Practice Test #1 Critical Reasoning (53 Questions)

73.	(25075-!-item-!-188;#058&001412)

Most of Western music since the Renaissance has been based on a seven-note scale known as the diatonic scale, but when did the scale originate?  A fragment of a bone flute excavated at a Neanderthal campsite has four holes, which are spaced in exactly the right way for playing the third through sixth notes of a diatonic scale.  The entire flute must surely have had more holes, and the flute was made from a bone that was long enough for these additional holes to have allowed a complete diatonic scale to be played.  Therefore, the Neanderthals who made the flute probably used a diatonic musical scale.
In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
A. The first introduces evidence to support the main conclusion of the argument; the second is the main conclusion stated in the argument.
B. The first introduces evidence to support the main conclusion of the argument; the second presents a position to which the argument is opposed.
C. The first describes a discovery as undermining the position against which the argument as a whole is directed; the second states the main conclusion of the argument.
D. The first introduces the phenomenon that the argument as a whole seeks to explain; the second presents a position to which the argument is opposed.
E. The first introduces the phenomenon that the argument as a whole seeks to explain; the second gives a reason to rule out one possible explanation.

74.	(29534-!-item-!-188;#058&004138)

In a certain wildlife park, park rangers are able to track the movements of many rhinoceroses because those animals wear radio collars.  When, as often happens, a collar slips off, it is put back on.  Putting a collar on a rhinoceros involves immobilizing the animal by shooting it with a tranquilizer dart.  Female rhinoceroses that have been frequently recollared have significantly lower fertility rates than uncollared females.  Probably, therefore, some substance in the tranquilizer inhibits fertility.
In evaluating the argument, it would be most useful to determine which of the following?
A. Whether there are more collared female rhinoceroses than uncollared female rhinoceroses in the park
B. How the tranquilizer that is used for immobilizing rhinoceroses differs, if at all, from tranquilizers used in working with other large mammals
C. How often park rangers need to use tranquilizer darts to immobilize rhinoceroses for reasons other than attaching radio collars
D. Whether male rhinoceroses in the wildlife park lose their collars any more often than the park’s female rhinoceroses do
E. Whether radio collars are the only practical means that park rangers have for tracking the movements of rhinoceroses in the park

75.	(33198-!-item-!-188;#058&007254)

In the year following an eight-cent increase in the federal tax on a pack of cigarettes, sales of cigarettes fell ten percent.  In contrast, in the year prior to the tax increase, sales had fallen one percent.  The volume of cigarette sales is therefore strongly related to the after-tax price of a pack of cigarettes.  
Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument above?
A. During the second year after the tax increase, cigarette sales increased by a significant amount.
B. The information available to consumers on the health risks of smoking remained largely unchanged in the period before and after the tax increase.
C. Most consumers were unaware that the tax on cigarettes was going to increase.
D. During the year following the cigarette tax increase, many consumers had less income, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than they had had in the previous year.
E. During the year after the tax increase, there was a greater variety of cigarettes on the market than there had been during the previous year.

76.	(28782-!-item-!-188;#058&003417)

Which of the following most logically completes the argument?
According to experts on shopping behavior, more shoppers would shop at Jerrod’s department store if they were offered the convenience of shopping carts.  In fact, even if the amount spent by these additional customers only just covered the cost of providing the carts, providing carts would still probably increase Jerrod’s profits, since _______.
A. the layout of Jerrod’s is open enough to accommodate shopping carts comfortably
B. several department stores that compete with Jerrod’s have begun to make shopping carts available to their customers
C. there are some potential customers who would not be enticed to shop at Jerrod’s by the availability of shopping carts
D. stores that make shopping carts available to customers usually have to hire people to retrieve them from parking areas
E. a customer with a shopping cart buys more, on average, than a customer without a cart

77.	(30754-!-item-!-188;#058&005525)

Which of the following most logically completes the argument below?
Twenty percent of the stores in Morganville's downtown shopping district will fail within five years because they will be competing directly with the SaveMart discount department store newly opened in East Morganville.  The downtown shopping district has lost business at this rate before and has always completely rebounded.  Confidence that it will rebound again from the losses it is now about to suffer is ill founded, however, because __________.
A. the stores likely to be put out of business by direct competition from SaveMart are the downtown shopping district's anchor stores, on whose ability to draw shoppers many of the other downtown stores depend
B. the bus line that has long connected the downtown area of Morganville with East Morganville has a tradition of carrying shoppers who reside in East Morganville into downtown Morganville to shop
C. when the downtown shopping district has rebounded before, the business premises of a failed business were typically taken over by a business of the same kind as had been there before
D. SaveMart's business plan for the East Morganville store is based on earning low profits, if any, during the first five years of the store's existence
E. it is conceivable that the downtown shopping district could shrink substantially without collapsing altogether

78.	(24029-!-item-!-188;#058&000661)

To improve the long-term savings rate of the citizens of Levaska, the country's legislature decided to implement a plan that allows investors to save up to $1,000 per year in special accounts without paying taxes on the interest earned unless withdrawals are made before the investor reaches age sixty-five.  Withdrawals from these accounts prior to age sixty-five would result in the investor's having to pay taxes on all the accumulated interest at the time of withdrawal.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction that the legislature's plan will have its intended effect?
A. The money saved in the tax-free savings accounts will be deposited primarily in those banks and financial institutions that supported the legislation instituting the plan.
B. The majority of people choosing to take advantage of the tax-free savings accounts will withdraw their money prior to age sixty-five.
C. A significant number of the citizens of Levaska will invest in the tax-free savings accounts well before they reach the age of sixty-five.
D. During the ten years prior to implementation of the plan, Levaskans deposited an increasingly smaller percentage of their annual income in long-term savings accounts.
E. People who are not citizens of Levaska are not eligible to invest in the tax-free savings accounts, even if their income is taxable in Levaska.

79.	(30610-!-item-!-188;#058&005469)

In Europe, many large animal species, such as mammoths, became extinct soon after humans first migrated to the animals' areas of habitation.  The spread of such extinctions closely followed the pattern of human migration.  However, since humans tended to migrate to areas as the climate in those areas began to warm, the extinctions might have been precipitated by the climatic warming rather than by human migration.
Which of the following, if true, provides the best evidence that it was human migration and not climatic change that precipitated the extinctions?
A. Many animal species, such as deer and bison, continued to thrive in Europe even after humans migrated there.
B. Several periods of marked climatic warming have occurred in Europe, during which many large animal species that lived there became extinct.
C. Many animal species that became extinct in Europe survived longer in areas that were isolated from human populations but that experienced intense climatic warming.
D. In some areas of Europe, only a few archaeological sites have yielded evidence that shows an overlap between the arrival of humans and the extinction of large animals.
E. Some large animals had become extinct in Europe even before humans migrated there.

80.	(24979-!-item-!-188;#058&001383)

In many scientific disciplines, scientists generally do not do highly creative work beyond the age of forty, a tendency that has normally been taken to show that aging carries with it a loss of creative capacity.  However, by the age of forty most scientists have been working in their chosen field for at least fifteen years, so an alternative explanation is that spending too long in a single field reduces the opportunity for creative thought.
Investigating which of the following would be most useful in choosing between the competing explanations described above?
A. Whether among those scientists who do highly creative work beyond age forty a large proportion entered their field at a considerably later age than is common
B. Whether scientists' choice of research projects tends to be influenced by their own belief that their most creative work will be done relatively early in their career
C. Whether scientists who are older than forty tend to find more satisfaction in other activities, such as teaching and mentoring, than they do in pursuing their own research
D. Whether funding agencies are more inclined to award research grants to scientists who are veterans in their field than to scientists who are relative newcomers
E. Whether there is significant variation among scientific fields in the average age at which scientists working in those fields are at their most productive

81.	(29110-!-item-!-188;#058&003820)

Environmentalist:  Snowmobiles in the park north of Milville create unacceptable levels of air pollution and should be banned.
Milville Business Spokesperson:  Snowmobiling brings many out-of-towners to Milville in the winter months, to the great direct financial benefit of many local residents.  In addition, the money the town collects in fees for the recreational use of the park indirectly benefits all Milville residents.  So, it is basic economics for us to put up with the pollution.
Which of the following, if true, could best be used by the environmentalist to counter the business spokesperson’s argument?
A. A great many cross-country skiers are now kept from visiting Milville by the noise and pollution that snowmobiles generate.
B. Not all of the people who go snowmobiling in the vicinity of Milville are from out of town.
C. Snowmobiles, because they run on two-cycle engines, emit greater amounts of hydrocarbons and particulate matter than cars do.
D. Industrial pollution in Milville has been significantly reduced in the past few years without any adverse effect on the town’s economy.
E. Many Milville residents object to having to pay fees for recreational use of the park in the winter.

82.	(28316-!-item-!-188;#058&002977)

When feeding, aquatic birds known as phalaropes often spin rapidly on the water’s surface, pecking for food during each revolution.  To execute these spins, phalaropes kick one leg harder than the other.  This action creates upwelling currents.  Because plankton on which phalaropes feed typically occurs in greater quantities well below the surface, it is hypothesized that by spinning phalaropes gain access to food that would otherwise be beyond their reach.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the hypothesis?
A. Phalaropes rarely feed while on land.
B. A given phalarope spins exclusively either to the right or to the left.
C. Phalaropes sometimes spin when they are not feeding.
D. Different phalaropes spin at somewhat different rates.
E. Phalaropes do not usually spin when food is abundant at the surface.

83.	(24931-!-item-!-188;#058&001279)

The economy around Lake Paqua depends on fishing of the lake's landlocked salmon population.  In recent years, scarcity of food for salmon there has caused a decline in both the number and the size of the adult salmon in the lake.  As a result, the region's revenues from salmon fishing have declined significantly.  To remedy this situation, officials plan to introduce shrimp, which can serve as a food source for adult salmon, into Lake Paqua.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously calls into question the plan's chances for success?
A. Salmon is not a popular food among residents of the Lake Paqua region.
B. Tourists coming to fish for sport generate more income for residents of the Lake Paqua region than does commercial fishing.
C. The shrimp to be introduced into Lake Paqua are of a variety that is too small to be harvested for human consumption.
D. The primary food for both shrimp and juvenile salmon is plankton, which is not abundant in Lake Paqua.
E. Fishing regulations prohibit people from keeping any salmon they have caught in Lake Paqua that are smaller than a certain minimum size.

84.	(24641-!-item-!-188;#058&001146)

In Borania many people who want to quit smoking wear nicotine skin patches, which deliver small doses of nicotine through the skin.  Beginning next month, these patches can be purchased without a doctor's prescription.  Although nonprescription patches will be no more effective than those obtained by prescription and will be equally expensive, patch manufacturers are nevertheless predicting that the patches' new nonprescription status will boost sales, which have slowed considerably in recent years.
Which of the following, if true in Borania, most strongly supports the manufacturers' prediction?
A. Most people who wanted to quit smoking and who found the nicotine skin patch helpful in quitting have quit.
B. Nicotine skin patches generally cost more to use than do other types of aids that help people to quit smoking.
C. Several nonprescription aids aimed at helping people to quit smoking have been widely available for a number of years.
D. Many smokers who want to quit smoking feel that they cannot afford to visit a doctor for a prescription.
E. People who use nicotine skin patches have approximately the same rate of success in quitting smoking as do people who use other aids aimed at helping people to quit smoking.

85.	(23981-!-item-!-188;#058&000656)

Fearing that the use of titles indicating position in the corporation tends to make the corporate hierarchy rigid by inhibiting communication, some corporations shun the use of executive titles.  A title, however, can facilitate an executive's dealings with external businesses since it encourages outsiders to treat the executive with respect.  The obvious compromise is for these executives to use their titles externally but not within their corporations.  
Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the compromise suggested above?
A. Only small corporations can preserve an atmosphere of mutual respect and high regard without having a rigid corporate hierarchy.
B. Referring to an executive by using a title can encourage both those outside the organization and inside the organization to treat the executive with respect.
C. Even if it is widely known within a corporation that the corporation's executives use executive titles outside their organizations, this knowledge does not by itself inhibit communication within the corporation.
D. A rigid corporate hierarchy can promote efficiency within an organization as well as provide access to the corporation for those outside the organization.
E. Although many corporate executives disapprove of rigid hierarchies on the grounds that they inhibit communication, the vast majority of executives have no qualms about using titles both internally and externally.

86.	(24835-!-item-!-188;#058&001244)

Which of the following most logically completes the passage?
Concerned about the 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

87.	(31284-!-item-!-188;#058&005747)

Two years ago, the government of Runagia increased by 20 percent the government-provided pensions paid to Runagians over 65.  The aim of the increase was to stimulate the economy in the rural regions of the country, where most pension recipients live.  Statistics, however, show that there has been no increase in economic activity in those regions since then, but that there has been noticeably more spending in the urban areas.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the increase resulted in the unintended state of affairs described?
A. Until the pensions were increased, many Runagians over 65 in rural regions had been receiving support from their children who live in urban areas.
B. The pensions were increased when the number of people below the poverty level in rural areas of Runagia reached an all-time high.
C. City-dwellers in Runagia rarely travel to rural regions of the country.
D. The Runagian postal system is so inefficient that it can take up to three weeks for pension checks to reach recipients in rural areas.
E. On average, the pensions were higher in rural than in urban areas before the increase.

88.	(24173-!-item-!-188;#058&000719)

When a new restaurant, Martin's Cafe, opened in Riverville last year, many people predicted that business at the Wildflower Inn, Riverville's only other restaurant, would suffer from the competition.  Surprisingly, however, in the year since Martin's Cafe opened, the average number of meals per night served at the Wildflower Inn has increased significantly.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the increase?
A. Unlike the Wildflower Inn, Martin's Cafe serves considerably more meals on weekends than it does on weekdays.
B. Most of the customers of Martin's Cafe had never dined in Riverville before this restaurant opened, and on most days Martin's Cafe attracts more customers than it can seat.
C. The profit per meal is higher, on average, for meals served at Martin's Cafe than for those served at the Wildflower Inn.
D. The Wildflower Inn is not open on Sundays, and therefore Riverville residents who choose to dine out on that day must either eat at Martin's Cafe or go to neighboring towns to eat.
E. A significant proportion of the staff at Martin's Cafe are people who formerly worked at the Wildflower Inn and were hired away by the owner of Martin's Cafe.

89.	(31236-!-item-!-188;#058&005728)

Goronian lawmaker:  Goronia's Cheese Importation Board, the agency responsible for inspecting all wholesale shipments of cheese entering Goronia from abroad and rejecting shipments that fail to meet specified standards, rejects about one percent of the cheese that it inspects.  Since the health consequences and associated costs of not rejecting that one percent would be negligible, whereas the cost of maintaining the agency is not, the agency's cost clearly outweighs the benefits it provides.
Knowing the answer to which of the following would be most useful in evaluating the lawmaker's argument?
A. Are any of the types of cheeses that are imported into Goronia also produced in Goronia?
B. Has the Cheese Importation Board, over the last several years, reduced its operating costs by eliminating inefficiencies within the agency itself?
C. Does the possibility of having merchandise rejected by the Cheese Importation Board deter many cheese exporters from shipping substandard cheese to Goronia?
D. Are there any exporters of cheese to Goronia whose merchandise is never rejected by the Cheese Importation Board?
E. How is the cheese rejected by the Cheese Importation Board disposed of?

90.	(29250-!-item-!-188;#058&004038)

In the nation of Partoria, large trucks currently have a much higher rate of traffic accidents per mile driven than other vehicles do.  However, the very largest trucks—those with three trailers—had less than a third of the accident rate of single- and double-trailer trucks.  Clearly, therefore, one way for Partoria to reduce the number of traffic accidents would be to require shippers to increase their use of triple-trailer trucks.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. Partorian trucking companies currently use triple-trailer trucks only for long trips using major highways, which is the safest kind of trip for large trucks.
B. No matter what changes Partoria makes in the regulation of trucking, it will have to keep some smaller roads off-limits to all large trucks.
C. Increased use of triple-trailer trucks would mean that large trucks would account for a smaller proportion of all miles driven on Partoria’s roads than they currently do.
D. In Partoria, the safety record of the trucking industry as a whole has improved slightly over the past ten years.
E. The volume of truck traffic on Partoria’s highways could be reduced by encouraging shippers to use rail transport whenever possible.

91.	(26045-!-item-!-188;#058&001846)

Journalist:  Every election year at this time the state government releases the financial disclosures that potential candidates must make in order to be eligible to run for office.  Among those making the required financial disclosure this year is a prominent local businessman, Arnold Bergeron.  There has often been talk in the past of Mr. Bergeron's running for governor, not least from Mr. Bergeron himself.  This year it is likely he finally will, since those who have discounted the possibility of a Bergeron candidacy have always pointed to the necessity of making financial disclosure as the main obstacle to such a candidacy.
In the journalist's argument, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?
A. The first provides information without which the argument lacks force; the second states the main conclusion of the argument.
B. The first provides information without which the argument lacks force; the second states an intermediate conclusion that is used to support a further conclusion.
C. The first describes a practice that the journalist seeks to defend; the second cites a likely consequence of this practice.
D. The first states evidence bearing against the main conclusion of the argument; the second states that conclusion.
E. Each provides evidence in support of an intermediate conclusion that supports a further conclusion stated in the argument.

92.	(24787-!-item-!-188;#058&001210)	(GWD-3-Q38)

Kate:  The recent decline in numbers of the Tennessee warbler, a North American songbird that migrates each fall to coffee plantations in South America, is due to the elimination of the dense tree cover that formerly was a feature of most South American coffee plantations.
Scott:  The population of the spruce budworm, the warbler's favorite prey in North America, has been dropping.  This is a more likely explanation of the warbler's decline.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously calls Scott's hypothesis into question? 
A. The numbers of the Baltimore oriole, a songbird that does not eat budworms but is as dependent on South American coffee plantations as is the Tennessee warbler, are declining.
B. The spruce budworm population has dropped because of a disease that can infect budworms but not Tennessee warblers.
C. The drop in the population of the spruce budworm is expected to be only temporary.
D. Many Tennessee warblers have begun migrating in the fall to places other than traditional coffee plantations.
E. Although many North American songbirds have declined in numbers, no other species has experienced as great a decline as has the Tennessee warbler.

93.	(24269-!-item-!-188;#058&000870)	(GWD-21-Q38 different type)

Because it was long thought that few people would watch lengthy televised political messages, most televised political advertisements, like commercial advertisements, took the form of short messages.  Last year, however, one candidate produced a half-hour-long advertisement.  At the beginning of the half-hour slot a substantial portion of the viewing public had tuned in to that station.  Clearly, then, many more people are interested in lengthy televised political messages than was previously thought.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. The candidate who produced the half-hour-long advertisement did not win election at the polls.
B. The half-hour-long advertisement was widely publicized before it was broadcast.
C. The half-hour-long advertisement was aired during a time slot normally taken by one of the most popular prime-time shows.
D. Most short political advertisements are aired during a wide range of programs in order to reach a broad spectrum of viewers.
E. In general a regular-length television program that features debate about current political issues depends for its appeal on the personal qualities of the program's moderator.

94.	(25027-!-item-!-188;#058&001384)	(GWD-17-Q39)

Which of the following most logically completes the passage?
On the whole, scientists do their most creative work before age forty, a tendency that has been taken to show that aging carries with it a loss of creative capacity.  An alternative explanation is that by age forty most scientists have worked in their field for fifteen or more years and that by then they have exhausted the opportunity for creative work in that field.  Supporting this explanation is the finding that __________.
A. the average age of recipients of scientific research grants is significantly greater than forty
B. a disproportionately large number of the scientists who produce highly creative work beyond age forty entered their field at an older age than is common
C. many scientists temper their own expectations of what they can achieve in their research work by their belief that their creativity will decline as they age
D. scientists who are older than forty tend to find more satisfaction in other activities, such as teaching and mentoring, than they do in pursuing their own research
E. there is a similar diminution of creativity with age in nonscientific fields, such as poetry and musical composition

95.	(28456-!-item-!-188;#058&003043)	(GWD-9-24)

For similar cars and drivers, automobile insurance for collision damage has always cost more in Greatport than in Fairmont.  Police studies, however, show that cars owned by Greatport residents are, on average, slightly less likely to be involved in a collision than cars in Fairmont.  Clearly, therefore, insurance companies are making a greater profit on collision-damage insurance in Greatport than in Fairmont.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
A. Repairing typical collision damage does not cost more in Greatport than in Fairmont.
B. There are no more motorists in Greatport than in Fairmont.
C. Greatport residents who have been in a collision are more likely to report it to their insurance company than Fairmont residents are.
D. Fairmont and Greatport are the cities with the highest collision-damage insurance rates.
E. The insurance companies were already aware of the difference in the likelihood of collisions before the publication of the police reports.

96.	(28176-!-item-!-188;#058&002907)	(GWD-28-Q17)

In the nation of Partoria, large trucks currently account for 6 percent of miles driven on Partoria’s roads but are involved in 12 percent of all highway fatalities.  The very largest trucks—those with three trailers—had less than a third of the accident rate of single- and double-trailer trucks.  Clearly, therefore, one way for Partoria to reduce highway deaths would be to require shippers to increase their use of triple-trailer trucks.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. No matter what changes Partoria makes in the regulation of trucking, it will have to keep some smaller roads off-limits to all large trucks.
B. So far only the best, most experienced drivers for Partorian trucking companies have been driving triple-trailer trucks.
C. Very few fatal collisions involving trucks in Partoria are collisions between two trucks.
D. In Partoria, the safety record of the trucking industry as a whole has improved slightly over the past ten years.
E. In Partoria, the maximum legal payload of a triple-trailer truck is less than three times the maximum legal payload of the largest of the single-trailer trucks.

97.	(33058-!-item-!-188;#058&007111)	(GWD 3-Q2)

Hunter:  Hunters alone are blamed for the decline in Greenrock National Forest's deer population over the past ten years.  Yet clearly, black bears have also played an important role in this decline.  In the past ten years, the forest's protected black bear population has risen sharply, and examination of black bears found dead in the forest during the deer hunting season showed that a number of them had recently fed on deer.
In the hunter's argument, the boldface portion plays which of the following roles?
A. It is the main conclusion of the argument.
B. It is an objection that has been raised against the main conclusion of the argument.
C. It is a judgment that the argument opposes.
D. It is a finding that the argument seeks to explain.
E. It provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument.

98.	(32682-!-item-!-188;#058&006783)	(GWD 28-Q29)

Early in the twentieth century, Lake Konfa became very polluted.  Recently fish populations have recovered as release of industrial pollutants has declined and the lake’s waters have become cleaner.  Fears are now being voiced that the planned construction of an oil pipeline across the lake’s bottom might revive pollution and cause the fish population to decline again.  However, a technology for preventing leaks is being installed.  Therefore, provided this technology is effective, those fears are groundless.
The argument depends on assuming which of the following?
A. Apart from development related to the pipeline, there will be no new industrial development around the lake that will create renewed pollution in its waters.
B. There is no reason to believe that the leak-preventing technology would be ineffective when installed in the pipeline in Lake Konfa.
C. The bottom of the lake does not contain toxic remnants of earlier pollution that will be stirred into the water by pipeline construction.
D. Damage to the lake’s fish populations would be the only harm that a leak of oil from the pipeline would cause.
E. The species of fish that are present in Lake Konfa now are the same as those that were in the lake before it was affected by pollution.

99.	(29812-!-item-!-188;#058&004367)	(GWD 12-Q22)

Denoma, a major consumer-electronics maker, had a sizable decline in sales revenue for its most recent fiscal year.  This result appears surprising, because electronics retailers report that although their overall sales were considerably lower than in the previous year, their sales revenue from Denoma models actually grew, largely thanks to some innovative and popular models that Denoma introduced.
Which of the following, if true, does most to explain the apparently surprising result?
A. Because of the need to educate the public about its new models’ capabilities, Denoma’s advertising spending was higher than normal over the period.
B. For the period at issue, Denoma’s major competitors reported declines in revenue that were, in percentage terms, greater than Denoma’s.
C. A significant proportion of Denoma’s revenue comes from making components for other consumer-electronics manufacturers.
D. Unlike some of its major competitors, Denoma has no lines of business outside consumer electronics to provide revenue when retail sales of consumer electronics are weak.
E. During the period, consumer-electronics retailers sold remaining units of Denoma’s superseded models at prices that were deeply discounted from those models’ original prices.

100.	(31888-!-item-!-188;#058&006228)	(GWD 3-Q17)

Brochure:  Help conserve our city’s water supply.  By converting the landscaping in your yard to a water-conserving landscape, you can greatly reduce your outdoor water use.  A water-conserving landscape is natural and attractive, and it also saves you money.
Criticism:  For most people with yards, the savings from converting to a water-conserving landscape cannot justify the expense of new landscaping, since typically the conversion would save less than twenty dollars on a homeowner’s yearly water bills.
Which of the following, if true, provides the best basis for a rebuttal of the criticism?
A. Even homeowners whose yards do not have water-conserving landscapes can conserve water by installing water-saving devices in their homes.
B. A conventional landscape generally requires a much greater expenditure on fertilizer and herbicide than does a water-conserving landscape.
C. A significant proportion of the residents of the city live in buildings that do not have yards.
D. It costs no more to put in water-conserving landscaping than it does to put in conventional landscaping.
E. Some homeowners use more water to maintain their yards than they use for all other purposes combined.

101.	(31700-!-item-!-188;#058&006145)	(GWD 3-Q38/prep 2-6 different type)

Two computer companies, Garnet and Renco, each pay Salcor to provide health insurance for their employees.  Because early treatment of high cholesterol can prevent strokes that would otherwise occur several years later, Salcor encourages Garnet employees to have their cholesterol levels tested and to obtain early treatment for high cholesterol.  Renco employees generally remain with Renco only for a few years, however.  Therefore, Salcor lacks any financial incentive to provide similar encouragement to Renco employees.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. Early treatment of high cholesterol does not eliminate the possibility of a stroke later in life.
B. People often obtain early treatment for high cholesterol on their own.
C. Garnet hires a significant number of former employees of Renco.
D. Renco and Garnet have approximately the same number of employees.
E. Renco employees are not, on average, significantly younger than Garnet employees.

102.	(29392-!-item-!-188;#058&004074)	(GWD 1-Q15)

In parts of South America, vitamin-A deficiency is a serious health problem, especially among children.  In one region, agriculturists hope to improve nutrition by encouraging farmers to plant a new variety of sweet potato called SPK004 that is rich in betacarotene, which the body converts into vitamin A.  The plan has good chances of success, since sweet potato is a staple of the region’s diet and agriculture, and the varieties currently grown contain little beta-carotene.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction that the plan will succeed?
A. There are other vegetables currently grown in the region that contain more beta-carotene than the currently cultivated varieties of sweet potato do.
B. The flesh of SPK004 differs from that of the currently cultivated sweet potatoes in color and texture, so traditional foods would look somewhat different when prepared from SPK004.
C. For successful cultivation of SPK004, a soil significantly richer in nitrogen is needed than is needed for the varieties of sweet potato currently cultivated in the region.
D. There are no other varieties of sweet potato that are significantly richer in beta-carotene than SPK004 is.
E. The currently cultivated varieties of sweet potato contain no important nutrients that SPK004 lacks.

103.	(31044-!-item-!-188;#058&005684)	(GWD 6-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 “Report on Tourism” for the region must be in error in stating that __________.
A. the average length of stay is longer at the largest hotel in Harristown than it is at the Royal Arms Hotel
B. there is only one hotel in Harristown that is larger than the Royal Arms Hotel
C. more tourists stay in hotels in Harristown than stay in the Royal Arms Hotel
D. the Royal Arms Hotel is the largest hotel in Springfield
E. the Royal Arms Hotel is the only hotel in Springfield

104.	(24883-!-item-!-188;#058&001256)	(GWD 5-Q38)

Nitrogen dioxide is a pollutant emitted by automobiles.  Catalytic converters, devices designed to reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions, have been required in all new cars in Donia since 1993, and as a result, nitrogen dioxide emissions have been significantly reduced throughout most of the country.  Yet although the proportion of new cars in Donia's capital city has always been comparatively high, nitrogen dioxide emissions there have showed only an insignificant decline since 1993.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the insignificant decline in nitrogen dioxide emissions in Donia's capital city? 
A. More of the cars in Donia's capital city were made before 1993 than after 1993.
B. The number of new cars sold per year in Donia has declined slightly since 1993.
C. Pollutants other than nitrogen dioxide that are emitted by automobiles have also been significantly reduced in Donia since 1993.
D. Many Donians who own cars made before 1993 have had catalytic converters installed in their cars.
E. Most car trips in Donia's capital city are too short for the catalytic converter to reach its effective working temperature.

105.	(29298-!-item-!-188;#058&004042)	(GWD 6-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?
A. A single millipede often gets passed around among several capuchins, all of whom rub their bodies with it.
B. The two chemicals that repel mosquitoes also repel several other varieties of insects.
C. The capuchins rarely rub their bodies with the millipedes except during the rainy season, when mosquito populations are at their peak.
D. Although the capuchins eat several species of insects, they do not eat the type of millipede they use to rub on their bodies.
E. The two insect-repelling chemicals in the secretions of the millipedes are carcinogenic for humans but do not appear to be carcinogenic for capuchins.

106.	(31188-!-item-!-188;#058&005724)	(GWD 28-Q32)

A prominent investor who holds a large stake in the Burton Tool Company has recently claimed that the company is mismanaged.  As evidence for this claim, the investor cited the company's failure to slow production in response to a recent rise in its inventory of finished products.  It is doubtful whether an investor's sniping at management can ever be anything other than counterproductive, but in this case it is clearly not justified.  It is true that an increased inventory of finished products often indicates that production is outstripping demand.  In Burton's case it indicates no such thing, however:  the increase in inventory is entirely attributable to products that have already been assigned to orders received from customers.
In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?
A. The first provides evidence to support the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second states that conclusion.
B. The first states the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second states an intermediate conclusion that is drawn in order to support that conclusion.
C. The first is the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second provides evidence against the position being opposed.
D. The first states an intermediate conclusion that is drawn in order to support the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second states the conclusion of the argument as a whole.
E. The first and the second both state intermediate conclusions that are drawn in order to support jointly the conclusion of the argument as a whole.

107.	(26093-!-item-!-188;#058&001880)	(GWD 1-Q40 different type)

Until now, only injectable vaccines against influenza have been available.  They have been used primarily by older adults, who are at risk for complications from influenza.  A new vaccine administered in a nasal spray has proven effective in preventing influenza in children.  Since children are significantly more likely than adults to contract and spread influenza, making the new vaccine widely available for children will greatly reduce the spread of influenza across the population.
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
A. If a person receives both the injectable and the nasal-spray vaccine, the two vaccines do not interfere with each other.
B. The new vaccine uses the same mechanism to ward off influenza as injectable vaccines do.
C. Government subsidies have kept the injectable vaccine affordable for all older adults.
D. Of the older adults who contract influenza, relatively few contract it from children with influenza.
E. Many parents would be more inclined to have their children vaccinated against influenza if the vaccination did not require an injection.

108.	(32122-!-item-!-188;#058&006354)	(GWD 7-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

109.	(30048-!-item-!-188;#058&004735)	(GWD 29-Q27 different type)

Though sucking zinc lozenges has been promoted as a treatment for the common cold, research has revealed no consistent effect.  Recently, however, a zinc gel applied nasally has been shown to greatly reduce the duration of colds.  Since the gel contains zinc in the same form and concentration as the lozenges, the greater effectiveness of the gel must be due to the fact that cold viruses tend to concentrate in the nose, not the mouth.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. Experimental subjects who used the zinc gel not only had colds of shorter duration but also had less severe symptoms than did those who used a gel that did not contain zinc.
B. The mechanism by which zinc affects the viruses that cause the common cold has not been conclusively established.
C. To make them palatable, zinc lozenges generally contain other ingredients, such as citric acid, that can interfere with the chemical activity of zinc.
D. No zinc-based cold remedy can have any effect unless it is taken or applied within 48 hours of the initial onset of cold symptoms.
E. Drug-company researchers experimenting with a nasal spray based on zinc have found that it has much the same effect on colds as the gel does.

110.	(30658-!-item-!-188;#058&005491)	(GWD 7-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.

111.	(30514-!-item-!-188;#058&005454)	(GWD 30-Q27 different type)

Personnel officer:  The exorbitant cost of our health-insurance benefits reflects the high dollar amount of medical expenses incurred by our employees.  Employees who are out of shape, as a group, have higher doctor bills and longer hospital stays than do their colleagues who are fit.  Therefore, since we must reduce our health-insurance costs, we should offer a rigorous fitness program of jogging and weight lifting to all employees, and require employees who are out of shape to participate.  
Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the personnel officer's proposal?
A. The medical expenses incurred by fit people who participate in a program of jogging and weight lifting are less than those incurred by fit people who do not participate in such a program.
B. More otherwise fit people are injured by participating in rigorous jogging and weight-lifting programs than are injured by participating in moderate jogging and weight-lifting programs.
C. The likelihood of incurring medical expenses is slightly greater for people who participate in fitness programs offered by their employers than it is for people who participate in programs offered commercially.
D. Moderate fitness programs increase the average person's fitness to the same extent that rigorous fitness programs do.
E. More health problems and injuries are the result of mandatory participation in a fitness program than are the result of voluntary participation.

112.	(32826-!-item-!-188;#058&006832)	(GWD 8-Q38)

Unless tiger hunting decreases, tigers will soon be extinct in the wild.  The countries in which the tigers' habitats are located are currently debating joint legislation that would ban tiger hunting.  Thus, if these countries can successfully enforce this legislation, the survival of tigers in the wild will be ensured.
The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument
A. assumes without sufficient warrant that a ban on tiger hunting could be successfully enforced
B. considers the effects of hunting on tigers without also considering the effects of hunting on other endangered animal species
C. fails to take into account how often tiger hunters are unsuccessful in their attempts to kill tigers
D. neglects to consider the results of governmental attempts in the past to limit tiger hunting
E. takes the removal of an impediment to the tigers' survival as a guarantee of their survival

113.	(32778-!-item-!-188;#058&006823)	(GWD 17-Q41)

Last year a record number of new manufacturing jobs were created.  Will this year bring another record?  Well, any new manufacturing job is created either within an existing company or by the start-up of a new company.  Within existing firms, new jobs have been created this year at well below last year’s record pace.  At the same time, there is considerable evidence that the number of new companies starting up will be no higher this year than it was last year and surely the new companies starting up this year will create no more jobs per company than did last year’s start-ups.  So clearly, the number of new jobs created this year will fall short of last year’s record.
In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
A. The first is presented as an obvious truth on which the argument is based; the second is a prediction advanced in support of the main conclusion of the argument.
B. The first is presented as an obvious truth on which the argument is based; the second is an objection that the argument rejects.
C. The first is presented as an obvious truth on which the argument is based; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.
D. The first is a generalization that the argument seeks to establish; the second is a claim that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes.
E. The first is a generalization that the argument seeks to establish; the second is a claim that has been advanced in order to challenge that generalization.

114.	(29014-!-item-!-188;#058&003730)	(GWD 12-Q38)

Outbreaks of Rift Valley fever occur irregularly in East Africa, several years apart.  When outbreaks do occur, they kill thousands of cattle.  A livestock vaccine against the disease exists but is rarely used.  It is too expensive for farmers to use routinely, and since it is not effective until a month after vaccination, administering it after an outbreak begins helps very little.  Nevertheless, experts predict that use of the vaccine will increase significantly within the next few years.
Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest justification for the experts’ prediction?
A. Rift Valley fever is spread by mosquitoes, but each outbreak is so widespread that it is impractical to control it by using insecticides.
B. When an outbreak of Rift Valley fever occurs, unaffected countries often refuse to import livestock from the countries affected by the outbreak.
C. It would take less than a month for producers of the vaccine to adjust their production operations to cope with a large increase in demand.
D. Many cattle farmers in East Africa are nomadic or live in remote villages, and such farmers, who have little access to modern veterinary medicine, are particularly hard hit by outbreaks of Rift Valley fever.
E. Recently published research has shown that certain identifiable climatic conditions are almost invariably followed, within two to five months, by an outbreak of Rift Valley fever.

115.	(24593-!-item-!-188;#058&001109)	(T-3-Q29)

The emission of sulfur dioxide when high-sulfur coal is burned is restricted by law.  New coal-burning plants usually comply with the law by installing expensive equipment to filter sulfur dioxide from their emissions.  These new plants could save money by installing instead less expensive cleaning equipment that chemically removes most sulfur from coal before combustion.
Which of the following, if known, would be most relevant to evaluating the claim above about how new coal-burning plants could save money?
A. Whether existing oil-burning plants are required to filter sulfur dioxide from their emissions
B. Whether the expense of installing the cleaning equipment in a new plant is less than the expense of installing the cleaning equipment in an older plant
C. Whether the process of cleaning the coal is more expensive than the process of filtering the emissions
D. Whether lawful emissions of sulfur dioxide from coal-burning plants are damaging the environment
E. Whether existing plants that use the filtering equipment could replace this equipment with the cleaning equipment and still compete with new plants that install the cleaning equipment

116.	(30096-!-item-!-188;#058&005070)	(T-9-Q18 different type)

The growing popularity of computer-based activities was widely expected to result in a decline in television viewing, since it had been assumed that people lack sufficient free time to maintain current television-viewing levels while spending increasing amounts of free time on the computer.  That assumption, however, is evidently false: in a recent mail survey concerning media use, a very large majority of respondents who report increasing time spent per week using computers report no change in time spent watching television.
In order to evaluate the argument, it would be most useful to determine which of the following?
A. Whether the survey collected information about the amount of money respondents spent on free-time media use
B. Whether the amount of time spent watching television is declining among people who report that they rarely or never use computers
C. Whether the type of television programs a person watches tends to change as the amount of time spent per week using computers increases
D. Whether a large majority of the computer owners in the survey reported spending increasing amounts of time per week using computers
E. Whether the survey respondents’ reports of time spent using computers included time spent using computers at work

117.	(30804-!-item-!-188;#058&005538)	(GWD 3-Q32)

Newspaper editorial:
In an attempt to reduce the crime rate, the governor is getting tough on criminals and making prison conditions harsher.  Part of this effort has been to deny inmates the access they formerly had to college-level courses.  However, this action is clearly counter to the governor's ultimate goal, since after being released from prison, inmates who had taken such courses committed far fewer crimes overall than other inmates.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
A. Not being able to take college-level courses while in prison is unlikely to deter anyone from a crime that he or she might otherwise have committed.
B. Former inmates are no more likely to commit crimes than are members of the general population.
C. The group of inmates who chose to take college-level courses were not already less likely than other inmates to commit crimes after being released.
D. Taking high school level courses in prison has less effect on an inmate's subsequent behavior than taking college-level courses does.
E. The governor's ultimate goal actually is to gain popularity by convincing people that something effective is being done about crime.

118.	(30900-!-item-!-188;#058&005643)	(GWD 18-Q30)

The ancient Nubians inhabited an area in which typhus occurs, yet surprisingly few of their skeletons show the usual evidence of this disease.  The skeletons do show deposits of tetracycline, an antibiotic produced by a bacterium common in Nubian soil.  This bacterium can flourish on the dried grain used for making two staples of the Nubian diet, beer and bread.  Thus, tetracycline in their food probably explains the low incidence of typhus among ancient Nubians.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?
A. Infectious diseases other than typhus to which the ancient Nubians were exposed are unaffected by tetracycline.
B. Tetracycline is not rendered ineffective as an antibiotic by exposure to the processes involved in making bread and beer.
C. Typhus cannot be transmitted by ingesting bread or beer contaminated with the infectious agents of this disease.
D. Bread and beer were the only items in the diet of the ancient Nubians which could have contained tetracycline.
E. Typhus is generally fatal.

119.	(28734-!-item-!-188;#058&003375)	(GWD 17-Q30)

In a study conducted in Pennsylvania, servers in various restaurants wrote “Thank you” on randomly selected bills before presenting the bills to their customers.  Tips on these bills were an average of three percentage points higher than tips on bills without the message.  Therefore, if servers in Pennsylvania regularly wrote “Thank you” on restaurant bills, their average income from tips would be significantly higher than it otherwise would have been.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?
A. The “Thank you” messages would have the same impact on regular patrons of a restaurant as they would on occasional patrons of the same restaurant.
B. Regularly seeing “Thank you” written on their bills would not lead restaurant patrons to revert to their earlier tipping habits.
C. The written “Thank you” reminds restaurant patrons that tips constitute a significant part of the income of many food servers.
D. The rate at which people tip food servers in Pennsylvania does not vary with how expensive a restaurant is.
E. Virtually all patrons of the Pennsylvania restaurants in the study who were given a bill with “Thank you” written on it left a larger tip than they otherwise would have.

120.	(32170-!-item-!-188;#058&006359)	(GWD 8-Q40)

From 1973 to 1976, total United States consumption of cigarettes increased 3.4 percent, and total sales of chewing tobacco rose 18.0 percent.  During the same period, total United States population increased 5.0 percent.
If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions can be properly drawn?
A. United States manufacturers of tobacco products had higher profits in 1976 than in 1973.
B. Per capita consumption of cigarettes in the United States was lower in 1976 than in 1973.
C. The proportion of nonsmokers in the United States population dropped slightly between 1973 and 1976.
D. United States manufacturers of tobacco products realize a lower profit on cigarettes than on chewing tobacco.
E. A large percentage of United States smokers switched from cigarettes to chewing tobacco between 1973 and 1976.

121.	(32730-!-item-!-188;#058&006786)	(GWD 23-Q40)

Political advocacy groups have begun to use information services to disseminate information that is then accessed by the public via personal computer.  Since many groups are thus able to bypass traditional news sources, whose reporting is selective, and to present their political views directly to the public, information services present a more balanced picture of the complexities of political issues than any traditional news source presents.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument above depends?
A. Information services are accessible to enough people to ensure that political advocacy groups can use these services to reach as large a percentage of the public as they could through traditional news sources.
B. People could get a thorough understanding of a particular political issue by sorting through information provided by several traditional news sources, each with differing editorial biases.
C. Information on political issues disseminated through information services does not come almost entirely from advocacy groups that share a single bias.
D. Traditional news sources seldom report the views of political advocacy groups accurately.
E. Most people who get information on political issues from newspapers and other traditional news sources can readily identify the editorial biases of those sources.

122.	(30466-!-item-!-188;#058&005453)	(GWD 30-Q27)

Personnel officer:  The exorbitant cost of our health-insurance benefits reflects the high dollar amount of medical expenses incurred by our employees.  Employees who are out of shape, as a group, have higher doctor bills and longer hospital stays than do their colleagues who are fit.  Therefore, since we must reduce our health-insurance costs, we should offer a rigorous fitness program of jogging and weight lifting to all employees, and require employees who are out of shape to participate.  
The conclusion reached by the personnel officer depends on which of the following assumptions?
A. A person who is fit would receive a routine physical checkup by a doctor less regularly than would a person who is out of shape.
B. The medical expenses incurred by employees who are required to participate in the fitness program would be less than those incurred by employees who are not required to participate.
C. The strenuous activities required of out-of-shape employees by the program would not by themselves generate medical expenses greater than any reduction achieved by the program.
D. The fitness program would serve more employees who are out of shape than it would employees who are fit.
E. The employees who participate in the fitness program would be away from work because of illness less than would the employees who do not participate.

123.	(31092-!-item-!-188;#058&005693)	(GWD 1-Q13)

In the United States, of the people who moved from one state to another when they retired, the percentage who retired to Florida has decreased by three percentage points over the past ten years.  Since many local businesses in Florida cater to retirees, this decline is likely to have a noticeably negative economic effect on these businesses.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. Florida attracts more people who move from one state to another when they retire than does any other state.
B. The number of people who move out of Florida to accept employment in other states has increased over the past ten years.
C. There are far more local businesses in Florida that cater to tourists than there are local businesses that cater to retirees.
D. The total number of people who retired and moved to another state for their retirement has increased significantly over the past ten years.
E. The number of people who left Florida when they retired to live in another state was greater last year than it was ten years ago.

124.	(25997-!-item-!-188;#058&001833)	(GWD 12-Q40)

Which of the following most logically completes the argument?
Researchers recently asked dozens of shoppers, chosen at random coming out of a FoodBasket supermarket, what they had purchased.  The prices of the very same items at the nearest ShopperKing supermarket were totaled and compared with the FoodBasket total.  The ShopperKing totals averaged five percent higher than the FoodBasket totals.  Nevertheless, this result does not necessarily show that shoppers at ShopperKing would save money overall by shopping at FoodBasket instead, since __________.
A. shoppers who shop regularly at a given supermarket generally choose that store for the low prices offered on the items that they purchase most often
B. for shoppers with more than 20 items, the ShopperKing totals averaged more than five percent higher than the FoodBasket totals
C. many shoppers consider factors other than price in choosing the supermarket at which they shop most regularly
D. there is little variation from month to month in the overall quantity of purchases made at supermarkets by a given shopper
E. none of the people who conducted the research were employees of the FoodBasket supermarket

125.	(32266-!-item-!-188;#058&006433)	(GWD 28-Q11)

Trancorp currently transports all its goods to Burland Island by truck.  The only bridge over the channel separating Burland from the mainland is congested, and trucks typically spend hours in traffic.  Trains can reach the channel more quickly than trucks, and freight cars can be transported to Burland by barges that typically cross the channel in an hour.  Therefore, to reduce shipping time, Trancorp plans to switch to trains and barges to transport goods to Burland.
Which of the following would be most important to know in determining whether Trancorp's plan, if implemented, is likely to achieve its goal?
A. Whether transportation by train and barge would be substantially less expensive than transportation by truck
B. Whether there are boats that can make the trip between the mainland and Burland faster than barges can
C. Whether loading the freight cars onto barges is very time consuming
D. Whether the average number of vehicles traveling over the bridge into Burland has been relatively constant in recent years
E. Whether most trucks transporting goods into Burland return to the mainland empty

============Answers===========
73. A
74. C
75. B
76. E
77. A
78. C
79. C
80. A
81. A
82. E
83. D
84. D
85. C
86. E
87. A
88. B
89. C
90. A
91. A
92. A
93. C
94. B
95. A
96. B
97. A
98. C
99. C
100. B
101. C
102. E
103. E
104. E
105. C
106. B
107. E
108. C
109. C
110. E
111. A
112. E
113. A
114. E
115. C
116. E
117. C
118. B
119. B
120. B
121. C
122. C
123. D
124. A
125. C