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Q1. The passage is primarily concerned with
A. identifying two practices in medical research that may affect the accuracy of clinical trials
B. describing aspects of medical research that tend to drive up costs
C. evaluating an analysis of certain shortcomings of current medical research practices
D. describing proposed changes to the ways in which clinical trials are conducted
E. explaining how medical researchers have traditionally conducted clinical trials and how such trials are likely to change
Main idea
This question requires an understanding of what the passage as a whole is doing. The passage introduces Frazier and Mosteller as proposing changes to the ways clinical trials in medical research are currently conducted. The rest of the passage then describes these proposed changes together with the support Frazier and Mosteller provide for adopting these changes.
A. The passage identifies practices in medical research to help illustrate the basis for Frazier and Mosteller’s proposed changes.
B. The passage mentions medical research costs as one example within the larger description of Frazier and Mosteller’s proposed changes.
C. The passage is not concerned with evaluating Frazier and Mosteller’s proposed changes.
D. Correct. The passage describes the changes proposed by Frazier and Mosteller to the way clinical trials are conducted.
E. The passage is not concerned with establishing the likelihood of any changes to the way medical research is conducted.
The correct answer is D.
Q2. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about a study of the category of patients referred to in lines 20–22?
A. Its findings might have limited applicability.
B. It would be prohibitively expensive in its attempt to create ideal conditions.
C. It would be the best way to sample the total population of potential patients.
D. It would allow researchers to limit information collection without increasing the risk that important variables could be overlooked.
E. Its findings would be more accurate if it concerned treatments for a progressive disease than if it concerned treatments for a nonprogressive disease.
Inference
This question requires drawing an inference from information given in the passage. In describing theproposals put forth by Frazier and Mosteller, the passage states in lines 15–20 that they propose using more patients in clinical trials than are currently being used, and that the trials would thereby obtain a
more representative sample of the total population with the disease under study. The passage then states that researchers often restrict (lines 20–22) their trials to certain types of patients, therefore limiting theapplicability of their findings.
A. Correct. The passage states that the researchers preferred to restrict the types of patients used in their studies, thereby using a less representative sample than if they used a more inclusive group of patients.
B. The passage mentions the added expense of clinical trials only in relation to data storage, collection, and analysis.
C. The passage describes the category of patients referred to as restricted and therefore unrepresentative of the total population.
D. While the passage does mention the amount of data collected about an individual patient, that topic is not connected to the category of patients referred to in lines 20–22.
E. The passage does not suggest that a study using the category of patients referred to would be more effective in investigating progressive diseases.
The correct answer is A.
Q3. It can be inferred from the passage that a study limited to patients like those mentioned in lines 20–22 would have which of the following advantages over the kind of study proposed by Frazier and Mosteller?
A. It would yield more data and its findings would be more accurate.
B. It would cost less in the long term, though it would be more expensive in its initial stages.
C. It would limit the number of variables researchers would need to consider when evaluating the treatment under study.
D. It would help researchers to identify subgroups of patients with secondary conditions that might also be treatable.
E. It would enable researchers to assess the value of an experimental treatment for the average patient.
Inference
This question requires understanding what the information in the passage implies. The passage explains that Frazier and Mosteller’s proposal involves enrolling more patients in clinical trials (lines 18–19) than is the case with the category of patients referred to. The passage then explains that broadening the range of trial participants would allow an evaluation of particular treatments under various conditions and for different patient subgroups (line 29). This strongly suggests that limiting the patients used to those described in the referred text would limit the number of variables researchers would need to consider.
A. The passage suggests that not limiting the patients used in clinical trials will yield more data than restricting them will.
B. The passage refers to the costs of clinical trials only as they concern the collection, storage, and analysis of data collected from participants.
C. Correct. By limiting the patients used to those having the ailment under study, the passage suggests that researchers need to consider fewer variables in their assessment of a treatment.
D. The passage suggests that not limiting the types of patients used in clinical trials will better allow researchers to evaluate subgroups.
E. The passage suggests that limiting the types of patients available for clinical trials results in data for specific, rather than average, populations.
The correct answer is C.
Q4. The author mentions patients’ ages (line 32) primarily in order toA. identify the most critical variable differentiating subgroups of patients
B. cast doubt on the advisability of implementing Frazier and Mosteller’s proposals about medical research
C. indicate why progressive diseases may require different treatments at different stages
D. illustrate a point about the value of enrolling a wide range of patients in clinical trials
E. substantiate an argument about the problems inherent in enrolling large numbers of patients in clinical trials
Evaluation
Answering this question requires understanding how a particular piece of information functions in the passage as a whole. The passage is concerned with describing the proposals of Frazier and Mosteller. One of these proposals, described in the second paragraph, involves broadening the range of participants used in clinical trials. The passage states that in following this proposal, Frazier and Mosteller suggest that the effectiveness of treatments can be assessed for different patient subgroups. To affirm the value of broadening the range of participants, the passage then cites two examples of criteria by which relevant subgroups might be identified: disease stages and patients’ ages.
A. The passage makes no judgment as to the value of the subgroups it refers to in relation to broadened participation in clinical trials.
B. The passage does not call into question the potential effectiveness of Frazier and Mosteller’s proposals.
C. The passage’s example of patients’ ages is not intended to be causally connected to its previous example regarding progressive diseases.
D. Correct. Patients’ ages are referred to in the passage to identify subgroups that could be evaluated if the range of participants in clinical trials were broadened.
E. The passage refers to patients’ ages in support of Frazier and Mosteller’s proposal that more patients be used in clinical trials.
The correct answer is D.
Q5. According to the passage, which of the following describes a result of the way in which researchers generally conduct clinical trials?
A. They expend resources on the storage of information likely to be irrelevant to the study they are conducting.
B. They sometimes compromise the accuracy of their findings by collecting and analyzing more information than is strictly required for their trials.
C. They avoid the risk of overlooking variables that might affect their findings, even though doing so raises their research costs.
D. Because they attempt to analyze too much information, they overlook facts that could emerge as relevant to their studies.
E. In order to approximate the conditions typical of medical treatment, they base their methods of information collection on those used by hospitals.
Supporting ideas
This question asks for an identification of specific information given in the passage. The passage describes the proposals of Frazier and Mosteller as attempting to improve the way clinical trials have generally been conducted. In describing how current trials are generally conducted, the passage states that researchers collect far more background information on patients than is strictly required for their trials (lines 4–6) and that they therefore escalate the costs of the trials.
A. Correct. The passage states that researchers generally collect more information than they need toperform their clinical trials, which drives up the costs of the trials.
B. The passage makes no judgment about the accuracy of the information collected by researchers who currently hold clinical trials.
C. The passage states that the risk of overlooking relevant information in clinical trials is never entirely eliminable (line 11).
D. The passage states that researchers generally collect more information than is relevant, not that they overlook relevant information.
E. The passage states that, in general, researchers currently collect more information than hospitals do (line 6).
The correct answer is A.
Q1. The passage is primarily concerned with
A. identifying two practices in medical research that may affect the accuracy of clinical trials
B. describing aspects of medical research that tend to drive up costs
C. evaluating an analysis of certain shortcomings of current medical research practices
D. describing proposed changes to the ways in which clinical trials are conducted
E. explaining how medical researchers have traditionally conducted clinical trials and how such trials are likely to change
Main idea
This question requires an understanding of what the passage as a whole is doing. The passage introduces Frazier and Mosteller as proposing changes to the ways clinical trials in medical research are currently conducted. The rest of the passage then describes these proposed changes together with the support Frazier and Mosteller provide for adopting these changes.
A. The passage identifies practices in medical research to help illustrate the basis for Frazier and Mosteller’s proposed changes.
B. The passage mentions medical research costs as one example within the larger description of Frazier and Mosteller’s proposed changes.
C. The passage is not concerned with evaluating Frazier and Mosteller’s proposed changes.
D. Correct. The passage describes the changes proposed by Frazier and Mosteller to the way clinical trials are conducted.
E. The passage is not concerned with establishing the likelihood of any changes to the way medical research is conducted.
The correct answer is D.
Q2. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about a study of the category of patients referred to in lines 20–22?
A. Its findings might have limited applicability.
B. It would be prohibitively expensive in its attempt to create ideal conditions.
C. It would be the best way to sample the total population of potential patients.
D. It would allow researchers to limit information collection without increasing the risk that important variables could be overlooked.
E. Its findings would be more accurate if it concerned treatments for a progressive disease than if it concerned treatments for a nonprogressive disease.
Inference
This question requires drawing an inference from information given in the passage. In describing theproposals put forth by Frazier and Mosteller, the passage states in lines 15–20 that they propose using more patients in clinical trials than are currently being used, and that the trials would thereby obtain a
more representative sample of the total population with the disease under study. The passage then states that researchers often restrict (lines 20–22) their trials to certain types of patients, therefore limiting theapplicability of their findings.
A. Correct. The passage states that the researchers preferred to restrict the types of patients used in their studies, thereby using a less representative sample than if they used a more inclusive group of patients.
B. The passage mentions the added expense of clinical trials only in relation to data storage, collection, and analysis.
C. The passage describes the category of patients referred to as restricted and therefore unrepresentative of the total population.
D. While the passage does mention the amount of data collected about an individual patient, that topic is not connected to the category of patients referred to in lines 20–22.
E. The passage does not suggest that a study using the category of patients referred to would be more effective in investigating progressive diseases.
The correct answer is A.
Q3. It can be inferred from the passage that a study limited to patients like those mentioned in lines 20–22 would have which of the following advantages over the kind of study proposed by Frazier and Mosteller?
A. It would yield more data and its findings would be more accurate.
B. It would cost less in the long term, though it would be more expensive in its initial stages.
C. It would limit the number of variables researchers would need to consider when evaluating the treatment under study.
D. It would help researchers to identify subgroups of patients with secondary conditions that might also be treatable.
E. It would enable researchers to assess the value of an experimental treatment for the average patient.
Inference
This question requires understanding what the information in the passage implies. The passage explains that Frazier and Mosteller’s proposal involves enrolling more patients in clinical trials (lines 18–19) than is the case with the category of patients referred to. The passage then explains that broadening the range of trial participants would allow an evaluation of particular treatments under various conditions and for different patient subgroups (line 29). This strongly suggests that limiting the patients used to those described in the referred text would limit the number of variables researchers would need to consider.
A. The passage suggests that not limiting the patients used in clinical trials will yield more data than restricting them will.
B. The passage refers to the costs of clinical trials only as they concern the collection, storage, and analysis of data collected from participants.
C. Correct. By limiting the patients used to those having the ailment under study, the passage suggests that researchers need to consider fewer variables in their assessment of a treatment.
D. The passage suggests that not limiting the types of patients used in clinical trials will better allow researchers to evaluate subgroups.
E. The passage suggests that limiting the types of patients available for clinical trials results in data for specific, rather than average, populations.
The correct answer is C.
Q4. The author mentions patients’ ages (line 32) primarily in order toA. identify the most critical variable differentiating subgroups of patients
B. cast doubt on the advisability of implementing Frazier and Mosteller’s proposals about medical research
C. indicate why progressive diseases may require different treatments at different stages
D. illustrate a point about the value of enrolling a wide range of patients in clinical trials
E. substantiate an argument about the problems inherent in enrolling large numbers of patients in clinical trials
Evaluation
Answering this question requires understanding how a particular piece of information functions in the passage as a whole. The passage is concerned with describing the proposals of Frazier and Mosteller. One of these proposals, described in the second paragraph, involves broadening the range of participants used in clinical trials. The passage states that in following this proposal, Frazier and Mosteller suggest that the effectiveness of treatments can be assessed for different patient subgroups. To affirm the value of broadening the range of participants, the passage then cites two examples of criteria by which relevant subgroups might be identified: disease stages and patients’ ages.
A. The passage makes no judgment as to the value of the subgroups it refers to in relation to broadened participation in clinical trials.
B. The passage does not call into question the potential effectiveness of Frazier and Mosteller’s proposals.
C. The passage’s example of patients’ ages is not intended to be causally connected to its previous example regarding progressive diseases.
D. Correct. Patients’ ages are referred to in the passage to identify subgroups that could be evaluated if the range of participants in clinical trials were broadened.
E. The passage refers to patients’ ages in support of Frazier and Mosteller’s proposal that more patients be used in clinical trials.
The correct answer is D.
Q5. According to the passage, which of the following describes a result of the way in which researchers generally conduct clinical trials?
A. They expend resources on the storage of information likely to be irrelevant to the study they are conducting.
B. They sometimes compromise the accuracy of their findings by collecting and analyzing more information than is strictly required for their trials.
C. They avoid the risk of overlooking variables that might affect their findings, even though doing so raises their research costs.
D. Because they attempt to analyze too much information, they overlook facts that could emerge as relevant to their studies.
E. In order to approximate the conditions typical of medical treatment, they base their methods of information collection on those used by hospitals.
Supporting ideas
This question asks for an identification of specific information given in the passage. The passage describes the proposals of Frazier and Mosteller as attempting to improve the way clinical trials have generally been conducted. In describing how current trials are generally conducted, the passage states that researchers collect far more background information on patients than is strictly required for their trials (lines 4–6) and that they therefore escalate the costs of the trials.
A. Correct. The passage states that researchers generally collect more information than they need toperform their clinical trials, which drives up the costs of the trials.
B. The passage makes no judgment about the accuracy of the information collected by researchers who currently hold clinical trials.
C. The passage states that the risk of overlooking relevant information in clinical trials is never entirely eliminable (line 11).
D. The passage states that researchers generally collect more information than is relevant, not that they overlook relevant information.
E. The passage states that, in general, researchers currently collect more information than hospitals do (line 6).
The correct answer is A.
11 Mar 2025, 23:37
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Question 1: Correct Answer - (D) describing proposed changes to the ways in which clinical trials are conducted ✅
Explanation for Eliminating Other Options:
Question 2: Correct Answer - (A) Its findings might have limited applicability.
Explanation for Eliminating Other Options:
Question 3: Correct Answer - (C) It would limit the number of variables researchers would need to consider when evaluating the treatment under study.
Explanation for Eliminating Other Options:
Question 4: Correct Answer - (D) illustrate a point about the value of enrolling a wide range of patients in clinical trials
Explanation for Eliminating Other Options:
Question 5: Correct Answer - (A) They expend resources on the storage of information likely to be irrelevant to the study they are conducting.
Explanation for Eliminating Other Options:
Explanation for Eliminating Other Options:
- (A) identifying two practices in medical research that may affect the accuracy of clinical trials ❌
- The passage primarily discusses proposed changes to clinical trials rather than focusing on accuracy-related practices. While accuracy is a concern, the emphasis is on efficiency and broadening patient participation.
- (B) describing aspects of medical research that tend to drive up costs ❌
- Although the passage mentions costly data collection, its main focus is not on costs but on improving clinical trial design.
- (C) evaluating an analysis of certain shortcomings of current medical research practices ❌
- The passage does discuss shortcomings, but it does not critically evaluate them. Instead, it presents solutions to improve clinical trials.
- (E) explaining how medical researchers have traditionally conducted clinical trials and how such trials are likely to change ❌
- The passage does not provide a historical overview of clinical trials. Instead, it focuses on specific proposed changes rather than a before-and-after comparison.
Question 2: Correct Answer - (A) Its findings might have limited applicability.
Explanation for Eliminating Other Options:
- (A) Its findings might have limited applicability. ✅ (Correct)
- The passage states that researchers often restrict study participation to patients with no other ailments besides the one being studied. This creates ideal conditions, but such a study may not reflect how the treatment works for the broader patient population, making its findings less applicable in real-world settings.
- (B) It would be prohibitively expensive in its attempt to create ideal conditions. ❌
- The passage does not suggest that such studies are prohibitively expensive. The discussion of costs is related to data collection, not the selection of patients.
- (C) It would be the best way to sample the total population of potential patients. ❌
- The passage argues the opposite: that including more diverse patients would lead to better representation of the total population.
- (D) It would allow researchers to limit information collection without increasing the risk that important variables could be overlooked. ❌
- The passage states that limiting data collection does carry a risk of missing relevant factors, even if the risk is generally small.
- (E) Its findings would be more accurate if it concerned treatments for a progressive disease than if it concerned treatments for a nonprogressive disease. ❌
- The passage does mention progressive diseases but does not compare the accuracy of studies between progressive and nonprogressive diseases.
Question 3: Correct Answer - (C) It would limit the number of variables researchers would need to consider when evaluating the treatment under study.
Explanation for Eliminating Other Options:
- (A) It would yield more data and its findings would be more accurate. ❌
- The passage suggests that restricting participants creates ideal conditions, but it does not necessarily lead to more data or increased accuracy in real-world applications.
- (B) It would cost less in the long term, though it would be more expensive in its initial stages. ❌
- The passage does not compare the long-term vs. short-term costs of different study designs.
- (C) It would limit the number of variables researchers would need to consider when evaluating the treatment under study. ✅ (Correct)
- By selecting only patients without other ailments, researchers can control for fewer variables, making the study simpler in terms of analysis. This aligns with the reasoning in the passage.
- (D) It would help researchers to identify subgroups of patients with secondary conditions that might also be treatable. ❌
- The restricted study design excludes patients with secondary conditions, so it would not help identify how such patients respond to treatment.
- (E) It would enable researchers to assess the value of an experimental treatment for the average patient. ❌
- The passage argues that such studies are not representative of the average patient, as they exclude those with other conditions.
Question 4: Correct Answer - (D) illustrate a point about the value of enrolling a wide range of patients in clinical trials
Explanation for Eliminating Other Options:
- (A) identify the most critical variable differentiating subgroups of patients ❌
- The passage mentions age as one of several factors affecting treatment efficacy, not as the most critical variable.
- (B) cast doubt on the advisability of implementing Frazier and Mosteller's proposals about medical research ❌
- The passage does not present age as an argument against their proposals; instead, it supports their argument by highlighting the benefits of diverse patient participation.
- (C) indicate why progressive diseases may require different treatments at different stages ❌
- While the passage does mention progressive diseases, it does so separately from the discussion on age. The reference to age is used to support the idea that diverse patients should be included in trials.
- (D) illustrate a point about the value of enrolling a wide range of patients in clinical trials ✅ (Correct)
- The passage states that age may affect a treatment’s efficacy, reinforcing the argument that trials should include diverse patient groups.
- (E) substantiate an argument about the problems inherent in enrolling large numbers of patients in clinical trials ❌
- The passage advocates for enrolling more patients rather than highlighting problems with doing so.
Question 5: Correct Answer - (A) They expend resources on the storage of information likely to be irrelevant to the study they are conducting.
Explanation for Eliminating Other Options:
- (A) They expend resources on the storage of information likely to be irrelevant to the study they are conducting. ✅ (Correct)
- The passage states that researchers collect far more background information than hospitals do, leading to higher costs for data collection, storage, and analysis. This aligns perfectly with this answer choice.
- (B) They sometimes compromise the accuracy of their findings by collecting and analyzing more information than is strictly required for their trials. ❌
- While the passage mentions that excessive data collection increases costs, it does not claim that it compromises accuracy.
- (C) They avoid the risk of overlooking variables that might affect their findings, even though doing so raises their research costs. ❌
- The passage acknowledges that some risk of overlooking variables always exists, meaning that researchers do not completely eliminate this risk.
- (D) Because they attempt to analyze too much information, they overlook facts that could emerge as relevant to their studies. ❌
- The passage does not state that excessive data collection causes important facts to be overlooked.
- (E) In order to approximate the conditions typical of medical treatment, they base their methods of information collection on those used by hospitals. ❌
- The passage states the opposite—that researchers collect more data than hospitals, meaning their methods are not based on hospital practices.
17 Mar 2026, 02:04
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Hi jabhatta2,
Great question — your reasoning is actually on the right track, but C has a specific word that makes it go too far.
You're correct that the passage implies current methodology (collecting lots of data) reduces the chance of overlooking relevant variables compared to a more limited approach. The passage does say that limiting information collection 'could increase the risk that researchers will overlook facts relevant to a study.'
But look at what C says: they 'avoid the risk' of overlooking variables. Now look at what the passage says right after the sentence you cited: such risk is 'never entirely eliminable from research.' This is the key. The passage explicitly tells us the risk of overlooking variables can never be fully avoided — not even with current exhaustive data collection practices. Current methods may reduce the risk, but they don't avoid it.
C uses the absolute word 'avoid,' which means eliminate the risk entirely. The passage directly contradicts this by saying the risk is 'never entirely eliminable.' So C overstates what current practices achieve.
By contrast, A is directly supported. The passage says researchers 'collect far more background information on patients than is strictly required' and this escalates 'costs of data collection, storage, and analysis.' If they're collecting more than is strictly required, much of that stored information is likely irrelevant to the specific study — and they're spending resources to store it. That's exactly what A says.
The takeaway: when an answer choice uses an absolute term like 'avoid,' check whether the passage supports that level of certainty. Here, the passage's 'never entirely eliminable' directly kills C.
Answer: A
Great question — your reasoning is actually on the right track, but C has a specific word that makes it go too far.
You're correct that the passage implies current methodology (collecting lots of data) reduces the chance of overlooking relevant variables compared to a more limited approach. The passage does say that limiting information collection 'could increase the risk that researchers will overlook facts relevant to a study.'
But look at what C says: they 'avoid the risk' of overlooking variables. Now look at what the passage says right after the sentence you cited: such risk is 'never entirely eliminable from research.' This is the key. The passage explicitly tells us the risk of overlooking variables can never be fully avoided — not even with current exhaustive data collection practices. Current methods may reduce the risk, but they don't avoid it.
C uses the absolute word 'avoid,' which means eliminate the risk entirely. The passage directly contradicts this by saying the risk is 'never entirely eliminable.' So C overstates what current practices achieve.
By contrast, A is directly supported. The passage says researchers 'collect far more background information on patients than is strictly required' and this escalates 'costs of data collection, storage, and analysis.' If they're collecting more than is strictly required, much of that stored information is likely irrelevant to the specific study — and they're spending resources to store it. That's exactly what A says.
The takeaway: when an answer choice uses an absolute term like 'avoid,' check whether the passage supports that level of certainty. Here, the passage's 'never entirely eliminable' directly kills C.
Answer: A
