The GMAT Verbal Section - Verbal Pretest

Creating a fundamental shift in American foreign policy and establishing a “policy of containment” that framed our foreign policy as a battle between the forces of good America and other

The Verbal section of the GMAT® exam is the last part of the test, but it is the first section covered in this book because many of the concepts and skills you need to do well on the Verbal section are also important to your success on the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section In the following chapters, you will learn all about the Verbal section: what this portion of the test is like, what kinds of questions to expect, and how to tackle those questions You will also review the core skills you will need for each type of question and specific tips and strategies to use on the exam

Before you begin this section, take a few minutes to do the pretest that follows The passage and ques-tions on the pretest are the same types you will find on the GMAT exam When you are finished, check the answer key carefully to assess your results Your pretest score will help you determine how much preparation you need and the areas in which you need the most careful review and practice

Verbal Pretest

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 P r e t e s t

The Verbal section pretest contains 20 multiple-choice questions—approximately half the number of questions you will see on the actual exam To practice the timing of the GMAT exam, take approximately 37 minutes to complete the pretest Record your answers on the answer sheet provided on this page Make sure you mark your answer clearly in the circle that corresponds to the question

Remember that the GMAT exam is a CAT, so you will not be able to write anywhere on the exam To mimic the exam environment, do not write on the pretest pages Make any notes or calculations on a sepa-rate piece of paper

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ANSWER SHEET

 R e a d i n g C o m p r e h e n s i o n

Directions: Questions 1—6 are based on the following passage Read the passage carefully and then choose

the best answer to each question Answer the questions based upon what is stated or implied in the reading passage

In Ursula LeGuin’s short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” everyone in the city of Ome-las is happy—everyone, that is, except the child who is kept locked in a basement closet The child is left entirely alone and neglected except for occasional visits from the citizens of Omelas They come at a certain age as a rite of initiation, to learn the secret of the happiness they enjoy They come to learn that their hap-piness has a price: the suffering of an innocent child In the end, most people stay in Omelas; but a few, unable

to bear the fact that they are responsible for the suffering of that child, reject this utopia built upon a utili-tarian morality

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory based upon the belief that happiness is the ultimate good and that people should use happiness as the measure for determining right and wrong For utilitarians, the right thing

to do is that which will bring about the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people

Fur-thermore, utilitarianism argues that the intention of people’s actions does not matter; only the consequences

of their actions are morally relevant, because only the consequences determine how much happiness is produced

Although many useful social policies and much legislation are founded on this “greatest good” philoso-phy, utilitarianism can be problematic as a basis for morality First, happiness is not so easy to quantify, and any

measurement is bound to be subjective Second, in a theory that treats everything except happiness as

instru-mentally rather than intrinsically valuable, anything—or, more importantly, anyone—can (and should) be

treated as a means to an end, if it means greater happiness This rejects the notion that human beings have their own intrinsic value Further, utilitarianism puts the burden of the happiness of the masses on the suffering of the few Is the happiness of many worth the suffering of a few? Why do those few deserve to suffer? Isn’t this burden of suffering morally irresponsible? This is the dilemma so brilliantly illustrated in LeGuin’s story

1 Which of the following best sums up the author’s opinion of utilitarianism?

a It is an ethical theory.

b It is the ethical theory that people should all live by.

c It is a useful but problematic ethical theory.

d It does not adequately measure happiness.

e It underestimates the intrinsic value of human beings.

2 According to the passage, in utilitarianism

a only intentions have moral significance.

b consequences are important, but intentions are more important.

c intentions and consequences are equally important.

d intentions are important, but consequences are more important.

e only consequences have moral significance.

3 The author summarizes LeGuin’s story primarily to

a show how good the story is.

b get readers interested in the story.

c illustrate the power of words.

d illustrate the central problem with utilitarianism.

e illustrate a utilitarian utopia.

4 From the passage, it can be inferred that the author

a may use utilitarianism occasionally but not as a guiding moral principle.

b would never use utilitarianism to make a decision about what is right or wrong.

c uses utilitarianism regularly to make moral decisions.

d believes utilitarianism is a good basis for social policy.

e thinks most people do not really understand utilitarianism.

5 From the author’s summary of LeGuin’s story, the reader can infer that

a most people in Omelas are utilitarians.

b most people in Omelas reject utilitarianism.

c everyone in Omelas is happy.

d the child willingly sacrifices himself for others.

e LeGuin is a popular science-fiction writer.

6 Utilitarianism could best be expressed in which of the following formulas?

X  action

Y  consequences that create happiness

Z  consequences that create unhappiness

a Do X if Y  Z

b Do X if Y  Z

c Do X if Y  Z

d Do X if Y  Z

e Do X if Y  Z

 C r i t i c a l R e a s o n i n g

Directions: For each question, select the best answer from the choices given.

7 Unemployment in Winston County has risen only 4% since I took office Under my predecessor,

unemployment rose 14% Clearly, my economic policies are far more effective

Which of the following must be true in order for this argument to be valid?

a Winston County’s population dropped significantly during the current administration.

b The national unemployment rate increased by 12% during the previous administration but only

2% during the current administration

c Key socioeconomic variables such as the state of the national economy and the demographics of

Winston County are comparable for each administration

d Key policy changes, such as increased job training for the unemployed, were implemented under

the current administration

e Tax incentives have been implemented to bring new businesses to Winston County.

8 Morning Glory, the coffee shop on the corner, has lost nearly 50% of its business because a national

retail coffee chain opened up a store down the street Instead of closing up shop, the owner of Morn-ing Glory plans to draw in customers by offerMorn-ing coffee, tea, and pastries at much lower prices than the national coffee chain

The owner’s plan of action is based on all of the following assumptions EXCEPT

a some customers will choose the coffee shop that offers the lowest price.

b the quality of Morning Glory’s coffee is comparable to that of the national coffee chain.

c Morning Glory can afford to cut its profit margin in order to lower prices.

d Morning Glory’s customers are very loyal.

e the national coffee chain will not lower its prices in order to compete with Morning Glory.

9 When romance novels were located in the back of the bookstore, they accounted for approximately 6%

of total sales Since we moved romance novels close to the front of the store and put several books on display, sales of romance novels have increased to 14% to 18% of total sales

All of the following conclusions can logically be drawn from this argument EXCEPT

a customers who bought one romance novel are likely to come back for another.

b customers are more likely to buy books located near the front of the bookstore than at the back.

c the display caught the interest of people who might not have otherwise purchased a romance novel.

d customers believe that bookstores put their best books near the front of the store.

e sales of romance novels may increase even more if the section were moved all the way to the front.

10 With more and more classes being offered online, more and more students will earn their degrees in

virtual universities Students in California will graduate from schools in New York without ever leav-ing their state Because online courses offer flexibility without geographic boundaries, virtual degrees will be in greater demand, and colleges and universities should invest the bulk of their resources in developing online degree programs

All of the following, if true, are valid objections to this argument EXCEPT

a online courses are more time consuming for faculty to develop than regular courses.

b many students need the ability to attend class outside of regular classroom hours.

c some students prefer the traditional classroom to the virtual classroom.

d not every course is suitable for an online environment.

e there is no way to ensure the authenticity of a student’s work in an online environment.

11 Property values in South Orange, New Jersey, have nearly doubled in the last six years South Orange is

located in Essex County, 17 miles from New York City

Which of the following, if true, best explains the results described in the statement?

a the proximity of South Orange to New York City

b the completion of a direct rail line to New York City

c the addition of 240 housing units in South Orange

d improved schools and a renovated downtown in South Orange

e the relocation of a major technical corporation to Union, New Jersey, two miles from South Orange

12 One out of four heart surgery patients at St Vincent’s dies from complications during surgery Only

one out of six heart surgery patients at St Mary’s dies from complications during surgery If you need heart surgery, make sure you go to St Mary’s, not St Vincent’s

Which of the following, if true, is the best reason to reject this argument?

a St Vincent’s specializes in heart surgery for elderly and high-risk patients.

b St Mary’s surgical equipment is more up to date than St Vincent’s.

c St Vincent’s has the most renowned heart surgeon in the country on its staff.

d St Vincent’s offers flexible payment options for balances not covered by insurance.

e Two doctors who used to work at St Mary’s now work at St Vincent’s.

13 DNA evidence has increasingly been used in court to prove guilt and to exonerate the innocent.

Because so many convicted felons have been cleared by DNA evidence, all cases in which someone was convicted largely on circumstantial evidence should be called into question and reviewed

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this argument?

a One in three convictions today rests largely on DNA evidence.

b DNA evidence is admissible even after the statute of limitations has expired.

c Of every ten cases in which DNA evidence becomes available post-conviction, five convictions are

overturned

d DNA evidence is 99.8% accurate.

e DNA evidence is very difficult to falsify or tamper with.

 S e n t e n c e C o r r e c t i o n

Directions: The following questions each present a sentence, part or all of which is underlined Beneath the

sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined portion The first choice repeats the original; the

other four choices present different options for phrasing the underlined text Determine which choice best

expresses the idea in the underlined text If you think the original is best, choose option a These questions

test both the correctness and overall effectiveness of expression In choosing your answer, pay attention to grammar, sentence construction, and word choice and style The correct answer is free of grammatical errors, clear, precise, and concise

14 Despite growing evidence of global warming; 34 different states plan to develop nearly 100 new

coal-burning electric plants in the next decade

a warming; 34 different states

b warming Thirty-four different states

c warming: 34 different states

d warming, 34 different states

e warming, for 34 different states

15 Suggested by new research is the fact that people who achieve phenomenal success do so, not only by

visualizing their success in future endeavors, but also, by recalling their past successes, creating a tremendous surge in confidence

a Suggested by new research is the fact that people who achieve phenomenal success do so, not only

by visualizing their success in future endeavors, but also, by recalling their past successes, creating a tremendous surge in confidence

b New research suggests that people that achieve phenomenal success visualize their success in future

endeavors and also recall their past successes to create a tremendous surge in confidence

c New research suggests that the achievement of phenomenal success by persons is accomplished not

only by the visualization of success in future endeavors but also by the recollection of past suc-cesses, which creates a tremendous surge in confidence

d New research suggests that people who achieve phenomenal success do so not only by visualizing

their success in future endeavors but also by recalling their past successes, creating a tremendous surge in confidence

e New research suggests that people who achieve phenomenal success do so not only by visualizing

their success in future endeavors, but also they recall their past successes, creating a tremendous surge in confidence

16 Creating a fundamental shift in American foreign policy and establishing a “policy of containment”

that framed our foreign policy as a battle between the forces of good (America and other democratic societies) and evil (the Soviet Union and other communist nations), was the 1947 Truman Doctrine

a Creating a fundamental shift in American foreign policy and establishing a “policy of

contain-ment” that framed our foreign policy as a battle between the forces of good (America and other democratic societies) and evil (the Soviet Union and other communist nations), was the 1947 Truman Doctrine

b The 1947 Truman Doctrine created a fundamental shift in American foreign policy, establishing a

“policy of containment” that framed our foreign policy as a battle between the forces of good (America and other democratic societies) and evil (the Soviet Union and other communist

nations)

c Creating a fundamental shift in American foreign policy was the Truman Doctrine, which was put

forth in 1947, and which established a “policy of containment” that framed our foreign policy as a battle between the forces of good (America, along with other democratic societies) and the forces

of evil (the Soviet Union, along with other communist nations)

d The 1947 Truman Doctrine created a fundamental shift in American foreign policy, establishing a

“policy of containment” that framed our foreign policy as a battle between American and other democratic societies, which it considered the forces of good, and the Soviet Union and other com-munist nations, which it considered the forces of evil

e A fundamental shift in American foreign policy was created in 1947 by the Truman Doctrine,

which importantly established a “policy of containment,” a policy that framed our foreign policy in terms of a battle between good and evil, with the good forces being America and other democracies and the evil forces being the Soviet Union and other communist nations

17 The first science-fiction novel, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, actually contains very little science, but it

masterfully explores the social and moral repercussions of what might happen if certain scientific advances were possible

a but it masterfully explores the social and moral repercussions of what might happen

b but it explores in a masterful way the social and moral repercussions of what might happen

c but, exploring the social and moral repercussions, it masterfully considers what might happen

d but it masterfully explores repercussions, social and moral in nature, of what might happen

e but it masterfully explores what are the social and moral repercussions

18 The most important issue relating to computer technology and the Internet is the right of individual

privacy, this includes the privacy of our personal data and our actions in cyberspace

a Internet is the right of individual privacy, this includes the privacy

b Internet is the right of individual privacy, being the privacy

c Internet is the right of individual privacy, including the privacy

d Internet is the right of individuals to have privacy, and included in this consideration is the privacy

e Internet is an individual’s right to privacy Including the privacy

19 While diabetes does not interfere with digestion, on the other hand, it does prevent the body from

converting an important product of digestion, glucose, which is commonly known as sugar, into

energy

a While diabetes does not interfere with digestion, on the other hand, it does prevent the body from

converting an important product of digestion, glucose, which is commonly known as sugar, into energy

b Diabetes does not interfere with digestion, but it does prevent the body from using glucose, which

is commonly known as sugar, which is a product of digestion and which is converted into energy

c Commonly known as sugar, glucose is an important product of digestion, which is prevented from

being converted by the body into energy by diabetes, although diabetes does not interfere with digestion

d Diabetes does not interfere with digestion, but it does prevent the body from converting an

impor-tant product of digestion, glucose (commonly known as sugar), into energy

e Diabetes does not interfere with digestion, but glucose (commonly known as sugar) is an

impor-tant product of digestion and is unable to be converted into energy by the body because of the disease

20 With an increasing amount of vegetarians, more stores are beginning to stock their shelves with

stan-dard vegetarian fare, such as soy milk and tofu

a With an increasing amount of vegetarians

b With the number of vegetarians on the rise

c With the number of vegetarians, which is on the rise

d Increasingly, there are more and more vegetarians, so

e Increasing in number are vegetarians, so

 A n s w e r E x p l a n a t i o n s

1 c The author is critical of utilitarianism, but she also includes evidence that it is a useful theory.

LeGuin’s story, for example, shows how the sacrifice of one can create the happiness of many The author also notes that “many useful social policies and much legislation are founded on” utilitarian-ism, demonstrating that it is a useful ethical theory The word choice throughout also indicates that

the author feels that this ethical theory has both positive and negative aspects For example, she calls it

“problematic,” but not “wrongheaded” or “faulty.” She calls the problem of the suffering of the few for the happiness of the many a “dilemma,” not a “flaw” or “failure.” She asks questions rather than

mak-ing statements about the immorality of utilitarian choices Choice a is incorrect because it simply

states a fact from the essay; it does not express an opinion The author clearly states that “there are

sev-eral serious problems with utilitarianism as a basis for morality,” so choice b is incorrect Although the

statements in choices d and e are true and clearly stated in the text, these are specific criticisms of

utili-tarianism and do not sum up the author’s opinion of this ethical theory.

2 e In the second paragraph, the author states that “only the consequences of [people’s] actions are

morally relevant, because only the consequences determine how much happiness is produced.”

3 d LeGuin’s story illustrates the problem with utilitarianism by describing how one person (the child)

lives in misery so that others can be happy The author explains that “utilitarianism puts the burden of the happiness of the masses on the suffering of the few” and then states that this problem is “so

bril-liantly illustrated in LeGuin’s story.” Choice a is incorrect because the author does not comment on or

make any inferences about the overall quality of the story; she only comments on it in relation to its demonstration of the dilemma of utilitarianism Readers may be interested in the story after reading

this passage (choice b), but again, the purpose of including the story is made evident by the last

sen-tence in the passage The author does not quote directly from the story, and she is clearly not

summa-rizing it to illustrate the power of words, so choice c is incorrect.

4 a The author is critical of utilitarianism and admits it has several problems, but she does not reject it

as an ethical theory In fact, she concedes that it is useful in creating social policies and legislation Therefore, the most logical inference is that she may use utilitarianism occasionally but not as a

guid-ing moral principle Choices b and c are therefore incorrect Choice d is incorrect because nothguid-ing in

the passage indicates how she feels about utilitarianism as a basis for social policy The passage does

not state that she believes most people do not really understand utilitarianism, so choice e is incorrect.

5 a The author states that “most people stay in Omelas” after they have visited the child This indicates

that they understand and have accepted the utilitarian nature of their society Only a few walk away

and reject the society, so choice b is incorrect The summary clearly states that everyone except the

child and the ones who are “unable to bear the fact that they are responsible for the suffering of that

child” are happy, so choice c is incorrect No evidence indicates that the child willingly sacrifices him-self for others (choice d) The passage makes no reference to LeGuin’s popularity or success as a sci-ence-fiction writer, so choice e is incorrect.

6 d The basic principle of utilitarianism as explained in the passage is that people should do “that

which will bring about the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.” There-fore, humans should choose actions that will have more happy consequences (Y) than unhappy con-sequences (Z); Y must be greater than () Z

7 c In order for the two administrations to be compared, the socioeconomic variables must be

com-parable If Winston County’s economy had relied largely upon a factory that closed down during the previous administration, then the unemployment rate would necessarily rise considerably following that event The state of the national, state, and local economies and the demographic makeup of

Winston County (e.g., no significant increase or decrease in population) need to be nearly identical for the speaker to make a fair comparison and claim that his or her policies are more effective If

Winston County’s population dropped significantly (choice a), it could explain why the

unemploy-ment rate dropped as well—but it does not support the speaker’s claim that his or her policies “are

far more effective.” Choice b, which reflects the state of the national economy, also offers an

explana-tion for the change in unemployment rates in Winston County, again contradicting the speaker’s claim that his or her economic policies made the difference If the speaker had implemented key

pol-icy changes (choice d) or tax incentives (choice e), they could have significantly reduced

unemploy-ment However, the unemployment rates still cannot be compared unless other variables are

comparable

8 d The owner’s plan—to lower prices to attract customers—assumes that some customers will choose

the lower price (choice a), that the quality of Morning Glory’s products is comparable to its competi-tor (choice b), that Morning Glory can afford to offer lower prices (choice c), and that its competicompeti-tor will also not lower its prices (choice e) The plan does not rest on any assumptions about the loyalty

of Morning Glory customers (choice d) Indeed, there is evidence that the customers are not loyal,

because Morning Glory has already lost 50% of its business

9 a The significant increase in sales after the relocation of the books indicates that customers are more

likely to buy books at the front of the store (choice b) and that the display may have caught the inter-est of people who might not otherwise purchase a romance novel (choice c) It is also logical to

con-clude that sales would further increase if the books were moved even farther toward the front of the

store (choice e) Choices b and e and the increase in sales all suggest that customers believe the best books are near the front of the store (choice d) The only conclusion that cannot logically be drawn from this scenario is that customers will come back to purchase more romance novels (choice a) The

data does not indicate repeat purchases for customers

10 b All of the choices except b offer reasons why online degree programs are problematic, suggesting

that resources should not be focused on developing online degree programs Choice b offers support

for the argument by stating that the flexibility of online classes will attract students who would not normally be able to attend regular classes

11 b The direct rail line is the most logical explanation for an increase in property values The

proxim-ity to New York Cproxim-ity in itself (choice a) would not necessarily increase property values, but the

addi-tion of public transportaaddi-tion that provides direct access to the city would make the town a more

desirable place to live When a place becomes more desirable, real-estate values increase Choice c, the

addition of housing units, is likely an effect of the direct rail line and an increase in the desirability of

the location The improvement of the schools and the renovation of the downtown (choice d) may or

may not be related to the increase in property values It would be logical to conclude that funds for improving the schools and downtown could be gleaned from additional resources from increased

property taxes, another effect of increased property values The relocation of a major corporation to a

neighboring town (choice e) could account for the increased desirability of property in South

Orange, but the direct access to the city is a more compelling reason Perhaps a few hundred persons may work in the corporation, but many thousands are likely to want an easy commute to the city