Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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SESSION 1
READING COMPREHENSION PART I
Directions for Q1 to Q10: Read the following information and answer the questions given below.
2.
According to this survey which day of the week should be the most productive?
(a) Monday
(b) Thursday
(c) Wednesday
3.
4.
5.
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7.
8.
The four things that contribute to Okinawans' long lives are a healthy diet, exercise,
(a) longevity and spirituality
(b) low stress levels and spirituality
(c) martial arts and spirituality
9.
At the beginning of 2002, there was an average of _____ centenarians per 100,000 people in Okinawa.
(a) 457
(b) 10
(c) 34.7
10.
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SESSION 2
READING COMPREHENSION PART II
Directions for Q1 to Q10: Read the following information and answer the questions given below.
2.
3.
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4.
5.
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7.
8.
9.
10.
There is _______________ to drive back the salt water and save the wetlands.
(a) general agreement that a plan should be made
(b) complete agreement that a plan must be made
(c) little agreement that a plan can be made
SESSION 3
CRITICAL REASONING
Critical Reasoning questions involve reading brief arguments (each argument is generally one to three sentences
long) and answering questions relating to those arguments.
PREMISES are STATED pieces of information or evidence that generally provide support for the given
conclusion.
ASSUMPTIONS are UNSTATED parts of the argument that are NECESSARY to reach the given conclusion.
The main point of the argument is the CONCLUSION, which is logically supported by the assumptions and
premises. Conclusions are in the form of an opinion or a claim.
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There are two broad things we need to understand in order to answer Critical Reasoning questions effectively
and efficiently.
We need to understand the specific information given for that question, and also how to conduct the necessary
reasoning to answer a question of this type.
Question Types
The four major question types in Critical Reasoning are as follows:
(1) Find the Assumption
(2) Draw a Conclusion
(3) Strengthen the Conclusion
(4) Weaken the Conclusion
Notice that three of the four major question types involve finding the conclusion in order to answer the question,
and the fourth requires us to find the conclusion itself among the answer choices. Clearly, the conclusion is the
most important part of each argument!
Resolve a Problem
Provide an Example
Read the question stem first, and determine what type of question you are facing.
2.
Read the passage critically; analyze the basic components of the argument in light of the question.
3.
4.
Insect Infestations in certain cotton growing regions of the world have caused dramatic increases of cotton on
the world market. Knowing that cotton plants mature quickly, many soybean growers in Ortovia plan to cease
growing soybeans, the price of which has long been stable and to begin raising cotton instead, thereby taking
advantage of the high price of cotton to increase their income significantly over the next several years.
Which of the following, if true, most calls into question the reasoning on which the plan is based?
(a) The cost of raising soybeans has increased significantly over the past several years and is expected to
continue to climb.
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(b) Tests of a newly developed, inexpensive pesticide have shown it to be both environmentally safe and effective
against the insects that have infected the cotton crops.
(c) In the past several years, there has been no sharp increase in the demand for cotton, and for goods made out
of cotton.
(d) Many consumers consider cotton cloth a necessity rather than a luxury and would be willing to pay
significantly higher prices for cotton goods than they are currently paying.
(e) The species of insect that has infested the cotton plants has never been known to infest soybean plants
2.
Jennifer: Video rental outlets in Centerville together handled 10,000 fewer video rentals in 1994 than in 1993.
The decline in rentals was probably due almost entirely to the February 1994 opening of Videorama, the first
and only video rental outlet in the area that, in addition to renting videos, also sold them cheaply.
Brad: There must be another explanation: as you yourself said, the decline was on the order of 10,000 rentals. Yet
Videorama sold only 4,000 videos in 1994.
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the force of the objection that Brad presents to
Jennifer's explanation?
(a) In 1994 Videorama rented out more videos than it sold.
(b) In 1994 two new outlets that rent but that do not sell videos opened in Centerville.
(c) Most of the video rental outlets in Centerville rent videos at a discount on certain nights of the week.
(d) People often buy videos of movies that they have previously seen in a theater.
(e) People who own videos frequently loan them to their friends.
3.
Finding of a survey of Systems magazine subscribers: Thirty percent of all merchandise orders placed by
subscribers in response to advertisements in the magazine last year were placed by subscribers under age
thirty-five.
Finding of a survey of advertisers in Systems magazine: Most of the merchandise orders placed in response to
advertisements in Systems last year were placed by people under age thirty-five.
For both of the findings to be accurate, which of the following must be true?
(a) More subscribers to Systems who have never ordered merchandise in response to advertisements in the
magazine are age thirty-five or over than are under age thirty-five.
(b) Among subscribers to Systems, the proportion who are under age thirty-five was considerably lower last year
than it is now.
(c) Most merchandise orders placed in response to advertisements in Systems last year were placed by Systems
subscribers over age thirty-five.
(d) Last year, the average dollar amount of merchandise orders placed was less for subscribers under age thirtyfive than for those aged thirty-five or over.
(e) Last year many people who placed orders for merchandise in response to advertisements in Systems were
not subscribers to the magazine.
4.
For several years, per capita expenditure on prescription drugs in Voronia rose by fifteen percent or more
annually. In order to curb these dramatic increases, the ministry of health prohibited drug manufacturers from
raising any of their products prices. Even though use of prescription drugs did not expand after this price freeze,
per capita expenditure for prescription drugs continued to increase by a substantial percentage each year.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the ministrys action did not achieve its goal?
(a) After price increases were prohibited, drug manufacturers concentrated on producing new medications to
replace existing products.
(b) The population of Voronia rose steadily throughout the period.
(c) Improvements in manufacturing processes enable drug manufacturers to maintain high profit levels on drugs
despite the price freeze.
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(d) In addition to imposing a price freeze, the government encouraged doctors to prescribe generic versions of
common drugs instead of the more expensive brand-name versions.
(e) After price increases were prohibited, some foreign manufacturers of expensive drugs ceased marketing
them in Voronia.
5.
When people engage in activities that help others, their brain releases endorphins, the brains natural opiates,
which induce in people a feeling of well-being. It has been suggested that regular release of endorphins increases
peoples longevity. And a statistic on adults who regularly engage in volunteer work helping others shows that
they live longer, on average, than adults who do not volunteer. However, that statistic would be what we would
expect even if volunteering does not boost longevity, because ________________________
Which of the following most logically completes the argument?
(a) in the communities studied, women were much more likely to do regular volunteer work than men were, and
women tend to live longer than men do.
(b) the number of young adults who do regular volunteer work is on the increase.
(c) the feelings of well-being induced by endorphins can, at least for a time, mask the symptoms of various
conditions and diseases, provided the symptoms are mild.
(d) it is rare for a person to keep up a regular schedule of volunteer work throughout his or her life.
(e) some people find that keeping a commitment to do regular volunteer work becomes a source of stress in their
lives.
6.
United Lumber will use trees from its forest for two products. The tree trunks will be used for lumber and the
branches converted into wood chips to make fiberboard. The cost of this conversion would be the same whether
done at logging site, where the trees are debranched, or at the United's factory. However, wood chips occupy less
than half the volume of the branches from which they are made.
The information given, if accurate, most strongly supports which of the following?
(a) Converting the branches into wood chips at the logging site would require transporting a fully assembled
wood-chipping machine to and from the site.
(b) It would be more economical to debranch the trees at the factory where the fireboard is manufactured.
(c) The debranching of trees and the conversion of the branches into chips are the the only stages in the
processing of branches that would be in the economic advantage to perform at the logging site.
(d) Transportation costs from the logging site to the factory that are determined by volume of the cargo would be
lower if the conversion into chips is done at the logging site rather than at the factory.
(e) In the wood- processing industry, branches are used only for the production of wood chips for fibre board.
7.
It is theoretically possible that bacteria developed on Mars early in its history and that some were carried to
Earth by a meteorite. However, strains of bacteria from different planets would probably have substantial
differences in protein structure that would persist over time, and no two bacterial strains on Earth are different
enough to have arisen on different planets. So, even if bacteria did arrive on Earth from Mars, they must have
died out.
The argument is most vulnerable to which of the following criticisms?
(a) It fails to establish whether bacteria actually developed on Mars.
(b) It fails to establish how likely it is that Martian bacteria were transported to Earth.
(c) It fails to consider whether there were means other than meteorites by which Martian bacteria could have
been carried to Earth.
(d) It fails to consider whether all bacteria now on Earth could have arisen from transported Martian bacteria.
(e) It fails to consider whether there could have been strains of bacteria that originated on Earth and later died
out.
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8.
A prominent investor who holds a large stake in the Burton Tool company has recently claimed that the company
is mismanaged, citing as evidence the company's failure to slow production in response to a recent rise in its
inventory of finished products. It is doubtful whether an investor's sniping at management can ever be anything
other than counterproductive, but in this case it is clearly not justified. It is true that an increased inventory of
finished products often indicates that production is outstripping demand, but in Burton's case it indicates no
such thing. Rather, the increase in inventory is entirely attributable to products that have already been assigned
to orders received from customers.
In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?
(a) The first provides evidence to support the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second states the
conclusion.
(b) The 1st states the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second states an intermediate conclusion that is
drawn in order to support that conclusion.
(c) The 1st is the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second provides evidence against the
position being opposed.
(d) The first states an intermediate conclusion that is drawn in order to support the conclusion of the argument
as a whole; the 2nd states the conclusion of the argument as a whole.
(e) The first and second both state intermediate conclusions that are drawn in order to support jointly the
conclusions of the argument as a whole.
9.
Radio stations with radio data system (RDS) technology broadcast special program information that only radios
with an RDS feature can receive. Between 1994 and 1996, the number of RDS radio stations in Verdland
increased from 250 to 600. However, since the number of RDS-equipped radios in Verdland was about the same
in 1996 as in 1994, the number of Verlanders receiving the special program information probably did not
increase significantly.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
(a) Few if any of the RDS radio stations that began broadcasting in Verdland after 1994 broadcast to people with
RDS-equipped radios living in areas not previously reached by RDS stations.
(b) In 1996 most Verdlanders who lived within the listening area of an RDS station already had a radio equipped
to receive RDS.
(c) Equipping a radio station with RDS technology does not decrease the station's listening area.
(d) In 1996 Verlanders who did not own radios equipped to receive RDS could not receive any programming
from the RDS radio stations that began broadcasting in Verdland after 1994.
(e) The RDS radio stations in Verdland in 1996 did not all offer the same type of programming.
10. The emission of sulfur dioxide when high-sulfur coal is burned is restricted by law. New coal-burning plants
usually comply with the law by installing expensive equipment to filter sulfur dioxide from their emissions.
These new plants could save money by installing instead less expensive cleaning equipment that chemically
removes most sulfur from coal before combustion.
Which of the following, if known, would be most relevant to evaluating the claim above about how new coalburning plants could save money?
(a) Whether existing oil-burning plants are required to filter sulfur dioxide from their emissions
(b) Whether the expense of installing the cleaning equipment in a new plant is less than the expense of installing
the cleaning equipment in an older plant.
(c) Whether the process of cleaning the coal is more expensive than the process of filtering the emissions.
(d) Whether lawful emissions of sulfur dioxide from coal-burning plants are damaging the environment.
(e) Whether existing plants that use the filtering equipment could replace this equipment with the cleaning
equipment and still compete with new plants that install the cleaning equipment.
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11. In the United States, of the people who moved from one state to another when they retired, the percentage who
retired to Florida has decreased by three percentage points over the past ten years. Since many local businesses
in Florida cater to retirees, this decline is likely to have a noticeable negative economic effect on these
businesses.
Which of the follow, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
(a) Florida attracts more people who move from one state to another when they retire than does any other state.
(b) The number of people who move out of Florida to accept employment in other states has increased over the
past ten years.
(c) There are more local businesses in Florida that cater to tourists than there are local businesses that cater to
retirees.
(d) The total number of people who retired and move to another state fro their retirement has increased
significantly over the past ten years.
(e) The number of people who left Florida when they retired to live in another state was greater last year than it
was ten years ago.
12. A city plans to attract new citizens with new housing and new facilities such as parks, recreation centers and
libraries. One component of the city's plans is to require that development seeking permission is to build this
new housing to provide these additional facilities at no cost to the city.
Which of the following, if true, would point to a possible flaw in the city's plan?
(a) Developers would pass along their costs to the buyer; thereby raising the cost of housing units beyond the
ability of likely purchasers to afford them.
(b) Light, nonpolluting industries have located in the area, offering more jobs and better-paying jobs than do the
more established industries in the area.
(c) Other towns and cities nearby have yet to embark on comparable plans to attract new citizens
(d) Most developers see the extra expense of providing municipal facilities as simply one of the many costs of
doing business.
(e) Studies show that purchasers of new houses, especially first-time buyers, rank recreational resources as an
important factor in deciding to buy a particular house.
13. The cotton farms of Country Q became so productive that the market could not absorb all that they produced.
Consequently, cotton prices fell. The government tried to boost cotton prices by offering farmers who took 25%
of their cotton acreage out of production direct support payments up to a specified maximum per farm. The
governments program, if successful, will not be a net burden on the budget.
Which of the following, if true, is the basis for the best explanation of how this is so?
(a) Depressed cotton prices meant operating losses for cotton farms, and the government lost revenue from
taxes on farm profits.
(b) Cotton production in several counties other than Q declined slightly the year that the support-payment
program went into effect in Q.
(c) The first year that the support-payment program was in effect, cotton acreage in Q was 5% below its level in
the base year for the program.
(d) The specified maximum per farm meant that for very large cotton farms the support payments were less per
acre for those acres that were withdrawn from production than they were for smaller farms.
(e) Farmers who wished to qualify for support payments could not use the cotton acreage that was withdrawn
from production to grow any other crop.
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14. Environmentalist: Snowmobiles in the park north of Milville create unacceptable levels of air pollution and
should be banned.
Milville Business Spokesperson: Snowmobiling brings many out-of-towners to Milville in the winter months, to
the great direct financial benefit of many local residents. In addition, the money the town collects in fees for the
recreational use of the park indirectly benefits all Milville residents. So, it is basic economics for us to put up with
the pollution.
Which of the following, if true, could best be used by the environmentalist to counter the business
spokespersons argument?
(a) A great many cross-country skiers are now kept from visiting Milville by the noise and pollution that
snowmobiles generate.
(b) Not all of the people who go snowmobiling in the vicinity of Milville are from out of town.
(c) Snowmobiles, because they run on two-cycle engines, emit greater amounts of hydrocarbons and particulate
matters than cars do.
(d) Industrial pollution in Milville has been significantly reduced in the past few years without any adverse effect
on the town's economy.
(e) Many Milville residents object to having to pay fees for recreational use of the park in the winter.
15. Yeasts capable of leavening bread are widespread, and in the many centuries during which the ancient Egyptians
made only unleavened bread, such yeasts must frequently have been mixed into bread dough accidentally. The
Egyptians, however, did not discover leavened bread until about 3000 B. C. That discovery roughly coincided
with the introduction of a wheat variety that was preferable to previous varieties because its edible kernel could
be removed from the husk without first toasting the grain.
Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest evidence that the two developments were causally related?
(a) Even after the ancient Egyptians discovered leavened bread and the techniques for reliably producing it were
well known, unleavened bread continued to be widely consumed.
(b) Only when the Egyptians stopped the practice of toasting grain were their stone lined grain-toasting pits
available for baking bread.
(c) Heating a wheat kernel destroys its gluten, a protein that must be present in order for yeast to leaven bread
dough.
(d) The new variety of wheat, which had a more delicate flavor because it was not toasted, was reserved for the
consumption of high officials when it first began to be grown.
(e) Because the husk of the new variety of wheat was more easily removed, flour made from it required less
effort to produce.
16. The general availability of high-quality electronic scanners and color printers for computers has made the
counterfeiting of checks much easier. In order to deter such counterfeiting, several banks plan to issue to their
corporate customers checks that contain dots too small to be accurately duplicated by any electronic scanner
currently available; when such checks are scanned and printed, the dots seem to blend together in such a way
that the word "VOID" appears on the check.
A questionable assumption of the plan is that:
(a) In the territory served by the banks the proportion of counterfeit checks that are made using electronic
scanners has remained approximately constant over the past few years.
(b) Most counterfeiters who use electronic scanners counterfeit checks only for relatively large amounts of
money.
(c) The smallest dots on the proposed checks cannot be distinguished visually except under strong magnification.
(d) Most corporations served by these banks will not have to pay more for the new checks than for traditional
checks.
(e) The size of the smallest dots that generally available electronic scanners are able to reproduce accurately will
not decrease significantly in the near future.
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17. That the application of new technology can increase the productivity of existing coal mines is demonstrated by
the case of Tribnias coal industry. Coal output per miner in Tribnia is double what it was five years ago, even
though no new mines have opened.
Which of the following can be properly concluded from the statement about coal output per miner in the
passage?
(a) If the number of miners working in Tribnian coal mines has remained constant in the past five years,
Tribnias total coal production has doubled in that period of time.
(b) Any individual Tribnian coal mine that achieved an increase in overall output in the past five years has also
experienced an increase in output per miner.
(c) If any new coal mines had opened in Tribnia in the past five years, then the increase in output per miner
would have been even greater than it actually was.
(d) If any individual Tribnian coal mine has not increased its output per miner in the past five years, then that
mines overall output has declined or remained constant.
(e) In Tribnia the cost of producing a given quantity of coal has declined over the past five years.
18. Which of the following most logically completes the passage?
Concerned about the well-being of its elderly citizens, the government of Runagia decided two years ago to
increase by 20 percent the government-provided pension paid to all Runagians over 65. Inflation in the
intervening period has been negligible, and the increase has been duly received by all eligible Runagians.
Nevertheless, many of them are no better off financially than they were before the increase, in large part because
______________.
(a) they rely entirely on the government pension for their income.
(b) runagian banks are so inefficient that it can take up to three weeks to cash a pension check.
(c) they buy goods whose prices tend to rise especially fast in times of inflation.
(d) the pension was increased when the number of elderly Runagians below the poverty level reached an all-time
high.
(e) in Runagia children typically supplement the income of elderly parents, but only by enough to provide them
with a comfortable living
19. The violent crime rate (number of violent crimes per 1,000 residents) in Meadowbrook is 60 percent higher now
than it was four years ago. The corresponding increase for Parkdale is only 10 percent. These figures support the
conclusion that residents of Meadowbrook are more likely to become victims of violent crime than are residents
of Parkdale.
The argument above is flawed because it fails to take into account
(a) Changes in the population density of both Parkdale and Meadowbrook over the past four years.
(b) How the rate of population growth in Meadowbrook over the past four years compares to the corresponding
rate for Parkdale.
(c) The ratio of violent to nonviolent crimes committed during the past four years in Meadowbrook and
Parkdale.
(d) The violent crime rates in Meadowbrook and Parkdale four years ago.
(e) How Meadowbrooks expenditures for crime prevention over the past four years compare to Parkdales
expenditures.
20. Because postage rates are rising, Home Decorator magazine plans to maximize its profits by reducing by one half
the number of issues it publishes each year. The quality of articles, the number of articles published per year, and
the subscription price will not change. Market research shows that neither subscribers nor advertisers will be
lost if the magazine's plan is instituted.
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Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest evidence that the magazine's profits are likely to decline if
the plan is instituted?
(a) With the new postage rates, a typical issue under the proposed plan would cost about one-third more to mail
than a typical current issue would.
(b) The majority of the magazine's subscribers are less concerned about a possible reduction in the quantity of
the magazine's articles than about a possible loss of the current high quality of its articles.
(c) Many of the magazine's long-time subscribers would continue their subscriptions even if the subscription
price were increased.
(d) Most of the advertisers that purchase advertising space in the magazine will continue to spend the same
amount on advertising per issue as they have in the past.
(e) Production costs for the magazine are expected to remain stable.
SESSION 4
SYLLOGISM
Syllogism is a verbal reasoning type problem in which a conclusion is drawn from two given or assumed propositions
(premises); a common or middle term is present in the two premises but not in the conclusion.
The best method of solving the Syllogisms problem is through Venn Diagrams. There are four ways in which
the relationship could be made.
Category 1
All A are B Means the whole circle representing A lies within the circle representing B.
Category 2
No A is B means that circles representing A and B does not intersect at all.
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(ii)
(iii)
Category 4
Some A are not B
Means that some portion of circle A has no intersection with circle B while the remaining portion of circle A is
uncertain whether this portion touches B or not.
(i) Some A are not B also indicates that Some A are B.
Complementary Pairs: (Either & or) Either and or cases only take place in complementary pairs.
Conclusions: (i) Some A are B.
(ii) No A are B.
From the given above conclusions, it is easy to understand that one of the given conclusions must be true, which is
represented by option either (i) or (ii).
These types of pairs are called complementary pairs.
Note: All A are B & Some A are not B are also complementary pairs.
It is important to note that, in complementary pairs, one of the two conclusions is true and other will be false
simultaneously.
For example
Statement: All A are B. Some B are C.
Conclusion: I. All C are A. II. Some C are not A.
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Exercises:
Directions for Q1 and Q2: State whether the given conclusion is True or False.
1.
2.
Statements:
Some mouse is cat.
All mouse are pets.
No pet is animal.
Conclusion: All mouse being animal is a possibility.
3.
Statements:
Some Red Boxes are Green Boxes. All Red Boxes are Yellow Boxes.
Conclusions:
I. Some Yellow Boxes are Green Boxes.
II. All Green Boxes are Red Boxes.
(a) Only I can be true always
(b) Only II can be true always
(c) Both I and II can be true always
(d) Both I and II cannot be true always
4.
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5.
6.
Statements:
Some actors are singers.
All the singers are dancers.
Conclusions:
1. Some actors are dancers.
2. No singer is actor.
(a) Only conclusion 1 follows
(c) Either 1 or 2 follows
(e) Both 1 and 2 follow
Statements:
All states are towns.
Some villages are not towns.
Conclusion:
1. All states are villages.
2. Some states are villages.
3. Some villages are not states.
4. Some states are not villages.
(a) None follows
(c) Only 2 and 3 follow
7.
Statements:
Some mangoes are yellow.
Some tixo are mangoes.
Conclusions:
1. Some mangoes are green.
2. Tixo is yellow.
(a) Only conclusion 1 follows
(b) Only conclusion 2 follows
(c) Either 1 or 2 follows
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 follows
(e) Both 1 and 2 follow
8.
Statements:
All the trucks are flies.
Some scooters are flies.
Conclusions:
1. All the trucks are scooters.
2. Some scooters are trucks.
(a) Only conclusion 1 follows
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 follows
9.
Statements:
All the books are pencils.
No pencil is eraser.
Conclusions:
1. All the pencils are books.
2. Some erasers are books.
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3. No book is eraser.
4. Some books are erasers.
(a) Only 3 follow
(c) Only 1 and 2 follow
(e) Only 3 and 4 follow
10.
11.
12.
13.
Statements:
No man is sky.
No sky is road.
Some men are roads.
Conclusions:
1. No road is man.
2. No road is sky.
3. Some skies are men.
4. All roads are men.
(a) Only 1 and 3 follow
Statements:
All players are spectators.
Some spectators are theatres.
Some theatres are dramas
Conclusions:
1. Some dramas are spectators.
2. Some players are dramas.
3. Some theatres are players.
4. All spectators are players.
(a) Only 1 and 3 follow
(b) Only 2 and 3 follow
Statements:
All the papers are books.
All the bags are books.
Some purses are bags.
Conclusions:
1. Some papers are bags.
2. Some books are papers.
3. Some books are purses.
(a) Only 1 follows
(c) Only 1 and 2 follow
Statements:
Some trains are cars.
All cars are branches.
All branches are nets.
Some nets are dresses.
Conclusions:
1. Some dresses are cars.
2. Some nets are trains.
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14.
15.
16.
17.
Statements:
A. Only stars are moons.
B. No galaxy is a star.
C. No planets are moons.
Conclusions:
1. Some moons are not planets.
2. No moon is a galaxy.
3. No galaxy is a planet.
4. No stars are planets.
(a) Only 1, 2 and 4 follow
(d) Only 3 and 4 follow
Statements:
No navies are air forces.
All armies are navies.
All air forces are combats.
Conclusions:
I. No air forces are navies.
II. Some combats are air forces.
III. Some combats are not navies.
IV. No armies are air forces.
(a) Only either I or II follows
(d) All follows
Statements:
All petals are flowers.
Some flowers are buds.
Some buds are leaves.
All leaves are plants.
Conclusions:
1. Some petals are not buds.
2. Some flowers are plants.
3. No flower is plant.
(a) Only 1 and 2 follow
(d) Only 1 and 3 follow
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18.
Statements:
Some trains are cars.
All cars are branches.
All branches are nets.
Some nets are dresses.
Conclusions:
Some dresses are cars.
Some nets are trains.
Some branches are trains.
Some dresses are trains.
Directions for Q19 and Q20: Each question contains six statements followed by four sets of combinations of three.
Choose the set in which the statements are most logically related.
19.
20.
(c) BDC
(d) CFE
(c) AEF
(d) BCE
SESSION 5
ANALOGIES
What is an Analogy?
An analogy is a problem of the form A is to B as C is to D. For notational convenience, the problem is often written as
A : B :: C : D.
(c) light
(d) heavy
(c) grey
(d) dark
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3.
4.
(c) grey
(d) coal
(c) heavy
(d) somber
Type 2: One pair of words A : B or C : D is presented and you will have to find another pair with a similar
relationship.
E.g.: BLACK : WHITE :: DARK : LIGHT
This may be presented as
1.
2.
Directions for Q1 to Q15: In each of the following questions, you will find three initial terms and four answer options
designated a, b, c and d. You are to select from the four answer options the one that best completes the analogy with
the three initial terms.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
(c) falsehood
(d) enlightenment
(c) laid
(d) lain
(c) dinghy
(d) tools
(c) atrium
(d) carotid
(c) prayer
(d) vesper
(c) proximate
(d) apposite
(c) penitence
(d) joy
(c) district
(d) diocese
(c) integer
(d) zero
(c) implicate
(c) star
(d) nova
(c) ten
(d) twelve
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13.
14.
15.
(d) coulomb
(d) fungi
(c) weeds
(d) irrecusable
Directions for Q16 to Q30: Each of the following analogy questions presents a related pair of words linked by a
colon. Five lettered pairs of words follow the linked pair. Choose the lettered pair of words whose relationship is most
like the relationship expressed in the original linked pair.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
CAPTAIN : SHOAL ::
(a) lawyer : litigation
(d) doctor : hospital
GULLIBLE : DUPED ::
(a) credible : cheated
(d) myopic : misled
DUNGEON : CONFINEMENT ::
(a) church : chapel
(d) hospital : mercy
MENDACITY : HONESTY ::
(a) courage : cravenness
(d) turpitude : depravity
NAVE : INGENUE ::
(a) ordinary : genius
(d) crafty : artisan
SHALE : GEOLOGIST ::
(a) catacombs : entomologist
(d) love : philologist
HACKNEYED : ORIGINAL ::
(a) mature : juvenile
(d) evasive : elusive
DWELL : DENIZEN ::
(a) shun : outcast
(d) obey : autocrat
MEANDERING : DIRECTINESS ::
(a) menacing : ambition
(b) affable : permissiveness
(d) circuitous : rotation
(e) aboveboard : openness
PIGHEADED : YIELD ::
(a) lionhearted : retreat
(d) featherbrained : giggle
SIGNATURE : ILLUSTRATION ::
(a) byline : column
(b) alias : charge
(d) note : scale
(e) reference : recommendation
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27.
28.
29.
30.
SURPRISE : EXCLAMATION ::
(a) insolence : bow
(d) deference : nod
EULOGY : BLAME ::
(a) elegy : loss
(d) simile : likeness
MENDICANT : IMPECUNIOUS ::
(a) critic : quizzical
(b) complainer : petulant
(d) liar : compulsive
(e) philanthropist : prodigal
SNICKER : DISRESPECT ::
(a) whimper : impatience
(d) sneer : detachment
SESSION 6
EUPHEMISM
It is a mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive; the substitution of
an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant.
Did You Know?
Euphemism derives from the Greek word euphmos, which means "auspicious" or "sounding good.
Some euphemisms are used in order to make a blunt or unpleasant truth seem less harsh.
Put to sleep
Its quite a common death euphemism, but its specific to animals, usually pets, as in being put down by a vet.
Couch potato
This is one of many common euphemisms that can mean slightly different depending on where youre from.
A lot of people use it to describe somebody who is overweight, while others understand it to really describe somebody
who is just lazy, whatever size they are.
Differently abled
One of the nicest common euphemisms we have, we can describe someone as differently abled to avoid saying they
are disabled.
Visually challenged
This is another euphemism about people having disabilities, although this one is specifically about being blind or
partially sighted.
Didnt make it
This is yet another one meaning that someone has died, although we tend to say that someone didnt make it if they
were fighting an illness.
When you find yourself discussing someone that you recently saw and want to express your opinion about your
observations, it is much more polite to say that they have gained a few extra pounds than bluntly calling them fat.
#Weight is a sensitive subject especially for women, which is why we all avoid blurting out words like obese, fat, and
overweight.
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Letting someone go
When it comes to firing someone, you rarely hear the exact words of 'You are fired' unless of course your boss doesn't
care about your feelings.
Categorical inaccuracy
When ordinary people conceal the truth and say something that is not consistent with the facts, that is considered
lying.
However when it comes to politics it is all different.
If somebody in power is not saying the truth, it is incompetent to call them liars instead we say that there were
categorical inaccuracies in what they said
Between jobs
Unemployment rates are high, especially in the current state of the economy and some people are suffering
financially.
Many have been cut and now are having a hard #timefinding a permanent job but instead of referring to themselves
as unemployed these people say that they are between jobs.
Euphemism is an expression which loses its literal meaning and refers to something else in order to hide its
unpleasantness.
Many organizations use the term downsizing for the distressing act of firing its employees.
Euphemism depends largely on the social context of the speakers and writers where they feel the need to replace
certain words which may prove embarrassing for particular listeners or readers in a particular situation.
Techniques for Creating Euphemism
Euphemism masks a rude or impolite expression but conveys the concept clearly and politely. Several techniques are
employed to create euphemism.
Foreign words may be used to replace an impolite expression e.g. faux (fake), or faux pas (foolish error) etc.
The Squealer, a character in George Orwells Animal Farm, uses euphemisms to announce the reduction of
food to the animals of the farm, Orwell quotes him saying:
For the time being, he explains, it had been found necessary to make a readjustment of rations.
Substituting the word reduction with readjustment was an attempt to suppress the complaints of other
animals about hunger. It works because reduction means cutting food supply while readjustment implies
changing the current amount of food.
If you are a bank, the bad, debts are non- or under-performing assets.
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In other words: taking something apart to see how it works and then copying it
Intellectually Challenged
In Other Words: Stupid, Dim, Dull, Slow
Happy Hour
In other words: time set aside for drinking, usually in late afternoon
Fabricate
In Other Words: Make Up
In Other Words: Lie
Simply put idioms are typically phrases that have known meanings different from what would be expected by simply
trying to define the words.
Example :
"kick the bucket" (die)
"a dime a dozen" (common or easily attainable)
"bite your tongue" (keep quiet)
"between a rock and a hard place" (in a situation with no easy solution)
Euphemism: a substitution for an expression that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the receiver, using
instead an agreeable or less offensive expression, or to make it less troublesome for the speaker.
Idiom is a manner of speaking, a way of expressing oneself while euphemism is (uncountable) the use of a word or phrase
to replace another with one that is considered less offensive, blunt or vulgar than the word or phrase it replaces.
I used to think I was poor. Then they told me I wasnt poor, I was needy. Then they told me it was self-defeating to think of
myself as needy, I was deprived. Then they told me deprived was a bad image, I was underprivileged. Then they told me
underprivileged was over used, I was disadvantaged. I still dont have a dime. But I sure have a great vocabulary.
(Jules Feifer)
Activity 1
A
birth
prison
crime
unemployment
lying
toilets
alcohol
The politician seemed to be rather tired and emotional during the debate.
warfare
Pats being rather economical with the truth, wouldnt you agree?
strikes
obesity
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Activity 2
Directions: Make the sentences less direct by replacing the words in bold with a euphemism (potential answers
below).
1.
2.
Let me talk this over with my boss and Ill get back to you.
3.
4.
You need to talk to Kevin about this. Hes the fat guy in the orange shirt.
5.
6.
Margaret is on bereavement leave for a few days. Her cousin died last night.
7.
This Christmas, my coworkers and I are buying presents for poor kids.
8.
9.
10. Were looking to hire a new secretary for our vice president.
11. Many very old people are upset about their pensions.
12. We have two full-time janitors who work form 8 AM to 5 PM.
13. What he said about me is a total lie.
14. We can cut costs by moving our manufacturing facilities to a poor country.
15. There is a problem with the functionality of the software.
16. This is out of my price range. Maybe we should consider buying a used car.
17. Hes cheap and doesnt like to spend money on things he doesnt need.
18. Many illegal immigrants are employed in this industry.
19. You owe us money.
20. Were worried that it might be an expensive solution.
Activity 3
Complete the blanks with suitable Euphemisms.
being economical with the truth, between jobs, have had too many,
put to sleep, died, fell off the back of a lorry, Dear John letter, ethnic cleansing
armed intervention, big boned
1.
How much did you pay for your flat screen telly? B: It was really cheap. I think it _____________.
2.
A: Is your grandfather any better? B: Oh didn't you know? He _____________ last Monday.
3.
The USA is threatening _____________ in Iran unless they agree to cease developing nuclear power.
4.
John is _____________ at the moment so I don't think he can afford to come on holiday with us.
5.
I'm afraid that Dennis will have to be _____________. His kidneys aren't working and he seems to be in pain all of the
time.
6.
Instead of telling David face to face that she didn't want to continue the relationship she wrote him _____________
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