km assumption

Logical

Reasoning

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Assumption Questions

Directions: The questions in this section are based on the reasoning contained in brief statements or passages. For somequestions, more than one of the choices could conceivably answer the question. However, you are to choose the best answer; thatis, the response that most accurately and completely ans\.rr'ers the question. You should not make assumptions that are bycommonsense standards implausible, superfluous, or incompatible with the passage.

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Roberl Speed limits on residential streets in Crownsburyare routinely ignored by drivers. People crossingthose streets are endangered by speeding drivers,yet the city does not have enough police officersto patrol every street. So the city should installspeed bumps and signs warning of their presenceon residential streets to slow down traf8c.

Sheila: That is a bad idea. People who are driving toofast can easily lose control of their vehicles whenthey hit a speed bump.

1. Sheila's response depends on the presupposition that

(A) problems of the kind that Robert describes areworse in Crownsbury than they are in othercities

(B) Robert's proposal is intended to address a

problem that Robert does not in fact intendit to address

(C) with speed bumps and warning signs in place,there would still be drivers who would notslow down to a safe speed

(D) most of the people who are affected by theproblem Robert describes would be harmedby the installation of speed bumps andwarning signs

(E) problems of the kind that Robert desoibes donot occut on any nonresidential streets inCrownsbury

2, Finnish author laakko Mikkeli was accused byNorwegian author Kirsten Halden of plagiarizing abook that she had written and that had beenpublished 20 years before Mikkeli's. The two books,although set in different periods and regions, containenough plot similarities to make coincidentalresemblance unlikely. Mikkeli's defense rests on hisargument that plagiarism was impossible in this casebecause Halden's book has been published only inNorwegian, a language Mikkeli does not understand,and because no reviews of Halden's book have everbeen published.

The argument in Mikkeli's defense depends on the 'assumption that

(A) Mikkeli has never met Halden(B) Halden's book did not become popular in

NorwayiC) nobody related the plot of Halden's book in

detail to Mikkeli before Mikkeli wrote hisbook

(D) there is a common European myth to whichboth authors referred subconsciously in thebooks in question

(E) Mikkeli is not familiar with Old lcelandic, anextinct language related to an earlier form ofNorwegian

Sources: PrepTast 37, Sectton 4, euestions 23PrepTest 36, Sectlon 7, Questions 3

I(APLAN198




3. Barnes: The two ne\.vest employees at this companyhave salaries that are too high for the simpletasks normally assigned to new employees andduties that are too complex for inexperiencedworkers. Hence, the salaries and thecomplexity of the duties of these two newestemployees should be reduced.

Which one of the following is an assumption onwhich Barnes's argument depends?

(A) The duties of the two newest employees arenot less complex than any others ia thecompany.

(l.i; it is because of the complex duties assignedthat the two newest employees are being paidmore than is usually paid to newly hiredemployees.

((.1 'fhe fwo newest employees are not experiencedat their occupations.

Barnes was not hired at a higher-than-averagestarting salary.

The salaries of the two newest employees are

no higher than the salaries that othercompanies pay for workers with a similarlevel of experience.

Political opinion and analysis outside thenrainstream rarely are found on television talkshows, and it might be thought that this state ofaffairs is a product ofthe political agenda ofthetelevision stations themselves. In fact, televisionstations are driven by the same economic forces as

sellers of more tangible goods. Because they mustattempt to capture the largest possible share of thetelevision audience for their shows, they air onlythose shorvs that will appeal to large numbers ofpeople. As a resultlpolitical opinions and analysesaired on television talk shows are typically bland andinnocrious,

T'he explanation offered by the author of the passage

makcs the assumption that

i.\ j television station executives usually lack a

political agenda of their ownt. j:i, 'uland and innocuous political opinions and

analyses are generally in the mainstreamii ) political analysts outside the mainstream are

relatively indifferent to the effect theiranalyses have on television viewers

r,I--r r most television viervers are prepared to argueagainst allowing the expression of politicalophions and analyses with which theydisagree

(fl) the political opinions of television stationexecutives are not often reflected in thetelevision shows their stations produce

5. Conservationist: The population ofa certainwildflower is so small that the species isheaded for extinction. However, thiswildflower can cross-pollinate with a closelyrelated domesticated daisy, producing viableseeds. Such cross-pollination could result in asignificant population of wildflower-daisyhybrids. The daisy should therefore beintroduced into the wildflower's range, sincealthough the hybrid would differ markedlyfrom the rvildflower, hybridization is the onlymeans of preventing total loss of thewildflower in its range.

Which one of the following is an assumption onwhich the conservationist's reasoning depends?

The wildflorver currently reproduces only byforming seeds.

The domesticated daisy was bred from wildplants that once grew in the wildflower'srange.

Increasing the population of the wildflowerrvill also expand its range.

Wildflower-daisy hybrids will be able tt'reproduce.

The domesticated daisy will cross-pollinatewith any daisylike plant.

Bacteria from food can survive for several days on thesurface of plastic cutting boards, but bacteria canpenetrate wooden cutting boards almost immediatelnleaving the surface free of contamination. Therefore,wooden cutting boards, unlike plastic cutting boards,need not be washed in order to prevent theircontaminating food that is cut on them; wiping themoff to remove food debris is sufficient.

Which one of the following is an assumption onrvhich the argument depends?

(r\) Washing plastic cutting boards does notremove all bacteria from the surface.

(B) Prevention of bacteria contamination is theonly respect in which wooden cutting boardsare superior to plastic cutting boards.

(C) Food that is not already contaminated withbacteria can be contaminated only by beingcut on contaminated cutting boards.

(D) Bacteria that penetrate into wooden cuttingboards do not reemerge on the surface afterthe cutting boards have been used.

(E) Washing wooden cutting boards kills bacteriabelow the surface of the cutting boards.

Sources: PrepTest 29, Sectlon 7, Questlon 5PrepTest 29, Section 4, Questlons 5 and 8

PrepTast 24, Sectlon 3, Questlon 5

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ISAT Mostery Practice

7, Braille is a method of producing text by means ofraised dots that can be read by touch. A recentdevelopment in technology will allow flat conrputerscreens to be made of a material that can be heatedin patterns that replicate the patterns used in braille'Since the thermal device will utilize the same symbolsystem as braille, it follows that anyone who isaccustomed to reading braille can easily adapt to theuse of this electronic system.

Which one of the following is an assumption onrr'i:ich the conclusion depends?

, .i j Braille is the only symbol system that can be. readily adapted for use with the new thermal

screen,Only people who currently use braille as their sole

. medium for reading text will have the capacity toadapt to the use of the thermal screen.

People with the tactile ability to discriminatesymbols in braille have an ability to discriminate

' similar patterns on a flat heated surface'' Some symbol systems encode a piece of text by

using dots that replicate the shape of letters of' the alphabet.

, ,: Eventually it will be possible to train people toread braille by first training them in the use

. of the thermal screen.

8. Itrrr:r:,1 with a financial crisis, Upland University'sboard of trustees reduced the budget for theunir,ersity's computer center from last year's $4rnillion to $1.5 million for the coming year. However,the center cannot operate on less than $2.5 million'Silr,;e the board cannot divert funds from otherpr'.si.tms to the computer center' there is no \^ray

ti: rl rrri: center can be kept operating for the comingi*,'

j r,r i,rrclusion of the argument is properly drawn if., , l, one of the following is assumed?

, 'lhe computer center did not use all of the $4million that was budgeted to it last year.

, ! j. The budgets of other programs at the

' university were also reduced.i i fhe computer center has no source of funds

other than those budgeted to it for the comingyear by the university's board of trustees'

, :.r I No funds from any Program at the universitycan be diverted to other programs.

i' ) The board oftrustees at the universityvalueother programs at the university more highlythan they do the computer center.

Even though apes are the only nonhuman creaturesable to learn human language, no ape has ever usedits human language skill-q to ask such philosophicalquestions as, "FIow am I different from all othercreatures?" Therefore, philosophicai thought isunique to humans.

The conclusion in the passage above relies on whichoire of the following assumptions?

(A) Human language is unique to humans.(E ) Apes are incapable of thinking in human

Ianguage.(.-- i Philosophical thought can be expressed only in

human language.(D) Speaking in human language is easier than

thinking in human language.(Lr It is more difficult to learn human language

than to express phil<isophical questions.

A nerv medication for migraine seems effective, butthere is concern that the medication mightexacerbate heart disease. If patients with heartdi-oease take the medication under careful medicalsupervision, howeverrharmfrrl side effects candefinitely be avertedSilhe concern about those sideellects is thus unfounded. ,

-i he argument depends on which one of theii-' il 1;11,in g assumptions?

,.i-) The new medication actually is effective whentaken by patients with heart disease.

, ij i No migraine sufferers with heart disease willtake the new medication except under careftrlmedical supervision.

i | . i Most migraine sufferers who have taken thenew medication in trials also had heartdisease.

(I]) The new medication has various other sideeffects, but none as serious as that ofexacerbating heart disease.

(E) The new medication will displace all migrainemedications currently being used.

Sources.'Preplest 22, Eectlon 2, Questlon !Preplest 22, 9ectlon 4, Questlons 2 and lJ.PrcpTest 2!, Sectlon 2, Questlon 3

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ll. Copyright laws protect the rights of writers to profitsearned from their writings, whereas patent lawsprotect inventors'rights to profits earned from theirinventions. In Jawade, when computer-softwarewriters demanded that their rights to profit beprotected, the courts determined that informationwritten for a machine does not fit into either thecopyright or the patent category. Clearly, therefore,the profit rights of computer-software writers remainunprotected in lawade.

Which one of the following is an assumption onwhich the argument depends?

(A) Computer-software writers are not aninfluential enough group in Jawade for thegovernment to consider modifring existingcopyright laws in order to protect this group'sprofit rights.

iB) No laws exist, other than copyright laws andpatent laws, that would protect the profitrights of computer-software writers inlawade.

(C) Most of the computer software used in Jawadeis imported from other countries.

(D) Computer software is more similar to writingscovered by copyright laws than it is toinventions covered by patent laws.

(E) Copyright laws and patent laws in Jawade havenot been modified since their originaladoption.

One of the effects of lead poisoning is aninflammation of the optic nerve, which causes thosewho have it to see bright haloes around light sources.In order to produce the striking yellow effects in his"Sunflowers" paintings, Van Gogh used Naplesyellow, a pigment containing lead. Since in his laterpaintings, Van Gogh painted bright haloes aroundthe stars and sun, it is likely that he was sufferingfrom lead poisoning caused by ingesting thepigments he used.

Which one of the following is an assumption onl.hich the argument relies?

(r\: In Van Gogh's later paintings he painted somethings as he saw them.

(B I Van Gogh continued to use paints containinglead after having painted the "Sunflowers"paintings.

((l) Van Gogh did not have symptoms of leadpoisoning aside from seeing bright haloesaround light sources.

in'i The paints Van Gogh used in the "Sunflowers"paintings had no toxic ingredients other thanlead.

(E) The effects of Naples yellow could not havebeen achieved using other pigments.

Assumption 9€rlg!:13. Manager: Our new computer network, the purpose

of which is to increase productivity, can beinstalled during the day, which would disruptour employees'work, or else at night, which' would entail much higher installation charges.Since saving money is important, we shouldhave the nefwork installed during me day.

The manager's argument assumes which one of thefoliorving?

(A ) The monetary value of the network equipmentrvould not exceed the cost of having theequipment installed at night.

i:i j The monetary value of any productivity lostduring a daytime installation would be lessthan the difference between daytime and

1{_)

{D)the companyt employees will be able to use itimmediately to increase their productivity.

(E) Most of the company's employees would beable to work productively while a daytimeinstallation is in progress.

14. The symptoms of mental disorders are behavioral,cognitive, or emotional problems. Some patients withmental disorders can be effectively treated withpsychotherapy. But it is now known that in somepatients mental disorders result from chemicalimbalances affecting the brain. Thus these patientscan tre cffectively treated only with medication thatrviil redr.tce or correct the imbalance.

The argurnent depends on assuming which one ofthe foliorving?

(A) 'lieatment by psychotherapy can produce noeffective reduction in or correction ofchemical imbalances that cause mentaldisorders.

( B ) I r:aatment with medication always shows fasterrc'sults for patients with mental disordersthan does treatment with psychotherapy.

it i \lost mental disorders are not the result ofehemical imbalances affecting the brain.

{ D ) N{edication is always more effective in treatingpatient.s with mental disorders tlan ispsychotherapy.

([,; teatment with psychotherapy has no efl'ect onmental disorders other than a reduction ofthe symptoms.

Soutces,' PrepTest 21, Section 2, Questlon 6PrepTest 21, Sectlon 3, Qusstlon 73PrepTest 24, Sectlon !, Questlon 3PrcpTest 2O, Sectlon 4, Question I

r(APrA9 2Ol

nighttime installation costs.A daytime installation would be completed byno larger a crew and would take the crew nomore time than would a nighttime installation. fr

Once the network has been installed, most of

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ISAT Mastery Proctice

t7.15. John works five days each week except when onvacation or during weeks in rvhich national holidaysoccur. Four days a week he works in an insurancecompany; on Fridays he works as a blacksmith. Lastweek there were no holidays, and John was not onvacation. Therefore, he must have rvorked in theinsurance company on Monday, Tuesday, Wedngsday,antl Thursday last week.

\\/high one of the following is an assumption onrlirich the argument depends?

(.,r.i lohn never takes a vacation of more than one' r.;eek in length.i.ll ) Every day last week that John lvorked, he

rvorked for an entire rvorkday.i ( . ) J ohn does not take vacations in weeks in which

national holidays occur.( D ) Last week John worked neither on Saturday

nor on Sunday.There were no days last week on which Iohnboth worked in the insurance company andalso worked as a blacksmith.

Public health will improve more quickly in the wakeof new medical discoveries if medical researchersabandon their practice of rvaiting until their findingsare published in peer-reviewed journals beforeilforming the press of important research results.This is because the public release of new medicalinformation allows people to use that information inorder to improve their health, but the peer-reviewprocess is unavoidably very slow.

\{,Ihich one of the following is an assumption onu,,'1r:,"-lr iire argument depends?

(A) l'lany medical researchers do not agree to' serve as reviewers when their own research isin a critical phase.

1i.; Reviewers for many medical journals are notthemselves medical researchers.

(. i People rvould use nerv medical informationeven if it were not first published in peer-revierved journals.

i I i 'Ihe peer-review process could be speeded upenough to produce a significant improvementin public health.

(E) New medical information that is firstpublished in peer-revierved journals does notusually receive public attention.

Many artists ciaim that art critics find it is easier towrite about art that they dislike than to write aboutart that they like. Whether or not this hypothesis iscorrect, most art criticism is devoted to art worksthat fail to satisfy the critic. Hence it follows thatrnost art criticism is devoted to rvorks other than thegieatest rvorks of art.'l'ir,: r,r-.uclusion above is properly drawn if which onerii :r,-' i rllol'ing is assumed?

i , :,.o atrt critic enjoys writing about art worksrirat he or she dislikes intensely.

: f- i ii art critics find it difficult to discover art.,,'orks that truly satisfy them.

l! ) ,'! ',r.ork of art that receives extensive criticalattention can thereby become more widely

. l'.noryn than it otherwise would have been.{ il r fhe greatest works of art are never recognized

as -.uch until long after the time of theircreation.

thl I'he greatest works of art are works thatinevitably satisfu all critics.

Ed'rrcational television is a contradiction in terms.trVLile a classroom encourages social interaction,television encourages solitude. School is centered onthe development of language, but television dependsupon constantly changing visual images. And in acla:;sroom, fun is merely a means to an end, but onteisi'ilion it is the end in itself.

llu,;rr rvirich one of the following assumptions doestlic ::.',r.il;rx'rely in the passage?

(,i i i ire classroom should not be a place where,lnvone has fun.

( 1l ; t )nly experiences that closely resemble whattakes place in the school environrfient can beeducational.

!.{ .i "l-elevision programs reinforce some of thevalues of the school environment.

{i:; E<iucational television programs arequalitatively better than most other televisionprograms.

i i ) -fhe potential of television as a powerfullearning tool has not yet been realized.

(E)

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Sources.' PrepTest 2O, Section 4, Quesilon 7jPrepTest !7, Section 2, Questlon t2PrepTest 77, Sectlon 3, Questlon t4PrepTest !O, Section t, Questlon 7

I(A P LAN202




19.

@Sally: t cannot study at a university rvhere there is

an alcohol problem, so unless something isdone about the alcohol problem at thisuniversity, I'll have to transfer to a universin'where there are no fralernities.

Yolanda: I dont agree that fraternities are

responsible for the alcohol problem at thisuniversity. Alcohol problems exist at alluniv-ersities, including those rvhere there are

no fraternities. We all should become moreaware of alcohol abuse. lt's not simply a

fraternity problem; it's a cuitural problem.

Wliiclr orrc of the following is an assumption onn'lii;h rellv's argument dePends?

(Ar 1.irrr universities have fraternities.( Ft) ''-;trthing rvill- be done about the alcohol

l;r'oblem at Sally's university-.((,, . t lcohol problems are becoming more

- *'idespread at universities,{'i i r r lionre fraternity rnembers who drink alcohcl.

bc'verages are too young to do so legally-'' ii i - fhere could be univer.sities that have no

I'i ,rfi and-burn agriculture involves burling several,iL:.ri of forest, leaving vegetable ash that providesarr::rlc fslliliTer for three or four years of bountiful

- l *ils, On the' cleared land nutrients leach out of thesoii, horvever, and the land becomes too poor tosr.r!,.port agriculture. Netv land is then cleared byburning and the Process starts again' Since mostfrrrming in the tropics uses this method, forests intlrr: rci;rr-rir rvill eventually be permanentlyc r.tdie itir"'tl.

'I-1rc arq,rment depends on the assumption that

( i\) .lrriests in the tropics do not regenerate welllnough to restore themselves once they havebeen cleared by the slash-and-burn method

'(B i cone other methods of egriculture are not as

- destructive to the environment in tropicalregions as the slash-and-burn method is

(f, I forests in the tropics are naturally deficient innutrients that are needed to support the

' grorvth of plants that are not trative to thoseregions

llli slash-and-burn agriculture is particularly .

suitable for farming in tropical areas(Fi slash-and-burn agriculture produces a more

bountifirl crop than do other agriculturemethods for the iirst year

A favored theory to explain the extinction ofdinosaurs, together with many other species, hasbeen the globally catastrophic collision of a largeasteroid with the Earth. Supporti-ng evidence is anexlraterrestrial chemieal element in a layer of dustfound rvorldwide at a geological level laid downconteilrporaneously with the supposed event. A nelvconrpeting theory contends $at any asteroid itnpaetwas irrelevant, bec.ruse it rv#.nrassive volcirnicactivity that cansed the extinctions by puttingenough dust into the atmosphere to cool the planet )-The l)eccan region of lndia contairrs extensivevolcalic flolvs that occurred within the same timeperiod as the supposed asteroid impact and the,,,tinctions.

: hr .rre rr. theory assumes that

, A : ihe massive volcanic activity was not caused bvthe impact of an asteroid

^r lJ, ,'<l individual dinosaurs survived the impact of a?the asteroid. if it occurred

(t , r he extinctions took place over a longer timeperiod than they would have if caused by theinrpact of an asteroid F

i-, 1 , other lolcanic eruptions rvere not occurring ;rt Othe same time as those in the Deccan region Oq

iJ it is not possibleto determine which would havc F'occurred first, the volcanic flows in the Deccan Otregion or the supposed impact of an asteroid n

n()rrc of the requirements for admission to the OLunnville Roller Skatrng Olub is a irisir degrce of skiU ttin roller skrrting. f'he club president has expressed 9!concern that th"e club rnayiave discriminaiecl against Iqualified women in its admissions this year. Yet half

=.of the applicants adrnitted to the club this year were 5women. This proves that there was no discrimination OQagainst qualified women applicants in the club'seclmissions this year.

\\rl r i, h o ne of the following is an assumption on rvhichil'ri' , rr1,'lusion of the argtrment depends?

: \ i;rdy a few applicants were lbund to be qualifiectrrnd were admitted to the club this year.

i . 'c more than half of all the roller skaters inI unnville are ll.omen.

i { I ''lo more than half of all the roller skaters inLunnville are men.

i i : , -[his year no more than half of the applicantswho met all the qualifications for admissionto the cJub rvere \{'omel{.

(I:.) 'fhis year no more than half of the rnembers otthe club's committee that rnakes decisionsabout applicants' qualifications were men.

Sources: PrepTest 70, Sectlon !, Quastion 3PrcpTest t0, Sectlon l. Quesfions / and 15PrapTest 7O, Seetion 4, Question 4

KAPLA9 2O3.___/

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ISAT Mostery Pradice

23. Advertisement: Attention pond owners!Ninety-eight percent of mosquito larvae in apond die within minutes after the pond hasbeen treated with BTI. Yet BTI is not toxic tofish, birds, animals, plants, or beneficialinsects. So by using BTI regularly to destroytheir larvae, you can greatly reducepopulations of pesky mosquitoes that hatch in7'our pond, and you can do so withoutdiminishing the populations of fish, frogs, orbeneficial insects in and around the pond.

\A'hich one of the following is an assumption onr.,,hich the argument depends?

(.\l 'i he most effective way to control the numbers,rf mosquitoes in a given area is to destroy themosquito larvae in that area.

i11)\'

(j)

?opulations of mosquitoes are not dependenton a single body of water within an area as a

place for their larvae to hatch and develop.'lhere are no insect pests besides mosquitoesthat pond owners might want to eliminatefrom in and around their ponds.

-llhe effectiveness of BTI in destroyingmosquito larvae in a pbnd does not requirethe pond owner's strict adherence to specificapplication procedures.

The fish, frogs, and beneficial insects in andaround a pond-owner's pond do not dependon mosquito larvae as an important source offood.

24. English and the Austronesian language Mbarbaramboth use the word "dog" for canines. These twolanguages are unrelated, and since speakers of the

' two languages only came in contact with one anotherlong after the word "dog" lvas first used in this way ineither language, neither language could haveborrowed the word from the other. Thus this case

shows that sometimes when languages share wordsthat are similar in sound and meaning the similarityis due neither to language relatedness nor toborrorving.

The argument requires that which one of thefollo..ving be assumed?

' r.; , English and Mbarbaram share no words otherthan "dog."

:n Several languages besides English andMbarbaram use "dog" as the word for canines.

ii ' , l.lsually when two languages share a word,, ihose languages are related to each other.

ii-i) ' l here is no third language from which both. English and Mbarbaram borrowed the word

"dog"'(t i If two unrelated languages share a word,

. speakers of those trvo languages must have, come in contact with one another at some time.

25, The economies of some industrialized countries facethe prospect of large labor shortages in the decadesahead. Meanwhile, these countries will have a vastnumber of experienced and productive older workerswho, as things stand, will be driven from the workforce upon reaching the age of sixty-five by thewidespread practice of requiring workers to retire atthat age. Therefore, if the discriminatory practice ofmandatory'retirement at age sixty-five wereeliminated, the labor shortages facing these-econorlrii.r rvould be averted.

l hr. :it-grntent assumes that

{A) ulLlci workers have acquired skills that are' .i I remely valuable and that their younger,'tileagues lack

ili ) '.: i)ikers in industrialized countries are often,,nprepared to face the economic' ('nsequences of enforced idleness

' j,":ge number of workers in somei i r<lustrialized countries would continuex'orking beyond the age of sixty-five if workersin those countries were allowed to do so

rrandatory retirement at age sixty-five lyasfirst instituted when life expectanry wasconsiderably lower than it is today

a substantial proportion of the population ofofficially retired rvorkers is actually engagedin gainful employment

Sources: PrepTest tO, Sectlon 4, Questlon 18Preplest 9, Section 2, Questlon 27PrepTest 9, Sectlon 4, Questlon 6

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26. Myrna: People should follow diets in which fatrepresents no more than 30 percent of totalcalories, not the 37 percent the average diet in

. this country contains.

Rolandr If everyone in the country followed yourrecommendation during his or her entire life,just 0.2 percent would lenghen their lives at all'and then only by an average of 3 months.Modifying our diet is not worthwhile. A lifetimeof sacrifice spent eating an unappealing low-fatdiet is too high a price to pay for the chance ofextending that sacrifice for 3 months.

N,[vrna: But for everyone who dies early from a

high-fat diet, many more people suffer fromserious chronic diseases because they followedsuch diets.

;;:,. ,iid'-s iirgumrnt assumes that

. ri is desirtble to live in such a way as to

. icngthen life as much as possible.r lrrrv-fat diet cannot readily be madeappealing and satisfying to a person wholollows it regularly

dict is the only relevant factor to consider incomputing influences on length of life

, the difference in tastiness between a diet inrvhich fat represents 30 percent of totalcalories and one in which it represents 37

percent is not noticeable. l; I not everyone in the country eats the average

diet

Some accountants calculate with simple adding "

inachines, and some use complex computers. Onecan perform more calculations in less time with acomputer than with an adding machine. Therefore,assuming the costs of using the two types ofmachines are equal, an accountant who uses a

computer generally can earn more per hour than an?lccountant who uses an adding machine,

l\4rich one of the following is an assumption thatlr.oukl make the conclusion in the passage a logical

- ctt. ,

i.4 ' More accountants use computers than useadding machines.

i :., The more hours an accountant spends on thejob, the more money he or she will earn.

r' ) The more calculations an accountant performs,the more money he or she will earn.

, " I An accountant rvho uses an adding machinecan charge a higher hourly rate than one whouses a computer.

( lr) In general, accountants vary in terms of the

number of calculations they make and theamount of monev thev earn.

28. Physiological research has uncovered disturbingevidence linking a number of structural disorders to '

jogging. Among the ailments seemingly connectedwith this now-popular sport are spinal diskdisplaceme4ts, stress fractures of the feet and ankles,knee and hip joint deterioration, and tendonitis.Furthermore, these injuries do not occur exclusivelyamong beginning runners-veteran joggers suffer anequal percentage of injuries. What the accumulatingdata suggest is that the human anatomy is not able towithstand the stresses of jogging.

'".'irich one of the following is an assumption of theigumr:'ri?

. iie lirrk between jogging and certain structuraldisorders appears to be a causal one.

. Iogging causes more serious disorders thanother sports.

: ." The jogger's level of experience is a factordetermining the likelihood of a jogging injury.

iiJ) Some sports are safer for the human body thanjogging.

il-l I'he human species is not very durable.

i;ntil he rvas dismissed amid great controversy,Hastings was considered one of the greatestintelligence agents of all time. It is clear that if hisdismissal was justified, then Hastings was eitherincompetent or else disloyal. Soon after the dismissal,however, it was shown that he had never beenincornpetent. Thus, one is forced to conclude thatHastings must have been disloyal.

\\rh ir.lr one of the following states an assumptionrr:.,.:r r,'hich the argument depends?

: Hastings's dismissal was justified.i .r, Hastings was a high-ranking intelligence

officer.' I The dismissal of anyone who was disloyal

rvould be justified.i!)) Anyone whose dismissal was justified was

disloyal.(E) If someone was disloyal or incompetent, then

his dismissal was iustified.

Sources,' PrepTest 9, Sectlon 4, Questlons 70 and 72Preplest 6, Sectlon 2, Questlon 2Preplest 6, Secfion 3, Questlon 9

27.

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LSAT Mastery Practice

32.30 'llhe seventeenth-century physicist Sir Isaac Newtonis remembered chiefly for his treatises on motion andgravity. But Newton also conducted experimentssecretly for many years based on the arcane theoriesof alchemy, trying unsuccessfully to transmutecommon metals into gold and produce rejuvenatingelixirs. If the alchemists of the seventeenth centuryhad published the results of their experiments,chemistry in the eighteenth century would have been

more advanced than it actually was'

lArhich nne of the following assumptions would allowthe coqclusion concerning eighteenth-centurychemistry to be properly drawn?

(A) Scientific progress is retarded by the reluctanceot historians to acknowledge the failures ofsorne of the great scientists'

lB) i\dvances in science are'hastened when reportsof experiments, whether successful or not, are

available for review by other scientists.

ill) l'ien'ton's work on motion and gravity wouldnLlt have gained wide acceptance if the resultsof his work in alchemy had also been madenublic.

tDl Iircreasing specialization-within the sciences

nrakes it difficult for scientists in one field tounderstand the principies of other fields.

{B) 'I'he seventeenth-century alchemists could have

- achieved their goals only if their experimentshad been subjected to public scrutiny.

Annnals with a certain behavioral disorder have

unusually high levels of aluminum in their braintissue. Since a silicon-based compound binds toaluminum and prevents it from affecting the braintissue, animals can be cured of the disorder by beingtreated rvith the comPound.

Tl're argument is based on which one of the followingascr ? rnptions?

{ r\'} Animals with the disorder have unusually highbut invariable levels of aluminum in theirl:rain tissue.

I ii r Ai tr rninum is the cause of the disorder rathertiran merely an effect of it.

r1 ') tniroducing the compound into the brainii.csue has no side effects.

l 1) ['hc amount of the compound needed tonr'rltralize the aluminum in an animal's braintissrre varies depending upon the species.

{Il r i\lnrninum is never present in normal brainiissue,

The stated goal of the government's funding programfor the arts is to encourage the creation ofworks ofartistic excellence. Senator Beton claim3, however,that a government-funded artwork can never reflectthe independent artistic conscience of the artistbecause artists, like anyone else who accepts financialsupport, will inevitably try to please those whocontrol the distribution of that support. SenatorBeton concludes that go\ernment funding of the aftsnot only is a burden on taxpayers but also cannotlead to the creation of works of true artisticexcellence.

Which one of the following is an assumption onrvhich Senator Beton's argument is based?

(AJ l;lost taxpayers have little or no interest in the. creation ofworks oftrue artistic excellence.

(it) Goy€rnm€ot funding of the arts is moregenerous than other financial support mostartists receive.

({'' ifistribution of government funds for the artsis based oir a broad agreement as to whatconstitutes artistic excellence.

(l ) I Once an artist has produced works of trueartistic excellence, he or she will never acceptgovernment funding.

( fr ) A contemporary work of art that does notreflect the independent artistic conscience ofthe artist cannot be a work of true artisticexcellence.

School superintendent It is a sad fact that, until now,entry into the academically best high school in ourdistrict has been restricted to the children of peoplewho were wealthy enough to pay the high tuition.Parents who were previously denied the option ofsending their children to this school now have thisoption, since I am replacing the tuition requirementwith a requirement that allows only those who live inthe neighborhood of the school to attend.

The superintendent's claim about the effect ofrepl.rcing the tuition requirement relies.on theassumption that

(A) the residents of the school's neighborhoodtend to be wealthy

: ir, ) people other than those wealthy enough tohave paid the old tuition are able to live in theneighborhood of the school

t C t people less wealthy than those who were ableto pay the old tuition are in the majority inthe district

(D) there are no high schools in the district otherthan the one referred to by the superintendent '

(E) there are many people not wealthy enough tohave paid the old tuition who wish to havetheir children attend the school

Sources.'Preprest 5, Section t, Question 76PrepTest 5, Sectlon 3, Questions 5,7, and 14

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Although consciousttess seerns tc rrise fi'orn physicalprocesses' physical tireories c;lr', r'1r)1;iiI! on[y whyphi.sical systems ltirve ieit;ri,r "1r,,'ii,,tl :;tmctures andhoru these systelns pcrfornr \ r ,(,iis pirysicalfune rions. Thus, uo stricf 1,. r-'i:r's1.',il theory cane-r1; l;r rl consciotrstress.. l-, :onclusion of thl .,;':rrilite rrt follorvs logically if

: ji one sf *ls fo|!ir,. ing is assumed?

. Physical theories can explain only physicalphenomena.

, An explanation of consciousness mustencompass more than an explanation ofphysical structures and functions.

i r , The physical structures and functions ofconsciousness are currently unknown.

I t.r 1 Consciousness arises from processes that areentirely explainable by physical theories.

ii:i An explanation ofphysical structures atrdfunctions must be formulated in strictlyphysical terms.

35. Cultural historian: Universal acceptance of scientific

fr{) theories that regard human beings only as naturalV obiects subiect to natural forces outside the

individualt control will inevitably lead to ageneral decline in morality. After all, if people donot believe that they are responsible for theiractions, they rvill feel unashamed when they actiliinorallv, and a widespread failure of individuals

- il t'eel ashamed of theiiimmoral actions is boundr,, lead to a general moral decline.

i irr'.or,:lusion drawn by the cultural historian

\ iriliir',','i icgi,:ally if rvhich one of the following is.: i - 'r :lt(l {

i Srrrrrce does not enable human beings tof r)Jrtrol natural forces,

, i ii,man beings who regard themselves only as

latural objects rvill as a result lose their senseo1' responsibility for their actions.

:'1 . l i'rople who have a sense of shame for their;noral transgressions will feel responsible foriheir actions.

r i ) ) 5ome scientific theories hold that humanbeings are not responbible for their actions.

(1: i Scientific explanations that regard humanbeings as in some respects independent of thelaws of nature will not lead to a generaldecline in morality.

36. Editorialist: To ensure justice in the legal system,citizens must be capable of criticizing anyoneinvolved in determining the punishment ofcriminals. But when the legal system's purpose isseen as deterrence, the system falls into the handsof experto whose specialty is to assess howpotential lawbreakers are affected by the system'spunishments, Because most citizens lackknorvledge about such matters, iustice is not thenensulctl in the legal system,

fhe editorialist's argument requires assuming whichone of the following?

{.4,i Most citizens view justice as primarilyconcerned with the assignment ofrrunishment to those who deserve it.

34.

Irr order to be just, a legal system mustconsider the effect that punishment will have fr't'n individual criminals.

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I he primary concern in a legal system is to,:dminister punishments that are just.

| ,.: 1n a legal system, a concern for punishment isincompatible with an emphasis on deterrence.

i ' {iitizens without knowledge about how theiegal system's punishments affect potentiallawbreakers are incapable of criticizing

' experts in that area,

The retail price of decaffeinated coffee is considerablyhigher than that of regular coffee. However, the processby which coffee beans are decaffeinated is fairly simpleand not very co-stiy. Therefore, the price differencecannot be accor-rnted for by the greater cost ofproviding dei:affeinated coffee to the consumer.'l'he argumcnt relies on assuming which one of thefollor, rn!:?

( .\ ) ij{ ()LL'ssing regular coffee costs more than1, r'ot:essing decaffeinated coffee.

(l't) i;;'jcl differences between products cansrrrerally be accounted foi by such factors as-:";ply and demand, not by differences in.;,Juction costs,

i i , i , r ,r'1 i5 little competition among companies; ,

' :, r {)foc€ss decaffeinated coffee.

, . ) ,,;ii coffee-sellers do not expect that'!,sumers are content to pay more for

,rcaffeinated coffee than for regular coffee,, , i:e beans used for producing decaffeinated'

, offee do not cost much more beforeprocessing than the beans used for producingregular coffee.

Sources: PrepTest 37, Section 2, Questton 5PrcpTest 37, Sectlon 4, Questlon 9PrepTest 36, Section 7, Questlon 20PrepTest 36, Section 3, Questlon 22

207



LSAT Mostery Praaice

40.38 Novelists cannot become great as long as they'remarnin academia. Powers of observation and analysis, whichschools successfully hone,.are useful to the novelist, butan inruitive grasp of the emotions of everyday life can

be obtained only by the kind of immersion in everydaylife that is precluded by being an academic.

.'rrl1irfu one of the following is an assumption on, ',lrh the argument depends?

Novelists require some impartiality to get anintuitive grasp of the emotions of everyday life.

No great novelist lacks porvers of observationand iinalysis.

i '. , Participation in life, interspersed with impartialobservation of life' makes novelists great.

. ) ) Noveiists cannot be great without an intuitivegrasp of the emotions of everyday life.

{l:) Knowledge of the emotions of everyday lifecannot be acquired by merely observing andanalyzing life'

fo{arian Anderson,.the famous contralto, did not takesuccess for granted. We know this because Andersonhad to struggle early in life, and anyone who has tEr

stmggle early in lit'e is ahle to keep a goodr:r:rspective on the wcr'id.'I hc conclusion of the ar€llment follows logically if..'.

, r ich one of the follorving is assumed?

: 'i r\lyone who succeeds takes success for granted.: r: .\nyone who is able to keep a good perspective

on the world does not take success for granted.'' Anyone who is able to keep a good perspective

on the world has to struggle early in life.

' : ! ) ,.\nyone who does not take success for grantedhas to struggle early in life.

r I i Anyone who does not take success for granted isable to keep a good perspective on the world.

Political opinion and analysis outside themainstream rarely are found on television talkshows, and it might be thought that this state ofaffairs is a product of the political agenda of thetelevision stations themselves. In fact. televisionstations are driven by the same economic forces as

sellers of more tangible goods. Because they mustattempt to capture the largest possible share of thetelevision audience for their shows, they air onlythose shows that will appeal to large numbers ofpeople. As a result, political opinions and analysesaired on television talk shows are typically bland andinnocuous.

An assumption made in the explanation offered bythe author of the passage is that

iA) rnost television viewers cannot agree on whichelements of a particular opinion or analysisarc most disturbing

('tj r ttrere are television viewers who might refuseto watch television talk shows that they kneww'ould be controversial and disturbing

, i , < ach television viewer holds some opinion thatis outside the political mainstream, but thoseopinions are not the same for everyone

i r '' ) ihere are television shows on which'economic

forces have an even greater impact than theydo on television talk shows

, I ) the television talk shows of different stationsresemble one another in most respects

i.,ommercial passenger airplanes can be equipped witha collision-avoidance radar system that provides pilotsrvith information about the proximity of otherairplanes. Because the system warns pilots to takeevasive action when it indicates a possible collision,passengers are safer on airplanes equipped with the . .

system than on comparable airplanes not so equipped,even though the system frequently warns pilots toevade phantom airplanes.

Which one of the following is an assumption onrvhich the argument depends?

(A) Passengers feel no saf*: ln airplanes equippedwith the radar sysit:t'r. than on comparableairplanes not so :,'r; rripped.

{i-j ) Warnings given by a collision-avoidancesystem about phantom airplanes are notcaused by distorted radar signals.

i, ., The frequency of invalid warnings will notcause pilots routinely to disregard thesystem's warnings.

{ D) Commercial passenger airplanes are not theonly planes that can be equipped with acollision-avoidance system

if,) The greatest safety risk for passengers travelingon commercial passenger airplanes is that of amidair collisios"

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Sources: PrcpTest 35, Sectlon 7, Question 74PrepTest 35, Sectron 4' questlon t4Prcprest 29, Sectlon 4, Question 4Prep.Test 26, Sectlon 2, Questlon 70

208



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The Board of Trustees of the Federici Art Museumhas decided to sell some works from its collection inorder to raise the fulds necessary to refurbish itsgalleries. Although this may seem like a drasticremedy, the curator has long maintained that amongthb paintings that the late Ms. Federici collected forthe museum were several unsuccessful immatureworks by Renoir and C6zanne that should be soldbecarrse they are of inferior quality and so addnothing to the overall quality of the museum'seoji.ir:tion. Hence, the board's action will not detractficr:i :he quality of the museum's collection.-

'flr*: ,..r:rclusion draulp depends on which one of thefoll c',,,'':r rg assumptioils?

(1; ,'\rt speculators are unable to distinguish aninferior painting by Renoir from a,nasterpiece bY him.

| !l'i 1l of the paintings that the board of trustees;ells will be among those that the curatorlecommends selling.

, . i all of the paintings by Renior and C€zannethat are olvned by the Federici Art Museumwere purchased by Ms. Federici herself.

' r ] ; Only an avid collector of paintings by C6zanne

would be rvilling to Pay a high price for early

works by this artist., A great rvork of art can be truly appreciated

only if it is displayed in a carefully designedand well-maintained gallerY.

43. A certain credit-card company awards its customersbonus points for using its credit card. Customers canuse accumulated points in the purchase of brandname merchandise by mail at prices lower than themanufacturers'suggested retail prices. At any giventime, therefore, customers who purchasemerchandise using the bonus points spend less thanthey rvould spend if they purchased the samemerehandise in retail stores.

l{&ic}r one of the following is an assumption on',rlt,,.ir ihe argument depends?

(,t., fhe merchandise that can be ordered by mailusing the bonus points is not offered at lowerprices by other credit-card companies thataward bonus points.

i l i ) The bonus points cannot be used by the credit-card customers in the purchase of brandname rnerchandise that is not available forpurchase in retail stones.

i ,1 The credit-card company does not require itscustomers to accumulate a large number oftronus points before becoming eligible toorder merchandise at prices lower than themanufacturers' suggested retail price.

;: I'he amount credit-card customers pay forshipping the merchandise ordered by maildoes not increase the amount customersspend to an amount greater than they rvouldspend if they purchased the samemerchandise in retail stores.

I ; fhe merchandise available to the company'scredit-card customers using the bonus pointsis frequently sold in retail stores at prices thatare higher than the manufacturers'suggestedretail prices.

Sources; PrcpTest 25, Sectlon 4, Questlon 9PrepTest 20, Sectlon 7, Questlon 77

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44. Some people have been promoting a new herbalmixture as a remedy for the common cold. Themixture contains, among other things, extracts of theplants purple coneflower and goldenseal. A coldsufferer, skeptical of the claim that the mixture is an

effective cold remedy, argued, "Suppose that themixture u'ere an effective cold remedy. Since mostpeople with colds wish to recover quickly' it followsthat almost everybody with a cold would be using it.Therefore, since there are many people who have

colds but do not use the mixture, it is obviously noteffective." '

Each of the following is an assumption required bythe skeptical cold sufferer's argument EXCEPT:

(Ai Enough of the mixture is produced to providethe required doses to almost everybody with a

- cold.(B) The mixture does not have side effects severe

enough to make many people who have coldsavoid using it'

(C) The mixture is powerful enough to pr€ventalmost everybodY who uses it fromcontracting any further colds.

(t)) The mixture is widely enough known thatalmost everybody with a cold is aware of it.

(E) There are no effective cold remedies availablethat many people who have colds prefer to themixture.

45. Private industryis trying to attract skilled researchscientists by offering them high salaries. As a result,most research scientists employed in private industrynow earn 50 percent more than do comparablyskilled research scientists employed by the government.So, unless government-employed research scientistsare motivated more by a sense of public duty than bytheir own interests, the government is likely to loseits most skilled research scientists to private industry,since none of these scientists would have problemsfi nding private-sector jobs,

lVhich one of the following is an assumption onrvhich the argument depends?

{r\) Government research scientists are less likelyto receive acknowledgment for their researchcontributions than are research scientists inthe private sector.

lB) None of the research scientists currentlyemployed by the government earns more thanthe highest-paid researchers employed in theprivate sector.

',{,) The government does not employ as manyresearch scientists who are highly skilled as

does any large company in the private sectorwhich employs research scientists.

iD) The government does not provide its researchscientists with unusually good workingconditions or fringe benefits that more thancompensate for the lower salaries they receive.

(f,) Research scientists employed in the privatesector generally work longer hours than doresearchers employed by the government.

Sources.'Preplest 20, Sectlon 7, Questlon 20Prepfest 2O, Sectlon 4, Questlon 76

I(APtAN210




46. The current move to patent comPuter programs is amove in the wrong direction and should be stopped.The patent system was originally desigrred solely toprotect small-time inventors from exploitation, not togive large corporations control over a methodology.Any computer program is merely the implementationof a methodology.

\'\&ich one of the following is an assumption onrvhich the argument depends?

(-'\j Computer programs should be developed notonly by large corporations but by small-timeinventors as well.

lF I Implementing a methodology always requiresless creative effort than does true invention.

r(l) The issue of whether or not to patentcomputer programs Presents the patentsystem with problems that have never beforearisen.

(q) Large corporations should not hold patents forimplementations of methodologies.

(E) Small-time inventors who support the move topatent comPuter programs act contrary totheir own best interests.

Scientists attempting to replicate certaincontroversial results reported by a group ofexperienced researchers failed to get the same resultsas those reported. The conclusion drawn from this bythe scientists who conducted the replicationexperiments was that the originally reported resultshad been due to faulty measurements.

The argument of the scientists lvho conducted thereplication experiments assumes that

(A) the original experiments had not beendescribed in sufficient detail to make an exactreplication possitrle

(B) the fact that the originally reported results'aroused controyersy made it highly likely thatthey were in error

(C) the theoretical principles called into questionby the originally reported results werethemselves based on weak evidence

(Ul the replication experiments were not so likelyas the original experiments to be marred byfaulty measurements

(Fl) the researchers who originally reported thecontroversial results had themselves observedthose results only once

48. Mary Ann: Our country should, above all, bestrong. Strength gains the respect of othercountries and makes a country admirable.

lnez: There are many examples in history ofcountries that were strong but used theirstrength to commit atrocities. We should judgea country by the morality of its actions, not byits strength. If the actions are morally good,the country is admirable.

\1*rich one of the following is a presupposition thatunderlies Inez' argument?

(r\) At least one country is admirable.(B) Countries cannot be both strong and moral.(C) It is possible to assign moral weight to the

actions of countries.(D) The citizens of any country believe that

whatever their country does is good.(E) Countries should impose their standards of

morality on other countries by whatevermeans nece$sary.

49. J. J. Thomson, the discoverer of the electron and arecipient of the Nobel Prize in physics, trained manyphysicists, among them seven Nobel Prize winners, 32fellows of the Royal Society of London,pnd 83professors of physics. This shows thaqftre skills peededior creative reiearch can be taught ancl)earned.)

Which one of the following is an assumption onlvhich the argument depends?

(A) J. J. Thomson was an internationally knownphysicist, and scientists came from all overthe world to work with him.

(B) All the scientists trained by I. I. Thomson wererenowned for their creative scientific r'esearch.

i{l) At least one of the eminent scientists trainedby I. I. Thomson was not a creative researcherbefore coming to study with him.

{D) Creative research in physics requires researchhabits not necessary for creative research inother fields.

(E) Scientists who go on to be the most successfirlresearchers often receive their scientificeducation in classes taught by renownedresearch scientists.

Eources: PrepTeet 77, Sectlon 3, Questlon 3fuepTest 9, Sectlon 4, Questlon 25PrepTest 6, Sectlon 2, Questlons I and t5

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50. Fire ants from Brazil now infest the soitl{ern UnitedStates. Unlike queen fire ants in Brazil, two queens inthe United States share a nest. Ants froni these nests

are more aggressive than those from single-queennests. By destroying virtually all insects in the nest

. area, these aggressive ants gain sole access to foodsourc€s, and the ant population skyrockets. Since

certain predator insects in Brazil limit the fue-antpopulation there, importing such predator insectsinto the United States would be of overall benefit tothe environment by stopping the increase of thefire-ant population in the United States.

Each of the following is an assumption made in theargument EXCEPT:

(A) The imported insects would not prove moredamaging to the environment in the UnitedStates than are the fire ants themselves.

(*) The predator insects from Brazil could survive' in the ecological environment found in the

United States.{{:l The especially aggressive fire ants from the

' two-queen nests would not be able to destroythe Brazilian predator insects.

(D) The predator insects would stop the increase ofthe ant population before the ants spread to' states that are farther north.

(E) The rate ofincrease ofthe fire-ant populationwould not exceed the rate at which thepredator insects could kill the ants.

51. Head injury is the most serious type of injurysustained in motorcycle accidents. The average costto taxpayers for medical care for nonhelmetedmotorcycle-accident victims is twice that for theirhelmered counterparts. )urisdictions that haveenacted rnotorcycle-helmet laws have reduced theincidence and severity of accident-related headinjuries, thereby reducing the cost to taxpayers.Therefore, to achieve similar cost reductions, otherjurisdictions should enact motorcycle-helmet laws.For the same reason jurisdictions should also requirehelmets for horseback riders, since horseback-ridingaccidents are even more likely to cause serious headinjury than motorcycle accidents are.

lrihich one of the following is an assumption upon,,vlr;ch the author's conclusion concerning helmets foriir', seback riders depends?.' ' Medical care for victims of horseback-riding

accidents is a financial drain on tax funds.i: ' The higher rate of serious head injury suffered

by victims of horseback-riding accidents isdue to the difference in size betrveen horsesand motorcycles.

i. The medical costs associated with treatinghead injuries are higher than those for othertypes of injury.

:) Most fatalities resulting from horseback-ridingand motorcycle accidents could have beenprevented if the victims had been wearinghelmets.

i;.) When deciding whether to enact helmet lawsfor motorcyclists and horseback riders, thejurisdiction's primary concern is the safety ofits citizens.

52. Twenty years ago the Republic of Rosinia producednearly 100 million tons of potatoes, but last year theharvest barely reached 60 million tons. Agriculturalresearchers, who have failed to develop newhigher-yielding strains of potatoes, are to blame forthis dccrease, since they have been concerned only withthcir own research and not with the needs of Rosinia.

\\iiir; h one of the following is an assumption onrvlri, lr the argument depends?

{,ri I Any current attempts by agriculturalresearchers to develop higher-yielding potatostrains are futile,

i .j; Strains of potatoes most commonly grown inRosinia could not have produced the yieldslast year that they once did.

, r i Agricultural researchers often find concretesolutions to practical problems wheninvestigating seemingly unrelated questions.

' Ij j ";\iide fluctuations in the size of the potato crop

over a twenty-year period are not unusual.( i', Agricultural research in Rosinia is funded by

goYernment grants.

Source: Prepfest 6, Sectlon 3, Questlons 3, 7, antl 75

212 SetA'9



Assumptian Questionst53. Tbe reforms to improve the qualityof public

education thet have been initiated on the part ofsuppliers of public education have been insufficient.Therefori,4pforms must be demanded by consumers.Parents should be given government vouc.hers withwhich to payfor their drildren's education andshould be allowed to choose the schools at which thevouchers will be spent. To attract studenG,academically underachieving schools will be forcedto improve their acadernic offerings. ,,

The argument assumes that

(A) in selecting schools parents would tend toprefer a reasonable level of ecadenic qudityto great€r sports oPportunities or moreconvenient location

imprormnentin the acadenric ofieringp of schoolswillbe enforcdbythe discipline of the jobmarket in which graduating students aompete

there is a single best way to educate studentschildren are able to recognize whic.h sctroolsare better and would influence their parents'decisions

schools would each improve all of theiracademic offeringp and wouldnot tend tospecialize in one particular field to theexclusion of others

(B)

(c)(D)

(E)

9ource; Prcptatt E, Sectlorr S, Queg,tlon t0

{l[9 213



|SAT Mastery Practice

56.54. Literary critic The meaning of a literary work is notfixed but fluid, and therefore a number of equallyvalid interpretations of it may be offered.Interpretations primarily involve imposingmeaning.ora-literary work rather thandiscovering meaning in it, so interpretations neednot consider the writer's intentions, Thus' irnyinterpretation of a literary work tells more aboutthe critic than about the writer.

\.{*'liich one of the following is an assumptionreiiuired by the literary critic's argument?

i.' j There are no criteria by which to distinguishthe validity of different interpretations ofliterary works.

(li) A meaning imposed on a literary work reflectsfacts about the interpreter.

i(lr A writer's intentions are relevant to a validinterpretation of the writert work.

(Ii ) The true intentions of the writer of a work ofliterature can never be known to a critic ofthat work.

()'I The deepest understanding of a literary workrequires that one know the writer's history'

Vague laws set vague limits on people's freedom,*'hich makes it impossible for them to know fgrcertain whether their actions are legal, Thus,.irndervague laws people cannot feel secure. ,'i'he conclusion follows logically if which one of thei,',ilowing is assumed?

(.4 r People can feel secure only if they know forcertain whether their actions are legal.

(Bl If people do not know for certain whethertheir actions are legal, then they might notfeel secure.

(C t If people know for certain whether theiractions are legal, they can feel secure.

(D) People can feel secure ifthey are governed bylaws that are not vague.

(E) Only people who feel secure can know forcertain whether their actions are legal.

Editorial: The threat of harsh punishment for a

transgression usually decreases one's tendencyto feel guilt or shame for committing thattransgression, and the tendency to feel guilt orshame for committing a transgression reducesa person's tendency to commit transgressions,

. Thus, increasing the severity ofthe legalpenalties for transgressions may amplifypeople's tendenry to ignore the welfare ofothers.

Y/hich one of the following is an assumptionrequired by the editorial's argument?

(A) Legal penalties do not determine the moralityof an action.

(ij ) At least some actions that involve ignoring thewelfare of others are transgressions.

{(,) People who are concerned about threats totheir own well-being tend to be lessconcerned about the welfare of others.

(D) The threat of harsh punishment deters peoplefrom committing transgressions only if thisthreat is at least sometimes carried out.

(E) Everyone has at least some tendency to feelguilt or shame for committing extrernelysevere transgressions.

We learn to use most of the machines in our livesthrough written instructions, without knor':ledge ofthe machines'inner workings, because moslmachines are specifically designed for use bynonexperts. So, in general, attaining technoit'gicalexpertise would prepare stude rrts for ttimorlo'rv's jobmarket no better than rvould a more traditiunaleducation stressing verbal and quantitative skills.

Thr, rrgument depenils on assurning rvhich one ofthc r'ollowing?

(A) Fewer people receive a traditiorral educationstressing verbal and quantitative skiils norvthan did 20 years ago.

(Il ) Facility in operating machines designed for useby nonexperts is almost never enhanced byexpert knowledge of the machines' innerrvorkings.

(Cl N{ost jobs in tomorrorv's job market will notdemand the ability to operate many machinesthat afe designed for use only by experts.

( {)) Students cannot attain technological expertiseand also receive an education that does notneglect verbal and quantitative skills.

(!l) When learning to use a machine, technologicalexpertise is never more important than verbaland quantitative skills.

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Sources: PrcpTest 37, Section 2, Question 75Preplest 36, Sectlon 3, Question 72PrepTest 37, Section 4, Questlon 75Preplest 36, Sectlon 3, Questlon 74

I(APLAN214




58.

@Herpetologist: Somepsychologistsattribute

complex reasoning to reptiles, claiming thatsimple stimulus-response explanations ofsome reptiles'behaviors, such as foodgathering, cannot account fbr the complexityof such behavior. But sincc experiments showthat reptiles are incapable of making majoralterations in their behavior, for example,when faced u'ith significant changes in theirenvironiilcnt, these animals must be incapabieof complex reasonirrg.

Which one of the following is an assumptionrequired by the herpetologist's argument?

{A) Animals could make major changes in t}reirbehavior only if they rvere capable of complexreasoning.

Simple stimulus-response explanations can inprinciple account for all reptile behaviors.

Reptile behavior appears more complex in thefield than laboratory experiments reveal it tobe.

If reptiles were capable of complex reasoning,they would sometimes be able to make majorchanges in their behavior.

Complex reasoning and responses to stimulicannot both contribute to the same behavior.

Ordinary mountain sickness, a common conditionamong mountain climbers, and one from which mostpeople can recover, is caused by the characteristicshortage of orygen in the atmosphere at highaltitudes. Cerebral edema, a rarer disruption of bloodcirculation in the brain that quickly becomes life-threatening if not correctly treated from its onset,can also be caused by a shortage of orygen. Since thesymptoms of cerebral edema gesemble those ofordinary mountain sicknesslcerebral edema isrspet:ialiy dangerous at high )iltitudes.)

\tiirich one of the following is an assumption onrvliich tlie argument depends?

(A; 'fhe treatment for ordinary mountain sicknessdiffers from the treatment for cerebral edema.

(ti; Cerebral edema can cause those who suf[erfrom it to slip into a coma within a few hours.

i{l) Unlike cerebral edema, ordinary mouritainsicknebs involves no disruption of bloodcirculation in the brain.

r l.l ) Shortage of oxygen at extremely high altitudesis likely to affect thinking processes and causeerrors of judgment.

(E) Most people who suffer from ordinarymountain sickness recover without anyspecial treatment.

In order to pressure the government of Country S tobecome less repressive, some legislators in Country Rv/ant to ban all exports from R to S. Companies in Rthat manufacture telecommunication equipmentsuch as telephones and fax machines have arguedthat exportg of their products should be exemptedfrom the ban,.on the grounds that it is impossible fora country to remain repressive ra'hentelecommunication equipment is widely availabie tothe population of that country.

Which one of the following is an assumption onwhich the argument given by the manufacturersdepends?

(A) The government of S has recently increased

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be granted rvould not be available solely totop government officials in S.

(C) A majority of the members of R's legislaturedo not favor exempting telecommunicationequipment from the ban on exports toCountry S.

(D ) Of all exports that could be sent to Country S,telecommunication equipment would be themost effective in helping citizens of S opposethat country's repressive government.

Without pressure from Country R, thegovernment of S would be able to continuerepressing its citizens indefinitely.

the amount of telecomraurricatidn equipment __,,[-it allorvs to be imported into the country. )

The telccommunication equipment that ivould frb.e imported into S if the exemption were to A

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Sources: PrcpTest 36, Sectlon 3, Quesilon 76PrcpTest 29, Sectlon t, Questlon 15Preplest 27, Sectlon l, euesilon 2I

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'{1. Charles: During recessions unemploymenttypically rises. Thus, during a recession air

, pollution due to automobile exhaust decreases,

silce fewer people commute in cars to jobs andso cars emitting pollutants into the ait are

used less.

Darlar Why think that air pollution woulddecrease? During a recession fewer people can

afford to buy new cars, and cars tend to emit'more pollutants as they get older.

lVhich one of the following is an assumption onr,,hich Charles's argument depends?

t A : People who have never been employed driveno less frequently during a recession thanthey rvould othenvise'

l; Most air pollution is caused by automobileexhaust emitted by cars used by peoplecommuting to jobs.

r idost people who are employed do not use anyform of public transportation to commute totheir jobs.

I' During a recession, decreases in the use of cars

resulting from reductions in commuting to

iobs are not oft'set by increased use of cars forother reasons.

: ! During a recessiotr, a higher proportion ofpeople who commute in cars to their jobs losethose jobs than do people who do not use carsto commute to their jobs.

Alan: Government subsidies have been proposed inCariana to encourage farmers in Rochelle, thecountry's principal agricultural region, toirnplement certain new farming techniques,Urrless these techniques are implemented,erosion of productive topsoil cannot becoritrolled. Unfortunately, farmers cannot affordto shoulder the entire cost of the newtc,:hniques, which are more expensive than thosecnrrentiy r-rsed. Therefore, lrithout subsidies,

]:,:l;.1:' .,*t output in Rochelle rvill inevitablv

Bettl'r IJii'i er..osion in Rochelle is caused bylecuir'iiig flooris, r'.'hich will end next year onceCariana corrrplr:tes the hydroelectric dam it isiruilding ;:-: o:;., the region's major river.'fhereforr, il.r: irelle's total agricultural outputlvill stabi:i2., ,-i its present level even withoutubsidie:..

1',;,r"i, r rre of tire f ,:i owing is an assumption onr'. I 'i li' tty's argulilent depends?

( i,riilding a dam across Rochellds major river willl,ut reduce any recurrent flooding that occurs'r regions of Cariana other than Rochelle.

: i. , iie new farming techniques that must bei'nplemented to control soil erosion in Rochelle.rre not rvell suited to other regions of Cariana.

,' , i ire current yearly output, if any, fromll.ochelie's land that will be permanently,rnder lvater once the dam is completed will atJcast be matched by additional yearly outputtrom Rochelle's remaining land.l-he cost to the government of Cariana tooperate the hydroelectric dam will not begreater than the projected cost of subsidizingthe farmers of Rochelle in the implementationof the new farming techniques.

I I 'lhe government of Cariana has sufficientfinancial resources both to subsidize itsfarmers' implementation of new farmingtechniques and to operate a hydroelectric dam,

Sources: fuepTest 22, Section 2, Question !4PrepTest 2!, Sectlon 2, Question 71

I(APLAN216



Assumption Quesfions

63.

@By examining fossilized beetles, a research team has

produced the most detailed description yet oftemperatures in Britain over the past 22'0fi) years.

Fossils of species that still exist were selected anddated. When individuals of several species found inthe same place were found to date to the same

. period, the known temPerature tolerances of the

, i*itting beetle species were used to determine the

maximum summer temperature that could have

existed at that place and Period.

The procedure of the researchers assumes which one

of the following?

(A) Beetles can tolerate warm weather better thancold weather.

(R) Fossils of different species found in the same

place belonged to different period.it-l) The process of dating is more accurate for

beetles than for other organisms.iI)) The highest actual summer temPerature at a

place and period equaled the average of the"

highest temPeratur€s that could have been

tolerated by each of the beetle species foundthere and dated to that Period'

(E) The temperature tolerances of the beetlespecies did not change significantly duringthe 22,000-year Period.

, X: Since many chemicals useful for agriculture andmedicine derive from rdre or endangered plantspecies, it is likely that many plant species that are

now extinct could have provided us withsubstances that rvould have been a boon tohumanity. Therefore, if we want to ensure thatchemicals from plants are available for use in thefuture,l4e must make more serious efforts topreserve for all time our natural rebources'

Y: But living things are not our "resources." Yours is

a selfish approach to conservation, We shouldrather strive to preserve living species because

they deserve to,survive, not because of the good

they can do us'

X's argument relies on which one of the followingassumptions?

iA) Medicine would now be more advanced than itis if there had been a serious conservationpolicy in the past.

(B) All living things exist to serve humankind.(C) The use ofrare and endangered plant species

as a source for chemicals will not itself renderthose species extinct.

(D) The only way to persuade people to preservenatural re$ources is to convince them that it isin their interest to do so.

(E) Fes if any, plant species have been saved fromextinction through human efforts.

65. A university should not be entitled to patent theinventions of its faculty members. Universities, as

guarantors of intellectual freedom, should encouragethe free flow of ideas and the general disseminationof knowledge. Yet a university that retains the rightto patent the inventions cf its faculty members has amotive to suppress inforrnation about a pot€ntiallyvaluable discovery until the patent for it has beensecured, Clearly, suppressing information concerningsuch discoveries is incompatible with the university'sobligation to promote the free flow of ideas. .

Which one of the following is an assumption that thearg,ument makes?

(A) Universities are the only institutions that havean obligation to guarantee intelleaual freedom.

(B) Most inventions by university faculty memberswouid be profitable if patented.

(C) Publication of reports on research is the onlypra,.:tical way to disseminate informationcrrncerning nerv discoveries.

D) Uriversities that have a motiv€ to suppressinformation concerning discoveries by theirl:,rculty members will occasionally act on thatmotive.

iii I If the inventions of a university facultymember are not patented by that university,then they will be patented by the facultymember instead.

Impact craters caused by meteorites smashing intoEarth have been found all around the globe, but theyhave been found in the greatest density ingeologically stable regions. This relatively greaterabundance of securely identified craters ingeologically stable regions must be explained by thelower rates ofdestructive geophysical processes inthose regions.

The conclusion is properly drawn if which one of thefollowing is assumed?

(A) A meteorite that strikes exactly the same spotas an earlier meteorite will obliterate all tracesof the earlier impact.

(B) Rates of destructive geophysical processeswithin any given region vary markedlythroughout geological time.

(C) The rate at which the Earth is struck bymeteorit€s has greatly increased ingeologically recent times.

(D) Actual meteorite impacts have been scattered

fairly evenly over the Earth's surface in the'course of Eartht geological history.

(E) The Earth's geologically stable regions havebeen studied more intensively by geologiststhan have its less stable regions.

Sources: Prcplaat 17, Sectlon 8, Questton 25Prcpleil 70, Sectlon 4, Quesuon 8Preplest 9, Sectlon 2, Quesilon 19Prcplcst 5, Sectlon I, euesilon lll

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67. Being articulate has been equated with having alatgevocabular,v. Actually, however, people r,r'ith largevocabularies have no incentive for, and tend not toengage in, the kind of creative linguistic self-expression that is requrired when no available wordsseem adequate. Thus a large vocabulary is a

hindrance to using language in a truly articulate way.

Which one of the following is an assumption made ilthe *rgument?

(A) l4'l-ren people are truly articulate, they have thecapacity to express themselves in situations inwhich their vocabularies seem inadequate'

iBi People who are able to express themselvescreatively in new situations have little

' incentive to acquire large vocabularies.

{C) The most articulate people are people whohave large vocabularies but also are able toexpress themselves creatively when thesituation demands it.

(U; In educating people to be more articulate, itr.;'ould be futile to try to increase the size oftheir vocabularies.

(E) ln unfamiliar situations, even people withlarge vocabularies often do not havespecifically suitable words available'

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68. The desire for praise is the desire to obtain, as a signthat one is good, the favorable opinions of others, Butbecause people merit praise only for those actionsmotivated by a desire to help others, it follows thatone who aids others primarily out of a desire forpraise does not deserve praise for that aid.

Which one of the following, if assumed, enables theconclusion of the argument to be properly drawn?

(A) An action that is motivated by a desire for thefavorable opinion of others cannot also bemotivated by a desire to help others.

(B) No action is worthy of praise if it is motivatedsolely by a desire for praise.

(C) People who are indifferent to the welfare ofothers do not deserve praise.

(D) One deserves praise for advancing one's olvninterests only if one also advances theinterests ofothers.

(E) It is the motives rather tllan the consequencesof one's actions that determine whether one'deserves praise for them.

Physician: Hatha yoga is a powerful tool for helpingpeople quit smoking. In a clinical trial, those whopracticed hatha yoga for 75 minutes once a week andreceived individual counseling reduced their smokingand cravings for tobacco as much as did those whowent to traditional self-help groups once a week andhad individual counseling.

Which one of the following is an assumption onwhich the physician's argument relies?

(A) The individual counseling received by thesmokers in the clinical trial who practicedhatha yoga did not help them quit smoking.

(B) Most smokers are able to practice hatha yogamore than once a week.

(C) Traditional self-help groups are powerfril toolsfor helping people quit smoking.

(D) People who practice hatha yoga for 75 minutesonce a week are not damaging themselvesphysically.

(E) Other forms of yoga are less effective thanhatha yoga in helping people quit smoking.

70. Large-scale government projects designed to benefiteveryone-such as roads, schools, and bridges-usually benefit some small segments of society,initially at least, more than others. The moreequally and widely political power is distributedamong the citizenry, the less likely such projectsare to receive funding. Hence, government byreferendum rather than by means of electedrepresentatives tends to diminish, not enhance,the welfare of a society.


(A) Large-scale government projects sometimesenhance the welfare of societv,

(B) Large-scale projects are more likely to fulfilltheir intended purposes if they are notexecuted by the government.

(C) Government by referendum actuallyundermines the democratic process.

(D) The primary purpose of an equal distributionof political power is to enhance the welfare ofsociety.

(E) Government by referendum is the only way todistribute political power equally and widely.

71. Moderate exercise lowers the risk of blockage of thearteries due to blood clots, since anything that lowersblood cholesterol levels also lowers the risk ofhardening of the arteries, which in turn lowers therisk of arterial blockage due to blood clots; and, if thedata reported in a recent study are correct, moderateexercise lowers blood cholesterol levels.

The conclusion drawn above follows logically ifwhich one of the following is assumed?

(A) The recent study investigated the relationshipbetween exercise and blood cholesterol levels.

(B) Blockage ofthe arteries due to blood clots canbe prevented.

(C) Lowering blood cholesterol levels lowers therisk of blockage of the arteries.

(D) The data reported in the recent study arecorrect.

(E) Hardening of the arteries increases the risk ofblockage ofthe arteries due to blood clots.

Sources,' PrcpTost 37, Sectlon 2, Question t9PrepTeat 37, teetion 4, Questions t9 and 2OPreplest 36, Sectlon !, Questlon !8

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In the paintings by seventeenth-century Dutch artistVermeer, we find several recutrent items: a satin

iacket, a certain Turkish carpet, and wooden chairswith lion's head finials. These reappearing objectsmight seem to evince a dearth of props. Yet we knowthat many of the props Vermeer used were expensive'Thus, while we might speculate about exactly whyVermeer worked with a small number of familiarobjects, it was clearly not for lack of props that therecurrent items were used'

The conclusion follows logically if which one of thefollowing is assumed?

(A) Vermeer often borrowed the expensive propshe represented in his paintings.

(B) The props that recur in Vermeer's paintingswere always available to him.

(C) The satin jacket and wooden chairs that recurin the paintings were owned byVermeer'ssister.

(D) The several lecurrent items that appeared inVermeer's paintings had special sentimentalimportance for him.

(E) Ifa dearth ofprops accounted for therecurrent objects in Vermeer's paintings' we

would not see expensive props in any of them.

Any writer whose purpose is personal expressionsometimes uses words ambiguously. Every poet'spurpose is personal expression. Thus no Poetryreader's enjoyment depends on attaining a precise

understanding of what the poet means.

The conclusion can be properly inferred if which one

of the following is assumed?

(A) Writers who sometimes use wordsambiguously have no readers who try toattain a precise understanding of what thewriter means.

(B) Writers whose purpose is personal expressionare unioncerned with tvhether anyone enjoysreading their works.

(C) No writer who ever uses words ambiguouslyhas any reader whose enjoyment depends onattaining a precise understanding of what thewriter means.

(D) Most writers whose readers'enjoyment doesnot depend on attaining a Preciseunderstanding of the writers'words are poet$.

(E) Readers who have a precise understanding ofwhat a writer has written derive theirenjoyment from that understanding.

74. It is said that people should accept themselves as theyare instead of being dissatisfied with their ownabilities. But this is clearly a bad principle if the goalis a society whose citizens are gertuinely happy, forno one can be genuinely happy if he or she is notpursuing personal excellence and is unwilling toundergo personal change of any kind.

Which one of the following is an assumptionrequired try the argument?

(A) Those who are willing to change will probablyfind genuine happiness.

(B) People who are not dissatisfied withthemselves are less likely than others topursue personal excellence.

(C) Personal excellence cannot be acquired bythose who lack genuine confidence in theirown abilities.

(D) People are justified in feeling content withthemselves when they have achieved somedegree of personal excellence.

(E) Happiness is not genuine unless it is based onsomething that is painftrl to obtain.

The current pattern of human consumption ofresources, in which we rely on nonrenewableresources, for example metal ore, must eventuallychange. Since there is only so much metal oreavailable, ultimately we must either do without orturn to renewable resources to take its place.

Which one of the following is an assumptionrequired by the argument?

(A) There are renewable resource replacements forall of the nonrenewable resources currentlybeing consumed.

(B) We cannot indefinitely replace exhaustednonrenewable resources with othernonrenewable resources.

(C) A renewable resource cannot be exhausted byhuman consumption.

(D) Consumption of nonrenewable resources willnot continue to increase in the near future.

(E) Ultimately we cannot do withoutnonrenewable resources.

Sources: Prepfest 36, Section 7, Questlons 26 and 22PrepTest 36, Section 3, Questlon 78Prcpfest 35, Sactlon !, Queetlon !8

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Columnist: Almost anyone can be an expert, forthere are no of6cial guidelines determiningwhat an expert must know. Anybody whomanages to convince some people of his or herqualifications in an area-whatever those maybe-is an expert.

The columnist's conclusion follows logically if whichone of the following is assumed?

(A) Almost anyone can convince some people ofhis or her qualifications in some area.

(B) Some experts convince everyone of theirqualifications in almost every area.

(C) Convincing certain people that one is qualifiedin an area requires that one actually bequalified in that area.

(D) Every expert has convinced some people of hisor her qualifications in some area'

(E) Some people manage to convince almosteveryone of their qualifications in one ormore areas,

No chordates are tracheophytes, and all members ofPteropsida are tracheophyles' So no members ofPteropsida belong to the family Hominidae.

The conclusion above follows logically if which oneof the following is assumed?

All members of the family Hominadae aretracheophytes.

All members of the family Hominidae arechordates.

All tracheophytes are members of Pteropsida.No members of the family Hominidae arechordates.

No chordates are members of Pteropsida.

Publicity campaigns for endangered species areunlikely to have much impact on the most importantenvironmental problems, for while the ease ofattributing feelings to large mammals facilitatesevoking sympathy for them, it is more difficult toelicit sympathy for other kinds of organisms, such as

the soil microorganisms on which large ecosystemsand agriculture depend.


(A) The most important environmental problemsinvolve endangered species other than largemammals.

(B) Microorganisms cannot experience pain orhave other feelings.

(C) Publicity campaigns for the environment arethe most effective when they elicit sympathyfor some organism.

(D) People ignore environmental problems unlessthey believe the problems will affect creatureswith which they sympathize.

(E) An organism can be environmentally significantonly if it affects large ecosystems or agriculture.

Several critics have claimedthat any contemporarypoet who writes formal poetry-poetry that isrhymed and metered-is performing a politicallyconservative act. This is plainly false. Consider MollyPeacock and Marilyn Hacker, two contemporary poetswhose poetry is almost exclusively formal and yet whoare themselves politically progressive feminists.

The conclusion drawn above follows logically ifwhich one of the following is assumed?

(A) No one who is a feminist is also politicallyconservative.

(B) No poet who writes unrhymed or unmeteredpoetry is politically conservative.

(C) No one who is politically progressive is capableof performing a politically conservative act.

(D) Anyone who sometimes writes poetry that isnot politically conservative never writespoetry that is politically conservative.

(E) The content of a poet's work, not the work s

form, is the most decisive factor indetermining what political consequences, ifany, the work will have.

Sources: PrepTest 35, Sectlon !, Questlon 2OPrepTest 35, Sectlon t, Questlon 22PrepTest 35, Sectlon 4, Questlon t8PrepTest 35, S*tlon 4, Questlon 79

78.

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LSAT Mostery Practice

80. Ethicist: Studies have documented the capacity ofplacebos to reduce pain in patients who believethat they are receiving beneficial drugs. Some

doctors say that they administer placebosbecause medically effective treatment reinforcedby the placebo effect sometimes helps patientsrecover faster than good treatment alone. Butadministering placebos is nonetheless ethicallyquestionable, for even if a placebo benefits a

patient, a doctor might, for example, haveprescribed it just to give the patient satisfactionthat something was being done.

The ethicist's argument depends on which one of thefollowing assumptions?

(A) A patient's psychological satisfaction is not aconsideration in administering medicaltreatment.

(B) The motivation for administering a placebocan be relevant to the ethical justification fordoing so.

(C) Medical treatment that relies on the placeboeffect alone is ethically indefensible.

(D) The pain relief produced by the placebo effectjustifies the deception involved inadministering a placebo.

(E) Administering a placebo is not ethicallyjustified if that treatment is not prescribed bya doctor,

The price of a firll-fare coach ticket from Toronto toDallas on Breezeway Airlines is the same today as itwas a year ago, if inflation is taken into account bycalculating prices in constant dollars, However, today90 percent of the Toronto-to-Dallas coach tickets thatBreezeway sells are discount tickets and only 10percent are fi.rll-fare tickets, rvhereas a year ago halfwere discount tickets and half were fuIl-fare tickets.Therefore, on average, people pay less today inconstant dollars for a Breezeway Toronto-to-Dallascoach ticket than they did a year ago.

Which one of the following, if assumed, would allowthe conclusion above to be properly drawn?

(A) A Toronto-to-Dallas full-fare coach ticket onBreezeway Airlines provides ticket-holderswith a lower level of service today than such a

ticket provided a year ago.(B) A Toronto-to-Dallas discount coach ticket on

Breezeway Airlines costs about the sameamount in constant dollars today as it did ayear ago.

(C) All full-fare coach tickets on BreezewayAirlines cost the same in constant dollars as

they did a year ago.(D) The average number of coach passengers per

flight that Breezeway Airlines carries fromToronto to Dallas today is higher than theaverage number per flight a year ago.

(E) The criteria that Breezeway Airlines uses forpermitting passengers to buy discount coachtickets on the Toronto-to-Dallas route aredifferent today than they were a year ago.

81.

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82. Historian: We can learn about the medical historyof individuals through chemical analysis oftheir hair. It is likely' for example, that IsaacNewton's psychological problems were due tomercury poisoning; traces of mercury werefound in his hair. Analysis is now being doneon a lock of Beethoven's hair. Although noconvincing argument has shown that,Beethoven ever had a venereal disease, somepeople hypothesize that venereal disease

caused his deafness. Since mercury wascommonly ingested in Beethoven's time totreat venereal disease, if researchers find a traceof mercury in his hair, we can conclude thatthis hypothesis is correct,

Which one of the following is an assumption onwhich the historian's argument depends?

(A) None of the mercury introduced into the bodycan be eliminated.

(B) Some people in Beethoverls time did notingest mercury.

(C) Mercury is an effective treatment for venerealdisease.

(D) Mercury poisoning can cause deafness inpeople with venereal disease.

(E) Beethoven suffered from psychologicalproblems of the same severity as Newtont.

Sowces: PrcpTest 28, Sectlon 3, Questlon 76fueplest 26, Sectlon 2, Questlon 25Preplest 25, Sectlon 4, Question 25

83. Monica: The sculpture commissioned for our townplaza has been scorned by the public ever sinceit went up. But since the people in our town donot know very much about contemporary art,the unpopularity of the work says nothingabout its artistic merit and thus gives noreason for removing it.

Hector: You may be right about what thesculpture's popularity means about its artisticmerit. However. a work of art that wascommissioned for a public space ought tobenefit the public, and popular opinion isultimately the only way of determining whatthe public feels is to its benefit. Thus, if publicopinion of this sculpture is what you say, thenit certainly ought to be removed.

The argument Hector makes in responding toMonica depends on the assumption that

no matter what the public's opinion is on anissue affecting the public good, that publicopinion ought to be acted on, eyell thoughthe opinion may not be a knowledgeable one

Monica's assessment of the public's opinion ofthe sculpture is accurate

if the sculpture had artistic merit, then even apublic that was not knowledgeable aboutmodern art would not scorn the sculpture

worlis of art commissioned for public spacesought not to be expected to have artistic merit

if the public feels that it does not benefit fromthe sculpture, this shows that the public doesnot in fact benefit from the sculpture

The dwarf masked owl, a rare migratory bird of prey,normally makes its winter home on the Bajapeninsula, where it nests in the spiny cactus. In fact,there are no other suitable nesting sites for the dwarfmasked owl on the Baja peninsula. But a blight lastspring destroyed all of the spiny cacti on the Bajapeninsula. So unless steps are taken to reestablish thespiny cactus population, the dwarf masked owl willnot make its home on the Baja peninsula this winter.

The argument depends on assuming which one ofthe following?

(A) No birds of prey other than the dwad maskedowl nest in the spiny cactus.

(B) If the Baja peninsula contains spiny cacti, thenthe dwarf masked owl makes its winter honrethere.

(C) On occasion the dwarf masked owl has beenknown to make its lvinter bome far from itsnormal migratory route.

(D) The dwarf masked orvl will not make its winterhome on the Baja peninsula only if thatregion contains no spiny cacti.

Suitable nesting sites must be present wherethe dwarf masked owl makes its winter home.

(A)

(B)

(c)

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84.

I(APLAN

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223



87.

@E5. The widespread staff reductions in a certain region's

economy are said to be causing people whostill have

their jobs to cut back on ne\{i purchases as though

they, ioo, had become economically distressed'

Clearly, however, actual spending by such people is

undiminished, because there has been no unusualincrease in the amount of money held by those

people in savings account'

Which one of the following is an assumption on

which the argument relies?

(A) If people in the region who continue to be

emplbyed have debts' they are not now paying

them off at an accelerated rate.

(B) People in the region who continue to be

employed and who have relatlves who have

losi their jobs commonly assist those relatives

financiallY.(C) If people in the region who have lost jobs get

nirv iobs, the new jobs generally pay less well

than the ones theY lost.(D) People in the region who continue to be

employed are pessimistic about thei'r

prosPects for increasing their incomes'(E) fhere exist no statistics about sales ofgoods in

the region as a whole.

Professor Robinson: A large meteorite impactcrater in a certain region was thought to be the

clue to explaining the mass extinction of plantand animal species that occurred at the end ofthe Mesozoic era' However, the crystallinestructure of rocks recoveted at the site indicates

that the impact that formed this crater luas notthe culprit. When molten rocks crystallize'they display the polarity of Earth's magnetic

field at thai time' But the recrystallized roclsrecovered at the site display normal magneticpolarity, even though Earth's magnetic fieldwas reversed at the time of the mass extinction'

Each of the following is an assumption on whichProfessor Robinson' s argument depends EXCEPT:

(A) The crater indicates an impact of more thansufficient size to have caused the mass

extinction.(B) The recovered rocks recrystallized shortly after

they melted.(C) No other event caused the rocks to melt after

the imPact formed the crater.(D) The recovered rocks nelted as a result of the

impact that formed the crater.(E) The mass extinction would have occurred soon

after the impact that supposedly caused it.

Dinosaur erpert: Some paleontologists haveclaimed that birds are descendants of a groupof dinosaurs called dromeosaurs. They appealto the fossil record, which indicates thatdromeosaurs have characteristics more similarto birds than do most dinosaurs. But there is afatal flaw in their argument; the earliest birdfossils that have been discovered date back tensof millions of years farther than the oldestknown dromeosaur fossils. Thus thepaleontologists' claim is false'

The expert's argument depends on assuming whichone of the following?

(A) Having similar characteristics is not a sign thattypes of animals are evolutionarily related.

(B) Dromeosaurs and birds could have commonancestors .

(C) Knowledge of dromeosaur fossils and theearliest bird fossils is complete.

(D) Known fossils indicate the relative dates oforigin of birds and dromeosaurs.

(E) Dromeosaurs are dissimilar to birds in manysignificant ways.

Spectroscopic analysis has revealed the existence offrozen nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide onthe surface of Pluto. Such ices have a tendency tovaporize, producing an atmosphere. Since theproportion of any gas in such an atmospheredepends directly on how readily the correspondingice vaporizes, astronomers have concluded that thecomponents of Pluto's atmosphere are nitrogen,carbon monoxide, and methane, in order ofdecreasing abundance.

The astronomers'argument relies on which one ofthe followin g assumptions?

(A) There is no more frozen nitrogen on thesurface of Pluto than there is either frozencarbon monoxide or methane.

(B) Until space probes reach Pluto, direct analysisof the atmosphere is impossible.

(C) There is no frozen substance on the surface ofPluto that vaporizes more readily thanmethane but less readily than carbonmonoxide.

(D) Nitrogen is found in the atmosphere of a

planet only if nitrogen ice is found on thesurface of that planet.

(E) A mixture of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, andmethane is characteristic of the substancesfrom which the Solar System formed.

Sources: PrcpTest 24,9ectlon 3, Questlon 78fuepTest 22, Sectlon 2, Questlon t9Preplest 22, Sectlon 4, Quastlan 22PrepTest 21, Sectlon 2, Questlon 19

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89. Eva: A "smart highway" system should be installed,one that would monitor areawide trafficpatterns and communicate with computers invehicles or with programmable highway signsto give drivers information about trafficcongestion and alternate routes. Such a system,we can infer, would result in improved trafficflow in and around cities that would do morethan improve drivers'tempersi it woulddecrease the considerable loss of money andproductivity that now results from trafficcongestion.

Luis: There are already traffic rePorts on the radio.Why would a "smart highway''system be anybetter?

Eva's argument depends on the assumption that

(A) on "smart highways" there would not be thebreakdowns of vehicles that currently causetraffic congestion

(B) trafEc lights, if coordinated by the system,would assure a free flow of traffic

(C) traffic flow in and around cities is not now socongested that significant improvement isimpossible

(D) the type of equipment used in "smart highway''systems would vary from one city to another

(E) older vehicles could not be fitted withequipment to receive signals sent by a "smarthighway" system

Ann will either take a leave of absence fromTechnocomp and return in a year or else she will quither job there; but she would not do either one unless

she were offered a one-year teaching fellowship at aprestigious university. Technocomp will allow her totake a leave of absence if it does not find out that shehas been offered the fellowship, but not otherwise.Therefore, Ann will quit her job at Technocomp onlyif Technocomp finds out she has been offered thefellowship.

Which one of the following, if assumed, allows theconclusion above to be properly drawn?

(A) Technocomp will find out about Ann beingoffered the fellowship only if someoneinforms on her.

(B) The reason Ann wants the fellowship is so she

can quit her job at Technocomp.(C) Technocomp does not allow any of its

employees to take a leave of absence in orderto work for one of its competitors,

(D) Ann will take a leave of absence if Technocompallows her to take a leave of absence.

(E) Ann would be offered the fellowship only ifshe quit her job at Technocomp.

91. Cafeteria patron: The apples sold in this cafeteriaare greasy. The cashier told me that the applesare in that condition when they are deliveredto the cafeteria and that the cafeteria does not

. wash the apples it sells. Most fruit is sprayedwith dangerous pesticides before it isharvested, and is dangerous until it is washed.Clearly, the cafeteria is selling pesticide-covered fruit, thereby endangering its patrons.


(A) The apples that the cafeteria sells are notthoroughly washed after harvest but beforereaching the cafeteria,

(B) Most pesticides that are sprayed on fruit beforeharvest leave a greasy residue on the fruit.

(C) Many of the cafeteria's patrons are unaware thatthe cafeteria does not wash the apples it sells.

(D) Only pesticides that leave a greasy residue onfruit can be washed off.

(E) Fruits other than apples also arrive at thecafeteria in a greasy condition.

92. Nuclear reactors are sometimes built in "geologicallyquiet" regions, so called by geologists because suchregions are distant from plate boundaries andcontain only minor faults. Since no minor fault in ageologically quiet region produces an earthquakemore often than once in any given 100,000-yearperiod, it follows that of all potentiai nuclear reactorsites in such a region, those that are least likely to bestruckby an earthquake are ones located near a faultthat has produced an earthquake within livingmemory.


(A) Geologically quiet regions are the leastdangerous regions in which to build nuclearreactors.

(B) For any potential nuclear reactor site, thelikelihood of being struck by an earthquake isthe primary determinant of site safety.

(C) In a geologically quiet region, every potentialnuclear reactor site is near at least one minorfault.

(D) Nuclear reactors that are located ingeologically quiet regions are built towithstand at least one but not necessarilymore than one earthquake of minor tomoderate force.

(E) Earthquake faults in geologically quiet regionsproduce earthquakes at least once in 100,000years.

Sources; PrcpTest 21, Sectlon 3, Questlon IPrepTest 27, Sectlon 2, Quastlon 20Prcplest 17, Sectlon 2, Questlone t0 and 27

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93. Magazine editor: I know that some of our regularadvertisers have been pressuring us to givefavorable mention to their products in ourarticles, but they should realize that for us toyield to their wishes would actually be againsttheir interests. To remain an effectiveadvertising vehicle we must have loyalreadership, and we would soon lose thatreadership if our readers suspect that oureditorial integrity has been compromised bypandering to advertisers.

Advertising-sales director: You underestimate thesophistication of our readers. They recognizethat the advertisements we carry are notarticles, so their response to theadvertisements has never depended on theiropinion of the editorial integrity of themagazine as a whole.

The magazine editor's argument assumes which oneof the following?

(A) A magazine editor should never be in{luencedin the performance of his or her professionalduties by the wishes of the companies thatregularly advertise in the magazine.

(B) The magazine cannot give any favorablemention in its articles to its regularadvertisers without compromising itsreputation for editorial integrity.

(C) Favorable mention of their products in themagazine's articles is of less value to theadvertisers than is the continued effectivenessof the magazine as an advertising vehicle.

(D) Giving favorable mention to a product in amagazine article is a more effective form ofadvertisement than is an explicit advertisementfor the product in the same magazine,

(B) Carrying paid advertisements can never poseany threat to the magazine's reputation foreditorial integrity nor to the loyalty of itsreadership.

Sources; PrepTest 17, Sectlon 2, Questlon 23PrepTest !7, Sectlon 3, Question 2PrcpTest 9t Sectlon 2, Questlon 23

Even the earliest known species of land animals,known from fossils dating from the late Silurianperiod, 400 million years ago, show highly evolvedadaptations to life on land. Since neither aquatic noramphibious animals exhibit these adaptations, earlyspecies of land aaimals must have evolved veryrapidly after leaving an aquatic environment.


(A) Known fossils of early land animals includefossils of animals that lived relatively soonafter the first emergence of land animals.

(B) Fossils from the late Silurian period representonly a small number of the animal speciesthat were alive at that time.

(C) No plants were established on land before thelate Silurian period.

(D) No present-day species of aquatic animal isdescended from a species of animal that oncelived on land.

(E) All animals alive in the late Silurian periodlived either exclusively on land or exclusivelvin the water.

A poor farmer was fond of telling his children: "Inthis world, you are either rich or poor, and you areeither honest or dishonest. All poor farmers arehonest. Therefore, all rich farmers are dishonest."

The farmer's conclusion is properly drawn if theargument assumes that

(A) every honest farmer is poor(B) every honest person is a farmer(C) everyone who is dishonest is a rich farmer(D) eYeryone who is poor is honest(E) every poor person is a farmer

94,

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96. Medical research findings are customarily not made

public prior to their publication in a medical journalthat has had them reviewed by a panel of experts in aprocess called peer review. It is claimed that thispractice delays public access to potentially beneficialinformation that, in extreme instances, could save

lives. Yet prepublication peer review is the only way

to prevent erroneous and therefore potentiallyhaimful information from reaching a public that is illequipped to evaluate medical claims on its own.

Therefore, waiting until a medical journal has

published the research findings that have passed peer

ieview is the price that must be paid to protect thepublic from making decisions based on possiblysubstandard research'

The argument assumes that

(A) unless medical research findings are broughtto peer review by a medical journal, peerreview will not occur

(B) anyone who does not setve on a medicalreview panel does not have the necessaryknowledge and expertise to evaluate medicalresearch findings

(C) the general public does not have access to themedical iournals in which research findingsare published

(D) all medical research findings are subjected toprepublication Peer review

(E) peer review panels are sometimes subject topolitical and professional pressures that can

make their judgments less than impartial

97. Marcusl For most ethical dilemmas the journalist islikely to face, traditional journalistic ethics isclear, adequate, and essentially correct. Forexample, when journalists have uncoverednewsworthy information, they should go topress with it as soon as possible. No delaymotivated by the journalists'personal orprofessional interests is permissible.

Anita: Well, Marcus, of course interesting andimportant information should be broughtbefore the public-that is a journalistt job.But in the typical case, where a journalist hassome information but is in a quandary aboutwhether it is yet important or "newsworthy,"this guidance is inadequate.

In order to conclude properly from Anita'sstatements that Marcus'general claim abouttraditional journalistic ethics is incorrect, it wouldhave to be assumed that

(A) whether a piece of information is or is notnewsworthy can raise ethical dilemmas forjournalists

(B) there are circumstances in which it would beethically wrong for a journalist to go to presswith legitimately acquired, newsworthyinformation

(C) the most serious professional dilemmas that ajournalist is likely to face are not ethicaldilemmas

(D) there are no ethical dilemmas that a journalistis likely to face that would not be conclusivelyresolved by an adequate system ofjournalisticethics

(E) for a system ofjournalistic ethics to beadequate it must be able to provide guidancein every case in which a journalist must makea professional decision

Sources.' PrepTest 9, Sectlon 2, Queetlon 25PrepTest 9, Section 4, Questlon t9

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98. Mayor of Plainwills In order to help the economy ofPlainsville, I am using some of our taxrevenues to help bring a major highwaythrough the town and thereby attract newbusiness to Plainsville.

Citizens'group: You must have interests o&er thanour economy in mind. If you were reallyinterested in helping our economy, you wouldinstead aUocate the revenues to building a newbusiness park, since it would bring in twice thebusiness that your highwaY would.

The argument by the citizens'group relies on whichone of the following assumptions?

(A) Plainsville presendy has no major highwaysrunning through it.

(B) The mayor accePts that a new business parkwould bring in more new business thanwould the new highway.

(C) The new highway would have no benefits forPlainsville other than attracting new business.

(D) The mayor is required to get aPproval for alltax revenue allocation plans from the citycouncil.

(E) Plainsvillet economy will not be helped unless

a new business park of the sort envisioned bythe citizens'group is built.

Source: Prepiest 5, Sectlon t, Questlon 3

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