Princeton Review Exams: CARS

The author would be unlikely to dispute any of the following claims about Coleridge EXCEPT that Coleridge: A. was primarily a poet and secondarily a philosopher. Correct Answer B. was an opium addict. C. was a kind of healer. D. lacked negative capability.

A. This is an Inference/EXCEPT question. Note: The correct answer is the statement with which the author would LEAST agree. A: Yes. In paragraph 1 the author says that Coleridge's "main work" was to eradicate mechanistic psychology (a philosophical tradition). The rest of the passage discusses his philosophy, with scant reference to his poetry. Thus the author sees Coleridge primarily as a philosopher, not as a poet. B: No. See paragraph 2. The passage states that Coleridge had a reputation as an opium addict. C: No. See paragraph 3. The passage suggests that Coleridge believed he was a kind of healer. D: No. See paragraph 2. The passage cites Keats, who asserts that Coleridge lacked "Negative Capability."

According to the passage, Coleridge thought the poet's mission was to: A. describe individual elements of the self as microcosms of the universe. B. follow a philosophy of wholeness. Correct Answer C. explore the world of dreams and how they explain our interaction with our surroundings. D. describe a vision of Utopia and how one might implement this vision.

B. This is a Retrieval question. A: No. The passage does not indicate that Coleridge thought the poet should use elements of the self as analogies for the universe. B: Yes. See paragraph 3. The author states that Coleridge thought that the poet should bring "the whole soul of man into activity," recognize " 'the absolute oneness' of the whole universe," and follow a "doctrine requiring the institution of wholeness." C: No. The passage does not discuss Coleridge's ideas about dreams and their interactions with our surroundings. D: No. Although Coleridge undertook Utopian projects, the passage does not suggest that Coleridge felt this was the poet's mission.

Suppose that a new study were to find evidence that many European feudal lords married their daughters to their closest vassals in an attempt to create a stronger bond between the two families. How would the author most likely respond? A. The author would consider these findings to be another "significant exception" to his argument. B. Since the new research looks at power relationships as mediated by women and matrimonial ties, the author would consider it to be outside the scope of his argument. C. The author would find this to be consistent with his description of feudalism as a network of personal relationships. Correct Answer D. The author would consider this another avenue by which top-to-bottom coherence disintegrated over time.

C. This is a New Information question A: No. While this choice does suggest that in some ways immediate ties might have been strengthened, it is not strong enough to represent an exception to the author's overall argument about fragmentation within the feudal system. Note that in paragraph 4 the exception given by the author regarding England is that the king could demand loyalty from all levels within the hierarchy: "Post-invasion England was a significant exception from this standpoint, for there the king by and large made good his claim to be considered and obeyed (on specific matters) as the overlord of all lords and vassals in the land, no matter how many links away in the chain of subinfeudations." This answer choice represents only one way in which lords attempted (you do not know how successfully) to strengthen ties between two closely related levels within that hierarchy. B: No. The author describes feudalism as based on a "network of interpersonal relationships" (paragraph 1). There is no reason to conclude that marriage ties, or relationships involving women, would not be included within the scope of the author's argument. C: Yes. This answer choice is consistent with the author's assertion in paragraph 1 that feudalism "made a network of interpersonal relations into the chief carrying structure of rule." D: No. There is no suggestion in the question stem or in the passage that attempts to strengthen ties through marriage would have a counterproductive effect. This choice suggests the opposite, at least in terms of what lords were attempting to do.

The author suggests that strong central authority structures should be: A. completely removed in order to promote contact among citizens. B. redirected to serve as a vehicle to promote greater individual cooperation. C. retained in some areas in order to perform some specified tasks. Correct Answer D. employed only in the area of social services.

C. This is an Inference question. A: No. See paragraph 4. The author concedes that strong central authority structures should exist for a few city functions; this answer choice is too extreme. B: No. The passage does not discuss individual cooperation as a goal. C: Yes. See paragraph 4. The author believes that some strong central authority structures should be retained. D: No. See paragraph 4. The author believes the determining factor is one of scale, not of function (social services).

It can be inferred from the passage that during harvest time, offerings were: A. presented during the day. B. not an obligatory practice. C. primarily fruits, cakes, and wines. D. a portion of the fruits of labor. Correct Answer

D. This is an Inference question. A: No. The passage does not state at what time of day harvest offerings were made. B: No. See the end of the first paragraph. On the contrary, during harvest time, offerings were "expected" regularly and neglect was "punished." C: No. See the end of the first paragraph. The passage suggests that the primary sources of offerings at harvest time were animals, food, and other valuable items. D: Yes. See the end of the first paragraph. The passage suggests that during harvest time, each tradesperson sacrificed a portion of goods.

Suppose that during an October evening, a female goat is sacrificed, and the body is buried intact and whole. Which of the following, according to passage information, would be the most likely context of this sacrifice? A. An offering to one of the gods of the lower world, as reparation for a great crime Correct Answer B. An offering to Diana, heavenly goddess of the hunt, in gratitude for a bountiful hunting season C. An offering on the eve of battle to the battle god of the underworld, given in hopes of receiving foreknowledge of the outcome D. A goatherd's regular harvest-time sacrifice of a mature goat who had borne many young

A. This is a New Information question. A: Yes. See paragraph 1. Since the animal sacrifice is buried in the ground unconsumed, we can conclude that the goat is an offering to the gods of the lower world; furthermore, the goat may represent reparation for a murder since these victims were not eaten (paragraph 2). B: No. See the beginning of paragraph 1. In this form of sacrifice, part of the animal would be eaten and part burned in order that the smell would reach Diana. C: No. In this case, the entrails would have been removed and examined (paragraph 2); the body would not then be buried intact and whole. D: No. The passage states that "Sacrifices were not presented intermittently and at mere pleasure, but regularly when occasion offered, as at harvest time, when the fruits of the fields and gardens were gathered in. The herdsman sacrificed the firstborn of his flock..." (paragraph 1). This goat, having borne many young, would clearly not be newly borne, and there is no other evidence in the passage to suggest this as a likely context for the sacrifice described.

Suppose the following sentence was found in an article in a 1990 issue of the Annual Review of Sociology: "In my review of the leading journals in my field, I am pleased to discover several considerations of the ways in which sociology may be brought to bear on social issues such as poverty and hunger." What impact would this have on the author's argument in the passage? A. It would undermine the author's suggestion that "thinking agents" have entirely disappeared from this journal. Correct Answer B. It would undercut the author's claim that social scientists are on the whole uninterested in solving social problems. C. It would invalidate the author's claim that personalized language is rarely used in social science. D. It would strengthen the author's implication that the Annual Review of Sociology is unusual due to its more common usage of non-depersonalized language.

A. This is a New Information/Strengthen-Weaken question. A: Yes. In paragraph 2 the author gives an example of one use of personalized language in the Annual Review of Sociology, but then goes on to say that "never before or again has such a sentence appeared in this particular journal." After citing the next sentence in the same article, which does not use personalized ("I") language, the author states that the "thinking agent has disappeared." However, this answer choice provides another example of the use of the first person in that same journal. This would undermine the author's argument that the use of "I" in this journal as descibed in the passage was unique. B: No. While the author argues that depersonalized language itself discourages social change, she does not argue that scientists use this language because they don't want social change. C: No. This choice is too extreme. One additional example of the use of personalized language does not invalidate the author's overall claim that such language is rare in social science. D: No. The author does not make this implication. She states that personal language has appeared only once in the journal, which does not qualify as "more common usage".

The author notes that reification in social science observations results in: A. a perception of greater scientific authenticity. Correct Answer B. a removal of the author's personal biases. C. a barrier through which it is difficult to communicate. D. an introduction of many new scientific terms.

A. This is a Retrieval question. A: Yes. See the first paragraph. The author states that reification results in a perception of greater objectivity and authenticity in science, as if the thing observed were "as real as nature." B: No. Reification includes the removal of the active agent in a sentence; however, there is no suggestion that it consequently removes the author's personal biases. Be careful not to read too much into passage information, or to speculate beyond the scope of the passage. C: No. See paragraph 1. The author does not imply that it creates a communication barrier. This choice is out of scope. D: No. The author does not suggest that reification results in the introduction of many new scientific terms. This choice is out of scope.

According to the passage, which of the following fosters social interaction among individuals? A. Need Correct Answer B. Affluence C. Common interest Your Answer D. Decentralization

A. This is a Retrieval question. A: Yes. See the first sentence of the passage. The author argues that the "most direct way to knit people's social lives togther is through necessity, by making men need to know about each other in order to survive." B: No. The author indicates the opposite in paragraph 2: "The present use of affluent community life in cities is to make it possible for men to hide together from being adults." C: No. The author suggests the opposite in paragraph 1; social interaction is fostered and characterized by confronting differences, not by recognizing commonalities. Make sure not to use outside knowledge or personal opinion. D: No. While the author does state that the creation of a society that fosters the confrontation of differences will require a "change in the scope of bureaucratic power in the city" and "a change in the concept of order in the planning of the city" (paragraph 2), the author does not suggest that these changes entail decentralization. Note that the author has a negative attitude towards decentralization; for example, he calls it a "fallacy" in paragraph 4.

The author most likely refers to the "significant exception" concerning the unusual power of the English King in order to: A. clarify the concept of top-to-bottom coherence by providing an example. Correct Answer B. negate the importance of direct relationships in maintaining feudal power. C. introduce the concept of subinfeudations. D. demonstrate how much more rapidly the authority of kings fragmented in England than in the rest of Europe.

A. This is a Structure question A: Yes. The author argues that, in general, feudal power became fragmented overtime thereby lessening top-to-bottom coherence. The example of England helps to clarify what power looks like when there is top-to-bottom coherence. B: No. Although England is mentioned as an exception to the fragmentation of power "rule", the author does not state how personal relationships contributed to this power structure, only that the king "made good his claim to be considered and obeyed." C: No. The concept of subinfeudations is introduced early on in the passage as the "chain of lord-vassal relations." While the author uses the term "subinfeudation" for the first time in this paragraph, he is still discussing the same basic concept. Therefore, the discussion of this exception does not represent an introduction of the concept of subinfeudation. D: No. This is a reversal of passage information. The English king held on to more power than his European counterparts.

Which of the following, if true, would most undermine the author's depiction of the instability of the European feudal state? A. Although feudal systems on a local scale tended towards fragmentation into smaller units, relationships between feudal lords in different lands often facilitated economic and political cooperation and consistency. Correct Answer B. The fact that certain feudal lords drew authority from church institutions contributed to variations between different feudal chains of obligation. C. The majority of peasants in the feudal era had very similar living arrangements and personal domestic obligations, regardless of the feudal state in which they lived. Your Answer D. At times the feudal system provided greater economic and political stability than the fragmented imperial system that preceded it.

A. This is a Weaken question A: Yes. The author argues that the feudal state "is one that undermines itself, making unified rule over large areas increasingly difficult." This answer choice indicates one way in which the personal nature of the feudal state facilitated cooperation over large areas, which would undermine the author's argument in the passage. B: No. This would be consistent with the author's argument that one source of instability was "diversity in the ways fiefs were held, exploited, and ruled" (paragraph 3). C: No. This choice, depicting consistency in everyday life within the "lower" level of society doesn't affect the author's argument about political structure and stability at the upper political level of feudal society. D: No. While tempting, this choice is not inconsistent with the author's argument. The passage argues that feudalism was internally unstable, not that is was always or usually less stable than what preceded it. In fact, the author states at the end of the passage that feudalism "did constitute a first attempt to impose a firm and workable framework of rule on lands that had suffered much devastation and insecurity."

Which of the following, as described, would be most logically similar to the causal explanation given by the author of why both side-view mirrors in European cars are convex? A. Modern computer keyboards use the same arrangement of letters as old typewriter keyboards, which were designed in the past to keep the mechanical keys from striking each other.Correct Answer B. Traffic laws in the U.S. allow U-turns at some intersections but not others. C. Most European nations currently have stricter laws than the U.S. regulating the use of genetically modified grains and other ingredients in foods sold to consumers. Your Answer D. In Germany, speed limits on highways are often higher than on city roads.

A. This is an Analogy question. Note: The author states in paragraph 3 that the nature of side-view mirrors in the U.S. and Europe "are both entrenched traditions, neither of which is fully based on rational, explicit argument." The question asks for an analogy to the causal explanation for European mirrors both being convex. Therefore, the correct answer needs to have something to do with things being the way they are now because of tradition, or, that it has been that way in the past and therefore is still that way in the present. A: Yes. This is the only one of the four choices that has the theme of the present nature of something being determined by how it was in the past. This choice also has the added aspect, matching the passage, of the suggestion that the current form of things may not be optimal. B: No. There is no suggestion in the answer choice that this is based on tradition. It may simply be based on actual practical differences between intersections. Be careful not to choose answer choices on Analogy questions simply because they have similar content as the passage; the correct answer must be logically similar to the relevant part of the passage. C: No. While this choice represents a difference between Europe and the U.S., the question asks for an analogy to the causal explanation for why European mirrors are the way they are. While you might believe that the difference in laws regulating genetically modified ingredients is based on different traditions, there is no suggestion of that in the answer choice. Be careful not to use outside knowledge or opinion. D: No. There is no indication in this answer choice that the difference in speed limits within Germany is based on different traditions. Therefore, while this choice does refer to a European country, it does not match the logic of the relevant part of the passage.

It can be inferred from the passage that the Romans: A. would have had a more favorable attitude towards candles if candles were more aesthetically pleasing in appearance. Correct Answer B. believed that household objects should also function as works of art. C. believed than visual appeal was more important than practical functionality. D. saw candles as an acceptable everyday food source.

A. This is an Inference question. A: Yes. In paragraph 1 the author states that although the Romans invented candles, they "regarded their new invention as an inferior substitute for oil lamps—which then were elaborately decorative works of art." Given that aesthetics is the only factor mentioned in the discussion of Roman's preference for lamps over candles, you can infer that if candles were more aesthetically pleasing, the Romans would have had a more positive attitude towards them B: No. Even though the author suggests that the Romans preferred oil lamps to candles at least in part because oil lamps were "elaborately decorative works of art," he does not suggest that they believed that all objects used in the home should have the same quality. C: No. This choice is too broad and too strong. All you know on this issue from the passage is that the Romans preferred oil lamps to candles in part because of the lamps' decorative nature. There is no evidence that the Romans always prioritized aesthetics over function, or that candles were more functional than oil lamps. D: No. The passage says that starving soldiers had no problem eating candles (paragraph 1); this does not mean that candles were seen by the Romans as an acceptable food source in less extreme conditions. Note that it was British lighthouse keepers, not Romans, who "made eating candles almost an accepted professional practice."

It can be inferred from the passage that nineteenth century libertarians believed in: A. less government. Correct Answer B. centralized power. C. reconstituting public power in the hands of the common people. Your Answer D. the elimination of laws against so-called victimless crimes.

A. This is an Inference question. A: Yes. See paragraph 4. The passage indicates that libertarians believe in less central authority. B: No. See paragraph 4. The passage indicates that libertarians believe the opposite. C: No. See paragraph 4. The passage indicates that libertarians believe in the removal of central authority, not a restructuring of public authority. D: No. This is an outside knowledge trap. While this is an idea or goal held by some libertarians in reality, the author never indicates that this was specifically seen by nineteenth century libertarians as part of a reduction of central authority.

As used in the passage, "pantisocracy" most likely means: A. an ideal society. Correct Answer B. rule by elders. C. a declining society. D. rule by philosophers

A. This is an Inference question. A: Yes. Since the author mentions the Pantisocracy in relation to Coleridge's "Utopian" projects and the founding of a communal farm, we can conclude that it most likely refers to an ideal society. None of the other three choices fit into the context of the passage. B: No. Rule by elders is not mentioned in the passage. C: No. This is the opposite of the implied meaning of the term. "Pantisocracy" is mentioned in the context of the creation of a Utopia and described as a "model for social regeneration." Make sure to take the tone of the relevant part of the passage into account. D: No. Rule by philosophers is not mentioned in the passage.

What is the most likely meaning of the author's statement in paragraph 4 that "We see things only through our own windshields"? A. Perception of risk may be skewed by personal experience.Correct Answer B. Visibility and attention are critical factors for avoiding traffic accidents. C. What we have been taught about driver safety influences our interpretation of study data about the causes of traffic accidents. D. A person's broader habits and worldview may influence the sort of driver he or she becomes. Your Answer

A. This is an Inference question. A: Yes. The main point of paragraph 4 is that our habitual behaviors in familiar settings may cause us to assume we are safe (i.e., that there is little risk) and therefore we may not notice an unusual threat because we have never before encountered that threat in that setting. B: No. This choice takes the cited sentence too literally. The author does indicate in paragraph 4 that attention can be a factor in accidents, but as part an example of how perception and habits affect our driving, not as an interpretation of the meaning of the cited statement. C: No. This choice takes some things that are mentioned in the passage and puts them together into a causal statement that is not in fact supported by the passage. That is, while the author does discuss what we are taught about driver safety (paragraph 2), and does discuss interpreting study or survey data (paragraph 4), he does not indicate that driver education affects our interpretation of that data. D: No. This is a claim cited in paragraph 5 that the author goes on to question. Therefore, this choice (1) relates to a different issue in the passage than the one referenced in the question stem, and (2) is not a claim that the author himself fully agrees with.

Which of the following definitions of categorization (paragraph 1) would be most consistent with the implied meaning of the word as it is used in the passage? A. The grouping of similar objects and relations together using observations Correct Answer B. The disproving of similarity between objects and relations C. The ability to classify objects based on opinions about the object D. The addition of beliefs in order to group similar objects together

A. This is an Inference question. A: Yes. Throughout the passage, it is shown that the three modes of induction are used to categorize objects. The way in which this is done is to compare the objects to see if they are similar (adding beliefs when necessary). Then if they are similar, they can be categorized together. The way to see if two objects are similar is to observe them (a bird's characteristics, how the drunken man behaves, etc.). B: No. The actual term categorization does not imply disproving anything; it implies the grouping or classifying of objects based on their similarities. While the process of categorization could in fact involve identifying differences (or disproving similarity), that is not what the word itself is used to suggest in the passage. C: No. The second part of the answer about being based on opinions is incorrect. The passage implies that the objects are grouped based on similarities and that those similarities are observable (as shown by the examples in paragraphs 1-4). D: No. This is the right answer to the wrong question. This definition is limited to one form of categorization: deductive-type modes of induction (see paragraphs 2 and 4). Therefore, it doesn't capture the full meaning of the word itself as it is used in the passage.

What is the central thrust of the passage? A. During the Renaissance, women still experienced fewer opportunities than men to write and to receive a quality education. B. Changes in education during the Renaissance affected both the goals of, and the rewards available to, women writers. Correct Answer C. The conventional view of women's writing in the Renaissance is wrong. D. Lack of education was responsible for the scarcity of writing careers open to women during the Renaissance.

B. This is a Main Idea question. A: No. This choice is too narrow. The overall purpose of the passage is to discuss Renaissance women's writing in the context of opportunities offered by education, not to discuss inequality between men and women. B: Yes. This choice covers all of the major themes (changes in educational opportunities, their effects on both wealthy and non-wealthy women in terms of both career opportunities and personal fulfillment and satisfaction) without going beyond the boundaries of the passage. C: No. The passage focuses broadly on women's education and writing in the Renaissance, not simply on the notion that the conventional view of women's writing is wrong. D: No. This choice is too extreme and too narrow. In the first part of the passage, the author argues that opportunities depended on social position, not that opportunities were scarce overall; for some, "Renaissance education provided a stupendous opportunity for personal and professional growth, a means for the realization of their potential; their decisions to write and publish were their own and went far beyond the expectations placed upon them" (paragraph 1). Furthermore, this choice leaves out the author's discussion in paragraphs 2 and 3 of the meaning and value of education and writing for the women of the time.

A literary historian publishes an essay describing the greater opportunities available to married women as compared to single women in Renaissance aristocracy. This information would: A. support the author's claim that gender differences did not play an important role in women's writing. B. strengthen the author's claim that social position played an important role in women's writing. Correct Answer C. weaken the author's argument that level of education is the primary factor determining women's opportunity for literary self-expression. D. cast doubt on the author's implication that women who wrote within religious orders often had more opportunities than those who married and had children.

B. This is a New Information question. A: No. The author does not make this claim in the passage. The argument that social position plays an important role does not imply that gender differences did not as well. B: Yes. The author claims that most single women had little access to patronage (paragraph 1), nor did they have many opportunities to pursue literary careers. The essay described in the question would give further evidence that social (including marital) status affected the literary opportunities open to women. C: No. First, this statement is too extreme to be a claim made by the author. While she does describe education as an important factor, she does not claim that it is the primary factor. Second, even if this was a claim made by the author, it would not be inconsistent with the new information in the question stem. D: No. The author does not imply this to be true (and even if she did, it would not be inconsistent with the new information in the question stem). The passage indicates that BOTH membership in religious institutions and marriage provided advantages to women, not that the former offered more opportunities than the latter.

Suppose that a banker on his way to work encounters a homeless person. Based on the passage, the author would expect the businessman's experience to: A. lead to a more egalitarian outlook on the part of the businessman. Your Answer B. constitute one aspect of an important maturation process.Correct Answer C. allow both individuals to recognize a fundamental shared humanity sometimes obscured in modern urban life. D. encourage a shift in public power from the hands of a few to the hands of the many.

B. This is a New Information question. A: No. The author only argues that confrontation and recognition of differences is crucial for survival and that it will "knit people's social lives together" (paragraph 1). He does not go so far as to say that this confrontation of differences will lead to a belief in the equality of different people. B: Yes. The author claims that the "move into adulthood" (maturation) requires in part the experience of the friction of differences (paragraph 1). An encounter between a banker and a homeless man would be just such an experience. C: No. The author calls solidarity a "myth" in paragraph 1. Make sure not to use "common sense" or personal opinion; while you might think that this encounter might create commonality and solidarity, the author emphasizes the recognition of, not the elimination of, conflict. D: No. Nothing in the passage connects recognition and confrontation of differences to a shift in the nature of public or private power.

The author states that prior acts of "decentralization" have largely been motivated by a desire to: A. create a society that encourages recognition of and respect for differences. B. abolish public power. Correct Answer C. disseminate power more widely throughout society.Your Answer D. favor public over private interests.

B. This is a Retrieval question. A: No. This choice takes words from the first paragraph out of context. There is no indication in the passage that prior efforts at decentralization have been motivated by this goal. Note also the author's tone in paragraph 1 regarding recognizing differences (positive) and in paragraph 4 regarding prior attempts at decentralizing (negative). B: Yes. See paragraph 4. The author states that "those who traditionally have wanted to limit central authority have wanted the result to be a public power vacuum...." C: No. The author states the opposite; the goal of these prior attempts at decentraliztion was the concentration of power in the hands of a few (paragraph 4). . D: No. See paragraph 4. The passage suggests the opposite.

The author states that the modern usage of the phrase "to snuff" results from the fact that snuffing: A. is a delicate procedure in which one trims the wick of a candle, to prevent its melting. B. could accidentally extinguish a flame. Correct Answer C. originally meant putting out tallow candles. D. is a very dangerous undertaking.

B. This is a Retrieval question. A: No. This is the right answer to the wrong question. Although this describes snuffing accurately, it does not explain the modern usage of the phrase. B: Yes. See paragraph 5. Snuffing candles very often extinguished them, and the author states that this is why " 'snuff' has come to mean 'extinguish.' " C: No. See paragraph 3. The passage indicates the opposite. "Snuffing" meant trimming the wick so that the candle would not go out. D: No. This choice is too extreme. While snuffing entailed a risk of extinguishing the candle, the author does not describe it as a "dangerous activity." Furthermore, the modern usage comes from what the risk was, not the level of that risk or "danger."

All of the following were necessary elements required in animal sacrifices EXCEPT: A. an offering brought to the altar. B. a repentant sinner. Correct Answer C. an unblemished animal. D. a pure flame.

B. This is a Retrieval/EXCEPT question. A: No. See the opening of paragraph 1. In animal sacrifices, animals were always brought to an altar. B: Yes. While the author does mention "purification for a crime" as a possible reason for performing one type of sacrifice (paragraph 2), he does not suggest that is a necessary element in any type, including animal sacrifice. In fact, the author states that in at least some types of animal sacrifice, the participation of a sinner was unacceptable (paragraph 1). C: No. See paragraph 1. In animal sacrifices, animals had to be "spotless and healthy." D: No. See paragraph 1. Because the fire was holy, a "pure flame" was necessary in animal sacrifices.

The author's apparent attitude towards the mantra "A man drives as he lives" is: A. accepting. B. skeptical. Correct Answer C. sympathetic. D. resentful.

B. This is a Specific Attitude question. A: No. This is the opposite of the author's attitude. The author indicates that this mantra is not entirely accurate. That is, driving behavior is not attributable only to individual personality. Rather, everyone's behavior may change when they get behind the wheel. In the last paragraph the author states: "The interesting question is not whether some of us are more prone to act like homicidal maniacs once we get behind the wheel but why we all act differently. What is going on seems less to do with different personalities than with our entire being." B: Yes. The author questions whether or not this "mantra" truly captures the reasons why people may drive badly, and indicates that there is something about being human, rather than simply something about individual personality, that determines why we may drive badly. The phrases "an early mantra" and "the thinking goes" indicate that the author will go on to cast doubt on this belief (given the theme in the passage that our current understanding is insufficient). Then at the end of the paragraph the author states: "However [emphasis added], the reasons why how one lives might be linked to how one drives are not clear. The interesting question is not whether some of us are more prone to act like homicidal maniacs once we get behind the wheel but why we all act differently. What is going on seems less to do with different personalities than with our entire being." C: No. The author has a negative, not positive, attitude towards this mantra to the extent that he believes that it is not fully accurate: "The interesting question is not whether some of us are more prone to act like homicidal maniacs once we get behind the wheel but why we all act differently. What is going on seems less to do with different personalities than with our entire being" (paragraph 5). Furthermore, the author does not show signs of compassion or concern towards the mantra itself (although he may understand why people may mistakenly use or believe in it). D: No. This choice is too extreme. While the author does have a negative attitude towards this saying to the extent that he does not believe it to be fully accurate (paragraph 5), he does not go so far as indicating indignation, irritation, or offense. He does not criticize those who use or believe in the mantra; in fact, he suggests throughout the passage that driving behavior is mysterious and hard to understand.

According to the passage, women's writing in the Renaissance depended in some ways more on social position than on gender itself. The author draws this conclusion by consideration of all of the following EXCEPT the: A. secularization of instruction. B. differences between men and women. Correct Answer C. study of classical antiquity. D. manifold opportunities of expression.

B. This is a Structure/EXCEPT question. A: No. See paragraph 1. The author does consider the secularization of instruction: "Judged by the traditional definition of the availability of education, the secularization of instruction, the study of the classical past,...the answer to this question depends more on the woman's social position...than on her sex." B: Yes. See the last paragraph. Since this is an EXCEPT question, the correct answer will NOT be something the author considered in order to make her claim about the role of social position. Although some comparison is drawn between male and female writers, the comparison is not used to draw the conclusion that social position was more important than gender. C: No. See paragraph 1. The author does mention the study of the classical past in the sentence that ends with "the answer to this question depends more on the woman's social position...than on her sex." D: No. See the second sentence of paragraph 1. The author does consider the manifold opportunities of expression in this context.

Which of the following statements, if true, would most undermine the author's claim that the similarity mode of induction often fails to be useful in categorization? A. A normal bird's characteristics are found to be gliding, sitting, and humming. B. Most observers used the similarity mode to correctly conclude that an animal that flies, perches, and sings is a bird.Correct Answer C. Most people usually use similarity modes over deduction-type modes of induction. Your Answer D. The similarity mode is simpler than the deductive modes.

B. This is a Weaken question. A: No. This statement doesn't tell us anything about the similarity mode itself; we are not told in the answer choice how this statement was used to reach a conclusion. B: Yes. The author states that the similarity mode often fails because it isn't deductive. If most people could use it to reach a valid conclusion (unlike in the example in paragraph 3), it would undermine the author's claim. While it doesn't definitively disprove the claim, this is the only one of the four choices that both focuses on the correct issue and is inconsistent with the author's argument. C: No. The author makes no claims about which mode is used more than the other. The fact that people can switch from similarity to deductive modes (paragraph 5) doesn't tell us how often that occurs. D: No. The author does not claim that the similarity mode is more complex. Therefore, the statement that the similarity mode is simpler has no impact on the author's argument in the passage.

Which of the following, given the information provided in the passage, appears to be an assumption underlying some of the Greek and Roman sacrificial rites? A. The gods depended on sacrifices as a source of power and sustenance. B. The gods possessed certain sensory perceptions analogous to those possessed by human beings.Correct Answer C. The more emotionally attached the person making the sacrifice was to the object, animal, or person being sacrificed, the more powerful would be the effect. Your Answer D. Each god had one particular animal considered to be the most appropriate sacrifice for that god.

B. This is an Inference question. A. No. The author indicates that Greeks and Romans felt as if they depended on the gods, not that the gods depended on sacrifices for their power. In paragraph 1 the author introduces the passage as a whole by saying: "Turning to the rites and ceremonies by which the Greeks and Romans expressed their belief in and entire dependence on the gods..." The rest of the passage describes the various rituals intended to express gratitude, atone for sins, gain knowledge, etc.- all benefits received from the gods. B: Yes. In paragraph 1 the author states that the smell of burnt offerings was imagined to "rise agreeably to the gods." In paragraph 3 the author states, "in the case of burnt offerings they may be imagined to have been satisfied with the smell that rose in the air, and in the case of libations, with the aroma of the wine." Therefore, the Greeks and Romans appeared to have assumed that the gods had a sense of smell similar to that of humans. C: No. While you might imagine this to be why when humans were sacrificed "the victims in such cases [were] occasionally, to judge from the instance of Iphigenia, closely connected by ties of blood and affection with the person required to make the sacrifice," this would be reading too much ito the passage. The author does not indicate a connection between emotional attachment and power of the sacrifice (for human or any other sacrificial object). D: No. While the author states that "The colour, age, and sex of the animal were determined by the feeling of appropriateness to the deity for whom it was slain" (paragraph 1), that is not enough evidence to indicate that there was always one animal considered to be the best match to each god.

It can be inferred from the passage that a mechanistic psychology: A. prioritizes the imagination. B. focuses on the conscious mind. Correct Answer C. insists on the separation of literature from other intellectual pursuits. D. does not consider Shakespeare a great writer.

B. This is an Inference question. A: No. Coleridge transformed the mechanistic psychology of the time by prioritizing the imagination (paragraph 1). Therefore, the mechanistic psychology of the eighteenth century could not have prioritized the imagination. B: Yes. Coleridge left mechanistic psychology behind; one of the new ideas he explored was "the unconscious workings of the mind" (paragraph 1). From this we can infer that mechanistic psychology did NOT explore the unconscious, and that it limited its focus to the conscious mind. C: No. The passage does not imply there existed a separation between literature and other intellectual pursuits.This choice is out of scope. D: No. The passage does not indicate how thinkers using a mechanistic psychology would evaluate the writings of Shakespeare. This choice is out of scope.

Based on information in the passage, attempts to more tightly focus the scope of powerful pyramidal bureaucracies might: A. fail due to a misunderstanding of human nature. B. encounter problems due to public resistance to the project.Correct Answer C. encounter problems due to insufficient commitment to change on the part of the reformers. D. succeed in reconfiguring the shape of the bureaucracy.Your Answer

B. This is an Inference question. A: No. The passage tells us that people today tend to believe that the power of large bureaucratic structures should be large in scope (paragraph 3). However, the author does not indicate that this belief arises from human nature itself, nor that reformers would misunderstand this belief. B: Yes. The author argues that people today believe the scope of a structure should match its size (paragraph 3), and, consequently, that they find it difficult to accept that a strong organization could have a narrow focus. Thus it is reasonable to infer that reformers attempting to narrow the scope of large bureaucracies might encounter public resistance. C: No. The passage gives no indication that the reformers themselves will lack commitment. D: No. The reformers wish to change the scope, not the shape of the bureaucracy. Furthermore, the passage gives no examples of successful reformations of this particular type, nor reasons to think that it would succeed. See also the explanation for choice B.

Which of the following beliefs would most likely have been added to the premises by a participant using forward deduction in the Rips study? A. Forward deduction can not have been used during this study, therefore no belief was added. B. If an animal produces normal offspring with a female of that animal's same species than the animal is probably of that species. Correct Answer C. If an animal is a bird, it originally had bird properties and produces normal offspring with a normal mate of the same species. D. If an animal is an insect, it cannot be born with bird properties.

B. This is an Inference question. A: No. There is no way to say for sure, based on the passage, that forward deduction can not be used. B: Yes. This is the only answer choice that provides a belief that can be added to the premise (which is the definition of forward deduction in paragraph 2). It also has a similar format to the example given in paragraph 2 for forward deduction ("if an animal flies, sings, and perches it is probably a bird" to support the conclusion of probable birdhood). C: No. This would be an example of reverse deduction. This belief is one that is formatted to be added to the conclusion ("if an animal is a bird", with the conclusion being that the animal is in fact a bird) rather than to the premises. The format for this answer choice is similar to the one given in the bird example in paragraph 2 for reverse deduction. D: No. As in choice C, this is an example of reverse deduction, and is similar to the example given of that mode in the second half of paragraph 2. This belief is phrased to be added to the conclusion (that the animal is an insect) rather than to the premises.

With which of the following statements would the author be most likely to agree? A. Drivers are more likely to underestimate than overestimate how dangerous a particular driving scenario might be. B. Judgments regarding automobile design and driver safety are often based on factors other than established data. Correct Answer C. Efficiency is one of the most important factors to evaluate when judging the efficacy of particular behavioral patterns. D. We are unlikely to ever better understand driving behavior, given the complexity of behavioral and technological factors involved. Your Answer

B. This is an Inference question. A: No. While the author does give an example in paragraph 4 of underestimating danger (on familiar streets), he does not indicate that this is true more generally. The point is that we do not always correctly estimate risk, not that we usually underestimate it. B: Yes. In paragraph 3 the author discusses the difference between U.S. and European driver-side mirrors and agrees with Flannagan's statement that "They can't both be optimal. These are both entrenched traditions, neither of which is fully based on rational, explicit argument." In paragraph 4 the author claims that we make implicit decisions regarding risk based on skewed perceptions and assumptions rather than on reality. C: No. The author indicates the opposite in paragraph 4. He writes: "On the one hand, [habitual behavior] is efficient: it frees us from having to gather all sorts of new information, from getting side-tracked. Yet on the other hand, because we are expending less energy on analyzing what is around us, we may be letting our mental guard down. If in three years there has never been a car coming out of the Joneses' driveway in the morning, what happens on the first day of the fourth year, when suddenly there is? Our feeling of safety and control is also a weakness." D: No. This choice makes a prediction that is too absolute to be supported by the passage. Note that the passage is written in the present tense. Despite the complexity of the issue, the author does not go so far as to suggest that we are unlikely to EVER be able to better understand driving or driving behavior

The author indicates that all of the following factors contributed to this disintegration of power within the feudal system EXCEPT: A. the lack of a personal relationship between a lord and each of his lower vassals as hierarchies became more complex. B. the increasing anarchic violence which made many vassals unwilling to go to war. Correct Answer C. vassals who owed fealty to multiple lords citing loyalty to another lord as a way to avoid service. D. the lack of a clear and coherent relationship between lords and the populous they ruled over.

B. This is an Inference/Except question. A: No. Paragraph four states that as a lord's vassal created vassals of his own, it created a situation where there was no direct, personal connection between the original lord and the new vassals. B: Yes. This is a reversal of passage information, and therefore the correct answer to an EXCEPT question. The last paragraph describes anarchic violence as a result of, not a cause of, the breakdown in power. Furthermore, the author does not suggest a specific causal relationship between violence and unwillingness to go to war. C: No. Paragraph three describes a situation where a vassal owing multiple fealty could "suspend his obligations" as a way of asserting independence D: No. Paragraph two states "First, from early on it was normal for each lord to have more than one vassal. Since in principle each feudal relationship was entered intuitu personae, that is by taking into account the individuality of the participants, the mutual obligations of lord and vassal could differ considerably from relationship to relationship. As a result, the lord's relationship to the ultimate objects of rule, the populace, was mediated differently by each vassal." This is given as one reason why unified rule broke down.

The author's apparent attitude towards the language most commonly used in social science can best be described as: A. appreciative B. patronizing C. critical Correct Answer D. shamed

C. This is a General Attitude question. A: No. This is the opposite of the author's tone in the passage. "Appreciative" has a strongly positive tone, whereas the author is critical of social science language throughout the passage. B: No. While this choice does, like the passage, have a negative tone, it does not accurately capture the author's opinion of social science language. The author is not condescending; she dislikes most social science language, but she does not indicate that she feels "above" or superior to it in any way. C: Yes. Throughout the passage the author indicates problems with the way language is most commonly used in the social sciences. This choice is in accordance with specific statements within the passage and as well with the Bottom Line. D: No. While this choice does have a negative tone, as does the passage, the author expresses no personal shame or guilt relating to the use of reifying and depersonalizing language in social science.

Which of the following statements best summarizes the central issue addressed by the passage? A. People tend to drive the way they live. B. Knowledge about how to maximize safety while driving remains incomplete, which contributes to the occurance of unnecessary accidents. C. Driving entails a complex array of tasks and issues, not all of which have been fully understood or addressed.Correct Answer D. Because of the extreme complexity of driving, more study is needed to improve legal and technological safeguards.

C. This is a Main Idea question. A: No. While this is a statement cited in the last paragraph, the author goes on to disagree with it: "However, the reasons why how one lives might be linked to how one drives are not clear. The interesting question is not whether some of us are more prone to act like homicidal maniacs once we get behind the wheel but why we all act differently. What is going on seems less to do with different personalities than with our entire being." B: No. This choice is too narrow to be the central issue of the passage. While the author does imply that this is true, safety is only one of the issues addressed in the passage. C: Yes. This choice covers all of the main themes of the passage, and includes the appropriate tone (lack of full understanding). Paragraph 1 states that we are only beginning to understand the full scope of what is entailed in driving. Paragraph 2 discusses how new technology may affect best driving practices, but we don't know exactly how. Paragraph 3 deals with mirrors and how practices differ, but that we don't know what is best. Paragraph 4 discusses how our habits have advantages but also disadvantages, and paragraph 5 states that "the reasons why how one lives might be linked to how one drives are not clear." D: No. This choice is half right but half wrong. Yes, the author indicates that driving is very complex, but he does not call for more study (the passage only points out that we do not currently have a full understanding), and there is no suggestion of a call for legal or regulatory changes. Make sure to stay within the scope of the passage.

How does the author support his description of Coleridge's reputation as an "aimless and irreclaimable dreamer?" A. By analogy to the poet as a healer B. With an explanation of Coleridge's theory of the ideal poet C. With examples of Coleridge's varied and unrealized interests Correct Answer D. By citation of Keats and Wordsworth Your Answer

C. This is a Structure question. A: No. The author uses the analogy of the poet as a healer in a different context (see paragraph 3), not to support this particular description. B: No. The author uses the explanation of Coleridge's theory in a different context (see paragraph 3), not to support the description cited in the question stem. C: Yes. See paragraph 1. The examples of Coleridge's varied and unrealized interests that precede the description illustrate and support it; you can conclude that the description follows the support due to the use of the word "then." D: No. Note that the sentence leading into the author's discussion of the opinions of Keats and Wordsworth is "Nevertheless, a contrary and probably more adequate impression of Coleridge is the sense of his intellectual determinism" (paragraph 2). This tells you that the author is no longer discussing Coleridge's reputation as an "aimless and irreclaimable dreamer."

The first sentence of the passage claims that candles obliterated their own history. The rest of the passage: A. explicitly supports this assertion, offering scientific evidence about why candles are self-consuming. B. implicitly supports this assertion, citing several authors who describe the nature and function of candles centuries ago. C. implicitly undermines this assertion, showing that the history of candles remains, at least in part, accessible to contemporary scholars. Correct Answer D. explicitly undermines this assertion, explaining that properly tended candles will not be consumed so rapidly and will offer more light. Your Answer

C. This is a Structure question. A: No. The rest of the passage gives a history of candles, rather than explaining why they consume or destroy themselves. Furthermore, no scientific works are referenced. B: No. While this choice does accurately describe what most of the rest of the passage does, it does it in support of the second sentence, not the first: "Our knowledge of their origins is based, on necessity, on what early people wrote about them." C: Yes. If candles truly "obliterated their own history," then the author would not have had sufficient information from "what early people wrote about them" to write this passage, which goes through a history of candles. D: No. While the author does indicate this to be true in paragraph 3, this choice mistakes the meaning of the first sentence of the passage. That first sentence is not about candle management (snuffing etc.); rather, it indicates that because candles burn (until they essentially don't exist anymore), they destroy historical evidence of themselves.

The author mentions air bags in order to: A. give an example of a technological response to the dangers involved in driving in heavy traffic. B. illustrate why common advice regarding driving is wrong. C. give an example of how new technology has made driving more complicated. Correct Answer D. illustrate how a false sense of safety can make us drive more dangerously.

C. This is a Structure question. A: No. This is an outside knowledge trap. This may be true in reality, but it is not supported by passage information. The author never actually discusses technology as a response to danger. In paragraph 2 where the author mentions air bags, the theme is how a variety of technologies (including cell phones and navigation systems) have called into question standard driving advice. B: No. This is a tempting answer, but it is too extreme. The author does not say that the standard "10 and 2" advice is wrong. He only suggests that air bags have raised the question of whether or not it is now overly dangerous. C: Yes. The first part of paragraph 2 states that "our mobile life is still shrouded in mystery and murk. We welcome into our vehicles new technologies like cell phones and in-car navigation systems before we have time to understand the complicated effects those devices might have on our driving. Opinion is often divided on the most fundamental aspects of how we should do things." The author goes on to mention air bags as an example of a new technology that has called standard advice into question, and therefore made driving more complicated (since we no longer know what the best practice actually is). D: No. This is the right answer to the wrong question. The author does discuss this in paragraph 4, but not in the context of talking about air bags and how they might affect or relate to our driving. This is also a "common sense" trap. You might think that people may take more risks because they know that air bags reduce the risk of injury in an accident, but there is no evidence supporting this in the passage.

Which of the following statements, if true, would NOT undermine the author's differentiation between the opportunities available to wealthy and non-wealthy women during the Renaissance? A. The percentage increase in the number of published female authors from privileged backgrounds during the Renaissance was less than the percentage increase in the female population. Your Answer B. Recent scholarship has shown that there were many more secular employment opportunities made available to women of lesser means in this era than previously believed. C. Women not born to public positions during and after the Renaissance could sometimes find employment writing religious essays. Correct Answer D. Documentation of the true income level of women during the Renaissance is spotty and often unreliable.

C. This is a Weaken/NOT question. Note: The correct answer will be the choice that does not weaken the relevant part of the passage: that is, one that either strengthens or has no impact on the author's argument. A: No. The author claims that wealthy women's increased educational opportunities offered professional rewards as well, including those involved in writing and publishing (paragraph 1). This was not true, according to the author, for less wealthy women (those "not born to public position"). This answer choice suggests that any increase in publications from wealthy women could be attributed to a population increase rather than to increased opportunities. Therefore, it would somewhat weaken the claim that the two groups were different along these lines. Make sure to compare choices to each other; while this answer does not have a huge negative impact on the argument it is at least somewhat inconsistent, while choice C is entirely consistent with the author's claims. B: No. See the explanation for A. This choice would weaken the claim that education was more likely to lead to professional opportunities for wealthy women than for women of lesser means. C: Yes. This choice is consistent with the author's argument at the end of paragraph 1 as well as in paragraph 3. D: No. This choice weakens the author's argument by calling her evidence or data into question.

The author suggests that the ability of women to contribute as writers is particularly significant because it provides: A. an outlet for publicizing women's issues. B. an alternative to traditional male perspectives. C. a forum in which women may assert social power equal to men's. Correct Answer D. an entry for women to participate in other fields.

C. This is an Inference question. A: No. The author does not suggest that women wrote to publicize "women's issues." This choice is out of scope. B: No. See the last paragraph. The author suggests that it is the equality of male and female voices in writing that is significant, not the replacement of male perspectives with female perspectives. C: Yes. See the last paragraph. The author suggests that writing is a form of "social power." Thus, in male-dominated Renaissance society, women's contributions assert their desire for equality to men. D: No. The author does not discuss writing as a vehicle for women to participate in other fields. This choice is out of scope.

It can be inferred that the first excerpt quoted from Christopher Reynolds in paragraph 2 is: A. typical of Reynolds' writing style. B. normal for a twentieth-century social science journal. C. a rare departure from typical scientific language. Correct Answer D. not quoted from a social science article.

C. This is an Inference question. A: No. The passage does not give sufficient information to judge what would be typical of Reynolds' writing style. B: No. The author's reaction to the excerpt quoted from Reynolds illustrates that his language is not typical for a scientific journal. C: Yes. See paragraph 2. The author indicates that she came across a rare occurrence of personalized language in a social science journal. D: No. See paragraph 2. The quote is from the Annual Review of Sociology.

Hazlitt's remarks depict Coleridge as: A. extensively educated. B. unwaveringly determined. C. intellectually flighty. Correct Answer D. frequently irresponsible.

C. This is an Inference question. A: No. The passage says nothing about Coleridge's formal education. Furthermore, while the author describes the wide scope of Coleridge's interests and writings in the first paragraph, the remarks by Hazlitt quoted in paragraph 2 portray Coleridge as flitting from subject to subject, not as having great learning or education. B: No. The author refers to Coleridge's "intellectual determinism." However, this is not Hazlitt's view or purpose, and "determinism" is not the same thing as "determination." C: Yes. "Flighty" means fickle, unstable, or capricious. Hazlitt describes Coleridge as jumping from topic to topic, never devoting himself to any one area of study for any length of time (paragraph 2). D: No. This choice is too extreme. While Hazlitt may have seen Coleridge as an "aimless and irreclaimable dreamer" (paragraph 2), he does not go so far as to suggest that he often fails to live up to any particular responsibilities.

It can be inferred from the passage that all of the following are reasons for the decline of snuffing EXCEPT: A. the relatively limited luminescence of tallow candles in comparison to available alternatives. B. the risk of extinguishing candles while snuffing them, making it desirable to find an alternative. C. as wax candles grew in popularity, they became comparable in price to tallow candles. Correct Answer D. beeswax candles came to be seen as a desirable luxury.

C. This is an Inference/EXCEPT question. A: No. See paragraph 7. Brighter beeswax candles, which did not require snuffing, replaced tallow candles late in the seventeenth century. It would be reasonable to infer that one reason people moved from tallow to beeswax candles was the fact that wax candles were brighter. B: No. See paragraph 4. Snuffing was difficult and relighting badly snuffed tallow candles was time consuming, whereas beeswax candles did not require snuffing. It would be reasonable to infer that this was one reason why people came to choose beeswax over tallow, and therefore that this was one cause of the decline of snuffing. C: Yes. See paragraph 7. Since this is an EXCEPT question, the correct answer will not be found in, or will contradict, the passage; the passage does not suggest that the high price of beeswax candles declined, or that beeswax became comparable in price to tallow. D: No. See paragraphs 7 and 8. The passage suggests that the rich (and the Church) favored wax candles, and that they were seen as a luxury item. Beeswax candles did not require snuffing.

What is the main idea of the passage? A. Feudalism was a form of government where knights owed fealty to a king in exchange for military service. B. Feudalism created a new structure of governance under which many small autonomous systems were constantly at war with each other. C. Vassals who held lands from a lord found many ways around their feudal obligations. D. Under feudalism, the centralized power of lords lessened over time as vassals gained more autonomy and fiefs were held and ruled in increasingly diverse manners.Correct Answer

D. This is a Main Idea question. A: No. This is an outside knowledge trap based on a commonly accepted definition of feudalism B: No. Constant warfare is mentioned as a characteristic of the feudal period in paragraph one, but it is not the focus of the author's argument. C: No. This answer is too narrow. It is the main idea of the third paragraph only. D: Yes. This answer choice captures information from the entire passage and sums up the author's argument that power moved from the lords to their vassals who had autonomy to rule as they saw fit and to further split ruling duties with their own vassals.

Suppose that statistics show a strong correlation between engaging in dangerous behaviors such as smoking and skydiving on the one hand and receiving a high number of citations for speeding on the other. Which of the following claims made or cited in the passage would be most directly strengthened by this information? A. People tend to judge familiar situations to be less risky than unfamiliar situations. B. We tend to evaluate risks in driving (as in other parts of life) through our own particular perspective. C. The reasons why driving behavior sometimes corresponds with other aspects of one's behavior remain uncertain. D. People drive in the same way as they live. Correct Answer

D. This is a New Information/Strengthen question. A: No. While the author suggests this to be true in paragraph 4, it is not directly relevant to the new information in the question stem. The theme of the new information is that people who take risks in one area of life may take risks while driving. The author's discussion in paragraph 4 is focused on how "Our feeling of safety and control is also a weakness." There is no suggestion in this answer choice that people do NOT see skydiving or smoking or driving fast as risky, or that they DO feel as if they have control during those activities. Be careful not to speculate past the scope of the passage or the question stem. B: No. This is a different issue in the passage. The new information indicates that people who drive dangerously may also undertake risks in other areas of life (discussed in paragraph 5), while this choice relates to the issue of how our particular perspective affects our evaluation of risks (discussed as a separate issue in paragraph 4). C: No. While this is in fact the author's position, the new information does not add any additional support to it; nothing in the statistics cited in the question stem indicates that we do not understand this correlation. D: Yes. Note that the question asks what "claim made or cited[emphasis added] in the passage" would be most strengthened. That is, the correct answer does not have to be a claim with which the author agrees. In the last paragraph the author states that "An early mantra, originally applied to what was called the "accident-prone driver," has long held sway: 'A man drives as he lives.' That is why car insurance premiums are tied not only to driving history but, more controversially, to credit scores: risky credit, the thinking goes, correlates with taking risks on the road." If people who undertake risky behavior like smoking and skydiving (and note that the question stem tells you directly that these are dangerous activities) are more likely to exceed the speed limit (as evidenced by a greater number of speeding citations), it would strengthen this "mantra" or claim cited in the passage.

The author employs all of the following types of support in his discussion EXCEPT: A. first-century writings. B. household records. C. literary works. D. analogies. Correct Answer

D. This is a Retrieval/EXCEPT question. A: No. See paragraph 1. The author uses Roman writings from the first century as support for his discussion. B: No. See paragraph 8. The author uses British household records as support for his discussion. C: No. See paragraph 5. The author uses the literary work Don Quixote as support for his discussion. D: Yes. Since this is an EXCEPT question, the correct answer will not be found in or will contradict the passage; the author does not employ analogies or comparisons as support for his discussion about the history of candles.

The author's anecdote regarding the writing style found in Christopher Reynold's article serves to do all of the following EXCEPT: A. demonstrate the passage author's positive response to a social science article employing personalized language. B. suggest that reification reduces the independence of the author. C. demonstrate the infrequency with which social science articles employ personalized language. D. suggest a possible solution to the problems posed by reification. Correct Answer

D. This is a Structure/EXCEPT question. A: No. See paragraph 2. The author's anecdote illustrates her positive response. B: No. See paragraph 2. The author's anecdote illustrates that reification in commonly-used scientific language reduces the author's personal independence. C: No. See paragraph 2. The anecdote illustrates the rarity of coming across an article using personalized language in a social science journal. D: Yes. Since this is an EXCEPT question, the correct answer will not be found in or will contradict the passage. The author's anecdote illustrates her responses to the personalized language; however, she does not suggest a possible solution.

Which of the following modes of induction is NOT illustrated by an example in the passage? A. Similarity B. Forward deduction using one additional belief C. Enthymeme using two additional beliefs D. Reverse deduction using two additional beliefsCorrect Answer

D. This is a Structure/NOT question. A: No. In paragraph 1 the similarity mode is illustrated by the bird example. B: No. In paragraph 2 the forward deduction mode is illustrated by the bird example. C: No. Enthymeme is forward deduction (paragraph 2), and forward deduction using two beliefs is illustrated by the example of the drunken man in paragraph 4. D: Yes. There is no example that supports this mode. While reverse deduction using one belief is illustrated in paragraph 2, there is no example given of reverse deduction using two beliefs (see paragraph 4).

Based on passage information, why does the author consider feudalism to be more than a "year naught" in the development of the modern state? A. The chivalric code was an important development in modern legal theory. B. Feudalism adapted the tenants of Imperial Roman governance for a more chaotic time. C. The decreasing top-to-bottom coherence of the feudal system helped pave the way for more democratic governments. D. The feudal system provided a framework of rule that helped restore order in unsettled times. Correct Answer

D. This is an Inference question A: No. The chivalric code is not mentioned in the passage. This is an outside knowledge trap. B: No. While the passage mentions old imperial titles it does not specifically refer to structures of Roman government. This answer draws on vocabulary from the passage out of context. C: No. While the decentralization on governing power is an important part of the author's argument, he does not relate this process to an increase in democratic tendencies in European society. This is outside the scope of the passage and is a half right/half wrong answer. D: Yes. The author states in the last paragraph that feudalism was an "attempt to impose a firm and workable framework of rule" on unstable lands.

The passage suggests that the opportunity for women of lesser means to write publicly during the Renaissance was: A. dependent upon their education. Your Answer B. greater than it had been during the Middle Ages. C. nearly equal to the opportunities afforded to more well-to-do women. D. largely confined to religious topics. Correct Answer

D. This is an Inference question. A: No. See the middle to the end of paragraph 1. The passage indicates that this opportunity depended upon a woman's status; consequently, her status affected the length of her education. B: No. See the middle to the end of paragraph 1. The Renaissance and Middle Ages are compared in the passage, not contrasted. C: No. See the middle to the end of paragraph 1. The passage states that, in contrast to wealthier women, women "of lesser means" could not continue their education when they became adults. D: Yes. See the middle to the end of paragraph 1. "A viable alternative" for less well-to-do women was to write religious literature, with "ecclesiastical sponsorship."

The author indicates that the most likely reason a snuff boy would receive applause at a theatrical production was that: A. snuff boys were highly trained at their craft. Your Answer B. he provided the necessary lighting for the remainder of the performance. C. as a troupe member he would perform while snuffing the candles. D. he was especially skillful at snuffing candles. Correct Answer

D. This is an Inference question. A: No. Snuff boys were generally skillful (paragraph 6). However, the passage never indicates that this skill was the result of training, or that training was a motivation for the applause. B: No. See paragraph 6. Although this is true, it is not the reason the "snuff boy" would receive applause. Note that the passage says that he would receieved applause from "an impressed audience," which indicates that the audence was impressed at his skill, rather than that they were grateful for the light. C: No. See paragraph 6. The passage suggests that he did not perform while snuffing. D: Yes. See paragraph 6. If the "snuff boy's" accomplishment was "uniformly successful," then he could receive a round of applause from an "impressed audience."

With which of the following statements would the author be most likely to agree? A. The diversity of added beliefs is neither known nor important. B. Switching from similarity to a deductive-type mode of induction is something that only people familiar with different modes of logic can accomplish. Your Answer C. Induction can only be accomplished through deduction. D. There are more than three modes of induction related to categorization. Correct Answer

D. This is an Inference question. A: No. The first half of this question is correct, as the author states that the variety or variability of the added beliefs is not known (paragraph 5). However, the second half is incorrect because paragraph 5 says that this variety is "particularly important." B: No. Although switching from the similarity mode to the deductive-type modes is possible (paragraph 5), the passage does not say who can or can not do it. There is no suggestion in the passage that a person following a certain type of logic would have to know what mode of logic he or she was using (that is, I could reason deductively without being aware of it). C: No. The similarity mode of induction can be accomplished without deduction according to the first sentence of paragraph 3. D: Yes. The first sentence of the passage states that "Smith and Shafir described numerous modes of induction, three of which are best related to categorization." From this wording you can infer that there are other modes of induction as well, including those not related to categorization.

It can be concluded from the passage that sacrifices were generally based on all of the following feelings EXCEPT: A. guilt. B. devotion. C. obligation. D. bitterness. Correct Answer

D. This is an Inference/EXCEPT question. A: No. See paragraph 2. Sacrifices were made to atone for a sin of which the sacrificer was conscious. B: See the first part of paragraph 1. Greeks and Romans made sacrifices to express belief in and dependence on the gods. C: No. See paragraph 2. Sacrifices were made because the gods "expected" them to occur and "punished every instance of neglect." D: Yes. Since this is an EXCEPT question, the correct answer will not be found in or will contradict the passage; the passage does not indicate that sacrifices were made out of bitterness.

It can be inferred that the Prelude: I. is a work of mechanistic psychology. II. is written by a contemporary of Coleridge. III. was a vast undertaking that included literature, religion, and philosophy. A. I only B. III only C. I and II only D. II and III only Correct Answer

D. This is an Inference/Roman numeral question. I: False. See the end of paragraph 1. If Coleridge considered his own work to be a "counterpart" to the Prelude, then the Prelude is not likely a work of mechanistic psychology. II: True. Coleridge knew of Wordsworth's Prelude (paragraph 1), and Wordsworth spoke of Coleridge (paragraph 2). Thus, they must have been contemporaries, that is, lived at the same time. III: True. See paragraph 1. Coleridge compares his own work to the Prelude and his work includes literature, religion, and philosophy. Therefore, the Prelude most likely also includes these elements.