41. The machine is made up of discrete(A)/discreet(B) parts.
Ramu is a voracious(A)/loquacious(B) reader and has read over 10,000 books.
My neighbour is such a fearsome(A)/fearful(B) man that none of us dare to open the door.
Shekhar Kapur has been approached(A)/broached(B) for writing the foreword(A)/forward(B) for the
book.
(1) ABAAA (2) BAAAA (3) AAAAA (4) AABAA (5) AABBA
42. The latter(A)/later(B) half of the movie was extremely gripping.
I wean(A)/ween(B) that she must have come from heaven.
The marketing manager was asked to garner(A)/gauge(B) key facts and figures from the dealers.
The river has been continuously(A)/continually (B) flowing since ages.
It is sad that he has become rather complacent(A)/complaisant(B) in his duties towards his office.
(1) ABAAA (2) AABBA (3) AAABA (4) AAAAA (5) BAAAA
43. The sledge(A)/hedge(B) was made up of bushes.
Nowadays it is very rare to find empathy(A)/sympathy(B) in bollywood actresses.
The climate is so salubrious(A)/lugubrious(B) that one feels like staying here forever.
After a visit to the church, Sudeep felt surged(A)/purged(B) of all his pent up emotions.
Looking at the dry spell in the past month, a short spell of rainfall seems imminent (A)/eminent(B).
(1) ABBAA (2) ABABA (3) BBABA (4) BBBBA (5) BAABA
44. Radha could no longer bear the banter(A)/saunter(B) of her mother-in-law.
The dog groaned(A)/growled(B) at the stranger forcing him to run.
This suite(A)/suit(B) has a gracious fall.
I will have to be very circumspect(A)/circumscribe(B) in editing this article as it has been written by a
novice.
Please do not offer unnecessary advise (A)/advice(B) to people.
(1) ABABB (2) ABAAB (3) BAAAB (4) ABABA (5) ABBAB
In each of the following questions, there are sentences that form a
paragraph. Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentences that is/are correct in terms of grammar and usage
(including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency.) Then, choose the most appropriate option.
45. A. Mediocrity acknowledges nothing above itself, while
B. talent, on the other hand, instantly recognises its kin.
C. What are we to think of he who claims talent
D. and still have nothing but scorn for
E. anybody but himself.
(1) A, B, C & E (2) A, B & C (3) A, B & E (4) A & B (5) A & E
46. A. The gratitude of every home in our Island
B. goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds,
C. are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess
D. and by their exemplary courage.
E. Never has so many owed so much to so few.
(1) A, B, C, D & E (2) A, C, D & E (3) A, B, C & D
(4) A, B, C & E (5) A, B & E
47. A. Ram failed to understand what had come over his otherwise
B. very reasonable wife that she starts asking him to go after
C. some unknown animal that was apparently an illusion.
D. Moreover, it was getting dark and she clearly knew that darkness
E. is something that can cause one to lose one’s way.
(1) A ,C, D & E (2) B, C, D & E (3) A, C & D
(4) C & D (5) A, B, C & D
48. A. William should not have blown his top
B. as Tom was trying only to help him out.
C. What William construed as interference was, in fact, nothing else
D. but fondness, on Tom’s part, for a brother,
E. who life has been a bit unfair to.
(1) C, D & E (2) B, C, D & E (3) A, C & E
(4) A, C & D (5) A, C, D & E
49. What Americans mostly remember about the 1970s are ________oil prices and lines at gas stations, but
there was also a severe global food crisis, which caused a lot of pain at the supermarket checkout line
and, much more important, helped cause _______famines in poorer countries.
(1) plummeting, morbid (2) soaring, devastating (3) precipitating, incisive
(4) stable, genocidal (5) towering, assuaging.
50. To many western officials, ________or unhappy by turns with various more colorful figures than
Khamenei, and casting around for the real center of power in Iran’s labyrinth of the democratic and the
deified, the system is equally _________.
(1) acerbic, appealing (2) dotty, abominating (3) enamoured, maddening
(4) enchanted, repulsive (5) disgusted, chaotic
51. As Christianity distanced itself from its origins as a Jewish sect, Christian thinkers found it
increasingly_____ to blame the Jews as a people for the arrest and execution of Christ, and to cast
Judas as the ________ Jew.
(1) cumbersome, holy (2) inopportune, traditional (3) difficult, shameful
(4) benedictory, loathsome (5) convenient, archetypal
52. The final assault came in 2001, when teams of hammer-wielding Taliban____ came to smash works of
art they deemed idolatrous; when they finished, more than 2,000 artifacts lay in _____.
(1) warriors, cinders (2) caliphs, tatters (3) apologists, frays
(4) zealots, smithereens (5) opponents, rust
53. Companies have been using the outsource model in order to lower production and service costs,
consequently, taking away jobs from their own countrymen. Market analysts observe that this trend is
vexing many employees and customers. Hence, they urge companies to minimize their outsourcing.
But, to receive tax exemption from the government, companies must have setup at least twenty
outsourcing units.
Assuming that the above argument is true, identify which of the following conclusions is supported by
the argument?
(1) Companies are unable to realize that many of their employees also form a part of their loyal customer
base.
(2) The government is eventually thinking about the benefit of the people and is justified in giving tax
exemption to companies that use the outsource model.
(3) Minimizing costs is the key to running a successful business which is what most people fail to see.
(4) The tax exemption rules of the government work against its own people by causing companies to
set outsource units.
(5) Businesses are all about making profits, eventually, they cause vexation to someone or the other.
54. It was co-incidental that two separate teams of scientists discovered the remains of tyrannosauruses on
two separate locations of the same island. The first team found that the tyrannosaurus, who was a
female, had developed wings; however, it was not possible for it to fly and support its weight during its
flight. The other team discovered that the tyrannosaurus, who was a male, had no traces of wings and its
structure was no different from what was already known to the scientists. Eventually, both the discoveries
made the scientists and island dwellers realize that the island contained many undiscovered treasures
and answers.
Assuming that the above argument is true, identify which of the following statements can be inferred
from the argument?
(1) There are certain islands where traces of dinosaurs and other ancient species can still be unearthed
and studied to fill in the gaps.
(2) The history of evolution provides ample evidence to justify the difference among the male and
female species of a race.
(3) It is possible that some female tyrannosauruses developed wings, but, whether this physical feature
was only specific to females is open to further discovery.
(4) The tyrannosaurus was the only species of dinosaurs that had wings but could not fly due to their
humungous bodyweight.
(5) Scientists are confident that they have already unearthed most of the information about this species
of dinosaurs and can make accurate guesses.
55. While analysing the progress of a group of dyslexic children, teachers observed that some children had
shown progress but others, who had joined the training programme at the same time, were still grappling
with the basics. Due to this, teachers were compelled to divide the group further in order to impart
different levels of training. While some children were upset because they had to lose their friends to the
other group, others were disturbed by these changes as, now, they had to team up with new partners.
Assuming that the above argument is true, identify which of the following statements can be concluded
from the above argument?
(1) Teachers do not realize that their actions have a greater impact on children.
(2) Dyslexic children are unable to cope with change in comparison to adults who respond to change
more positively.
(3) Response to training depends upon how positively the child reacts to the training programme and
how effectively it displays in his work.
(4) Some dyslexic children are averse to change because they also suffer from low self esteem and lack
social skills that could help make friends easily.
(5) The rate of progress within a group of dyslexic children can wary irrespective to similarity in training.
56. Psychologists believe that most people judge others just like they would judge a book by its cover and
in ninety percent of the cases most people are wrong. In fact, while judging someone on the basis of
their looks or by first impression, most people fail to realize that the other person could be nervous or
hesitant to open up. Most psychologists are of the view that adults are more afraid of being rejected or
disliked by others, especially housewives who have limited social interaction and are constantly judged
by their peers and in-laws.
Assuming that the above argument is true, identify which of the following statements considerably
strengthens the above argument?
(1) Psychologists explain that when people meet someone for the first time, they are more courteous
and careful so as to not judge the other instantly.
(2) People believe that it is only natural to judge someone on the basis of their looks because it is, after
all, extremely important to get others’ approval.
(3) Many times people are inclined towards judging others on the basis of first impression or physical
appearance because they are biased against people.
(4) Some people undermine physical appearance and believe that good looks are highly overrated.
(5) Psychologists are of the view that personality tests should also include questions based on physical
appearance as it reflects a person’s attitude.
57. By propounding “Darwinism,” even scientists and science writers perpetuate an impression that evolution
is about one man, one book, one “theory.” The ninth-century Buddhist master Lin Chi said, “If you
meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.” The point is that making a master teacher into a sacred fetish
misses the essence of his teaching. So let us now kill Darwin. That all life is related by common ancestry,
and that populations change form over time, are the broad strokes and fine brushwork of evolution. But
Darwin was late to the party. __________________________________
(1) All Darwin perceived was that selection must work in nature, too.
(2) Scientists often attribute the success of a phenomenon to an individual, thus mitigating the magnitude
of that particular discovery or innovation.
(3) That’s why Darwin must go.
(4) But there’s a limit to how much credit is reasonable.
(5) His grandfather, and others, believed new species evolved.
58. Politically, Sartre tended toward what the French call “libertarian socialism,” which is a kind of anarchism.
Ever distrustful of authority, which he considered “the Other in us,” his ideal was a society of voluntary
eye-level relations that he called “the city of ends.” One caught a glimpse of this in his description of
the forming group (le groupe en fusion) in the Critique. There each was “the same” as the others in
terms of practical concern. Each suspended his or her personal interests for the sake of the common
goal. ____________________________
(1) But that brief taste of genuine positive reciprocity was revelatory of what an authentic social existence
could be.
(2) No doubt these practices hardened into institutions and freedom was compromised once more in
bureaucratic machinery.
(3) Sartre was an advocate of Communist practices and his preachings always reflected an unequivocal
support of the Marxist philosophy.
(4) Each looked up to Che Guevara or Mao and practiced austerity.
(5) It follows that liberation from such violence will come only through the counter violence of revolution
and the advent of a “socialism of abundance”.
59. Bhaskar’s writing is not always very accessible, however. His dense use of technical terms along with
his own considerable vocabulary of neologisms and acronyms mean that his works need to be read at
a rather gradual pace in order to be absorbed. Hence Andrew Collier’s Critical Realism should play an
important role in popularising the work of Bhaskar to the wider audience it deserves. Though not aimed
at the complete philosophical novice, its style is very readable and enjoyable. In many respects Bhaskar
can be seen as a defendant of fairly orthodox Marxist views._______________________
(1) At the same time, his work is remarkably original.
(2) His neologisms do actually serve to illuminate new concepts rather than obscure old ones.
(3) Bhaskar has often been hailed as the harbinger of the Marxist philosophy.
(4) Bhaskar sees the events we observe are caused by a variety of mechanisms- physical, biological,
social etc.
(5) What makes it seem fresh is the insight and thoroughness of his analytical directions.
60. The most loyal booster of Kolkata would acknowledge that the city has had some genuinely trying
times in the 60 years since India became independent, starting well before the emergence of Mother
Teresa. The partition that accompanied independence meant that, without substantial help from the
central government, Kolkata had to absorb several million refugees from what became East Pakistan.
There were times in the 1970s and ’80s when it seemed Kolkata would never recover from the trauma
of those refugees, followed by another wave of refugees who came during the war that turned East
Pakistan into Bangladesh. Those were years marked by power outages and labor unrest and the flight of
industry and the breathtaking violence unleashed by the Naxalite movement, which began with peasants
demanding land redistribution in rural West Bengal and was transformed by college students into urban
guerrilla warfare._______________________________
(1) Kolkata, The capital of West Bengal and home of nearly 15 million people, is often mentioned as
the only city in the world that still has a large fleet of hand-pulled rickshaws.
(2) There are still a lot of people sleeping on the streets of Kolkata, but there have been great changes in
recent years.
(3) A politician in Kolkata states that the city is known for Marxism, mishti and Mother Teresa.
(4) In 1985 India’s own prime minister, then Rajiv Gandhi, called Kolkata “a dying city”.
(5) After decades of concentrating on its base among the rural poor and disdaining outside investment,
the Communist Party of West Bengal has fiercely embraced capitalism and modernity.
61. Lucid dreams occur when people realize that they are dreaming. This allows them to wake up in
dreams and guide the scenery, plot and characters in any way they wish. The quality of the senses are
improved so that the dream can be as authentic as real life. Sometimes lucid dreams are even more
vivid, because lucid dreamers are not restricted by the laws of physics. They can move through walls,
become invisible, zoom in on distant locations, teleport, and manipulate colors of the dream
world._________
(1) Lucid dreams are a much more effective way of receiving messages from the unconscious mind.
(2) An experienced lucid dreamer may have lucid dreams every night.
(3) They have the powers to influence the sub-conscious mind of anyone they may choose.
(4) They can even strike up a conversation with their unconscious mind in the form of a cat!
(5) They have the power to solve real-life problems, improve confidence and prophesize the future.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Critical Reasoning
1
The committee on sexual discrimination in the workplace has highlighted Supremo Company as a chief offender. Of the twenty senior executives in the firm, only one is a woman. And of the forty junior executives, only five are female.
Supremo could best defend itself against the charges by showing that
A. male and female executives at the same level have the same qualifications
B. they pay the same salary to senior men and senior women
C. ten times more men than women apply for jobs with the company
D. the work pressures and long hours make jobs with the company unattractive to married women
E. all job applicants who were rejected had fewer qualifications than those accepted
2. Anne: Halley’s Comet, now in a part of its orbit relatively far from the Sun, recently flared brightly enough to be
seen by telescope. No comet has ever been observed to flare so far from the Sun before, so such a flare must be
highly unusual.
Sue: Nonsense. Usually no one bothers to try to observe comets when they are so far from the Sun. Thisflare was
observed only because an observatory was tracking Halley’s Comet very carefully. Sue challenges Anne’sreasoning
by
• pointing out that Anne’s use of the term “observed”is excessively vague
• drawing attention to an inconsistency between two of Anne’s claims
• presenting evidence that directly contradicts Anne’s evidence
• offering an alternative explanation for the evidence Anne cites
• undermining some of Anne’s evidence while agreeing with her conclusion
3. The amount of money estimated to be lost by Hollywood studios due to DVD piracy overseas increased to more than $500 million last year. As a consequence, Hollywood studios have little prospect of making money this year by exporting their films worldwide.
All of the following, if true, weaken the argument Except:
1.$500 million represents a very small fraction of overseas profits.
2.New laws and heightened international enforcement aimed at this piracy were implemented in January of this year and have been effective.
3.Even in countries where DVD piracy is widespread, theatrical first-run distribution is both very popular and profitable.
4.Last year, all films that were nominated for an Academy Award were known to have been pirated on DVD.
5.Domestic DVD sales were sharply higher last year; in the past, strong domestic sales have been an indicator of higher international DVD sales in the following year.
All of the following, if true, weaken the argument Except:
1.$500 million represents a very small fraction of overseas profits.
2.New laws and heightened international enforcement aimed at this piracy were implemented in January of this year and have been effective.
3.Even in countries where DVD piracy is widespread, theatrical first-run distribution is both very popular and profitable.
4.Last year, all films that were nominated for an Academy Award were known to have been pirated on DVD.
5.Domestic DVD sales were sharply higher last year; in the past, strong domestic sales have been an indicator of higher international DVD sales in the following year.
4.
If, in a tennis tournament, a match reaches a fifth-set tiebreak, the lower-ranked player always loses the tiebreak
(and, therefore, the match). If Rafael, the second-ranked player, wins a tournament by beating Roger,
the top-ranked player, then the match must not have included a fifth-set tiebreak. Which of the following arguments most
closely mimics the reasoning used in the above argument?
• If a woman with a family history of twins gets pregnant three times, she will have one set of twins. Jennifer, who
falls into this category, had two sets of twins, soshe must not have gotten pregnant exactly three times.
• If a salesman sells more product than anyone else in a calendar year, then he will earn an all-expenses-paid
vacation. Joe earned an all-expense-paid vacation,so he must have sold more product than anyone elsefor the
year.
• A newspaper can charge a 50% premium for ads if its circulation surpasses 100,000; if the circulation does not
pass 100,000, therefore, the newspaper can’t chargeany kind of premium for ads.
• If a student is in the top 10% of her class, she will earn a college scholarship. Anna is not in the top 10% of her
class, so she will not earn a scholarship.
• All of the players on a football team receive a cash bonus if the team wins the Super Bowl. If quarterback Tom
Brady earned a cash bonus last year, he must have been a member of the winning Super Bowl team.
(and, therefore, the match). If Rafael, the second-ranked player, wins a tournament by beating Roger,
the top-ranked player, then the match must not have included a fifth-set tiebreak. Which of the following arguments most
closely mimics the reasoning used in the above argument?
• If a woman with a family history of twins gets pregnant three times, she will have one set of twins. Jennifer, who
falls into this category, had two sets of twins, soshe must not have gotten pregnant exactly three times.
• If a salesman sells more product than anyone else in a calendar year, then he will earn an all-expenses-paid
vacation. Joe earned an all-expense-paid vacation,so he must have sold more product than anyone elsefor the
year.
• A newspaper can charge a 50% premium for ads if its circulation surpasses 100,000; if the circulation does not
pass 100,000, therefore, the newspaper can’t chargeany kind of premium for ads.
• If a student is in the top 10% of her class, she will earn a college scholarship. Anna is not in the top 10% of her
class, so she will not earn a scholarship.
• All of the players on a football team receive a cash bonus if the team wins the Super Bowl. If quarterback Tom
Brady earned a cash bonus last year, he must have been a member of the winning Super Bowl team.
5
Recent studies have highlighted the harmful effects of additives in food (colors, preservatives, flavor enhancers etc.). There are no synthetic substances in the foods we produce at Munchon Foods – we use only natural ingredients. Hence you can be sure you are safeguarding your family’s health when you buy our products.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the contention of Munchon Foods?
A. Some synthetic substances are not harmful
B. Some natural substances found in foods can be harmful
C. Food without additives is unlikely to taste good
D. Munchon Foods produces only breakfast cereals
E. Without preservatives some foods could cause harm
6
ANSWERS
10
OA - A
9
8
7
6
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
Since this is an ‘except’ question we must find four ways for Barbie to strengthen her position. The one answer that doesn’t strengthen her conclusion will be correct. Barbie wants to use an agent and choices C and E point out benefits of the agent, while choices A and B point to reasons why the internet is not necessarily better. A careful look at D suggests that the agent might not always get the seller the best price, and so that is the best answer.
5
4
3
2
In this kind of question attack what the first one person says. Here we have something that comes casually. Infact the second one says:This flare was observed only because an observatory was tracking Halley’s Comet very carefully.
A) the word observed: is not the real reasoning behind the discussion
B) the two claims do not lack of consistency, are coherent in somehow
C) here we have no evidence at all. the second person do not present a fact but rather a conjecture
D) an alternate explanation: CORRECT. the comet is observed ONLY and ONLY and ONLy because is related to the observation of Halley's Comet
E) here nobody undermine nothing rather gives an other explanation.
1. There might be a slight problem with the question -a GMAT question would use the phrase "gender discrimination" not "sexual disrcimination." My guess is that the source is 1000cr. Practicing with these questions can do more harm than good.
At any rate, the OA should be choice C.
The charge of discrimination has everything to do with how many men and women were applying in the first place; the (qualified) fraction of the applicant pool that was male versus the (qualified) fraction of the applicant pool that was female.
There are 19 male executives and only 1 female executive. Let's say there were 40 qualified applicants for these executive positions. But if 39 of them were men, it is definitely not the company's fault; if they were able to show this, it would be a perfect defense against the claim of discrimination. But what happens if 20 of the 40 qualified applicants were men, and 20 women? Because 19 of 20 men got the exec jobs but only 1 out of 20 women did, this would reek of gender discrimination.
Choice A is wrong because it assumes that the only way there could be gender discrimination was if there were unqualified men being accepted over qualified women; as the above analysis demonstrates, this is not the only way gender discrimination could take place. This choice neglects to consider the applicant pool, and, thus, on its own, it is not a sufficient defense.
Choice B is also an insufficient defense against the charge. Just ask yourself whether choice B establishes that there wasn't any discrimination.
Choice D has sexist undertones and would never be an accredited response on the GMAT.
Choice E is a bit more tempting. It is good that all applicants rejected had fewer qualifications than those accepted. But does it establish that there was NO gender discrimination? Again, even after rejecting all the unqualified applicants, if there were many MORE qualified women applicants (than qualified male applicants) remaining, the charge of discrimination would clearly have force (since they ended up hiring way more men).
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the contention of Munchon Foods?
A. Some synthetic substances are not harmful
B. Some natural substances found in foods can be harmful
C. Food without additives is unlikely to taste good
D. Munchon Foods produces only breakfast cereals
E. Without preservatives some foods could cause harm
6
Anton: I sold my house on an internet site last year and was happy with the price. I got a speedy sale and the cost of advertising was insignificant. I would advise you to avoid real estate agents.
Barbie: It is in the interest of the real estate agent to get me the best price for my property because he gets a commission based on the selling price. Therefore, when selling my house I will certainly use an agent rather than trying to sell the house by word of mouth, or by advertising in newspapers or on the internet.
Barbie’s could strengthen her position by pointing out all of the following except
A. Houses of comparable value often obtain a lower price when sold on the internet
B. Very few houses are sold on the internet at the moment an so a valid comparison is difficult
C. The agent’s service includes many add-on benefits in terms of legal fees, surveyor’s reports and advice that are not available on internet sites
D. Some buyers pay the agent to find them a cheap house
E. The agent’s commission is usually less than the difference between the internet price and the higher price the agent obtains for you
B. Very few houses are sold on the internet at the moment an so a valid comparison is difficult
C. The agent’s service includes many add-on benefits in terms of legal fees, surveyor’s reports and advice that are not available on internet sites
D. Some buyers pay the agent to find them a cheap house
E. The agent’s commission is usually less than the difference between the internet price and the higher price the agent obtains for you
7
On the basis of the Big Bang theory ((scientists predicted levels of Helium-3 in the universe that are ten times greater than the levels actually observed.)) According to the original model, Helium-3 is produced when low-mass stars burn up hydrogen and become ‘red giants’, as well as being produced in the Big Bang itself. Researchers have now produced a new model in which the Helium-3 produced by a red giant is pushed to the star’s interior and burnt up. ((((Hence the Big Bang theory is no longer undermined by Helium-3 data.)))
The two portions in bold-face are related to each other in which of the following ways?
A. The first highlights an observation that tends to undermine a particular theory. The second is that theory.
B. The first is a fact that undermines a theory. The second is context for accepting that theory.
C. The first points to an inconsistency in a particular model; the second is the author’s main conclusion.
D. The first is a challenge to a classic theory; the second resolves that challenge.
E. The first is a position that the author does not accept; the second is the author’s position.
The two portions in bold-face are related to each other in which of the following ways?
A. The first highlights an observation that tends to undermine a particular theory. The second is that theory.
B. The first is a fact that undermines a theory. The second is context for accepting that theory.
C. The first points to an inconsistency in a particular model; the second is the author’s main conclusion.
D. The first is a challenge to a classic theory; the second resolves that challenge.
E. The first is a position that the author does not accept; the second is the author’s position.
8
A fruit known as amla in certain parts of Asia is an excellent source of vitamin C. A small quantity of the fruit grated and added to salads provides almost all the daily requirement of this vitamin. However, the fruit is very sour. A new process designed to remove most of the sour taste will make the fruit acceptable to American tastes. We are therefore starting to grow this fruit for sale in the United States.
The argument above assumes all of the following except
A. Americans generally won’t eat very sour foods
B. The new process does not remove a significant part of the vitamin content
C. That a market exists for a new source of vitamin C
D. The fruit can be used only in salads
E. Apart from being sour there are no other objections to eating this fruit
The argument above assumes all of the following except
A. Americans generally won’t eat very sour foods
B. The new process does not remove a significant part of the vitamin content
C. That a market exists for a new source of vitamin C
D. The fruit can be used only in salads
E. Apart from being sour there are no other objections to eating this fruit
9
It is not unusual to see the ball fall into a black slot on a roulette wheel four times in a row. But for it to fall five or six times in a row into the same color is very unusual. Therefore you can win money by waiting for a run of five of the same color and then betting against that color.
If the roulette wheel in question is a fair wheel, which of the following observations or facts, if it were true, would best reveal a fallacy in the logic?
A. If there were a reliable way to win at roulette it would be well-known by now.
B. It is hard for a player to keep track of what went before for the time required.
C. The probability of getting a particular color decreases with the number of times the color has appeared.
D. The probability of getting a particular color is always the same no matter what has gone before.
E. A person who makes money this way once or twice, will carry on to lose that money after a few more times.
If the roulette wheel in question is a fair wheel, which of the following observations or facts, if it were true, would best reveal a fallacy in the logic?
A. If there were a reliable way to win at roulette it would be well-known by now.
B. It is hard for a player to keep track of what went before for the time required.
C. The probability of getting a particular color decreases with the number of times the color has appeared.
D. The probability of getting a particular color is always the same no matter what has gone before.
E. A person who makes money this way once or twice, will carry on to lose that money after a few more times.
10
Josh has twenty years of typing experience behind him; therefore, if you are looking for an efficient typist to enter your data into the new system, you need look no further.
The speaker assumes that
A. Twenty years of practice ensures typing efficiency
B. The type of typing required for the new system is identical to what Josh has been doing
C. Josh’s job profile is the best that the new employer is going to get
D. Josh is an outstandingly fast and accurate typist
E. Josh will fit well into the new office
The speaker assumes that
A. Twenty years of practice ensures typing efficiency
B. The type of typing required for the new system is identical to what Josh has been doing
C. Josh’s job profile is the best that the new employer is going to get
D. Josh is an outstandingly fast and accurate typist
E. Josh will fit well into the new office
ANSWERS
10
OA - A
9
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
In critical reasoning questions many of the answer choices can be factually correct or reasonable sounding, and so eliminating without understanding the question is not possible. Your job is to find the best answer to the specific question, so read carefully. A fallacy in the logic is an error in the thinking behind the proposal. The person concludes that if you wait for a run of five of the same color and then bet against the color, you WILL win. Now the logic behind that suggests that the probability of getting that same color again is low. But just as tossing a fair coin always gives an even chance of a head or tail no matter what has gone before, the probability of getting a color is always the same no matter what has gone before.
8
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
There is a ‘missing link’ between saying that the fruit is sour and saying that removing the sourness will make the fruit acceptable to American tastes. The missing link is an ‘assumption’ in this case. Obviously the missing statement should be that Americans don’t like sour foods. So now we have found one assumption but this is an ‘except question’ and so we need to find three more! Since we are relying on the fruit for vitamin C it should be obvious that the author thinks the new process will not take away most of the vitamin. The author also thinks a market exists or they would not be starting to grow the fruit. He or she mentions salads as a way to use the fruit but there is nothing to suggest that there are no other ways to use the fruit and so D is not assumed and is the correct answer. He or she also assumes that there is nothing else wrong with the fruit. (Note: most students go wrong on ‘except’ questions!)
7
Correct Answer: C
Explanation:
Study each sentence carefully and decide whether it is a fact, and assumption or a conclusion. The first part in bold is a factual statement of a certain prediction. The second part in bold is a statement of the author’s view or position on the situation. A view or a position is another way of thinking about a conclusion. So, start with looking for answers that say the second is a conclusion. Now we can have a closer look at C and E. Since the first part is a factual statement, we cannot say that the author does not accept it, and we are left with C. The word ‘inconsistency’ is fine as the predicted amounts do not match with the observations.
6
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
Since this is an ‘except’ question we must find four ways for Barbie to strengthen her position. The one answer that doesn’t strengthen her conclusion will be correct. Barbie wants to use an agent and choices C and E point out benefits of the agent, while choices A and B point to reasons why the internet is not necessarily better. A careful look at D suggests that the agent might not always get the seller the best price, and so that is the best answer.
5
Correct Answer: B
Explanation:
Munchon’s contention is that buying their products safeguards health. To weaken that argument we can show that, for some reason, their foods might not be healthy. Munchon claims that the products are healthy because they contain only ‘natural ingredients’. But bacteria and molds are ‘natural’ as are certain poisons derived from plants! Hence the word ‘natural’ is no guarantee of healthful properties.
4
Question:
A = fifth set tiebreak B = low rank player lose If rafael wins = not B then no fifth set tiebreak = not A If A then B, if not B then not A a) A = family history of twins get pregnant 3 times B = one set of twins Jennifer had two set of twins = not B not have gotten pregnant three times = not A If A then B, if not B then not A this is the answer b) A = sells more product than anyone else B = vacation If A then B, if B then A so out c) A = if circulation > 100k B = charge 50% premium If A then B, if not A then not B also out d) A = top 10% in class B = scholarship If A then B, if not A then not B out e) assumption is based on all the players receiving cash bonus and not just an individual out |
3
This argument concludes that “Hollywood studios have little chance of making
money this year by exporting their films worldwide,” based on the premise that profits from piracy overseas rose sharply last year. The argument assumes that no other relevant conditions have changed for the better since then. The question asks for a choice that does not weaken the argument, which means that the correct answer will either strengthen it or is irrelevant. (A) This choice weakens the argument. It attacks the necessary assumption that $500 million is a large enough amount to destroy Hollywood profits. (B) This choice weakens the argument. It attacks the necessary assumption that there would not be a heightened and effective law enforcement campaign against piracy. (C) This choice weakens the argument. It attacks the assumption that there are no other ways for Hollywood studios to profit from export of its films than DVDs. (D) CORRECT. This choice is irrelevant. The conclusion (and premise) concern money. That all of the Academy Award-nominated films were pirated last year does not increase or diminish the probability of Hollywood studios making money this year. Thus, this does not weaken the argument. (E) This choice makes the conclusion less likely by providing a premise that suggests that this year’s profits internationally will rise. |
2
In this kind of question attack what the first one person says. Here we have something that comes casually. Infact the second one says:This flare was observed only because an observatory was tracking Halley’s Comet very carefully.
A) the word observed: is not the real reasoning behind the discussion
B) the two claims do not lack of consistency, are coherent in somehow
C) here we have no evidence at all. the second person do not present a fact but rather a conjecture
D) an alternate explanation: CORRECT. the comet is observed ONLY and ONLY and ONLy because is related to the observation of Halley's Comet
E) here nobody undermine nothing rather gives an other explanation.
1. There might be a slight problem with the question -a GMAT question would use the phrase "gender discrimination" not "sexual disrcimination." My guess is that the source is 1000cr. Practicing with these questions can do more harm than good.
At any rate, the OA should be choice C.
The charge of discrimination has everything to do with how many men and women were applying in the first place; the (qualified) fraction of the applicant pool that was male versus the (qualified) fraction of the applicant pool that was female.
There are 19 male executives and only 1 female executive. Let's say there were 40 qualified applicants for these executive positions. But if 39 of them were men, it is definitely not the company's fault; if they were able to show this, it would be a perfect defense against the claim of discrimination. But what happens if 20 of the 40 qualified applicants were men, and 20 women? Because 19 of 20 men got the exec jobs but only 1 out of 20 women did, this would reek of gender discrimination.
Choice A is wrong because it assumes that the only way there could be gender discrimination was if there were unqualified men being accepted over qualified women; as the above analysis demonstrates, this is not the only way gender discrimination could take place. This choice neglects to consider the applicant pool, and, thus, on its own, it is not a sufficient defense.
Choice B is also an insufficient defense against the charge. Just ask yourself whether choice B establishes that there wasn't any discrimination.
Choice D has sexist undertones and would never be an accredited response on the GMAT.
Choice E is a bit more tempting. It is good that all applicants rejected had fewer qualifications than those accepted. But does it establish that there was NO gender discrimination? Again, even after rejecting all the unqualified applicants, if there were many MORE qualified women applicants (than qualified male applicants) remaining, the charge of discrimination would clearly have force (since they ended up hiring way more men).
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Vocabulary Quiz
1. arrogate (v.):
To look into.
To cast off, as hair, feathers, etc.
To walk for amusement or exercise.
To walk about.
To take, demand, or claim, especially presumptuously or without reasons orgrounds.
To endow or furnish with requisite ability, character, knowledge, skill, orpossessions.
2. rendition (n.):
The common people.
Wrath.
Interpretation.
Thorough dislike.
The coming or arrival, as of any important change, event, state, or personage.
A figure with six angles.
3. crusade (n.):
The act of sending through or across.
The demanding for the use of money as a loan, a rate of interest beyond what isallowed by law.
A place where anything is kept in safety.
One who navigates the air, a balloonist.
Any concerted movement, vigorously prosecuted, in behalf of an idea orprinciple.
A number of states or persons in compact or league with each other, as formutual aid.
4. chagrin (n.):
Spiritual or social fellowship or solidarity.
The sharp striking of one body against another.
Keen vexation, annoyance, or mortification, as at one's failures or errors.
One who works in a coal-mine.
Showing increase.
The color of the sky.
5. icon (n.):
The place in which a consul transacts official business.
The dignity, condition, office, or term of office of an alderman.
An image or likeness.
A cosmopolitan character.
One who makes or sells cloth or clothing.
One thousand watts.
6 henpeck (v.):
To worry or harass by ill temper and petty annoyances.
To contend angrily or zealously in words.
To approve authoritatively.
To stretch out or expand in every direction.
To cause spasms in.
To make better or improve, as in quality or social or physical condition.
WORDS WORDS WORDS!
contretemps means :
quarrel
reception
conquest
defense
Post Meanings
| frightening | ||||||||||||||||
| regrettable | ||||||||||||||||
| weepy | ||||||||||||||||
|
intolerable objective
|
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Solutions - XAT L
XAT L
2 C best strategy.
1) evaluate each sentence of the stimulus
kitchen magazine plans to license the use of its name by a line of cookware.
a fact
For a magazine, licensing the use of its name for products involves some danger, since if the products disappoint consumers, the magazine's reputation suffers, with consequent reductions in circulation and advertising.
a possible setback of this strategy
However, experts have evaluated the cookware and found it superior to all other cookware advertised in Kitchen.T herefore, Kitchen can collect its licensing fee without endangering its other revenues.
shift in the argument and consequentely consclusion
this is the part that the assumption is related and is the key part of the entire argument
A. No other line of cookware is superior to that which will carry the Kitchen name.
too extreme: no other line and also a comparison. not related to something that permits to collect fee without endagering the company
B. Kitchen will not license the use of its name for any products other than the line of cookware.
other than something..........not related
C. Makers of cookware will not find Kitchen a less attractive advertising vehicle because the magazine's name is associated with a competing product.
Bingo. if the makers FIND the kitchen magazine less attractive, we have less fees and the company is endagered by the magazine. this assumption defends the argument. so is perfect
D. Consumers who are not regular readers of Kitchen magazine will be attracted to the cookware by the Kitchen name.
what the reader do is not related to our fee
E. Kitchen is one of the most prestigious cooking-related magazines.
wheter the magazine is well regognized or not is not related
3 D
players
today play with the same style as was used long ago, but not because
it's simply the best style for tennis; instead, players today play this
way, because this is what they learned from their coaches, who
themselves were tennis players back in the day. The similarity is due to
the teacher-student influence, not anything about the inherent value of
the playing style itself.
4 D
(A)The questions asked of the entrepreneurs and business managers included personal, political, and business questions.
Out of scope.
(B)At least some of the entrepreneurs surveyed had accurately determined before attempting to start their businesses what the odds were against their attempts being successful.
Irrelevant
(C)Another survey showed that degree of confidence was highly correlated with success in business.
Out of Scope
(D)The business managers who were most overconfident were found to have attempted to start businesses in the past.
Supports the Conclusion - Can be a probable contender
(E)How confident each person surveyed was that his or her answers to the questions asked were correct corresponded closely to that person’s confidence in his or her business acumen.
Wordy
Thus (D) seems to be better than the others ...
Out of scope.
(B)At least some of the entrepreneurs surveyed had accurately determined before attempting to start their businesses what the odds were against their attempts being successful.
Irrelevant
(C)Another survey showed that degree of confidence was highly correlated with success in business.
Out of Scope
(D)The business managers who were most overconfident were found to have attempted to start businesses in the past.
Supports the Conclusion - Can be a probable contender
(E)How confident each person surveyed was that his or her answers to the questions asked were correct corresponded closely to that person’s confidence in his or her business acumen.
Wordy
Thus (D) seems to be better than the others ...
5
E
Fact: 100Calories packs cost more per ounce-than traditionally sized portions.
Fact: Consumers have been purchasing 100Calories pack with greater and greater frequency.
Explanation 1: Consumers are willing to pay more to avoid having to measure out their portions. ==> convenience is 1st priority.
Explanation 2: 100Calories pack represents the smallest portion that still looks and feels "substantial" enough to appeal to dieters who lack the self control to limit their consumption of snacks from larger packages. ==> Because 100C pack is large enough so even if it stands alone, it still attracts dieters. However, if 100c pack stands beside a LARGER sized portion, dieters will ignore the smaller one and pick up the bigger one.
A. Consumers are willing to pay exactly the same price for 100-calorie packs sold in vending machine as for traditionally sized snack portions sold in vending machine.
Wrong. Out of scope.
B. A large number of buyers of 100-calorie packs consume them as light desserts after large meals that have left them feeling too full for traditionally sized snack food.
Wrong. Out of scope.
C. Although the 100-calorie packs have begun to sell well across a large variety of demographics, busy young professionals were the first group to purchase them frequently.
Wrong. Good shell game. It maybe fits the first explanation, but It's wrong because "the first group to purchase" does not mean busy young professionals will keep their habit. They are just the group of people who always try "NEW stuffs" more frequently than other group of people.
D. Because the 100-calorie packs require more packaging per ounce of food than the traditionally sized portions do, manufacturers must charge more per ounce to make the same relative profit as on traditionally sized portions.
Wrong. Out of scope.
E. Sales of 100-calorie packs have been uniformly poor at stores where they are displayed alongside traditionally sized portions, even for the same snacks whose 100-calorie packs are bestsellers at other stores.
Correct. Because 100C pack is large enough so even if it stands alone, it still attracts dieters. ==> If 100c pack stands beside LARGERsized portion, dieters will ignore 100c pack. ==> E also undermines the 2nd explanation because if convenience is priority, customers should ignore the large sized portions to pick up the smaller sized packs.
Fact: Consumers have been purchasing 100Calories pack with greater and greater frequency.
Explanation 1: Consumers are willing to pay more to avoid having to measure out their portions. ==> convenience is 1st priority.
Explanation 2: 100Calories pack represents the smallest portion that still looks and feels "substantial" enough to appeal to dieters who lack the self control to limit their consumption of snacks from larger packages. ==> Because 100C pack is large enough so even if it stands alone, it still attracts dieters. However, if 100c pack stands beside a LARGER sized portion, dieters will ignore the smaller one and pick up the bigger one.
A. Consumers are willing to pay exactly the same price for 100-calorie packs sold in vending machine as for traditionally sized snack portions sold in vending machine.
Wrong. Out of scope.
B. A large number of buyers of 100-calorie packs consume them as light desserts after large meals that have left them feeling too full for traditionally sized snack food.
Wrong. Out of scope.
C. Although the 100-calorie packs have begun to sell well across a large variety of demographics, busy young professionals were the first group to purchase them frequently.
Wrong. Good shell game. It maybe fits the first explanation, but It's wrong because "the first group to purchase" does not mean busy young professionals will keep their habit. They are just the group of people who always try "NEW stuffs" more frequently than other group of people.
D. Because the 100-calorie packs require more packaging per ounce of food than the traditionally sized portions do, manufacturers must charge more per ounce to make the same relative profit as on traditionally sized portions.
Wrong. Out of scope.
E. Sales of 100-calorie packs have been uniformly poor at stores where they are displayed alongside traditionally sized portions, even for the same snacks whose 100-calorie packs are bestsellers at other stores.
Correct. Because 100C pack is large enough so even if it stands alone, it still attracts dieters. ==> If 100c pack stands beside LARGERsized portion, dieters will ignore 100c pack. ==> E also undermines the 2nd explanation because if convenience is priority, customers should ignore the large sized portions to pick up the smaller sized packs.
6 A
Something that is supported by the argument is an inference.
This question is an inference question. Therefore the task is to find an inevitable conclusion from information given. Find what must be true.
Read the Argument and Extract Necessary Information:
In inference questions:
Note how specific the topics are, watch out for percents versus numbers, look for the logical combination of two points.
Known:
Lefties have an advantage on tasks controlled by the right side of the brain
Painting is controlled by the right side of the brain
Lefties get viruses more frequently
Formulate an Answer to the Question
There are 2 possible answers that should spring to mind based on the facts presented:
1. Lefties have advantage on right brain functions + painting is right brain function = lefties have advantage in painting.
2. Lefties contract viruses more frequently + lefties have advantage in right brain functions + painting is right brain function = people with advantage painting contract viruses more frequently.
Eliminate Answer Choices:
(A) Close in to what we said- Keep.
(B) Not true we know lefties contract more often but what if there are significantly fewer lefties in the world? If that is the case than most who contract would be righty but lefties might still contract more often, thus this does not have to be true – eliminate.
(C) The argument gives no indication that there is a cause and effect link between contracting viruses and painting, thus this does not have to be true – eliminate.
(D) The argument makes no mention of the sub group "left-handed painters". You are told that lefties in general contract viruses more often but not whether left-handed painters do so more often than other left-handers or other sub-groups of lefties, thus this does not have to be true – eliminate.
(E) The argument gives no information about non-painters, thus this does not have to be true – eliminate.
This question is an inference question. Therefore the task is to find an inevitable conclusion from information given. Find what must be true.
Read the Argument and Extract Necessary Information:
In inference questions:
Note how specific the topics are, watch out for percents versus numbers, look for the logical combination of two points.
Known:
Lefties have an advantage on tasks controlled by the right side of the brain
Painting is controlled by the right side of the brain
Lefties get viruses more frequently
Formulate an Answer to the Question
There are 2 possible answers that should spring to mind based on the facts presented:
1. Lefties have advantage on right brain functions + painting is right brain function = lefties have advantage in painting.
2. Lefties contract viruses more frequently + lefties have advantage in right brain functions + painting is right brain function = people with advantage painting contract viruses more frequently.
Eliminate Answer Choices:
(A) Close in to what we said- Keep.
(B) Not true we know lefties contract more often but what if there are significantly fewer lefties in the world? If that is the case than most who contract would be righty but lefties might still contract more often, thus this does not have to be true – eliminate.
(C) The argument gives no indication that there is a cause and effect link between contracting viruses and painting, thus this does not have to be true – eliminate.
(D) The argument makes no mention of the sub group "left-handed painters". You are told that lefties in general contract viruses more often but not whether left-handed painters do so more often than other left-handers or other sub-groups of lefties, thus this does not have to be true – eliminate.
(E) The argument gives no information about non-painters, thus this does not have to be true – eliminate.
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