An essential part of economic freedom is freedom to choose how to use

Question

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀An essential part of economic freedom is freedom
⠀⠀⠀ to choose how to use our income: how much to spend
⠀⠀⠀ on ourselves and on what items; how much to save
⠀⠀⠀ and in what form; how much to give away and to
(5) whom. Currently, more than 40 percent of our
⠀⠀⠀ income is disposed of on our behalf by government at
⠀⠀⠀ federal, state, and local levels combined. One of us
⠀⠀⠀ once suggested a new national holiday, ‘Personal
⠀⠀⠀ Independence Day—that day in the year when we
(10) stop working to pay the expenses of government...
⠀⠀⠀ and start working to pay for the items we severally
⠀⠀⠀ and individually choose in light of our own needs and
⠀⠀⠀ desires.’ In 1929, that holiday would have come on
⠀⠀⠀ Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, February 12; today it
(15) would come about May 30; if present trends were to
⠀⠀⠀ continue, it would coincide with the other
⠀⠀⠀ Independence Day, July 4, around 1988.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Of course, we have something to say about how
⠀⠀⠀ much of our income is spent on our behalf by 
(20) government. We participate in the political process
⠀⠀⠀ that has resulted in government’s spending an
⠀⠀⠀ amount equal to more than 40 percent of our income.
⠀⠀⠀ Majority rule is a necessary and desirable expedient.
⠀⠀⠀ It is, however, very different from the kind of
(25) freedom you have when you shop at a supermarket.
⠀⠀⠀ When you enter the voting booth once a year, you
⠀⠀⠀ almost always vote for a package rather than for
⠀⠀⠀ specific items. If you are in the majority, you will at
⠀⠀⠀ best get both the items you favored and the ones you
(30) opposed but regarded as on balance less important.
⠀⠀⠀ Generally, you end up with something different from
⠀⠀⠀ what you thought you voted for. If you are in the
⠀⠀⠀ minority, you must conform to the majority vote and
⠀⠀⠀ wait for your turn to come. When you vote daily in
(35) the supermarket, you get precisely what you voted
⠀⠀⠀ for, and so does everyone else. The ballot box
⠀⠀⠀ produces conformity without unanimity; the
⠀⠀⠀ marketplace, unanimity without conformity. That is
⠀⠀⠀ why it is desirable to use the ballot box, so far as
(40) possible, only for those decisions where conformity is
⠀⠀⠀ essential.   1 
 1. The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to

(A) support a claim they believe many people will doubt.
(B) emphasize a number they believe is too large.
(C) correct a perception they believe is incorrect.
(D) ensure the reader understands how they arrived at their calculations.
(E) provide the reader raw data from which to draw a conclusion.

2 
 2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Indepence Day would occur later in the year because

(A) people are unaware of how much of their income goes to taxes each year.
(B) people’s incomes are not growing as rapidly as they were in the past.
(C) people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes.
(D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending.
(E) people in the minority have to wait for the next opportunity to vote.

3 
 3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that

(A) the government has more funds than it needs to operate efficiently.
(B) the government is unable to secure the public’s confidence.
(C) voters who are in the majority tend to be highly satisfied.
(D) voters rarely get exactly what they want.
(E) non-voters must conform to the majority vote.

4 
 4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose?

(A) To suggest that conformity is more desirable thanunanimity.
(B) To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims.
(C) To point out that two activities have similar flaws.
(D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities.
(E) To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations.

AndrewN · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

For the purposes of the competition, we should not conveniently ignore one of the three pillars of the Verbal section, right? We ought to relish the opportunity to get better at answering all Verbal questions,  any  Verbal questions. On the legal end, this passage is adapted from Milton and Rose Friedman,  Free to Choose  ©1980.

For those of you who may want some extra RC tips, I will quote another post I wrote on the topic in the spoiler below. If you just want to get this part of the competition out of the way, that is fine, too, but you may find the information in the spoiler useful after the fact.

The content of the passage hardly matters when you keep an eye on the following:

1)  Authorial presence : How does the author present the information? Is the passage informational? Persuasive? Does it present two sides, only for the author to champion one of them?

2)  What is the relationship of each paragraph to the one that preceded it , and, in a longer passage, to each of the other paragraphs? Ask yourself why the author chose to break the information at that point. Typically, a shift in focus occurs at such a paragraph break. A topic sentence—the opening sentence of the paragraph—can cue you in on where the paragraph is going.

3)  Watch for transitions . If you see for example, then you know that even if you did not grasp the meaning of the previous sentence, it is okay: you are about to get an illustration of that point. If you see nevertheless, then you can anticipate that despite X, a condition that would lead to a certain logical outcome, Y occurred instead. The transition trail, as I like to call it, often lays out the key ideas of the passage in a more digestible manner, keeping you from getting bogged down in the details.

4)  Look for strong, emotional language . Judgmental language such as poor or excellent, as well as absolute markers such as never or always, can reveal the tone of a passage or how someone mentioned feels about such and such. Questions are often based on such emotional responses.

5)  Make every word count in an answer choice . There are many ways to take a correct line of thought and spin it into an incorrect answer. If you align the keywords of the question stem, the passage, and the answer choice you wish to select, then you will start to notice an uptick in your number of correct responses. If you go into each answer choice looking to disprove something, anything at all, based on what the passage presents, then you will be much less likely to fall into the trap of selecting a half-correct answer. (I like to say that an answer choice that is even 90 percent correct is still 100 percent wrong.)

6) Understand that  you do not have to make a determination on a given answer choice as soon as you read it . Sometimes the test throws a mealymouthed response at you, one that is hard to make heads or tails of. Just skip it and move on. See if you can make an on-the-spot assessment of other answer choices. If you work from a place of comfort, again, your accuracy will often go up, even as your timing will start to go down. Too often, students are reluctant to let go of a response before they feel they have a definitive answer, Yes/No, but the GMAT™ is not that sort of test, and some questions and answer choices warrant a closer inspection. I use a green, yellow, and red light system that maps onto the universal traffic signal colors to acknowledge that a yellow-light read is fine and ensure that I do not waste too much time or mental energy looking to qualify that answer before I have had a look at others.

7)  Spend time on a question if you need to . Focus on your timing for a passage as a whole instead. If I get a four-question set in practice, I look at my timing for that cluster of questions only after I have completed the set. I have even spent 4 minutes on a single question (not even the first question) because I knew from practice that my timing averages out to roughly 2 minutes per question anyway. I typically observe a tapering effect from the first question to the last of a given set, but sometimes I encounter a difficult inference question three deep, and I give it whatever time I feel I need to arrive at an accurate conclusion.

8)  Get your understanding up first . Let timing be a secondary consideration. If your accuracy starts to go up, your timing will go down with practice. But if you dedicate equal weight to the two, then that tug-of-war will always be playing out in your mind, and you will make no genuine progress while you exhaust more and more practice questions. You can learn more from a passage or two than you can from a dozen taken in haste just to get your timing down.

9)  Work on improving your timing on other types of questions . That sounds like an odd recommendation for RC, right? But trust me when I say that if you can get your timing down on SC especially, it can take a lot of pressure off you when you hit an RC passage. When you are caught up thinking about other junk, for lack of a better way to put it, you cannot focus as well on the task at hand. Again, I know from practice that my timing on SC questions tends to hover around a minute, so each SC question on average buys me about 45 seconds, time that I can apply to breaking down longer or more complex RC passages and accompanying questions.

QUESTION 1

Right away, we need to focus on the authorial presence via an inference question. How do the authors feel about the topic the passage discusses? What do the two lines in question tell us?

1)  Currently, more than 40 percent of our income is disposed of on our behalf by government at federal, state, and local levels combined.

2)  We participate in the political process that has resulted in government’s spending an amount equal to more than 40 percent of our income.

Evidently, the authors of the passage are none too thrilled that the  government  gets to spend  more than 40 percent of  our  income . That sounds almost like a personal attack or, dare I say, a robbery. Which answer choice best reflects these sentiments?

There is nothing about this answer choice that I can get behind. I guess we are to understand that the  claim  in question is that the government spends money on behalf of its citizens, but that is a stretch, not to mention that we have no evidence to indicate the part about  many people  doubting such governmental spending. The figures mentioned in the passage seem to be factual, the opinions based on those figures, well, those of the authors.  Red light .

The opening line of the passage makes it clear that the authors favor the  freedom to choose how to use our income . Combined with the two lines quoted above, we can deduce that they would like governmental spending to be reigned in. This one looks like a keeper.  Green light .

I do not get it: is there some  perception  that the government spends less than what is mentioned in the passage? If so, I cannot find any textual evidence for it. Keep looking.  Red light .

Repetition does not  ensure  anything. Neither can we speculate on how the authors  arrived at their calculations . Those figures are simply presented as fact.  Red light .

This is a second best answer, in my view, but it does not help to answer the question that is being asked:  why  do the authors repeat this 40 percent figure? If there were no point other than to provide information, then what are we to make of the opening line of the passage, or of the notion of Personal Independence Day? The authors seem to share a distinctly negative view of the amount of money the government gets to spend without direct input by its citizens.  Red light .

QUESTION 2

Another inference question, and these tend to be trickier for test-takers. But  an inference on the GMAT™ does NOT mean to "read between the lines."  There are actually only two types of inference questions on the test. The first is a reiteration of information from the passage using slightly different language. For example, if the passage said that someone was a bright student, the correct answer might say that that someone was a high-achieving or intelligent student. The second type of inference question is one that may draw from different parts of the passage and cobble together information in a way that does not directly appear in the text. Returning to our example from before, one sentence might say that someone was a bright student, while another might indicate that that student was a star athlete. The correct answer to a related inference question might be that the student was both academically and athletically inclined. That is it. Inference questions really can be simple.

Looking at  this  question, we should focus on paragraph one, since that is where Personal Independence Day is discussed. In fact, we get a handy definition of the very term in question right after it is mentioned for the first time:

‘Personal Independence Day—that day in the year when we stop working to pay the expenses of government... and start working to pay for the items we severally and individually choose in light of our own needs and desires.’

The line after that traces how that switchover date from governmental to personal spending has, through time, continually been getting pushed back, from February of one year to May in another to a projected July in the future (well, the future of that time). All we have to do here is find the answer choice that necessarily stems from the definition provided by the passage.

Right idea, but awareness has nothing to do with the problem. That is, whether people are aware of or ignorant of the portion of their income that will be forked over to the government each year, the government will still take what it wants. This does not explain why Personal Independence Day would occur later and later.  Red light .

Misdirected comparisons keep popping up in trap answers through this Verbal series we have been working our way through, and this one is no different. We cannot say whether people are or are not making money more or less  rapidly  than they were at one point in time. That concern is actually irrelevant when the real issue is the portion of personal income that the government decides to take for its own expenditures. Do not lose sight of the definition of Personal Independence Day.  Red light .

Yes, this one makes sense. The word  spending  might make you scratch your head, but in a sense, people are spending money on whatever the government chooses to buy with those tax dollars. Keep this one for now; it matches up well with the definition.  Green light .

Like (A) before, awareness or understanding on the individual level has nothing to do with why Personal Independence Day would fall later in the year than it had before. Worse yet, this answer choice focuses on individual spending, not on the governmental spending that we need to single out.  Red light .

Although this information draws from the second paragraph of the passage, Personal Independence Day is not directly based on voting, so its appearance later and later in a calendar year cannot be explained by such a consideration.  Red light .

QUESTION 3

Finally, a detail question. The tag  according to the passage  tells us that we can relax, that the answer will be found directly in the passage. We just have to find the right keywords, and  the current political process...  points more to paragraph two.

We might pick up on the notion that the authors feel as though the greedy government is taking a bigger slice of the pie than it needs, but we cannot point to any particular line from the passage that states what this answer choice conveys. That makes it an automatic  red light .

Are we supposed to feel sorry for the government now? The authors do not discuss such a problem after bringing up  the political process  at the beginning of paragraph two. This is another  red light  answer. Your goal is not to read into the text, but to repeat what it says.

This is a dangerous presumption for test-takers who want to negate the line from the middle of the second paragraph:

If you are in the minority, you must conform to the majority vote and wait for your turn to come.

However, the majority of voters are referred to directly a few lines earlier:

If you are in the majority, you will at best get both the items you favored and the ones you opposed but regarded as on balance less important. Generally, you end up with something different from what you thought you voted for.

In other words, a best-case scenario still presents a compromise, and in general, even for those in the majority, what you get is not  what you thought you voted for . That does not sound like  highly satisfied  voters to me.  Red light .

Good thing we just examined the very line we can point to to back this one up. If it is  generally  true that  you end up with something different from what you thought you voted for , then it can be said to be less generally or  rarely  true that voters, even those in the majority, end up with  exactly what they want . This is just what we are going for.  Green light .

Where are  non-voters  discussed in the passage? The second paragraph outlines how  you enter the voting booth once a year , presumably to cast votes. This trap answer replaces voters in the minority with people who abstain from voting altogether.  Red light .

QUESTION 4

Rather than look exclusively at the lines in question, you may find it useful to adopt what I call an epicenter approach. An earthquake is strongest at its epicenter, and tremors get weaker the farther away they travel from that epicenter. In my analogy, the answers to these sorts of qualifying questions tend to be in the lines immediately surrounding the one referenced, and you often need to lean on context to place that line. Our passage:

When you vote daily in the supermarket, you get precisely what you voted for, and so does everyone else.  The ballot box produces conformity without unanimity; the marketplace, unanimity without conformity.  That is why it is desirable to use the ballot box, so far as possible, only for those decisions where conformity is essential.

Keep in mind, the opening  when  line here outlines a different type of vote from the earlier  when  line in the same paragraph:  when you enter the voting booth...  The line we need to qualify comments on both processes, each in turn. Our answer should follow a similar line of reasoning.

The last line of the passage calls for the restricted use of  those decisions where conformity is essential , so conformity does not sound all that desirable. Furthermore, this comparison, once again, is a distortion of what the passage says. The right words appear, but in a tangled up mess. In fact, I get the impression that the authors  wish  the once-a-year voting process were more like the everyday shopping experience, the one in which  you get precisely what you voted for, and so does everyone else .  Red light .

I like this one up to a point, but that point is the second word:  caution . Is the line in question meant to serve as some sort of warning sign? It appears to offer nothing more than a terse and witty observation. Then, are we to read mutual exclusivity (i.e. incompatibility) into the line? I have my doubts. I might  yellow light  this one on first pass, but I sense that  caution  is too strong.

If the flaws are so similar, then why is the order of  conformity  and  unanimity  reversed? The order is central to the point the authors are aiming to make: voting produces one outcome (largely a compromise), while shopping produces another (getting just what  you  want, but not what others may want).  Red light .

The vague, cautious language stands out to me here in  two familiar activities , and the  contrast  could not be any more different, with what you get versus what you sacrifice completely switching places, depending on whether you, the  you  of the passage, are voting or shopping. This is our answer.  Green light .

Although the last line of the passage dovetails into this idea, the line in question could essentially be removed, and that is not what we want in our answer. If I were on the fence between this one and (D), I would go with the harder-to-argue-against option in the former answer. After all, why would the authors bother to mention  conformity  and  unanimity  in a specific order to make the point that (E) broaches? First pass:  yellow light . Second pass: second best (i.e.  red light ).

Phew, that was a lengthy one, but there was a lot to discuss. I hope you may take something useful from the set of questions and the above analysis. And if you have read this far after the reveal, I would like to wish you a   Merry Christmas  , even if that just means another day off or a day of free GMAT Club tests.

Cheers, everyone.

- Andrew

Biddu86 · Answer

1. The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to -  (B)  emphasize a number they believe is too large.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Independence Day would occur later in the year because -  (C)  people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes.

3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that -  (D)  voters rarely get exactly what they want.

4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose? -  (B)  To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims.

DinoPen · Answer

Hopefully I get at least one right

P1: Freedom: You get to choose what to spend, how to spend, and what to donate National holidays = work for yourself P2: Participate in the political process = decide how society functions. Summary: Majority rules. 1. The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to (A) support a claim they believe many people will doubt. There is no doubt involved with the passage. (B) emphasize a number they believe is too large. Yes. I obtained this primarily through POE. This lead to National holidays --> a day for yourself. (A way for the gov. to pay back) (C) correct a perception they believe is incorrect. There is no perception that is corrected in the passage. (D) ensure the reader understands how they arrived at their calculations. There exists no steps in how the tax came to be. (E) provide the reader raw data from which to draw a conclusion. There exists no data that suggests this in the passage. 2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Independence Day would occur later in the year because (A) people are unaware of how much of their income goes to taxes each year. We can't infer this since we are not given any justification as to whether people believe there taxes are each year. (B) people’s incomes are not growing as rapidly as they were in the past. Yes. Since the personal independence day occurs later, this suggests that the amount of money that people are making is not growing as much. Hence, the government has to push back the date more and more to justify a 'personal' day off. (C) people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes. No. There is no indication that people are spending more of their income on taxes each year. (D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending. There is no support that suggests their motives for spending. (E) people in the minority have to wait for the next opportunity to vote. No. People in the minority would conform to the majority since the majority decided the "rules". However, the minority will always be able to vote. Nonetheless, this answer choice does not provide any reasoning as to why the personal independence day would occur later and later. 3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that (A) the government has more funds than it needs to operate efficiently. There is not indication that the government has more funds than it needs. (B) the government is unable to secure the public’s confidence. There is no indication that the government has lost public faith in the passage. (C) voters who are in the majority tend to be highly satisfied. No. In the passage, it states that the majority usually have to make concessions to the minority in order to get what they want. The result is a mixed bag of items of 'wanted' and 'not-wanted'. (D) voters rarely get exactly what they want. Yes. The minority did not get their decision voted through; however, the majority were able to get their decision through, BUT they had to include other items that they do not 100% want in the vote. Nonetheless, it exists. (E) non-voters must conform to the majority vote. There is no mention of non-voters in the passage. 4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose? (A) To suggest that conformity is more desirable than unanimity. Yes. In the last line, there exists an indication that conformity is more desirable than unanimity. (B) To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims. There was no suggestion whether unanimity + conformity are incompatible. (C) To point out that two activities have similar flaws. There were no flaws suggested here. (D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities. There was no additional information that suggested a sharp contrast in the activities. (E) To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations. There was no underscoring a position for the reader to vote a certain way

Deepakjhamb · Answer

1. The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to

(A) support a claim they believe many people will doubt.
(B) emphasize a number they believe is too large.
(C) correct a perception they believe is incorrect.
(D) ensure the reader understands how they arrived at their calculations.
(E) provide the reader raw data from which to draw a conclusion.

Solution (C) correct a perception they believe is incorrect

Authors repeats 40 percent line as he wants to portray that one of the persons who thinks that we should have 1 day holiday where our money is spent on our needs rather government spending where 40% or more of our income is spent . So through this line he wants to clear the this perception that we do have some say in this 40% spending as we are part of political process that chooses the goverment .

2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Indepence Day would occur later in the year because

(A) people are unaware of how much of their income goes to taxes each year.
(B) people’s incomes are not growing as rapidly as they were in the past.
(C) people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes.
(D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending.
(E) people in the minority have to wait for the next opportunity to vote.

answer is (D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending.

The day for such independence keeps on moving as people really do not know what desires motivate their spending

3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that

(A) the government has more funds than it needs to operate efficiently.
(B) the government is unable to secure the public’s confidence.
(C) voters who are in the majority tend to be highly satisfied.
(D) voters rarely get exactly what they want.
(E) non-voters must conform to the majority vote.

(D) voters rarely get exactly what they want.

inferred from this line -Generally, you end up with something different fromwhat you thought you voted for. this gives you general probability so if you flip it you get rare to get what exactly the voters want

4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose?

(A) To suggest that conformity is more desirable than unanimity.
(B) To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims.
(C) To point out that two activities have similar flaws.
(D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities.
(E) To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations.

actually the line following this line indicated tells its purpose - That is why it is desirable to use the ballot box, so far as possible, only for those decisions where conformity is essential.

so basically with the use of word desirable it seems that author is persuading the reader to vote only in certain situations where conformity is essential

so answer is (E) To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations.

⠀⠀⠀

DJ2911 · Answer

Correct Answers: 1-B, 2-C, 3-D, 4-D

1. The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to

(A) support a claim they believe many people will doubt. (Incorrect: no support of this in the passage)
 (B) emphasize a number they believe is too large.  (Correct: Overall the passage suggests that the author thinks that the tax is too large)
(C) correct a perception they believe is incorrect. (Incorrect: No perception is discussed in the passage)
(D) ensure the reader understands how they arrived at their calculations. (Incorrect: No calculations are mentioned)
(E) provide the reader raw data from which to draw a conclusion. (Incorrect: No raw data is being provided)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Independence Day would occur later in the year because

(A) people are unaware of how much of their income goes to taxes each year. (Incorrect: No relation with the personal independence day)
(B) people’s incomes are not growing as rapidly as they were in the past. (Incorrect: Even if the income is not growing as rapidly, there is no reason to believe that the expense is increasing even more)
 (C) people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes.  (Correct: This suggest that each year the government expenses are increasing which will need more time every year to be covered to celebrate personal independence day)
(D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending. (Incorrect: The placement of the day is dependent on the govt expense and not on personal spending)
(E) people in the minority have to wait for the next opportunity to vote. (Incorrect: disconnected from the overall point)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that

(A) the government has more funds than it needs to operate efficiently. (Incorrect: not mentioned in the passage)
(B) the government is unable to secure the public’s confidence. (Incorrect: no mention of confidence in the passage)
(C) voters who are in the majority tend to be highly satisfied. (Incorrect: majority voters are left somewhat in balance)
 (D) voters rarely get exactly what they want.  (Correct: both categories don't get what they really want)
(E) non-voters must conform to the majority vote. (Incorrect: no mention of non-voters in the passage)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose?

(A) To suggest that conformity is more desirable than unanimity. (Incorrect: no preference is given to one over the other)
(B) To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims. (Incorrect: the two lines actually don't talk about the incoherence of conformity and unanimity, but focus on the difference between ballot and marketplace)
(C) To point out that the two activities have similar flaws. (Incorrect: No mention of flaws is made anywhere)
 (D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities.  (Correct: These lines do focus on the difference between ballot and market)
(E) To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations. (Incorrect: There is no persuasion made in the two lines)

Eswar42 · Answer

1. The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to

(A) support a claim they believe many people will doubt.
  (B) emphasize a number they believe is too large . 
(C) correct a perception they believe is incorrect.
(D) ensure the reader understands how they arrived at their calculations.
(E) provide the reader raw data from which to draw a conclusion.

Currently, more than 40 percent of our
⠀⠀⠀ income is disposed of on our behalf by government at
⠀⠀⠀ federal, state, and local levels combined. 
 
We participate in the political process
⠀⠀⠀ that has resulted in government’s spending an
⠀⠀⠀ amount equal to more than 40 percent of our income. 
It is implying too large amount

2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Indepence Day would occur later in the year because

(A) people are unaware of how much of their income goes to taxes each year.
(B) people’s incomes are not growing as rapidly as they were in the past.
 (C)  people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes.  
(D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending.
(E) people in the minority have to wait for the next opportunity to vote.
 
 if present trends were to
⠀⠀⠀ continue, it would coincide with the other
⠀⠀⠀ Independence Day, July 4, around 1988. 
my understanding is if we are paying more taxes means earning is super

3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that

(A) the government has more funds than it needs to operate efficiently.
(B) the government is unable to secure the public’s confidence.
(C) voters who are in the majority tend to be highly satisfied.
  (D) voters rarely get exactly what they want.  
(E) non-voters must conform to the majority vote.
 
 If you are in the majority, you will at
⠀⠀⠀ best get both the items you favored and the ones you
(30) opposed but regarded as on balance less important.
⠀⠀⠀ Generally, you end up with something different from
⠀⠀⠀ what you thought you voted for. If you are in the
⠀⠀⠀ minority, you must conform to the majority vote and
⠀⠀⠀ wait for your turn to come 
This implies voters are not always happy, rarely happy

4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose?

(A) To suggest that conformity is more desirable than unanimity.
  (B) To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims.  
(C) To point out that two activities have similar flaws.
(D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities.
(E) To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations.
 
The ballot box
⠀⠀⠀ produces conformity without unanimity; the
⠀⠀⠀ marketplace, unanimity without conformity. 
The conformity and unanimity are incompatible, if one present the other is absent.

----------------------------------------
 Please correct me if am wrong in understanding, I am poor in solving RC as compared to other verbal sections
Thank you,
Eswar

vivek1408 · Answer

first para: The govt takes more than 40 percent of our income as taxes. This is seen as an encroachment of our economic freedom by the author.
Second para: We have some say in deciding the said tax rate through elections, although only the majority gets what they want and the minority needs to wait for their turn.

1. The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to

(A) support a claim they believe many people will doubt. No reason to believe anyone is doubting this claim. Out.
(B) emphasize a number they believe is too large. The author suggests nowhere that 40% may be too high a tax rate. Out.
(C) correct a perception they believe is incorrect. Similar to A. Out.
(D) ensure the reader understands how they arrived at their calculations. Just stating something twice doesn't explain how they arrived at 40.Out
(E) provide the reader raw data from which to draw a conclusion. Correct

2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Independence Day would occur later in the year because
Not sure about this but when in doubt, go PoE! that day in the year when we stop working to pay the expenses of government...and start working to pay for the items we severally and individually choose in light of our own needs and desires.
(A) people are unaware of how much of their income goes to taxes each year. How would this affect when person independence day would occur? Out
(B) people’s incomes are not growing as rapidly as they were in the past. Nothing in the passage suggests anything about peoples incomes. Out
(C) people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes. Maybe?
(D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending. Not sure. But doesnt seem like people misunderstand why they want to spend...Out?
(E) people in the minority have to wait for the next opportunity to vote. This comes way later in 2nd para. Out

3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that

(A) the government has more funds than it needs to operate efficiently. No.
(B) the government is unable to secure the public’s confidence. Majority does support the govt, hence they have confidence.
(C) voters who are in the majority tend to be highly satisfied. No, because they get what they dont want along with what they want.
(D) voters rarely get exactly what they want. Rarely? Thats a little vague...Like one in 1000, one in a million? Dont know. Out.
(E) non-voters must conform to the majority vote. This is clearly mentioned in the 2nd para. Correct.

4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose?
The ballot box produces conformity without unanimity; the marketplace, unanimity without conformity.

(A) To suggest that conformity is more desirable than unanimity. No claim about what is more desirable.
(B) To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims. No
(C) To point out that two activities have similar flaws. What are the similar flaws? They are contrasted for their difference, not similarity.
(D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities. Yes, conformity without unanimity: Ballot Box, unanimity without conformity: Market
(E) To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations. No. Doesnt make sense.

The explanations are not really clear, but that is only because I haven't quite understood the passage completely. I try PoE when I don't understand the passage, but I know it can lead to horrible mistakes. At least it is better than blind guessing

zhanbo · Answer

In paragraph 1, the authors first out forward the idea that "An essential part of economic freedom is freedom to choose how to use our income", of which the authors approve. They then point out 40% of our income go toward tax at various levels, using "personal  independence  day" to illustrate. For us readers, it is important to appreciate that authors are not particularly fond of paying ever increasing proportion of income as tax. They still maintain the tone of academic discussion, but they are not in favor of more tax.

In paragraph 2, the authors acknowledge that the way tax works may not be in flagrant violation of the idea that "An essential part of economic freedom is freedom to choose how to use our income": we do have some say in how to spend our tax. However, they then emphasize the differences between two kinds of freedom: conformity without unanimity VS. unanimity without conformity. The last sentence seems to indicate that we should only pay tax for those where conformity is essential.

Later on, maybe authors will point out there are only limited areas where conformity is essential. As a result, we should cut taxes so as to celebrate "personal independence day" earlier.

Question 1: The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to 
My answer is  (B) . 
I need to choose between (B) and (E). For (E), 40% is not necessarily a raw data. And there is no explicit conclusion to draw from it.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Indepence Day would occur later in the year because 
My answer is  (C) . It is rather straightforward. (C) has direct relationship with the postponement of personal independence day.

3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that 
My answer is  (D) . 
(A) Not mentioned in the passage. 
(B) Not discussed in the passage.
(C) Not confirmed in the passage. 
(D) As supposed by "Generally, you end up with something different from what you thought you voted for. If you are in the minority, you must conform to the majority vote and wait for your turn to come. " 
(E) The passage discusses only minority and majority voters. No mention of non-voters. What if we change "non-voters" to "minority voters"？ I guess that would be the right. We can argue that "non-voters", by choosing not to vote, they are automatically "minority voters". Still, if they did vote, maybe they will end up in the majority.

4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose? 
My answer is  (D) 
(A) No such suggestion
(B) No such caution.
(C) No discussion on flaws. If anything, the authors seem to suggest both have merits. 
(D) Meanwhile, the two are very different: conformity without unanimity VS. unanimity without conformity
(E) No such persuasion.

BIDJI23 · Answer

--> 1 is B . Emphasize a number they believe is too large. 
They repeat this figure because they believe is too large. The ironic idea of creating this "national holiday" and the three dots at the end of the sentence show that they believe this is too high. If not why do they imagine a special day and why do they repeat the figure? "One of us once suggested a new national holiday, ‘Personal Independence Day—that day in the year when we stop working to pay the expenses of government...

--> 2 is C . People are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes.
That's why the national holiday would be later in the calendar...

--> 3 is D . Voters rarely get exactly what they want.
Voters are composed by the minority -so they do not have what they wanted- and by the majority. The text says about them: "Generally, you end up with something different from what you thought you voted for." So almost everyone does not get what they want when voting. Or rarely get exactly what they want.

--> 4 is E . To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations.
This is the conclusion of the text. And the mean of those lines is to serve the conclusion which is using ballot boxes "only for those decisions where conformity is essential."

mSKR · Answer

One of us once suggested a new national holiday,

(A) support a claim they believe many people will doubt. ： nothing is mentioned about doubt of people
 (B) emphasize a number they believe is too large.- correct 
(C) correct a perception they believe is incorrect. : no such information is present
(D) ensure the reader understands how they arrived at their calculations.: There are no back hand calculations present
(E) provide the reader raw data from which to draw a conclusion : conclusion are not drawn based on this 40%

(A) people are unaware of how much of their income goes to taxes each year.
(B) people’s incomes are not growing as rapidly as they were in the past.
 (C) people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes.-correct 
(D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending.
(E) people in the minority have to wait for the next opportunity to vote.

Data is shoftingyar by year. If today 40% means it is may then later it may increase to July ( 7/12) . It means people income towards government is increasing year by year

Majority rule is a necessary and desirable expedient.

(A) the government has more funds than it needs to operate efficiently.-not mentioned
(B) the government is unable to secure the public’s confidence. - not mentioned
 (C) voters who are in the majority tend to be highly satisfied.- correct 
(D) voters rarely get exactly what they want. -not necesary
(E) non-voters must conform to the majority vote. -not mentioned in these line

The ballot box produces conformity without unanimity; the  marketplace, unanimity without conformity.

Contrast between ballot box vs market place

(A) To suggest that conformity is more desirable than unanimity. –not mentioned
(B) To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims.- not necessary
(C) To point out that two activities have similar flaws.- not mentioned
 (D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities. -correct 
(E) To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations –not mentioned

jle21 · Answer

1) Option B since the tone of the passage is leaning anti-taxation.
2) Option C since as more of the year is spent working to pay taxes, that means that a larger proportion of the income is for taxes.
3) Option D since voters vote for packages, not for individual items, and voters will rarely line up exactly with political platforms that they vote for.
4) Option D since the ballot box has, on aggregate, more downside for the individual than the marketplace.

ashu2526 · Answer

Answers: E, A, B, D

Question 1: 
The author is repeating the lines to make things clear to the public what exactly happening by putting examples of situation.
option A: there is no mentioning of public opinion (eliminated)
Option B: NO such number has been mentioned anywhere (eliminated)
Option C: Perception is been assumed as correct (options r opposite eliminated)
Option D: No calculation has been ever shown (eliminated)
Option E: Raw data wpon which conclusion depends  (Correct)

Question 2:  Overtime personal Indeendence Day would occur later because people are now thinking about their tax and other things and looking for the efficiency of govt from public money:

Only option A , independence day activities will rise as people r becoming more conscious bout their money

Questin 3 : public is losing its faith in govt and they r thinking why to pay such amount to someone who is not worthy or unable to solve issues. This will create confidence issue  Option B

Question 4 :The author is trying to recommend on decision making nd how to make decision. Thus a contrast of similar activities.Similar activity voting and decision making but both explanes how to judge on different point nd what to consider. Thus  option D

TarunKumar1234 · Answer

1. The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to
(A) support a claim they believe many people will doubt.- Incorrect
(B) emphasize a number they believe is too large.- Incorrect
(C) correct a perception they believe is incorrect.- Incorrect
(D) ensure the reader understands how they arrived at their calculations.- Incorrect
(E) provide the reader raw data from which to draw a conclusion. - Correct

2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Indepence Day would occur later in the year because
(A) people are unaware of how much of their income goes to taxes each year.- Incorrect
(B) people’s incomes are not growing as rapidly as they were in the past.- Incorrect
(C) people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes. -Correct 
(D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending.- Incorrect
(E) people in the minority have to wait for the next opportunity to vote.- Incorrect

3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that
(A) the government has more funds than it needs to operate efficiently.-Incorrect.
(B) the government is unable to secure the public’s confidence.-Incorrect.
(C) voters who are in the majority tend to be highly satisfied. -Correct. 
(D) voters rarely get exactly what they want.-Incorrect.
(E) non-voters must conform to the majority vote.-Incorrect.

4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose?
(A) To suggest that conformity is more desirable than unanimity.- Correct. 
(B) To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims.- Incorrect
(C) To point out that two activities have similar flaws.- Incorrect
(D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities. - Incorrect
(E) To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations.- Incorrect

Ballet-> Conformity, without unanimity and Market place- unanimity, without Conformity

bidskamikaze · Answer

1. The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to

The central idea of the passage is to suggest that government uses a large portion of public wealth and to advocate more economic freedom for the general public

(A) support a claim they believe many people will doubt.
-  There is no indication in the passage that people will doubt any claim made by the Authors.

(B) emphasize a number they believe is too large.
-  Correct. The passage is all about having economic freedom and Government expenses.

(C) correct a perception they believe is incorrect.
-  Authors don't believe the perception is incorrect.

(D) ensure the reader understands how they arrived at their calculations.
-  Nope.

(E) provide the reader raw data from which to draw a conclusion.
-  This one is close. But B is still better, as B considers the entire passage, not just the conclusion.

1. Answer B

2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Independence Day would occur later in the year because

" ‘Personal Independence Day—that day in the year when we stop working to pay the expenses of government... and start working to pay for the items we severally and individually choose in light of our own needs and desires.’ "   
 (So Personal Independence Day is a day when we have paid for the government expenses, and the rest of the year we can work for meeting our own expenses.

In 1929, that holiday would have come on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, February 12; today it would come about May 30; if present trends were to continue, it would coincide with the other   
 (This means that the government expenses are going to increase, as people will have to work for more number of days a year to meet government expenses. This basically means taxes will increase.)

(A) people are unaware of how much of their income goes to taxes each year.
-  No indication in the passage that people are unaware.

(B) people’s incomes are not growing as rapidly as they were in the past.
-  Not true. Peoples' income might be growing more rapidly, but they are taxed much more than before.

(C) people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes.
-  Correct.

(D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending.
-  No indication in the passage that people "misunderstand".

(E) people in the minority have to wait for the next opportunity to vote.
- True as per passage but not the intention behind personal independence day

2. Answer C

3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that

(A) the government has more funds than it needs to operate efficiently.
- More that what is needed to operate "efficiently"? This is not indicated in passage

(B) the government is unable to secure the public’s confidence.
- General public's confidence = majority confidence? Nothing in the passage to suggest this option.

(C) voters who are in the majority tend to be highly satisfied.
-  As per lines 28-32, this is not likely.

(D) voters rarely get exactly what they want.
- Correct. This is what is suggested in lines 28-32.

(E) non-voters must conform to the majority vote.
- "Non-Voters" are not discussed in the passage

3. Answer D

4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose?

(A) To suggest that conformity is more desirable than unanimity.
- What is more desirable is not discussed and is not the intention.

(B) To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims.
-  The Authors are not drawing any such general conclusion.

(C) To point out that two activities have similar flaws.
-  What similar flaws? This is not discussed.

(D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities.
- Close. However, E is better.

(E) To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations.
-  Correct. This is what is concluded after lines 36-38.
The ballot box produces conformity without unanimity; the marketplace, unanimity without conformity.   That is why it is desirable to use the ballot box, so far as possible, only for those decisions where conformity is essential  .

4. Answer E.

azizgmat · Answer

I think the answers are B, C, E, B.

Posted from my mobile device

callmeDP · Answer

An essential part of economic freedom is freedom
⠀⠀⠀ to choose how to use our income: how much to spend
⠀⠀⠀ on ourselves and on what items; how much to save
⠀⠀⠀ and in what form; how much to give away and to
(5) whom. Currently, more than 40 percent of our
⠀⠀⠀ income is disposed of on our behalf by government at
⠀⠀⠀ federal, state, and local levels combined. One of us
⠀⠀⠀ once suggested a new national holiday, ‘Personal
⠀⠀⠀ Independence Day—that day in the year when we
(10) stop working to pay the expenses of government...
⠀⠀⠀ and start working to pay for the items we severally
⠀⠀⠀ and individually choose in light of our own needs and
⠀⠀⠀ desires.’ In 1929, that holiday would have come on
⠀⠀⠀ Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, February 12; today it
(15) would come about May 30; if present trends were to
⠀⠀⠀ continue, it would coincide with the other
⠀⠀⠀ Independence Day, July 4, around 1988.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Of course, we have something to say about how
⠀⠀⠀ much of our income is spent on our behalf by 
(20) government. We participate in the political process
⠀⠀⠀ that has resulted in government’s spending an
⠀⠀⠀ amount equal to more than 40 percent of our income.
⠀⠀⠀ Majority rule is a necessary and desirable expedient.
⠀⠀⠀ It is, however, very different from the kind of
(25) freedom you have when you shop at a supermarket.
⠀⠀⠀ When you enter the voting booth once a year, you
⠀⠀⠀ almost always vote for a package rather than for
⠀⠀⠀ specific items. If you are in the majority, you will at
⠀⠀⠀ best get both the items you favored and the ones you
(30) opposed but regarded as on balance less important.
⠀⠀⠀ Generally, you end up with something different from
⠀⠀⠀ what you thought you voted for. If you are in the
⠀⠀⠀ minority, you must conform to the majority vote and
⠀⠀⠀ wait for your turn to come. When you vote daily in
(35) the supermarket, you get precisely what you voted
⠀⠀⠀ for, and so does everyone else. The ballot box
⠀⠀⠀ produces conformity without unanimity; the
⠀⠀⠀ marketplace, unanimity without conformity. That is
⠀⠀⠀ why it is desirable to use the ballot box, so far as
(40) possible, only for those decisions where conformity is
⠀⠀⠀ essential.

1. The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to

(A) support a claim they believe many people will doubt. 
(B) emphasize a number they believe is too large.
(C) correct a perception they believe is incorrect.
(D) ensure the reader understands how they arrived at their calculations. 
 (E) provide the reader raw data from which to draw a conclusion.

Ans D:

2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Indepence Day would occur later in the year because

(A) people are unaware of how much of their income goes to taxes each year. 
 (B) people’s incomes are not growing as rapidly as they were in the past. 
 (C) people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes.
(D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending.
(E) people in the minority have to wait for the next opportunity to vote.

Ans: B 
The day is gradually increasing, this means more proportion of income goes to govt.

3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that

(A) the government has more funds than it needs to operate efficiently.
(B) the government is unable to secure the public’s confidence.
(C) voters who are in the majority tend to be highly satisfied. 
 (D) voters rarely get exactly what they want. 
 (E) non-voters must conform to the majority vote.

Ans: D 
 Generally, you end up with something different from what you thought you voted for.

4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose?

(A) To suggest that conformity is more desirable thanunanimity.
(B) To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims.
(C) To point out that two activities have similar flaws.
(D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities. 
 (E) To persuade the reader to vote only in certain situations.

Ans:E 
 That is why it is desirable to use the ballot box, so far as possible, only for those decisions where conformity is essential.

Sumi1010 · Answer

1. The authors of the passage repeat “40 percent” (line 5 and line 22) most likely in order to

(A) support a claim they believe many  people will doubt. 
 The author does not hold such suspicion.  
(B) emphasize a number they believe is too large.
 The author intends to show that a significant part of our income is disposed by the government. 
(C)  correct a perception  they believe is incorrect.
 There is no existing perception to be corrected. 
(D) ensure the reader understands how they arrived at their calculations.
 The author is not giving a mathematical explanation.  
(E) provide the reader raw data from which to draw a conclusion.
 The conclusion is not based entirely on the data.

IMO  B

2. It can be inferred from the passage that, over time, Personal Indepence Day would occur later in the year because

(A) people are unaware of how much of their income goes to taxes each year.
 If they are unaware, the PID will not shift to later every year. 
(B) people’s incomes are not growing as rapidly as they were in the past.
 This could be the reason why it takes longer for the people to stop working to pay the expenses of government. 
(C) people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes.
 This information too does not show any yearly trend to support the shifting of PID. 
(D) people misunderstand the underlying desires that motivate their spending.
 Nothing to do with the shifting of PID. 
(E) people in the minority have to wait for the next opportunity to vote.
 Nothing to do with the shifting of PID.

IMO  B

3. According to the passage, one result of the current political process for determining government spending is that

(A) the government has  more funds  than it needs to operate efficiently.
 Not mentioned in passage. 
(B) the government is  unable to secure  the public’s confidence.
 Not mentioned in passage. 
(C) voters who are in the majority tend to be  highly  satisfied.
 It says only "If you are in the majority, you will at best get both the items you favored and the ones you opposed"  
(D) voters rarely get exactly what they want.
 The passage says "Generally, you end up with something different from what you thought you voted for. "  
(E) non-voters must conform to the majority vote.
 There is nothing said about non-voters.

IMO  D

4. The authors’ remark in lines 36-38 (“The ballot... conformity”) most likely serves which purpose?

(A) To suggest that conformity is more desirable than unanimity.
 No such comparison can be inferred. 
(B) To caution that unanimity and conformity are incompatible aims.
 "The ballot box produces conformity without unanimity; the marketplace, unanimity without conformity." Both conformity and unanimity are not together i.e. incompatible .
(C) To point out that two activities have similar flaws.
 It does not mention any flaw of uniformity. 
(D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities.
 The purpose is not to show the contrast between the activities. 
(E) To persuade the reader to  vote only in certain situations. 
 The author says "When you vote daily in the supermarket.." and then talks about ballot box. In both the cases, people have to vote.

IMO  B

Pallavi2020 · Answer

Answer sequence: 1. B 2. C 3. E 4.D

Posted from my mobile device

Green2k1 · Answer

Correct Answer

1. (B) emphasize a number they believe is too large. -  Putting empahsis

2. (C) people are spending a greater percentage of their income each year on taxes.  (now it has reached 40% = 5/12)

3. (D) voters rarely get exactly what they want.  - if you vote for the package deal and may get things totally different

4. (D) To emphasize a sharp contrast between two familiar activities.  - Unanimity is your choice, conformity is the majority view

An essential part of economic freedom is freedom to choose how to use

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