In their studies of different societies, sociologists have identified

Question

(This passage was written in 1975.)

In their studies of different societies, sociologists have identified four basic types of legal policies toward drug use—permissiveness, prohibition, medical regulation, and governmental regulation. Each of these types of legal policies tends to be associated with a different conceptual model of drug use and addiction. Typically, a society's legal policy toward any particular drug moves from permissiveness to prohibition to either medical regulation or governmental regulation. However, since the conceptual model of use of the drug at least partly determines the legal policy, it is difficult to move from one legal policy to the next without first changing the model that is generally accepted in the society.

When a society accepts a “normal model” of use of a drug, the society fully approves of the drug; even addiction is not considered a moral or a social problem. Partly as a result, the society adopts a permissive legal policy (i.e., no regulation of the drug). Caffeine, for example, is a drug that the United Scates treats permissively.

Eventually, people who advocate the “criminal model” may persuade the society to adopt a policy of prohibition, which makes the drug illegal. The society considers use of the drug immoral and subjects both nonaddicted users and addicts to severe criminal penalties. Imprisonment of users and addicts is considered to be justified not only for the reasons usually advanced for imprisoning criminals (deterrence, punishment, and rehabilitation), but also to prevent drug users from encouraging others to use the drug. The United States currently prohibits heroin, cocaine, LSD, and marijuana.

Medical research on the drug and dissatisfaction with the criminal model may lead a society to replace Prohibition with regulation. If the drug is found to be dangerous to health, the society will probably adopt an “illness model” and, thereafter, medical regulation. Addiction is then viewed as a medical problem, not under the addict's control, rather than as a moral failing. For this reason, maintenance doses of addictive drugs, distributed to proven addicts through medical channels, are made legal. However, use of the drug by nonaddicts continues to be illegal since the society still considers use (as opposed to addiction) immoral. Britain's policy toward heroin exemplifies medical regulation.

If the drug is defined (correctly or incorrectly) as not harmful to health, a “licensed—activity model” and governmental regulation are likely. The drug is legal, and its use is not considered immoral. However, the society imposes some controls in order to minimize the social costs of the drug's use and the behavior that use produces. The government typically monopolizes distribution or limits it to licensed establishments, taxes the drug highly, and prohibits sale to minors. Such regulations are enforced through criminal Sanctions; but law-abiding sellers are not subject to Punishment. United States policies toward nicotine and alcohol illustrate governmental regulation.    1 
 1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) defend particular conceptual models
(B) criticize specific legal policies
(C) advocate new conceptual models
(D) describe certain conceptual models and legal policies
(E) reconcile opposing conceptual models and legal policies

2 
 2. According to the passage, acceptance of the licensed-activity model! of use of a drug implies a belief that use of the drug is

(A) behaviorally harmless
(B) socially costly
(C) morally deplorable
(D) physically harmful
(E) legally indefensible

3 
 3. The style of the passage can best be described as

(A) argumentative
(B) evocative
(C) whimsical
(D) interrogatory
(E) expository

4 
 4. It can be inferred from the passage that a group that wishes to change a society's policy toward a drug from prohibition to medical regulation would be well advised to concentrate its efforts on which of the following?

(A) Persuading the public to view addicts as people who are ill
(B) Altering public attitudes toward use of the drug by nonaddicts
(C) Publicizing the negative effects of impoundment on nonaddicted users
(D) Reporting the extent to which the drug is already used medically
(E) Calculating the amount of taxes that could be collected if the drug were legal

5 
 5. Which of the following best states the author’s main point?

(A) Legal policies toward drug use are difficult to change because conceptual models of drug use and addiction change slowly.
(B) Legal policies toward drug use change slowly, usually in response to new medical evidence concerning the effects of particular drugs on health.
(C) Legal policies toward drug use usually occur in a predictable sequence and are partially the result of the generally accepted conceptual model of use of the drug.
(D) Conceptual models of drug use and addiction differ unpredictably from one historical period to the next, but are usually consistent within a country.
(E) Conceptual models of drug use and addiction can only be studied by first examining the legal policies that are associated with them.

6 
 6. The passage mentions which of the following beliefs as a reason for making maintenance doses of an addictive drug legally available to addicts?

(A) That use of the drug by addicts is a medical rather than a moral problem
(B) That use of the drug by addicts does not cause any major social problems
(C) That use of the drug by addicts does not have any serious ill effects on the addicts’ health
(D) That it is unlikely that addicts will persuade many nonusers to try the drug
(E) Thac the government can better monitor the number of addicts if it distributes the drug to them

7 
 7. The passage suggests that the imprisonment of drug users in order to isolate them from nonusers is

(A) a typical form of governmental regulation
(B) an atypical reason for imprisoning criminals
(C) necessary if the drug is harmful to health
(D) effective only when the users are addicts
(E) consistent with the illness model of drug use

8 
 8. According to the passage, use of a drug by nonaddicts is considered immoral by those who accept which of the following conceptual models of use of that drug?

I. The criminal model
II. The illness model
III. The licensed—activity mode!

(A) I only.
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) I and II only
(E) Il and III only

9 
 9. All of the following laws concerning alcoholic beverages exemplify a governmental regulation policy toward drug use EXCEPT:

(A) The nonalcoholic additives in alcoholic beverages mutt be listed on their labels.
(B) Alcoholic beverages may be sold only in government-owned stores.
(C) Restaurants must obtain licenses in order to sell alcoholic beverages.
(D) Bars may not serve alcoholic drinks to patrons who are under eighteen years of age.
(E) Liquor stores must collect and remit to the government a high excise tax on all alcoholic beverages sold.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

The author starts by saying sociologists have identified four basic types of legal policies toward drug use (permissiveness, prohibition, medical regulation, governmental regulation). He/she then explains that each type is linked with a particular  “conceptual model”  of drug use (normal model, criminal model, illness model, licensed-activity model). Next, the he/she goes through each model and its corresponding legal policy, giving examples for each.

(A) defend particular conceptual models 
The passage is neutral, it explains each model and corresponding policy without advocating for any of them.

(B) criticize specific legal policies 
There’s no criticism; the tone is descriptive, not evaluative.

(C) advocate new conceptual models 
The passage presents established models; it doesn’t argue for replacing them with new ones.

(D) describe certain conceptual models and legal policies 
The author is describing the relationships between models and policies, and how societies may move from one to another. Lets keep it.

(E) reconcile opposing conceptual models and legal policies 
Reconciliation would require resolving conflicts between models, but the passage just explains them separately and how transitions occur, without trying to harmonize opposing views.

Answer: D

In their studies of different societies, sociologists have identified

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

In their studies of different societies, sociologists have identified

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