meetings with Garvey and Kallin. Stem:If Hosnani and Kallin are scheduled for the same day, which one of the following could be true? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Garvey is scheduled for Friday morning. Choice B:Hosnani is scheduled for Wednesday morning. Choice C:Juarez is scheduled for Wednesday morning. Choice D:Kallin is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Choice E:Lemmon is scheduled for Friday morning. | PT88 S1 Q23 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q1 Passage:Activist: The average CEO is paid many times more than the average worker is paid at the same company. But it is certain that no CEO works many times harder than the average worker. Therefore the high pay of CEOs is wholly unjustified. Stem:Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the activist‚ s argument? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:At any given company, people‚ s pay should be proportional to how hard they work. Choice B:At any given company, people‚ s pay should be proportional to how much they contribute to the overall success of the company. Choice C:At any given company, people‚ s pay should be proportional to how much they need to sustain a reasonably comfortable lifestyle. Choice D:At any given company, people who perform the same work should receive equal pay. Choice E:People who are able to work hard have an obligation to do so. | PT88 S2 Q1 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q2 Passage:The poet E. E. Cummings stood for the individual human being against regimentation and standardization of any sort. Yet in doing so Cummings stood against something essential to the work he did, since metaphor presupposes literal language, and literal language essentially involves regimentation. Stem:The argument's conclusion can be properly drawn if which one of the following is assumed? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:Not all poets use metaphor. Choice B:Metaphor was essential to E. E. Cummings's work. Choice C:There can be no literal language without metaphor. Choice D:Poetry cannot be regimented or standardized. Choice E:E. E. Cummings did not use literal language. | PT88 S2 Q2 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q3 Passage:Horses, although descended from a forest-dwelling ancestor, thrive in grasslands. In the last 2 million years, horses have gone through three cycles of population increase followed by a rapid decline in population. The most recent cycle peaked 25,000 years ago during a cold period that preceded a period of warming. Stem:Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the horse population peaked 25,000 years ago and then rapidly declined? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:The forest-dwelling ancestor of horses was many times smaller than horses. Choice B:The only true wild horse existing today, Przewalski's horse, inhabits the cold grasslands of Central Asia. Choice C:Some modern species that are related to horses, such as zebras, inhabit the warm grasslands of Africa. Choice D:During cold periods there are extensive grasslands, but these tend to revert to forest when the climate warms. Choice E:Several cycles of a cold period followed by a period of warming have occurred in the last 2 million years. | PT88 S2 Q3 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q4 Passage:Editorial: Some primary schools' early education reading programs encourage children to read by paying them for each book they read outside of class. Such programs should be viewed with suspicion. While paying kids to read might get them to read more, it also might teach them to regard reading as a chore rather than as a source of intrinsic satisfaction. Stem:Which one of the following principles, if valid, most strongly supports the editorial‚ s reasoning? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:Early education reading programs should focus more on getting children to read challenging books than on getting them to read a large number of books. Choice B:Children will be more likely to develop into regular readers if they choose the books they read than if they do not. Choice C:Parents will usually play a more important role than teachers in instilling in children a love of reading. Choice D:The goal of early education reading programs should be to instill in children a love of reading. Choice E:Improving children's facility with reading will get them to enjoy reading. | PT88 S2 Q4 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q5 Passage:Salmon farmer: Farm-raised salmon is preferable to wild salmon due to its year-round availability, consistent quality, and cheaper price. But the best reason to prefer farmed salmon is ecological: as consumers' desire for farmed salmon increases, the market for threatened wild salmon drops, which in turn leads to more wild fish being allowed to live and multiply freely, thus increasing their numbers. Stem:Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the salmon farmer's argument? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:Farmed salmon are fed with large quantities of small fish caught in areas where wild salmon attempt to feed. Choice B:Though some wild salmon may be of lesser quality than farmed salmon, some is far better. Choice C:Most people who eat salmon are not aware of any differences between the taste of wild salmon and that of farmed salmon. Choice D:Limits on the number of salmon that can be taken from the wild have led to increases in the price of wild salmon. Choice E:Wild salmon are more likely than farmed salmon to have consumed pollutants that may be harmful to humans. | PT88 S2 Q5 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q6 Passage:Video games are commonly criticized as morally corrupting in that they allow people to imagine themselves transgressing conventional morality. But it is telling that precisely this criticism was leveled against many forms of popular culture in their early stages of development, including novels, movies, and rock music. And just as it now seems silly to suggest that reading novels is morally corrupting, _______. Stem:Which one of the following most logically completes the argument? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:we should expect most new forms of popular culture to be criticized as morally corrupting Choice B:we should prefer forms of popular culture that have matured to those that are still in their early stages of development Choice C:we can expect these concerns about video games to fade over time Choice D:we should condemn forms of popular culture that allow people to imagine themselves transgressing conventional morality Choice E:it is silly to suggest that video games do not allow people to imagine themselves transgressing conventional morality | PT88 S2 Q6 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q7 Passage:Library policy: For a book to be removed from circulation, the book must be badly damaged and must not have been checked out for over two years. Books that are either written by local authors or are considered to be of significance to local history can only be removed from circulation if they have not been checked out for over three years. Application: Paper Flowers should not be removed from circulation. Stem:Which one of the following, if true, fully justifies the above application of the library policy? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:Paper Flowers is badly damaged. Choice B:Paper Flowers has been checked out within the last year. Choice C:Paper Flowers was last checked out between two and three years ago. Choice D:Paper Flowers was written by a local author. Choice E:Paper Flowers was not written by a local author, but is considered to be of significance to local history. | PT88 S2 Q7 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q8 Passage:Editorial: If current trends continue, obesity will soon be the leading cause of preventable illness in our country. Yet a recent survey found that 45 percent of doctors said they did not feel qualified to advise their patients about weight-related issues. Clearly, therefore, doctors need more training in the treatment of obesity. Stem:Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the editor's argument? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:Doctors should not be trained to treat a condition unless there exist effective treatments for that condition. Choice B:Changes in the way that doctors are trained are warranted only if there are changes in the treatment options. Choice C:Doctors do more good when they treat their patients' unpreventable illnesses than when they counsel them about preventable ones. Choice D:Doctors should focus their efforts on the health conditions that they are able to treat most effectively. Choice E:Doctors should be adequately trained to treat the underlying causes of preventable illness. | PT88 S2 Q8 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q9 Passage:Editor: It is a myth that a significant amount of music on the Internet is the result of people downloading others‚ music and reworking it into new music of their own. We know this because it has been shown that 99 percent of Internet users who download music do not publish new music of their own on the Internet. Stem:The editor‚ s reasoning is questionable in that it Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:overlooks the possibility that a relatively small number of people can create a significant amount of new music Choice B:neglects to consider the ease with which music can be published on the Internet Choice C:fails to provide an alternative account of the sources for most of the music published on the Internet Choice D:presumes, without giving justification, that those who rework downloaded music into new creations always publish those new creations on the Internet Choice E:takes for granted that Internet users always prefer music that is original to music that has been downloaded and reworked into a new creation | PT88 S2 Q9 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q10 Passage:Wei: A respected automobile expert claims that most cars will develop transmission problems unless their transmissions are serviced at least once every three years. But this claim is false. I have owned both of my cars for over twelve years, I have never had the transmission serviced on either one, and neither one has ever developed a transmission problem. Stem:The pattern of flawed reasoning in Wei's argument is most similar to the pattern of flawed reasoning exhibited by which one of the following? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:My veterinarian told me that most cats who do not have yearly teeth cleaning will develop gum problems. However, I have not had my cat's teeth cleaned for the past ten years, and she has not had any gum problems. Therefore, my veterinarian was wrong. Choice B:Car dealers claim that customers save money in the long run if they purchase extended warranties for new cars. But car dealers have a strong interest in making money from the warranties. Thus, the car dealers' claim is false. Choice C:A high-ranking traffic safety official claims that driving over the speed limit increases the chance of having an automobile accident. But this claim is not true. I never drive over the speed limit, and I have had two accidents in the past year. Choice D:Boot manufacturers claim that a good pair of boots will last at least five years. But this claim is false. The boots I got on sale at The Discount Store lasted only two years. Choice E:A study of local rainfall shows that we have received at least 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rain per year for the past 50 years. Thus, we will probably get at least 20 centimeters of rain this year, too. | PT88 S2 Q10 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q11 Passage:A part of the brain called the amygdala is involved in sensing fear. People who have Urbach-Wiethe disease, which destroys the amygdala, generally do not experience fear. They do, however, experience extreme fear when given a breath that is very high in carbon dioxide, just as some people with normal amygdalae do. Stem:Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:Extreme fear is not the only intense response that people can have to a breath that is high in carbon dioxide. Choice B:Sensing fear is not the only function the amygdala can serve. Choice C:Urbach-Wiethe disease is not the only disease that can destroy the amygdala. Choice D:The amygdala is not the only part of the brain that can be affected by Urbach-Wiethe disease. Choice E:The amygdala is not the only part of the brain that can be involved in sensing fear. | PT88 S2 Q11 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q12 Passage:Bauer: It is a mistake to criticize the city for being overzealous in its issuance of parking tickets. Can you imagine how much worse parking would be if parking regulations were not enforced? Stem:The reasoning in Bauer‚ s argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:misrepresents a criticism about the consequences of a practice as a criticism about the intrinsic value of the practice Choice B:takes for granted that a certain authority should be respected merely because it is an authority Choice C:takes for granted that a particular practice is good simply because it is the way things have traditionally been done Choice D:confuses the cause of a certain phenomenon for an effect of that phenomenon Choice E:defends the current situation merely by suggesting its superiority to an implausible alternative | PT88 S2 Q12 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q13 Passage:Advertisers typically prohibit graphic designers from signing their works because the purpose of a graphic design is to draw attention to an advertised product or service, not to the designer. Nonetheless, it is better that graphic designers not remain anonymous. Anonymity undermines effective graphic design by making it difficult to hold designers accountable for their work. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion drawn in the argument? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Prohibitions against graphic designers' signing their works are common in advertising. Choice B:In advertising, the purpose of a graphic design is to focus attention on an advertised product or service rather than on the designer. Choice C:It is not desirable that graphic designers remain anonymous. Choice D:Graphic design is made less effective by anonymity on the part of graphic designers. Choice E:Holding graphic designers accountable for their work is difficult when those designers are anonymous. | PT88 S2 Q13 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q14 Passage:Superintendent: Within the school district overall, 11 percent of high school students drop out. However, of the high school students who participate in work internships, only 1 percent drop out. Clearly, then, participation in a work internship decreases the chance that a student will drop out. Stem:The reasoning in the superintendent's argument is flawed because the argument Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:uses evidence that is in principle impossible to disprove Choice B:uses the key term "student" in one sense in a premise and in another sense in the conclusion Choice C:generalizes from a single instance of a certain kind to all instances of that kind Choice D:infers a specific causal relationship from a correlation that might well have arisen from another cause Choice E:contains a premise that presupposes the truth of the conclusion | PT88 S2 Q14 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q15 Passage:Journalist: Despite the recent spate of depressing political news, many investors are putting money into stocks. Clearly, these investors are confident of increased growth in the country's economy. Thus, since voter confidence in the economy tends to favor incumbent political leaders, it is likely that the party now in power will retain power after the upcoming elections. Stem:Which one of the following is an assumption required by the journalist's reasoning? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:The economic policies pursued by the government are a major factor in producing stock market growth. Choice B:The investment choices of voters tend to reflect their political preferences. Choice C:The economic attitudes of investors do not differ greatly from those of voters in general. Choice D:Voters generally attribute some responsibility for the state of the economy to the policies of previous governments. Choice E:Voters are usually more loyal to parties than to individual politicians. | PT88 S2 Q15 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q16 Passage:Archaeologist: The people who lived in this area deposited their rubbish in pits near their dwellings. Some claim that the rubbish found in those pits provides great insight into the possessions these people had, but this rubbish by itself actually tells us relatively little about those possessions; among other reasons, the pits have been subject to erosion over long periods of time, with destructive effects on the rubbish within. Stem:Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the grounds presented by the archaeologist for drawing the conclusion in the argument above? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:The pits contain certain tools not found in dwellings or at other above-ground locations. Choice B:Scavengers routinely salvaged the most durable items from the rubbish pits. Choice C:The soil surrounding the rubbish pits was sometimes removed for the manufacture of bricks. Choice D:The pits in which the rubbish was deposited had earlier been used by this group of people as burial sites. Choice E:Certain types of items were never discarded by members of this group of people. | PT88 S2 Q16 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q17 Passage:Consultant: The mayor shouldn't adopt her rival's controversial proposal for solving the city's budget problem. If she adopts the proposal and it succeeds, she risks increasing her rival's credibility. If it fails, she will get blamed for wasting time on such an unconventional idea. Stem:Which one of the following arguments is most closely parallel in its reasoning to the argument above? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:Zvi should continue practicing his instrument over the vacation. If he stops, he risks losing ground on what he has already mastered. And if he loses any ground, he will not be prepared in time for the recital. Choice B:Joni should not self-publish her novel. It is unlikely that most readers will take a self-published novel seriously, and any success she does have will cause her to be ostracized by the big publishing houses. Choice C:Despite his current financial predicament, Brett should not sell his comic book collection. It will certainly continue to grow in monetary value. Additionally, its sentimental value is too easily underestimated. Choice D:Alvin should not submit his paper for presentation at the conference. He might not have time to meet his publisher's deadline if the paper is accepted, and if the paper is rejected, he will lose confidence in it altogether. Choice E:Elisa should call the tourist agency now to reserve a spot on the tour. If she waits much longer, she risks not being able to go on the tour. And if she calls right away, she will likely still be able to negotiate the price. | PT88 S2 Q17 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q18 Passage:Anthropologists have long debated whether the customs of a culture invariably function to preserve it. According to one proposed definition, a culture is the totality of the customs practiced by those whose culture it is. If this definition is correct, then the customs of a culture necessarily function to preserve it, even if only in the most trivial sense, because, under this conception of a culture, the abandonment of any custom by a culture's members would by definition constitute that culture's destruction. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the statement that under a certain conception of culture, the abandonment of any custom by a culture's members would constitute that culture's destruction? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:It is the main conclusion drawn in the argument. Choice B:It is a definition of a technical term used in the argument. Choice C:It is a claim that is used to support a conditional conclusion drawn in the argument. Choice D:It is a claim that is used to support the view that a culture should be understood as a totality of customs. Choice E:It is a claim ascribed by the argument to some anthropologists but dismissed by the argument as trivial. | PT88 S2 Q18 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q19 Passage:Doctor: The patient had been experiencing back and leg pain. A computerized scan suggested that there was pressure on a nerve exiting to the leg from a lower vertebra. Such pressure can cause nerve inflammation, which can in turn cause pain. I decided that if the nerve was inflamed, the best way to reduce the inflammation would be a cortisone injection to the nerve, and this, in fact, did result in significant pain relief. I conclude, therefore, that pressure on the nerve in question was causing this patient's back and leg pain. Stem:Which one of the following is an assumption required by the doctor's argument? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Computerized scans are the most accurate way of diagnosing certain kinds of ailments. Choice B:The cortisone injection did not reduce pressure on the inflamed nerve in the patient's leg. Choice C:The pain relief did not occur merely through the patient's belief in the efficacy of the cortisone. Choice D:Only cortisone injections can cause a reduction of an inflammation of a nerve like that in the patient's leg. Choice E:The best treatment for back and leg pain is usually a drug that relieves inflammation. | PT88 S2 Q19 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q20 Passage:The public's welfare can be undermined by its own tastes. Journalists tend to focus on stories that will stimulate their readers' interest. Because sensation and drama serve this purpose more successfully than do matter-of-fact descriptions of political or social developments of far-reaching importance, newspaper articles containing the latter are all too often displaced by those that highlight rumors and implausible conspiracies. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument above? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:The best interests of the public sometimes fail to be served because of the sorts of preferences that people have. Choice B:Journalists' tendency to focus on sensational and dramatic stories rather than those of far-reaching importance is to the detriment of the public welfare. Choice C:Newspaper articles that focus on rumors or speculate about conspiracies too often displace stories about important political or social developments. Choice D:The shortcomings of modern print-journalism can be attributed to the preferences of its readers. Choice E:Journalists should pay more attention to the public's welfare than to its tastes when choosing which stories to focus on. | PT88 S2 Q20 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q21 Passage:A study of 30 years of weather pattern records of several industrialized urban areas found that weekend days tend to be cloudier than weekdays. Thus it can no longer be denied that human activity has appreciable, large-scale effects on weather, because the few seven-day cycles that occur naturally are of too little significance to cause measurable weather patterns. Stem:Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:Industrial activity tends to decrease significantly on weekend days in the large urban areas studied. Choice B:There are no naturally occurring seven-day cycles in the areas studied. Choice C:If living organisms have an appreciable large-scale effect on weather patterns, then this is due at least partly to the effects of human activity. Choice D:If something appreciably affects large-scale weather patterns, it is probably cyclical in nature. Choice E:If a weather pattern with a natural cause has a seven-day cycle, then that cause has a seven-day cycle. | PT88 S2 Q21 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q22 Passage:Art critic: All of Dolores Albarran's oil paintings are highly original, though few of them are critically acclaimed or popular with collectors. Remarkably, Albarran produced no highly original works until late in her career, and few of her abstract works demonstrate much originality. Stem:If all of the art critic's statements are true, which one of the following must also be true? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:Most of Albarran's works that are not popular with collectors are highly original. Choice B:Few of the works produced late in Albarran's career are abstract works. Choice C:Most, if not all, of the works produced late in Albarran's career are oil paintings. Choice D:Most, if not all, of Albarran's abstract works are not oil paintings. Choice E:Few or none of Albarran's critically acclaimed works are highly original. | PT88 S2 Q22 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q23 Passage:The effects of global warming on the polar ice caps have been studied with computer models. According to some models, if the global temperature increases by as little as two degrees Celsius, the seawater will rise to a temperature that could melt the ice caps considerably. However, those models also show that under such a scenario, the volume of the ice caps would increase, not shrink. Stem:Which one of the following, if true, would most help to resolve the apparent paradox described above? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:As global temperatures increase, more seawater evaporates into the atmosphere, thereby leading to increased snowfall at the polar caps, which then melts and refreezes as ice. Choice B:As global temperatures increase, more seawater evaporates into the atmosphere, thereby lowering the ocean level, which then results in less contact between the ice caps and the warmer water, thereby stabilizing the size of the ice caps. Choice C:As sea temperatures increase, the difference in temperature between the polar ice caps and the adjacent water becomes greater, which in turn causes the water to melt the ice it contacts at a faster rate. Choice D:As sea temperatures increase, evaporation of seawater causes the concentration of salt in the water to increase, which thereby lowers the temperature needed to freeze the seawater. Choice E:As global temperatures increase, more seawater evaporates into the atmosphere, thereby leading to increased cloud formation, which causes smaller variations between the average temperatures of the earth's hottest climates and those of its coldest climates. | PT88 S2 Q23 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q24 Passage:Until recently, experts have been unable to identify the artist who created a Renaissance painting depicting aristocrats in a historic battle. But the mystery has been solved by the discovery of a self-portrait of a well-known artist from very early in his career, dated to the same year that the painting of the battle scene was created. One of the figures in the battle scene closely resembles the young man in the self-portrait. It is likely, therefore, that the artist who painted the self-portrait also painted the battle scene. Stem:Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:The painting of the battle scene depicts several other people who appear to be roughly the same age as the man depicted in the self-portrait. Choice B:Most of the figures depicted in the painting of the battle scene resemble real people from history. Choice C:It was not uncommon in the Renaissance for painters to use live models in depicting people in their paintings. Choice D:It would have been a violation of etiquette for so young an artist to include himself among aristocrats in a painting of a historic battle. Choice E:The historic battle that is the subject of the painting took place a number of years before the birth of the artist who painted the self-portrait. | PT88 S2 Q24 |
Question ID:PT88 S2 Q25 Passage:Babson: The idea of charging people a dollar to read individual articles and essays online, while novel, will succeed if the quality of the articles and essays is high enough. A dollar isn't much money: in many countries people routinely reward quality service with tips of much more than a dollar.Cortez: But most people tip only for those services for which it is customary to tip. The fact that people don't currently pay for articles and essays individually is a bad sign for anyone who hopes to earn money this way. Stem:The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Babson and Cortez disagree over whether Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:people will routinely part with money under circumstances in which it is considered customary to do so Choice B:people in countries in which tipping is customary are more likely than people in other countries to be willing to pay a dollar to read individual articles and essays online Choice C:it is possible to write articles and essays for which some people would pay a dollar each to read online even where social customs do not support such a practice Choice D:people's attitudes toward tipping suggest that the idea of charging a dollar to read individual articles and essays online will be successful as long as their quality is high enough Choice E:most people are likely to find the idea of paying a dollar to read individual articles and essays online to be a novel one | PT88 S2 Q25 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q1 Passage:Complex societies flourished on the central plateau of southern Africa from the ninth through sixteenth centuries. Their regional political centers, called zimbabwes, were city-states enclosed within stone walls, which still exist as archaeological monuments. Great Zimbabwe, the largest of these, was the product of a highly stratified society whose ruling class wielded political authority over the whole plateau. By the fourteenth century, the inhabitants of Great Zimbabwe enjoyed notable prosperity, obtaining luxury goods such as Chinese glazed pottery and Near Eastern glass from distant trading emporia on Africa's east coast. Scholars often maintain that this prosperity was primarily attributable to Great Zimbabwe's control over gold mining on the plateau and the export of gold to the coastal markets. However, it is instead the agricultural basis for the zimbabwe economic system that is actually the most crucial element in understanding Great Zimbabwe's achievements.During the fourteenth century, the population of Great Zimbabwe probably exceeded 10,000. This was an extraordinary size for a city at that time in an environment of typical African savanna woodland, because the only system of crop cultivation these soils could support was one that involved long fallow periods between plantings, a pattern typically resulting in low population densities and considerable mobility. Moreover, there were no carts or draft animals for transporting grain in bulk to large population centers, nor could grain be stored in large quantities for any length of time. The alternative agricultural system that Great Zimbabwe practiced was a complex cattle economy that exploited enormous areas of land for grazing. The population of Great Zimbabwe relied heavily on beef for food. In summer, cattle grazed on grass at higher elevations; in winter, the cattle were moved to lower regions unsuitable for grazing in summer because of the risk to the cattle of disease carried by the tsetse fly. This economy demanded large-scale coordinated efforts to control distant pastures and to move and protect the cattle as large herds. This favored a pattern of centralized control over the society, with cattle becoming the property of a ruling class.Ordinary people were given use of individual cattle as an act of royal patronage. Because cattle exchange was an essential element in marriage contracts, the power of the royal class reached deep into everyone's lives. Similarly, the crucial role of cattle also explains Great Zimbabwe's successful mining industry. Gold is found in scattered deposits throughout the region. Some gold could simply be washed from the sand and gravel of rivers that cut through the deposits, and its recovery was a relatively undemanding seasonal village industry. However, the actual mining of the gold deposits was dangerous, required considerable labor, and might produce only small yields. It was through its use of cattle as a powerful incentive to laborers that royalty was able to muster the human resources necessary for large-scale gold mining. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:Understanding the basis for the prosperity and social organization of Great Zimbabwe requires an understanding of the dynamics of its cattle economy. Choice B:The diversity and abundance of natural resources on the central plateau of southern Africa was responsible for the rise and fall of Great Zimbabwe's civilization. Choice C:The power of the royal class in Great Zimbabwe originally arose from their ownership of the croplands that yielded the food supply. Choice D:Great Zimbabwe's economic system rested upon the twin pillars of gold mining and the import-export trade. Choice E:The communal nature of cattle ownership in Great Zimbabwe was largely responsible for the relative prosperity of both laborers and royalty in the region. | PT88 S3 Q1 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q2 Passage:Complex societies flourished on the central plateau of southern Africa from the ninth through sixteenth centuries. Their regional political centers, called zimbabwes, were city-states enclosed within stone walls, which still exist as archaeological monuments. Great Zimbabwe, the largest of these, was the product of a highly stratified society whose ruling class wielded political authority over the whole plateau. By the fourteenth century, the inhabitants of Great Zimbabwe enjoyed notable prosperity, obtaining luxury goods such as Chinese glazed pottery and Near Eastern glass from distant trading emporia on Africa's east coast. Scholars often maintain that this prosperity was primarily attributable to Great Zimbabwe's control over gold mining on the plateau and the export of gold to the coastal markets. However, it is instead the agricultural basis for the zimbabwe economic system that is actually the most crucial element in understanding Great Zimbabwe's achievements.During the fourteenth century, the population of Great Zimbabwe probably exceeded 10,000. This was an extraordinary size for a city at that time in an environment of typical African savanna woodland, because the only system of crop cultivation these soils could support was one that involved long fallow periods between plantings, a pattern typically resulting in low population densities and considerable mobility. Moreover, there were no carts or draft animals for transporting grain in bulk to large population centers, nor could grain be stored in large quantities for any length of time. The alternative agricultural system that Great Zimbabwe practiced was a complex cattle economy that exploited enormous areas of land for grazing. The population of Great Zimbabwe relied heavily on beef for food. In summer, cattle grazed on grass at higher elevations; in winter, the cattle were moved to lower regions unsuitable for grazing in summer because of the risk to the cattle of disease carried by the tsetse fly. This economy demanded large-scale coordinated efforts to control distant pastures and to move and protect the cattle as large herds. This favored a pattern of centralized control over the society, with cattle becoming the property of a ruling class.Ordinary people were given use of individual cattle as an act of royal patronage. Because cattle exchange was an essential element in marriage contracts, the power of the royal class reached deep into everyone's lives. Similarly, the crucial role of cattle also explains Great Zimbabwe's successful mining industry. Gold is found in scattered deposits throughout the region. Some gold could simply be washed from the sand and gravel of rivers that cut through the deposits, and its recovery was a relatively undemanding seasonal village industry. However, the actual mining of the gold deposits was dangerous, required considerable labor, and might produce only small yields. It was through its use of cattle as a powerful incentive to laborers that royalty was able to muster the human resources necessary for large-scale gold mining. Stem:According to the passage, one important reason for the use of lands at different elevations for cattle grazing in Great Zimbabwe was Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:the allocation of different grazing lands to different members of the royalty Choice B:the paucity of grain for feeding cattle Choice C:the importance of protecting the health of the cattle Choice D:the peculiar and difficult topography of the Great Zimbabwe region Choice E:the need to allow grazing land to restore itself during a fallow period | PT88 S3 Q2 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q3 Passage:Complex societies flourished on the central plateau of southern Africa from the ninth through sixteenth centuries. Their regional political centers, called zimbabwes, were city-states enclosed within stone walls, which still exist as archaeological monuments. Great Zimbabwe, the largest of these, was the product of a highly stratified society whose ruling class wielded political authority over the whole plateau. By the fourteenth century, the inhabitants of Great Zimbabwe enjoyed notable prosperity, obtaining luxury goods such as Chinese glazed pottery and Near Eastern glass from distant trading emporia on Africa's east coast. Scholars often maintain that this prosperity was primarily attributable to Great Zimbabwe's control over gold mining on the plateau and the export of gold to the coastal markets. However, it is instead the agricultural basis for the zimbabwe economic system that is actually the most crucial element in understanding Great Zimbabwe's achievements.During the fourteenth century, the population of Great Zimbabwe probably exceeded 10,000. This was an extraordinary size for a city at that time in an environment of typical African savanna woodland, because the only system of crop cultivation these soils could support was one that involved long fallow periods between plantings, a pattern typically resulting in low population densities and considerable mobility. Moreover, there were no carts or draft animals for transporting grain in bulk to large population centers, nor could grain be stored in large quantities for any length of time. The alternative agricultural system that Great Zimbabwe practiced was a complex cattle economy that exploited enormous areas of land for grazing. The population of Great Zimbabwe relied heavily on beef for food. In summer, cattle grazed on grass at higher elevations; in winter, the cattle were moved to lower regions unsuitable for grazing in summer because of the risk to the cattle of disease carried by the tsetse fly. This economy demanded large-scale coordinated efforts to control distant pastures and to move and protect the cattle as large herds. This favored a pattern of centralized control over the society, with cattle becoming the property of a ruling class.Ordinary people were given use of individual cattle as an act of royal patronage. Because cattle exchange was an essential element in marriage contracts, the power of the royal class reached deep into everyone's lives. Similarly, the crucial role of cattle also explains Great Zimbabwe's successful mining industry. Gold is found in scattered deposits throughout the region. Some gold could simply be washed from the sand and gravel of rivers that cut through the deposits, and its recovery was a relatively undemanding seasonal village industry. However, the actual mining of the gold deposits was dangerous, required considerable labor, and might produce only small yields. It was through its use of cattle as a powerful incentive to laborers that royalty was able to muster the human resources necessary for large-scale gold mining. Stem:Based on the passage, the relationship of Great Zimbabwe's cattle economy to the size of Great Zimbabwe's population is most analogous to the relationship between Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:hunting and gathering Choice B:irrigation and a farm in a desert Choice C:accounting and marketing Choice D:sports stadiums and athletic contests Choice E:individual stones and a stone wall | PT88 S3 Q3 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q4 Passage:Complex societies flourished on the central plateau of southern Africa from the ninth through sixteenth centuries. Their regional political centers, called zimbabwes, were city-states enclosed within stone walls, which still exist as archaeological monuments. Great Zimbabwe, the largest of these, was the product of a highly stratified society whose ruling class wielded political authority over the whole plateau. By the fourteenth century, the inhabitants of Great Zimbabwe enjoyed notable prosperity, obtaining luxury goods such as Chinese glazed pottery and Near Eastern glass from distant trading emporia on Africa's east coast. Scholars often maintain that this prosperity was primarily attributable to Great Zimbabwe's control over gold mining on the plateau and the export of gold to the coastal markets. However, it is instead the agricultural basis for the zimbabwe economic system that is actually the most crucial element in understanding Great Zimbabwe's achievements.During the fourteenth century, the population of Great Zimbabwe probably exceeded 10,000. This was an extraordinary size for a city at that time in an environment of typical African savanna woodland, because the only system of crop cultivation these soils could support was one that involved long fallow periods between plantings, a pattern typically resulting in low population densities and considerable mobility. Moreover, there were no carts or draft animals for transporting grain in bulk to large population centers, nor could grain be stored in large quantities for any length of time. The alternative agricultural system that Great Zimbabwe practiced was a complex cattle economy that exploited enormous areas of land for grazing. The population of Great Zimbabwe relied heavily on beef for food. In summer, cattle grazed on grass at higher elevations; in winter, the cattle were moved to lower regions unsuitable for grazing in summer because of the risk to the cattle of disease carried by the tsetse fly. This economy demanded large-scale coordinated efforts to control distant pastures and to move and protect the cattle as large herds. This favored a pattern of centralized control over the society, with cattle becoming the property of a ruling class.Ordinary people were given use of individual cattle as an act of royal patronage. Because cattle exchange was an essential element in marriage contracts, the power of the royal class reached deep into everyone's lives. Similarly, the crucial role of cattle also explains Great Zimbabwe's successful mining industry. Gold is found in scattered deposits throughout the region. Some gold could simply be washed from the sand and gravel of rivers that cut through the deposits, and its recovery was a relatively undemanding seasonal village industry. However, the actual mining of the gold deposits was dangerous, required considerable labor, and might produce only small yields. It was through its use of cattle as a powerful incentive to laborers that royalty was able to muster the human resources necessary for large-scale gold mining. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately describes the author's attitude regarding Great Zimbabwe's cattle economy? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:condemnation of its role in perpetuating powerful centralized control over the society Choice B:surprise at its lack of diversification Choice C:skepticism about its effectiveness in sustaining the cohesiveness of the society Choice D:respect for the intricacy of its workings, but criticism of its inefficiency Choice E:appreciation of its complexity and extensive integration into various facets of social life | PT88 S3 Q4 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q5 Passage:Complex societies flourished on the central plateau of southern Africa from the ninth through sixteenth centuries. Their regional political centers, called zimbabwes, were city-states enclosed within stone walls, which still exist as archaeological monuments. Great Zimbabwe, the largest of these, was the product of a highly stratified society whose ruling class wielded political authority over the whole plateau. By the fourteenth century, the inhabitants of Great Zimbabwe enjoyed notable prosperity, obtaining luxury goods such as Chinese glazed pottery and Near Eastern glass from distant trading emporia on Africa's east coast. Scholars often maintain that this prosperity was primarily attributable to Great Zimbabwe's control over gold mining on the plateau and the export of gold to the coastal markets. However, it is instead the agricultural basis for the zimbabwe economic system that is actually the most crucial element in understanding Great Zimbabwe's achievements.During the fourteenth century, the population of Great Zimbabwe probably exceeded 10,000. This was an extraordinary size for a city at that time in an environment of typical African savanna woodland, because the only system of crop cultivation these soils could support was one that involved long fallow periods between plantings, a pattern typically resulting in low population densities and considerable mobility. Moreover, there were no carts or draft animals for transporting grain in bulk to large population centers, nor could grain be stored in large quantities for any length of time. The alternative agricultural system that Great Zimbabwe practiced was a complex cattle economy that exploited enormous areas of land for grazing. The population of Great Zimbabwe relied heavily on beef for food. In summer, cattle grazed on grass at higher elevations; in winter, the cattle were moved to lower regions unsuitable for grazing in summer because of the risk to the cattle of disease carried by the tsetse fly. This economy demanded large-scale coordinated efforts to control distant pastures and to move and protect the cattle as large herds. This favored a pattern of centralized control over the society, with cattle becoming the property of a ruling class.Ordinary people were given use of individual cattle as an act of royal patronage. Because cattle exchange was an essential element in marriage contracts, the power of the royal class reached deep into everyone's lives. Similarly, the crucial role of cattle also explains Great Zimbabwe's successful mining industry. Gold is found in scattered deposits throughout the region. Some gold could simply be washed from the sand and gravel of rivers that cut through the deposits, and its recovery was a relatively undemanding seasonal village industry. However, the actual mining of the gold deposits was dangerous, required considerable labor, and might produce only small yields. It was through its use of cattle as a powerful incentive to laborers that royalty was able to muster the human resources necessary for large-scale gold mining. Stem:According to the passage, Great Zimbabwe had trade relationships Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:only with smaller zimbabwes on the plateau Choice B:mainly with states that exported gold Choice C:with other African regions Choice D:only with other cattle-herding peoples Choice E:with neighboring states that could supply grain | PT88 S3 Q5 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q6 Passage:Complex societies flourished on the central plateau of southern Africa from the ninth through sixteenth centuries. Their regional political centers, called zimbabwes, were city-states enclosed within stone walls, which still exist as archaeological monuments. Great Zimbabwe, the largest of these, was the product of a highly stratified society whose ruling class wielded political authority over the whole plateau. By the fourteenth century, the inhabitants of Great Zimbabwe enjoyed notable prosperity, obtaining luxury goods such as Chinese glazed pottery and Near Eastern glass from distant trading emporia on Africa's east coast. Scholars often maintain that this prosperity was primarily attributable to Great Zimbabwe's control over gold mining on the plateau and the export of gold to the coastal markets. However, it is instead the agricultural basis for the zimbabwe economic system that is actually the most crucial element in understanding Great Zimbabwe's achievements.During the fourteenth century, the population of Great Zimbabwe probably exceeded 10,000. This was an extraordinary size for a city at that time in an environment of typical African savanna woodland, because the only system of crop cultivation these soils could support was one that involved long fallow periods between plantings, a pattern typically resulting in low population densities and considerable mobility. Moreover, there were no carts or draft animals for transporting grain in bulk to large population centers, nor could grain be stored in large quantities for any length of time. The alternative agricultural system that Great Zimbabwe practiced was a complex cattle economy that exploited enormous areas of land for grazing. The population of Great Zimbabwe relied heavily on beef for food. In summer, cattle grazed on grass at higher elevations; in winter, the cattle were moved to lower regions unsuitable for grazing in summer because of the risk to the cattle of disease carried by the tsetse fly. This economy demanded large-scale coordinated efforts to control distant pastures and to move and protect the cattle as large herds. This favored a pattern of centralized control over the society, with cattle becoming the property of a ruling class.Ordinary people were given use of individual cattle as an act of royal patronage. Because cattle exchange was an essential element in marriage contracts, the power of the royal class reached deep into everyone's lives. Similarly, the crucial role of cattle also explains Great Zimbabwe's successful mining industry. Gold is found in scattered deposits throughout the region. Some gold could simply be washed from the sand and gravel of rivers that cut through the deposits, and its recovery was a relatively undemanding seasonal village industry. However, the actual mining of the gold deposits was dangerous, required considerable labor, and might produce only small yields. It was through its use of cattle as a powerful incentive to laborers that royalty was able to muster the human resources necessary for large-scale gold mining. Stem:According to the passage, which one of the following was true of Great Zimbabwe's agricultural system? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:The system was inadequate for the extraordinary size of Great Zimbabwe's population in the fourteenth century. Choice B:The system was practiced chiefly on land located at lower elevations. Choice C:The system exemplified effective large-scale food production without extensive political controls. Choice D:The system was a crucial factor in enabling the region's gold mining activity to reach its large scale. Choice E:The system promoted the establishment of small areas of intensive seasonal crop cultivation. | PT88 S3 Q6 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q7 Passage:Passage AThe path a historical novelist has to tread is clearly beset by dangers. One cannot have medieval characters using correct period language because no one would find the speech readable. Similarly, in depicting the lives of real individuals, authors must invent dialogue, as well as other details missing from the historical record; otherwise characters will remain two-dimensional and never develop. In effect, the creation of a good narrative requires the telling of lies.Nonetheless there is a clear and important distinction between telling lies and making mistakes. A lie is intentional and purposeful; a mistake is accidental and often unforgivable. The spectrum of historical fiction is therefore not as simple as "accurate equals good" and "inaccurate equals bad." It depends on whether the inaccuracies are constructive lies or accidental mistakes. Effective lies add to the story; mistakes detract from it.Of course, some lies go too far and alienate the reader. Some are too obvious. But some lying is necessary, and to get away with it, one has to be both subtle and convincing. Shakespeare is a good model in this respect. He distorted the facts freely and knowingly conflated historical characters in historical plays. Yet such distortion makes the drama of human lives meaningful and memorable. Passage BAs a writer of autobiographical texts, I'm always astonished at how falsely I remember things, astonished at how unreliable memory is. And even when I know a memory is incorrect, part of my brain cleaves to the wrong, imagined memory. I hold two memories in my head, and the false one is more vivid and more emotionally significant to me than the actual one. Which, then, is the truest memory?It's convenient when the actual events adequately convey the emotional experience, but sometimes they don't and the writer has to choose. While I wouldn't be so disingenuous as to argue that a false memory is valid simply because it is vivid, I would argue that there must be a subjective truth to it, an emotional truth. Ultimately, lying is all but inescapable for a writer attempting to create an artistically coherent autobiography. One reads an autobiography to see how the writer experienced and evaluates his or her own life, and a biography to find a more objective view. If false memories have an emotional power for the person who creates them, it's arguably more misleading to omit them than it is to include them.My argument grows strained and my tone shrill because I'm unhappy with the patently illogical and unethical position that practical experience has led me to. Nonetheless, the trust a reader brings to reading an autobiography is a trust in a convincingly told tale, not the trust one brings to a newspaper article or a history of Assyria, in which aesthetics are secondary to factual accuracy. Autobiography dances on the shifting middle ground between fact and fiction, and different writers will draw their lines on that ground in different places. Stem:Which one of the following is a central topic of each passage? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:the obligation to suppress creativity in the interest of factual accuracy in certain literary genres Choice B:the critical distinction between intentional lies and unintentional mistakes in literature Choice C:the essential role of falsehood in a literary genre that depicts real past events Choice D:the impossibility of representing the past accurately in works of literature Choice E:the ethical problems posed by the use of fabrication in a literary genre that depicts real past events | PT88 S3 Q7 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q8 Passage:Passage AThe path a historical novelist has to tread is clearly beset by dangers. One cannot have medieval characters using correct period language because no one would find the speech readable. Similarly, in depicting the lives of real individuals, authors must invent dialogue, as well as other details missing from the historical record; otherwise characters will remain two-dimensional and never develop. In effect, the creation of a good narrative requires the telling of lies.Nonetheless there is a clear and important distinction between telling lies and making mistakes. A lie is intentional and purposeful; a mistake is accidental and often unforgivable. The spectrum of historical fiction is therefore not as simple as "accurate equals good" and "inaccurate equals bad." It depends on whether the inaccuracies are constructive lies or accidental mistakes. Effective lies add to the story; mistakes detract from it.Of course, some lies go too far and alienate the reader. Some are too obvious. But some lying is necessary, and to get away with it, one has to be both subtle and convincing. Shakespeare is a good model in this respect. He distorted the facts freely and knowingly conflated historical characters in historical plays. Yet such distortion makes the drama of human lives meaningful and memorable. Passage BAs a writer of autobiographical texts, I'm always astonished at how falsely I remember things, astonished at how unreliable memory is. And even when I know a memory is incorrect, part of my brain cleaves to the wrong, imagined memory. I hold two memories in my head, and the false one is more vivid and more emotionally significant to me than the actual one. Which, then, is the truest memory?It's convenient when the actual events adequately convey the emotional experience, but sometimes they don't and the writer has to choose. While I wouldn't be so disingenuous as to argue that a false memory is valid simply because it is vivid, I would argue that there must be a subjective truth to it, an emotional truth. Ultimately, lying is all but inescapable for a writer attempting to create an artistically coherent autobiography. One reads an autobiography to see how the writer experienced and evaluates his or her own life, and a biography to find a more objective view. If false memories have an emotional power for the person who creates them, it's arguably more misleading to omit them than it is to include them.My argument grows strained and my tone shrill because I'm unhappy with the patently illogical and unethical position that practical experience has led me to. Nonetheless, the trust a reader brings to reading an autobiography is a trust in a convincingly told tale, not the trust one brings to a newspaper article or a history of Assyria, in which aesthetics are secondary to factual accuracy. Autobiography dances on the shifting middle ground between fact and fiction, and different writers will draw their lines on that ground in different places. Stem:Passage A, unlike passage B, seeks to advance its argument by Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:examining one particular example in depth Choice B:criticizing the views of opponents Choice C:describing the author‚ s own experiences as a writer Choice D:citing a venerated author as support for the claims being made Choice E:suggesting that the phenomenon under discussion is ethically questionable | PT88 S3 Q8 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q9 Passage:Passage AThe path a historical novelist has to tread is clearly beset by dangers. One cannot have medieval characters using correct period language because no one would find the speech readable. Similarly, in depicting the lives of real individuals, authors must invent dialogue, as well as other details missing from the historical record; otherwise characters will remain two-dimensional and never develop. In effect, the creation of a good narrative requires the telling of lies.Nonetheless there is a clear and important distinction between telling lies and making mistakes. A lie is intentional and purposeful; a mistake is accidental and often unforgivable. The spectrum of historical fiction is therefore not as simple as "accurate equals good" and "inaccurate equals bad." It depends on whether the inaccuracies are constructive lies or accidental mistakes. Effective lies add to the story; mistakes detract from it.Of course, some lies go too far and alienate the reader. Some are too obvious. But some lying is necessary, and to get away with it, one has to be both subtle and convincing. Shakespeare is a good model in this respect. He distorted the facts freely and knowingly conflated historical characters in historical plays. Yet such distortion makes the drama of human lives meaningful and memorable. Passage BAs a writer of autobiographical texts, I'm always astonished at how falsely I remember things, astonished at how unreliable memory is. And even when I know a memory is incorrect, part of my brain cleaves to the wrong, imagined memory. I hold two memories in my head, and the false one is more vivid and more emotionally significant to me than the actual one. Which, then, is the truest memory?It's convenient when the actual events adequately convey the emotional experience, but sometimes they don't and the writer has to choose. While I wouldn't be so disingenuous as to argue that a false memory is valid simply because it is vivid, I would argue that there must be a subjective truth to it, an emotional truth. Ultimately, lying is all but inescapable for a writer attempting to create an artistically coherent autobiography. One reads an autobiography to see how the writer experienced and evaluates his or her own life, and a biography to find a more objective view. If false memories have an emotional power for the person who creates them, it's arguably more misleading to omit them than it is to include them.My argument grows strained and my tone shrill because I'm unhappy with the patently illogical and unethical position that practical experience has led me to. Nonetheless, the trust a reader brings to reading an autobiography is a trust in a convincingly told tale, not the trust one brings to a newspaper article or a history of Assyria, in which aesthetics are secondary to factual accuracy. Autobiography dances on the shifting middle ground between fact and fiction, and different writers will draw their lines on that ground in different places. Stem:Which one of the following is a claim that is advanced by the author of passage B, but not by the author of passage A? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:The position that a good narrative about past events requires some falsehood is ultimately unethical. Choice B:Though it is often necessary to include lies in certain types of literature, some such lies can be too obvious. Choice C:There is a significant difference between intentionally told lies and unintentional mistakes. Choice D:The best writers of autobiographical texts tend to be those who are also accomplished writers of fiction. Choice E:There is a significant difference between subtle, effective lies and obvious, ineffective lies. | PT88 S3 Q9 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q10 Passage:Passage AThe path a historical novelist has to tread is clearly beset by dangers. One cannot have medieval characters using correct period language because no one would find the speech readable. Similarly, in depicting the lives of real individuals, authors must invent dialogue, as well as other details missing from the historical record; otherwise characters will remain two-dimensional and never develop. In effect, the creation of a good narrative requires the telling of lies.Nonetheless there is a clear and important distinction between telling lies and making mistakes. A lie is intentional and purposeful; a mistake is accidental and often unforgivable. The spectrum of historical fiction is therefore not as simple as "accurate equals good" and "inaccurate equals bad." It depends on whether the inaccuracies are constructive lies or accidental mistakes. Effective lies add to the story; mistakes detract from it.Of course, some lies go too far and alienate the reader. Some are too obvious. But some lying is necessary, and to get away with it, one has to be both subtle and convincing. Shakespeare is a good model in this respect. He distorted the facts freely and knowingly conflated historical characters in historical plays. Yet such distortion makes the drama of human lives meaningful and memorable. Passage BAs a writer of autobiographical texts, I'm always astonished at how falsely I remember things, astonished at how unreliable memory is. And even when I know a memory is incorrect, part of my brain cleaves to the wrong, imagined memory. I hold two memories in my head, and the false one is more vivid and more emotionally significant to me than the actual one. Which, then, is the truest memory?It's convenient when the actual events adequately convey the emotional experience, but sometimes they don't and the writer has to choose. While I wouldn't be so disingenuous as to argue that a false memory is valid simply because it is vivid, I would argue that there must be a subjective truth to it, an emotional truth. Ultimately, lying is all but inescapable for a writer attempting to create an artistically coherent autobiography. One reads an autobiography to see how the writer experienced and evaluates his or her own life, and a biography to find a more objective view. If false memories have an emotional power for the person who creates them, it's arguably more misleading to omit them than it is to include them.My argument grows strained and my tone shrill because I'm unhappy with the patently illogical and unethical position that practical experience has led me to. Nonetheless, the trust a reader brings to reading an autobiography is a trust in a convincingly told tale, not the trust one brings to a newspaper article or a history of Assyria, in which aesthetics are secondary to factual accuracy. Autobiography dances on the shifting middle ground between fact and fiction, and different writers will draw their lines on that ground in different places. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately describes how the passages are related to each other? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:Passage A describes an approach that passage B rejects. Choice B:Passage A outlines a set of general principles that passage B applies to a specific case. Choice C:Passage A and passage B describe the same set of particulars but come to opposing conclusions about them. Choice D:Passage A and passage B advance arguments that are roughly parallel but apply them to somewhat different contexts. Choice E:Passage A and passage B endorse the same principles but arrive at conflicting interpretations of what they mean in practice. | PT88 S3 Q10 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q11 Passage:Passage AThe path a historical novelist has to tread is clearly beset by dangers. One cannot have medieval characters using correct period language because no one would find the speech readable. Similarly, in depicting the lives of real individuals, authors must invent dialogue, as well as other details missing from the historical record; otherwise characters will remain two-dimensional and never develop. In effect, the creation of a good narrative requires the telling of lies.Nonetheless there is a clear and important distinction between telling lies and making mistakes. A lie is intentional and purposeful; a mistake is accidental and often unforgivable. The spectrum of historical fiction is therefore not as simple as "accurate equals good" and "inaccurate equals bad." It depends on whether the inaccuracies are constructive lies or accidental mistakes. Effective lies add to the story; mistakes detract from it.Of course, some lies go too far and alienate the reader. Some are too obvious. But some lying is necessary, and to get away with it, one has to be both subtle and convincing. Shakespeare is a good model in this respect. He distorted the facts freely and knowingly conflated historical characters in historical plays. Yet such distortion makes the drama of human lives meaningful and memorable. Passage BAs a writer of autobiographical texts, I'm always astonished at how falsely I remember things, astonished at how unreliable memory is. And even when I know a memory is incorrect, part of my brain cleaves to the wrong, imagined memory. I hold two memories in my head, and the false one is more vivid and more emotionally significant to me than the actual one. Which, then, is the truest memory?It's convenient when the actual events adequately convey the emotional experience, but sometimes they don't and the writer has to choose. While I wouldn't be so disingenuous as to argue that a false memory is valid simply because it is vivid, I would argue that there must be a subjective truth to it, an emotional truth. Ultimately, lying is all but inescapable for a writer attempting to create an artistically coherent autobiography. One reads an autobiography to see how the writer experienced and evaluates his or her own life, and a biography to find a more objective view. If false memories have an emotional power for the person who creates them, it's arguably more misleading to omit them than it is to include them.My argument grows strained and my tone shrill because I'm unhappy with the patently illogical and unethical position that practical experience has led me to. Nonetheless, the trust a reader brings to reading an autobiography is a trust in a convincingly told tale, not the trust one brings to a newspaper article or a history of Assyria, in which aesthetics are secondary to factual accuracy. Autobiography dances on the shifting middle ground between fact and fiction, and different writers will draw their lines on that ground in different places. Stem:Which one of the following is a principle applied to historical fiction in passage A that the author of passage B would be most likely to regard as NOT applicable to the genre of autobiography as well? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:A mistake, as opposed to an intentional lie, is often unforgivable. Choice B:The creation of a good narrative requires the telling of lies. Choice C:Knowingly presenting false details is ultimately unethical. Choice D:Lying successfully requires an author to be both subtle and convincing. Choice E:Skillful distortion can make the drama of human lives meaningful and memorable. | PT88 S3 Q11 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q12 Passage:Passage AThe path a historical novelist has to tread is clearly beset by dangers. One cannot have medieval characters using correct period language because no one would find the speech readable. Similarly, in depicting the lives of real individuals, authors must invent dialogue, as well as other details missing from the historical record; otherwise characters will remain two-dimensional and never develop. In effect, the creation of a good narrative requires the telling of lies.Nonetheless there is a clear and important distinction between telling lies and making mistakes. A lie is intentional and purposeful; a mistake is accidental and often unforgivable. The spectrum of historical fiction is therefore not as simple as "accurate equals good" and "inaccurate equals bad." It depends on whether the inaccuracies are constructive lies or accidental mistakes. Effective lies add to the story; mistakes detract from it.Of course, some lies go too far and alienate the reader. Some are too obvious. But some lying is necessary, and to get away with it, one has to be both subtle and convincing. Shakespeare is a good model in this respect. He distorted the facts freely and knowingly conflated historical characters in historical plays. Yet such distortion makes the drama of human lives meaningful and memorable. Passage BAs a writer of autobiographical texts, I'm always astonished at how falsely I remember things, astonished at how unreliable memory is. And even when I know a memory is incorrect, part of my brain cleaves to the wrong, imagined memory. I hold two memories in my head, and the false one is more vivid and more emotionally significant to me than the actual one. Which, then, is the truest memory?It's convenient when the actual events adequately convey the emotional experience, but sometimes they don't and the writer has to choose. While I wouldn't be so disingenuous as to argue that a false memory is valid simply because it is vivid, I would argue that there must be a subjective truth to it, an emotional truth. Ultimately, lying is all but inescapable for a writer attempting to create an artistically coherent autobiography. One reads an autobiography to see how the writer experienced and evaluates his or her own life, and a biography to find a more objective view. If false memories have an emotional power for the person who creates them, it's arguably more misleading to omit them than it is to include them.My argument grows strained and my tone shrill because I'm unhappy with the patently illogical and unethical position that practical experience has led me to. Nonetheless, the trust a reader brings to reading an autobiography is a trust in a convincingly told tale, not the trust one brings to a newspaper article or a history of Assyria, in which aesthetics are secondary to factual accuracy. Autobiography dances on the shifting middle ground between fact and fiction, and different writers will draw their lines on that ground in different places. Stem:Both authors would be likely to disagree with which one of the following? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:The truth of a given description is independent of its emotional vividness. Choice B:Unintentional mistakes tend to detract from a story more than intentional lies do. Choice C:Most writers usually succeed in presenting their fabrications subtly and convincingly. Choice D:The tendency of authors to introduce falsehoods into their narratives increases over time. Choice E:Readers expect complete factual accuracy when they read. | PT88 S3 Q12 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q13 Passage:Passage AThe path a historical novelist has to tread is clearly beset by dangers. One cannot have medieval characters using correct period language because no one would find the speech readable. Similarly, in depicting the lives of real individuals, authors must invent dialogue, as well as other details missing from the historical record; otherwise characters will remain two-dimensional and never develop. In effect, the creation of a good narrative requires the telling of lies.Nonetheless there is a clear and important distinction between telling lies and making mistakes. A lie is intentional and purposeful; a mistake is accidental and often unforgivable. The spectrum of historical fiction is therefore not as simple as "accurate equals good" and "inaccurate equals bad." It depends on whether the inaccuracies are constructive lies or accidental mistakes. Effective lies add to the story; mistakes detract from it.Of course, some lies go too far and alienate the reader. Some are too obvious. But some lying is necessary, and to get away with it, one has to be both subtle and convincing. Shakespeare is a good model in this respect. He distorted the facts freely and knowingly conflated historical characters in historical plays. Yet such distortion makes the drama of human lives meaningful and memorable. Passage BAs a writer of autobiographical texts, I'm always astonished at how falsely I remember things, astonished at how unreliable memory is. And even when I know a memory is incorrect, part of my brain cleaves to the wrong, imagined memory. I hold two memories in my head, and the false one is more vivid and more emotionally significant to me than the actual one. Which, then, is the truest memory?It's convenient when the actual events adequately convey the emotional experience, but sometimes they don't and the writer has to choose. While I wouldn't be so disingenuous as to argue that a false memory is valid simply because it is vivid, I would argue that there must be a subjective truth to it, an emotional truth. Ultimately, lying is all but inescapable for a writer attempting to create an artistically coherent autobiography. One reads an autobiography to see how the writer experienced and evaluates his or her own life, and a biography to find a more objective view. If false memories have an emotional power for the person who creates them, it's arguably more misleading to omit them than it is to include them.My argument grows strained and my tone shrill because I'm unhappy with the patently illogical and unethical position that practical experience has led me to. Nonetheless, the trust a reader brings to reading an autobiography is a trust in a convincingly told tale, not the trust one brings to a newspaper article or a history of Assyria, in which aesthetics are secondary to factual accuracy. Autobiography dances on the shifting middle ground between fact and fiction, and different writers will draw their lines on that ground in different places. Stem:Which one of the following comes closest to capturing what the author of passage B means to suggest in asking, at the end of the first paragraph, ‚ Which, then, is the truest memory?‚ Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:In autobiographical writing, is there ultimately any sense to the concept of truth at all? Choice B:Given the unreliable nature of memory, is it possible for autobiographical authors to know whether they are representing facts accurately? Choice C:If there are gaps in an autobiographical author‚ s memories, should that author acknowledge the gaps or fill them with plausible fabrications? Choice D:Should autobiographical authors concern themselves with the question of what is a ‚ true‚ representation of events from their lives? Choice E:Does truth in autobiographical writing consist in the accurate representation of the facts, or in the accurate representation of subjective experience? | PT88 S3 Q13 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q14 Passage:For nearly a century after the discovery in the 1880s that a bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, causes cholera, scientists believed that it traveled to new geographic regions only via human hosts and that epidemics typically occurred when the bacteria spread through contamination, by human waste, of food and unchlorinated water supplies. But scientists wondered where the bacteria went during the many years between epidemics. How could the disease arise seemingly spontaneously around the world, often where it was thought to have been eradicated?In the 1970s, microbiologist Rita Colwell's claim that she had isolated V. cholerae from the Chesapeake Bay in the eastern United States met with great skepticism, as no biologists believed V. cholerae could persist without a human host, and no cholera outbreaks were occurring anywhere near the Chesapeake. Indeed, there had been no cholera epidemics anywhere in the United States since 1911. But, noting that most historic cholera outbreaks have happened along seacoasts, Colwell suspected that V. cholerae could somehow survive in seawater and that perhaps the bacteria were not always detectable by traditional culture methods‚ that is, that they could not always be cultured (i.e., grown) in a petri dish. Later that decade, a small cholera outbreak near New Orleans in the southern United States allowed Colwell to test this hypothesis. She used a new detection method on water from the local bayous from which people with cholera had eaten crab. This method uses an antibody that latches onto a key component of the bacterium's cell membrane. Linked to that antibody is a molecule that fluoresces bright green under ultraviolet light if the V. cholerae bacterium is present. Her tests showed that the bacteria were in the bayous. Furthermore, in a study in Asia, Colwell's antibody test detected the bacteria in 51 of 52 suspect water samples, whereas culture techniques found them in only 7 of the same 52 samples.Colwell's further studies revealed that V. cholerae, like some other bacteria, goes into a dormant, sporelike state when environmental conditions do not favor reproduction; in this state, the bacterium's metabolic rate plummets and the bacterium shrinks some 15- to 300-fold. It stops reproducing and therefore cannot be cultured. This "viable but nonculturable" state, says Colwell, functions as a survival mechanism, enabling V. cholerae to persist in a wide range of conditions and habitats far from human hosts. Though no one knows exactly what conditions awaken V. cholerae from dormancy, Colwell notes that seasonal peaks in sea-surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal in south Asia correlate closely with peaks in that region's cholera cases. If, as Colwell believes, the bacteria are persisting in the water all along, it is possible that changes in seawater temperature or salinity are what enable them to spread among humans again. Stem:The passage provides information that is most helpful in answering which one of the following questions? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:Why did Colwell suspect that the ocean served as the environmental reservoir for V. cholerae? Choice B:What other bacteria are capable of entering a dormant state similar to that of V. cholerae? Choice C:Does ultraviolet light as used in Colwell's test have any effects on the reproduction of V. cholerae? Choice D:Is V. cholerae harmful to shellfish that transmit it? Choice E:How does Colwell intend to determine the conditions that awaken V. cholerae from dormancy? | PT88 S3 Q14 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q15 Passage:For nearly a century after the discovery in the 1880s that a bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, causes cholera, scientists believed that it traveled to new geographic regions only via human hosts and that epidemics typically occurred when the bacteria spread through contamination, by human waste, of food and unchlorinated water supplies. But scientists wondered where the bacteria went during the many years between epidemics. How could the disease arise seemingly spontaneously around the world, often where it was thought to have been eradicated?In the 1970s, microbiologist Rita Colwell's claim that she had isolated V. cholerae from the Chesapeake Bay in the eastern United States met with great skepticism, as no biologists believed V. cholerae could persist without a human host, and no cholera outbreaks were occurring anywhere near the Chesapeake. Indeed, there had been no cholera epidemics anywhere in the United States since 1911. But, noting that most historic cholera outbreaks have happened along seacoasts, Colwell suspected that V. cholerae could somehow survive in seawater and that perhaps the bacteria were not always detectable by traditional culture methods‚ that is, that they could not always be cultured (i.e., grown) in a petri dish. Later that decade, a small cholera outbreak near New Orleans in the southern United States allowed Colwell to test this hypothesis. She used a new detection method on water from the local bayous from which people with cholera had eaten crab. This method uses an antibody that latches onto a key component of the bacterium's cell membrane. Linked to that antibody is a molecule that fluoresces bright green under ultraviolet light if the V. cholerae bacterium is present. Her tests showed that the bacteria were in the bayous. Furthermore, in a study in Asia, Colwell's antibody test detected the bacteria in 51 of 52 suspect water samples, whereas culture techniques found them in only 7 of the same 52 samples.Colwell's further studies revealed that V. cholerae, like some other bacteria, goes into a dormant, sporelike state when environmental conditions do not favor reproduction; in this state, the bacterium's metabolic rate plummets and the bacterium shrinks some 15- to 300-fold. It stops reproducing and therefore cannot be cultured. This "viable but nonculturable" state, says Colwell, functions as a survival mechanism, enabling V. cholerae to persist in a wide range of conditions and habitats far from human hosts. Though no one knows exactly what conditions awaken V. cholerae from dormancy, Colwell notes that seasonal peaks in sea-surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal in south Asia correlate closely with peaks in that region's cholera cases. If, as Colwell believes, the bacteria are persisting in the water all along, it is possible that changes in seawater temperature or salinity are what enable them to spread among humans again. Stem:The passage suggests that biologists were skeptical of Colwell's claim to have isolated V. cholerae from the Chesapeake Bay because they believed that Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:V. cholerae could not always be cultured in a petri dish Choice B:V. cholerae bacteria were unable to persist in seawater Choice C:V. cholerae bacteria were unculturable in their dormant state Choice D:Colwell's new method of detecting V. cholerae was flawed Choice E:the only V. cholerae bacteria in Chesapeake Bay were to be found in crabs | PT88 S3 Q15 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q16 Passage:For nearly a century after the discovery in the 1880s that a bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, causes cholera, scientists believed that it traveled to new geographic regions only via human hosts and that epidemics typically occurred when the bacteria spread through contamination, by human waste, of food and unchlorinated water supplies. But scientists wondered where the bacteria went during the many years between epidemics. How could the disease arise seemingly spontaneously around the world, often where it was thought to have been eradicated?In the 1970s, microbiologist Rita Colwell's claim that she had isolated V. cholerae from the Chesapeake Bay in the eastern United States met with great skepticism, as no biologists believed V. cholerae could persist without a human host, and no cholera outbreaks were occurring anywhere near the Chesapeake. Indeed, there had been no cholera epidemics anywhere in the United States since 1911. But, noting that most historic cholera outbreaks have happened along seacoasts, Colwell suspected that V. cholerae could somehow survive in seawater and that perhaps the bacteria were not always detectable by traditional culture methods‚ that is, that they could not always be cultured (i.e., grown) in a petri dish. Later that decade, a small cholera outbreak near New Orleans in the southern United States allowed Colwell to test this hypothesis. She used a new detection method on water from the local bayous from which people with cholera had eaten crab. This method uses an antibody that latches onto a key component of the bacterium's cell membrane. Linked to that antibody is a molecule that fluoresces bright green under ultraviolet light if the V. cholerae bacterium is present. Her tests showed that the bacteria were in the bayous. Furthermore, in a study in Asia, Colwell's antibody test detected the bacteria in 51 of 52 suspect water samples, whereas culture techniques found them in only 7 of the same 52 samples.Colwell's further studies revealed that V. cholerae, like some other bacteria, goes into a dormant, sporelike state when environmental conditions do not favor reproduction; in this state, the bacterium's metabolic rate plummets and the bacterium shrinks some 15- to 300-fold. It stops reproducing and therefore cannot be cultured. This "viable but nonculturable" state, says Colwell, functions as a survival mechanism, enabling V. cholerae to persist in a wide range of conditions and habitats far from human hosts. Though no one knows exactly what conditions awaken V. cholerae from dormancy, Colwell notes that seasonal peaks in sea-surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal in south Asia correlate closely with peaks in that region's cholera cases. If, as Colwell believes, the bacteria are persisting in the water all along, it is possible that changes in seawater temperature or salinity are what enable them to spread among humans again. Stem:It can be inferred from the passage that which one of the following best explains the discrepancy in the findings reported in the last sentence of the second paragraph? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:V. cholerae cannot always be grown in a petri dish. Choice B:V. cholerae's ability to bond with antibodies is limited. Choice C:V. cholerae responds primarily to changes in temperature and salinity. Choice D:V. cholerae cannot be cultured using samples taken from sources other than human tissue or waste. Choice E:V. cholerae's cell membrane normally contains a molecule that fluoresces under ultraviolet light. | PT88 S3 Q16 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q17 Passage:For nearly a century after the discovery in the 1880s that a bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, causes cholera, scientists believed that it traveled to new geographic regions only via human hosts and that epidemics typically occurred when the bacteria spread through contamination, by human waste, of food and unchlorinated water supplies. But scientists wondered where the bacteria went during the many years between epidemics. How could the disease arise seemingly spontaneously around the world, often where it was thought to have been eradicated?In the 1970s, microbiologist Rita Colwell's claim that she had isolated V. cholerae from the Chesapeake Bay in the eastern United States met with great skepticism, as no biologists believed V. cholerae could persist without a human host, and no cholera outbreaks were occurring anywhere near the Chesapeake. Indeed, there had been no cholera epidemics anywhere in the United States since 1911. But, noting that most historic cholera outbreaks have happened along seacoasts, Colwell suspected that V. cholerae could somehow survive in seawater and that perhaps the bacteria were not always detectable by traditional culture methods‚ that is, that they could not always be cultured (i.e., grown) in a petri dish. Later that decade, a small cholera outbreak near New Orleans in the southern United States allowed Colwell to test this hypothesis. She used a new detection method on water from the local bayous from which people with cholera had eaten crab. This method uses an antibody that latches onto a key component of the bacterium's cell membrane. Linked to that antibody is a molecule that fluoresces bright green under ultraviolet light if the V. cholerae bacterium is present. Her tests showed that the bacteria were in the bayous. Furthermore, in a study in Asia, Colwell's antibody test detected the bacteria in 51 of 52 suspect water samples, whereas culture techniques found them in only 7 of the same 52 samples.Colwell's further studies revealed that V. cholerae, like some other bacteria, goes into a dormant, sporelike state when environmental conditions do not favor reproduction; in this state, the bacterium's metabolic rate plummets and the bacterium shrinks some 15- to 300-fold. It stops reproducing and therefore cannot be cultured. This "viable but nonculturable" state, says Colwell, functions as a survival mechanism, enabling V. cholerae to persist in a wide range of conditions and habitats far from human hosts. Though no one knows exactly what conditions awaken V. cholerae from dormancy, Colwell notes that seasonal peaks in sea-surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal in south Asia correlate closely with peaks in that region's cholera cases. If, as Colwell believes, the bacteria are persisting in the water all along, it is possible that changes in seawater temperature or salinity are what enable them to spread among humans again. Stem:The passage suggests that if V. cholerae bacteria undetectable by traditional culture methods inevitably caused cholera in humans who ingested them, then which one of the following is most likely to be true? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:Human antibodies that usually latch onto V. cholerae's cell membrane were unable to do so in these cases. Choice B:The human body's temperature is the temperature the ocean must reach to awaken V. cholerae bacteria from their dormant state. Choice C:In their dormant state, V. cholerae bacteria are able to survive in chlorinated water systems. Choice D:The infected humans had been infected with cholera at some point earlier in their lives. Choice E:The human body is an environment in which dormant V. cholerae bacteria can awaken. | PT88 S3 Q17 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q18 Passage:For nearly a century after the discovery in the 1880s that a bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, causes cholera, scientists believed that it traveled to new geographic regions only via human hosts and that epidemics typically occurred when the bacteria spread through contamination, by human waste, of food and unchlorinated water supplies. But scientists wondered where the bacteria went during the many years between epidemics. How could the disease arise seemingly spontaneously around the world, often where it was thought to have been eradicated?In the 1970s, microbiologist Rita Colwell's claim that she had isolated V. cholerae from the Chesapeake Bay in the eastern United States met with great skepticism, as no biologists believed V. cholerae could persist without a human host, and no cholera outbreaks were occurring anywhere near the Chesapeake. Indeed, there had been no cholera epidemics anywhere in the United States since 1911. But, noting that most historic cholera outbreaks have happened along seacoasts, Colwell suspected that V. cholerae could somehow survive in seawater and that perhaps the bacteria were not always detectable by traditional culture methods‚ that is, that they could not always be cultured (i.e., grown) in a petri dish. Later that decade, a small cholera outbreak near New Orleans in the southern United States allowed Colwell to test this hypothesis. She used a new detection method on water from the local bayous from which people with cholera had eaten crab. This method uses an antibody that latches onto a key component of the bacterium's cell membrane. Linked to that antibody is a molecule that fluoresces bright green under ultraviolet light if the V. cholerae bacterium is present. Her tests showed that the bacteria were in the bayous. Furthermore, in a study in Asia, Colwell's antibody test detected the bacteria in 51 of 52 suspect water samples, whereas culture techniques found them in only 7 of the same 52 samples.Colwell's further studies revealed that V. cholerae, like some other bacteria, goes into a dormant, sporelike state when environmental conditions do not favor reproduction; in this state, the bacterium's metabolic rate plummets and the bacterium shrinks some 15- to 300-fold. It stops reproducing and therefore cannot be cultured. This "viable but nonculturable" state, says Colwell, functions as a survival mechanism, enabling V. cholerae to persist in a wide range of conditions and habitats far from human hosts. Though no one knows exactly what conditions awaken V. cholerae from dormancy, Colwell notes that seasonal peaks in sea-surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal in south Asia correlate closely with peaks in that region's cholera cases. If, as Colwell believes, the bacteria are persisting in the water all along, it is possible that changes in seawater temperature or salinity are what enable them to spread among humans again. Stem:Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the passage? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:V. cholerae bacteria in the Bay of Bengal are more likely to be detectable by traditional culture methods when sea-surface temperatures there are at seasonal peaks. Choice B:When the salinity of seawater in the Bay of Bengal decreases, V. cholerae bacteria are likely to reproduce there and cause cholera outbreaks. Choice C:Although V. cholerae can persist in seawater, it still requires human hosts in order to spread along a seacoast. Choice D:Bacteria that are taken from a human host are harder to detect using traditional culture methods than are bacteria taken from seawater. Choice E:Antibodies are less likely to bond to the cell membrane of V. cholerae when the bacterium is in a dormant state. | PT88 S3 Q18 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q19 Passage:For nearly a century after the discovery in the 1880s that a bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, causes cholera, scientists believed that it traveled to new geographic regions only via human hosts and that epidemics typically occurred when the bacteria spread through contamination, by human waste, of food and unchlorinated water supplies. But scientists wondered where the bacteria went during the many years between epidemics. How could the disease arise seemingly spontaneously around the world, often where it was thought to have been eradicated?In the 1970s, microbiologist Rita Colwell's claim that she had isolated V. cholerae from the Chesapeake Bay in the eastern United States met with great skepticism, as no biologists believed V. cholerae could persist without a human host, and no cholera outbreaks were occurring anywhere near the Chesapeake. Indeed, there had been no cholera epidemics anywhere in the United States since 1911. But, noting that most historic cholera outbreaks have happened along seacoasts, Colwell suspected that V. cholerae could somehow survive in seawater and that perhaps the bacteria were not always detectable by traditional culture methods‚ that is, that they could not always be cultured (i.e., grown) in a petri dish. Later that decade, a small cholera outbreak near New Orleans in the southern United States allowed Colwell to test this hypothesis. She used a new detection method on water from the local bayous from which people with cholera had eaten crab. This method uses an antibody that latches onto a key component of the bacterium's cell membrane. Linked to that antibody is a molecule that fluoresces bright green under ultraviolet light if the V. cholerae bacterium is present. Her tests showed that the bacteria were in the bayous. Furthermore, in a study in Asia, Colwell's antibody test detected the bacteria in 51 of 52 suspect water samples, whereas culture techniques found them in only 7 of the same 52 samples.Colwell's further studies revealed that V. cholerae, like some other bacteria, goes into a dormant, sporelike state when environmental conditions do not favor reproduction; in this state, the bacterium's metabolic rate plummets and the bacterium shrinks some 15- to 300-fold. It stops reproducing and therefore cannot be cultured. This "viable but nonculturable" state, says Colwell, functions as a survival mechanism, enabling V. cholerae to persist in a wide range of conditions and habitats far from human hosts. Though no one knows exactly what conditions awaken V. cholerae from dormancy, Colwell notes that seasonal peaks in sea-surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal in south Asia correlate closely with peaks in that region's cholera cases. If, as Colwell believes, the bacteria are persisting in the water all along, it is possible that changes in seawater temperature or salinity are what enable them to spread among humans again. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main purpose of the final paragraph of the passage? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:to identify future directions for research within a field of study and describe the obstacles that researchers will need to overcome Choice B:to Asked and Answered raised earlier in the passage and provide new evidence that gives rise to further questions Choice C:to evaluate the effect an innovative methodology described earlier in the passage is likely to have on future research Choice D:to offer recommendations concerning future uses of an innovative methodology described earlier in the passage Choice E:to enumerate the effects of a biological phenomenon described in the previous paragraph and describe the limits of current knowledge regarding it | PT88 S3 Q19 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q20 Passage:For nearly a century after the discovery in the 1880s that a bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, causes cholera, scientists believed that it traveled to new geographic regions only via human hosts and that epidemics typically occurred when the bacteria spread through contamination, by human waste, of food and unchlorinated water supplies. But scientists wondered where the bacteria went during the many years between epidemics. How could the disease arise seemingly spontaneously around the world, often where it was thought to have been eradicated?In the 1970s, microbiologist Rita Colwell's claim that she had isolated V. cholerae from the Chesapeake Bay in the eastern United States met with great skepticism, as no biologists believed V. cholerae could persist without a human host, and no cholera outbreaks were occurring anywhere near the Chesapeake. Indeed, there had been no cholera epidemics anywhere in the United States since 1911. But, noting that most historic cholera outbreaks have happened along seacoasts, Colwell suspected that V. cholerae could somehow survive in seawater and that perhaps the bacteria were not always detectable by traditional culture methods‚ that is, that they could not always be cultured (i.e., grown) in a petri dish. Later that decade, a small cholera outbreak near New Orleans in the southern United States allowed Colwell to test this hypothesis. She used a new detection method on water from the local bayous from which people with cholera had eaten crab. This method uses an antibody that latches onto a key component of the bacterium's cell membrane. Linked to that antibody is a molecule that fluoresces bright green under ultraviolet light if the V. cholerae bacterium is present. Her tests showed that the bacteria were in the bayous. Furthermore, in a study in Asia, Colwell's antibody test detected the bacteria in 51 of 52 suspect water samples, whereas culture techniques found them in only 7 of the same 52 samples.Colwell's further studies revealed that V. cholerae, like some other bacteria, goes into a dormant, sporelike state when environmental conditions do not favor reproduction; in this state, the bacterium's metabolic rate plummets and the bacterium shrinks some 15- to 300-fold. It stops reproducing and therefore cannot be cultured. This "viable but nonculturable" state, says Colwell, functions as a survival mechanism, enabling V. cholerae to persist in a wide range of conditions and habitats far from human hosts. Though no one knows exactly what conditions awaken V. cholerae from dormancy, Colwell notes that seasonal peaks in sea-surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal in south Asia correlate closely with peaks in that region's cholera cases. If, as Colwell believes, the bacteria are persisting in the water all along, it is possible that changes in seawater temperature or salinity are what enable them to spread among humans again. Stem:The passage suggests that Colwell most likely holds which one of the following views regarding V. cholerae? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:In most cases, V. cholerae bacteria do not travel to new locations via human hosts, but rather move through the ocean. Choice B:In most cases, V. cholerae requires a human host in order to awaken and return from dormancy to a culturable state. Choice C:Cholera outbreaks are never caused by the introduction of active V. cholerae bacteria into a new location, but rather by V. cholerae awakening from dormancy. Choice D:Use of Colwell's new detection technique on the water samples she obtained from the Chesapeake Bay would have revealed the presence of V. cholerae. Choice E:Water samples from coastal regions throughout Asia, if subjected to Colwell's new detection technique, would reveal the presence of V. cholerae. | PT88 S3 Q20 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q21 Passage:In the absence of international statutes prohibiting nations from causing each other environmental damage, scholars of international environmental law typically focus on trying to identify and clarify norms of "customary international law": that body of commonly accepted‚ but not formalized‚ legal principles that is manifest in the behavior of nations toward one another. Two environmental principles are often held to be established norms of customary international law. One of these principles proscribes transboundary harm: nations should prohibit activities within their borders that cause significant environmental harm beyond those borders. The other is the closely allied precautionary principle, which requires nations to exercise due care to avoid putting other nations at significant risk of environmental harm.In debating whether a given principle should be classified as a norm of customary international law for the purposes of deciding international cases, scholars of international environmental law generally accept an established criterion: principles are norms only if nations customarily abide by the principles in actual practice rather than merely affirming them as desirable standards. In fact, however, many purported "norms" of customary international environmental law, including the duty to prevent transboundary harm and the precautionary principle, do not reflect the actual behavior of many nations. Although systematic empirical studies are lacking, experience shows that harmful pollutants constantly cross most international borders, and that nations have only rarely attempted to remedy this situation.Even though nations only rarely abide by these environmental "norms," they nevertheless routinely profess to accept them. Similarly, while scholars discussing customary international law claim to focus on what nations do, their debates are almost invariably based on what nations profess. In reality, international environmental "norms" primarily reflect the evaluative standards that nations use to justify their own actions and criticize those of other nations. Hence these environmental "norms" are not properly classifiable as norms of customary international law. They might more accurately be characterized as an ideological system, since they merely represent some collective ideals of the international community.In light of this fact, those scholars who seek in customary international law a firm grounding for decisions in international environmental cases are misdirecting their efforts. This is especially true given that international treaties and direct negotiations, rather than international court decisions, are now the principal means of resolving international environmental disputes. It would be more productive for scholars to study such disputes from perspectives more consonant with this trend. Specifically, attention should be directed toward how the affirmation of core environmental principles can contribute to negotiations and treaty formation. This approach would promote progress toward agreements that could effectively hold nations to appropriate standards of environmental conduct. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:Preventing transboundary harm is often at odds with the economic interests of many nations. Choice B:International law is an ideological system of collective ideals reflecting what nations do rather than what they profess. Choice C:Many scholars believe that passing international laws to prohibit environmental damage is less effective than negotiating and forming treaties between nations. Choice D:The debate regarding which environmental norms are part of customary international law is critical in deciding which nations have violated laws governing transboundary harm. Choice E:Solutions to international environmental conflicts are more likely to be found in treaties and direct negotiations than in judicial decisions that are based on customary international law. | PT88 S3 Q21 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q22 Passage:In the absence of international statutes prohibiting nations from causing each other environmental damage, scholars of international environmental law typically focus on trying to identify and clarify norms of "customary international law": that body of commonly accepted‚ but not formalized‚ legal principles that is manifest in the behavior of nations toward one another. Two environmental principles are often held to be established norms of customary international law. One of these principles proscribes transboundary harm: nations should prohibit activities within their borders that cause significant environmental harm beyond those borders. The other is the closely allied precautionary principle, which requires nations to exercise due care to avoid putting other nations at significant risk of environmental harm.In debating whether a given principle should be classified as a norm of customary international law for the purposes of deciding international cases, scholars of international environmental law generally accept an established criterion: principles are norms only if nations customarily abide by the principles in actual practice rather than merely affirming them as desirable standards. In fact, however, many purported "norms" of customary international environmental law, including the duty to prevent transboundary harm and the precautionary principle, do not reflect the actual behavior of many nations. Although systematic empirical studies are lacking, experience shows that harmful pollutants constantly cross most international borders, and that nations have only rarely attempted to remedy this situation.Even though nations only rarely abide by these environmental "norms," they nevertheless routinely profess to accept them. Similarly, while scholars discussing customary international law claim to focus on what nations do, their debates are almost invariably based on what nations profess. In reality, international environmental "norms" primarily reflect the evaluative standards that nations use to justify their own actions and criticize those of other nations. Hence these environmental "norms" are not properly classifiable as norms of customary international law. They might more accurately be characterized as an ideological system, since they merely represent some collective ideals of the international community.In light of this fact, those scholars who seek in customary international law a firm grounding for decisions in international environmental cases are misdirecting their efforts. This is especially true given that international treaties and direct negotiations, rather than international court decisions, are now the principal means of resolving international environmental disputes. It would be more productive for scholars to study such disputes from perspectives more consonant with this trend. Specifically, attention should be directed toward how the affirmation of core environmental principles can contribute to negotiations and treaty formation. This approach would promote progress toward agreements that could effectively hold nations to appropriate standards of environmental conduct. Stem:Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by information in the passage? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Because of their long-standing preoccupation with principles of customary law, international courts are well prepared to make balanced decisions concerning transboundary pollution. Choice B:The precautionary principle is not concerned with a government's relationship to private industries under its jurisdiction. Choice C:Nations are rarely held legally accountable for violations of principles that are commonly considered by scholars to be norms of customary international environmental law. Choice D:Most violations of customary international environmental law result from disagreements about what constitutes customary law. Choice E:Established norms of customary international environmental law that primarily address transboundary airborne pollutants are outdated. | PT88 S3 Q22 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q23 Passage:In the absence of international statutes prohibiting nations from causing each other environmental damage, scholars of international environmental law typically focus on trying to identify and clarify norms of "customary international law": that body of commonly accepted‚ but not formalized‚ legal principles that is manifest in the behavior of nations toward one another. Two environmental principles are often held to be established norms of customary international law. One of these principles proscribes transboundary harm: nations should prohibit activities within their borders that cause significant environmental harm beyond those borders. The other is the closely allied precautionary principle, which requires nations to exercise due care to avoid putting other nations at significant risk of environmental harm.In debating whether a given principle should be classified as a norm of customary international law for the purposes of deciding international cases, scholars of international environmental law generally accept an established criterion: principles are norms only if nations customarily abide by the principles in actual practice rather than merely affirming them as desirable standards. In fact, however, many purported "norms" of customary international environmental law, including the duty to prevent transboundary harm and the precautionary principle, do not reflect the actual behavior of many nations. Although systematic empirical studies are lacking, experience shows that harmful pollutants constantly cross most international borders, and that nations have only rarely attempted to remedy this situation.Even though nations only rarely abide by these environmental "norms," they nevertheless routinely profess to accept them. Similarly, while scholars discussing customary international law claim to focus on what nations do, their debates are almost invariably based on what nations profess. In reality, international environmental "norms" primarily reflect the evaluative standards that nations use to justify their own actions and criticize those of other nations. Hence these environmental "norms" are not properly classifiable as norms of customary international law. They might more accurately be characterized as an ideological system, since they merely represent some collective ideals of the international community.In light of this fact, those scholars who seek in customary international law a firm grounding for decisions in international environmental cases are misdirecting their efforts. This is especially true given that international treaties and direct negotiations, rather than international court decisions, are now the principal means of resolving international environmental disputes. It would be more productive for scholars to study such disputes from perspectives more consonant with this trend. Specifically, attention should be directed toward how the affirmation of core environmental principles can contribute to negotiations and treaty formation. This approach would promote progress toward agreements that could effectively hold nations to appropriate standards of environmental conduct. Stem:The author claims that which one of the following is true of the precautionary principle and the principle that nations should prevent transboundary harm? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:They have commonly been used as models for drafting formalized statutes. Choice B:They reflect standards that nations use to criticize other nations. Choice C:Scholars have not reached a consensus concerning how to distinguish them from other environmental principles. Choice D:Scholars have debated whether their status as part of international law tends to inhibit negotiations. Choice E:They are often held to be firmly established models for environmental treaty formation. | PT88 S3 Q23 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q24 Passage:In the absence of international statutes prohibiting nations from causing each other environmental damage, scholars of international environmental law typically focus on trying to identify and clarify norms of "customary international law": that body of commonly accepted‚ but not formalized‚ legal principles that is manifest in the behavior of nations toward one another. Two environmental principles are often held to be established norms of customary international law. One of these principles proscribes transboundary harm: nations should prohibit activities within their borders that cause significant environmental harm beyond those borders. The other is the closely allied precautionary principle, which requires nations to exercise due care to avoid putting other nations at significant risk of environmental harm.In debating whether a given principle should be classified as a norm of customary international law for the purposes of deciding international cases, scholars of international environmental law generally accept an established criterion: principles are norms only if nations customarily abide by the principles in actual practice rather than merely affirming them as desirable standards. In fact, however, many purported "norms" of customary international environmental law, including the duty to prevent transboundary harm and the precautionary principle, do not reflect the actual behavior of many nations. Although systematic empirical studies are lacking, experience shows that harmful pollutants constantly cross most international borders, and that nations have only rarely attempted to remedy this situation.Even though nations only rarely abide by these environmental "norms," they nevertheless routinely profess to accept them. Similarly, while scholars discussing customary international law claim to focus on what nations do, their debates are almost invariably based on what nations profess. In reality, international environmental "norms" primarily reflect the evaluative standards that nations use to justify their own actions and criticize those of other nations. Hence these environmental "norms" are not properly classifiable as norms of customary international law. They might more accurately be characterized as an ideological system, since they merely represent some collective ideals of the international community.In light of this fact, those scholars who seek in customary international law a firm grounding for decisions in international environmental cases are misdirecting their efforts. This is especially true given that international treaties and direct negotiations, rather than international court decisions, are now the principal means of resolving international environmental disputes. It would be more productive for scholars to study such disputes from perspectives more consonant with this trend. Specifically, attention should be directed toward how the affirmation of core environmental principles can contribute to negotiations and treaty formation. This approach would promote progress toward agreements that could effectively hold nations to appropriate standards of environmental conduct. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the final paragraph and the first paragraph? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:In the final paragraph, the author opposes a scholarly approach mentioned in the first paragraph, proposes an alternative to that approach, and argues for that proposal. Choice B:In the final paragraph, the author questions the legal significance of two principles mentioned in the first paragraph, proposes alternative principles, and defends the new principles. Choice C:In the final paragraph, the author considers a critique of a practice mentioned in the first paragraph, explores further implications of that critique, but finally accepts the original practice. Choice D:In the final paragraph, the author criticizes scholars for focusing on a particular issue and argues that those scholars should instead focus on the legal status of two principles mentioned in the first paragraph. Choice E:In the final paragraph, the author reaffirms a claim about legal scholars that is made in the first paragraph, attributes a proposal to those scholars, and argues for a way of carrying out that proposal. | PT88 S3 Q24 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q25 Passage:In the absence of international statutes prohibiting nations from causing each other environmental damage, scholars of international environmental law typically focus on trying to identify and clarify norms of "customary international law": that body of commonly accepted‚ but not formalized‚ legal principles that is manifest in the behavior of nations toward one another. Two environmental principles are often held to be established norms of customary international law. One of these principles proscribes transboundary harm: nations should prohibit activities within their borders that cause significant environmental harm beyond those borders. The other is the closely allied precautionary principle, which requires nations to exercise due care to avoid putting other nations at significant risk of environmental harm.In debating whether a given principle should be classified as a norm of customary international law for the purposes of deciding international cases, scholars of international environmental law generally accept an established criterion: principles are norms only if nations customarily abide by the principles in actual practice rather than merely affirming them as desirable standards. In fact, however, many purported "norms" of customary international environmental law, including the duty to prevent transboundary harm and the precautionary principle, do not reflect the actual behavior of many nations. Although systematic empirical studies are lacking, experience shows that harmful pollutants constantly cross most international borders, and that nations have only rarely attempted to remedy this situation.Even though nations only rarely abide by these environmental "norms," they nevertheless routinely profess to accept them. Similarly, while scholars discussing customary international law claim to focus on what nations do, their debates are almost invariably based on what nations profess. In reality, international environmental "norms" primarily reflect the evaluative standards that nations use to justify their own actions and criticize those of other nations. Hence these environmental "norms" are not properly classifiable as norms of customary international law. They might more accurately be characterized as an ideological system, since they merely represent some collective ideals of the international community.In light of this fact, those scholars who seek in customary international law a firm grounding for decisions in international environmental cases are misdirecting their efforts. This is especially true given that international treaties and direct negotiations, rather than international court decisions, are now the principal means of resolving international environmental disputes. It would be more productive for scholars to study such disputes from perspectives more consonant with this trend. Specifically, attention should be directed toward how the affirmation of core environmental principles can contribute to negotiations and treaty formation. This approach would promote progress toward agreements that could effectively hold nations to appropriate standards of environmental conduct. Stem:It can be inferred that both the author and the scholars mentioned in the passage would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:Until extensive empirical studies determine the rate of international conformity to principles of international environmental law, environmental treaties will be largely ineffective. Choice B:Judicial decisions that are grounded in customary international law have proven less effective than direct negotiations in resolving international environmental disputes. Choice C:If it is difficult to ascertain whether a particular nation generally acts in accordance with the precautionary principle, that principle is not a norm of customary law for the nation in question. Choice D:If it can be shown conclusively that nations generally do not act in accordance with a principle, that principle cannot be legitimately considered a norm of customary international law. Choice E:Until a large percentage of nations enact treaties embodying the norms of customary international environmental law, there will be no reliable basis for deciding international environmental disputes. | PT88 S3 Q25 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q26 Passage:In the absence of international statutes prohibiting nations from causing each other environmental damage, scholars of international environmental law typically focus on trying to identify and clarify norms of "customary international law": that body of commonly accepted‚ but not formalized‚ legal principles that is manifest in the behavior of nations toward one another. Two environmental principles are often held to be established norms of customary international law. One of these principles proscribes transboundary harm: nations should prohibit activities within their borders that cause significant environmental harm beyond those borders. The other is the closely allied precautionary principle, which requires nations to exercise due care to avoid putting other nations at significant risk of environmental harm.In debating whether a given principle should be classified as a norm of customary international law for the purposes of deciding international cases, scholars of international environmental law generally accept an established criterion: principles are norms only if nations customarily abide by the principles in actual practice rather than merely affirming them as desirable standards. In fact, however, many purported "norms" of customary international environmental law, including the duty to prevent transboundary harm and the precautionary principle, do not reflect the actual behavior of many nations. Although systematic empirical studies are lacking, experience shows that harmful pollutants constantly cross most international borders, and that nations have only rarely attempted to remedy this situation.Even though nations only rarely abide by these environmental "norms," they nevertheless routinely profess to accept them. Similarly, while scholars discussing customary international law claim to focus on what nations do, their debates are almost invariably based on what nations profess. In reality, international environmental "norms" primarily reflect the evaluative standards that nations use to justify their own actions and criticize those of other nations. Hence these environmental "norms" are not properly classifiable as norms of customary international law. They might more accurately be characterized as an ideological system, since they merely represent some collective ideals of the international community.In light of this fact, those scholars who seek in customary international law a firm grounding for decisions in international environmental cases are misdirecting their efforts. This is especially true given that international treaties and direct negotiations, rather than international court decisions, are now the principal means of resolving international environmental disputes. It would be more productive for scholars to study such disputes from perspectives more consonant with this trend. Specifically, attention should be directed toward how the affirmation of core environmental principles can contribute to negotiations and treaty formation. This approach would promote progress toward agreements that could effectively hold nations to appropriate standards of environmental conduct. Stem:The author's mention of harmful pollutants crossing international borders (last sentence of the second paragraph) functions primarily as Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:an example of the author's contention that debates concerning customary international law put too little emphasis on environmental issues Choice B:a means of suggesting that stronger enforcement of existing international environmental laws is needed Choice C:evidence offered by the author in support of the claim that treaties and negotiations are largely ineffective in protecting the environment Choice D:an acknowledgment that, in spite of the author's general disagreement with certain scholars mentioned earlier in the second paragraph, their environmental concerns are justified Choice E:support for the author's claim that certain international environmental principles do not meet a criterion for being considered norms of customary international law | PT88 S3 Q26 |
Question ID:PT88 S3 Q27 Passage:In the absence of international statutes prohibiting nations from causing each other environmental damage, scholars of international environmental law typically focus on trying to identify and clarify norms of "customary international law": that body of commonly accepted‚ but not formalized‚ legal principles that is manifest in the behavior of nations toward one another. Two environmental principles are often held to be established norms of customary international law. One of these principles proscribes transboundary harm: nations should prohibit activities within their borders that cause significant environmental harm beyond those borders. The other is the closely allied precautionary principle, which requires nations to exercise due care to avoid putting other nations at significant risk of environmental harm.In debating whether a given principle should be classified as a norm of customary international law for the purposes of deciding international cases, scholars of international environmental law generally accept an established criterion: principles are norms only if nations customarily abide by the principles in actual practice rather than merely affirming them as desirable standards. In fact, however, many purported "norms" of customary international environmental law, including the duty to prevent transboundary harm and the precautionary principle, do not reflect the actual behavior of many nations. Although systematic empirical studies are lacking, experience shows that harmful pollutants constantly cross most international borders, and that nations have only rarely attempted to remedy this situation.Even though nations only rarely abide by these environmental "norms," they nevertheless routinely profess to accept them. Similarly, while scholars discussing customary international law claim to focus on what nations do, their debates are almost invariably based on what nations profess. In reality, international environmental "norms" primarily reflect the evaluative standards that nations use to justify their own actions and criticize those of other nations. Hence these environmental "norms" are not properly classifiable as norms of customary international law. They might more accurately be characterized as an ideological system, since they merely represent some collective ideals of the international community.In light of this fact, those scholars who seek in customary international law a firm grounding for decisions in international environmental cases are misdirecting their efforts. This is especially true given that international treaties and direct negotiations, rather than international court decisions, are now the principal means of resolving international environmental disputes. It would be more productive for scholars to study such disputes from perspectives more consonant with this trend. Specifically, attention should be directed toward how the affirmation of core environmental principles can contribute to negotiations and treaty formation. This approach would promote progress toward agreements that could effectively hold nations to appropriate standards of environmental conduct. Stem:The author states that there is a dearth of systematic empirical investigation into which one of the following? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:the extent to which the actions of nations conform to principles of customary international environmental law Choice B:the proportion of international environmental disputes that are remedied by treaties and negotiations as compared with those that are remedied by the application of customary international environmental law Choice C:the relative success rates of different attempted legal remedies for the problem of international transboundary pollution Choice D:the extent to which the pollution currently crossing international boundaries is in violation of negotiated international treaties Choice E:the extent to which scholars of international environmental law agree about which principles are norms of customary international environmental law | PT88 S3 Q27 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q1 Passage:One reason swimming immediately after eating is thought to be dangerous is that it could cause muscle cramps. But there is no reason to believe this. Muscle cramps are usually caused by muscle fatigue and dehydration, which are unrelated to eating. Reduced blood flow to muscles during digestion might also be a cause, though this is disputed. In any case, not enough blood goes to the stomach to aid in digestion after a meal to reduce blood flow to muscles. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion drawn in the argument? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Swimming immediately after eating is not dangerous. Choice B:Reduced blood flow to muscles is not a cause of muscle cramps. Choice C:There is no reason to believe that swimming immediately after eating causes muscle cramps. Choice D:Blood going to the stomach to aid in digestion after a meal is not a cause of muscle cramps. Choice E:Blood going to the stomach to aid in digestion after a meal would not reduce blood flow to the muscles. | PT88 S4 Q1 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q2 Passage:Flores: The behavior of the character Gawain in Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur fluctuates radically and without apparent reason between heroic and criminal. Malory's portrayal of Gawain is incoherent in this way because Malory based his book on earlier sources from different eras, and Gawain's role changed over time. Piro: While the variation you mention might stem from the different times that Malory's sources were written, in Malory's work Gawain's heroic behavior occurs during crises, but his criminal behavior occurs during stable periods, when there is more room to break the rules. Stem:The dialogue provides most support for the claim that Flores and Piro disagree over whether Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:Malory's portrayal of the character of Gawain in Le Morte D'Arthur is incoherent Choice B:the sources for Malory's characterization of Gawain were written in different eras Choice C:Gawain was portrayed as a hero in some of the stories that Malory used as sources Choice D:the behavior of Gawain in Le Morte D'Arthur alternates between heroic and criminal Choice E:the sources for Malory's characterization of Gawain vary significantly regarding the role played by Gawain | PT88 S4 Q2 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q3 Passage:Audiologist: What is often considered age-related hearing loss is really the accumulated damage of long-term exposure to loud noise. This is demonstrated by studies of remote populations, who have little exposure to loud noise. These studies found that age-related hearing loss in these populations was limited or nonexistent. Stem:Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the audiologist's argument? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:Ancient medical texts describe methods of treating hearing loss. Choice B:Among remote populations, those people who lived for several years in urban areas show more age-related hearing loss than those who have always lived in remote areas. Choice C:Those who live in urban areas typically become so accustomed to low-level background noise that they are unaware they are hearing it. Choice D:Age-related hearing loss can make it difficult for people to participate in conversations that occur in social settings with more than two or three people. Choice E:Those who work in environments in which they are regularly exposed to loud noise tend not to wear ear protection unless they are required to. | PT88 S4 Q3 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q4 Passage:A rare Roman bronze helmet was recently discovered in England and sold to a private collector. An English law that requires finders of valuable antiquities to offer them to English museums at reasonable prices did not apply to the Roman helmet because it is neither prehistoric nor made of precious metal. The law is therefore inadequate as a means of giving the English people access to their archaeological heritage. Stem:Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:Most English people want important archaeological items to be housed in museums. Choice B:The Roman helmet is part of the archaeological heritage of the English people. Choice C:The Roman helmet is more valuable than most items that are housed in English museums. Choice D:The private collector did not pay more for the Roman helmet than an English museum would have. Choice E:No English museum could have paid more for the Roman helmet than the private collector did. | PT88 S4 Q4 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q5 Passage:Professor: During election years, voters often feel that they are insufficiently informed about election issues. And studies have revealed the surprising fact that regular subscribers to the few newspapers that do provide extensive coverage of election issues are no better informed about election issues than subscribers to newspapers that have very little coverage of these issues. Stem:Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the surprising fact stated by the professor? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:The newspapers that provide extensive coverage of election issues have a smaller circulation, on average, than the newspapers that provide very little coverage of these issues. Choice B:Many newspapers that once provided extensive coverage of election issues now provide very little coverage of these issues. Choice C:Most regular subscribers to the newspapers that provide extensive coverage of election issues rarely read the articles about these issues. Choice D:Many of the voters who feel that they are insufficiently informed about election issues do not subscribe to newspapers. Choice E:Most voters get the majority of their information about election issues from sources other than newspapers. | PT88 S4 Q5 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q6 Passage:Historian: Much of what made medieval European communities as close-knit as they usually were was the way they went about meeting basic needs. In medieval communities, in order to get crops harvested or a well dug, people had to come together in respectful cooperation, suspending any private grievances. So if people in industrialized societies today undertook corresponding group tasks, their communities would probably become more close-knit. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion drawn in the historian's argument? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:Much of what made medieval communities as close-knit as they usually were was the way they went about meeting basic needs. Choice B:People in industrialized societies today should undertake group tasks similar to those that medieval communities undertook in order to meet their basic needs. Choice C:In medieval communities, people went about meeting basic needs in ways that required them to come together in respectful cooperation, suspending any private grievances. Choice D:Medieval communities were usually more close-knit than communities in industrial societies are today because, in medieval communities, people undertook group tasks requiring them to come together in respectful cooperation. Choice E:Communities in industrial societies today would probably become more close-knit if their members undertook group tasks requiring the participants to come together in respectful cooperation. | PT88 S4 Q6 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q7 Passage:Late blight is a disease affecting tomato plants that causes blue-grey patches to appear on the leaves. Applying a copper solution to the blighted plants is an effective treatment for the disease. Therefore, late blight must be caused by a deficiency of copper in the plant‚ s mineral intake. Stem:The flawed nature of the argument can be most effectively demonstrated by noting that, by parallel reasoning, we could argue that Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:since radiation therapy can be an effective treatment for some types of cancer, it follows that higher doses of radiation will be more effective in treating those same types of cancer Choice B:since scurvy is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, it follows that vitamin C is an effective treatment for scurvy Choice C:since malnutrition can cause health problems, it follows that the more food you eat, the healthier you will be Choice D:since paracetamol is effective in treating headaches, it follows that headaches are caused by a lack of paracetamol in the bloodstream Choice E:since calcium deficiency in apple trees causes brown spots on the apples, it follows that apple trees growing in soils that are rich in calcium will not produce apples with brown spots | PT88 S4 Q7 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q8 Passage:Advertisement: At BigFoods, we compare prices for you. We recently determined which items our shoppers buy most often. A varied sample of these items cost 10 percent more at Grocerytown than at BigFoods! None of these regularly purchased grocery items were on sale at BigFoods‚ these are our everyday prices! Stem:The statements in the advertisement, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:BigFoods lowered its everyday prices before making the comparison with Grocerytown. Choice B:Shoppers who usually patronize Grocerytown prefer to shop there for some reason other than its prices. Choice C:Some of the items that shoppers at BigFoods buy most often are less expensive at BigFoods than at Grocerytown. Choice D:Few of the items that shoppers at BigFoods buy most often were on sale at Grocerytown when the price comparison was carried out. Choice E:The items that shoppers at BigFoods buy most often are not the same as those that shoppers at Grocerytown buy most often. | PT88 S4 Q8 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q9 Passage:Martin: I have heard it argued that, because changes in diet and exercise rarely result in weight loss, doctors should stop advising their patients to eat less and exercise more. But this is no reason for doctors to abandon their advice, even supposing that weight loss is rare. Changes in diet and exercise have beneficial effects other than weight loss. Stem:Which one of the following conforms most closely to the principle illustrated in Martin's position? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:The fact that only one person can win a marathon is no reason for Jen to avoid participating in the marathon, since every participant still has a chance of winning. Choice B:The fact that the engineers could not solve the problem is no reason to deem their work a failure, since their work nonetheless produced new and useful insights. Choice C:The fact that Chester was unsuccessful in his first attempt to grow a vegetable garden is no reason for him to give up, since one's gardening skills generally improve over time. Choice D:The fact that the construction project is costing more than expected is no reason to halt it, since the project's backers were well aware that it might run over budget. Choice E:The fact that the company's charitable act is also a public relations stunt is no reason to criticize the charitable act, since charity is laudable in itself. | PT88 S4 Q9 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q10 Passage:Columnist: The dangers of mountain climbing have been greatly exaggerated by the popular media. In the 80 years from 1922 to 2002, there were fewer than 200 climbing fatalities on Mount Everest, one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. Contrast that with the more than 7,000 traffic fatalities in France alone in 2002. Stem:The reasoning in the columnist's argument is flawed because it fails to consider Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:whether the number of traffic fatalities in France was higher in 2002 than in other years Choice B:whether the number of traffic fatalities in France is usually higher than that in other countries Choice C:whether the number of fatalities among climbers on Mount Everest could be reduced by implementing stricter safety measures Choice D:how many climbers were on Mount Everest during those 80 years and how many people traveled on French roads in 2002 Choice E:how many climbing fatalities there were during those 80 years on mountains other than Mount Everest | PT88 S4 Q10 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q11 Passage:Gyms and fitness centers are sometimes good places to buy used exercise machines. When gyms and fitness centers upgrade machines, they often sell the old machines at reasonable prices. Although these exercise machines have generally seen considerable use, they are also built better than machines designed for home use and are likely to have been well maintained. Stem:Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the argument above? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Any good source of used exercise machines will offer at least some well-maintained machines at reasonable prices. Choice B:The best kind of used exercise machine to buy is a well-maintained machine designed for home use and offered at a reasonable price. Choice C:Any place where one can buy well-maintained, used exercise machines at reasonable prices is a good place to buy used exercise machines. Choice D:No place that sells only exercise machines designed for home use is a good place to buy used exercise machines. Choice E:No good source of used exercise machines sells any poorly maintained exercise machines at high prices. | PT88 S4 Q11 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q12 Passage:A lichen is made up of a photosynthetic organism and a fungus growing in symbiosis on a solid surface. Lichens absorb minerals from air and rainwater but also from the surfaces on which they grow; they cannot excrete the elements they absorb. Some varieties are very vulnerable to toxic compounds, including compounds found in polluted air. Such compounds can damage both of the symbiotic partners. Stem:Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:Lichens would not be vulnerable to toxic compounds if they could excrete the elements that they absorb. Choice B:The return of lichens to a region indicates that the air quality has improved there. Choice C:The absence of lichens in a region indicates that the air is probably polluted in that area. Choice D:The photosynthetic organism and the fungus that make up a lichen can also thrive independently of each other. Choice E:Serious air pollution in a region can cause problems for lichens. | PT88 S4 Q12 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q13 Passage:Lindsey: There are, of course, many poets with cheerful dispositions; however, those I have met have much more often been disposed to melancholy. Thus, if the poets I have met are representative of poets generally, one can reasonably conclude that many poets are made melancholy by writing poetry. As everyone knows, an activity as profound and engrossing as writing poetry can be depressing. Stem:Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in Lindsey's argument by the claim that an activity as profound and engrossing as writing poetry can be depressing? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:It is a premise offered as evidence for another premise, which in turn is offered in support of the argument's overall conclusion. Choice B:It is a premise for which another premise is offered as evidence. Choice C:It is the overall conclusion of the argument. Choice D:It clarifies a claim made within the overall conclusion of the argument. Choice E:It is a premise offered as direct support for the argument's overall conclusion. | PT88 S4 Q13 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q14 Passage:People's antagonism to development in their neighborhoods can be harmful to a city. For example, nightclubs tend to be unpopular with neighbors because of the late hours they keep. So if neighborhoods are allowed to block new nightclubs, a city will never get new nightclubs. Stem:Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:New nightclubs would usually be approved if the decision whether to approve was made at the city level. Choice B:All neighborhoods in a city are equally opposed to getting new nightclubs. Choice C:It is a bad thing for a city if the city never gets new nightclubs. Choice D:Restaurants that do not keep late hours are rarely unpopular with neighbors. Choice E:New nightclubs invariably produce some benefits for the neighborhoods in which they open. | PT88 S4 Q14 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q15 Passage:Many popular novels have stylistic elements commonly associated with journalistic writing. Moreover, many authors of popular novels began their careers as journalists. So using a journalistic writing style increases the chances that a novel will be popular. Stem:The reasoning in the argument is flawed in that it Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:takes something that is required for a novel to be popular to be something that is certain to make a novel popular Choice B:takes for granted that most journalists could become novelists if they wanted to Choice C:fails to specify exactly what is required for a novel to be considered popular Choice D:fails to consider how many unsuccessful novels have been written in a journalistic style Choice E:takes the fact that a novel is popular to indicate that it is well written | PT88 S4 Q15 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q16 Passage:Researchers investigating the accuracy of eyewitness accounts staged and made a video of a crime, and showed it to test subjects. A lineup of "suspects," none of whom was the person playing the criminal in the video, was then shown to the subjects. When the subjects were not told that the suspect might not be in the lineup, 78 percent of them misidentified one or another of the persons in the lineup as the criminal. Only 38 percent of the subjects made misidentifications when they were told that the suspect might not be in the lineup. Stem:Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:Eyewitnesses are no more likely to accurately select a suspect from a lineup than are people who are given an accurate verbal description of the suspect. Choice B:People tend to want to satisfy the stated expectations of those who ask them for information. Choice C:When specifically directed by a person of authority to say that something is among a group of things when it is not, most people will comply. Choice D:People fail to recognize the physical similarities among a group of people unless they are given information in addition to visual clues. Choice E:People are less likely to think they see something that is not actually present the less they expect to see it. | PT88 S4 Q16 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q17 Passage:Advice columnist: Parents should not encourage their children to place great value on outdoing others. Being motivated in this way not only fosters resentment, it makes one less happy because it gives one a desire for achievement that is difficult to satisfy. Stem:Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the advice columnist's argument? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Parents should encourage their children to be happy about the things that they do well. Choice B:Parents should try to ensure that their children have at least some desires that are easy to satisfy. Choice C:One should never encourage a person to acquire a trait if having the trait would make that person less happy. Choice D:Parents should do everything they can to ensure that their children have significant achievements. Choice E:How much one achieves relative to one's own potential is just as important as how much one achieves relative to others. | PT88 S4 Q17 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q18 Passage:Economist: Machinery firms in this country argue that in order to grow big enough to compete successfully with foreign rivals, the protection that they have been receiving from foreign competition must be extended for several more years. Yet these firms have been receiving protection from foreign competition for the last ten years. If it were possible for protection from foreign competition to enable this country's machinery firms to grow big enough to compete successfully with foreign rivals, ten years would be a sufficient time frame for this to happen. Stem:The economist's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? Correct Answer Choice:EChoice A:Protection from foreign competition rarely if ever enables firms to grow big enough to compete with foreign rivals. Choice B:Ten years is a sufficient time frame for assessing the success of any economic policy. Choice C:None of the machinery firms in the economist's country has grown significantly over the last ten years. Choice D:Most of the machinery firms in the economist's country will go out of business unless they are protected from foreign competition. Choice E:Protection from foreign competition will not enable machinery firms in the economist's country to grow big enough to take on foreign rivals. | PT88 S4 Q18 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q19 Passage:Store owner: My customers are not worried about crime in this neighborhood; every day I talk to people who shop at my store, and they tell me that they are not worried. So crime is not adversely affecting my business by reducing the number of people willing to shop at my store. Stem:The reasoning in the store owner's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:infers that something is not the case on the grounds that there is only a small amount of evidence for its being the case Choice B:appeals to personal opinion to establish a factual claim Choice C:generalizes about the whole neighborhood based on the case of one store Choice D:draws a conclusion on the basis of a biased sample Choice E:fails to consider that crime might affect the neighborhood negatively without affecting businesses negatively | PT88 S4 Q19 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q20 Passage:Critic: The more a novel appeals to the general public, the more money its author will make from it. However, since any serious novelist cares about literary style, no serious novelist is motivated primarily by the desire to make money. Stem:The conclusion of the critic's argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:No novel written by a serious novelist in fact appeals to the general public. Choice B:No novelist who cares about literary style is motivated primarily by the desire to make money. Choice C:No novelist whose novels exhibit good literary style is motivated primarily by the desire to make money. Choice D:Any novelist who is motivated primarily by the desire to make money writes novels that in fact appeal to the general public. Choice E:Any novel that in fact appeals to the general public was written by a novelist motivated primarily by the desire to make money. | PT88 S4 Q20 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q21 Passage:Engineer: Air bags in automobiles occasionally cause injuries by accidentally inflating when no collision has occurred. Automobile manufacturers are attempting to fix the problem by inventing more elaborate computer control systems for air bags. But the more complex such a system is, the more ways there are in which it can fail. Thus, the new computer control systems will probably only make the problems with accidental air bag inflation even worse. Stem:The engineer's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:It fails to address adequately the possibility that the likelihood of a system's failing need not increase with the number of ways in which it can fail. Choice B:It takes for granted that any failure in an air bag's computer control system will cause that air bag to inflate accidentally. Choice C:It fails to address adequately the possibility that air bags may often accidentally inflate even when their computer control systems do not fail. Choice D:It overlooks the possibility that, even if the new computer control systems exacerbate the problems with accidental air bag inflation, they may have advantages that outweigh this disadvantage. Choice E:It overlooks the possibility that, even if air bags occasionally cause accidental injuries, they may nonetheless be responsible for preventing many more injuries than they cause. | PT88 S4 Q21 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q22 Passage:Educator: Environmental factors clearly have little effect on whether a teenager will participate in sports. Family life is probably the strongest environmental factor, yet it is common for one teenager in a family to participate in sports enthusiastically while other teenagers in the family are indifferent to sports. Moreover, school programs designed to encourage inactive teenagers to participate in sports are generally ineffective. Stem:Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the educator's argument? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:Athletic ability varies, even among siblings, and teenagers who have demonstrable athletic ability are more likely than those who do not to participate in sports. Choice B:Some teenagers, even those in schools that do not have any sports programs, are more enthusiastic about participating in sports than their parents are. Choice C:Adults' enthusiasm for participating in sports generally is directly proportional to the extent to which they participated in sports when they were younger. Choice D:The proportion of teenagers who participate in sports varies greatly from society to society and from decade to decade. Choice E:School programs designed to encourage inactive teenagers to participate in sports widely vary in success, with only a few being highly successful. | PT88 S4 Q22 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q23 Passage:Safety expert: Conversing on a cell phone while driving is more dangerous than conversing with a passenger in the vehicle. The person talking with the driver on a cell phone is unable to see the driving situation and, hence, cannot immediately recognize situations in which driving becomes difficult. In contrast, a passenger in the vehicle will usually be quiet or even provide helpful warnings in such situations. Stem:Which one of the following is an assumption required by the safety expert's argument? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:Speaking to a driver during a difficult driving situation significantly increases the risk of an accident, unless the speaker is providing helpful warnings. Choice B:A driver having a conversation with a passenger in the vehicle during a difficult driving situation is not substantially more likely to have an accident than is a driver who is not conversing during a difficult driving situation. Choice C:People who use cell phones while driving generally believe that talking on a cell phone does not increase their risk of being in an accident. Choice D:Helpful warnings given to a driver in a difficult driving situation are as likely to distract the driver as to help the driver in controlling the car. Choice E:Conversing on a cell phone while driving is no more dangerous than conversing with a passenger in the vehicle who continues to speak during difficult driving situations. | PT88 S4 Q23 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q24 Passage:People who have experienced a traumatic event but who did not subsequently develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) tend to produce higher levels of the hormone cortisol when exposed to stress than do people who have not experienced traumatic events. This suggests that experiencing a traumatic event can affect how much cortisol one produces in response to stress. Stem:Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument above? Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:Medical conditions sometimes affect how much cortisol people who have not experienced a traumatic event produce in response to stress. Choice B:Producing more cortisol than average in response to stress helps prevent a person from developing PTSD as a result of experiencing a traumatic event. Choice C:People experiencing a traumatic event produce more cortisol than they would under less severe instances of stress. Choice D:Many effective treatments for PTSD are designed to reduce how much cortisol those with PTSD produce when exposed to stress. Choice E:Experiencing a traumatic event can damage the gland that produces cortisol, resulting in that gland producing more cortisol. | PT88 S4 Q24 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q25 Passage:The technical sophistication of commercial fishing equipment increased steadily from 1960 through 2010, which enabled the commercial fishing industry to harvest a greater percentage of the total amount of fish, by weight, in the world's oceans in each succeeding year during that time. The commercial fishing industry's harvest, by weight, increased steadily from 1960 until 1995 but did not increase after 1995. Stem:If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:After 1995, the number of fish harvested each year by the commercial fishing industry increased, but the average weight of each fish harvested decreased. Choice B:After 2010, improvements in commercial fishing equipment did not enable the fishing industry to harvest a greater percentage of the total amount of fish, by weight, in the world's oceans. Choice C:The total amount of fish, by weight, in the world's oceans decreased during the period from 1995 to 2010. Choice D:The commercial fishing industry's harvest, by weight, was significantly lower in 2010 than it was in 1995. Choice E:No significant improvements in commercial fishing equipment occurred before 1960. | PT88 S4 Q25 |
Question ID:PT88 S4 Q26 Passage:Current evidence indicates that there is no methane on Planet 253. If that is the case, it is certain that there is no life on Planet 253. Since microbes always produce methane, if there is no methane then there are no microbes. Stem:The conclusion drawn above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:There is, in fact, no methane on Planet 253. Choice B:If methane exists on Planet 253 then we would be able to detect its presence. Choice C:If there is no methane currently on Planet 253 then there has never been methane on Planet 253. Choice D:If there are no microbes on Planet 253 then there is no life on Planet 253. Choice E:If there is methane on Planet 253 then there must be life on Planet 253. | PT88 S4 Q26 |
Question ID:PT87 S1 Q1 Passage:Most writings on the subject of motion pictures, including those scrutinizing the structural characteristics, aesthetic qualities, and effects of motion pictures on audiences, have traditionally been relatively abstract and have not considered what a film's audiences actually see. In fact, various external factors intervene between the filmmaker's intent and the audience's experience, often altering the qualities of a film and, consequently, the viewer's perception of it.In the process of distribution, a film can be mutilated in many ways. The damage is most obvious when films in one language are shown to audiences that speak a different language. Subtitling may be simply incompetent, full of mistakes, or used for actual censorship. Dubbing‚ a significantly more profound intervention‚ can be even more damaging. Some films are reedited to render them "more understandable" by their target audiences, while others are given new titles rather than translations of their original titles, a practice that often creates false expectations and distorts the work's intent.When a film is shown on television or video, it suffers the most extensive deformations. In addition to causing a loss of image size and definition, current mass-market television and video technology is harmful in other ways. These intrusions include advertisements that break the intended continuity, the superimposition of images‚ such as station identifications and weather bulletins‚ over parts of the picture, and spoken announcements over parts of the soundtrack considered by programmers to be "unimportant." Some alterations, such as a subtle increase in the projection speed of a televised movie to obtain more commercial time, are almost imperceptible but nonetheless detrimental to the integrity of a film.It seems that audiences and even most film critics have tacitly accepted this situation‚ they rarely speak about it. This may be partly because of the special nature of film. In many other arts it is obvious that reproductions of a work are not the work itself, and they are not treated as such. However, the very nature of film makes it an exactly reproducible art form; under ideal conditions, each print is not merely a reproduction but is in fact another instance of the work itself. But we tend to overlook how rarely the ideal conditions apply, and this is disturbing for two reasons. First, professional analysis, interpretation, and evaluation may be unfair to filmmakers when‚ as is surprisingly often the case‚ they are based on a version that has already been seriously altered. Second, when critics' comments are based on original, uncompromised versions of the films, they may raise false expectations with regard to the more or less faulty versions that are often available to viewers. Stem:In the passage, the author primarily attempts to Correct Answer Choice:DChoice A:provide evidence against a claim that is often made in the criticism of a particular art form Choice B:establish that changing the materials used in a particular art form would enhance public appreciation of that art form Choice C:refute a commonly held view regarding the detrimental effects of criticism on a particular art form Choice D:describe a problem that is generally overlooked in the criticism of a particular art form Choice E:explain why a particular art form is the target of negative criticism | PT87 S1 Q1 |
Question ID:PT87 S1 Q2 Passage:Most writings on the subject of motion pictures, including those scrutinizing the structural characteristics, aesthetic qualities, and effects of motion pictures on audiences, have traditionally been relatively abstract and have not considered what a film's audiences actually see. In fact, various external factors intervene between the filmmaker's intent and the audience's experience, often altering the qualities of a film and, consequently, the viewer's perception of it.In the process of distribution, a film can be mutilated in many ways. The damage is most obvious when films in one language are shown to audiences that speak a different language. Subtitling may be simply incompetent, full of mistakes, or used for actual censorship. Dubbing‚ a significantly more profound intervention‚ can be even more damaging. Some films are reedited to render them "more understandable" by their target audiences, while others are given new titles rather than translations of their original titles, a practice that often creates false expectations and distorts the work's intent.When a film is shown on television or video, it suffers the most extensive deformations. In addition to causing a loss of image size and definition, current mass-market television and video technology is harmful in other ways. These intrusions include advertisements that break the intended continuity, the superimposition of images‚ such as station identifications and weather bulletins‚ over parts of the picture, and spoken announcements over parts of the soundtrack considered by programmers to be "unimportant." Some alterations, such as a subtle increase in the projection speed of a televised movie to obtain more commercial time, are almost imperceptible but nonetheless detrimental to the integrity of a film.It seems that audiences and even most film critics have tacitly accepted this situation‚ they rarely speak about it. This may be partly because of the special nature of film. In many other arts it is obvious that reproductions of a work are not the work itself, and they are not treated as such. However, the very nature of film makes it an exactly reproducible art form; under ideal conditions, each print is not merely a reproduction but is in fact another instance of the work itself. But we tend to overlook how rarely the ideal conditions apply, and this is disturbing for two reasons. First, professional analysis, interpretation, and evaluation may be unfair to filmmakers when‚ as is surprisingly often the case‚ they are based on a version that has already been seriously altered. Second, when critics' comments are based on original, uncompromised versions of the films, they may raise false expectations with regard to the more or less faulty versions that are often available to viewers. Stem:The author distinguishes film from at least some other art forms with regard to the Correct Answer Choice:BChoice A:extent of public reliance on professional analyses and evaluations Choice B:possibility of creating multiple instances of the same artwork Choice C:susceptibility of the artwork to damage through environmental factors and aging Choice D:degree of control that a work's creator has over the conditions of its public presentation Choice E:complexity of the methods used to provide public access to artwork | PT87 S1 Q2 |
Question ID:PT87 S1 Q3 Passage:Most writings on the subject of motion pictures, including those scrutinizing the structural characteristics, aesthetic qualities, and effects of motion pictures on audiences, have traditionally been relatively abstract and have not considered what a film's audiences actually see. In fact, various external factors intervene between the filmmaker's intent and the audience's experience, often altering the qualities of a film and, consequently, the viewer's perception of it.In the process of distribution, a film can be mutilated in many ways. The damage is most obvious when films in one language are shown to audiences that speak a different language. Subtitling may be simply incompetent, full of mistakes, or used for actual censorship. Dubbing‚ a significantly more profound intervention‚ can be even more damaging. Some films are reedited to render them "more understandable" by their target audiences, while others are given new titles rather than translations of their original titles, a practice that often creates false expectations and distorts the work's intent.When a film is shown on television or video, it suffers the most extensive deformations. In addition to causing a loss of image size and definition, current mass-market television and video technology is harmful in other ways. These intrusions include advertisements that break the intended continuity, the superimposition of images‚ such as station identifications and weather bulletins‚ over parts of the picture, and spoken announcements over parts of the soundtrack considered by programmers to be "unimportant." Some alterations, such as a subtle increase in the projection speed of a televised movie to obtain more commercial time, are almost imperceptible but nonetheless detrimental to the integrity of a film.It seems that audiences and even most film critics have tacitly accepted this situation‚ they rarely speak about it. This may be partly because of the special nature of film. In many other arts it is obvious that reproductions of a work are not the work itself, and they are not treated as such. However, the very nature of film makes it an exactly reproducible art form; under ideal conditions, each print is not merely a reproduction but is in fact another instance of the work itself. But we tend to overlook how rarely the ideal conditions apply, and this is disturbing for two reasons. First, professional analysis, interpretation, and evaluation may be unfair to filmmakers when‚ as is surprisingly often the case‚ they are based on a version that has already been seriously altered. Second, when critics' comments are based on original, uncompromised versions of the films, they may raise false expectations with regard to the more or less faulty versions that are often available to viewers. Stem:It can be inferred from the passage that the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements? Correct Answer Choice:AChoice A:Films should be projected at precisely the speed at which they were designed to be projected. Choice B:Filmmakers should accept the fact that criticisms are often directed against distributors rather than against filmmakers. Choice C:Film critics should acknowledge that mutilations of films during distribution and public exhibition are inevitable. Choice D:Film commentaries should not be concerned with audience reactions to films. Choice E:Films should be viewed only in relatively large, darkened theaters. | PT87 S1 Q3 |
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