KM - StrengthenKM - Strengthen and Weaken.pdf and Weaken

Stre n gth e n/Weo ke n Qu esti o ns

Strengthen/UUea ken QuestionsDirections: The questions in this section are based on the reasoning contained in brief statements or passages. For somequestions, more than one of the choices could conceivably answer the question, However, you are to choose the best answer; thatis, the response that most accurately and completely answers the question. You should not make assumptions that are bycommonsense standards implausible, superfluous, or incompatible with the passage.

L Companypresident: Grievance procedures shouldallow the grievant and the respondent to select amediator who will attempt to work out aresolution. Grievances are costly and mediationcould help to resolve many of them. However,beginning mediation fairly late in the process, asour human resources department proposes, wouldbe relatively ineffective.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps tojustify the company president's criticism of thehuman resources department's proposal?(A) People who file grievances are unreasonabie

and would resist listening to a mediator.(B) Many disagreements are already being solvedwithout the intervention of a mediator.(C) Adversaries'positions tend to harden as adispute wears on, making compromise lesslikely.(D) Respondents tend to be supervisors whocannot give in to employees without losingauthority.(E) The mediation process itself is likely to cost asmuch in time and money as the presentgrievance procedures.

Advertisement: At most jewelry stores, the personassessing the diamond is the person selling it, soyou can see why an assessor might say that adiamond is of higher quality than it really is. Butbecause all diamonds sold at Gem World arecertified in writing, you're assured of a fair pricewhen purchasing a diamond from Gem World.

The reasoning in the advertisement would be moststrengthened if rvhich one of the following were true?(A) Many jewelry stores other than Gem World

also provide written certification of thequality of their diamonds.(B) The certifications of diamonds at Gem Worldare written by people with years ofexperience in appraising gems.(C) The diamonds sold at Gem World are generallyofhigher quality than those sold at otherjewelry stores.(D) The diamond market is so volatile that prices ofthe most expensive diamonds can change byhundreds of dollars from one day to the next.(E) The written certifications of diamonds at GmWorld are provided by an independentcompany of gem specialists.

In response to office workers'worries about thehealth risks associated with using video displayterminals (VDTs), researchers asked office rvorkers roestimate both the amount of time they had spentusing VDTs and how often they had sufferedheadaches over the previous year. According to thesurvey, frequent VDT users suffered from headachesmore often than other office workers did, leadingresearchers to conclude that VDTs cause headaches.Which one of the following, if true, most undermin.r frthe researchers' conclusion?(A) Few ofthe offce workers surveyed participated

in regular health programs during the year inquestion.(B) In their study the researchers failed to ask theworkers to distinguish between severemigraine headaches and mild headaches.(C) Previous studies have shown that the glarefrom VDT screens causes some users to suffereyestrain.(D) Office workers who experienced frequentheadaches were more likely than otherworkers to overestimate how much time theyspent using VDTs.(E) Office workers who regularly used VDTsexperienced the same amount of

.iob-relatedstress as workers who did not use VDTs.

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Source: PrepTest 37, Sectlon 2, Queetlons l, 6, and !4

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4. A plausible explanation ofthe disappearance ofthedinosaurs is what is known as the comet theory. Alarge enough comet colliding with Earth could havecaused a cloud of dust that enshrouded the planetand cooled the climate long enough to result in thedinosaurs' demise.

Which one of the following statements, if true, mostseriously weakens the argument?(A) One of the various schools of paleontology

adheres to an explanation for thedisappearance of the dinosaurs that issignificantly different from the comet theory.(B) Various species of animals f:rom the same eraas the dinosaurs and similar to them inphysiology and habitat did not become

. extinct when the dinosaurs did.(C) It cannot be determined from a study ofdinosaur skeletons whether the animals diedfrom the effects of a dust cloud.

Many other animal species from the era of thedinosaurs did not become extinct at the sametime the dinosaurs did.

The consequences for vegetation and animalsof a comet colliding with Earth are not fullyunderstood.

5. Nutritionisl Recently a caze has developed forhome juicers, $300 machines that separate thepulp of fruits and vegetables from the juicethey contain. Outrageous claims are beingmade about the benefits of these devices:drinking the juice they produce is said to helpone lose weight or acquire a clear complexion,to aid digestion, and even to prevent cancer.But there is no indication that juice separatedfrom the putp of the fruit or vegetable has anyproperties that it does not have whenunseparated. Save your money. If you wantcarrotjuice, eat a carrot.

Which one of the following, if true, most calls intoquestion the nutritionistt argument?(A) Most people find it much easier to consume a

given quantity of nutrients in liquid formthan to eat solid foods containing the samequantity of the same nutrients.

Drinking juice from home juicers is lesshealthy than is eating fruits and vegetablesbecause such juice does not contain the fiberthat is eaten if one consumes the entire fruitor vegetable.

To,most people who would be tempted to buya home juicer, 9300 would not be a majorexPense.

The nutritionist was a member of a panel thatextensively evaluated early prototypes ofhome iuicers.

Vitamin pills that supposedly containnutrients available elsewhere only in fruitsand vegetables often contain a form of thosecompounds that cannot be as easilymetabolized as the varieties found in fruitsand vegetables.

Sources.' Prepiest 37, Sectlon 4, Questlon t8PrepTe* 38, Seetlon 7, Questlon 2

(D)

(E)

(B)

(c)

(D)

(E)

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Stren gth en/Weo ke n Qu esti o ns

(B)

(c)

Several companies will soon offer personalizedelectronic news services, delivered via cable ortelephone lines and displayed on a television. Peopleusing these services can view continually updatedstories on those topics for which they subscribe.Since these services will provide people with theinformation they are looking for more quickly andefficiently than printed newspapers can, newspapersales will decline drastically if these services becomewidely available.Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslyweakens the argument?(A) In reading newspapers, most people not only

look for stories on specific topics but also liketo idly browse through headlines or picturesfor amusing stories on unfamiliar or unusualtopics.

Companies offering personalized electronicnews services will differ greatly in what theycharge for access to their services, dependingon howwide a range oftopics they cover.

Approximately 30 percent of people have neverrelied on newspapers for information butinstead have always relied on nelvs programsbroadcast on television and radio.

The average monthly cost of subscribing toseveral channels on a personalized electronicnews service will approximately equal the costof a month's subscription to a newspaper.

Most people who subscribe to personalizedelectronic news services will not have to payextra costs for installation since the serviceswill use connections installed by cable andtelephone companies.

7 , Solicitor; Loux named Zembaty executor of herwill. Her only beneficiary r^ras her grandson, ofwhom she was very fond. Prior to distributingthe remainder to the beneficiary, Zembaty waslegally required to choose which properties inthe estate should be sold to clear the estate'shealy debts. Loux never expressed anyparticular desire about the Stoke Farm, whichincludes the only farmland in her estate. Thus,it is unlikely that Loux would have had anyobjection to Zembaty's having sold it ratherthan having transferred it to her grandson.

Which one of the following, if true, most weakens thesolicitor's argument?(A) The estate's debts could not have been cleared

without selling the Stoke Farm.(B) Loux repeatedly told her grandson that shewould take care of him in her will.(C) Louxwas well aware of the legal requirementsthe executor of her will would have to satisfy.(D) The Stoke Farm was the main cause of theestate's debts.(E) Loux's grandson had repeatedly expressed hisdesire to own a farm.

8. Medical doctor: Sleep deprivation is the cause ofmany social ills, ranging from irritabfity topotentially dangerous instances of impaireddecision making. Most people today suffer fromsleep deprivation to some degree. Therefore weshould restructure the workday to allow peopleflexibility in scheduling their work hours.

Which one of the following, if true, would moststrengthen the medical doctor's argument?(A) The primary cause of sleep deprivation is

overwork.(B) Employees would get more sleep if theyhadgreater latitude in scheduling their work hours.(C) Individuals vary widely in the amount of sleepthey require.(D) More people would suffer from sleepdeprivation todaythan did in the past iftheaverage number of hours worked per weekhad not decreased.(E) The extent of one's sleep deprivation isproportional to the lengh of one's workday.

Source: PrepTest 36, Eectlon 3, Qucstlons 2, 5, and 7

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ISAT Mostery Practice

9.

@Peter: Because the leaves of mildly drought-stressed

plants are tougher in texture than the leaves ofabundantly watered plants, insects prefer tofeed on the leaves of abundantly watered

. plants. Therefore, to minimize crop damage,farmers should water crops only just enoughto ensure that there is no substantial threat,from a lack of water, to either the growth orthe yield of the crops.

Jennifer: Indeed. In fact, a mildly drought-stressedplant will divert a small amount of itsresources from normal growth to thedevelopment of pesticidal toxins, butabundantly watered plants will not.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthensPeter's argument?

The leaves of some crop plants are muchlarger, and therefore absorb more water, thanthe leaves of some other crop plants.

In industrialized nations there are more cropsthat are abundantly watered than there arecrops grown under mild drought stress.

Insect damage presents a greater threat to cropplants than does mild drought stress.

Farmers are not always able to control theamount of water that their crops receivewhen, for instance, there are rainstorms in theareas where their crops are growing.

Mexican bean beetles are mor likely to feedon the leaves of slightly drought-stressedsoybeans than oak lace bugs are to feed on theleaves of abundantly watered soybeans.

10. A recent study suggests that Alzheimer's disease,which attacks the human brain, may be caused by avirus. In the study, blood from I 1 volunteers, each ofwhom had the disease, was injected into rats. Therats eventually exhibited symptoms of anotherdegenerative neurological disorder, Creutzfeldt-f akobdisease, which is caused by a virus. This led thescientist who conducted the study to conclude thatAlzheimer's disease might be caused by a virus.Which one of the following statements, if true, wouldmost strengthen the scientist s hypothesis thatAlzheimer's disease is caused by a virus?(A) Alzheimer's disease in rats is not caused by a

virus.(B) Creutzfeldt-|akob disease affects only motornerves in rats'limbs, not their brains.(C) The virus that causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseasein rats has no effect on humans,(D) The symptoms known, respectively, asCreutzfeldt-Iakob disease and Alzheimer'sdisease are different manifestations of thesame disease.(E) Blood from rats with Creutzfeldt-|akob diseaseproduced no symptoms of the disease wheninjected into other expetimental rats.

11. Marmosets are the only primates other than humansffu known to display a preference for using one hand

-

rather than the other. Significantly more marmosetsare left-handed than are right-handed. Since infantmarmosets engage in much irnitative behavior,researchers hypothesize that it is by imitation thatinfant marmosets learn which hand to use, so thatoffspring reared by left-handed parents generallyshare their parents' handedness.Which one of the following, if true, most supportsthe researchers' hypothesis?(A) A study conducted on adult marmosets

revealed that many were right-handed.(B) Right-handed marmosets virtually all have atleast one sibling who is left-handed.(C) According to the study,33 percent ofmarmosets are ambidextrous, showing equalfacility using either their left hand or theirright hand.(D) Ninety percent of humans are right-handed,but those who are left-handed are likely tohave at least one left-handed parent.(E) Marmosets raised in captivity with right-handed adult marmosets to whom thev arenot related are more likely to be right-irandedthan left-handed.

9ourcee: Preplest 36, S*tlon 3, Questlon 73,Prcpl$t 35, Sectlon 4, Questlon t0Preplest 33, Sectton L Queetlon 7

(A)

(B)

(c)(D)

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I(APLAN232


Str e n gth e n/llleo ke n Quesfions

12. |uan: Unlike the ancient Olympic games on whichthey are based, the modern Olympics includeprofessional as well as amateur athletes. Butsince amateurs rarely have the financial ormaterial resources available to professionals, itis unlikely that the amateurs will ever offer aserious challenge to professionals in thoseOlympic events in which amateurs competeagainst professionals' Hence, the presence ofprofessional athletes violates the spirit offairness essential to the games.

Michiko: But the idea of the modern Olympics is toshowcase the rvorld's finest athletes, regardlessof their backgrounds or resources. Hence,professionals should be allowed to compete.

Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslyundermines luaris argument?(A) In general, amateur athletes tend to

outnumber professional athletes in themodern OIYmPics.(B) In certain events in the modern Olympics thebest few competitors are amateurs; in certainother events the best few competitors areprofessionals.(C) The concept of "amateur" and "professional"athletics would have been unfamiliar to theancient Greeks on whose games the modernOlympics are based.

In the modern Olympics there has been nonoticeable correlation between the financialor material resources expended on thetraining of individual athletes and theeventual performance of those athletes.

Many amateur athletes who take part ininternational competitions receive nofinancial or material support from thegovernments of the countries that theamateurs represent.

t 3. A recent national study of the trash discarded inseveral representative areas confirmed that plasticsconstitute a smaller proportion of all trash thanpaper products do, whether the trash is measured byweight or by volume. The damage that a given weightor volume of trash does to the environment isroughly the same whether the trash consists ofplastics or paper products. Contrary to popularopinion, therefore, the current use of plastics actuallydoes less harm to the environment nationwide thanthat of paper products.Which one of the following, if true, most strengthensthe argument?(A) A given weight of paper product may increase

in volume after manufacture and before beingdiscarded as trash.(B) Accordiag to popular opinion, volume is amore important consideration than weight in Apredicting the impact of a given quantity of )^(trash on the environment.(C) The sum of damage caused to the environmentby paper trash and by plastic trash is greaterthan that caused by any other sort of trashthat was studied.(D) The production of any paper product is moreharmful to the environment than is theproduction of an equal weight or volume ofany plastic.(E) The proportion of plastic trash to paper trashvaries from one part of the country toanother.

There should be a greater use of gasohol. Gasohol is amixture of alcohol and gasoline, and has a higheroctane rating and fewer carbon monoxide emissionsthan straight gasoline. Burning gasohol adds nomore carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than plantsremol by photosynthesis.Each of the following, if true, strengthens theargument above EXCEPT:(A) Cars run less well on gasoline than they do on

gasohol.(B) Since less gasoline is needed with the use ofgasohol, an energy shortage is less likely.(C) Cars burn on the average slightly more gasoholper kilometer than they do gasoline.(D) Gasohol is cheaper to produce and hence costsless at the pump than gasoline.(E) Burning gasoline adds more carbon dioxide tothe atmosphere than plants can remove.

Sources: PrepTest 33, Sectlon 7, Queetlons 4 and 6PrcpTest 29, Sectlon 7, Questlon 3

KAPTA9 233

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ISAT Mostery Prodice

Automobile-emission standards are enforced throughannual inspection. At those inspections cars are testidwhile idling; that is, standing still with their enginesrunning. Testing devices measure the levels of variouspollutants as exhaust gases leave the tail pipe.Which one of the following, if true, most stronglyindicates that current enforcement of automobile-emission standards might be ineffective incontrolling overall pollutant levels?(A) As an emission-control technology approaches

its limits, any additional gains in effectivenessbecome progressively more expensive.(B) The testing devices used must be recalibratedfrequently to measure pollutant levels withacceptable accuracy.(C) The adjustments needed to make a car idlecleanly make it likely that the car will emithigh levels of pollutants when moving athighway speeds.

16. Ianer l'elevision programs and movies thatdepict violence among .eenagers are extremelypopular. Given how influential these mediaare, we have good reason to believe that thesedepictions cause young people to engage inviolent behavior. Hence, depictions -ofviolence among teenagers sliould be prohibitedfrom movies and telev,ision p.og.u-i, if onlyin those programs and movies promoted to 'young audiences.

Maurice-: But you are recommending nothing shortof censorship! Besides which, your claim thattelevision and movie depictions of violencecause violence is mistaken: violence amongyoung people predates movies and televisi6nby centuries.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthensfane's argument?

The most violent characters depicted inmovies and on television programs are adultcharacters who are portrayedly adult actors,

The movies that have been'shorvn to have thcmost influence on young people,s behaviorare.those that are promoted to youngaudiences.

The people who make the most profits in themovie and television industry ire those whocan successfully promote their work to bothyoung and old audiences.

Many adolescents who engage in violentbehavior had already displayed such behaviorbetore they lvere exposed to violence inmovies.

Among the producers who make both moviesand television programs, many voluntarilyrestrict the subject matter of films directedtoward young audiences.

(E)

(A)(D)

(B)

(c)

(D)

(E)

Most car owners ask their mechanics to makesure that their cars are in compliance withemission standards,

When emission standards are set, noallowances are made for older cars.

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Sources: Prcplest 29, Eection l, euestion 24Prcplest 29, Sectton g, euestion 6

234


Stre n gth en/Wea ke n Qu esti an s

17. In Yasukawa's month-long study of blackbirds, thepercentage of smaller birds that survived theduration of the study exceeded the percentage oflarger birds that survived. However, Yasukawa'sconclusion that size is a determinant of a blackbird'schances of survival over a month-long period isprobably misiaken, since smaller blackbirds aregenerally younger than larger ones.Which one of the following, if true, indicates that thecriticism ofYasukawa's research is based on amisunderstanding of it?(A) Yasukarva compared the survival chances of

two different species of blackbirds, a largerand a small species, rather than of differentsizes of birds within one species,(B) Yasukawa examined blackbirds in their naturalhabitat rather than in captivity.(C) Yasukawa did not compare the survivalchances of blackbirds with those of otherkinds of birds.

18. Advances in photocopying technology allow criminalswith no printing expertise to counterfeit papercurrency. C)ne standard anticounter{eiting technique,microprinting, prints paper currency with tiny designsthat cannot be photocopied distinctly. Althoughcounterfeits of microprinted currency can be detectedeasily by experts, such counterfeits oftea circslatewidely before being detected. An alternative, thoughmore costly, printing technique would print currencyrvith a special irk. Currency printed with the ink wouldchange color depending on how ordinary light strikesit, whereas photocopied counterfeits of such currencywould not. Because this technique would allow anyoneto detect photocopied counterfeit currency easiill itshould be adopted instead of microprinting despite theexPense.

Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslyundermines the argument?

(D)

(E)

Yasukawa noted that the larger blackbirds hadmore success in fights than did the smallerblackbirds.

Yasukawa noted that the larger blackbirds (B)tended to have more firmly established socialhierarchies than did the smaller blackbirds, (c)

(A) The longer the interval between the time "

)kcounterfeit bill passes into circulation and thetime the counterfeit is detected, the moredifficult it is for law enforcement officials toapprehend the counterfeiter.

Sophisticated counterfeiters could producecurrency printed with the special inkbut cannotduplicate microprinted currency exactly.

Further advances in photocopying technologywill dramatically increase the level of detailthat photocopies can reproduce.

The largest quantities of counterfeit currencynow entering circulation are produced byordinary criminals who engage incounterfeiting only briefly.

It is very difficult to make accurate estimates ofwhat the costs to society would be if large amor.rntsof counterfeit currenry circulated widely.

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Sources; PtepTest 27,Section 7, question 4PrepTest 25, Sectlon 2, Question 5

I(APLAN 235


ISAT Mastery Practice

19. The Board of Trustees of the Federici Art Museumhas decided to sell some works from its collection inorder to raise the funds necessary to refurbish itsgalleries. Although this may seem like a drasticremedy, the curator has long maintained that amongthe paintings that the late Ms' Federici collected forthe museum were several unsuccessful immatureworks by Renoir and Czanne that should be soldbecause they are of inferior quality and so addnothing to the overall quality of the museum'scollection. Hence, the board's action will not detractfrom the quality of the museum's collection.Which one of the following, if true, most weakens theargument?

The directors of an art museum can generallyraise firnds for refurbishing the building inrvhich the museurt's collection is housed bymeans other than selling part of its collection.

I'he quality of an art collection is determinednot just by the quality of its paintings, but by*-hat its collection demonstrates about thedevelopment of the artistic talent and ideas ofthe artists represented.

The immature works by Renoir and Czannethat were purchased by Ms. Federici \i/ere atthat time thought by some critics to beunimportant juvenile works.

Those people who speculate in art bypurchasing artworks merely to sell them atmuch higher prices welcome inflation in theart market, but curators of art museumsregret the inflation in the art market.

The best work of a great artist demands muchhigher prices in the art market than the rvorstwork of that same artist.

A neighborhood group plans to protest the closing ofthe neighborhood's only recreation center on thegrounds that to do so would leave the neighborhoodwithout local access to a recreation center. "Ourneighborhood already has the most residents percenter of any neighborhood in the city," complainedone resident, "and closing this center would make thesituation unacceptable since access to recreationalfacilities is a necessity for this neighborhood."Each of the following, if true, weakens the resident'sargument EXCEPT:(A) A large number of the neighborhood's

residents are unable to travel outside theirlocality to gain access to recreational facilities.(B) Children, the main users of recreationalfacilities, make up a disproportionately smallsegment of the neighborhood's population.(C) Often the recreation center in theneighborhood is open but not being used.(D) Programs that are routinely filled at otherrecreation centers must be canceled at theneighborhood's recreation center due to lackof interest.(E) As people become more involved in computersand computer games, recreation centers arebecoming increasingly less important.

Most small children are flat-footed. This failure ofthe foot to assume its natural arch, if it persists pastearly childhood can sometimes result in discomfortand even pain later in life. Traditionalll flat-footednessin children has been treated by having the childrenwear special shoes that give extra support to the foot,in order to foster the development of the arch.Which one of the follorving, if true, most calls intoquestion the efficacy of the traditional treatmentdescribed above?(A) Many small children who have normal feet

wear the same special shoes as those worn byflat-footed children.(B) Studies of flat-footed adults show that flat feetare subject to fewer stress fractures than arefeet with unusually high arches.(C) Although most children s flat-footedness iscorrected by the time the children reachpuberty, some people remain flat-footed forlife.(D) Flat-footed children who do not wear thespecial shoes are as likely to develop naturalarches as are flat-footed children who lyearthe special shoes.(E) Some children who are not flat-footed have hipand lower leg bones that are rotated excessivelyeither inward or outward.

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(B)

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Sources: PrepTesl 25, Eection 4, Questlon !0PrepTest 24, Sectlon 2, Questlon 7PrepTest 22, Sectlon 2, Questlan 4

I(APLAN236


Stre n gth en/We o ken Questi o n s

22. Antinuclear activist: The closing of the nuclearpower plant is a victory for the antinuclearcause. It also represents a belatedacknowledgment by the power industry thatthey cannot operate such plants safely.

Nuclear power plant manager: It represents nosuch thing. The availability of cheap powerfrom nonnuclear sources, together with thecost of mandated safety inspections and safetyrepairs, made continued operationuneconomic. Thus it was not safetyconsiderations but economic considerationsthat dictated the plant's closing.

Which one of the followiag, if true, most stronglysupports the activist's claim of victory?(A) The plant had reached the age at which its

operating license expired.The mandate for inspections and repairsmentioned by the manager was recentlyenacted as a result of pressure ftomantinuclear groups.

The plant would not have closed if cheappower from nonnuclear sources had not beenavailable.(D) Per unit of electricity produced, the plant hadthe highest operating costs of any nuclearpower plant.(E) The plant that closed had been able to providebackup power to an electrical network"rhenparts of the network became overloaded.

23. A number of seriously interested amateurastronomers have tested the new Exodus refractortelescope, With it, they were able to observe in crispdetail planetaryfeatures that were seen only as{uzzyimages in their 8-inch (approximately 20-centimeter)Newtonian telescopes, even though the 8-inchtelescopes, with their wider apertures, gather morelight than the 4-inch (approximately l0-centimeter)Exodus. Given these amateur astronomers'observational findings, any serious amateurastronomer ought to choose the Exodus if she or heis buying a telescope for planetary observation.Which one of the following most seriously weakensthe argument?(A) Telescopes of certain types will not perform

well unless they have been preciselycollimated, a delicate adjustment requiringdeftness.

Image quality is only one of several differentfactors that, taken together, should determinethe choice of a telescope for planetaryobservation.

Sourees: PrepTest 2!, Sectlan 2, Questlon 23PrepTest 27, Section 3, Questlan 2!

(c)

(B)(B)

(D)

(E)

(C) Many serious amateur astronomers have no Fintention of buying a telescope for planetary Oobservation. otl

The comparisons made by the amateurastronomers were based on observationsmade during several different observationsessions.

The substance used to make the lenses ofExodus telescopes differs from that used inthe lenses of other telescopes.

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I(A PLAN 237


26.24. A director of the Rem Pharmaceutical Companyargued that the development costs for new vaccinesthat the health department has requested should besubsidized by the government, since the marketing ofvaccines promised to be less profitable than themarketing of any other pharmaceutical product. Insupport of this claim the director argued that sales ofvaccines are likely to be lower since each vaccine isadministered to a patient only once, whereasmedicines that combat diseases and chronic illnessesare administered many times to each patient.Which one of the following, if true, most weakens thesupport offered by the company director for theclaim concerning the marketing of vaccines?(A) Vaccines are administered to many more people

than are most other pharmaceutical products'(B) Many of the diseases that vaccines aredesigned to prevent can be successfullytreated by medicines.(C) Pharmaceuticalcompaniesoccasionallymarket products that are neither medicinesnor vaccines.(D) Pharmaceutical companies other than the RepiPharmaceutical Company produce vaccines.(E) The cost of administering a vaccine is rarelyborne by the pharmaceutical company thatmanufactures that vaccine,

Someone who gets sick from eating a meal will oftendevelop a strong distaste for the one food in the mealthat had the most distinctive flavor, rvhether or notthat food caused the sickness' This phenomenonexplains why children are especially likely to developstrong aYersions to some foods.Which one of the following, if true, provides thestrongest support for the explanation?(A) Children are more likely than adults to be

given meals composed of foods lackingespecially distinctive fl avors.(B) Children are less likely than adults to see aconnection between their health and thefoods they eat.(C) Children tend to have more acute taste and tobecome sick more often than adults do'(D) Children typically recover more slorvly thanadults do from sickness caused by food.(E) Children are more likely than are adults torefuse to eat unfamiliar foods.

Opponents of allowing triple-trailer trucls to use thenational highway system are wrong in claiming thatthese trucks are more dangerous than othercommercial vehicles. In the western part of thecountry, in areas where triple-trailers are nowpermitted on some highlvays, for these vehicles therate of road accident fatalities per mile of travel islower than the national rate for other types ofcommercial vehicles. Clearly, triple-trailers are saferthan other commercial vehicles.Which one of the following, if true, most substantiallyweakens the argument?{A) It takes two smaller semitrailers to haul as

much weight as a single triple-trailer can.(B) Ilighways in the sparsely populated West aremuch less heavily traveled and consequentlyare far safer than highways in the nationalsystem as a whole.(C) Opponents of the triple-trailers also once::1":;1*iliT',i:*l.Ttff #"1:l*'(D) In areas where the triple-trailers are permitted,drivers need a special license to operate them.(E) For triple-trailers the rate of road accidentfatalities per mile of travel was higher lastyear than in the two previous years,

A newly developed light bulb is much more cost-effective than conventional light bulbs: it costs onlyabout 3 times what a conventional light bulb costsbut it lasts up to l0 times as long as a conventionallight bulb. Despite the manufacturer's intense effortsto publicize the advantages of the new bulb, oneanalyst predicts that these new bultrs will prove tosell very poorly.Each of the following, if true, provides support forthe analyst's prediction EXCEPT:(A) The light generated by the new bulb is in the

yellow range of the spectrum, a type ofartificial light most people find unappealing.(B) Most people who purchase light bulbs preferto buy inexpensive light bulbs rather thanmore durable but expensive light bulbs.(C) A manufactuter of one brand of conventionallight bulb has advertised clairns that the newlight bulb uses more electricity than doconventional iight buibs.(D) The new bulb is to be marketed in severaldifferent quantities, ranging frorn packagescontaining one bulb to packages containingfour bulbs.(E) A competing manufacturer is about tointroduce a light bulb that lasts 10 times aslong as a conventional bulb but costs less thana conventional bulb.

Sources: PrepTest 20, Section 7, Questions 2 and gPrepTest 2O, Sectlon 4, Questlons 3 and 5

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28.

Str e n gth e n/ We o ke n Qu esti o n s

For every 50 dogs that contract a certain disease, onewill die from it, A vaccine exists that is virtually 100percent effective in preventing this disease. Since theiisk of death from complications of vaccination isone death per 5,000 vaccinations, it is therefore saferfor a dog to receive the vaccine than not to receive it.

Which one of the following would it be most helpfulto know in order to evaluate the argument?(A) the total number of dogs that die each year

from all causes taken together(B) whether the vaccine is effective against thedisease in household pets other than dogs(C) the number of dogs that die each year fromdiseases other than the disease in question

tD) the likelihood that a dog will contract anotherdisease such as rabies(E) the likelihood that an unvaccinated dog willcontract the disease in question

Public health will improve more quickly in the wakeof new medical discoveries if medical researchersabandon their practice of waiting until their findingsare published in peer-reviewed journals beforeinforming the press of important research results,This is because the public release of new medicalinformation allows people to use that information inorder to improve their health, but the peer-reviewprocess is unavoidablY verY slow

Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslyweakens the argument?(A) Peer review often prevents the publication of

false conclusions drawn on the basis of poorlyconducted medical research.(B) People often alter their life-styles on the basisof nerv medical information made availablethrough the Press.(C) Some improvements in public health are dueto factors other than the discovery of newmedical information.(D) Some newspapers would be willing to publishthe results of medical research before thoseresults have appeared in peer-reviewedjournals.(E) Most peer-reviewed scientific journals wouldrefuse to give up the practice of peer review.

30. Three major laundry detergent manutacturers haveconcentrated their powdered detergents by reducingthe proportion of inactive ingredients in the detergeirtformulas. The concentrated detergents will be sold irrsmaller packages. In explaining the change, themanufacturers cited the desire to reduce cardboardpackaging and other production costs. Marketanalysts predict that the decision of these threemanufacturers, who control 80 percent of the laundrydetergent market, will eventually bring about thevirtual disappearance of old-style bulky detergents.Which one of the following, if true, most stronglysupports the prediction made by the market analysts?(A) Most smaller manufacturers of laundry

detergents will consider it too expensive toretool factories for the production of thesmaller detergent packages.

29.

(B) Many consumers will be skeptical initially that nthe recommended small amount of tkconcentrated detergent will clean laundry aseffectively as the larger amount of the old-style detergent did.

Some analysts believe that consumers will haveto pay a greater cost per load of laundry touse the new concentrated detergent than theydid to use the old-style detergent.

Major supermarkets have announced that theywill not charge the detergent nranufacturersless to display their detergents, even thoughthe detergents will take up less shelf space.

Consumers are increasingly being persuadedby environmental concerns to buyconcentrated detergents when available inorder to reduce cardboard waste'

(c)

(D)

(E)

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Sources.' PrepTest 20, Sectlon 4, Queetlon 7PrepTest 17, Sectlon 2, Queslion x'3PrcpTest 77, Sectlon 3, Questlon I

I(APLAN 239


ISAT Mastery Proctice

33.

@Ouestions 31.-32

Although tales of wonder and the fantastic are iategralto all world literatures, only recently has the fantasy genrehad a comrnercial resurgence in North America. During thelast 20 years, sales of fantasy-fiction books written foradults have gone from 1 to l0 percent of total adult-fictionsales. At the same time, the number of favorable reviews offantasy books has increased markedly. Some booksellerssay that the increased sales of fantasy books written foradults can be traced to the increased favorable attentiongiven the genre by book reviewers.

3 l. Which one of the following, if true, undermines thebooksellers' explanation of the growth in sales offantasy-fiction books for adults?(A) Publishers often select a manuscript on the

basis of whether they think that the publishedbook will receive favorable reviews by trookreviewers.(B) Few readers of fantasy fiction read bookreviews, and even fewer select books topurchase on the basis of those reviews.(C) Most booksellers are aware of what maiorbook reviewers have written about reientlypublished books.(D) Although the increase in the percentage offantasy books sold has been substantial,publishers estimate that sales could increaseeven further,(E) Many of the book reviews of new fantasy-fiction novels also mention great fantasynovels ofthe past.

32. Which one of the following, if true, most stronglysupports the booksellers'explanation of the growthin sales offantasy-fiction books for adults?(A) Many experts report that on average the

reading level of book buyers has declined overthe past 20 years.(B) Because life during the past 20 years hasbecome complex and difficult, many readershave come to prefer the happy endings thatfantasy fiction often provides.

iC) Some fantasy publishers take advantage of thepopularity of certain books by commissioningsimilar books.(D) Because few readers of mystery novels werebuyrng fantasy fiction, 10 years ago the majorpublishers of fantasy fiction created anadvertising campaign directed specifically atthose readers.(E) After fantasy fiction began to be favorablyreviewed by respected critics 20 years ago,book buyers began to regard fantasy books assuitable reading for adults.

Advertisement: Most power hedge trimmers on themarket do an adequate job of trimminghedges, but many power hedge trimmers aredangerous to operate and can cause seriousinjury when used by untrained operators.Bolter Industries'hedge trimmer has beentested by National Labotatories, the mosttrusted name in safety testing. So you know, ifyou buy a Bolter's, you are buying a powerhedge trimmer whose safety is assured.

The answer to which one of the following questionswould be most usefiil in evaluating the truth of theconclusion drawn in the advertisement?

Has National Laboratories performed safefytests on other machines made by BolterIndustries?

How important to the average buyer of apower hedge trimrner is safety of operation?

What were the results of NationalLaboratories' tests of Bolter Industriest hedgetrimmer?

fue there safer ways of trimming a hedge thanusing a power hedge trimmer?

Does any other power hedge trimmer on themarket do a better job of trimming hedgesthan does Bolter Industries'hedge trimmer?

(A)

(B)

(c)

(D)(E)

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Sorrrces; PrepTest 77, Sectlon 3, euesfjons !7 and lgPrepTest 7O, Section 7, Question 6

240


34,

Ouestions 34-35

A physician who is too thorough in conducting amedical checkup is likely to subject the patient to thediscomfort and expense of unnecessary tests. One who isnot thorough enough is likely to miss some seriousproblem and therefore give the patient a false sense ofsecurity. It is difficult for physicians to judge exactly howthorough they should be. Therefore, it is generally unwisefor patients to have medical checkups when they do notfeel ill.

Which one of the following, if true, would mostseriously weaken the argument in the passage?

Some serious diseases in their early stages havesymptoms that physicians can readily detect,although patients are not aware of anyproblem.

Under the Dressure of reducedreimbursements, physicians have beenreducing the average amount of time theyspend on each medical checkup.(C) Patients not medically trained are unable tojudge for themselves what degree ofthoroughness is appropriate for physicians inconducting medical checkups.(D) Many people are financially unable to affordregular medical checkups.(E) Some physicians sometimes exercise exactlythe right degree of thoroughness inperforming a medical checkup.

Which one of the following, if true, would providethe most support for the conclusion in the passage?

Not all medical tests entail significantdiscomfort.

Sometimes, unnecessary medical tests causehealthy people to become ill.

Some patients refuse to accept a physician'sassurance that the patient is healthy.

The more complete the series of testsperformed in a medical checkup, the morelikely it is that a rare disease, if present, willbe discovered.

Physicians can eliminate the need to ordercertain tests by carefully questioning patientsand rejecting some possibi-lities on that basis.

36. The foreign minister of Zeria announced today thather country was severing diplomatic relations withNandalo because of Nandalo's flagrant violations ofhuman rights. But Zeria continues to maintaindiplomatic relations with many countries that theminister knows to have far worse human-rightsrecords than Nandalo does. Therefore, despite theforeign minister's claim, this latest diplomatic movecannot be explained exclusively by Zeria'scommitment to upholding human rights.Which one of the follorving, if true, provides themost support for the argument in the passage?

The country that currently buys most ofZeria's exports recently suggested that itmight severely restrict its imports fromZeriaunless Zeria broke off diplomatic relationswith Nandalo.

Two weeks after the Zeian minister'sannouncement, several other countries citedhuman-rights violations as a reason forsevering diplomatic relations with Nandalo.

More countries have expressed concern overreported human-rights violations in Nandalothan have expressed concern overhuman-rights violations in Zeria.

Nandalo has considered accusing Zefia ofviolating the human rights of Nandalocitizens living il Zeria.

The opposition party rn Zeia has longadvocated severing trade relations withcountries that systematically violate humanrights but has opposed severing diplomaticrelations.

(A)(A)

(B)

(c)

(B)

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(E)

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Source: Prepfest 7O, Sectlon 4, Questions l, 2, and tl

?41


LSAT Mostery Prodice

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J7 lhe number of aircraft collisions on the ground isincreasing because ofthe substantial increase in thenumber Jf ttigtttt operated bv the airlines. Many ofthe tatalittes that occur in such collisions are causednot by the collision itself, but by an inherent flaw inthe cabin design of most aircraft, in which seats, byrestricting access to emergency exits, impede escape'Therefore-, to reduce the total number of fatalitiesthat result annually from such collisions, the airlinesshould be required to remove all seats that restrictaccess to emergencY exits.

Which one of the following, if true, provides themost suppori for the ProPosal?(A) The number of deaths that occurred in theater

fires because theater Patrons could not escapewas greatly reduced when theaters wererequired to have aisles leading to each exit'(B) Removing the seats that block emergency exitson aircraft rvill require a costly refitting ofaircraft cabins.(C) In the event of fire, public buildings equippedwith smoke detectors have fewer fatalitiesthan do public buildings not so equipped'(D) In the event of collision, passengets on planesrvith a smaller passenger capacity generallysuffer more serious injury than do passengerson planes with a larger passnger capacity.(E) The safetybelts attached to aircraft seatsfunction to Protect passengers from the fullforce of impact in the event of a collision.

38. When a study of aspirin s ability to Prevent heartattacks in humans yielded positive results'researchers immediately submitted those results to amedical journal, which published them six weekslater. Had the results been published sooner, many ofthe heart attacks that occurred during the delaycould have been Prevented.The conclusion drawn above lvould be mostundermined if it were true that(A) the medical journal's staff worked overtime in

order to publish the study's results as soon aspossible(B) studies of aspirin's usefulness in reducingheart attacks in laboratory animals remaininconclusive(C) people who take aspirin regularly suffer ahigher-than-average incidence of stomachulcers(D) the medical journalt officiai policy is to publisharticles only after atr extensive review process(E) a person's risk of suffering a heart attack dropsonly after that person has taken aspirinregularly for two Years

39. Policy Adviser: Freedom of speech is not only abasic human right; it is also the only rationalpolicy for this government to adopt. Whenideas are openly aired, good ideas flourish, sillyproposals are easily recognized as such, anddangerous ideas can be responded to byrational argunrent. Nothing is ever gained byforcing citizens to disseminate their thoughtsin secret.

Which one of the following, if true, would moststrengthen the argument?(A) Most citizens would tolerate some limits on

fteedom of speech.(B) With or without a poliry of freedom of speech,governments respond to dangerous ideasirrationally.(C) Freedom of religion and freedom of assemblyare also basic human rights that governmentsmust recognize,(D) Governments are less likely to be overthrown ifthey openly adopt a policy allowing freedomof speech.(E) Great ideas have flourished in societies thatrepress free speech as often as in those thatpermit it.

40. The use of money causes a civilization to decline.That this is true is shown by the way the troubles ofWestern civilization began with the invention ofmoney. While real money (gold and sil'r'er) is badenough, imitation money (paper money) is a horror.The decline of Western civilization exactly parallelsthe increasing use of money-both real money andworthless paper money-as a substitute for things ofintrinsic value.Which one of the following, if true, could contributemost to a refutation of the argument?(A) People prefer using lnoney to having a system

in *'hich goods are bartered for other goodsof equal intrinsic value.(B) Eastern cultures have used money' and Easterncivilizations have not declined.((,) 'Ihe use of paper money encourages disregardtbr the value of work because the money itselfhas no intrinsic value.(D) The rate of exchange befiveen gold and papermoney has tluctuated greatiy in Westerncivilization.(E) Some employers exchange goods for theiremployees'services in order to avoid theexchange of money.

Sources,' PrepTest 9, Section 2, Questlon IPrepTest 9, Section 4, Questlan 2PrepTest 6, Section 2, Questlon 21Preplest 6, Sectlon 3, Questlon 2

) A) I(A PLAN)

--zPDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor

Stre n gth e n/We a ke n Quesfrons

4t. In an attempt to counter complaints that a certainpesticide is potentially hazardous to humans ifabsorbed into edible plants, the pesticidemanufacturer has advertised that "ounce for ounce,the active ingredient in this pesticide is less toxicthan the active ingredient in mouthwash."Which one of the following, if true, indicates aweakness in the manufacturer's argument?(A) The ounce-for-ounce toxicity of the active

ingredient in mouthwash is less than that ofmost products meant for external use byhumans, such as nail polish or other cosmetics'(B) The quantity of toxins humans ingest byconsuming plants treated with the pesticideis, on average, much higher than the quantityof toxins humans ingest by using mouthwash.(C) The container in which the pesticide ispackaged clearly identifies the toxicingredients and carries warnings about theirpotential danger to humans.(D) On average, the toxins Present in the pesticidetake longer than the toxins present inmouthwash to reach harmful levels in thehuman body.(E) Since the government began to regulate thepesticide industry over ten years ago, therehas been a growing awareness ofthe dangersof toxins used in pesticides.

Recently, highly skilled workers in Eastern Europehave left jobs in record numbers to emigrate to theWest. It is therefore likely that skilled workers whoremain in Eastern Europe are il high demand intheir home countries.Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslyweakens the argument?(A) Eastern European factories prefer to hire

workers from their home countries ratherthan to import workers from abroad.(B) Major changes in Eastern European economicstructures have led to the elimination ofmany positions previously held by the highlyskilled emigrants.(C) Many Eastern European emigrants need toacquire new skills after finding rvork in theWest.(D) Eastern European coutrtries plan to train manynerv rvorkers to replace the highly skilledworkers lvho have emigrated.(E) Because of the departure of skilled lvorkersfrom Eastern European countries, manypositions are now unfilled.

43. Sedimentary rock hardens within the eartir"s crust aslayers of matter accumulate and the pressure of thelayers above converts the layers below into rock, Oneparticular layer of sedimentary rock that contains anunusual amount of the element iridium has beenpresented as support for a theory that a meteoritecollided with the earth some sixty million years ago.Meteorites are rich in iridium compared to theearth's crust, and geologists theorize that ameteorite's collision with the earth raised a hugecloud of iridium-laden dust. The dust, they say,eventually settled to earth where it combined withother matter, and as new layers accumulated above it,it formed a layer of iridium-rich rock.Which one of the following, if true, would counterthe claim that the iridium-rich layer described in thepassage is evidence for the meteorite collision theory?

The huge dust cloud described in the passagewould have blocked the transmission ofsunlight and lowered the earth's temperature.

A layer of sedimentary rock takes millions ofyears to harden.

Layers of sedimentary rock are used todetermine the dates of prehistoric eventsrvhether or not they contain iridium.

Sixty million years ago there was a surge involcanic activity in which the matter spewedfrom the volcanoes formed huge iridium-richdust clouds.

The iridium deposit occurred at about thesame time that many animal species becameextinct and some scientists have theorizedthat mass dinosaur extinctions were causedby a meteorite collision.

Sourcesi Pseplest Q Sectfon 3, Questlon 4PrepTest 5, Sectlon 7, Questions 5 and !7

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(B)

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243


44. In essence, all rent-control policies involve specifrilga maximum rent that a landlord may charge for adwelling. The rationale for controlling rents is toprotect tenants in situations where limited supplywill cause rents to rise sharply in the face ofincreased demand, However, although rent controlmay help some tenants in the short run, it affects therental-housing market adversely in the long runbecause landlords become reluctant to maintain thequality of their existing properties and even morereluctant to have additional rental-housing unitsbuilt.Which one of the following, if true, best explains thelandlords' reluctance described above?(A) Tenantspreferlow-qualityaccommodations

with rent control to high-qualityaccommodations without it.

Rent control makes it very difficult forlandlords to achieve reasonable returns onany investments in maintenance or in newconstruction.

Rent control is a common practice eventhough it does nothing to alleviate shortagesin rental housing.

Rent control is generally introduced forpoliticai reasons and it takes political actionto have it lifted again.

Tenants prefer rent control to the alternative ofreceiviag direct government subsidies towardrents they cannot afford.

Several studies have shown that hospitals are not allequally successfi.rl: patients are much more likely todie in some of them than in others. Since thehospitals in the studies had approximately equalper-patient funding, differences in the quality of careprovided by hospital staff are probably responsiblefor the differences in mortality rates.Which one of the following, if true, casts the mostdoubt on the conclusion drawn aboye?(A) The staff in some of the hospitals studied had

earned more advanced degrees, on average,than the staff in the other hospitals.(B) Patient populations vary substantially inaverage severity of illness from hospital tohospital.

The average number of years that staffmembers stay on at a given job variesconsiderably from one hospital to another.

Approximately the same surgical procedureswere performed in each of the hospitalscovered in the studies.

Mortality rates for hospital patients do notvary considerably from one region of t}recountry to another.

45.

(B)

(c)

(D)

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Soutc6s.'PrepTest 5,9ectlon l, Questlon 29PrepTest 5, Sectlon 3, Question 2

244


Str e n gth e n /VVe a ke n Qu esfions

46. Compared to us, people who lived a century ago hadvery few diversions to amuse them. Therefore, theylikely read much more than we do today.

Which one of the followi,ng statements, if true, mostweakens the arprment?(A) Many of the books published a century ago

r+'ere of low literary quality.(B) On average, people who lived a century agohad considerably less leisure time than we dotoday.(C) The number of books sold today is larger thanit was a century ago.(D) On the average, books today cost slightly lessin relation to other goods than they did acentury ago.(E) One of the popular diversions of a century agowas horse racing.

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is fourrd inside thenoses of various animals. \{hile its structuraldevelopment and function are clearer in otheranimals, most humans have a Vl.{O that is detectable,though only microscopically. \Vhen researchers havebeen able to stimulate VNO cells il hurnans, thesubjects have reported experiencing subtle smellsensations. It seems, then, that the VNO, though notcompletely understood, is a functioning sensoryorgan in most hurnans.Which one of the follorving, if true, most weakens theargument?(A) It is not known whether the researchers

succeeded in stinrulating only VNO cells inthe human subiects' noses.(B) Relative to its occurrence in certain otheranimals, the human VNC) appears to beanatomically rudimentary andunderdeveloped.(C) Certain chemicals that play a leading role inthe way the VNO functions in animals inwhich it is highly developed do not appear toplay a role i-n its functioning in humans.(D) Secondaryanatomicalstructuresassociatedwith the VNO in other animals seem to beabsent in humans.

tE) For many animal species, the VNO is thoughtto subtly enhance the sense of snell.

48. Lydia: Red squirreis are knon'n to make holes inthe bark of sugar maple trees and to consumethe trees'sap. Since sugar maple sap isessentially rvater with a small concentration ofsugar, the squirrels almost certainly are aftereither water or sugar. Water is easily availablefrom other sources in places where maple treesgrow, so the squirrels u'ould not go to thetrouble of chewing holes in trees just to getwater. Therefore, they are probably after thesugar.

Galina: It must be something other than sugar,because the concentration of sugar in themaple sap is so low that a squirrel would needto drink an enormous amount of sap to getany significant amount of sugar.

$ources: PrepTest 37, Seation 2, Question 4PrcpTest 37, Sectlon 4, Questlons 2 and tl

Which one of the following, if true, rrrost undermines s9the force of Galina's attempted rebuttal of Lydia's ?argument{(A) Squirrels are klo*'n to like foods that have a

high concentration of sugar.(B) Once a hole in a sugar maple trunk hasprovided one red squirrel rvith sap, other redsquirrels will make additional holes in itstrunk.(C) Trees other than sugar maples, whose sapcontains a lower concentration of sugar thandoes sugar mapie sap, are less frequentlytapped by red squirrels.(D) Red squiruels leave the sugar maple sap thatslowly oozes out of the holes in the tree'strunli until much of the water in the sap hasevaporated.(E) During the season rvhen sap can be obtainedfiom sugar maple trees, the weather oftenbecomes cold enough to prevent sap fromoozing out of the trees.

47.

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49, When several of a dermatologist's patientscomplained of a rash on just one side of their faces,the dermatologist suspected that the cause was somekind of external contact. In each case it turned outthat the rash occurred on the side of the face towhich the telephone was held. The dermatologistconcluded that the rash was caused by prolongedcontact with telephones.Each of the following, if true, provides additionalsupport for the dermatologist's diagnosis EXCEPT:(A) Many telephones are now manufactured using

a kind of plastic to which some people aremildly allergic.(B) Contact between other devices and thepatients'faces occurred equally on both sidesof their faces.(C) Most of the patients had occupations thatrequired them to use their telephonesextensively.(D) Telephones are used by most people in theindustrialized world.(E) The complaints occurued after an increase inthe patients' use of the telephone.

In ancient Mesopotamia, prior to 2900 B.C., wheatwas cultivated in considerable quantities, but after2900 B.C. production of that grain began to declineas the production of barley increased sharply. Somehistorians who study ancient Mesopotamia contendthat the decline in wheat production was due toexcessive irrigation, lack ofdrainage, and theconsequent accumulation of salt residues in the soil.Which one of the following, if true, most helps tosupport the historians' contention concerning thereasons for the decline in wheat production inancient Mesopotamia?(A) The cultivation of barley requires considerably

less water than does the cultivation of wheat,(B) Barley has much greater resistance to thepresence of salt in soi_l than does wheat.(C) Prior to 2900 8.C., barley was cultivated alongwith wheat, but the amount of barleyproduced was far less than the amount oflvheat produced,(D) Around 2900 8.C., a series of wheat blishtsoccurred, destroying much of the whe-at cropyear after year.(E) Literary and archaeological evidence indicatesthat in the period following 2900 8.C., barleybecarne the principal grain in the diet ofmost of the inhabitants of Mesopotamia.

51. It has been claimed that television networks shoutdprovide equal time for the presentation of opposingviews whenever a television program concernsscientific issues*such as those raised by the claimsof environmentalists-about which people disagree.However, although an obligation to provide equiltime does arise in the case of any programconcerning social issues, it does so because socialissues almost always have important politicalimplications and seldom can definitely be settled onthe basis of available evidence. If a program concernsscientific issues, that program gives rise to no suchequal time obligation.Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslyweakens the argument?(A) No scientific issues raised by the claims of

environmentalists have important politicalimplications.(B) There are often more than two opposing viewson an issue that cannot be definitely settledon the basis of avai_lable evidence.{C) Some social issues could be definitely settledon the basis of evidence if the opposing sideswould give all the available evidence a fairhearing.(D) Many scientific issues have important politicalimplications and cannot be definitely settledon the basis of the available evidence.(E) Some television networks refuse to broadcastprograms on issues that have importantpolitical implications and that cannot bedefinitely settled by the available evidence.

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Sources: PrepTest 37, Sectlon 4, Questlons t3 and 25Prep7est 36, Sectlon l, Question 8

246


Stre n gth en/Wea ke n Qu esti o n s

52. Journal: In several ps1'chological studies' subjectsrvere given statements to read that causedthem to form ner,r'beliefs' Later, the subjectswere told that the original statements lt/erefalse, The studies report, however, that mostsubjects persevered in their newly acquiredbeliefs, even after being told that the originalstatements were false. This strongly suggeststhat humans continue to hold onto acquiredbeliefs even in the absence of any credibleevidence to suPPort them.

Which one of the following, if true, most underminesthe journal's argument?(A) Regardless ofthe truth ofrvhat the subjects

were later told, the beliefs based on theoriginal statements were, for the most part,correct'(B) It is unrealistic to expect people to keep trackof the original basis of their beliefs, and torevise a belief when its original basis isundercut.(C) The statements originally given to the subjectswould be highly misleading even if true.(D) Most of the subjects had acquiredconfirmation of their newly acquired beliefsby the time they were told that the originalstatements were false.(E) Most of the subjects were initially skeptical ofthe statements originally given to them.

Statistician: A financial magazine claimed that itssurvey of its subscribers showed that NorthAmericans are more concerned about theirpersonal finances than about politics. Onequestion was: "Which do you think about more:politics or the joy of earning money?" Thisquestion is clearly biased' Also, the readers ofihe magazine are a self-selecting sample. Thus'there is reason to be skeptical about theconclusion drawn in the magazine's survel'.

Each of the following, if true, would strengthen thestatistician's argument EXCEPT:(A) The credibility of the magazine has been called

into question on a number of occasions'(B) The conclusions drawn in most magazinesurveys have eventually been disproved'(C) Other surveys suggest that North Americansare just as concerned about politics as theyare about finances.(D) There is reason to be skeptical about theresults of surveys that are biased andunrePresentative.(E) Other surveys suggest that North Americansare concerned not only with politics andfinances, but aiso with social issues.

54, One of the advantages of Bacillus thuringiensis (B't.)toxins over chemical insecticides results from theirspecificity for pest insects. The toxins have no knowndetrimental effects ott mammals or birds. Inaddition, the limited range of activity of the toxinstoward insects means that often a particular toxinwill kill pest species but not affect insects that preyupon the species. This advantage makes B't. toxinspreferable to chemical insecticides for use ascomponents of insect pest management programs.Which one of the following statements, if true, mostweakens the argument?(A) Chemical insecticides cause harm to a greater

number of insect species than do B't. toxins.(B) No particular B.t. toxin is effective against allinsects,

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B.t. toxins do not harm weeds that do damage *to farm crops. JL_

Insects build up resistance more readily to B.t. )^(toxins than to chemical insecticides.(E) Birds and rodents often do greater damage tofarm crops than do insects.

55. Expert witness: Ten times, and in controlledcircumstances, a single drop of the defendant'sblood was allowed to fail onto the fabric. And inall ten cases, the stained area was much less thanthe expected 9.5 cm2.In fact, the stained areawas alwuys between 4.5 and 4.8 cm2. I concludethat a single drop of the defendant's blood stainsmuch less than 9.5 cm/ of the fabric,

Which one of the following, if true, most underminesthe value of the evidence for the expert witness'sconclusion?(A) If similar results had been found after 100 test

drops of the defenclant's blood' the evidencervould be even stronger.(B) Expert witnesses have sometimes been knownto fudge their data to accord with theprosecution's case.(C) In an eleventh test drop of the defendant'sblood, the area stailed was also less than9.5 cm2'-this time stainin g9.3 cmz.(D) Another person's blood was substituted' and inotherwise identical circumstances, stainedbetween 9.8 and 10.6 cmz of the fabric'(E) Not all expert witnesses are the authorities intheir fields that they claim to be.

Sources,' PrepTest 35, Sectlon 1, Questions 13 and t5PrepTest 35,9ection 4, Question 5Prcplest 33, Section t, Question t7

247


ISAT Mostery Proctice

56. Sales manager: Last year the total number of mealssold in our company's restaurants was muchhigher than it was the year be{bre. Obviouslyconsumers find our meals desirable.

Accountant: Ifyou look at individual restaurants,however, you find that the number of mealssold actually decreased substantially at everyone of our restaurants that was in operationboth last year and the year before, Thedesirability of our meals to consumers hasclearly decreased, given that this group ofrestaurants-the only ones for which we havesales figures that permit a comparison betweenlast year and the year before-demonstrates atrend toward ferver sales.

Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslycalls into question the accountant's argument?

The company's restaurants last year droppedfrom their menus most of the new dishes thathad been introduced the year before.

Prior to last year there was an overalldownward trend in the company's sales.

Those of the company's restaurants that didincrease their sales last year did not offer largediscounts on prices to attract customers.

Sales of the company's most expensive mealcontributed little to the overall two-year salesincrease.

Most of the company's restaurants that were inoperation throughout both last year and theyear before are located in areas whereresidents experienced a severe overall declinein income last year,

In defending the llyperion School of ]ournalismfrom charges that its program is of little or no valueto its students, the dean of the school pointed to itsrecent success in placing students: 65 percent of itsgraduates rvent on to internships or jobs in print orbroadcast journalism,Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslyundermines the defense offered by the dean?

More than half of the school's students camefrom jobs in journalism to improve their skills.

Some newspaper editors do not regardjournalism schools as a necessary part ofthetraining of a journalist.

The number of cities with more than onemajor newspaper has declined sharply overthe last 25 years.

The program offered by the Hyperion School of]ournalism is similar in quality and content tothose offered by its peer institutions.

The proportion of applicants to the HyperionSchool of Journalisrn that are admitted islower than it rvas ten years ago.

Advances in photocopying technology allow criminalswith no printing expertise to counterfeit papercurrency. One standard anticounterfeiting technique,microprinting, prints paper currency with tiny designsthat cannot be photocopied distinctly. Althoughcounterfeits of microprinted currency can be detectedeasily by experts, such counterfeits often circulatewidely before being detected. An alternative, thoughmore costll', printing technique would print currencywith a special ink. Currenry printed with the ink wouldchange color depending on how ordinary light strikesit, whereas photocopied counterfeits of such crurensywould not. Because this technique would allow anyoneto detect photocopied counterfeit currency easily, itshould be adopted instead of microprinting, despite theexpnse.

Which one of the following, if true, provides themost support for the recommendation made by theargument?(A) When an anticounterfeiting technique depends

on the detection of counterfeits by experts, thecost of inspection by experts adds significantlyto the cost to society of that technique.(B) For any anticounterfeiting technique to beeffective, the existence of anticounterfeitingtechniques should be widely broadcast, butthe method by which counterfeits aredetected should be kept secret.(C) The process of microprinting paper currencyinvolves fewer steps than does the printing ofpaper currency with the special ink.(D) Before photocopying technology existed, mostcounterfeits of paper currency wereaccomplished by master engravers.(E) Many criminals do not have access to theadvanced photocopiers that are needed toproduce counterfeits of microprinted papercurrency that cashiers will accept as real.

5b.

(A)

(B)

(c)

(D)

(E)

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(A)

(B)

(D)

Sources; PrcpTest 27, Section I, Questlon 70PrcpTest 26, Sectlon 2, Questlon 5PrcpTest 25, Sectlon 2, Questlon 4

248

(E)


Stre ngthe n/Wea ke n Qu esti o n s

59. Some plants have extremely sensitive biologicalthermometers. For example, the leaves ofrhododendrons curl when the temPerature of the airaround them is below OoC (Celsius)' Similarly'mature crocus blossoms open in temperatures above2"C. So someone who simultaneously observedrhododendroas with uncurled leaves, crocuses withmature but unopened blossoms, and a thermometershowing loC could determine that the thermometer'sreading was accurate to within plus or minus loC.Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslyundermines the reasoning above?(A) Neither rhododendrons nor crocuses bloom

for more than a few weeks each year, and theblossoms of rhododendrons growing in anyarea do not appear until at least several weeksafter crocuses growing in that area haYeceased to bloom.(B) Many people find it unpleasant to be outdoorsfor long periods when the temperature is at orabout 1"C.(C) The climate and soil conditions that favor thegrowth of rhododendrons are also favorableto the growth of crocuses.(D) Airtemperature surroundingrhododendrons,which can grow 12 feet tall, is likely to differfrom air temperature surrounding crocuses'which are normally only a few inches high, bymore than 2oC, even if the two plants aregrowing side bY side.(E) Certail types of thermometers that arecommonly used to measure outdoortemPeratures can be extremely accurate inmoderate temperature ranges but much lessaccurate in warmer or colder temperatureranges.

The authors of a recent article examined warnings ofan impending wave of extinctions of animal specieswithin the next 100 years. These authors saythat noevidence exists to support the idea that the rate ofextinction of animal species is now accelerating. Theyare wrong, however. Consider only the data on fishes:40 species and subspecies of North American fisheshave vanished in the twentieth century, 13 between1900 and 1950, and 27 since 1950.The answer to which one of the following questionswould contribute most to an evaluation ofthe argument?(A) Were the fish species and subspecies that

became extinct unrepresentative of animalspecies in general with regard to their patternof extinction?(B) How numerous were the populations in 1950ofthe species and subspecies ofNorthAmerican fishes that have become extinctsince 1950?(C) Did any of the species or subspecies of NorthAmerican fishes that became extinct in thetwentieth century originate in regions outsideof North America?(D) What proportion of North American fishspecies and subspecies whose populationswere endangered in 1950 are now thriving?(E) Were any of the species or subspecies of NorthAmerican fishes that became extinct in thetwentieth century commercially important?

Theplay Mankindmust have been written between1431 and l47l.It cannot have been written before143 1, for in that year the rose noble, a coinmentioned in the play, was first circulated. The playcannot have been written after 147I, since in thatyear King Henry VI died, and he is mentioned as aliving monarch in the play's dedication.The argument would be most seriously weakened ifwhich one of the following were discovered?(A) The Royal Theatre Company includes the play

on a list of those performed in 1480.(B) Another coin mentioned in the play was firstminted inl422.{C) The rose noble was neither minted norcirculated after 1468.(D) Although HenryVI was deposed in 1461, hewas briefly restored to the throne in 1470.(E) In a letter written in early 1428, a merchanttold of having seen the design for a much-discussed new coin called the "rose noble."

50.

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Sourcesi Preplest 25, Eection 2, Questlon t5Preplest 24, Sectlon 2, Questlon 76PrepTest 24, Seetion 3, Questlon 9

I(APLAN 249


ISAT MasterY Proctice

62. The local agricultural official gave the fruit growersof the District 10 Farmers' Cooperative a newpesticide that they applied for a period of three.yearsio their pear orchards in place of the pesticide theyhad formerly applied' During those three years, theproportion of piars lost to insects was significantlyiess-than it had been during the previous three-yearperiod. On the basis of these results, the officialconcluded that the new pesticide was more effectivethan the old pesticide, at least in the short term, inlimiting the loss of certain fruit to insects'The official's conclusion is most strongly supportedif which one of the following groups of trees did notshow a reduction in losses offruit to insects?(A) peach trees grown in the district that were

treated with the new pesticide instead of theold Pesticide(B) peach trees grown in the district that weretreated with the new pesticide in addition tothe old Pesticide(C) pear trees grown in the district that weretreated with the old pesticide instead of thenew pesticide(D) pear tiees grown in a neighboring district thatwere treated with neither the old nor the newpesticide(E) pear trees grown in a neighboring district that

-were treatid with the new pesticide instead of

the old Pesticide

A member of the British Parliament is reputed tohave said, "The first purpose of good social reform isto increase the sum total of human happiness' So,any reform which makes somebody happy isachieving its purpose. Since the reform I proposewould mike my constituents happy' it is a goodsocial reform."Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslyweakens the argument attributed to the member ofParliament?

Different things make different people hapPy.The proposed reform would make a few peoplehuppy, but would not increase the happinessof most other peoPle.(C) The proposed reform would affect only themember of Parliament's constituents andwould make them haPPY.(D) Increasing some people's happiness might notincrease the sum total of human happiness ifothers are made unhaPPY.(E) Good social reforms usually have widespreadsuPPort'

64. Brorvnlea's post office must be replaced lvith a largerone. The present one cannot be expanded. Land nearthe present location in the center of town is moreexpensive than land on the outskirts of town' Sincethe cost of acquiring a site is a significant part of thetotal construction cost, the post of{ice clearly couldbe built more cheaply on the outskirts of town'Which one of the follot'ing, if true, most seriouslyundermines the argument's stated conclusion?(A) The nerv post office will have to be built in

accordance with a demanding new citl'widebuilding code.(B) If the new post office is built on the outskirtsof town, it will require a parking lot, but ifsited near the present post office it will nol(C) If the new post office is built on the outskirtsof town, current city bus routes will have tobe expanded to provide access'(D) If the new post office is built on the outskirtsof torvn, residents will make decreased use ofpost of;fice boxes, with the result that mailcarriers will have to deliver more mail tohomes.(E) If the new post office is built near the center oftown, disruptions to city traffic rvould have tobe minirnized by taking such steps as doingsome construction work in stages at night andon weekends.

Sources; PrcpTest 22t Sectlon 2, Question IPrcpTest 22, Sectlon 4, Question 26PrepTest 21, Section 2, Question 7

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63.

(A)(B)

254


St r e n g t h e n/We a k e 4 ayqtt ig!:

65. Eva: A "smart highway" system should beinstalled, one that would monitor areawidetrafBc patterns and communicate withcomputers in vehicles or with programmablehighlvay signs to give drivers informationabout traffic congestion and alternate routes'Such a system, we can infer, wouki result inimproved traffic flow in and around cities thatwould do more than improve drivers'tempers;it would decrease the considerable loss ofmoney and productivity that now results fromtraffic congestion'

Luis: There are already traffic reports on theradio. Why would a "smart highway" system beanY better?

If Eva responded to l.uis by saying that the currentone-minute radio reports ate too short to give asufficient description of overall patterns of trafficcongestion, whiih one of the following, if true, rvouldmos't strengthen Luis's challenge?(A) Bad weather, which radio stations report'

would cause traffic to slow- down whether ornot a "smart highway" system was inoperation.(B) It would be less costly to have radio stationsthat give continual, lengthier traffic reportsthan to install a "smart highway" system-(C) Radio reports can take note of congestion onceit occurs, but a "smart highway" systern couldanticipate and forestall it in many instances'(D) The proposed traffic monitoring would notreduce the Privary of drivers.(E) Tbll collection booths, which constitute trafficbottlenecks, would largely be replaced in the"smart highway" system by electronicdebiting of commuters' accounts while trafficproceeded at full sPeed.

56. An ingredient in marijuana known as THC has beenfound to inactivate herpes viruses in experiments' lnprevious experiments researchers found thatinactivated herpes viruses can convert healthy cellsinto cancer cells. It can be concluded that the use ofmarijuana can cause cancer'Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslyweakens the argument?(A) Several teams of scientists performed the

various experiments and all of the teams hadsimilar results.(B) 'Ihe carcinogenic effect of THC could beneutralized by the other ingredients found inmarijuana.(C) When THC kills herpes viruses it weakens theimmune system, and it might thus diminishthe body's ability to fight other viruses,including viruses linked to cancers'(D) If chemists modifu the structure of THC' THCcan be safely incorporated into medicationsto prevent herPes.

iE) To lessen the undesirable side effects ofchemotherapy, the use of mariiuana has beenrecommended for cancer patients who arefree of the herpes virus.

67. tt is probably not true that colic in infants is causedby the inability of those infants to tolerate certainantibodies found in cow's milk, since it is often thecase that symPtoms of colic are shorvn by infants thatare f'ed breast milk exclusivelY'Which one of the following, if true, most seriouslyweakens the argument?(A) A study involving 500 sets of twins has found

that if one infant has colic, its tlvin willprobably also have colic.(B) Symptoms of colic generally disappear asinfants grow older, whether the infants havebeen fed breast milk exclusively or have beenfed infant formula containing cow's milk'(C) In a study of 5,000 infants who were fed onlyinfant formula containing cow's milk, over4,000 of the infants never displayed anysymPtoms of colic.(D) When mothers of infants that ate fed onlybreast milk eliminate cov/s milk and allproducts made from cow's milk from theirown diets, any colic symptoms that theirinfants have manifested quickly disappear.(E) Infants that are fed breast milk develop maturedigestive systems at an earlier age than dothose that are fed infant formulas, and infantswith mature digestive systems are better ableto tolerate certain proteins and antibodiesfound in cow's milk.

Sources: PrepTest 21, Sectlon 3, Questlon IPrcpTest 20, Sectlon 7, Questlons 4 and 72

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68. Garbage dumps do not harm wildlife. Evidence isfurnished by the Masai-Mara reserve in Kenya, wherebaboons that use the garbage dumps on the reserveas a food source mature faster and have inoreoffspring than do baboons on the reserve that do notscavenge on garbage.

Each of the following statements, if true, casts doubton the argument EXCEPT:(A) The baboons that feed on the garbage dump

are of a different species from those that donot.(B) The life expectancy ofbaboons that eatgarbage is significantly lower than that ofbaboons that do not eat garbage.(C) The cholesterol level of garbage-eatingbaboons is dangerously higher than that ofbaboons that do not eat garbage.(D) The population of hyenas that live nearunregulated garbage landfills north of thereserve has doubled in the last two years.(E) The rate ofbirth defects for the baboonpopulation on the reserve has doubled sincethe first landfills were opened.

69. Babies who can hear and have hearing parents whoexpose them to speech begin to babble at a certainage as a precursor to speaking. In the same way, deafbabies with deaf parents who communicate withthem and with each other by signing begin to babblein signs at the same age. That is, they make repetitivehand gestures that constitute, within the languagesystem of signs, the analogue of repeated syllables inspeech.

The information above, if accurate, can best be usedas evidence against which one of the followinghypotheses?(A) Names of persons or things are the simplest

words in a language, since babies use thembefore using the names of actions orProcesses,(B) The development of language competency inbabies depends prirnarily on the physicalmaturation of the vocal tract, a process thatrequires speech-oriented vocal activity.(C) In the absence of adults who communicatewith each other in their presence, babiesdevelop idiosyncratic languages.(D) In babbling, babies are unalvare that the soundor gesture combinations they use can beemployed in a purposive way.(E) The making of hand gestures by hearing babieswho have hearing parents should beinterpreted as a part of their developinglanguage.

70. A favored theory to explain the efiinction ofdinosaurs, together with many other species, hasbeen the globally catastrophic collision of a largeasteroid with the Earth. Supporting evidence is anextraterrestrial chemical element in a layer of dustfound worldwide at a geological level laid downcontemporaneously with the supposed

yent. A newcompeting theory contends that any asteroid impactwas irrelevant, because it was massive volcanicactivity that caused the extinctions by puttingenough dust into the atmosphere to cool the planet.The Deccan region of India contains extensivevolcanic flows that occurred within the same timeperiod as the supposed asteroid impact and theextinctions.Which one of the following, if true, most stronglyindicates that the asteroid-impact theory is at leastincomplete, if not false?(A) Large concentrations of dinosaur nests with

fossil eggs found in Alberta indicate that atleast some species of dinosaurs congregated inlarge groups during some part of their lives.(B) Dinosau

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