Directions: The equestions in this section are based on the reasoning contained in brief statements or passages. For some questions more than one of the choices could conceivably answer the question. However, you are to choose the best answer that is the response that most accurately and completely answers the question. You should not make assumptions that are by commonsense standards implausible, superfluous, or incompatible with the passage. After you have chosen the best answer blacken the corresponding space on your answer sheet.
1. If a country s manufacturing capacity is fully utilized, three can be no industrial growth without new capital investment. Any reduction in interest rates produces new capital investment
Which one of the following can be properly concluded from the statements above?
(A) Interest rates might in exceptional cases be reduced without there being any subsequent investment of new capital. (B) A reduction in interest rates might cause a precondition for industrial growth to be met. (C) If a country s manufacturing capacity is underutilized, interest rates should be held sonstant. (D) New capital investment that takes place while interest rates are rising cannot lead to industrial growth. (E) Manufacturing capacity newly created by capital investment needs to be fully utilized if it is to lead to industrial growth.
2. A certain type of insect trap uses a scented lure to attract rose beetles into a plastic bag from which it is difficult for them to escape. If several of these traps are installed in a backyard garden, the number of rose beetles in the garden will be greatly reduced. If only one trap is installed, however, the number of rose beetles in the garden will actually increase
Which one of the following, if true most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy?
(A) The scent of a single trap s lure usually cannot be detected throughout a backyard garden by rose beetles (B) Several traps are better able to catch a large number of rose beetles than is one trap alone, since any rose beetles that evade one trap are likely to encounter another trap if there are several traps in the garden. (C) When there are several traps in a garden, they each capture fewer rose beetles than any single trap would if it were the only trap in the garden (D) The presence of any traps in a backyard garden will attract more rose beetles than one trap can catch, but several traps will not attract significantly more rose beetles to a garden than one trap will. (E) When there is only one trap in the garden, the plastic bag quickly becomes filled to capacity, allowing some rose beeties to escape
3. The current move to patent computer programs is a move in the wrong direction and should be stopped. The patent system was originally designed solely to protect small-time inventors from exploitation. not to give large corporations control over a methodology. Any computer program is merely the implementation of a methodology.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
(A) Computer programs should be developed not only be large corporations but by small-time inventors as well. (B) Implementing a methodology always requires less creative effort than does true invention (C) The issue of whether or not to patent computer programs presents the patent system with problems that have never before arisen (D) Large corporations should not hold patents for implementations of methodologies (E) Small-time inventors who support the move to patent computer programs act contrary to their own best interests
Questions 4-5
Walter: For the economically privileged in a society to tolerate an injustice perpetrated against one of society s disadvantaged is not just morally wrong but also shortsighted: a system that inflicts an injustice on a disadvantaged person today can equally well inflict that same injustice on a well-to-do person tomorrow
Larissa: In our society the wealthy as well as the well-educated can protect themselves against all sorts of injustices suffered by the less well-off Allowing such injustices to persist is bad policy not because it places everyone at equal risk of injustice but because it is a potent source of social unrest.
4. Larissa responds to Walter by doing which one of the following?
(A) giving reason to doubt the truth of Walter s conclusion (B) drawing implausible consequences from Walter s assumptions (C) questioning Walter s authority to address matters of social policy (D) providing an alternative reason for accepting the truth of Walter s conclusion (E) charging Walter with stopping short of recognizing the full implications of his position
5. Walter and Larissa are logically committed by what they say to disagreeing about which one of the following?
(A) whether the poor and the rich are part of the same social fabric (B) whether the most successful members of a society are that society s least tolerant people (C) whether the disadvantaged members of society suffer from injustice (D) whether those who have the most advantages in a society are morally obligated to correct that society s injustices (E) whether the economically privileged members of a society are less exposed to certain sorts of injustices than are the economically disadvantaged
6. Three major laundry detergent manufacturers have concentrated their powdered detergents by reducing the proportion of inactive ingredients in the detergent formulas. The concentrated detergents will be sold in smaller packages. In explaining the change, the manufacturers cited the desire to reduce cardboard packaging and other production costs. Market analysts predict that the decision of three manufacturers, who control 80 percent of the laundry detergent market will eventually bring about the virtual disappearance of old-style bulky detergents
Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction made by the market analysts?
(A) Most smaller manufacturers of laundry detergents will consider it too expensive to retool factories for the production of the smaller detergent packages. (B) Many consumers will be skeptical initially that the recommended small amount of concentrated detergent will clean laundry as effectively as the larger amount of the old-style detergent did (C) Some analysts believe that consumers will have to pay a greater cost per load of laundry to use the new concentrated detergent than they did to use the old-style detergent (D) Major supermarkets have announced that they will not charge the detergent manufacturers less to display their detergents even though the detergents will take up less shelf space (E) Comsumers are increasingly being persuaded by environmental concerns to buy concentrated detergents when available in order to reduce cardboard waste