imjar

GWD-6
Q4:
In the past the country of Siduria has relied heavily on imported oil.  Siduria recently implemented a program to convert heating systems from oil to natural gas.  Siduria already produces more natural gas each year than it burns, and oil production in Sidurian oil fields is increasing at a steady pace.  If these trends in fuel production and usage continue, therefore, Sidurian reliance on foreign sources for fuel should decline soon.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
A.        In Siduria the rate of fuel consumption is rising no more quickly than the rate of fuel production.
B.        Domestic production of natural gas is rising faster than is domestic production of oil in Siduria.
C.        No fuel other than natural gas is expected to be used as a replacement for oil in Siduria.
D.        Buildings cannot be heated by solar energy rather than by oil or natural gas.
E.        All new homes that are being built will have natural-gas-burning heating systems.
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Q14:
Political Advertisement:
Mayor Delmont’s critics complain about the jobs that were lost in the city under Delmont’s leadership.  Yet the fact is that not only were more jobs created than were eliminated, but the average pay for these new jobs has been higher than the average pay for jobs citywide every year since Delmont took office.  So there can be no question that throughout Delmont’s tenure the average paycheck in this city has been getting steadily bigger.
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument in the advertisement?
A.        The average pay for jobs created in the city during the past three years was higher than the average pay for jobs created in the city earlier in Mayor Delmont’s tenure.
B.        Average pay in the city was at a ten-year low when Mayor Delmont took office.
C.        Some of the jobs created in the city during Mayor Delmont’s tenure have in the meantime been eliminated again.
D.        The average pay for jobs eliminated in the city during Mayor Delmont’s tenure has been roughly equal every year to the average pay for jobs citywide.
E.        The average pay for jobs in the city is currently higher than it is for jobs in the suburbs surrounding the city.
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Q15:
Capuchin monkeys often rub their bodies with a certain type of millipede.  Laboratory tests show that secretions from the bodies of these millipedes are rich in two chemicals that are potent mosquito repellents, and mosquitoes carry parasites that debilitate capuchins.  Some scientists hypothesize that the monkeys rub their bodies with the millipedes because doing so helps protect them from mosquitoes.
Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the scientists’ hypothesis?
K.        A single millipede often gets passed around among several capuchins, all of whom rub their bodies with it.
L.        The two chemicals that repel mosquitoes also repel several other varieties of insects.
M.        The capuchins rarely rub their bodies with the millipedes except during the rainy season, when mosquito populations are at their peak.
N.        Although the capuchins eat several species of insects, they do not eat the type of millipede they use to rub their bodies.
O.        The two insect-repelling chemicals in the secretions of the millipedes are carcinogenic for humans but do not appear to be carcinogenic for capuchins.

imjar

Q16:
Historian:  Newton developed mathematical concepts and techniques that are fundamental to modern calculus.  Leibniz developed closely analogous concepts and techniques.  It has traditionally been thought that these discoveries were independent.  Researchers have, however, recently discovered notes of Leibniz’ that discuss one of Newton’s books on mathematics.  Several scholars have argued that since the book includes a presentation of Newton’s calculus concepts and techniques, and since the notes were written before Leibniz’ own development of calculus concepts and techniques, it is virtually certain that the traditional view is false.  A more cautious conclusion than this is called for, however.  Leibniz’ notes are limited to early sections of Newton’s book, sections that precede the ones in which Newton’s calculus concepts and techniques are presented.
In the historian’s reasoning, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?
A.        The first provides evidence in support of the overall position that the historian defends; the second is evidence that has been used to support an opposing position.
B.        The first provides evidence in support of the overall position that the historian defends; the second is that position.
C.        The first provides evidence in support of an intermediate conclusion that is drawn to provide support for the overall position that the historian defends; the second provides evidence against that intermediate conclusion.
D.        The first is evidence that has been used to support a conclusion that the historian criticizes; the second is evidence offered in support of the historian’s own position.
E.        The first is evidence that has been used to support a conclusion that the historian criticizes; the second is further information that substantiates that evidence.
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Q20:
Five years ago, as part of a plan to encourage citizens of Levaska to increase the amount of money they put into savings, Levaska’s government introduced special savings accounts in which up to $3,000 a year can be saved with no tax due on the interest unless money is withdrawn before the account holder reaches the age of sixty-five.  Millions of dollars have accumulated in the special accounts, so the government’s plan is obviously working.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A.        A substantial number of Levaskans have withdrawn at least some of the money they had invested in the special accounts.
B.        Workers in Levaska who already save money in long-term tax-free accounts that are offered through their workplace cannot take advantage of the special savings accounts introduced by the government.
C.        The rate at which interest earned on money deposited in regular savings accounts is taxed depends on the income bracket of the account holder.
D.        Many Levaskans who already had long-term savings have steadily been transferring those savings into the special accounts.
E.        Many of the economists who now claim that the government’s plan has been successful criticized it when it was introduced.
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Q21:
An overwhelming proportion of the most productive employees at SaleCo’s regional offices work not eight hours a day, five days a week, as do other SaleCo employees, but rather ten hours a day, four days a week, with Friday off.  Noting this phenomenon, SaleCo’s president plans to increase overall productivity by keeping the offices closed on Fridays and having all employees work the same schedule—ten hours a day, four days a week.
Which of the following, if true, provides the most reason to doubt that the president’s plan, if implemented, will achieve its stated purpose?
A.        Typically, a SaleCo employee’s least productive hours in the workplace are the early afternoon hours.
B.        None of the employees who work four days a week had volunteered to work that schedule, but all were assigned to it by their supervisors.
C.        Working ten hours a day has allowed the most productive employees to work two hours alone each day in their respective offices relatively undisturbed by fellow employees.
D.        Employees at SaleCo are compensated not on the basis of how many hours a week they work but on the basis of how productive they are during the hours they are at work.
E.        Those SaleCo employees who have a four-day workweek do not take any of their office work to do at home on Fridays.

imjar

Q28:
Which of the following most logically completes the argument below?
According to promotional material published by the city of Springfield, more tourists stay in hotels in Springfield than stay in the neighboring city of Harristown.  A brochure from the largest hotel in Harristown claims that more tourists stay in that hotel than stay in the Royal Arms Hotel in Springfield.  If both of these sources are accurate, however, the county’s “Report on Tourism” must be in error in indicating that _______.
A.        more tourists stay in hotel accommodations in Harristown than stay in the Royal Arms Hotel
B.        the Royal Arms Hotel is the only hotel in Springfield
C.        there are several hotels in Harristown that are larger than the Royal Arms Hotel
D.        some of the tourists who have stayed in hotels in Harristown have also stayed in the Royal Arms Hotel
E.        some hotels in Harristown have fewer tourist guests each year than the Royal Arms Hotel has
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Q32:
Proposal:  Carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere block the escape of heat into space.  So emission of these “greenhouse” gases contributes to global warming.  In order to reduce global warming, emission of greenhouse gases needs to be reduced.  Therefore, the methane now emitted from open landfills should instead be burned to produce electricity.

Objection:  The burning of methane generates carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.
Which of the following, if true, most adequately counters the objection made to the proposal?
A.        Every time a human being or other mammal exhales, there is some carbon dioxide released into the air.
B.        The conversion of methane to electricity would occur at a considerable distance from the landfills.
C.        The methane that is used to generate electricity would generally be used as a substitute for a fuel that does not produce any greenhouse gases when burned.
D.        Methane in the atmosphere is more effective in blocking the escape of heat from the Earth than is carbon dioxide.
E.        The amount of methane emitted from the landfills could be reduced if the materials whose decomposition produces methane were not discarded, but recycled.
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Q33:
Crowding on Mooreville’s subway frequently leads to delays, because it is difficult for passengers to exit from the trains.  Subway ridership is projected to increase by 20 percent over the next 10 years.  The Metroville Transit Authority plans to increase the number of daily train trips by only 5 percent over the same period.  Officials predict that this increase is sufficient to ensure that the incidence of delays due to crowding does not increase.
Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest grounds for the officials’ prediction?
A.        By changing maintenance schedules, the Transit Authority can achieve the 5 percent increase in train trips without purchasing any new subway cars.
B.        The Transit Authority also plans a 5 percent increase in the number of bus trips on routes that connect to subways.
C.        For most commuters who use the subway system, there is no practical alternative public transportation available.
D.        Most of the projected increase in ridership is expected to occur in off-peak hours when trains are now sparsely used.
E.        The 5 percent increase in the number of train trips can be achieved without an equal increase in Transit Authority operational costs.
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imjar

Q38:
Three large companies and seven small companies currently manufacture a product with potential military applications.  If the government regulates the industry, it will institute a single set of manufacturing specifications to which all ten companies will have to adhere.  In this case, therefore, since none of the seven small companies can afford to convert their production lines to a new set of manufacturing specifications, only the three large companies will be able to remain in business.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the author’s argument relies?
A.        None of the three large companies will go out of business if the government does not regulate the manufacture of the product.
B.        It would cost more to convert the production lines of the small companies to a new set of manufacturing specifications than it would to convert the production lines of the large companies.
C.        Industry lobbyists will be unable to dissuade the government from regulating the industry.
D.        Assembly of the product produced according to government manufacturing specifications would be more complex than current assembly procedures.
E.        None of the seven small companies currently manufactures the product to a set of specifications that would match those the government would institute if the industry were to be regulated.
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Q40:
It is theoretically possible that bacteria developed on Mars early in its history and that some were carried to Earth by a meteorite.  However, strains of bacteria from different planets would probably have substantial differences in protein structure that would persist over time, and no two bacterial strains on Earth are different enough to have arisen on different planets.  So, even if bacteria did arrive on Earth from Mars, they must have died out.
The argument is most vulnerable to which of the following criticisms?
A.        It fails to establish whether bacteria actually developed on Mars.
B.        It fails to establish how likely it is that Martian bacteria were transported to Earth.
C.        It fails to consider whether there were means other than meteorites by which Martian bacteria could have been carried to Earth.
D.        It fails to consider whether all bacteria now on Earth could have arisen from transported Martian bacteria.
E.        It fails to consider whether there could have been strains of bacteria that originated on Earth and later died out.
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GWD-7
Q5:
Exposure to certain chemicals commonly used in elementary schools as cleaners or pesticides causes allergic reactions in some children.  Elementary school nurses in Renston report that the proportion of schoolchildren sent to them for treatment of allergic reactions to those chemicals has increased significantly over the past ten years.  Therefore, either Renston’s schoolchildren have been exposed to greater quantities of the chemicals, or they are more sensitive to them than schoolchildren were ten years ago.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
P.        The number of school nurses employed by Renston’s elementary schools has not decreased over the past ten years.
Q.        Children who are allergic to the chemicals are no more likely than other children to have allergies to other substances.
R.        Children who have allergic reactions to the chemicals are not more likely to be sent to a school nurse now than they were ten years ago.
S.        The chemicals are not commonly used as cleaners or pesticides in houses and apartment buildings in Renston.
T.        Children attending elementary school do not make up a larger proportion of Renston’s population now than they did ten years ago.
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Q14:
Certain politicians in the country of Birangi argue that a 50 percent tax on new automobiles would halt the rapid increase of automobiles on Birangi’s roads and thereby slow the deterioration of Birangi’s air quality.  Although most experts agree that such a tax would result in fewer Birangians buying new vehicles and gradually reduce the number of automobiles on Birangi’s roads, they contend that it would have little impact on Birangi’s air-quality problem.
Which of the following, if true in Birangi, would most strongly support the experts’ contention about the effect of the proposed automobile tax on Birangi’s air-quality problem?
A.        Automobile emissions are the largest single source of air pollution.
B.        Some of the proceeds from the new tax would go toward expanding the nonpolluting commuter rail system.
C.        Currently, the sales tax on new automobiles is considerably lower than 50 percent.
D.        Automobiles become less fuel efficient and therefore contribute more to air pollution as they age.

imjar

Q17:
Of patients over 65 years old who survived coronary bypass surgery—a procedure widely prescribed for people with heart disease—only 75 percent benefited from the surgery.  Thus it appears that for one in four such patients, the doctors who advised them to undergo this surgery, with its attendant risks and expense, were more interested in an opportunity to practice their skills and in their fee than in helping the patient.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the argument?
A.        Many of the patients who receive coronary bypass surgery are less than 55 years old.
B.        Possible benefits of coronary bypass surgery include both relief from troubling symptoms and prolongation of life.
C.        Most of the patients in the survey decided to undergo coronary bypass surgery because they were advised that the surgery would reduce their risk of future heart attacks.
D.        The patients over 65 years old who did not benefit from the coronary bypass surgery were as fully informed as those who did benefit from the surgery as to the risks of the surgery prior to undergoing it.
E.        The patients who underwent coronary bypass surgery but who did not benefit from it were medically indistinguishable, prior to their surgery, from the patients who did benefit.
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Q18:
Although the earliest surviving Greek inscriptions written in an alphabet date from the eighth century B.C., a strong case can be made that the Greeks actually adopted alphabetic writing at least two centuries earlier.  Significantly, the text of these earliest surviving Greek inscriptions sometimes runs from right to left and sometimes from left to right.  Now, the Greeks learned alphabetic writing from the Phoenicians, and in the process they would surely have adopted whatever convention the Phoenicians were then using with respect to the direction of writing.  Originally, Phoenician writing ran in either direction, but by the eighth century B.C. it had been consistently written from right to left for about two centuries.
In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
A.        The first is the position that the argument seeks to establish; the second reports a discovery that has been used to support a position that the argument opposes.
B.        The first is the position that the argument seeks to establish; the second presents an assumption on which the argument relies.
C.        The first presents evidence that is used in support of the position that the argument seeks to establish; the second presents an assumption on which the argument relies.
D.        The first is an objection raised against a position that the argument opposes; the second is the position that the argument seeks to establish.
E.        The first is an objection raised against a position that the argument opposes; the second is evidence that has been used to support that position.
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Q21:
Which of the following most logically completes the passage?
Each species of moth has an optimal body temperature for effective flight, and when air temperatures fall much below that temperature, the moths typically have to remain inactive on vegetation for extended periods, leaving them highly vulnerable to predators.  In general, larger moths can fly faster than smaller ones and hence have a better chance of evading flying predators, but they also have higher optimal body temperatures, which explains why ______.
A.        large moths are generally able to maneuver better in flight than smaller moths
B.        large moths are proportionally much more common in warm climates than in cool climates
C.        small moths are more likely than large moths to be effectively camouflaged while on vegetation
D.        large moths typically have wings that are larger in proportion to their body size than smaller moths do
E.        most predators of moths prey not only on several different species of moth but also on various species of other insects

imjar

Q27:
A significant number of complex repair jobs carried out by Ace Repairs have to be reworked under the company’s warranty.  The reworked jobs are invariably satisfactory.  When initial repairs are inadequate, therefore, it is not because the mechanics lack competence; rather, there is clearly a level of focused concentration that complex repairs require that is elicited more reliably by rework jobs than by first-time jobs.
The argument above assumes which of the following?
A.        There is no systematic difference in membership between the group of mechanics who do first-time jobs and the group of those who do rework jobs.
B.        There is no company that successfully competes with Ace Repairs for complex repair jobs.
C.        Ace Repairs’ warranty is good on first-time jobs but does not cover rework jobs.
D.        Ace Repairs does not in any way penalize mechanics who have worked on complex repair jobs that later had to be reworked.
E.        There is no category of repair jobs in which Ace Repairs invariably carries out first-time jobs satisfactorily.
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Q28: GWD-2-10
Environmentalist:  The use of snowmobiles in the vast park north of Milville create sun acceptable levels of air pollution and should be banned.
Milville business spokesperson:  Snowmobiling brings many out-of-towners to Milville  in winter months, to the great financial benefit of many local residents.  So, economics dictate that we put up with the pollution.
Environmentalist: I disagree:  A great many cross-country skiers are now kept from visiting Milville by the noise and pollution that snowmobiles generate.
Environmentalist responds to the business spokesperson by doing which of the following?
A.        Challenging an assumption that certain desirable outcome can derive from only one set of circumstances
B.        Challenging an assumption that certain desirable outcome is outweighed by negative aspects associated with producing that outcome
C.        Maintaining that the benefit that the spokesperson desires could be achieved in greater degree by a different means
D.        Claiming that the spokesperson is deliberately misrepresenting the environmentalist’s position in order to be better able to attack it
E.        Denying that an effect that the spokesperson presents as having benefited a certain group of people actually benefited those people
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Q30:
Printwell’s Ink Jet Division manufactures ink-jet printers and the ink cartridges they use.  Sales of its ink-jet printers have increased.  Monthly revenues from those sales, however, have not increased, because competition has forced Printwell to cut the prices of its printers.  Unfortunately, Printwell has been unable to bring down the cost of manufacturing a printer.  Thus, despite the increase in printer sales, the Ink Jet Division must be providing the company with much smaller than it used to.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A.        Ink-jet printers in regular use frequently need new ink cartridges, and Printwell’s printers only accept Printwell’s ink cartridges.
B.        Unlike some competing companies, Printwell sells all of its printers through retailers, and these retailers’ costs account for a sizable proportion of the printers’ ultimate retail price.
C.        Some printer manufacturers have been forced to reduce the sale price of their ink-jet printers even more than Printwell has.
D.        In the past year, no competing manufacturer of ink-jet printers has had as great an increase in unit sales of printers as Printwell has.
E.        In the past year, sales of Printwell’s ink-jet printers have increased more than sales of any other type of printer made by Printwell.

imjar

Q37:
Escalating worldwide demand for corn has led to a sharp increase in the market price of corn, and corn prices are likely to remain high.  Corn is extensive used as feed for livestock, and because profit margins are tight in the livestock business, many farmers are expected to leave the business.  With fewer suppliers, meat prices will surely rise.  Nonetheless, observers expect an immediate short-term decrease in meat prices.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to justify the observers’ expectation?
A.        The increase in corn prices is due more to a decline in the supply of corn than to a growth in demand for it.
B.        Generally, farmers who are squeezed out of the livestock business send their livestock to market much earlier than they otherwise would.
C.        Some people who ate meat regularly in the past are converting to diets that include little or no meat.
D.        As meat prices rise, the number of livestock producers is likely to rise again.
E.        Livestock producers who stay in the business will start using feed other than corn more extensively than they did in the past.
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Q38:
Journalist:  Well-known businessman Arnold Bergeron has long been popular in the state, and he has often talked about running for governor, but he has never run.  However, we have just learned that Bergeron has fulfilled the financial disclosure requirement for candidacy by submitting a detailed list of his current financial holdings to the election commission.  So, it is very likely that Bergeron will be a candidate for governor this year.
The answer to which of the following questions would be most useful in evaluating the journalist’s argument?
A.        Has anybody else who has fulfilled the financial disclosure requirement for the upcoming election reported greater financial holdings than Bergeron?
B.        Is submitting a list of holdings the only way to fulfill the election commission’s financial disclosure requirements?
C.        Did the information recently obtained by the journalists come directly from the election commission?
D.        Have Bergeron’s financial holdings increased in value in recent years?
E.        Had Bergeron also fulfilled the financial disclosure requirements for candidacy before any previous gubernatorial elections?
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Q41:
Magazine Publisher:  Our magazine does not have a liberal bias.  It is true that when a book review we had commissioned last year turned out to express distinctly conservative views, we did not publish it until we had also obtained a second review that took a strongly liberal position.  Clearly, however, our actions demonstrate not a bias in favor of liberal views but rather a commitment to a balanced presentation of diverse opinions.
Determining which of the following would be most useful in evaluating the cogency of the magazine publisher’s response?
A.        Whether any other magazines in which the book was reviewed carried more than one review of the book
B.        Whether the magazine publishes unsolicited book reviews as well as those that it has commissioned
C.        Whether in the event that a first review commissioned by the magazine takes a clearly liberal position the magazine would make any efforts to obtain further reviews
D.        Whether the book that was the subject of the two reviews was itself written from a clearly conservative or a clearly liberal point of view
E.        Whether most of the readers of the magazine regularly read the book reviews that the magazine publishes

imjar

GWD-8
GWD-8-Q3:
In the late 1980’s, the population of sea otters in the North Pacific Ocean began to decline. Of the two plausible explanations for the decline—increased predation by killer whales or disease—disease is the more likely. After all, a concurrent sharp decline in the populations of seals and sea lions was almost certainly caused by a pollution-related disease, which could have spread to sea otters, whereas the population of killer whales did not change noticeably.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the reasoning?

A.        Killer whales in the North Pacific usually prey on seals and sea lions but will, when this food source is scarce, seek out other prey.
B.        There is no indication that substantial numbers of sea otters migrated to other locations from the North Pacific in the 1980’s.
C.        Along the Pacific coast of North America in the 1980’s, sea otters were absent from many locations where they had been relatively common in former times.
D.        Following the decline in the population of the sea otters, there was an increase in the population of sea urchins, which are sea otters’ main food source.
E.        The North Pacific populations of seals and sea lions cover a wider geographic area than does the population of sea otters.
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GWD-8-Q12:
A certain automaker aims to increase its market share by deeply discounting its vehicles’ prices for the next several months. The discounts will cut into profits, but because they will be heavily advertised the manufacturer hopes that they will attract buyers away from rival manufacturers’ cars. In the longer term, the automaker envisions that customers initially attracted by the discounts may become loyal customers.

In assessing the plan’s chances of achieving its aim, it would be most useful to know which of the following?

A.        Whether the automaker’s competitors are likely to respond by offering deep discounts on their own products
B.        Whether the advertisements will be created by the manufacturer’s current advertising agency
C.        Whether some of the automaker’s models will be more deeply discounted than others
D.        Whether the automaker will be able to cut costs sufficiently to maintain profit margins even when the discounts are in effect
E.        Whether an alternative strategy might enable the automaker to enhance its profitability while holding a constant or diminishing share of the market

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GWD-8-Q13:
With a record number of new companies starting up in Derderia, and with previously established companies adding many new jobs, a record number of new jobs were created last year in the Derderian economy. This year, previously established companies will not be adding as many new jobs overall as such companies added last year. Therefore, unless a record number of companies start up this year, Derderia will not break its record for new jobs created.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?

A.        In a given year, new companies starting up create more new jobs on average than do previously established companies.
B.        The number of people seeking employment is no larger this year than it was last year.
C.        This year, the new companies starting up will not provide substantially more jobs per company than did new companies last year.
D.        Previously established companies in Derderia will be less profitable this year than such companies were last year.
E.        The number of jobs created in the Derderian economy last year was substantially larger than the number of jobs lost.

imjar

GWD-8-Q14: GWD-2-11
Many people suffer an allergic reaction to certain sulfites, including those that are commonly added to wine as preservatives.  However, since there are several wine makers who add sulfites to none of the wines they produce, people who would like to drink wine but are allergic to sulfites can drink wines produced by these wine makers without risking an allergic reaction to sulfites.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

A.        These wine makers have been able to duplicate the preservative effect produced by adding sulfites by means that do not involve adding any potentially allergenic substances to their wine.
B.        Not all forms of sulfite are equally likely to produce the allergic reactions.
C.        Wine is the only beverage to which sulfites are commonly added.
D.        Apart from sulfites, there are no substances commonly present in wine that give rise to an allergic reaction.
E.        Sulfites are not naturally present in the wines produced by these wine makers in amounts large enough to produce an allergic reaction in someone who drinks these wines.

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GWD-8-Q19: GWD-2-12
Which of the following most logically completes the passage?

Concerned about financial well-being of its elderly citizens, the government of Runagia decided two years ago to increase by 20 percent the government-provided pension paid to all Runagians over 65.  Inflation in the intervening period has been negligible, and the increase has been duly received by all eligible Runagians.  Nevertheless, many of them are no better off financially than they were before the increase, in large part because ________.

A.        They rely entirely on the government pension for their income
B.        Runagian banks are so inefficient that it can take up to three weeks to cash a pension check
C.        They buy goods whose prices tend to rise especially fast in times of inflation
D.        The pension was increased when the number of elderly Runagians below the poverty level reached an all-time high
E.        In Runagia children typically supplement the income of elderly parents, but only by enough to provide them with a comfortable living

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GWD-8-Q21:GWD-2-18
Last year all refuse collected by Shelbyville city services was incinerated.  This incineration generated a large quantity of residue ash.  In order to reduce the amount of residue ash Shelbyville generates this year to half of last year’s total, the city has revamped its collection program.  This year city services will separate for recycling enough refuse to reduce the number of truckloads of refuse to be incinerated to half of last year’s number.  

Which of the following is required for the revamped collection program to achieve its aim?

A.        This year, no materials that city services could separate for recycling will be incinerated.
B.        Separating recyclable materials from materials to be incinerated will cost Shelbyville less than half what it cost last year to dispose of the residue ash.
C.        Refuse collected by city services will contain a larger proportion of recyclable materials this year than it did last year.
D.        The refuse incinerated this year will generate no more residue ash per truckload incinerated than did the refuse incinerated last year.
E.        The total quantity of refuse collected by Shelbyville city services this year will be no greater than that collected last year.[D]

imjar

GWD-8-Q22:
When storing Renaissance oil paintings, museums conform to standards that call for careful control of the surrounding temperature and humidity, with variations confined within narrow margins. Maintaining this environment is very costly, and recent research shows that even old oil paint is unaffected by wide fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Therefore, museums could relax their standards and save money without endangering their Renaissance oil paintings.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

A.        Renaissance paintings were created in conditions involving far greater fluctuations in temperature and humidity than those permitted by current standards.
B.        Under the current standards that museums use when storing Renaissance oil paintings, those paintings do not deteriorate at all.
C.        Museum collections typically do not contain items that are more likely to be vulnerable to fluctuations in temperature and humidity than Renaissance oil paintings.
D.        None of the materials in Renaissance oil paintings other than the paint are vulnerable enough to relatively wide fluctuations in temperature and humidity to cause damage to the paintings.
E.        Most Renaissance oil paintings are stored in museums located in regions near the regions where the paintings were created.

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GWD-8-Q31: GWD-2-12’
Which of the following most logically completes the argument?

Yorco and Zortech are two corporations that employ large numbers of full-time workers who are paid by the hour.  Publicly available records indicate that Yorco employs roughly the same number of such hourly wage workers as Zortech does but spends a far higher total sum per year on wages for such workers.  Therefore, hourly wages must be higher, on average, at Yorco than at Zortech, since _____.

A.        Zortech spends a higher total sum per year than Yorco does to provide its hourly wage workers with benefits other than wages
B.        the work performed by hourly wage workers at Zortech does not require a significantly higher level of skill than the work performed by hourly wage workers at Yorco does
C.        the proportion of all company employees who are hourly wage workers is significantly greater at Yorco than it is at Zortech
D.        overtime work, which is paid at a substantially higher rate than work done during the regular work week, is rare at both Yorco and Zortech
E.        the highest hourly wages paid at Yorco are higher than the highest hourly wages paid at Zortech

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GWD-8-Q33:
In order to withstand tidal currents, juvenile horseshoe crabs frequently burrow in the sand. Such burrowing discourages barnacles from clinging to their shells. When fully grown, however, the crabs can readily withstand tidal currents without burrowing, and thus they acquire substantial populations of barnacles. Surprisingly, in areas where tidal currents are very weak, juvenile horseshoe crabs are found not to have significant barnacle populations, even though they seldom burrow.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the surprising finding?

A.        Tidal currents do not themselves dislodge barnacles from the shells of horseshoe crabs.
B.        Barnacles most readily attach themselves to horseshoe crabs in areas where tidal currents are weakest.
C.        The strength of the tidal currents in a given location varies widely over the course of a day.
D.        A very large barnacle population can significantly decrease the ability of a horseshoe crab to find food.
E.        Until they are fully grown, horseshoe crabs shed their shells and grow new ones several times a year.