Verbal Reasoning

Practice Test 8

Solution Booklet

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 The merits of single-sex education have long been debated in the United
States, where demand for single-sex schools is on the rise. Title IV, a 1972
law prohibiting sex discrimination in education, was amended in 2006,
allowing for the establishment of single-sex state schools so long as a co-
educational alternative is available. While critics view single-sex schools as
discriminatory and inadequate preparation for adult life, advocates claim that
children, and particularly girls, benefit from a single-sex education. American
research shows that girls attending single-sex schools have higher self-
esteem, participate more in class, and score higher on aptitude tests than
their counterparts in co-educational schools. A 2005 study revealed that both
girls and boys attending single-sex schools spent more time on homework
and had less disciplinary problems. Single-sex schools subvert
stereotypical course-taking patterns and results. Advocates of single-sex
schooling argue that educators can teach more effectively by tailoring their
tuition to reflect current research about gender-based brain development.
Many experts, however, believe that research into single-sex education is
inconclusive, and that so long as the education provided is gender-fair, both
girls and boys can thrive in a co-educational environment.

Q1 Girls who attend single-sex schools perform better in maths and sciences than their
counterparts in co-educational schools.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – while the sixth sentence states that “single-sex schools subvert stereotypical
course-taking patterns and results,” it is not possible to say – based only on the information in
the passage – whether girls perform better in maths and sciences. The passage explains how
there are advocates on each side of the argument, but does not say who is right.

Q2 The trend towards American single-sex state education is a relatively recent phenomenon.

True False Cannot Say

True – single-sex state schools were illegal between 1972 and 2006, as explained in the
second sentence.

Q3 Proponents of single-sex education believe there are different learning styles between the two
genders.

True False Cannot Say

True – the seventh sentence states that educators can tailor their tuition to reflect current
research about gender-based brain development.

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Q4 Whereas girls benefit academically from single-sex education, the only advantage for boys is
improved discipline.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – the passage cites a 2005 study which found more time spent on homework and
less-stereotyped course taking. However the benefits of single-sex education given in the
passage are all opinions; the passage does not give them to us as fact.

Q5 Critics of single-sex education believe that such schools reinforce pre-existing gender
stereotypes.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – this is not an argument made in the passage.

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 The United States’ space programme is at a critical juncture. Over the past
four decades, spending on space has declined from 5% of the federal
budget to 0.5%. The US government recently announced it has cancelled
its Constellation human spaceflight programme, which was intended to
provide transportation to the International Space Station (ISS). Instead,
NASA will shift its emphasis to developing new technologies and
commercializing space flight. NASA will outsource its transportation to the
ISS – a move designed to dramatically reduce launch costs. Five private
companies – nearly all of which are headed by internet entrepreneurs – are
sharing $50 million of federal funds to develop cargo spacecraft. NASA’s
new vision has not been met by enthusiasm from all quarters, with critics
calling it the death knell of America’s formerly glorious space programme.
Politicians whose states are losing out on jobs as a result of NASA’s
cancelled programmes have been among the most vocal critics. With
entrepreneurs racing to achieve human spaceflight, the next American to
land on the moon could be a commercial passenger rather than a NASA
astronaut.

Q6 NASA hopes that outsourcing transport to the International Space Station will save it money.

True False Cannot Say

True – the fifth sentence states that outsourcing transportation is “designed to dramatically
reduce launch costs”. The fact that NASA has designed the action to save money is
synonymous with hoping it will save money.

Q7 Under NASA’s new plans, travel to the International Space Station will be privatised.

True False Cannot Say

True – summarises the fifth sentence. Handing operation to private companies is

Q8 The five companies sharing the federal funds are using internet technology to develop cargo
spacecraft.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – while these companies are headed by internet entrepreneurs, this fact is not
necessarily related to the spacecraft they are developing for NASA.

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Q9 Some critics believe that NASA’s new direction marks the end of American leadership in
human space exploration.

True False Cannot Say

True – summarizes the seventh sentence. Death knell means the beginning of the end.

Q10 The United States government recently announced plans to reduce its space programme
budget.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – the second sentence states that spending has declined over the past 40 years,
however it does not say if the government announced this (they could have just done it). Also
this does not preclude a one-off cut 39 years ago with a recent small increase. We cannot tell
from the passage.

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 Although according to the EU-funded Psychonaut Research Project it has
only been available since 2008, mephedrone is now the fourth most popular
recreational drug in the United Kingdom. Also known as “meow meow” and
“drone”, mephedrone is a synthetic stimulant that is derived from cathinone
compounds found in the khat plant of Eastern Africa. Chemically similar to
amphetamines, mephedrone has the effect of euphoria and increased
stimulation. Because it is sold as plant fertilizer and thus not subject to
medical regulations, mephedrone is currently legal in the United Kingdom,
although it has been banned in many other countries, including Sweden,
Germany and Israel. Manufactured in China and sold cheaply, the drug’s
legality and availability have led to its meteoric rise. While it is not illegal, it
does not follow that mephedrone is safe to use – an international lack of
scientific research means that its effects on health are not fully known.
Following reports of addiction and the drug’s suspected involvement in
several deaths; there are calls in the UK to have mephedrone classified as an
illegal substance immediately. This legal decision, however, cannot be taken
until a government advisory council has fully investigated any scientific
evidence.

Q11 Mephedrone is a naturally occurring substance.

True False Cannot Say

False – the second sentence describes mephedrone as a “synthetic” stimulant derived from
cathinone compounds found in a type of plant.

Q12 Sweden and Germany have scientifically proven the health dangers of mephedrone.

True False Cannot Say

False – the passage tell us there is an “international lack of scientific research” on the effects
on health from the drug. If there is a lack of research it cannot follow that it has been
scientifically proven.

Q13 Mephedrone’s low cost makes it especially attractive to teenage users.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – the passage does not mention the age of mephedrone users, nor the reasons a
particular age group use the drug.

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Q14 Despite being a legal substance, mephedrone is not safe to use.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – the sixth sentence states that “a lack of scientific research means that its effects
on health are not fully known”.

Q15 The UK government has been criticised for failing to act quickly to criminalise mephedrone.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – the penultimate sentence states there are calls to have mephedrone classified
as illegal, but the passage does not mention criticism of the government, nor about the length
or their inaction.

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 Ecotourism can be defined as responsible travel to natural areas that aims to
both conserve the environment and bring economic opportunities to local
people. Ecotourism provides an alternative to environmentally damaging
industries such as logging and mining, while also stimulating the local
economy. However, its dependency on foreign investment leads to one of the
main criticisms of the industry: that the profits generated from ecotourism do
not benefit the local economy and work force. Furthermore, while the ideals
behind ecotourism are unobjectionable, the industry is highly susceptible to
“greenwashing” – whereby a false impression of environmental friendliness is
given. More radical opposition comes from those critics who believe that
ecotourism is inherently flawed because travel that uses fossil fuels is
damaging to the environment. Despite these voices of dissent, ecotourism has
become the fastest-growing sector of the tourism industry, growing at an
annual rate of twenty to thirty percent. Ironically, ecotourism’s very success
may counteract its environmental goals, as high levels of visitors – even
careful ones – inevitably damage the ecosystem.

Q16 Ecotourism strives to profit from a nation’s natural resources.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – whilst the second sentence mentions ecotourism as an alternative to logging
and mining, we are not told anywhere in the passage that profit from natural resources is one
of its aims.

Q17 Ecotourism’s critics believe that air travel contributes to global warming.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – the fifth sentence states that critics believe that travel using fossil fuels is
damaging to the environment, but it does not say how it is damaging to the environment, for
example they could just mean depletion of natural resources.

Q18 The passage dismisses the ecotourism industry as an example of greenwashing.

True False Cannot Say

False – the fourth sentences merely says that ecotourism is susceptible to greenwashing. The
passage nether dismisses nor promotes ecotourism.

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Q19 The long-term environmental credentials of ecotourism are debatable.

True False Cannot Say

True – the last sentence states that high levels of visitors “may counteract its environmental
goals” and that all visitors inevitably damage the environment. The passage leaves open the
debate.

Q20 While ecotourism’s environmental benefits are disputed, there is consensus that it benefits
local people economically.

True False Cannot Say

False – while the second sentence states that stimulating the local economy is one of the
aims of ecotourism, the third sentence makes clear that critics believe that “the profits
generated from ecotourism do not benefit the local economy and work force. If there are
critics, there cannot be consensus.

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 The democratic peace theory holds that liberal democracies never, or rarely, go
to war against each other. The first to espouse this idea was the German
philosopher Immanuel Kant, who posited that constitutional republics engender
peace, because the majority of people will not vote to go to war unless in self-
defence. More recently, the democratic peace theory was put forth in 1964 by
Dean Babst. Babst carried out the first statistical research to scientifically prove
that democracies never or rarely fight each other. Despite an undeniable
statistical correlation between democracy and peace, the democratic peace
theory is highly debated amongst political scientists. The definitions of
“democracy” and “war” are one contentious issue. Some opponents of the
democratic peace theory point to exceptions, such as the Spanish-American
War. However, the main criticism of the theory is that it is based on flawed logic
– that peace between democracies is not caused by the democratic nature of
those states. Furthermore, opponents argue that democracies frequently attack
non-democracies, dispelling the notion that democracies are inherently
pacifistic. There are several derivatives of the democratic peace theory,
including the economic peace theory, which states that increased economic
exchange between states helps to avoid conflict.

Q21 Immanuel Kant’s theory about democratic peace was based on his scientific research.

True False Cannot Say

False – the third sentence states that the first statistical research into the theory was not
carried out until Babst’s work in the 1960s.

Q22 The premise for the democratic peace theory is the accountability of a democratically elected
government to its electorate.

True False Cannot Say

True – the second sentence explains that the majority of people will not vote to go to war, and
as a result the country will not go to war.

Q23 The definition of peace is divisive amongst political scientists.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – the fifth sentence states that the definitions of “democracy” and “war” are the
subject of contention, but the passage does not mention their interpretation of “peace”, which
may or may not be contentious.

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Q24 The economic peace theory says that countries are less likely to engage in war if their trade is
independent of each other.

True False Cannot Say

False – the last sentence states that economic peace theory “states that increased economic
exchange between states helps to avoid conflict”. This is the opposite of what the statement
says, so it cannot be true.

Q25 Dean Babst found statistical evidence showing democracies do not fight in wars.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – the passage tells us about the evidence Babst found showing that democracies
do not go to war against other democracies, but it says nothing of any evidence proving or
disproving that democracies get involved in any war, for example against non-democracies.

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 The debate over the British Museum’s Parthenon sculptures, also called the
Elgin Marbles, has run for nearly two centuries. Marble statues were
removed – with official permission – from the ruins of the Parthenon in 1801
by Lord Elgin, the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. He sold these
ancient Greek treasures to the British Museum in 1816, where they have
been housed ever since. Today, five million visitors from around the world
visit the sculptures, free of charge, at the British Museum. Since gaining
independence in 1830, however, the Greek government has argued for their
return to Athens. Historically, the Hellenic position centred on ownership,
claiming that Lord Elgin bribed authorities to acquire the marbles illegally.
The counterargument is that Lord Elgin saved these classical treasures from
neglect. Greece no longer disputes the British Museum’s ownership, but
states that the sculptures should be loaned to the New Acropolis Museum in
Athens, where they would be reunited with other surviving sculptures and
displayed in their proper geographic and cultural context. Despite public
sympathy for the return of the Elgin marbles, the British Museum believes
that the Parthenon marbles are part of shared world heritage and thus
should be widely accessible. Furthermore, returning the Parthenon statues
would set a precedent for returning other artefacts to their land of origin.

Q26 The British Museum takes the view that the Parthenon sculptures transcend national
boundaries.

True False Cannot Say

True – the ninth sentence describes the British Museum’s view – that the marbles are “part of
shared world heritage”. Shared world heritage means they don’t believe individual nations
should claim more of an ownership over other nations.

Q27 Prior to 1830, Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – the passage states that Greece won its independence in 1830, and that Lord
Elgin was Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, but the statement above is an assumption.

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Q28 The British public cannot understand why the Greek government want the Parthenon marbles
returned.

True False Cannot Say

False – the ninth sentence mentions “public sympathy for the return of the Elgin marbles”,
contrary to the British Museum’s stance. If the public have sympathy, it can be said that they
understand why they might be wanted back.

Q29 The only surviving marble statues from the Parthenon are divided between the British
Museum and the New Acropolis Museum.

True False Cannot Say

Cannot say – whilst we are told that there are Parthenon marbles in the British Museum and
“other surviving sculptures” in the New Acropolis Museum, the passage does not specify that
these are the only remaining Parthenon statues. For example, Lord Elgin may not have
recovered all of them.

Q30 Greeks believe that the Elgin Marlbes technically do not belong to the British Museum.

True False Cannot Say

False – the seventh sentence states “Greece no longer disputes the British Museum’s
ownership”.

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