59. Top college graduates are having more difficulty demonstrating their superiority to prospective employers than did the top students of twenty years ago when an honors degree was distinction enough. Today's employers are less impressed with the honors degree. Twenty years ago no more than 10 percent of a given class graduated with honors. Today, however, because of grade inflation, the honors degree goes to more than 50 percent of a graduating class. Therefore, to restore confidence in the degrees they award, colleges must take steps to control grade inflation.
Which one of the following is an assumption that, if true, would support the conclusion in the passage?
(A) Today's students are not higher achievers than the students of twenty years ago.
(B) Awarding too many honors degrees causes colleges to inflate grades.
(C) Today's employers rely on honors ranking in making their hiring decisions.
(D) It is not easy for students with low grades to obtain jobs.
(E) Colleges must make employers aware of the criteria used to determine who receives an honor degree.
60. One of the more reliable methods of determining regional climatic conditions in prehistoric periods is to examine plant pollen trapped in glacial ice during ancient times. By comparing such pollen samples with spores take from modern vegetation, scientists can figure out approximately what the weather was like at the time of pollen deposition. Furthermore, by submitting the prehistoric samples to radiocarbon dating techniques, we can also determine when certain climatic conditions were prevalent in that portion of the globe.
Which one of the following may be inferred from the inFORMation in the passage?
(A) The earth has undergone several glacial periods.
(B) Radiocarbon dating can be corroborated by glacial evidence.
(C) Similarities between prehistoric and contemporary climates do not exist.
(D) Pollen deposition is a fairly continuous process.
(E) Certain flora are reliably associated with particular climatic conditions.
61. Investigators concluded that human failure was not responsible for the fatal airplane crash last August, and since that time new and more stringent rules for identifying and reporting mechanical problems have been in effect. That accounts for the fact that reports of airplane mechanical problems have increased in frequency by 50 percent since last August.
Which one of the following is an assumption underlying the argument in the passage?
(A) Airplane travel is still relatively safe, despite the increase in reported mechanical problems.
(B) Mechanical problems in airplanes have increased dramatically since last August.
(C) Mechanical problems in airplanes have not increased by 50 percent since last August.
(D) Airlines are less reluctant to report mechanical problems than they previously were.
(E) Mechanical problems in airplanes have become easier to detect since last August.
62. Brushing your teeth regularly no matter which toothpaste you use, will reduce your chances of tooth decay. Scientists have concluded that, when you brush, you reduce tooth decay by removing the film of plaque that FORMs on teeth and gums. So, you can forget about fluorides: brush your teeth carefully and say goodbye to cavities.
Which one of the following is a criticism of the reasoning in the argument?
(A) Brushing with fluoride toothpaste has been shown to reduce tooth decay.
(B) The fact that brushing will reduce tooth decay does not show that fluorides are of no value.
(C) Few people adequately remove plaque by brushing.
(D) People have plaque on their teeth most of the time.
(E) Scientists have been wrong about fluorides.
63. Some good cooks are gourmet cooks who pride themselves on always using extravagantly rich ingredients in elaborate recipes. Some good cooks can be characterized as fast-food cooks. They may use rich ingredients as long as the recipes are easy to follow and take little time. Other good cooks are health food enthusiasts, who are concerned primarily with the nutritional value of food. But even though not all good cooks are big eaters, they all enjoy preparing and serving food.
If the inFORMation in the passage is true, which one of the following CANNOT be true?
(A) Most good cooks do not use extravagantly rich ingredients.
(B) Everyone who enjoys preparing and serving food is a good cook.
(C) More good cooks who use extravagantly rich ingredients are big eaters than are good cooks who do not use such ingredients.
(D) There are fewer good cooks who enjoy serving and preparing food than there are good cooks who are big eaters.
(E) Gourmet cooks, fast-food cooks, and cooks who are health food enthusiasts are all big eaters
Questions 64-65
If the city council institutes new parking regulations, city revenues will surely increase, since studies have conclusively shown that, if such parking regulations are put into effect, there is an increase in parking violations, and an increase in parking violations will result in a greater number of parking fines collected.
64. If the statements in the passage are true, which one of the following must also be true?
(A) Unless there is an increase in the number of parking violations in the city, city revenues will not increase.
(B) If the city council institutes new parking regulations, the council will fall from favor with the citizens.
(C) The city council will institute new parking regulations only if an increase in city revenues can be expected to result.
(D) If the city council's new regulations cause more parking violators to be ticketed, the city revenues will increase.
(E) Unless the city institutes a complex system of parking regulations, the city cannot expect traffic violations to increase.
65. According to advertisements, the higher a suntan lotion's sun protection factor, or SPE, the more protection from sunburn. In order for a suntan lotion to work, however, one has to remember to put it on before going in the sun, put on an adequate amount to cover the skin, and reapply it as needed. Therefore, it really does not matter what SPE a suntan lotion has.
Which one of the following best identifies the error in reasoning made in the passage?
(A) It is unreasonable to assume that the only purpose of a suntan lotion is to provide protection from sunburn.
(B) Because some people get sunburned more easily than other, the fact that there are different SPEs cannot be ignored.
(C) It cannot be concluded that the SPEs is not important just because there are requirements for the application of the suntan lotion.
(D) It is unreasonable to assume that all suntan lotions required the same application procedures in order to work effectively.
(E) There is no reason to assume that manufacturers are unaware that people sometimes forget to apply suntan lotion before going in the sun.
Which one of the following is an assumption that, if true, would support the conclusion in the passage?
(A) Today's students are not higher achievers than the students of twenty years ago.
(B) Awarding too many honors degrees causes colleges to inflate grades.
(C) Today's employers rely on honors ranking in making their hiring decisions.
(D) It is not easy for students with low grades to obtain jobs.
(E) Colleges must make employers aware of the criteria used to determine who receives an honor degree.
60. One of the more reliable methods of determining regional climatic conditions in prehistoric periods is to examine plant pollen trapped in glacial ice during ancient times. By comparing such pollen samples with spores take from modern vegetation, scientists can figure out approximately what the weather was like at the time of pollen deposition. Furthermore, by submitting the prehistoric samples to radiocarbon dating techniques, we can also determine when certain climatic conditions were prevalent in that portion of the globe.
Which one of the following may be inferred from the inFORMation in the passage?
(A) The earth has undergone several glacial periods.
(B) Radiocarbon dating can be corroborated by glacial evidence.
(C) Similarities between prehistoric and contemporary climates do not exist.
(D) Pollen deposition is a fairly continuous process.
(E) Certain flora are reliably associated with particular climatic conditions.
61. Investigators concluded that human failure was not responsible for the fatal airplane crash last August, and since that time new and more stringent rules for identifying and reporting mechanical problems have been in effect. That accounts for the fact that reports of airplane mechanical problems have increased in frequency by 50 percent since last August.
Which one of the following is an assumption underlying the argument in the passage?
(A) Airplane travel is still relatively safe, despite the increase in reported mechanical problems.
(B) Mechanical problems in airplanes have increased dramatically since last August.
(C) Mechanical problems in airplanes have not increased by 50 percent since last August.
(D) Airlines are less reluctant to report mechanical problems than they previously were.
(E) Mechanical problems in airplanes have become easier to detect since last August.
62. Brushing your teeth regularly no matter which toothpaste you use, will reduce your chances of tooth decay. Scientists have concluded that, when you brush, you reduce tooth decay by removing the film of plaque that FORMs on teeth and gums. So, you can forget about fluorides: brush your teeth carefully and say goodbye to cavities.
Which one of the following is a criticism of the reasoning in the argument?
(A) Brushing with fluoride toothpaste has been shown to reduce tooth decay.
(B) The fact that brushing will reduce tooth decay does not show that fluorides are of no value.
(C) Few people adequately remove plaque by brushing.
(D) People have plaque on their teeth most of the time.
(E) Scientists have been wrong about fluorides.
63. Some good cooks are gourmet cooks who pride themselves on always using extravagantly rich ingredients in elaborate recipes. Some good cooks can be characterized as fast-food cooks. They may use rich ingredients as long as the recipes are easy to follow and take little time. Other good cooks are health food enthusiasts, who are concerned primarily with the nutritional value of food. But even though not all good cooks are big eaters, they all enjoy preparing and serving food.
If the inFORMation in the passage is true, which one of the following CANNOT be true?
(A) Most good cooks do not use extravagantly rich ingredients.
(B) Everyone who enjoys preparing and serving food is a good cook.
(C) More good cooks who use extravagantly rich ingredients are big eaters than are good cooks who do not use such ingredients.
(D) There are fewer good cooks who enjoy serving and preparing food than there are good cooks who are big eaters.
(E) Gourmet cooks, fast-food cooks, and cooks who are health food enthusiasts are all big eaters
Questions 64-65
If the city council institutes new parking regulations, city revenues will surely increase, since studies have conclusively shown that, if such parking regulations are put into effect, there is an increase in parking violations, and an increase in parking violations will result in a greater number of parking fines collected.
64. If the statements in the passage are true, which one of the following must also be true?
(A) Unless there is an increase in the number of parking violations in the city, city revenues will not increase.
(B) If the city council institutes new parking regulations, the council will fall from favor with the citizens.
(C) The city council will institute new parking regulations only if an increase in city revenues can be expected to result.
(D) If the city council's new regulations cause more parking violators to be ticketed, the city revenues will increase.
(E) Unless the city institutes a complex system of parking regulations, the city cannot expect traffic violations to increase.
65. According to advertisements, the higher a suntan lotion's sun protection factor, or SPE, the more protection from sunburn. In order for a suntan lotion to work, however, one has to remember to put it on before going in the sun, put on an adequate amount to cover the skin, and reapply it as needed. Therefore, it really does not matter what SPE a suntan lotion has.
Which one of the following best identifies the error in reasoning made in the passage?
(A) It is unreasonable to assume that the only purpose of a suntan lotion is to provide protection from sunburn.
(B) Because some people get sunburned more easily than other, the fact that there are different SPEs cannot be ignored.
(C) It cannot be concluded that the SPEs is not important just because there are requirements for the application of the suntan lotion.
(D) It is unreasonable to assume that all suntan lotions required the same application procedures in order to work effectively.
(E) There is no reason to assume that manufacturers are unaware that people sometimes forget to apply suntan lotion before going in the sun.