Comments About This Question

The passage gives us two facts: a town wants to introduce a free driver refresher course, and the course
will take money needed to fund a previously planned parking

lot.
The question asks you for the conclusion that pulls both of these facts together, not an assumption on which they rely or a narrower inference that could be drawn
from them. Therefore, you can expect the correct answer to be fairly simple and uncontroversial.
In response to an upswing in traffic accidents and parking violations, the township of Beverly has decided to offer a road rules refresher course to registered drivers
free of charge. Unfortunately, doing so will divert funds required for a previously planned municipal parking lot in the middle of the town's shopping district. The
conclusion of these facts is that ___________________.
Question
Which of the following best completes the passage?
Choices
A
some drivers who have been issued parking tickets in the last year will be targeted for the road rules refresher course.
This is not the credited choice. It is neither the logical conclusion of the facts at hand nor a particularly relevant upshot of them. It might make logical sense as a
policy, but we don't know it to be true from the given facts.
B
Beverly will not be able to offer its free road rules refresher course and begin construction of the downtown parking lot without exceeding its budget.
This is the credited response. Combining the two main facts tends toward the conclusion that the town will be unable to undertake both projects with the funds it has
available.
C
Beverly places a higher priority on traffic safety than it does on the availability and accessibility of parking for its citizens
Your answer was incorrect

This is not the credited choice. We're told nothing about how Beverly prioritizes safety or parking overall. Be careful not to lose track of what the question is asking
for: simply the conclusion of the argument. And the argument focuses on funds - the first sentence says that the course will be offered for free, and the second
sentence discusses the impact of this decision on the use of the available funds. So the conclusion should focus on funding.
D
parking quality will likely decline in Beverly as a result of the new road rules refresher course.
This is not the credited choice. We're told nothing about the parking situation in Beverly, except that there has been an upswing in parking violations, and the city had
planned a parking lot in the shopping district. Maybe the shopping district has ample parking as it is, or there's an abundance of parking in other parts of town.
Therefore, we cannot conclude that this statement is true. At worst, parking quality will remain the same without construction of a new parking lot. However, given
that one aim of the course is to combat parking violations, it is possible that parking will actually improve in Beverly anyway but we can't know for sure.
E
owing to Beverly's budgetary constraints, the town will need to find a less expensive way to reduce traffic accidents and parking violations.
This is a potential position that could be taken, given the difficult situation posed by these facts, but it is not a position that is supported by the fact that the township
has already made the decision to go ahead with the free road rules refresher course. The facts here support only the claim that the town will not be able to accomplish
both intended projects with the money it currently has. This is not the credited choice.
Comments About This Question
The passage states that employees in small companies rarely show increases in ambition, but those same people show more ambition when they change jobs and move
to a larger company. The last sentence clearly tells us that there is a case for correlation but not causation. We need to find the answer that gives other reasons for this
documented increase in ambition, as it is likely that employees have other motivations to want to excel beyond just a changed set of company goals.
Employees in small, owner-led companies tend to identify with the goals of the owner and to have a steady level of productivity. Few show sudden increases in
ambition. These same people often do show sudden increases in ambition when they change to jobs with a more involved corporate structure and adopt the goals of a
larger company. There is a clear correlation between the goals of a larger company and individual ambition, but we cannot say with certainty that one causes the other
because _______________ .
Question
Which of the following most logically completes the argument given below?
Choices
A
the goals of a larger company often make an employee feel he or she has a larger number of options.
This is not the credited choice. It explains why large-company goals might make an employee more ambitious. We need a reason this might not be the cause.
B
there are changes in other aspects of an employee's working life and outlook when he or she moves to a larger company.
This is the credited response. This question is somewhat challenging because the credited choice doesn't name specific changes, but that's not necessary. It still breaks
the chain of causation by suggesting that there are other reasons for the correlation.
C
it is very easy to lack ambition in a large corporate structure.
This is not the credited choice. Lacking ambition is irrelevant; we need a reason that large-company goals might not cause it.
D
people who start their careers in large corporate environments tend to be more ambitious.

This is not the credited choice. It only reinforces the idea that a more complicated corporate structure causes ambition.
E
personality traits may explain why small-company employees have less ambition.
This is not the credited choice. If this were true, the employees in question would not become more ambitious when they changed companies.
Studies reveal that storage units constructed from organic materials including wood and stone tend to retain heat more efficiently than do those made of plastic, glass,
steel, and so on. This has led some engineers to suggest that heat-efficient storage, including housing for livestock, can be done most inexpensively by using organic
materials exclusively, a recommendation that would be most credible provided that ___________________.
Question
Which of the following best completes the passage?
Choices
A
the organic storage units in the study were heated organically, while the manmade units were heated artificially.
This is not the credited choice. It would make the findings of the study less reliable, adding one more variable to the comparison.
B
the sizes of the organic and manmade storage units used in the study were equal.
This is the credited response. This is an important assurance of consistency in the test findings, since small spaces require different amounts of energy to heat than do
large spaces.
C
livestock cannot survive in fully inorganic housing.
This is not the credited choice. It is not quite within the scope of the argument, since it is unclear what the putative housing for the livestock is to be made of, and it
could be made of a combination of organic and inorganic material.
D
heating costs are not typically counted as part of overall storage costs for non-living things.

This is not the credited choice. It would presumably have some impact on the calculation of cost-effectiveness for heated storage, but there is not enough information
in the argument here to determine exactly how. Also, the recommendation was made for living things as well as non-living things, so this answer is too limited.
E
the study tested the heat retention qualities of steel against those of glass, those of glass against those of plastic, and so on.
This is not the credited choice. It might be true of a responsible experiment, but the individual differences between these inorganic materials are less of a concern than
is the overall distinction between organic and inorganic, at least at this level of the argument.
This question asks for a conclusion to the statements made about commercially successful products. Because the evidence addresses both whimsy products and
status products, the right conclusion must take both of those factors into account.
Not all successful product launches depend on filling an existing consumer need. Some successful products appeal not to necessity, but to whimsylike the Pet Rock
or the Slinkyand others are compelling to consumers merely because of the status they offerlike designer handbags.
Question
Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the statements to the left, assuming that those statements are true?
Choices
A
Commercial success can come from designing an appealing toy.
This is not the credited choice. The correct answer must take status products, as well as whimsy products, into account.
B
Designer goods are often a profitable venture, assuming that the label has some cachet built in.
This is not the credited choice. The correct answer must take whimsy products, as well as status products, into account.
C
A thorough examination of a products commercial viability must take into account several different factors.
This is the credited choice. While it specifically references neither of the product types, it encompasses all of the issues addressed in the statement set forth above.
D
Another commercially viable product was the robot vacuum cleaner.
This is not the credited choice. The robot vacuum cleaner is beyond the scope of what is being considered in this question.
E
Many of the best-established designers actually license out their names for use on product lines in which they do not personally participate.

This is not the credited choice. The correct answer must take whimsy products, as well as status products, into account.
The single most common question task in GMAT CR is to weaken an argument or thwart a plan. To weaken an argument or thwart a plan, a statement need not
disprove the conclusion or make the plan impossible; it must only make the conclusion less likely or the plan less feasible.
The problem with fears and predictions is that both are often unfounded. This question asks us to weaken the prediction, or find a new idea that would suggest that the
conclusion would not be valid. In other words, which answer would suggest that established financial advisors might not suffer at the hands of online trading?
The correct answer undermines this argument by questioning the scope of interest for online trading. If the only people interested in online trading are those who
would not have sought traditional financial advising anyway, then the impact on traditional advisors would be minimal.
It was feared that, with the development of online securities trading, people would no longer seek the trading services of traditional financial advisors. This, in turn,
would cause economic hardship among established financial advisors.
Question
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the predicted implications of online securities trading described?
Choices
A
The fees for online trading services are typically 80 percent of those for traditional financial advisors.
This is not the credited choice. It does not weaken the argument at hand; rather it makes online trading more appealing, effectivelystrengthening (rather than
weakening) the conclusion. Reduced fees would likely cause "economic hardship" for financial advisors.
B
Online securities trading companies are working to enhance security, a key concern for their customers.
This is not the credited choice. It does not address the conclusion's focus: the effect on traditional financial advisors.
C
In an effort to increase productivity, many traditional financial advisors have sought online trading capabilities at their offices.

This is not the credited choice. The "productivity" of established advisors is irrelevant to their future fates in the face of online trading.
D
Most of the people interested in online trading services would not have sought the services of traditional financial advisors anyway.
This is the credited response. This shows how established financial advisors would not be seriously affected by online trading, since it wouldn't appeal to their client
base.
E
The inflation-adjusted average income for traditional financial advisors has decreased slightly in the last decade.
This is not the credited choice. In fact, it somewhat strengthens the argument by showing an actual downturn in income, although it is useful to note that this one still
doesn't clearly place the blame (by clarifying the correlation between online trading and the income in the past ten years).

The Commissioner's argument is based on the notion that "virtually all drivers" have cell phones and the implication that cell phones can replicate every advantage
that blue call boxes offer. The credited choice will support the Commissioner's stated aim to reduce redundant calls without limiting the ability to report emergencies.
Sunland Highway Patrol Commissioner: The majority of calls made from the blue call boxes on the side of the highway are made to report non-emergencies such as
flat tires. Sometimes passersby on the highway are also reporting these same incidents using their cell phones. Since virtually all drivers on Sunland Highways have
cell phones now, the call boxes are not helping motorists. Therefore, the SHP should to deactivate and remove the boxes. Doing so will decrease redundant calls to the
SHP without hampering peoples ability to report highway emergencies.
Question
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the claim that the removal of the boxes, if carried out, will have the announced effect?
Choices
A
At any given time half of the drivers on Sunland Highways are talking on their cell phones.
This is not the credited choice. It might provide support for the proposal, but has no effect on either redundant calls or peoples ability to report emergencies.
B
Currently, nearly one third of the blue call boxes are out of order.
This is not the credited choice. It has little net effect on the SHP Commissioners claim. If anything, it would weaken it, as it would mean fewer redundant calls.
C
The SHP is able to trace calls made from cell phones and record the location of the caller.
This is the credited response. If this is true, a driver on a cell phone will be able to help responders locate an emergency even without specifying salient details about
the emergency, such as severity or location.
D
The SHP pays $10 million annually on phone service for the call boxes.
This is not the credited choice. The cost of the boxes is not at issue here.
E
A motorist on passing by a cell phone is able to give more information about a highway emergency than one on the side of the road.

This doesnt necessarily strengthen the SHPs argument. Motorists might pull over to report emergencies, or they might not. The SHP doesnt say that all emergency
reporting will happen as drivers pass by. This is not the credited choice.
CORRECT CR
This question asks the reader to support the scholars conclusion that the ship was sunk in 1872. Pay close attention to dates. The credited choice will provide evidence
that the ship sailed prior to the hurricane in 1872, and not after.
Divers have discovered the wreckage of an unidentified ship about thirty miles from the shore near Boston. Scholars believe that the ship sank during a devastating
hurricane that swept through the northeastern United States and down the coast in 1872, but there are no records of the ship available to confirm this hypothesis.
Question
The scholars hypothesis is most strongly supported by which of the following, if true?
Choices
A
Among the cargo found on board the wreckage of the ship were several trunks of woodworking tools of a kind that were popular from about 1850 to 1890.
This is not the credited choice. Woodworking tools that were used both before and after the date of the hurricane do not support the scholars theory, since they could
be from any time within that period.
B
Among the munitions discovered on board the wreckage were several trunks of guns of varieties that were popular in the late 1860s; no munitions manufactured
subsequent to 1870 were discovered.
Your answer was correct!

This is the credited response; munitions from prior to the hurricane, but not after it, support the theory that the ship was sunk in the hurricane.
C
It is widely accepted that Hurricane Bridie caused significant damage in the northeastern United States in 1872.
This is not the credited choice. It confirms the existence of the hurricane, but since the argument assumes the existence of the hurricane already, this does not
strengthen the argument.
D
Ceramics and pottery glazed in a style that was popular during the latter half of the 19th century were found among the wreckage of the ship, along with assorted
items of cutlery.
This is not the credited choice. The period during which the ceramics and potterry could have been produced ranges through both before and after the time of the
hurricane; therefore, this does not strengthen the argument.
E
Divers found clay pipes in the cargo hold that were of a kind sold in tobacco shops in the early 1900s.
This is not the credited choice. Pipes that were sold in tobacco shops some thirty years or more after the date of the hurricane cannot be used as evidence that the ship
sank in that storm; they weaken the scholars theory instead of strengthening it.
This questions conclusionthat fat-free or low-fat cookies are just as unhealthy as the regular versionsis based on the fact that the cookies have approximately the
same amount of calories. However, if people ate less of the diet cookies than of the original cookies, they could still be a weight-loss aid. Strengthening the
conclusion that the cookies are not diet aids in this questions means providing evidence that people eat just as many calories of diet cookies than of regular cookies.
Fat-free or low-fat diet cookies are generally no healthier than the comparable full fat versions of those same cookies. The flavor that is lost by making the
cookies with little or no fat is often replaced by excess sugar or starches, and the end result is that the cookies have close to or as many calories as the originals. These
foods are not, despite the advertising, diet aids.
Question
The conclusion to the left is best supported by which of the following?
Choices
A
Both fat-free and regular versions of foods like cookies and muffins can be integrated into a healthy diet.
This is not the credited choice. The fact that the cookies can be part of a healthy diet has no affect on whether they can be used for weight loss.
B
Studies show that people eating diet fat-free cookies actually consume more calories than people eating full-calorie cookies, because they eat significantly more.

This is the credited choice. If people eat more calories in diet cookies than in regular cookies, the diet cookies are not helping their diets at all.
C
Many health-conscious consumers would be willing to compromise taste for a healthier food product.
This is not the credited choice. The preferences of health-conscious consumers are irrelevant to the argument.
D
The human body cannot digest fat-substitutes found in some foods as easily as it digests naturally occurring fats.
This is not the credited choice. Digestibility is not discussed in the argument. Without any further information showing how a food's usefulness as a diet aid is
influenced by digestibility, this answer cannot be used as support for the conclusion.
E
Extensive focus group testing is commonly done to ensure that fat-free or low-fat foods are appealing before those products are marketed to the public.
This is not the credited choice. The appeal of the products is not at issue here.
A common reasoning flaw is assuming that because there is a correlation between the occurrence of two phenomena, there is also a causal link between those
phenomena. Here, the best way to weaken the argument that gum disease causes heart disease is to show that there is an alternative rationale to the correlation (i.e., the
causal link is reversed or the two are merely correlated) or that the occurrence of both phenomena together is just coincidence.
Be careful of choices that strengthen the argument.
Citing the frequency with which gum disease and heart disease occur in the same patients, many dentists believe that periodontal disease is a cause of a variety of
cardiovascular problems, including Coronary Artery Disease.
Question
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the claim that periodontal disease is a cause of Coronary Artery disease?
Choices
A
Bacteria present in infected gums can become mobile and enter the bloodstream, causing arterial plaque to accumulate.
This answer choice would strengthen the conclusion, since it would provide an explanation for why gum disease would lead to heart disease. Arterial plaque would
cause hardening of the arteries, leading to reduced blood flow and putting the person at greater risk for a heart attack. This is not the credited choice.
B
People who brush and floss their teeth regularly are also more likely to exercise and eat a healthy diet.

This is the credited response. If people who floss are also more likely to eat well and exercise, it could be that there is simply a correlation between gum disease and a
failure to maintain good overall health, and that the failure to maintain good overall health is the real cause of the heart disease.
C
Infected gums are more prone to bleeding, which allows bacteria to escape the mouth and irritate arteries.
This answer choice would increase the likelihood that periodontal disease could cause heart disease, by providing an explanation for how that would happen. This is
not the credited choice.
D
People who experience loss of teeth due to periodontal disease usually cut back on many foods that are harder to chew, such as lean meats and vegetables, and
increase their consumption of processed foods like pudding and ice cream.
This is not the credited choice. It provides another strengthening explanation for how periodontal disease could increase the risk of heart disease by causing behavior
that would lead to risk factors for a heart attack.
E
Patients with no history of heart disease are much less likely to have periodontal disease than patients who have had a cardiac transplant.
This is not the credited choice. It reinforces the correlation between gum disease and heart disease, but provides no evidence to either strengthen or weaken the
argument further.
Here we have a question where we need to understand the structural flow of the argument, regardless of the particular content. In this "role played" question, we are
asked to focus on individual claims within the argument to describe their structural roles. The two underlined statements relate to the same question: the impact of
policy decisions on the number of automobile accidents. However, they argue in opposite directions; one talks about a policy being good for reducing accidents, the
other about a policy being bad for reducing accidents. So the correct answer choice will indicate a type of contrast between the two statements.
Let's quickly analyze the overall structural flow: A new policy (required driver's education courses for new drivers) is suggested, which will have a positive effect on
the thing being measured. A second new policy (eliminating the requirement for novice drivers to post "New Driver" signs) is suggested in light of the first, but then
the speaker argues against that new policy on the grounds that it is unwarranted and insufficiently supported by the introduction of the first policy.
City Council Member: The new law requiring all new drivers to take a drivers' education course is a good one, because studies have shown that new drivers who
complete drivers' education courses are much less likely to get into accidents. However, passing this law doesn't mean that we should repeal our city's existing law
requiring new drivers to hang a "New Driver" sign from their back window. Our city's drivers will start assuming that all drivers are safe drivers because of the
courses, and they won't be extra careful when driving around new drivers. But despite the improvement in their driving due to the courses, new drivers are still much
more likely to cause accidents than are experienced drivers, and the drivers around them need to be extra wary in order to avoid accidents, so removing the signs will
lead to more accidents.
Question
What role do the two underlined statements play in the city council member's argument?
Choices
A
The first provides the basis for a plan, and the second endorses that plan
This is not the credited choice. It's true that the first statement provides the basis for a plan: since drivers will be safer, there's no need to require "New Driver" signs to
be hung. However, the second statement argues against that plan, not for it.
B
The first states a cause-and-effect relationship that the speaker believes will happen again in the case under consideration, while the second acknowledges an
exception to that cause-and-effect relationship.
This is not the credited choice. The cause-and-effect relationship in the first statement is the positive impact of drivers' education courses. The speaker never states an
exception to that relationship; he accepts it as true, but he doesn't think that the impact is enough to justify removing the New Driver signs.
C
The first is a general principle, while the second is a specific application of that principle.
This is not the credited choice. The two statements generally work in contrast to each other: one argues that accidents will go down, the other that they will go up. So
this answer choice, in which they agree with each other, can't be true. In addition, neither is more general than the other--they have similar degrees of specificity.
D
The first suggests the positive impact of a decision on the issue at hand, while the second states a belief that other factors will outweigh its positive impact

This is the credited response. The issue at hand is the suggestion to repeal the New Driver sign law. The first statement suggests that, because of better driver
education, drivers will be safer and not need to advertise their lack of experience. But the second statement says that this is not enough, and that new drivers will still
overall be worse drivers, even if they're better than they would have been without the courses; therefore, the signs should remain for the sake of everyone's safety.
E
The first acknowleges a weakness in the speaker's argument, while the second states his argument
This is not the credited choice. The first statement is not a weakness, just one of the factors in the overall consideration. The speaker considers various factors that
impact accident reduction, and ultimately concludes that the factor in the first statement is not as strong as the one in the second statement, which leads him to his
conclusion.
The conclusion states that "no obstacles too abundant, delicious vegetables and grains will remain." This requires that all such obstacles are remediable by genetic
manipulation. If some obstacles--say, weather or pests--are not so remediable, then the conclusion is false.
Remember that the denial test can help you identify necessary assumptions. What is the denial test? If denying some claim not explicitly given in the argument
undermines the conclusion, then that claim is a necessary assumption, an assumption on which the argument is based. Remember, though, that denying even the
credited response to an assumption question will not always make the conclusion false; it will often merely leave the conclusion unsupported.
Plant geneticists continue to modify and refine the DNA of agricultural products, altering genes that affect the abundance and taste of the crop. Eventually, the entire
genome of every major food crop will be subject to such manipulation. Once these scientists have mastered the DNA of all major food crops, no obstacles to
abundant, delicious vegetables and grains will remain.
Question
The argument to the left is based on which of the following assumptions?
Choices
A
All obstacles to agricultural production are susceptible to genetic remedies.

This is the credited choice. If we use the Denial Test to deny the assumption, the conclusion turns out to be not just unsupported, but false.
B
Obstacles to the agricultural production are susceptible only to genetic remedies.
This is not the credited choice. Though the conclusion requires that genetic manipulation can overcome such obstacles, it does not require that only genetic
manipulation could overcome such obstacles.
C
There is already a visible change in produce size at supermarkets, attributable to genetic manipulation of crops.
This is not the credited choice and the "denial test" shows why. If we deny that genetic manipulation has yet yielded visible changes in supermarket produce, the
conclusion is mostly unaffected. First, the argument does not require that fruits be made larger, only that crops be made more abundant. Second, even if no changes
were yet visible, that would not mean that the future would not bring such changes.
D
Produce taste tests should be conducted to compare genetically modified produce and natural produce.
This is not the credited choice. Taste tests are out of scope. Unless some part of the stimulus discusses what should or ought to be true, the correct answer choice will
almost certainly not.
E
Consumers have grown increasingly skeptical of the merits of genetically modified produce.
There are a number of ways to see that this response is certain incorrect. An assumption will never introduce wholly new considerations, but this response brings up
consumer attitudes, a topic never broached in the stimulus. Using the "denial test" will also show this response to be incorrect. If consumers were not skeptical, would
that somehow undermine this argument? Of course not.
The single most common question task in GMAT CR is to weaken an argument or thwart a plan. To weaken an argument or thwart a plan, a statement need not
disprove the conclusion or make the plan impossible; it must only make the conclusion less likely or the plan less feasible.
Consider the job functions in the answer choices and decide which one requires something that conflicts with working on Saturdays or Sundays. Since banks are
typically closed on Sundays, any employees choosing to work on Sunday would find it difficult (if not impossible) to fulfill their required functions.
Note that in asking you to find a reason why this new work structure could decrease productivity, this question is really asking you to thwart a plan.
A business is considering changing its work week structure. At present, employees work the standard Monday to Friday work week. The new structure would allow
employees to choose which two days to claim as their weekend, opening up the option to work on Saturdays and Sundays.
Question
The adoption of this plan would be most likely to decrease employees' productivity if the employees' job functions required them to __________.
Choices
A
work undisturbed for several hours at a time.
This is not the credited choice. The option to work weekends should not impact an employees ability to work undisturbed; in fact, having fewer coworkers around
might even improve a worker's ability to do so.
B
submit their work for weekly managerial appraisal.
This is not the credited choice. Employees are not impeded from submitting their work regularly for appraisal, even if they work on Saturday or Sunday.
C
work late hours.
This is not the credited choice. Working late hours on weekend days, although possibly less desirable, is just as feasible as it is on weekdays.
D
collaborate on monthly group projects.
This is not the credited choice. For a monthly project, as opposed to a weekly one, collaborating employees should be able to work around schedule differences
without any major obstacles.
E
correspond with banks daily, which are usually closed on Sundays.

This is the credited response. If a worker's position requires daily correspondence with banks, then the worker would be unable to fulfill his or her job function on a
Sunday, when most banks are closed.
Argument: Pro-democracy rebels in Flatland-controlled Upland (which provides the Flatlanders with oil) are debating whether they can pressure the Flatland to grant
Upland democracy by causing farmers strikes in Norland (another Flatland-controlled region that provides the Flatlanders with food). Question: Which fact is
LEAST relevant to the strike's effectiveness?
Leaders of a rebel group fighting for democracy in Flatland-controlled Upland, which supplies oil to Flatland, against Uplands puppet government are debating other
strategies to pressure Upland to accept the rebel's democratic demands. The primary tactic the rebel leaders are considering is provoking a mass work strike in the
farms of Norland, which supply food to Flatland and are controlled by the Flatlanders.
Question
The answer to which of the following questions is LEAST directly relevant to Uplands rebel leaders consideration of whether attempting a strike in Norland will
lead to acceptance of democracy for Upland?
Choices
A
Would work losses in Norland seriously affect the Flatland?
This is not the credited choice. Knowing how bad the parent countrys losses from a strike would be is relevant.
B
Can Norlanders easily buy food elsewhere?
This is not the credited choice. If Norlanders cannot get food elsewhere, they will not strike long. This is relevant.
C
Have other rebel groups won democratic reforms like the ones desired by Uplands rebels?
This is not the credited choice. If other rebel groups won similar democracies, then this rebel group's demands would more likely be accepted.
D
Have other rebel groups achieved their aims through similar strategies?
This is not the credited choice. If other rebels succeeded with similar plans, that is relevant to this groups likelihood of success.
E
Do other dictatorships that control oil-rich republics also control agricultural republics?

This is the credited choice. Whether other countries control both oil- and food-producing areas does not help predict this plans outcome.
This is an argument structure question of the role played variety. We are asked to identify the underlying structure of the argument, regardless of the particular content
that gives texture to it.
Begin by analyzing the structure of this argument: in the first sentence we are given one piece of evidence (the date of the earliest tomahawks), then another (the
variety in blades), and then the argument's conclusion ("indicates that..."), drawing on the given pieces of evidence. The second sentence makes a set of claims about
how the war tomahawk was developed in Greenland. The third sentence introduces another piece of evidence in support of the argument's conclusion.
Although the earliest surviving war tomahawks in Greenland date from the 12th century CE, the fact that some of those tomahawks contain one stone blade and
others have a "two-headed" blade indicates that the native Greenlanders adopted the use of the war tomahawk at least two hundred years before those particular
tomahawks were made. After all, the war tomahawk was introduced to Greenland by Viking sailors, who used battle axes, and presumably native Greenlanders not
only adopted the concept of a sideways blade attached to a stick used in battle, but also the specific shape of the weapon they encountered. And although Viking war
axes at first sometimes contained one blade and sometimes two blades, by the 12th century Viking war axes were consistently made with a "two-headed"
blade and had been for two centuries already.
Question
In the given argument, the two boldfaced selections play which of the following roles?
Choices
A
Both selections provide evidence in support of an initial conclusion that the argument ultimately rejects.
This is not the credited choice. The selections provide evidence in support of the final conclusion of the argument: that the war tomahawk was adopted by native
Greenlanders at least as early as the 10th century.
B
The first provides evidence in support of the position that the argument is trying to prove; the second is that position.
This is not the credited choice. The second is not the position being established, but another piece of evidence in support of that position.
C
The first is evidence brought in order to challenge the position that the argument is trying to prove; the second is that position.
This is not the credited choice. There is no challenge to a position in this argument, only the establishment of one.
D
The first is evidence brought in order to challenge the position that the argument is trying to prove; the second is a consideration offered in order to weaken the force
of that challenge.
This is not the credited choice. The two selections in bold support the same position, rather than opposing each other.
E
Both selections provide evidence in support of the position that the argument is trying to prove.

This is the credited response; both bolded sections are pieces of evidence supporting the conclusion that the war tomahawk was adopted by native Greenlanders as
early as the 10th century.
The question stem tells us that non-plastic waste makes up approximately half of the waste currently being sent to the landfill. Therefore, in order for incinerating to
eliminate half of the waste sent to the landfill, the amount of waste needs to stay constant, or the amount of plastic waste needs to stay constant.
Last year, all of the medical waste at County Hospital was sterilized by autoclaving, then shredded. This process generated a large quantity of unusable material that
ended up in a landfill. In order to reduce its trash this year to half of last years total, the hospital has updated its waste removal practices. This year, it will autoclave
all waste and then incinerate all non-plastic medical waste. This should decrease the number of tons of waste sent to the landfill by half.
Question
Which of the following is required for the updated waste removal program to achieve its aim?
Choices
A
This year, the hospital will incinerate all possible materials.
This is not the credited choice. While this indicates that the hospital will adhere to its updated practices, it doesnt necessarily mean a decrease in the weight of
materials sent to the landfill.
B
The total quantity of medical waste generated at the hospital this year will be no greater than that generated last year.
This isnt a requirement: even if it collects more waste, the hospital could still cut in half the amount of waste sent to the landfill when it incinerates all non-plastic
waste. This is not the credited choice.
C
The waste shredded this year will weigh no more than the waste shredded last year.

This is the credited response. This is a requirement for the program to meet its criteria for success. The weight of waste sent to the landfill needs to be half of what it
was last year.
D
Medical waste generated by County Hospital will contain a larger proportion of non-plastic waste this year than it did last year.
This is not the credited choice. It says nothing about the total waste or the amount of non-plastic waste generated last year.
E
Separating plastic from non-plastic waste will cost the hospital half of what it cost last year to send the waste to landfills.
This is not the credited choice. The cost of the program is out of the scope of the question. We are concerned only with reducing waste.
RC INCORRECT
This question tests your ability to determine what the author might say based on what is already stated or implied in the passage.
Until recently, insects and their allies were seen

as being of economic importance merely as an annoyance
or menace to man and his flocks and herds, or injurious
to his crops. But there has since sprung into prominence
(5) the knowledge that in a more insidious manner they may
be the enemy of mankind: that they may be among the most
important of the disseminators of disease. This
knowledge has revolutionized our methods of control of
certain diseases, and has become an important weapon in
(10) the fight for the conservation of health.
Great movements and discoveries do not arise
suddenly; centuries ago the possibility that insects
were concerned with disease was suggested, and from time
to time there have been keen suggestions and hypotheses
(15) along this line. One of the earliest is by the Italian
physician, Mercurialis (1530-1607), during a period when
Europe was being ravaged by the plague: "There can be no
doubt that flies feed on the internal secretions of the
diseased and dying, then, flying away, they deposit
(20) their excretions on the food in neighboring dwellings,
and persons who eat of it are thus infected."
More worthy of consideration is the approval given
to Mercurialiss view by the German Jesuit Athanasius
Kircher in 1658, who attributed the production of
(25) disease to bacteria and formulated, albeit vaguely, a
theory of the animate nature of contagion. But it took
two and a half centuries of scientific advancement to
accumulate the facts to prove his hypothesis.
In 1848, Dr. Josiah Nott published an article on
(30) the cause of yellow fever, in which he presented
"reasons for supposing its specific cause to exist in
some form of insect life." Curiously, the bearing of
Nott's work on present-day ideas of the insect
transmission of disease has been overrated: written
(35) before the discoveries of Louis Pasteur and the
recognition of micro-organisms as factors in disease
propagation, his article refutes the theory of
"malarial" origin of "all the fevers of hot climates,"
but he uses the term "insect" too broadly for our
(40) present purposes. Almost contemporaneously, the French
physician Louis Daniel Beauperthuy argued that yellow
fever and others were transmitted by mosquitoes. He not
only discussed the role of mosquitoes in the
transmission of disease, but also taught that houseflies
(45) scatter pathogenic organisms.
Question
The author of the passage would agree with which of the following statements about the scientists mentioned?
Choices
A
They might have contributed more given access to present-day ideas and data
This is the credited response. References such as the one the author makes to Nott working "before the discoveries of Louis Pasteur" suggest that the primary failing of
the scientists discussed was not their methodology but their lack of such information as we now consider essential.
B
They fell prey to mistakes and stereotypes that seem obvious in hindsight
This is not the credited choice. The author does not allude to any particular mistakes or stereotypes; some misapprehensions are discussed, but these are not framed in
comparison with modern knowledge.
C
Their work, even when inaccurate, has proven crucial to modern science

This is not the credited choice because it is an overstatement. Their work itself was not crucial except as intermediary steps that enabled further progress.
D
They would have made quicker progress had they been more attentive to each other
This is not the credited choice. It is an interesting idea, particularly in light of the comment about Nott being unaware of Pasteur's work, but nothing in the passage
supports it.
E
They could not have brought about our present knowledge any faster than they did
This is not the credited choice. It is a sensible conclusion to reach from the information presented by the passage, but nothing therein strictly supports or implies it.
Based on the part of the passage that mentions Pasteur--namely, the middle of the final paragraph--choose the response that requires the smallest logical leap to
support.

Question
It can be inferred from the passage that Louis Pasteur:
Choices
A
Developed a method to eliminate dangerous micro-organisms
This happens to be true, but is not stated in the passage. Therefore, it cannot the credited choice. Be wary of drawing on outside knowledge.
B
Made important headway in the field of bacteriology
This is the credited response. Without knowing what Pasteur's work consisted of, you can intuit from context that it was related to Nott's and to micro-organisms, or
bacteria, and disease.
C
Discovered his sterilization technique almost by accident
This is not the credited choice. Nothing in the passage remotely suggests that this was the case.
D
Made use of a more nuanced definition of the classification "insect"
This is not the credited choice. You might infer from context that most scientists used more nuanced definitions of "insect" than did Nott, but we do not know that
Pasteur's work had anything to do with insects.
E
Defined the role of micro-organisms in disease propagation

This is not the credited choice. The sentence as written refers to Pasteur's work and to the recognition of micro-organisms as factors in disease propagation, but it is
not safe to assume that the two are related to such a degree.
This question asks you to determine, based on the themes and progression in the text, which advances are still possible, and which would be most relevant.

Question
Which of the following might still spur further discoveries in the field discussed by the author of the passage?
Choices
A
Innovations in pasteurization technology
This is not the credited choice. Pasteurization is said to be related to disease propagation in the final paragraph, which also implies that the role of bacteria has been
recognized. Changes in that technology, in any case, would have little bearing on our understanding of how disease is spread; it would only help us prevent this.
B
Identification of several new species of mosquito
This is not the credited choice. On a broad enough level, the specific species of insect is not as important as the mechanisms by which they contribute to the spread of
disease.
C
Pinpointing of a strain of vaccine-resistant bacteria

This is not the credited choice. It neglects the importance of insects to the passage.
D
Outbreak of a heretofore undocumented contagious disease
This is the credited response. Because nearly all of the discoveries alluded to in the passage were made in response to some dominant disease, it stands to reason that a
new disease would trigger new insights.
E
Spread of a new strain of disease across multiple continents
This is almost as tempting an answer as D, but the addition of a geographic element adds nothing particularly relevant to the passage as it is presented, whereas the
contagious nature of the disease is missing.
You are asked to describe the author's tone and sentiment as indicated by the passage's language and structure; although word choice is important, the overall layout of
the text should be taken into account as well.

Question
The tone in which this passage is written can be said to manifest what attitude on the part of the author?
Choices
A
Indifference
This is not the credited choice. The author does not express a particularly one-sided opinion here, but there is no grounds to accuse him of being indifferent to the
subject matter either.
B
Impatience
This is not the credited choice. It is unlikely to be the case in that the author's main point is that "great movements and discoveries do not arise suddenly."
C
Approval
This is the credited response. The author's purpose in the passage is to point out how each discovery along the way to the present has contributed to our current
understanding of one facet of disease transmission, so he can be said to approve of the milestones he presents.
D
Admiration

This is not the credited choice. It puts things too strongly; the author presents each theory in full cognizance of what it is lacking or where it has since been proven to
be misguided.
E
Foresight
This cannot logically be the answer, as the passage concerns only things that have happened in the past. This is not the credited choice.
The word "inferred" in the question tells you to make a small logical leap that will be supported by something implied, not directly stated, in the passage. The
phrase Estado Novo is used throughout the text, but it is discussed as a name primarily in the first paragraph.
The Portuguese empire, which at its height spanned

over 2 million square kilometers on three continents,
was a monarchy until October 1910, when revolutionary
forces capitalized on the recent regicide of King
(5) Charles and installed a republican government with a
tenuous structure of parliamentary democracy. The
Portuguese First Republic, as the ensuing regime was
known, lasted for 16 years before it was ousted in a
military coup dtat, giving way to the Ditadura
(10) Nacionalnational dictatorshipwhose name would be
softened, for posterity, to Estado Novo, meaning new
state.
The Estado Novo regime brought with it
sociopolitical stability and economic growth unseen
(15) during the First Republic, which bolstered the
popularity of its architect, Antnio de Oliveira
Salazar. In reality, particularly when viewed in a
modern light, the differences between Salazars
program and Italian fascism were superficial: despite
(20) the absence of centralized party structure and the
emphasis on integralism, an anti-liberal political
philosophy that views the state as an organic unity,
censorship was rampant, religious freedom curtailed, and
violence in the name of the authoritarian regime, though
(25) it came at the hands of a popular militia rather than
military police, a way of life.
Dissolution of the regime began in the 1960s,
predictably enough in the colonies where its influence
was most detached from its underlying municipal
(30) benefits. If the United States and the Soviet Union,
both of whom supported independence movements in Angola,
Guinea and Mozambique, did so fundamentally out of
self-interest, they still provided the political force
necessary to undermine Portuguese colonialism. The
(35) Portuguese Colonial War, whose primary theaters were the
aforementioned African nations, went on from 1961 until
1974, when, pursuant to the Carnation Revolution carried
out by leftist groups, the Estado Novo regime was
ushered out of power the same way it came.
Question
It can be inferred from the passage that the name Estado Novo came from:
Choices
A
Salazar's revolutionary ideals
This is not the credited choice. Salazar's ideals might have been revolutionary and new, but it was not at the beginning of his power that the regime took the name that
it did: the passage points out that the name was changed later.
B
Cautious political revisionism

This is the credited response. Support for this answer lies in the word "softened": wary of being associated with the negative connotation of dictatorship, the Estado
Novo regime revised its name to a broader and less descriptive one.
C
Fear of association with fascism
This is not the credited choice. It is in the right spirit, but too specific to be supported: although the Estado Novo regime did reject associations with fascism, this fact
is not stated in the passage, and therefore cannot be used to answer this question. The passage says nothing about Salazar's actual attitude toward fascism, only the ad
hoc resemblance of his politics to it.
D
The philosophy of integralism
This is not the credited choice. Integralism is defined as viewing the state as an organic unity; although Estado Novo has "state" in its name, there is no grounds for
further connecting them.
E
The kindness of posterity
This is not the credited choice. It correctly apprehends that the name was given to the regime after the fact, but misinterprets the agent of the change: it was
done for posterity, not by it.
This question tests your ability to determine what the author might say based on what is already stated or implied in the passage. The question itself does not give you
much information, but a glance at the answer choices should tell you that the chief subject is the political nature of the regime, which is discussed in the most technical
detail in the second paragraph.

state.
Question
The author would agree with which of the following statements?
Choices
A
The Estado Novo regime was fascist in ideology, if not in practice

This is not the credited choice. It makes the correct distinction but assigns the wrong sides. The regime was fascist in practice, not in ideology.
B
Integralism is merely a philosophically adjusted form of dictatorship
This is not the credited choice. The author does not say enough about integralism to make this generalization; though in Salazar's case the two ideologies went hand in
hand, we cannot assume this would always be the case.
C
The Estado Novo regime was fascist in practice, if not in ideology
This is the credited response. The author points out "superficial" ways in which the regime differed from fascism, but opines that these were less important than the
political effects, which made society under the dictatorship similar to that under fascism.
D
Sociopolitical stability is a hallmark of parliamentary democracy
This is not the credited choice. Like E, this misinterprets the chronology of the passage: sociopolitical stability was rejuvenated during the Estado Novo regime, but it
was the prior regime, the First Republic, that was conceived as a parliamentary democracy.
E
Economic growth often flourishes under parliamentary democracy
This is not the credited choice. Like D, this misinterprets the chronology of the passage: economic growth did flourish during theEstado Novo regime, but it was the
First Republic that was conceived as a parliamentary democracy.
The wording of the question tells you to restrict your focus to the third and last paragraph of the passage, although not to ignore any information from earlier
paragraphs that may help your understanding. Bear in mind that you are looking for the statement that is not supported.

state.
Question
The final paragraph of the passage supports all of the following statements except:
Choices
A
The United States had a vested political interest in Angolan independence in the 1960s
This is not the credited choice. Without stating why, the author confirms that the U.S. and the Soviet Union intervened in Portuguese colonial politics "fundamentally
out of political self-interest."
B
Angola, Guinea and Mozambique fought separate but ideologically similar wars of independence
This is the credited response. There is no reason to assume that the three countries fought different wars; indeed, the author's reference to the Portuguese Colonial War
in all of them suggests that this statement is false.
C
The United States and the Soviet Union were eager to limit the scope of the Portuguese empire
This is not the credited choice. It is a reasonable interpretation of the author's statement in choice A, that the larger nations joined the colonial independence cause
"fundamentally out of political self-interest."
D
Portuguese colonies in Africa enjoyed relatively little economic growth under the Estado Novo regime

This is not the credited choice. It is implied and supported by the author's statement that those colonies were "detached from [the] underlying municipal benefits" of
the Estado Novo regime.
E
Leftists seized control of the Portuguese government violently
This is not the credited choice. That the regime "was ushered out of power the same way it came" suggests a violent coup d'tatcomparable to the one that installed it
in 1926.
This question asks you to imagine the overall state of affairs in the regime described in the passage and to extrapolate from there to find the one condition that does
not follow logically.

state.
Question
Which of the following would not be likely under a government like the Estado Novo?
Choices
A
Unified opposition to the incumbent party
This is the credited response. The author attributes to Salazar's regime an "absence of centralized party structure." Though the case could be made for a distinction
between organization of the opposition and that of the dominant ruling force, it would require greater depth than the passage and this question provide. For the present
purposes, "the incumbent party" should be considered something unlikely under the Estado Novo or a like regime.
B
Declining civil liberties and public discourse

This is not the credited choice. It can be inferred from the details that "censorship was rampant [and] religious freedom curtailed."
C
Stricter regulation of international trade
This is not the credited choice. If the regime led to economic growth but also emphasized the unity of the state, it stands to reason that trade dealings with other
countries would be tightly controlled by the government.
D
Widespread corruption among elected officials
This is not the credited choice. It follows from the influence and power of the popular militia, in that accountability and honesty are distorted among people who are
officially consigned to make or enforce laws. Corruption would be an unsurprising extension of such a condition.
E
Greater harmony among government branches
This is not the credited choice. An integralist view of the state as a strong unit would logically lead to strong communication and collaboration among different parts
of the government.

This question tests your ability to determine how a part relates to the whole. In this case, you should pay attention to the qualities of the first paragraph as an
introduction, but potentially more.

state.
Question
What is the role of the first paragraph in relation to the rest of the passage?
Choices
A
It introduces the concerns that will play out in the rest of the discussion
This is not the credited choice. It is too general: the first paragraph outlines different historical stages in Portuguese government and serves as a sort of prehistory to
the rest of the passage.
B
It lays a historical groundwork for subsequent events

This is the credited response. The first paragraph mentions historical events, and these are used to set up the discussion of the Estado Novo regime that follows.
C
It presents a historical theory that the rest of the passage demonstrates
This is not the credited choice. It is plainly off the mark: there is no theory introduced in the first paragraph.
D
It begins a list of historical events that the rest of the passage continues
This is not the credited response. Although the first paragraph describes historical events, this choice fails to account for the weight of this material as a whole: since
the Estado Novo regime is the author's primary concern, the first paragraph supplies preliminary information for context for the subsequent text. The rest of the
passage is not a further list of historical events, but rather a discussion of the Estado Novo era.
E
It provides a model of government to which the main one is contrasted
This is not the credited choice. It is incidentally true, but the contrast between styles of government is not the main thrust of the passage, which is fundamentally
historical in tone.
This question asks you to examine the overall trajectory of the passage and articulate how the final paragraph fits therein. Begin by looking over the paragraph in
question for clues, but expect to draw on the main ideas in the rest of the text as well.
Some have asserted that human affairs are

altogether determined by the voluntary action of men,
some that the Providence of God directs us in every
step, some that all events are fixed by Destiny. It is
(5) for us to ascertain how far each of these affirmations
is true.
The life of individual man is of a mixed nature. In
part he submits to the free-will impulses of himself and
others, in part he is under the inexorable dominion of
(10) law. He insensibly changes his estimate of the relative
power of each of these influences as he passes through
successive stages. In the confidence of youth he
imagines that very much is under his control, in the
disappointment of old age very little. As time wears on,
(15) and the delusions of early imagination vanish away, he
learns to correct his sanguine views, and prescribes a
narrower boundary for the things he expects to obtain.
The realities of life undeceive him at last, and there
steals over the evening of his days an unwelcome
(20) conviction of the vanity of human hopes. The things he
has secured are not the things he expected. He sees that
a Supreme Power has been using him for unknown ends,
that he was brought into the world without his own
knowledge and is departing from it against his own
(25) will.
Whoever has made the physical and intellectual
history of individual man his study will be prepared to
admit in what a surprising manner it foreshadows social
history. The equilibrium and movement of humanity are
(30) altogether physiological phenomena. Yet not without
hesitation may such an opinion be frankly avowed, since
it is offensive to the pride, and to many of the
prejudices and interests of our age. An author who has
been disposed to devote many years to the labor of
(35) illustrating this topic has need of the earnest support
of all who prize the truth; and, considering the extent
and profundity of his subject, his work, at the best,
must be very imperfect, requiring all the forbearance
and even the generosity of criticism.
Question
What is the relationship of the last paragraph to the rest of the passage?
Choices
A
It broadens the scope of the passage to include history

This is not the credited choice because it is incomplete. The last paragraph does not broaden the scope of the passage but in fact redirects it toward a narrower focus,
namely how disillusionment over the course of human life affects the study of physical and intellectual history.
B
It orients the passage toward a particular end
This is the credited response. In effect, the last paragraph tells us why we have been reading about man's progression from naivete to resignation: this path greatly
influences the way we study humans and their role in history.
C
It offers an avenue of redemption for man's disillusionment
This is not the credited choice. Redemption is out of scope in this passage: history is not a solution to disillusionment; rather, disillusionment is something that must
be taken into account in the study of history.
D
It refutes the passage's suggestion of a particular trajectory
This is not the credited choice. The final paragraph does not contradict anything about the preceding two; it makes the case for how the information contained therein
can and should be used in a particular discipline.
E
It adds a historical dimension to the passage's concerns
This is trivially true, in that the passage is not about history until the final paragraph. Still, this answer choice is a poor articulation of the mechanics of the passage.
This is not the credited choice.

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The passage gives us two facts: a town wants to introduce a free driver refresher course, and the course

will take money needed to fund a previously planned parking

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