GMAT Verbal Reasoning Practice Test 3

Physical Therapist: Admittedly the patient’s leg strength would improve with daily exercise on the elliptical, but I have cautioned against this activity in the rehabilitation plan. Since he has just undergone knee surgery, an exercise with such strenuous knee movements would overstress the already delicate joint and subsequently put the patient at risk of further damage.

The physical therapist’s argument depends on which of the following?

The concerning number of crimes reported to the Williams County Crime Tip Line should not poorly reflect the county’s character. The high reports affirm the tip line works, since the Williams County residents themselves reported the criminal behavior.

The bolded phrase plays which of the following roles in the argument?

The heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout the entire body. It stands to reason that the bigger the body, the more pumps the heart would need to conduct in order to circulate blood to the entire body. However, the heart of an elephant beats approximately thirty times a minute whereas a human heart beats approximately sixty-five times a minute. Furthermore, the heartbeat of the smallest animal, a pygmy shrew, has 1,200 beats per minute.

The statements above, if true, provide the most support for which conclusion below?

Imagination, versatility, and collaboration are part of human nature. Furthermore, these traits are what build the most success. Nevertheless, these traits are not often valued in the education system, and in many cases, these traits are discouraged. The sole means of preparing children to be high-achievers in the world may actually be detrimental to their success.The long-term success of working as an adult requires flexibility and incorporating new ideas into continually evolving bureaucratic, social, and fiscal circumstances.

The challenge awaits to create a “flat” school system. In doing so, the hierarchy of achievement and cut-throat competition falls to a cooperative environment that focuses on the growth and character of children as a whole. In order for this newly structured organization to work, the purpose of education must be redefined. Rather than pushing children to achieve higher than their peers, encourage children to collaborate with their peers to be equal contributors to innovative ideas. New methods of learning should be quickly implemented without requiring traditional isolation of students that encourages a hierarchy. Schools should reward the creativity and flexibility of a whole group’s achievement without any comparison to individual student achievement or another group’s achievement. Limiting specialized roles within groups would also eliminate ranking while fostering flexibility as students can undertake various roles depending on the needs of each individual assignment. To summarize, flat schools would produce lifelong learners with the ability to thrive no matter the circumstance because the students were fostered in an environment that strengthened their innate abilities.

Which of the following could best serve as an example of how a school could restructure itself to be more “flat” as described in the passage?

Imagination, versatility, and collaboration are part of human nature. Furthermore, these traits are what build the most success. Nevertheless, these traits are not often valued in the education system, and in many cases, these traits are discouraged. The sole means of preparing children to be high-achievers in the world may actually be detrimental to their success.The long-term success of working as an adult requires flexibility and incorporating new ideas into continually evolving bureaucratic, social, and fiscal circumstances.

The challenge awaits to create a “flat” school system. In doing so, the hierarchy of achievement and cut-throat competition falls to a cooperative environment that focuses on the growth and character of children as a whole. In order for this newly structured organization to work, the purpose of education must be redefined. Rather than pushing children to achieve higher than their peers, encourage children to collaborate with their peers to be equal contributors to innovative ideas. New methods of learning should be quickly implemented without requiring traditional isolation of students that encourages a hierarchy. Schools should reward the creativity and flexibility of a whole group’s achievement without any comparison to individual student achievement or another group’s achievement. Limiting specialized roles within groups would also eliminate ranking while fostering flexibility as students can undertake various roles depending on the needs of each individual assignment. To summarize, flat schools would produce lifelong learners with the ability to thrive no matter the circumstance because the students were fostered in an environment that strengthened their innate abilities.

The primary purpose of the passage is to

Imagination, versatility, and collaboration are part of human nature. Furthermore, these traits are what build the most success. Nevertheless, these traits are not often valued in the education system, and in many cases, these traits are discouraged. The sole means of preparing children to be high-achievers in the world may actually be detrimental to their success.The long-term success of working as an adult requires flexibility and incorporating new ideas into continually evolving bureaucratic, social, and fiscal circumstances.

The challenge awaits to create a “flat” school system. In doing so, the hierarchy of achievement and cut-throat competition falls to a cooperative environment that focuses on the growth and character of children as a whole. In order for this newly structured organization to work, the purpose of education must be redefined. Rather than pushing children to achieve higher than their peers, encourage children to collaborate with their peers to be equal contributors to innovative ideas. New methods of learning should be quickly implemented without requiring traditional isolation of students that encourages a hierarchy. Schools should reward the creativity and flexibility of a whole group’s achievement without any comparison to individual student achievement or another group’s achievement. Limiting specialized roles within groups would also eliminate ranking while fostering flexibility as students can undertake various roles depending on the needs of each individual assignment. To summarize, flat schools would produce lifelong learners with the ability to thrive no matter the circumstance because the students were fostered in an environment that strengthened their innate abilities.

Using the passage, which of the following statements can be inferred about hierarchy school systems?

It is necessary to replace mulch in gardens periodically as it will decompose and damage the plants it surrounds. High-quality mulch is extra rich in nutrients to stabilize soil, reduce weed growth, and conserve water. This expensive mulch improves plant health overall and will last longer before needing to be replaced. Nevertheless, lower-quality mulch impacts gardens much in the same way as high-quality mulch, but is more cost-efficient and will need to be replaced more often. Therefore, for more serious gardeners, lower-quality mulch does not save money.

Which of the following would be most useful to know in evaluating the argument?

An attendance report from the local athletic club found that parents who paid for five or more swim lessons on an hourly basis canceled or rescheduled a session on average twice every five lessons. By comparison, those parents who purchased packages of five hours canceled or rescheduled a lesson on average once every five lessons. This demonstrates that parents are at least partly motivated by the amount of money they have invested in swim lessons.

Which of the following, if true, calls into question the explanation above?

Freshman advisor: Strong study habits are difficult to build and true studying takes a lot of dedicated time. Freshman students adjusting to college life need to possess strong study skills as their time is limited. It is vital freshmen know the best ways to study efficiently to help save time. For this reason, freshmen should be required to attend weekly seminars on effective study habits in order to set them up for success right away.

Which of the following, if true, poses the most serious challenge to the argument?

Gravity is defined as a universal force of attraction that is present between all bodies of mass. Though it may be difficult to believe, there was a time when gravity was believed to be just a theory. Originally gravity was thought to be a terrestrial force restricted to objects near Earth’s surface, but that thought evolved after the life work of a brilliant scientist.

The quantitative theory of gravity was first established by Isaac Newton. As legend has it, Newton was sitting under an apple tree on his family’s farm, when an apple fell from the tree and hit him on the head. This led Newton to question why the apple fell down instead of falling sideways or even upwards. Following this event, Newton had a theoretical breakthrough by recognizing two different types of motion: uniform and accelerate. He applied this breakthrough knowledge to his studies of gravity. Newton quickly understood that gravity and motion were strongly correlated.

Newton discovered three laws of motion that he used to help explain the concept of gravity. Newton’s First Law of Motion states an object at rest stays at rest until a force is applied to the object. Newton’s Second Law states the more mass an object has, the more force must be applied to change its speed and/or direction. The final law, Newton’s Third Law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

It was through these three laws of motion that Newton was able to master the complexity of gravity. Newton applied the laws of motion to the relationship of all particulates of matter in the universe. He then created a formula to solidify his law of gravitation.

F = G(m1m2)/R2

attractive force = gravitational constant (product of two masses) / square of the distance

This groundbreaking formula has been by scientists, mathematicians, and engineers for centuries. Even centuries, Isaac Newton is renowned for his contributions to the world.

The passage suggests which of the following about Newton’s Law of Gravitation?

Gravity is defined as a universal force of attraction that is present between all bodies of mass. Though it may be difficult to believe, there was a time when gravity was believed to be just a theory. Originally gravity was thought to be a terrestrial force restricted to objects near Earth’s surface, but that thought evolved after the life work of a brilliant scientist.

The quantitative theory of gravity was first established by Isaac Newton. As legend has it, Newton was sitting under an apple tree on his family’s farm, when an apple fell from the tree and hit him on the head. This led Newton to question why the apple fell down instead of falling sideways or even upwards. Following this event, Newton had a theoretical breakthrough by recognizing two different types of motion: uniform and accelerate. He applied this breakthrough knowledge to his studies of gravity. Newton quickly understood that gravity and motion were strongly correlated.

Newton discovered three laws of motion that he used to help explain the concept of gravity. Newton’s First Law of Motion states an object at rest stays at rest until a force is applied to the object. Newton’s Second Law states the more mass an object has, the more force must be applied to change its speed and/or direction. The final law, Newton’s Third Law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

It was through these three laws of motion that Newton was able to master the complexity of gravity. Newton applied the laws of motion to the relationship of all particulates of matter in the universe. He then created a formula to solidify his law of gravitation.

F = G(m1m2)/R2

attractive force = gravitational constant (product of two masses) / square of the distance

This groundbreaking formula has been by scientists, mathematicians, and engineers for centuries. Even centuries, Isaac Newton is renowned for his contributions to the world.

Which of the following best describes the organization of this passage?

Gravity is defined as a universal force of attraction that is present between all bodies of mass. Though it may be difficult to believe, there was a time when gravity was believed to be just a theory. Originally gravity was thought to be a terrestrial force restricted to objects near Earth’s surface, but that thought evolved after the life work of a brilliant scientist.

The quantitative theory of gravity was first established by Isaac Newton. As legend has it, Newton was sitting under an apple tree on his family’s farm, when an apple fell from the tree and hit him on the head. This led Newton to question why the apple fell down instead of falling sideways or even upwards. Following this event, Newton had a theoretical breakthrough by recognizing two different types of motion: uniform and accelerate. He applied this breakthrough knowledge to his studies of gravity. Newton quickly understood that gravity and motion were strongly correlated.

Newton discovered three laws of motion that he used to help explain the concept of gravity. Newton’s First Law of Motion states an object at rest stays at rest until a force is applied to the object. Newton’s Second Law states the more mass an object has, the more force must be applied to change its speed and/or direction. The final law, Newton’s Third Law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

It was through these three laws of motion that Newton was able to master the complexity of gravity. Newton applied the laws of motion to the relationship of all particulates of matter in the universe. He then created a formula to solidify his law of gravitation.

F = G(m1m2)/R2

attractive force = gravitational constant (product of two masses) / square of the distance

This groundbreaking formula has been by scientists, mathematicians, and engineers for centuries. Even centuries, Isaac Newton is renowned for his contributions to the world.

The author most likely mentions the bolded text to

There are many online videos providing instructions for how to complete electrical jobs around the home. Regardless, homeowners should never use these videos to teach themselves electricity. While the videos are designed for easy understanding and following, the risk of someone who is not a licensed electrician making a costly error is exponentially higher than a professionally licensed electrician.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

High-dairy diets have shown great benefits to those who have embraced the transition from a typical diet. Dairy foods provide vital nutrients to help maintain a healthy body. Calcium, potassium, and vitamin D are only a few of the nutrients needed to keep the body strong and fit. A high-dairy diet has great advantages for people looking build strength and tone.

This argument depends on which of the following?

Art Critic: I have noticed that clay-firing sculptures created by artists with over ten years of experience widely produce greater interest and popularity than clay-firing sculptures created by artists with less than ten years of experience. Sculptures constructed from less experienced artists are more disposed to error and malformation and, consequently, are not as popular. It seems that more experienced artists are more accurate and mindful in their artwork than their fellow artists, who may just fall victim to trendy art techniques.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the art critic’s argument?

A critical feature of political campaigning is the option between positive and negative advertising. Positive campaign advertisements highlight the strong qualities of a political candidate to convince voters they want to elect the candidate. Alternatively,  negative campaign advertisements are centered around attacking the competing politician to thwart voters from voting for that candidate.

A considerable advantage to running a “clean” campaign with positive advertising as it allows voters to hear a candidate’s true thoughts on relevant issues. A clean campaign that focuses on positive advertisements captures the essence of what the United States Founding Fathers intended when creating the country’s governing system. Furthermore, clean campaigning allows for everyone to participate instead of only a select few politicians shaping the policy for millions of people. Not only does positive advertising in political campaigns better serve citizens, it also helps candidates get better acquainted with their constituents. One possible disadvantage to positive advertising in a clean campaign is that it may lead voters to feel the campaign is insincere and regard the tactic with skepticism.

By contrast, negative campaign advertising may be perceived as more truthful and authentic. Negative campaigning involves candidates intentionally spreading adverse information about the opposition. This may include unfavorable reports about the opposition’s career and has often included distasteful information about the opposition’s personal life. Ironically, negative campaigning may be viewed by voters as more reliable when learning about the candidates. Research completed by psychologists concluded that negative advertising is likely to be more memorable. Voters tend to pay more attention to negative advertisements, rather than positive publicity. The reason many candidates have found success with negative campaigning is that negative information often highlights a problem with the opposing candidate’s viewpoint. Candidates use this tactic to convince voters that the opposition is characteristically, morally, or logically flawed. Focusing on the negative brings to the forefront of the campaign what voters may lose if they vote for the opposition. This technique plays into the fears of voters and emotions are the underlining drive behind most people’s decisions.

Admittingly the benefits of negative campaigning do outnumber the benefits of a clean campaign with positive advertisements, but that does not always mean negative advertising campaigns are more effective. Negative advertising always runs the risk of voters viewing the campaign as petty and inappropriate.

All of the following are mentioned as potential advertising risks EXCEPT

A critical feature of political campaigning is the option between positive and negative advertising. Positive campaign advertisements highlight the strong qualities of a political candidate to convince voters they want to elect the candidate. Alternatively,  negative campaign advertisements are centered around attacking the competing politician to thwart voters from voting for that candidate.

A considerable advantage to running a “clean” campaign with positive advertising as it allows voters to hear a candidate’s true thoughts on relevant issues. A clean campaign that focuses on positive advertisements captures the essence of what the United States Founding Fathers intended when creating the country’s governing system. Furthermore, clean campaigning allows for everyone to participate instead of only a select few politicians shaping the policy for millions of people. Not only does positive advertising in political campaigns better serve citizens, it also helps candidates get better acquainted with their constituents. One possible disadvantage to positive advertising in a clean campaign is that it may lead voters to feel the campaign is insincere and regard the tactic with skepticism.

By contrast, negative campaign advertising may be perceived as more truthful and authentic. Negative campaigning involves candidates intentionally spreading adverse information about the opposition. This may include unfavorable reports about the opposition’s career and has often included distasteful information about the opposition’s personal life. Ironically, negative campaigning may be viewed by voters as more reliable when learning about the candidates. Research completed by psychologists concluded that negative advertising is likely to be more memorable. Voters tend to pay more attention to negative advertisements, rather than positive publicity. The reason many candidates have found success with negative campaigning is that negative information often highlights a problem with the opposing candidate’s viewpoint. Candidates use this tactic to convince voters that the opposition is characteristically, morally, or logically flawed. Focusing on the negative brings to the forefront of the campaign what voters may lose if they vote for the opposition. This technique plays into the fears of voters and emotions are the underlining drive behind most people’s decisions.

Admittingly the benefits of negative campaigning do outnumber the benefits of a clean campaign with positive advertisements, but that does not always mean negative advertising campaigns are more effective. Negative advertising always runs the risk of voters viewing the campaign as petty and inappropriate.

Which of the following is the best example of negative advertising in a campaign as it is described in the passage?

A critical feature of political campaigning is the option between positive and negative advertising. Positive campaign advertisements highlight the strong qualities of a political candidate to convince voters they want to elect the candidate. Alternatively,  negative campaign advertisements are centered around attacking the competing politician to thwart voters from voting for that candidate.

A considerable advantage to running a “clean” campaign with positive advertising as it allows voters to hear a candidate’s true thoughts on relevant issues. A clean campaign that focuses on positive advertisements captures the essence of what the United States Founding Fathers intended when creating the country’s governing system. Furthermore, clean campaigning allows for everyone to participate instead of only a select few politicians shaping the policy for millions of people. Not only does positive advertising in political campaigns better serve citizens, it also helps candidates get better acquainted with their constituents. One possible disadvantage to positive advertising in a clean campaign is that it may lead voters to feel the campaign is insincere and regard the tactic with skepticism.

By contrast, negative campaign advertising may be perceived as more truthful and authentic. Negative campaigning involves candidates intentionally spreading adverse information about the opposition. This may include unfavorable reports about the opposition’s career and has often included distasteful information about the opposition’s personal life. Ironically, negative campaigning may be viewed by voters as more reliable when learning about the candidates. Research completed by psychologists concluded that negative advertising is likely to be more memorable. Voters tend to pay more attention to negative advertisements, rather than positive publicity. The reason many candidates have found success with negative campaigning is that negative information often highlights a problem with the opposing candidate’s viewpoint. Candidates use this tactic to convince voters that the opposition is characteristically, morally, or logically flawed. Focusing on the negative brings to the forefront of the campaign what voters may lose if they vote for the opposition. This technique plays into the fears of voters and emotions are the underlining drive behind most people’s decisions.

Admittingly the benefits of negative campaigning do outnumber the benefits of a clean campaign with positive advertisements, but that does not always mean negative advertising campaigns are more effective. Negative advertising always runs the risk of voters viewing the campaign as petty and inappropriate.

It can be inferred from the passage that proponents of negative advertising in campaigns would most likely view the style of campaigning as  

Store Manager: The biggest profit in our shoe store last year depended on thick, warm socks and winter boots. Unfortunately, the reliability of deliveries from our source has decreased due to a nationwide worker shortage. For this reason, to maintain our store profits, we will have to increase the prices of products in these categories until the nationwide worker shortage is over and deliveries reach previous levels.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the store manager’s argument depends?

The University of Jamerson Towne has placed Professor Stanley on probation for the semester with chances of revoking his contract for next school year. Over the past three semesters, at least 35% of Professor Stanley’s students have failed their final exam. The students that failed repeated complained of Professor Stanley’s unwillingness to answer questions in class and review material. The University of Jamerson Towne believes Professor Stanley may not be a good fit for the university moving forward.

What statement, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

Humans have always been fascinated with the rush of cheating death. However, it seems there is one specie that has found the secret to immortality. The Turritopsis dohrnii was first discovered in the 1880s in the Mediterranean Sea. The Turritopsis dohrnii is developed from a fertilized egg and begins life as a larva called a planula. Initially, the planula swims and then settles onto a hard oceanic surface to fertilize. Matured larvae become polyps that bud off and evolve into young jellyfish. Within only a few short weeks, these young jellyfish advance to adulthood and become medusae. Originally it was believed that this process was standard for the lifecycle of all jellyfish types. It was not discovered until the late 1900s that, unlike most jellyfish, the species Turritopsis dohrnii is “immortal.”

The immortal jellyfish has the ability to reverse its lifecycle. When the medusa of immortal jellyfish is physically damaged or stressed, it does not die, but alternatively reabsorbs its tentacles and settles back onto a hard surface. The cells then regenerate themselves into polyps that once again mature into jellyfish.

This rare process is known as transdifferentiation. The discovery of transdifferentiation was a phenomenon for two reasons. The first reason is that this process was mindblowing to the world of science, as this concept was completely unheard of. The second reason this cellular mechanism was a phenomenon is because of its potential applications in human medicine. The transdifferentiation process transforms a specialized cell for a particular tissue type into a completely different type of specialized cell for a different tissue type. Transdifferentiation is an effective method of recycling cells that scientists may be able to replicate in stem cell research with the hope of replacing damaged cells with healthy cells.

The primary purpose of the second paragraph of the passage?

Humans have always been fascinated with the rush of cheating death. However, it seems there is one specie that has found the secret to immortality. The Turritopsis dohrnii was first discovered in the 1880s in the Mediterranean Sea. The Turritopsis dohrnii is developed from a fertilized egg and begins life as a larva called a planula. Initially, the planula swims and then settles onto a hard oceanic surface to fertilize. Matured larvae become polyps that bud off and evolve into young jellyfish. Within only a few short weeks, these young jellyfish advance to adulthood and become medusae. Originally it was believed that this process was standard for the lifecycle of all jellyfish types. It was not discovered until the late 1900s that, unlike most jellyfish, the species Turritopsis dohrnii is “immortal.”

The immortal jellyfish has the ability to reverse its lifecycle. When the medusa of immortal jellyfish is physically damaged or stressed, it does not die, but alternatively reabsorbs its tentacles and settles back onto a hard surface. The cells then regenerate themselves into polyps that once again mature into jellyfish.

This rare process is known as transdifferentiation. The discovery of transdifferentiation was a phenomenon for two reasons. The first reason is that this process was mindblowing to the world of science, as this concept was completely unheard of. The second reason this cellular mechanism was a phenomenon is because of its potential applications in human medicine. The transdifferentiation process transforms a specialized cell for a particular tissue type into a completely different type of specialized cell for a different tissue type. Transdifferentiation is an effective method of recycling cells that scientists may be able to replicate in stem cell research with the hope of replacing damaged cells with healthy cells.

It can be inferred the reason that the author of  the passage mentioned that transdifferentiation has potential medical benefits was most likely to

Humans have always been fascinated with the rush of cheating death. However, it seems there is one specie that has found the secret to immortality. The Turritopsis dohrnii was first discovered in the 1880s in the Mediterranean Sea. The Turritopsis dohrnii is developed from a fertilized egg and begins life as a larva called a planula. Initially, the planula swims and then settles onto a hard oceanic surface to fertilize. Matured larvae become polyps that bud off and evolve into young jellyfish. Within only a few short weeks, these young jellyfish advance to adulthood and become medusae. Originally it was believed that this process was standard for the lifecycle of all jellyfish types. It was not discovered until the late 1900s that, unlike most jellyfish, the species Turritopsis dohrnii is “immortal.”

The immortal jellyfish has the ability to reverse its lifecycle. When the medusa of immortal jellyfish is physically damaged or stressed, it does not die, but alternatively reabsorbs its tentacles and settles back onto a hard surface. The cells then regenerate themselves into polyps that once again mature into jellyfish.

This rare process is known as transdifferentiation. The discovery of transdifferentiation was a phenomenon for two reasons. The first reason is that this process was mindblowing to the world of science, as this concept was completely unheard of. The second reason this cellular mechanism was a phenomenon is because of its potential applications in human medicine. The transdifferentiation process transforms a specialized cell for a particular tissue type into a completely different type of specialized cell for a different tissue type. Transdifferentiation is an effective method of recycling cells that scientists may be able to replicate in stem cell research with the hope of replacing damaged cells with healthy cells.

According to the passage, Turritopsis dohrnii differs from other jellyfish in which way?