1.

Excavations on the now uninhabited isle of Kelton reveal a scene typical of towns decimated by
volcanic ash. Archaeologists have hypothesized that the destruction was due to volcanic activity
known to have occurred in the vicinity of the island in 160 B. C.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the archaeologists hypothesis?

A. No coins minted after 160 B.C. were found in Kelton , but coins minted before that year were
found in abundance.
B. Pieces of gold and pearl jewellery that are often found in graves dating from years preceding
and following 160 B.C. were also found in several graves on the island.
C. Most modern histories of the region mention that several major volcanic eruptions occurred
near the island in 160 B.C.
D. Several small jugs carved in styles popular in the region in the century between 200 B.C. and
100 B.C. were found in Kelton.
E. Drawings of the styles that was definitely used in the region after 160 B.C. were found in
Kelton.

2. In many hospitals, more and more monitoring is being carried out by automated equipment
instead of human employees who previously carried out the work. This is done in an attempt to
save hospital expenses. However, many employees who lose their jobs to automation will need
government assistance to get by, and the same corporations that are laying people off will
eventually pay for that assistance through increased taxes and unemployment insurance
payments.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the authors argument?

A. Most of the new jobs created by automated equipment pay less than the jobs that were
eliminated by automated equipment did.
B. Many hospitals that have failed to automate have seen their profits decline.
C. Unemployment insurance and taxes are paid also by corporations that are not automating.
D. Many workers who have already lost their jobs to automated equipment have been unable to
find new employment.
E. The initial investment in machinery for automated equipment is often greater than the short-
term savings in labor costs.

3. The Burmese ferret badger burrows its home in the ground. Based on the fact that different local
populations of Burmese ferret badgers of the same species dig homes of different styles, zoologists
have concluded that the badgers building styles are a culturally acquired, rather than a genetically
transmitted trait.

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conclusion drawn by the
zoologists?

A. There are more common characteristics than there are differences among the Burmese ferret
badgers styles of the local Burmese ferret badger population that has been studied most
extensively.
B. Young Burmese ferret badgers are inept at digging burrows and apparently spend years
watching their elders before becoming accomplished in the local style.
C. The homes of one species of badger lack the characteristics of the homes of most other species
of badger.
D. Burmese ferret badgers are found only in Burma and India, where local populations of the
badgers apparently seldom have contact with one another.
E. It is well known that the squeals of some badgers are learned rather than transmitted
genetically.
4. A company has initiated a health program for its employees that enable the worker, free of charge,
to receive a monthly massage treatment, consult with a dietician and attend lectures in healthy
living. These programs increase worker productivity and reduce absenteeism. Therefore, these
programs provide as much benefit to the company as they do to the employees.

Which of the following, if true, most significantly strengthens the conclusion above?

A. Health programs are often the most popular services offered to employees.
B. Studies have shown that such health programs are not effective for many people.
C. Regular massage treatments and dietary counseling reduce peoples risk of catching a flu or a
cold and provides them with increased energy.
D. Dizziness sometimes results from beginning a course of massage treatments.
E. Employee assistance programs require companies to hire people to supervise the various
programs offered.

5. Tougher hiring standards have not been the primary cause of the present staffing shortage of
registered nurses in hospitals. The shortage of nurses is primarily caused by the fact that in recent
years nurses have not experienced any improvements in working conditions and their salary
increases have not kept pace with increases in the salaries of other hospital staff.

Which of the following, if true, would most support the claims above?

A. Many nurses already in the profession would not have been hired under the new hiring
standards.
B. Today more nurses are entering the profession with higher educational qualifications than in
the past.
C. Some nurses have cited higher standards for hiring as a reason for the current staffing
shortage.
D. Many nurses have cited low pay and lack of professional autonomy as reasons for their leaving
the profession.
E. Many prospective nurses have cited the new hiring standards as a reason for not entering the
profession.

6. Donut Chain, wishing to increase the profitability of its new store, will place a coupon in the local
newspaper offering a free donut with a cup of coffee at its grand opening. Donut Chain calculates
that the cost of the advertisement and the free donuts will be more than recouped by the new
business generated through the promotion.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the prediction that Donut Chain's
promotion will increase the new store's profitability?

A. Donut Chain has a loyal following in much of the country.

B. Donut Chain has found that the vast majority of new visitors to its stores become regular
customers.
C. Donuts at Donut Chain cost less than a cup of coffee.
D. Most of the copies of the coupon in the local newspaper will not be redeemed for free donuts.
E. Donut Chain's stores are generally very profitable.
7. When feeding, aquatic birds known as phalaropes often spin rapidly on the waters surface,
pecking for food during each revolution. To execute these spins, phalaropes kick one leg harder
than the other. This action creates upwelling currents. Because plankton on which phalaropes feed
typically occurs in greater quantities well below the surface, it is hypothesized that by spinning
phalaropes gain access to food that would otherwise be beyond their reach.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the hypothesis?

a) Phalaropes rarely feed while on land.

b) A given phalarope spins exclusively either to the right or to the left.
c) Phalaropes sometimes spin when they are not feeding.
d) Different phalaropes spin at somewhat different rates.
e) Phalaropes do not usually spin when food is abundant at the surface.

8. Commercially available chemical fertilizers contain the same nutrients and micronutrients as
organic fertilizers such as manure and composted garden clippings. Plants have tiny root hairs that
absorb nutrients, and whether the source of the nutrients is organic or chemical is irrelevant to the
plants ability to take in the nutrients. Nevertheless, organic fertilizers are better for the health of
the plant than are chemical fertilizers alone.

Which of the following, if true, would most strongly support the position above?

a) The nutrients in organic fertilizers are slowly released to the plant over time, rather than being
absorbed by the plant immediately.
b) In organic fertilizers, the natural combination of nutrients with other natural materials makes
the nutrients more usable by the plant than nutrients found in chemical fertilizers.
c) Plants often must be provided with nutrients because naturally occurring nutrients in the
surrounding soil are depleted or washed away over time.
d) The typical gardener can't easily know the exact amount and type of nutrients in an organic
fertilizer such as manure.
e) Chemical fertilizers produced by the leading manufacturer contain nutrients that are no harder
for the plants to absorb than those provided by the competitors chemical fertilizer.