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 archarologist' 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 jewelery 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 volcanoe erruptions
occurred near the island in 160 B.C.

(D) Several small jugs carved in styles poplular in the region in the certury 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. 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 badger's 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.

3. Samuel is obviously a bad fisherman. During the past season, in which he and the five
members of his team spent four months on a boat together off Dutch Harbor, AK, he caught
fewer fish than any of his teammates.

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument above?

A) Two seasons ago, Samuel fished on another boat off Dutch Harbor and caught more fish than

any other member of that boat.

B) Before becoming a fisherman, Samuel piloted a fishing boat whose members regularly
caught record numbers of fish.

C) While fishing this past season, Samuel fell sick for a week and did not catch any fish during
this time.

D) Unlike the other fishermen on his boat, at the order of the captain, Samuel fished this past

season with experimental bait.

E) Amongst the fishing community in Dutch Harbor, Samuel has a reputation for being an

especially bad fisherman.

4. Eating beets significantly lowers the risk of cancer, according to an article in a nutritional

magazine. The article refers to a study that found that people who consumed one or more
beets per day were half as likely to be diagnosed with the disease as people who did not.

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument in the magazine article?
A) Another study found that people who consumed one tablespoon of flax seed oil per day
were more than four times less likely to be diagnosed with cancer as those who did not.

B) Participants in the study reported consuming no vegetables other than beets.

C) The study was only conducted in one city.

D) In another experiment, cancer patients who ate one or more beets per day were no more
likely to recover than those who ate no beets.

E) The participants in the study who ate beets were more likely to exercise regularly than those
who did not eat beets.

5. As a result of implementing an experimental farming system that combined aggressive new

fertilization, deep irrigation, and speculative pesticides, the yield on crops at a farm in central

California grew consistently and considerably over the past six years. However, yields this year

unexpectedly plummeted, causing the farm's owners considerable financial difficulties.

Which of the following statements, if true, best explains the unexpected drop in yield?

A) As a result of a serious and recent economic recession, the market for the products the farm

produced shrank in size during the past year.

B) Other farms that began using the experimental system at about the same time also reported
an unexpected plummet in yields this year.

C) The central California region where the farm in question is located experienced a drought 9

years ago, 3 years ago, and this past year.

D) A different experimental system, used on a different crop, failed after two years at a farm in

Iowa. Scientists later discovered that chemicals involved in this different system slowly
poisoned the soil.
E) Significant and sustained increases in agricultural productivity eventually lead to an
exhaustion of important nutrients in land.

6. As a result of changes in cultural norms and dynamics, a boutique financial research company
is considering implementing flex-time, which enables employees to work during any time of the
day from any location as long as they are present at the office from 12:30pm to 3:30pm on
weekdays. By comparison, workers currently must be in the office from 8am to 5pm. Firm
management believes this change will help meet three key goals: decrease total costs, increase
productivity, and improve product quality.

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument of firm's management?

A) Some new costs will arise as a result of telecommuting.

B) A similar firm tried a version of flex-time and abandoned it after a month for unknown
reasons.

C) The firm in question performs work that requires frequent and extensive in-person

collaboration.

D) The firm in question recently lost its most experienced research analyst due to his
perception of the firm's poor work-life balance.

E) The firm in question works on projects that often take weeks to complete.

7. Data on planes returning from bombing missions was used to study of the vulnerability of

airplanes to enemy fire. Analyzing the pattern and frequency of hits from enemy gunfire, it was

seen that some parts of planes were hit disproportionately more often than other parts. How
could these planes be optimally reinforced with armor plating? There were tradeoffs to
consider. Every addition of plating added to the weight of the plane, decreasing its
performance. Therefore, reinforcements needed to be added only to the most vulnerable areas
of the planes.

Which of the following can be concluded from the above?

A. The parts hit disproportionately more than the others have to be reinforced as those
received the maximum amount of damage.
B .No conclusion can be drawn as the data set is incomplete. There is no data on the planes
shot down.

C. The parts with the least damage have to be reinforced, as the returning planes have survived

attacks to the most damaged areas.

D. Reinforcements have to be added to all areas of the plane.

8. A study published in 2006 by Friedrich Schneider on the world’s shadow economies dealt

briefly with the “tax morality” of Germans. According to the study, two-thirds of the Germans

surveyed regarded tax evasion as a “trivial offence,” while only one-third judged stealing a

newspaper this way. Indian tax morality is similar, but it makes a distinction between expatriate

illicit money, which is viewed as a serious crime perpetrated by the very corrupt, and money
held within India, which is perceived as a practical measure.

Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the above?

(i) Two-thirds of the Germans evade tax and consider it only a trivial offence.

(ii) Stealing a newspaper is a bigger crime in Germany than tax evasion.

(iii) As long as the money is held in India, illicit money is accepted as practical by Indians.

(iv) Indians regard tax evasion, especially holding illicit money abroad, as a serious crime.

A. i, ii, iv B. i and iv C. only iii D. iii and iv

9. Oklahoma is not perceived as overpopulated because, in spite of a horrendous drought, it is

not facing famine. Famine in Oklahoma is inconceivable because it receives a fair price for its

exports, it has not leased its land to foreign countries, the poorest of the poor receive a helping

hand from the government, and farmers and ranchers receive federal assistance in times of

droughts. It is a lack of these factors in Horn of Africa, plus political insecurity in Somalia, which

explain the famine – not overpopulation.

Which of the following options best summarizes the main idea of the paragraph?

A. Hunger is caused by too many people pressing against finite resources.

B. In spite of drought and overpopulation, there is no famine in Oklahoma.

C. Overpopulation and famine are not causally related in the Horn of Africa.

D. Famine in the Horn of Africa is not only due to overpopulation but, more importantly, due to

the lack of government assistance and political insecurity.

10. In a few recent cases, some teenagers with advanced programming abilities used a new

programming language, FANTOD, to hack into ETS and change their own SAT scores. All of the

teenagers convicted of this crime were highly skilled in programming FANTOD. In light of these

cases, some colleges have discounted the official SAT scores of applicants with a knowledge of

FANTOD, and have required them to take special admission tests in supervised conditions on

their own campuses.

Which of following conclusions can most properly be drawn from the information above?

(A) Most people who learn to program in FANTOD do so to commit some kind of hacking.

(B) Colleges should rely on their own admissions tests instead of the SATs

(C) Some students with knowledge of FANTOD are possibly placed at a disadvantage in the

college admission process.

(D) Students who learn FANTOD tend to have much lower SAT scores than do their peers.

(E) Some colleges have not set any special requirements for applicants who have demonstrated
knowledge of FANTOD
11. The number of mountain lion sightings in the Rockridge Mountain Park, a popular park in

Redwood Country, reaches it peak in the months of April and May.

All of the following could account for the increased number of mountain lion sightings EXCEPT

A. During April and May, which feature the best hiking weather of the year, more people visit
the park than during any other time of year.

B. Throughout the year, local newspapers report any mountain lion sightings, and most reports

come during the months of April and May.

C. The red-tailed deer, the mountain lion’s primary food source, is most abundant during these

months and tends to favor hiking trails.

D. The trail conditions are best for mountain bikers, who, because they make less noise than

hikers, are more likely to startle mountain lions.

E. beds high in the mountains tend to dry up in spring, so mountain lions often descend into

the lower elevations, where hikers are more common.

12. Increase in the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the human bloodstream lower
bloodstream-cholesterol levels by increasing the body’s capacity to rid itself of excess
cholesterol. Levels of HDL in the bloodstream of some individuals are significantly increased by
a program of regular exercise and weight reduction.

Which of the following can be correctly inferred from the statements above?

A. Individuals who are underweight do not run any risk of developing high levels of cholesterol

in the bloodstream.

B. Individuals who do not exercise regularly have a high risk of developing high levels of

cholesterol in the bloodstream late in life.

C. Exercise and weight reduction are the most effective methods of lowering bloodstream

cholesterol levels in humans.

D. A program of regular exercise and weight reduction lowers cholesterol levels in the
bloodstream of some individuals.

E. Only regular exercise is necessary to decrease cholesterol levels in the bloodstream of

individuals of average weight.

13. The local university recently hired a new soccer coach. Although she has several years'
worth of coaching experience and is a diligent student of the game, she was never a member of
a collegiate soccer team. For this reason, the new coach will be unable to build a successful
program.

The argument above is based on which of the following assumptions?

(A) The local university should have hired a former collegiate soccer player as its new coach.
(B) Coaching experience is one of the most crucial factors for coaching success.
(C) The,previous coach at the university was dismissed due to her lack of success,
(D) To build a successful soccer program as a coach,one must be a former collegiate soccer
player.
(E) The university does not plan to provide the new coach with the resources necessary to build
a successful program.

14. As a result of implementing an experimental farming system that combined aggressive new

fertilization, deep irrigation, and speculative pesticides, the yield on crops at a farm in central

California grew consistently and considerably over the past six years. However, yields this year

unexpectedly plummeted, causing the farm's owners considerable financial difficulties.

Which of the following statements, if true, best explains the unexpected drop in yield?

A) As a result of a serious and recent economic recession, the market for the products the farm

produced shrank in size during the past year.

B) Other farms that began using the experimental system at about the same time also reported
an unexpected plummet in yields this year.

C) The central California region where the farm in question is located experienced a drought 9

years ago, 3 years ago, and this past year.

D) A different experimental system, used on a different crop, failed after two years at a farm in

Iowa. Scientists later discovered that chemicals involved in this different system slowly
poisoned the soil.

E) Significant and sustained increases in agricultural productivity eventually lead to an

exhaustion of important nutrients in land.

15. A new electronic security system will only allow a single person at a time to pass through a

secure door. A computer decides whether or not to unlock a secure door on the basis of visual

clues, which it uses to identify people with proper clearance. The shape of the head, the shape
and color of the eyes, the shape and color of the lips, and other characteristics of a person’s
head and face are analyzed to determine his or her identity. Only if the person trying to open a
secure door has the required clearance will the door unlock. Because this new system never
fails, an unauthorized person can never enter a secure door equipped with the system.

If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions can be most properly
drawn?

(A) The new system is sure to be enormously successful and revolutionize the entire security

industry.

(B) The new system can differentiate between people who are seeking to open a secure door
and

people passing by a secure door.

(C) No two people have any facial features that are identical, for example, identical lips.
(D) High costs will not make the new security system economically unviable.

(E) The new computer system is able to identify some slight facial differences between people
who

look very similar, such as identical twins.