GMAT – Section 3: Test 6

Workers’ Rights Advocate: The President of the United States has recently declared that unemployment is at an all-time low. He clearly has not met any real working Americans and is out of touch with reality. In my town alone, there are three people who have been laid off from an automobile manufacturing plant, over a dozen who have been laid off from textile plants, six airplane mechanics who have been out of a job for years, and two recent high school graduates who have been unable to find work.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the workers’ rights advocate’s conclusion?

No resident of Country X should consider the loss of the traditional tribal structure to be a tragedy. When tribal traditions dominated the culture of Country X, the economy was extremely depressed. However, since the loss of the tribal tradition, Country X has experienced the fastest growth of any economy on the continent. Per capita income has increased more than twentyfold, the trade deficit has become a trade surplus, and the unemployment rate is at an all-time low.

Which of the following does the most to undermine the argument above?

Some people argue that because being elected to governmental power in a democracy requires raising a significant amount of money, it is a necessary evil that political candidates do not adhere rigorously to principle when dealing with potential campaign contributors, but rather soften their stances on policy as they try to raise the most money and garner the most support. But it is precisely this behavior that allows political parties to be more inclusive and thus better serve the most people, so it is therefore more a benefit than an evil.

Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the conclusion?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all public buildings be made free of barriers to persons with disabilities by providing, “a continuous unobstructed path connecting all accessible elements and spaces in a building or facility.” Clearly, the Lever Building is in violation of the standards of the ADA since it has a grand stairway as its only means of public entrance.

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

Priests who hear the confessions of violent criminals cannot both respect their duty to keep the confession confidential and be honestly concerned for the welfare of the future victims of violent crime. Reporting someone’s confession to the authorities violates that person’s trust and the priest’s professional duty, but keeping quiet allows the criminal to continue roaming the streets, posing a threat to public safety.

The argument depends on assuming which of the following?

A representative for an environmental protection agency contends that of the options available to the U.S. Forestry Ministry, only two are viable for effectively restocking forests that have been depleted by timber operations in the Pacific Northwest. Of the two options, planting fresh saplings that are several months old will produce more trees with a smaller negative impact on already existing trees than would transplanting partially grown trees. Unfortunately, the Forestry Ministry is intent on transplanting partially grown trees, a circumstance that the environmental representative contends indicates the Forestry Ministry’s intent to do only the bare minimum to repopulate depleted forests.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the environmental representative’s argument relies?

In 1992, only 12% of the women between 18 and 24 years of age were adhering to a low-carb diet, while in 2003, 26% of women between 18 and 24 years of age were adhering to a low-carb diet. This points to the inevitable conclusion that the proportion of women among people adhering to a low-carb diet has increased over the past decade.

To evaluate the argument above, it would be most useful to compare which of the following characteristics?

Kensington University Medical School’s ambitious outreach program, which was designed to increase the proportion of female students enrolling at Kensington University Medical School, has been very successful. In 1990, only 20 students in the incoming first-year class were women, whereas the first-year class that began in fall of 2004 has 37 women in it.

In order to evaluate the argument above, which of the following pieces of information would be most useful?

Joe cannot correctly identify acts that are legal. Joe cannot correctly identify acts that are illegal. Joe can correctly identify acts that are right. Joe can correctly identify acts that are wrong. Joe committed an act that was illegal. Joe would not ever commit an act he knew was wrong.

From the statements above, which of the following can be properly inferred?

The cost of drug research and development is staggering. Drug companies have recently argued that this is a good reason to lengthen the patent on new drugs and disallow the importation of drugs from Canada. But some senior citizens advocate groups have argued that the high cost of research and development is a good reason to allow generic and, perhaps, imported drugs to benefit those with fixed incomes.

Which statement, if true, best resolves this seeming paradox?

A free market ensures that all people have an equal opportunity to make money. Even businesses that are potentially harmful to some people can be beneficial to society at large, as more wealth is always preferable to less wealth. In most countries, however, the government has placed significant restrictions on the methods people are allowed to use to make money. For this reason, the power of government over the market needs to be curtailed. Everyone grants that government should not unnecessarily restrict people’s freedom, yet governments continue to restrict people’s ability to buy and sell goods and services.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the journalist’s argument?

Over the past several years, the increases in the production of cork have virtually ceased. It will be extremely difficult to increase the production of cork in the future: the trees whose timber is used to make cork can only be grown on a very specific type of soil. All the suitable soil in the world is already being used at maximum capacity. Yet, as wine becomes more popular throughout the world, demand for cork has increased dramatically. Hence, a severe worldwide shortage of cork is likely.

The statement, “it will be difficult to increase the production of cork in the future,” serves which of the following roles in the argument?