winterschool
Q1. In the nation of Pelmenia, 20% of 18-year-olds are left-handed, while just 10% of 45-year-olds and 2% of 70-year-olds are left-handed. But the percentage of children born left-handed has never changed in Pelmenia, nor have societal attitudes toward left-handedness. Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the variation in left-handedness among Pelmenians? A) The number of children born each year in Pelmenia has steadily increased over the past seventy years. B) In Pelmenia, left-handers are no more likely to perish in accidents than right-handers. C) In Pelmenia, ambidexterity is not considered a desirable attribute. D) In Pelmenia, women have a significantly lower life expectancy than men, and women are also more likely to be born left-handed. E) As Pelmenians age, they become less likely to participate in surveys regarding handedness or hand dominance. Difficulty - Hard
winterschool
Q2. One way for reducing commuting time for those who work in the cities is to increase the speed at which traffic moves in the heart of the city. This can be accomplished by raising the tolls on the tunnels and bridges connecting the city with other communities. This will discourage auto traffic into the city and will encourage people to use public transportation instead. Which of the following, if true, would LEAST weaken the argument above? (A) Nearly all of the traffic in the center of the city is commerical traffic which will continue despite the toll increases (B) Some people now driving alone into the city would choose to car pool with each other rather than use public transportation (C) Any temporary improvement in traffic flow would be lost because the improvement itself would attract more cars (D) The numbers of commuters who would be deterred by the toll increases would be insignificant (E) The public transportation system is not able to handle any significant increase in the number of commuters using the system Difficulty - Hard
Q1. The owner of a four-storey commercial building discovered termites in the building’s first and second floors and called an exterminator. The exterminator pumped gas directly into the walls on both the first and second floors. Due to the exterminator’s work, the termites on those floors were killed quickly.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the validity of the explanation for the speed with which the termites were killed?
(A) The third floor had no termite infestation
(B) Even though the exterminator did not pump gas into the walls of the fourth story, the termites there died as quickly as they did on the first and second stories.
(C) The speed with which termites are killed increases as the concentration of exterminator’s gas increases.
(D) The speed with which the exterminator’s gas kills termites drops off sharply as the gas dissipates throughout the building’s walls.
(E) The exterminator’s gas pumping system works efficiently even when pumping gas into both the first and second stories of the building simultaneously.
Difficulty - Hard
Q2. For years, Pleasanton was a commuter community to industries in Middleburg. The close of several factories in Middleburg has set in motion a wave of mortgage defaults: citizens of Pleasanton are foreclosing on their houses in significant numbers. Many of the mortgages were held by local banks, and these adversely affected banks have been under pressure from their boards to offset the banks’ losses. One principal means to recoup these losses is for the banks to raise interest rates, including mortgage rates. If those owning property Pleasanton continue to default on their mortgages, then the mortgage rates offered by these banks will continue to rise.
Which of the following, if true, best supports the conclusion that mortgage rates in Pleasanton will continue to increase?
A. Mortgage rates in Middleburg have been steadily increasing over the past year and analysts expect them to continue increasing for some time.
B. Many prospective homebuyers in the Pleasanton area, deterred by increased mortgage rates, have decided to purchase homes in other areas.
C. Many current homeowners in Pleasanton, in reaction to increased interest rates, have put their homes on the market and are looking for homes in other areas.
D. Many local businesses in Pleasanton, who were dependent on local residents employed in Middleburg, have been unable to pay the mortgage on the business properties they own.
E. There are so few houses in Pleasanton that the banks cannot realize an economy of scale, making mortgage rates unrealistic for most potential homeowners.
Difficulty - Hard
May 08
15 Jul 2023, 06:14
