10R Solutions Verbal PDF

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53. If it is assumed that the Nebraska site is the impact crater from a meteorite, investigators of the
1908 Siberian impact site might reasonably expect to find:
Solution
A) a high level of background radiation, as from a hydrogen bomb.
Guess
While the passage indicates that the impact released as much energy as a hydrogen bomb, no
indication is made as to the levels of radiation or whether those levels were the equivalent of
those left by a hydrogen bomb.
B) small round pieces of rock and glassy plates.
The main evidence for the meteorite impact was “glassy plates and small, spherical blobs rich
in iron and titanium” that “are unlike anything found ordinarily in central Nebraska.” These
“may be pieces of the exploded meteorite that rained down as molten droplets.”
C) a crater larger than the one in Nebraska.
The passage states that the Nebraska meteorite was larger and “would have released hundreds
of times more energy.” From this, it is reasonable to conclude that the Siberian crater would
not be larger.
D) a shallow, indistinct depression.
The reason for the shallowness of the Nebraska impact crater was that the loose Nebraska
soil, which erodes easily, fills it. This would not necessarily be the case with every similar
impact, such as, for example, the Arizona crater cited in the passage, which is more
distinctive because it was carved out of hard rock.
I missed this question because I...
54. Dort mentions sinkholes in order:
Solution A) to eliminate an alternative hypothesis regarding the formation of the crater.
Guess The elimination of an alternative hypothesis is the reason for the reference to sinkholes, with
the explanation that “the rock formations aren’t the sort to collapse and form sinkholes.”
B) to impress the reader with the uniqueness of the discovery.
The reason Dort concluded that it could only be a meteorite crater is because the feature
seemed “too exotic.” The inference is that the sinkhole would make the depression a less
unique feature and thus require a more common explanation.
C) to explain the absence of volcanoes in the vicinity.
The absence of volcanoes is simply one of the alternative explanations that is eliminated by
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Dort, rather than something explained by sinkholes.
D) to explain the shallowness of the depression.
The shallowness of the depression is explained by soil erosion filling the crater.
55. Dort's reasoning about the date of the supposed impact rests on the assumption that:
Solution A) humans were living in the area at the time.
Guess The assumption that humans were living in the area at the time is based on the assumption
that upper soil layers are younger than lower layers and younger than 12,000 years, when
humans were living in the area. See rationale B.
B) the more recent layers of earth are closer to the surface.
Dort concluded the crater must be 3,000 years old. Part of Dort’s reasoning is that the soil
layer lies above a 12,000-year-old layer of silt, which would make the crater younger than
that. This would then assume that top layers of soil are younger than lower layers.
C) depressions created by wind erosion are irregular.
The irregularity of depressions caused by wind erosion explains why the crater could not be
the product of wind erosion. The date rests on a different set of assumptions. See rationale B.
D) meteors are not likely to strike the Great Plains.
Since a meteorite evidently did strike the Great Plains, the likelihood of meteorites striking
the area is irrelevant to the question of the supposed age of the impact. What remains is how
to determine the age of the impact based on the carbon dating of soil strata. See rationale B.
56. The opening paragraph describes the descent of a fireball that was seen before the development
of written records. The paragraph is probably based on:
Solution
A) legends and pictographs of local Native Americans.
Guess
Nothing in the passage indicates that these legends and pictographs existed. The speculation
in the passage regarding the presence of humans in the area is based solely on the estimated
date of the impact: “since [the impact crater] lies above a layer of silt that is 12,000 years old,
it must be younger than that—which means it was formed after humans had already occupied
the area.”
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B) information about more recent meteor activity.
The basis for this imagined account can be inferred from more recent information, namely, the
Siberian meteorite described later in the passage: “That meteorite released about as much
energy as a hydrogen bomb, and the nighttime glow was bright enough to read by in
England.”
C) popular beliefs and science fiction.
Although the opening paragraph is an imaginative re-creation of the event, it is not mere
fiction but more likely based on relatively recent occurrences of large impacts such as the
Siberian event of 1908. See rationale B.
D) reports of the well documented Arizona meteor.
The passage states that the Arizona meteorite impact occurred 50,000 years ago, well before
human presence in the area.
57. A member of the U.S. Geological Survey has pointed out that Dort has not found a deformation
of the rim of the depression or a compressed layer of bedrock beneath it, features which clearly
Solution indicate a meteor crater. Their absence:
Guess A) proves that the Nebraska depression is not a meteorite impact crater.
This proves that Dort needs further information. See rationale D.
B) is irrelevant to the question of the cause of the crater.
Their relevance is indicated by Dort’s need to drill into the bedrock for additional evidence.
See rationale D.
C) is equally relevant to claims about the Siberian depression.
The Nebraska impact crater was caused by a denser and bigger meteorite that released
hundreds of times more energy than the one that caused the Siberian explosion. Therefore, it
follows that the Siberian crater would not necessarily show the same effects, given the lesser
amount of energy released.
D) casts doubt on Dort's conclusions.
The passage states that “Dort hasn’t convinced all the experts that his depression is really an
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impact crater.” The passage then indicates that some doubt remains about Dort’s finding and
that additional information is needed, especially if Dort needs to detect compression in the
bedrock: “Dort hopes to drill into the bedrock under the crater . . . and thereby gather enough
evidence to silence the skeptics.”
58. If spherical blobs and glassy plates were found in areas in which there was no evidence of
meteorite impact, it would be reasonable to conclude that:
Solution
A) the observations in Nebraska were carelessly done.
Guess
There is other evidence beyond the mere lack of volcanoes in the area, such as the mile-wide
depression, the rock formations not being the type to form sinkholes, and that the depression
could not have been scoured by the wind. The discovery of these rocks is, if anything, more
evidence of careful observation. A careful observer would take note of these rocks, even if
they were found in other areas whereupon they would then be eliminated as evidence.
B) the Nebraska crater is newer than supposed, because such delicate structures survived.
Passage information does not indicate in any way that such structures are necessarily too
delicate to be preserved over thousands of years. Moreover, if found elsewhere, they would be
eliminated as evidence, rather than indicating that the crater is newer than expected.
C) the rocks of this sort found in Nebraska probably did not come from a meteorite.
These kinds of rocks are introduced in the passage as evidence of a meteorite impact because
they are not found elsewhere in Nebraska.
D) the depression in Nebraska could not have come from a meteorite.
The passage offers other evidence indicating that the depression could have resulted from a
meteorite. See rationale A.
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59. In the third paragraph, the author speaks of times when "the figure has been weaving itself into
the carpet." As used in the passage, the phrase suggests that at least a part of fiction writing is the
Solution result of:
Guess A) supernatural intervention.
The suggestion is that, in a gifted writer, effortless writing is a product of “inspiration” or

“natural talent.” This suggests a relationship between natural talent and inspiration with no
suggestion of supernatural intervention.
B) both loving and hating the writing process.
The passage author uses this statement in the context of arguing that the writer has to learn to
trust in the writing process, and learn to love it as well as hate it. Therefore, the emphasis is
not on both loving and hating the process, but trusting and loving it—a fine distinction that
needs to be made.
C) effortless inspiration.
This image comes in the context of the passage author’s discussion of those moments when
writing is not always a struggle and comes with little effort: “There are the exhilarations of
finding that the way ahead has opened overnight, that the character who has been so elusive
has suddenly walked into the room and started talking, that the figure has been weaving itself
into the carpet.” However, the passage author warns that these conditions, which the passage
author terms “inspiration,” are not the normal ones for writers.
D) stoop labor and second thoughts.
The passage author uses this image as an example of when writing is not “always stoop labor
and second thoughts and struggling with one’s tendency toward negation and despair and
accepting one’s limits and limitations.”
60. The passage suggests that fiction writers who persist in their careers do so out of a conviction
that:
Solution
A) writing affords an escape from anxiety and depression.
Guess
The passage author implies the opposite—anxiety and depression are disabling to the writer,
and writing does not offer an escape from these states of mind: “For the inexperienced writer,
a year or two of rejection or a major rejection . . . can lead all too easily to self-distrust, and
from there to a disabling distrust of the writing process itself. Anxious, depressed, defensive,
the writer who is suffering this distrust . . . gives up a most fundamental and enabling right:
the right to write uncertainly, roughly, even badly.”
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B) writing is something that they must do.
The passage author points out that the writers who do persist, even in the face of frustrations,
doubts, and disappointments, do so out of a sense of calling: “In the scars of the struggle
between the odd, sensitive side of the self that wants to write, and the practical, socialized
side that wants results, the gifted young writer is likely to find his or her true sense of
vocation.” The passage author later observes that writers “fix the turning point in their writing
lives in the period during which the intrinsic interest of what they were doing began to take
over and to generate a sense of necessity. . . . Whatever may feed it, whatever may impede it,
finally comes to be subsidiary to the simple imperative of being at work.” No matter what
obstacles or successes the writer experiences, the writer finds intrinsic value in the writing
process itself.
C) they must prove their worth to the outside world.
The passage author suggests otherwise, that writers persist out of “the simple imperative of
being at work.” See rationale B.
D) they must produce publishable work.
The passage author claims that the persistence of the writer is owing to a commitment to the
writing process itself and not just to producing publishable work: “In the scars of the struggle
between the odd, sensitive side of the self that wants to write, and the practical, socialized
side that wants results, the gifted young writer is likely to find his or her true sense of
vocation.” See rationale B.
61. Which of the following assertions is NOT made in the passage?
Solution A) Writing enables one to overcome problems in one's personal life.
Guess The passage author suggests otherwise, that the writing is a matter of persistence, even in the
face of self-doubts and other problems intrinsic to writing, but nowhere does the passage
author say that writing helps overcome personal problems.
B) Writers must sometimes be willing to do less than their best work.
The passage author states that “the right to write uncertainly, roughly, even badly” is “a most
fundamental and enabling right.”
C) The turning point in a writer's career often comes when writing begins to take precedence over
other considerations.
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The passage author states that “Virtually all the fiction writers I’ve been speaking to about
these matters fix the turning point in their writing lives in the period during which the intrinsic
interest of what they were doing began to take over and to generate a sense of necessity.”
D) Rejection can often lead inexperienced writers to lose faith in their abilities.
The passage author states that “For the inexperienced writer, a year or two of rejection or a
major rejection . . . can lead all too easily to self-distrust, and from there to a disabling distrust
of the writing process itself.”
62. Elsewhere, the author of the passage states that about half of the promising young writers whose
work appears in literary magazines each year disappear from the writing scene without a trace.
Solution Given the information in the passage, this phenomenon is most probably due to:
Guess A) the beginning writer's loss of trust in the writing process.
The passage author points out how faith in the writing process is key: “The writer’s defense
[against self-rejection] is the power of self-objectivity, an interest in otherness, and faith in
the process itself, which enables one to write on into the teeth of doubts and then to improve
the result.” Given this, it is reasonable to conclude that writers disappearing from the scene
would be a result of loss of faith in the writing process. The passage author later reinforces
this in discussing how a gifted young writer may lose faith in the process when the writer
realizes that those moments of inspiration when natural talent is expressed are not the normal
ones.
B) scars the beginning writer bears as a result of the struggle between the "odd" self and the
"socialized" self.
According to the passage author, this is where “the gifted young writer is likely to find his or
her true sense of vocation.”
C) the disillusionment the beginning writer feels after finally getting published.
The passage author never refers to this kind of disillusionment in the passage.
D) the beginning writer's having written uncertainly, roughly, even badly.
The passage author discusses this as one of the writer’s most enabling fundamental rights, as
something the writer must accept as part of the writing process. Distrust in the process
actually leads the writer to give up this right.
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63. It has been said that "no one likes to write; everyone likes to have written." The passage suggests
that a gifted young fiction writer who comes to prefer "having written" over writing might
Solution reasonably be expected:
Guess A) to become more prolific.
The passage argument suggests that writers who prefer “having written” are less likely to be
prolific. See rationale B.
B) to give up writing fiction.
According to the passage author, any young writer who prefers “having written” (presumably
a published work) likely does not trust in the writing process, and is therefore more likely to
give up writing fiction: “For the inexperienced writer, a year or two of rejection or a major
rejection . . . can lead all too easily to self-distrust, and from there to a disabling distrust of the
writing process itself. Anxious, depressed, defensive, the writer who is suffering this distrust .
. . gives up a most fundamental and enabling right: the right to write uncertainly, roughly,
even badly.” To reinforce this point, the passage author later states that “the gifted young
writer needs to learn to trust the writing process itself and, beyond that, to love as well as hate
it.” Later in the paragraph, the passage author notes that the writer who thinks that
“inspiration” and “natural talent” are normal conditions is likely to quit writing.
C) to become a more objective self-critic.
The passage author states that self-objectivity is key to writers who learn to love the process:
“The writer’s defense [against self-rejection] is the power of self-objectivity, an interest in
otherness, and faith in the process itself, which enables one to write on into the teeth of doubts
and then to improve the result.”
D) to develop a simpler writing style.
The passage author does not focus on the matter of a simpler writing style or what leads to it,
focusing, instead, on the issue of the relationship between a writer’s persistence and a writer’s
ability to love the process. See rationale B.
64. Which of the following popular notions about writers is most strongly supported by the passage?
Solution A) Gifted writers frequently suffer in the creation of their work.
Guess This popular idea is supported throughout the passage, beginning with the opening sentence:
“The gifted young fiction writer has to learn through adversity to separate rejection of one’s
work from self-rejection, and with respect to the latter, self-criticism . . . from self-distrust.”
This point is further supported as follows: “For the inexperienced writer, a year or two of
rejection or a major rejection . . . can lead all too easily to self-distrust, and from there to a
di bli di f h ii i lf A i d d d f i h i h
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disabling distrust of the writing process itself. Anxious, depressed, defensive, the writer who
is suffering this distrust . . . gives up a most fundamental and enabling right: the right to write
uncertainly, roughly, even badly.” The passage author also notes that the willingness of the
writer to be scarred by the struggle to write implies a commitment to the writing vocation: “In
the scars of the struggle between the odd, sensitive side of the self that wants to write, and the
practical, socialized side that wants results, the gifted young writer is likely to find his or her
true sense of vocation.”
B) Some of the world's greatest writers have been emotionally ill.
Although there are references to, for example, anxiety, depression, and self-rejection, the
passage author does not associate any of the world’s greatest writers with these emotional
states.
C) The greatest writers in history were divinely inspired.
The passage discussion of “inspiration” focuses on how writing sometimes comes easily to
writers, with no reference to divine sources of that inspiration.
D) Novelists often base their books on their own experiences.
The passage author focuses on the writing process, rather than on sources of material for
novelists, including personal experience.
65. Which of the following statements of advice to gifted young writers most strongly challenges the
argument made in the passage?
Solution
A) When you sit down to write, stop thinking and listen to the story you're telling.
Guess
This statement resonates with the passage author’s point that there are moments when the
writing simply comes without struggle: “For writing is not . . . always stoop labor and second
thoughts and struggling with one’s tendency toward negation and despair and accepting one’s
limits and limitations. There are the exhilarations of finding that the way ahead has opened
overnight, that the character who has been so elusive has suddenly walked into the room and
started talking, that the figure has been weaving itself into the carpet.”
B) The best solution to writer's block is to find another line of work.
The passage author counsels persistence, advising that “the gifted young writer needs to learn
to trust in the writing process itself and, beyond that, to love it as well as hate it.” Therefore,
counseling a writer who has writer’s block to go into another line of work most challenges the
passage author’s advice, because the passage author cites the negative example of a writer
who chooses another line of work over writing for this very reason.
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C) The right attitude for a writer is this: A writer writes.
This statement most strongly supports the passage argument that “writing itself . . . becomes a
way of empowering the writing self.”
D) A young writer should not worry about being published for twenty years or so.
This statement would support the passage author’s emphasis on the writing process itself, for
which the product becomes an outcome not a goal: “In the scars of the struggle between the
odd, sensitive side of the self that wants to write, and the practical, socialized side that wants
results, the gifted young writer is likely to find his or her true sense of vocation.”
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66. The author refers to the desert tortoise as "humble" and as "delicate fauna" in order to
emphasize:
Solution
A) the discouragement of those who hope to preserve threatened species.
Guess
The passage makes no mention of the discouragement felt by advocates of endangered species
protection, and references to the “humble desert tortoise” and “delicate fauna” simply
function to create a contrast. See rationale D.
B) the unimportance of certain species relative to humans.
The importance of these species and the desire of humans to protect them is underscored by
the simple fact that spy satellite technology, normally reserved for highly sensitive military
intelligence, is being used to track them.
C) the particular importance of tracking species that are obscure.
The references to the “humble desert tortoise” and “delicate fauna” are not made to draw
attention to their relative obscurity but to draw attention to the contrast between the military
and environmental use of spy satellites. See rationale D.
D) the contrast between military and environmental uses of satellites.
Both sentences where this language occurs refer to the contrast between these two uses of spy
satellites. The first one states, “When not focused on other nations’ military bases, spy
satellites have been studying a dusty habitat of the humble desert tortoise.” The second
sentence states, “To some, the marriage of former cold warriors and delicate fauna may seem
a strange one.”
67. Consider the following argument: "If the desert tortoise were removed from the list of
endangered species, then war games would begin at Fort Irwin, resulting in the extinction of the
Solution animal in the area." The passage author's probable reason for NOT making this argument is that:
Guess A) the effect of such activities on the local tortoise population is uncertain.
It is reasonable to conclude that the author did not include this argument because the effect of
renewed war games on the desert tortoise is uncertain. The passage author later refers to this
uncertainty: “The study makes clear that drawing broad conclusions about the species is
impossible from a local study.”
B) military decisions are not affected by ecological considerations.
The passage indicates that military decisions are affected by ecological

considerations—hence, the use of space-based sensors to study the desert tortoise. In addition,
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the Army set aside a 20,000-acre sanctuary to comply with the Endangered Species Act.
C) the military is dedicated to the preservation of endangered species.
It does not necessarily follow that compliance with the Endangered Species Act translates into
dedication to the preservation of endangered species. Rather, the Army is complying for
practical reasons: “If the desert tortoise were taken off the list of threatened species, . . . the
Army could use at least part of that land for the mock tank battles and other war games
conducted on the base.”
D) this extinction is inevitable, even if such activities are prohibited.
The passage indicates uncertainty about the species instead of the inevitability of its
extinction. See rationale A.
68. The passage author implies that environmental scientists are particularly interested in:
Solution A) the willingness of the military to allow research on its bases.
Guess Passage information does not reveal any particular interest by scientists toward the
willingness of the military to allow research on its bases. This willingness is simply reported
as the military’s desire to comply with the Endangered Species Act and the military’s interest
in delisting the tortoise as a threatened species so war games can resume in the desert tortoise
sanctuary.
B) new discoveries about the habits of the desert tortoise.
The passage does not indicate any particular interest by scientists in new discoveries about
desert tortoises, only that broad conclusions about the species are impossible to obtain from
local studies.
C) a lack of access to data collected by spy satellites.
Access to data is restricted but not lacking: “Only scientists with security clearances can see
these data.” The passage does not indicate that restricted access is an issue of any particular
interest to scientists.
D) the role of space-based sensors in future research.
The passage author states: The [desert tortoise] study’s importance lies in the use of advanced
intelligence-gathering tools to examine the environment.”
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69. A plausible inference from the passage is that the role of creosote bushes in the life of the Fort
Irwin tortoises is:
Solution
A) essential; they are the primary food source.
Guess
The passage does not indicate that creosote bushes are a primary food source, only that
tortoises are drawn to areas dense with creosote bush. See rationale B.
B) indirect; they indicate a viable environment.
Passage information does not indicate a direct symbiotic relationship between desert tortoises
and creosote bushes, only that creosote bushes indicate a suitable habitat: “desert tortoises
tend to congregate in areas that are dense with creosote bush, a sign of a healthy desert,
something the tortoise would naturally seek out.”
C) incidental; they are prevalent in the Mojave Desert.
A reasonable inference can be made that creosote bushes are not widespread throughout the
desert because the passage implies that only some areas are dense with creosote bush and that
the tortoises seek out these areas. See rationale B.
D) uncertain; they might provide necessary shelter.
The one certainty in the study is that desert tortoises are drawn to areas where creosote bush
is prevalent, but the passage makes no indication that this bush provides shelter. See rationale
B.
70. An assumption underlying the discussion of satellite reconnaissance is that:
Solution A) spy satellites are technologically superior to civilian satellites.
Guess This assumption can be made based on some direct evidence from the passage: “An
unclassified version of the study that is based on data from civilian satellites and airplanes
and a ground census contains few surprises. The study’s importance lies in the use of
advanced intelligence-gathering tools to examine the environment.” The passage author later
states, “The unclassified report gives a flavor of the data obtainable from spy technology.”
The use of the term a flavor implies that the information obtained is not nearly as detailed or
extensive as that obtained from spy satellites.
B) space-based sensors are not designed to scan desert terrain.
Passage information indicates that satellite reconnaissance is suitable for scanning desert
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terrain. The passage describes how this technology was able to verify what types of soil desert
tortoises preferred, which could not be verified by ground studies.
C) data collected by spy craft can preserve endangered species.
The data revealed some uncertainty about how to best preserve the species, since their habits
vary, depending upon local conditions: “The study makes clear that drawing broad
conclusions about the species is impossible from a local study.”
D) the C.I.A. is reluctant to be involved in environmental projects.
The passage indicates little reluctance on the part of the C.I.A.—the agency is overseeing the
project.
71. Which of the following beliefs is most defensible on the basis of passage assertions?
Solution A) Data from remote sensing devices could help to answer many questions of interest to
ecologists.
Guess
The following statement makes this a defensible belief: “Spy satellites have gauged the
temperature of salmon streams and have helped to map wetlands.” The passage also discusses
how these data enabled researchers to determine the kind of soil in which desert tortoises
prefer to live.
B) The tunnels of desert tortoise are not found in soils that are either very hard or very soft.
This belief is based only on a hypothesis drawn from evidence from satellite data: “Ahmann
hypothesized that granitic soil is ideal for a tortoise because it is not so compact as to make
burrowing difficult or so loose as to cause tunnels to collapse.”
C) Telescopic cameras and electromagnetic wavelength technology enable the identification of

plant species.
This belief is based on probability rather than hard evidence: “Spy craft can examine Earth in
great detail, using telescopic cameras and dozens of electromagnetic wavelengths. For
example, some of the technology used to monitor soldiers hidden in foliage could probably
differentiate among forms of vegetation.”
D) The findings obtained by spy technology can be inferred from the unclassified research report.
The passage states: “The unclassified report gives a flavor of the data obtainable from spy
technology.” The use of the term a flavor indicates that this belief is more speculative than
defensible.
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72. The term socially constructed in the discussion of mental development refers to the influence of:
Solution A) interactions with peer members on personality traits.
Guess The influence of interactions with peer members on personality traits does not enter the
discussion.
B) assigned role in group structure on self-concept.
The discussion at this point in the passage focuses on the establishment of neural connections.
C) experiences with others on neuronal organization.
The discussion in which the term socially constructed is used indicates this influence: “The
idea that the biological self is socially constructed may seem outrageous. Admittedly, it is an
extrapolation from data indicating that while the genes controlling embryonic development
shape the infant brain, experience establishes the intricate neural connections underlying that
brain’s functioning.”
D) verbal exchanges on linguistic understanding.
This discussion about experience-dependent linguistic development is found later in the

passage and is not an elaboration on the use of socially constructed as at the point at which
the term occurs. See rationale C.
73. The author implies that families seek knowledge about the mental problem with which a relative
has been diagnosed only because of:
Solution
A) regret at having ignored its severity.
Guess
The passage author does not indicate that regret plays any role.
B) a wish to avoid being considered guilty.
The passage implies that this is a motivation for seeking knowledge of a relative’s mental
problem: “The underlying quest by the families of the mentally ill is for moral exculpation.”
C) concern that the cause may be genetic.
Although genetic causes may be a concern in some quarters, the passage author indicates that
families tend to feel guilty about the mental problems of relatives. See rationale B.
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D) uncertainty about their moral obligations.
The passage indicates that families are concerned about their moral obligations—namely, to
themselves—in seeking moral exculpation. See rationale B.
74. The author asserts that children can infer the rules of their language without explicit instruction.
Yet the speech of older children is often ungrammatical by adult standards. Can these two
Solution assertions be reconciled by the author's argument?
Guess A) Yes; innate aptitude, early exposure, and linguistic community all contribute to competence.
The passage author points out that along with this innate ability to infer grammatical rules
comes the influence of social interaction and the linguistic community the child inhabits: “the
capacity to use grammar does not spring, like Minerva, fully formed from the head of Jove.
Its acquisition and elaboration depend on social interaction. Whether a child acquires any
language at all, let alone a specific language, is determined by the child’s linguistic
community.”
B) Yes; the natural language-acquisition process may be disrupted by adult attempts to teach
grammar.
This would only be true if the grammar were taught badly. Instead, the natural
language-acquisition process is ultimately not only a product of nature but also of nurture and
niche.
C) No; the language exemplars children hear are frequently grammatically substandard.
The passage does not explicitly state nor imply that these language exemplars are frequently
substandard, only that they influence a child’s language acquisition. The exemplars could just
as easily be grammatically competent as substandard.
D) No; congenital learning disabilities or emotional disorders can adversely affect children's
speech.
Although congenital learning disabilities or emotional disorders can affect language

acquisition, these represent anomalies and would not affect the passage author’s point that
ungrammatical speech in older children could also result from social interaction and the
linguistic community of the child
75. In terming certain neurons survivors, the author means those that:
Solution A) frequently participate in mental operations.
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Solution ) q yp p p
Guess The passage author points out that the survivors are neurons that are most experienced, or
“activity-dependent,” meaning that they participate the most in mental operations: “We have
learned that neurons and their processes overgrow luxuriantly in the course of development
and that it is experience that selects the survivors. True, the basic ground plan is laid out in
the genome, but the precise neuroanatomic details are specified by activity-dependent
competition between presynaptic axons for common postsynaptic target neurons.”
B) are genetically programmed for longer life.
Neurons are initially genetically programmed but are reprogrammed through

activity-dependent use. See rationale A.
C) are structurally well adapted to their function.
The observation that neurons “overgrow luxuriantly” suggests that they are not necessarily
always structurally well adapted to their function.
D) achieve an overdevelopment of dendritic processes.
Dendritic processes are not discussed in the passage.
76. According to passage information, which of the following activities by a pregnant woman would
most clearly promote the cognitive development of the infant?
Solution
A) Listening to symphonies
Guess
The influence of music heard in utero is not discussed in the passage; therefore, no inference
can be made about how symphonies would affect cognitive development.
B) Reading classic literature
Reading classic literature would likely have no effect because this activity could not be heard
in utero.
C) Solving problems in logic
Solving problems in logic would have no effect since the infant could not hear this process in
utero.
D) Conversing with friends
3 of 4 6/4/2007 7:36 PM
The passage discusses how auditory learning begins before birth with the infant hearing its
mother’s voice in utero, which influences the infant’s aptitude for language acquisition. Given
this, conversations between the mother and friends would most likely influence the infant’s
cognitive and linguistic development.
4 of 4 6/4/2007 7:36 PM
77. The author's major contention about mythology is that:
Solution A) nostalgia for the loss of the myths of a culture is natural and healthy.
Guess Rather than seeing such nostalgia as healthy, the passage author contends that such nostalgia,
“a longing to return to a world in which the gods were meaningful realities,” will naturally
occur as part of a culture’s progress toward full maturity but will pass and be replaced by a
“new-found freedom and the joy of a consciousness liberated from bondage to superstition
and myth.”
B) myths will be replaced by coherent religions as humanity evolves.
The passage author points out that “Religion is rooted in myth, and myth is rooted in
illusion.” As humanity evolves, it will turn away from this. See rationale C.
C) myths are childish beliefs that will be outgrown as societies mature.
The passage author states that myths such as encounters between gods and mortals are
“childish things.” Moreover, demythologization is a defining characteristic of the history of
Western culture: “it becomes possible to ‘read’ the history of Western culture as the poignant
and painful story of children who, in their progress toward maturity, cast off all their
illusions.” The passage author then concludes: “We have, at long last, grown up, emancipated
ourselves from myth and magic, overthrown religion as a debilitating illusion.”
D) myths reflect primitive thought processes and will always be created.
The passage author instead believes that although myths reflect primitive thought processes,
as humans evolve they will turn away from myths. See rationale C.
78. A reasonable expectation for someone who accepts Freud's views on religion would be that:
Solution A) the religious will increasingly be considered mentally disturbed.
Guess Although Freud believed that “religion was the obsessional neurosis of children,” the more
reasonable expectation is that religious people will not be seen as mentally disturbed but as
existing in a state of consciousness that will be outgrown. See rationale D.
B) conversions from cults to the major religions will increase.
Freud saw a turning away from religion, not a conversion from cults to major religions, so this
is not a reasonable expectation.
C) membership in nonreligious organizations will increase.
1 of 4 6/4/2007 7:37 PM
) p g g
The passage author does not discuss membership in nonreligious organizations, so it cannot
be inferred from the passage that this would be a reasonable expectation.
D) attendance at religious services will decline.
According to the passage author, “Freud believed that in the process of growth, humanity was
bound to turn away from religion,” and a reasonable expectation from this would be that
attendance at religious services would decline.
79. Early Christians used Euhemerism to argue that:
Solution A) Greco-Roman mythology had no basis in fact.
Guess Euhemerus maintained that the gods had some basis in fact, namely, as wildly exaggerated
historical individuals. See rationale D.
B) pagan gods were anthropomorphic projections.
This view was held by Xenophanes, not Euhemerus.
C) Jesus of Nazareth had historical reality.
The passage does not discuss the historical reality of Jesus.
D) non-Christian gods were glorified humans.
The passage author points out that “Euhemerus proposed that the gods were actual, historical
individuals, most often monarchs, whose lives and deeds became wildly exaggerated by the
popular mythological imagination. . . . Euhemerism was well received in the Greco-Roman
world, and at the beginning of the Christian era it provided religious polemicists with a
method of denouncing pagans.”
80. The author's attitude toward mythology can best be described as:
Solution A) patronizing.
Guess This patronizing attitude is especially reflected in the reference to the myths as “childish
things” and in the references to mythology as something to be outgrown.
2 of 4 6/4/2007 7:37 PM
B) nostalgic.
There are no feelings of nostalgia on the part of the passage author who discusses nostalgia
for the old myths as something that, like religion, will pass. Moreover, its passing is
something to be desired “as we become accustomed to our new-found freedom and the joy of
a consciousness liberated from bondage to superstition and myth.”
C) uncomfortable.
The passage author displays no discomfort but speaks confidently and in a patronizing way
about the inevitable passing away of myth and religion as humans evolve to full maturity:
“We have, at long last, grown up, emancipated ourselves from myth and magic, overthrown
religion as a debilitating illusion.”
D) antagonistic.
This is too strong a word—the passage author is too confident that myth is a passing phase in
the evolution of humanity to feel threatened by it enough to be antagonistic. A representative
example of the passage author’s attitude is as follows: “Unlike a lie, which is a conscious and
deliberate attempt to mask the truth, a myth is not malicious but simply naïve.” Dismissing
myth as naïve reflects a more patronizing than antagonistic attitude.
81. The passage suggests that both Marx and Freud:
Solution A) proposed controversial ideas that have since been discredited.
Guess The passage author cites Marx and Freud to lend credence to the passage argument and
therefore does not see their views as ideas that have since been discredited. See rationale B.
B) contributed significantly to the history of Western thought.
The passage author cites both Marx and Freud to support the passage argument that myth and
religion represent an illusion and a passing phase in the evolution of human consciousness:
“Karl Marx asserted that the mythical, otherworldly dimensions of religion blinded people to
their true task: converting this planet into paradise. Religion, he said, is ‘the opiate of the
masses.’ And to Sigmund Freud, religion was the obsessional neurosis of children, destined to
be outgrown as humanity evolved.” Since the turning away from myth and religion represents
a major step in human consciousness, the implication is that both Marx and Freud have
contributed significantly to Western thought.
C) started movements that restricted religious freedom.
The passage author makes no reference to the ideas of Marx and Freud restricting religious
freedom, instead considering the rejection of religion as a liberating movement in the
3 of 4 6/4/2007 7:37 PM
evolution of human consciousness.
D) hindered the moral progress of Western civilization.
The passage author does not talk in terms of moral progress, although moral progress may
arguably be implied by the reference to the overthrow of religion representing a “new-found
freedom and the joy of a consciousness liberated from bondage to superstition and myth.”
4 of 4 6/4/2007 7:37 PM
82. What relationship does the author imply between Puritanism and seventeenth-century science?
Solution A) The Puritan political sympathies that prevented royal funding were a barrier to science.
Guess The passage author never indicates that the lack of royal funding upon receiving the royal
charter in 1662 was a barrier to science. The Royal Society endured as witnessed by the fact
that “the Society went on meeting at Gresham College until 1703.”
B) The Puritan emphasis on the classical theories encouraged scientific conservatism.
Although the Puritan Robert Boyle drew on classical theory, namely, Epicurean theory, the
Puritans tended to display “a grave indifference to the authority of the past” in favor of
“honest observation.”
C) The Puritan renunciation of worldly interests discouraged progress in applied science.
The passage does not discuss Puritan renunciation of worldly interests, but at any rate,
Puritanism encouraged rather than discouraged scientific pursuits. See rationale D.
D) The Puritan quest for truth for its own sake promoted scientific inquiry.
Many scientists, including a majority of the early Fellows in the Royal Society, were Puritans.
The passage author implies there is a relationship between scientific inquiry and the search
for truth by commenting that “intellectually, [the scientists’] Puritanism did give them a
special devotion to the honest observation of the world and a grave indifference to the
authority of the past.”
83. Which of the following statements, if true, would undermine the author's characterization of the
Puritans?
Solution
A) They opposed ideas that were not supported by religious doctrine.
Guess
This represents the most direct challenge to the claim in the passage that, for Puritan
scientists, “intellectually, [the scientists’] Puritanism did give them a special devotion to the
honest observation of the world and a grave indifference to the authority of the past, both of
which attitudes are still summarized in the word nonconformist.”
B) They challenged the scientific conclusions of acknowledged authorities.
The passage author observes that Puritans displayed indifference to the authority of the past.
See rationale A.
1 of 4 6/4/2007 7:38 PM
C) Their leaders made no attempt to encourage an interest in science.
The passage author suggests that Puritan scientists pursued truth rather than followed their
leaders or any leaders: “Plainly the temper of the times in England was stronger than the
political bias of those in power. Science had a new charm, and scientists had a new prestige.
Part of this prestige may have come from their sense of mission and the aura which they were
beginning to carry of being dedicated to truth.”
D) They devoted their major efforts to amassing wealth through commerce.
Passage information shows that many of these Puritan scientists came from merchant
families, so the fact that most Puritans engaged in commerce would not challenge the passage
author’s characterization of Puritans.
84. Which of the following items of information from the passage provides the best evidence that the
author has correctly assessed the attitude of Charles II toward the Royal Society?
Solution
A) Many of its early members rose to prominence during Cromwell's rule.
Guess
This information at best would account for the attitude of Charles II, not provide evidence of
it.
B) Charles II took an amateur's interest in science.
Charles II’s amateur interest in science may have accounted for why he granted the charter,
but this interest does not provide evidence of his attitude, which is that he granted the charter
and nothing else. See rationale D.
C) Over a third of its charter members had remained Royalists.
This may actually account for why Charles II granted the charter, but it does not reveal his
attitude. See rationale D.
D) It received nothing from Charles II but its charter.
The passage author observes that “Charles II can hardly have been enthusiastic about
endorsing a society that was dominated by men whose political and religious views were
distasteful to him.” The passage author follows up this observation with the following
evidence: “Yet Charles II did give his endorsement to the new society . . . and it received its
first charter—and nothing else—from him in 1662.”
2 of 4 6/4/2007 7:38 PM
85. According to the information provided, the attitude of the king toward the founders of the Royal
Society was most like that of:
Solution
A) a dog to fleas.
Guess
This analogy suggests that the founders of the Royal Society, because they were
predominantly Puritan, were an irritant to Charles II, which is supported by the following:
“Charles II was a man of some intellectual curiosity, and he took an amateur’s interest in
science. But he cannot have liked the Puritan scientists who had begun to meet during the
Revolution and who numbered among their group many who had risen under Cromwell.”
B) a pterodactyl to birds.
This analogy may suggest that, intellectually, Charles II represented an out-of-date

worldview, given that pterodactyls were extinct and birds have succeeded them. However,
this analogy is not supported by the passage information that “Charles II was a man of some
intellectual curiosity, and he took an amateur’s interest in science.”
C) a lion to gazelles.
c.
This analogy would suggest that Charles II preyed on the founders of the Royal Society or
that he was a threat to them, but passage information suggests that he was not, given that he
gave his endorsement to the Society.
D) a mouse to cats.
This analogy would suggest that members of the Royal Society were a threat to Charles II and
that he may have tried to avoid them; instead, he gave the Society his endorsement even
though he did not fund them.
86. A reasonable supposition from passage information about the two scholarly groups is that papers
on the foretelling of events through astrology were presented at meetings of:
Solution
A) neither group.
Guess
Wallis’s group focused on astronomy and geometry. Boyle was a physicist, philosopher, and
chemist who revived Epicurean atomic theory and established Boyle’s law, which governs
gas pressure. Neither group, according to passage information, presented papers foretelling
events through astrology.
B) Wallis's group only.
Neither group presented papers on this subject. See rationale A.
3 of 4 6/4/2007 7:38 PM
g j
C) Boyle's group only.
D) both groups.
4 of 4 6/4/2007 7:38 PM
87. Consider the concept bestselling novel. As the author explains the classical way of defining
concepts, the conditions contains words, has an author or authors, and is popular are:
Solution
A) singly necessary and jointly sufficient.
Guess
These conditions are not jointly sufficient. See rationale C.
B) not singly necessary but jointly sufficient.
These conditions are singly necessary but not jointly sufficient. See rationale C.
C) singly necessary but not jointly sufficient.
The criterion for grandmother in the example cited in the passage produces two conditions of
being female and a parent of a parent, both of which are jointly necessary to define
grandmother. However, although the single conditions represented here are all necessary for
defining bestselling novel, they are not jointly sufficient because there would need to be
additional conditions related to defining a book-length work of fiction.
D) not singly necessary and not jointly sufficient.
These conditions are singly necessary but not jointly sufficient. See rationale C.
88. According to the passage, the demonstration that an unknown object closer in size to a
prototypical quarter than to a prototypical pizza was called a pizza challenges the prototype
Solution model by suggesting that the judgment was an inductive inference. The most reasonable
objection to this conclusion would be that:
Guess
A) the author offers no other evidence to support it.
The passage author supports this conclusion as follows: “Although a three-inch diameter is
objectively closer to that of a quarter than to that of a typical pizza, the object was almost
always classified as a pizza. The apparent reason is the greater constraint on the size of coins
than on the size of pizzas.”
B) the judgment indicates a lack of knowledge about the concepts.
The judgment indicates a full knowledge and understanding of the concepts: “The apparent
reason [for this judgment] is the greater constraint on the size of the coins than on the size of
pizzas. This evidence indicates that people consider permissible variability from a prototype
as well as similarity to it in classifying objects.”
1 of 5 6/4/2007 7:38 PM
C) the construction of a prototype is also an inductive process.
A prototype could be the product of an inductive inference, in which the conditions defining a
particular example lead to a general conclusion: “Whether, or how readily, a particular object
is classified as a concept member thus depends on its similarity to a hypothetical prototype
incorporating all these properties.” Thus a particular example embodying a requisite number
of conditions could be held up as a prototype.
D) the diameter of flattened quarters can be unusually large.
It is not likely, given the definition of a prototype, that a flattened quarter is a frame of
reference, especially since, as the passage author points out, there is a “greater constraint on
the size of coins than on the size of pizzas.” See rationale C.
89. What does the author mean to imply by pointing out that the typicality ratings of concept
instances are relatively uncorrelated with their familiarity?
Solution
A) Experience with the instances does correlate positively with their familiarity.
Guess
Typicality is largely unrelated to familiarity. See rationale D.
B) Typical instances are usually encountered more often than atypical instances.
The passage author does not discuss the relative frequency with which concept instances get
rated typical or atypical.
C) The ratings may reflect differential knowledge rather than agreement among the raters.
The ratings are not reflected in differences between the concept instances but in “the extent to
which [the concept members] represent or typify the concept.”
D) The ratings cannot be explained by the raters' personal experiences with the instances.
The phrases “frequency of occurrence” and “familiarity of the instances” are ways of saying
that the raters have personal experiences with the concept instances. Personal experiences do
not determine how people typify the concept as much as how something gets more or less
typified; for example, an apple is a typical fruit, and an olive is atypical.
90. Suppose that preschoolers in England are more apt to say raisin than peach when asked to name
f i A di h h ' i hi h h
2 of 5 6/4/2007 7:38 PM
a fruit. According to the author's reasoning, this phenomenon suggests that:

Solution
A) the classical explanation is sometimes best.
Guess
The classical explanation would be inadequate in this instance, since it would fail “to
determine such clear-cut definitions” for these particular concepts.
B) the properties of prototypes are not universal.
The passage author argues that classical theory fails to always determine clear-cut definitions
and that typicality effects are not always equal. If preschoolers in England were more apt to
say raisin than peach when asked to name a fruit, then, given the passage information that
peaches generally tend to be classified as more typical and raisins less typical fruit, it follows
that the properties of prototypes are not always universal. The passage author states, “It seems
that most natural concepts are defined not by criterial conditions but by properties that are
perceptually salient. These properties occur in various numbers and combinations and
predominate in only some instances.”
C) categorization is sometimes a deductive process.
Deductive reasoning would begin with the universal in order to determine the particular, but a
universal would be indeterminate in this instance. See rationale B.
D) no current model can fully explain categorization.
The passage author apparently concludes otherwise, stating that “a prototype model of
concepts accommodates the phenomena that challenged prior assumptions.”
91. Which of the following theoretical constructs is most analogous to the concept of a prototype?
Solution A) The linguistic theory that language is a grammatical structure plus sets of interchangeable
words
Guess
Linguistic theory is more analogous to defining concepts by criterial conditions rather than
“by properties that are perceptually salient.” While its parts are interchangeable, the
grammatical structure does not vary its basic form; whereas concept members vary the
prototypical form while retaining some of the characteristics of the prototype.
B) The physiological theory that the brain is compartmentalized by psychological function
The concept of a prototype depends not on the static compartmentalization of functions but on
the more dynamic notion that properties are “perceptually salient” and occur in various
combinations in the member concepts.
3 of 5 6/4/2007 7:38 PM
C) The geological theory that planets are formed by the accretion of smaller bodies
This analogy is, arguably, the opposite of the prototype concept. A planet takes on new
properties and, ultimately, new form itself through the accretion of other forms, whereas a
prototype retains its form while its properties occur in various combinations in member
concepts.
D) The evolutionary theory that species diverge from an original common form
The prototype incorporates all the properties found in different combinations of various
concept members. The passage author elaborates as follows: “It seems that most natural
concepts are defined not by criterial conditions but by properties that are perceptually salient.
These properties occur in various numbers and combinations and predominate in only some
instances—those considered the ‘best’ examples of the concept. Whether, or how readily, a
particular object is classified as a concept member thus depends on its similarity to a
hypothetical prototype incorporating all of these properties.” Thus concepts that are carrying
the properties of a prototype in various combinations can then be said to diverge from a
prototype much as species diverge from a common form. In this regard, the new species are
much like natural concepts, retaining characteristics of the common form while becoming a
variation of that form.
92. Assume that adult subjects are asked to respond as quickly as possible to the question "Is X a
bird?" What does passage information suggest about relative response speeds when X is NOT a
Solution bird?
Guess A) A bat will be rejected more quickly than a mule.
The opposite would be true. See rationale B.
B) A mule will be rejected more quickly than a bat.
The mule would be rejected because the bat would be more quickly accepted for its greater
similarity to the bird prototype. The passage author explains as follows: “in a yes-no
classification task with items that exceed some critical level of similarity to a prototype, the
more similar the item and the prototype, the more quickly it should be accepted as an instance
of the concept.”
C) A bat and a mule will be rejected with equal speed.
The mule would be rejected more quickly because it is less similar to the prototype. See
rationale B.
D) A bat will be rejected more quickly than a turkey is accepted.
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Because the turkey is a bird, it would be quickly accepted and the bat simultaneously rejected.
Moreover, this response is inconsistent with the item question, which asks about response
time when X is NOT a bird.
5 of 5 6/4/2007 7:38 PM

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B) small round pieces of rock and glassy plates.

C) a crater larger than the one in Nebraska.

D) a shallow, indistinct depression.

I missed this question because I...

54. Dort mentions sinkholes in order:

Solution A) to eliminate an alternative hypothesis regarding the formation of the crater.

B) to impress the reader with the uniqueness of the discovery.

C) to explain the absence of volcanoes in the vicinity.

D) to explain the shallowness of the depression.

I missed this question because I...

Solution A) humans were living in the area at the time.

B) the more recent layers of earth are closer to the surface.

C) depressions created by wind erosion are irregular.

D) meteors are not likely to strike the Great Plains.

I missed this question because I...

B) information about more recent meteor activity.

C) popular beliefs and science fiction.

D) reports of the well documented Arizona meteor.

I missed this question because I...

This proves that Dort needs further information. See rationale D.

B) is irrelevant to the question of the cause of the crater.

C) is equally relevant to claims about the Siberian depression.

D) casts doubt on Dort's conclusions.

I missed this question because I...

D) the depression in Nebraska could not have come from a meteorite.

I missed this question because I...

The suggestion is that, in a gifted writer, effortless writing is a product of “inspiration” or

B) both loving and hating the writing process.

D) stoop labor and second thoughts.

I missed this question because I...

B) writing is something that they must do.

C) they must prove their worth to the outside world.

D) they must produce publishable work.

I missed this question because I...

61. Which of the following assertions is NOT made in the passage?

Solution A) Writing enables one to overcome problems in one's personal life.

B) Writers must sometimes be willing to do less than their best work.

I missed this question because I...

D) the beginning writer's having written uncertainly, roughly, even badly.

I missed this question because I...

B) to give up writing fiction.

C) to become a more objective self-critic.

D) to develop a simpler writing style.

I missed this question because I...

Solution A) Gifted writers frequently suffer in the creation of their work.

B) Some of the world's greatest writers have been emotionally ill.

C) The greatest writers in history were divinely inspired.

D) Novelists often base their books on their own experiences.

I missed this question because I...

B) The best solution to writer's block is to find another line of work.

C) The right attitude for a writer is this: A writer writes.

I missed this question because I...

B) the unimportance of certain species relative to humans.

C) the particular importance of tracking species that are obscure.

D) the contrast between military and environmental uses of satellites.

I missed this question because I...

B) military decisions are not affected by ecological considerations.

The passage indicates that military decisions are affected by ecological

C) the military is dedicated to the preservation of endangered species.

D) this extinction is inevitable, even if such activities are prohibited.

I missed this question because I...

Solution A) the willingness of the military to allow research on its bases.