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Verbal Test 10
Solutions Booklet
Instructions
This verbal reasoning test comprises 30 questions, and you will have 25 minutes in which to
correctly answer as many as you can.
You will be presented with a passage to read, and a statement about that passage.For each
statement you must select one of the following answers:
True: The statement follows logically from the information contained in the passage.
False: The statement is logically false from the information contained in the passage.
Cannot Say: It is not possible to determine whether the statement is true or false
without further information.
You will have to work quickly and accurately to perform well in this test. If you don’t know the
answer to a question, leave it and come back to it if you have time.
Try to find a time and place where you will not be interrupted during the test. When you
are ready, begin the test.
Assessment Day
Practice Aptitude TestsAs their name suggests, Asian carp are not indigenous to the United States, yet
these invasive fish have become the subject of a Supreme Court lawsuit.
Introduced in the US in 1831, carp were originally intended for consumption
although today they are not widely eaten. Populations have flourished in the
Mississippi and Illinois Rivers since the 1970s, when it is thought that they escaped
from Midwestern fish farms during heavy flooding. Carp consume only plankton,
although vast amounts of it, and some species of Asian carp can grow to over one
hundred pounds. Not only are the fish a hazard to recreational boaters, they also
compete with native species for food and space. Environmentalists fear that carp
will infiltrate the Great Lakes, via locks connecting the Mississippi to Lake
Michigan, where they would damage the ecosystem. They also fear that by
crowding out species such as salmon, Asian carp would also be detrimental to the
Great Lakes’ sports fishing industry. The US government currently spends $80
million per annum on Asian carp control, using methods such as toxins and
underwater electric barriers designed to repel carp. Evidence of carp in Lake
Michigan however has led anticarp activists to call for stronger measures, such as
blocking off the locks on the Chicago canal. Business interests strongly oppose the
closure of this major shipping lane for economic reasons, also arguing that forcing
canal traffic onto the roads will cause pollution.
Q1 Anticarp activists have demanded more drastic measures of carp control in
the US Supreme Court.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say– while the first sentence mentions that carp are the subject of a
Supreme Court lawsuit, it does not specify the exact nature of the debate.
Q2 Heavy flooding in the 1970s resulted in Asian carp proliferating in the
Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say–the third sentence says “it is thought”. This is not a proven fact.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Q3 If allowed into the Great Lakes, Asian carp would prey on native salmon.
True False Cannot say
False – the fourth sentence states that carp “consume only plankton” so they would
not prey on native salmon. Competing with the salmon’s food supply is different to
preying on them.
Q4 Electric barriers are not a fully effective means of carp control.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say–the passage tells us the US government use “electric barriers designed
to repel carp” but it is impossible to say from the information given in the passage
whether the carp evidence in Lake Michigan is due to the fish bypassing theelectric
barriers.
Q5 Anticarp activists are motivated by environmental concerns rather than
business interests.
True False Cannot say
False – the passage states that “They also fear that by crowding out species such as
salmon, Asian carpwould also be detrimental to the Great Lakes’ sports fishing
industry”.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.The most prevalent neurological condition in the developed world, migraine is
characterised by severe, recurrent headaches, with additional symptoms including
nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. The frequency and duration of migraine
attacks are variable: attacks may occur a few times a year or several times per
month, while pain may last between four hours and three days. Approximately one
third of sufferers experience an aura –a perceptual disturbance occurring before
the migraine’s onset. There are numerous theories on the cause of migraines. The
vascular theory posits that migraines are caused by problems with blood vessels in
the brain. A more widely held view is that migraines result from low levels of the
neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. Prophylactic drug treatment, which
prevents the onset of migraines, has declined in recent years, because of side
effects and also improvements in medications treating an actual attack. Whereas
older varieties of pain medication are potentially addictive, newer drugs called
triptans work by reducing pain information travelling to the brain. Treatment plans
typically include avoidance of known migraine triggers, such as diet, alcohol, and
stress, as overuse of medication can lead to chronic “rebound headaches.” Not
only do migraines have a debilitating effect on sufferers, they are also bad for the
economy, with an estimated 25 million days lost from work every year in the UK
alone.
Q6 One third of migraines are preceded by a heightened sensitivity to light.
True False Cannot say
Cannot Say–the third sentence says that one third of migraines are preceded by an
aura, which is not defined as a heightened sensitivity to light. However the passage
does not tells us anything about a possibleother third of sufferers who may or may
not experience before their migraine a heightened sensitivity to light.
Q7 The passage states that it is not possible to work when suffering from a
migraine.
True False Cannot say
False – while the last sentence states that 25 million work days are lost due to
migraines, it does not say that it is impossible to work.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Q8 Although the cause of migraines is unknown, serotonin deficiency is the most
commonly held theory.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say– it is more widely held than the vascular theory, but the passage does
not compare it to every theory. So we cannot say if it is the most commonly held
theory.
Q9 Triptans are a new form of prophylactic drug which are less addictive than
older medications.
True False Cannot say
False – triptans are not prophylactic drugs; they reduce pain rather than prevent
headaches. The passage tells us that prophylactic drugs prevent the onset of
migraines as opposed to triptans which target thepain signals to the brain.
Q10 The vascular theory has been discredited.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say– it is not the most widely held view, but it does not necessarily follow
that it has been discredited.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Is free internet access as much a universal human right as access to clean water
and healthcare? Many leading experts believe that the 80% of the world’s
population that is not connected to the web should have access to information
through free low-bandwidth connection via mobile phones. The one fifth of the
world connected to the internet, however, faces a very different problem: an
insatiable appetite for bandwidth that outstrips availability. Bandwidth refers to the
capacity to transfer data through a channel. Emails, for example, require less
bandwidth than video. Information traffic jams result when too many users try to
move information at the same time, exceeding the channel’s capacity. The
popularity of mobile web devices means demand for wireless channels is growing
rapidly, but bandwidth supply is limited– resulting in high charges for use. With
bandwidth controlled by a handful of private suppliers, bandwidth is the subject of
government debate in many countries, including the United States. Bandwidth
suppliers are in favour of introducing tiered pricing structures, whereby customers
paying higher rates would receive faster service. Critics believe that a tiered
system violates the principle of net neutrality– whereby all data is treated as equal
– and would allow suppliers to profiteer from controlling a scarce resource.
Suppliers argue that they are funding huge infrastructure updates–such as
switching from copper wires to expensive fiberoptics– in order to improve services.
Q11 The main argument in the passage is that internet users are not leaving
enough bandwidth for 80% of the world’s population.
True False Cannot say
False – the passage raises two separate problems – lack of internet connection for
80% of the world and bandwidth shortage for internet users– but there is no causal
relationship between the two problems.
Q12 Access to information via the internet is a basic human right.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say–the first two sentences raise this question, but do not provide an
objective answer.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Q13 The growth of mobile net device use has contributed towards the pressure
on bandwidth availability.
True False Cannot say
True –as stated in the 7th sentence.
Q14 Proposed tiered pricing structures would charge users more for using mobile
web devices.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say– while the 7th sentence states that mobile web devices are subject to
high charges, the tiered pricing structures describedin the 9th sentence does not
mention costs for mobile web devices, merely a cost associated with a faster service.
Q15 Proponents of net neutrality are against the prioritising of certain web traffic.
True False Cannot say
True –as explained in the 9th and 10th sentences.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.The Dead Sea Scrolls are probably the most significant archaeological discovery of
the twentieth century. More than 800 ancient documents, written on papyrus and
parchment, were found in 1947 in desert caves at Qumran,near the Dead Sea. The
texts mainly date from between the last century BCE and the first century CE and
are comprised of three types of document: copies of books from the Hebrew Bible;
apocryphal manuscripts; and documents pertaining to the beliefs and practices of a
sectarian community. The former category is arguably of the greatest academic
significance, as documents such as a complete copy of the Book of Isaiah enabled
historians to analyse the accuracy of Bible translations. However, the secrecy of the
scholars appointed by the Israeli Antiquities Authority, and their slow rate of
publication, were the subject of international controversy. In 1991, the Huntington
Library made photographic images of the full set of scrolls finally available to all
researchers. While the scrolls’ importance is indisputable, there is no consensus
over the texts’ origins. The traditional view is that the scrolls belonged to an ascetic
Jewish sect, widely believed to be the Essenes. The Essenes’ rules and doctrines
are even seen by some scholars as a precursor to Christianity. A competing theory
holds that the documents are sacred texts belonging to various Jewish communities,
hidden in the caves for safekeeping around 68CE, during the unsuccessful Jewish
Revolt against the Romans in Jerusalem.
Q16 The traditional interpretation of the Dead Sea Scrolls is that they belonged to
an early Christian sect called the Essenes.
True False Cannot say
False – the Essenes are described as an “ascetic Jewish sect”. They may have been
a precursor to Christianity but they themselves were an ascetic Jewish sect.
Q17 Academics debate whether the scrolls are the detailed accounts of one
particular sect, or provide historical information about the wider Jewish
people.
True False Cannot say
True –summarises the difference between the two main theories on the Dead Sea
Scrolls, as described in the final three sentences.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Q18 Not only the origins of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but also the process of their
interpretation, have been disputed.
True False Cannot say
True –the fifth and sixth sentences describe controversy over the scholars’ work,
while the 8th, 9th, and 10th sentences describe debate over the scrolls’ origins.
Q19 Some scholars believe the Essenes inhabited the desert caves at Qumran,
near the Dead Sea.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say– while one theory states that the scrolls are thought to be Essene in
origin, it does not necessarily follow that the Essenes lived in the caves.
Q20 The Dead Sea Scrolls include the oldest known copy of the Book of Isaiah.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say– while the Dead Sea Scrolls do include a copy of the Book of Isaiah and
the 4th sentence suggests that theBible books are the oldest known copies, this is
not expressly stated.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Have you ever set your mouth on fire by biting into a chilli pepper? The sensation
is caused by capsaicin, a chemical compound that stimulates the mouth’s pain
receptors, which in turn tell the brain you’ve eaten something hot. The body reacts
by perspiring and releasing endorphins, the “feel-good” effect of which perhaps
accounts for spicy food’s appeal. The first scale for measuring a chilli’s heat was
developed in 1912 by the chemist Wilbur Scoville. Scoville Heat Units refer to the
number of times a chilli must be diluted before it is undetectable to tasters. The
world’s hottest chilli, the Indian-originating “naga jolokia”, measures 970,000 SHU.
Today a chilli’s heat can be measured more accurately using high-pressure liquid
chromatography, a technique that calculates the concentration of capsaicin in a
solution. Humans have consumed chillies for over 8,000 years, but theywere first
cultivated 6,000 years ago in South and Central America. In the late 15th century
Christopher Columbus introduced chillies to the rest of the worldfor the first time,
where they were called peppers because they were spicy like peppercorns. In
addition to their culinary uses, chillies have long been prized for their medicinal
properties. Scientific studies show that capsaicin may lower blood pressure and aid
weight loss. Capsaicin has traditionally been used in tropical analgesics, however
new research indicates that the compound may actually be carcinogenic.
Q21 Although eaten around the world, chilli peppers are indigenous only to South
and Central America.
True False Cannot say
False –The sixth sentence makes reference to the hottestchilli on the SHU scale
which originates from India. The presence of an Indian-originating chilli shows that
chilli peppers are not only indigenous to South and Central America.
Q22 The scale developed by Wilbur Scoville was the most accurate method of
measuring a chilli’s heat.
True False Cannot say
True –Naturally, being the first (and therefore only) measure of a chilli’s heat, it
would have been the most accurate measure of a chilli’s heat at the time of inception,
as it would have had no competition.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Q23 The passage suggests that some people eat chilli peppers for their
psychological effect as well as their spicy taste.
True False Cannot say
True –the third sentence suggests that release of endorphins contribute to the
popularity of spicy food.
Q24 The chemical compound capsaicin sends a message to the brain that
something hot has been consumed.
True False Cannot say
False – pain receptors send this message to the brain after capsaicin is eaten.
Q25 Chilli peppers were only introduced to Europeans in the 15th century.
True False Cannot say
True –the ninth sentence tells us that “In the late 15th century Christopher Columbus
introduced chillies to the rest of the world for the first time …”. The previous sentence
talks about chillies being cultivated in South and Central America, so by “the rest of
the world” we can take that to include Europe.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Bioprospecting refers to searching the world’s remotest areas for genetic resources
with commercial value. Bioprospecting is hardly a new phenomenon–the active
ingredient in aspirin, for example, comes from willow bark, whose medicinal
properties were known to the ancient Greeks. In recent years, however, the ethics
of the practice have been debated. Opponents, who use the term biopiracy, view it
as the exploitation of developing countries’ resources and indigenous medical
knowledge for the developed world’s profit. Pharmaceutical companies argue that
drugs resulting from bioprospecting can help thousands of people. Furthermore,
they are not patenting native plants, rather the techniques used to extract
compounds from them. Despite these arguments, in 2005 the Indian government
successfully overturned a US patent to extract an anti-fungal agent from the neem
tree. Central to the debate is the question of who owns the world’s biodiversity.
The UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was established in 1993 to
ensure that bioprospectors obtain consent from and share any profits with the
source nation. The United States, however, has not ratified the CBD. It is not only
the pharmaceutical industry that has fallen foul of sovereign rights to biological
resources. In 2008, Mexican farmers won an appeal to revoke a US patent on
Mexican Enola beans. Similarly, following a diplomatic crisis between India and the
United States, a Texan company lost the right to patent basmati rice.
Q26 There have been incidences where India has successfully repealed patents
on its local flora.
True False Cannot say
True –the passage provides two examples –the neem tree and basmati rice –
where India hasrepealed US patents.
Q27 Bioprospecting is primarily carried out by the pharmaceutical and food
industries.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say– while the passage only uses examples from the pharmaceutical and
food industries, in fact other industries may also carry out bioprospecting but the
passage does not tell us either way.
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exchange for a share in the rewards.
True False Cannot say
True –summarises the aims of the CBD as described in the 9th sentence.
Q29 The United States government believes that the earth’s biodiversity is not
owned by sovereign nations.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say– although the US has not ratified the CBD, the US government’s exact
position on ownership of genetic materials is not stated in the passage.
Q30 Bioprospecting is defined as the practice of obtaining plants from developing
countries for commercial exploitation.
True False Cannot say
False – the first sentence defines it as the search for “genetic resources” which does
not mean only plants. Also, the definition given in the passage is ofsearching “the
world’s remotest areas”, which is not the samething as developing countries.
-- End of Test --
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