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Verbal Test 2
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 TestsIn a new study of 3,000 employed men in the 19-70 age range over a
period of 10 years, researchers found that those working for inconsiderate bosses
were more likely to suffer from stress and stress-related illness than those working
for more considerate and enlightened bosses. Previous research had shown that
employees with inconsiderate bosses suffered from high blood pressure, which is
known to increase the risk of heart disease. In this latest survey the researchers
asked employees to assess the competence of their bosses as leaders. They
found that those who had categorisedtheir boss as incompetent were 25% more at
risk of serious heart disease and that this level of risk increased the longer they
continued to work for the same boss. The statistics took into account external
factors such as social class, educational background, lifestyle and any existing
illness. The researchers recommended that should their findings be confirmed,
managers should be given training to help them improve their working
relationships.
Q1 People who think their boss is incompetent are twenty five percent more
likely to suffer stress.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The passage tells us about research in which 3,000 men were studied,
and these men were 25% more likely to suffer stress if they rated their boss as
incompetent. However the passage tells us just about the study; it is not telling us
anything about people outside the study group, so we cannot say without further
information.
Q2 This latest study is the first to suggest a link between the behaviour of
bosses and the blood pressure of their employees.
True False Cannot say
False - The second sentence tells us that “Previous research had shown that
employees with inconsiderate bosses suffered from high blood pressure”.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Q3 Managers should be given training to help them improve their working
relationships.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The passage states that recommendations from the study are subject to
confirmation. Even then, these would be just a recommendation from one viewpoint’
the passage does not tell us explicitly that managers should or should not be given
training.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.The European Space Agency (ESA) is the body which decides the scope
and direction of European space initiatives. It is funded by its participating states,
currently 18 in number. Each state contributes funding according to its own
economic strength. The ESA controls the funding of existing activities such as the
Planar rocket and space station projects but is also responsible for the initiation of
new projects like the next generation of weather satellites. Some of the ESA
projectsare compulsory but others are not, in which case member states are free
to choose whetherthey become involved. There is a direct correlation between the
amount of money that a member state agrees to invest in a programme and the
amount of benefit it can expect in return through contracts awarded to its domestic
space industry. ESA directors are keento maintain a high level of funding from its
member states even in times of global economic downturn since they believe that
a longer-term view is needed to preserve the reputation of European space
technology.
Q4 Efforts toward the Planar rocket have not yet begun.
True False Cannot say
False - The fourth sentence says “The ESA controls the funding of existing activities
such as the Planar rocket”. So if the activities are “existing” they must have already
started, even if it is just concept stage.
Q5 Financial support provided to the ESA is proportional to each member state’s
gross domestic product.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The third sentence says “Each state contributes funding according to its
own economic strength”. However gross domestic product (GDP) is not definitely the
same as “economic strength”. The phrase “economic strength” could mean many
things linked to money or reserves but since the passage does not tell us explicitly
that financial support is linked to GDP, we cannot say for sure.
The other sticking point is the possible difference between “according to” and
“proportional to”. These are not directly comparable terms and so again means we
cannot say for sure without further information.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Q6 ESA member states are obliged to contribute to some of the projects
managed by the ESA.
True False Cannot say
True- The fifth sentence tells us that “Some of the projects are compulsory but
others are not”. So if a project is compulsory, we are being told that member states
must contribute in some way.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Some commentators argue that in times of global economic uncertainty
governments should be boosting flagging economies by investing in major
infrastructure projects. Governments should grasp the opportunities
presented to tackle global climate change, at the same time as stimulating the
economy, by using this public sector investment to move towards a new low-
carbon economy. Investment is needed in low-carbon (popularly referred to as
‘green’) projects like renewable energy generation, adapting buildings to be more
energy efficient, improving transport networks and even building pipelines to carry
captured CO to undersea storage facilities. No country is untouched by the
2
effects of climate change and everyone acknowledges that the political will has to
be found if we are to see any real changes.
Q7 Government investment in green infrastructure projects will promote
economic growth.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The first sentence says that “Some commentators argue
that…governments should be boosting flagging economies by investing in major
infrastructure projects”. So we are told that this is the view of some people, but this
sentence alone does not tell us if the statement is definitely true. Let’s look at the rest
of the passage. The next sentence says governments should “stimulate the
economy” by moving towards a new low-carbon economy. This doesn’t really equate
to what the statement is saying. And if we read on, nothing in the passage tells us
that this statement is definitely true or definitely false. So we have to answer Cannot
Say.
Q8 Many people anticipate that a flagging economy will benefit green projects.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-Whilst this conclusion might be speculated from the contents of the
passage, we are not told explicitly that this is what manypeople expect will happen. It
might be what they hope, but the passage does not tell us that this is or is not the
expectation of many people. Thus we have to answer Cannot Say.
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True False Cannot say
False - The last sentence says that “No country is untouched by the effects of climate
change…” so this is False.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Tourism is big business. The annual profit and popularity of several top tourist
attractions in the United Kingdom has been researched and presentedby
visitengland.com. Almost 30 million international visitors travel to London every year,
marking the city as the most popular international travel destination in the world. In
2011, London’s most popular tourist attractionwas the British Museum. The second
most popular destination was Madame Tussauds. Outside of the capital, popular
tourist destinations include Alton Towers and the Cadburys Factory. Tourist
attractions contribute over two billion pounds to the UK economy and can be seen
as one of the most profitable sectors. This information has not bypassed local
authorities keen to bolster their income; some are spending hundreds of thousands
of pounds on publicity drives. Whilst Essex County Council won’t receive a penny
from ticket sales, they are part-funding a new stadium in the hope that the
increased spending by visitors will filter through to them in the form of business rates
and local taxes.
Q10 In 2011 the British Museum received the most visits of any tourist attraction
in the UK.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The passage says that “In 2011, London’s most popular tourist
attraction was the British Museum” and that London is the most popular international
travel destination in the world. However, the statement asks about the UK as a
whole. The passage doesn’t tell us how many visitors the British Museum received
relative to other attractions.
Q11 Whilst tourism brings in lots of money, the industry is one of the least
profitable.
True False Cannot say
False - The seventh sentence tells us that “Tourist attractions contribute over two
billion pounds to the UK economy and can be seen as one of the most profitable
sectors”.
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year.
True False Cannot say
True- The third passage says that “Almost 30 million international visitors travel to
London every year, marking the city as the most popular international travel
destination in the world”. So if we are told that London receives the world’s highest
number of international visitors, we know that New York will receive less than “almost
30 million”.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.The right of those working in the public sector to strike splits opinion. Many private
sector workers are of the opinion that the cost to tax payers and the consequences
of delays or closures in services outweighs any benefit that may be achieved through
industrial action. In addition to this, public sector employers have been criticised for
their inability to prevent their workers from striking since it is the responsibility of
government to provide for the continual smooth running of public services, manyof
which provide a vital aspect of day to day life. An example of this can be seen in the
transport industry, where severe delays can have a knock-on effect on the
functioning of other industries, both public and private. Unions should be encouraged
to find a
less disruptive way of settling disputes, and it is said by some that unions in the
public sector shouldn’t exist at all. But then how does the voice of the employee get
heard if there is no union, or at least none which gets taken seriously?
Q13 Government has a responsibility to deliver uninterrupted public services.
True False Cannot say
True- According to the third sentence of the passage “it is the responsibility of
government to provide for the continual smooth running of publicservices”. And
uninterrupted equates to continually smooth running, so we must say this statement
is true based on the information contained within the passage.
Q14 There is general consensus that all employees should have the right to
strike.
True False Cannot say
False - The first passage tells us that “The right of those working in the public sector
splits opinion.” So if it spits opinion, there cannot be general consensus.
Q15 Some strikes are not disruptive to the economy.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The passage does not tell us either way whether this is true or false.
The passage concentrates on strikes which do cause disruption, and gives an
example of transport. But the passage doesn’t tell us if all of thesenecessarily have
an effect on the economy or whether some strikes are completely undisruptive. Since
we are not told for certain, we have to answer Cannot Say.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Britain is still firmly committed to the EXOMars Robot project even though the scope
and the cost have grown since it was first initiated. The scope of the project has
changed dramatically, mainly due to the inflated expectations of scientists.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), this change in direction justifies
the almost doubling of the original budget. The increased cost will however have to
be met by the participating countries that originally signed up to fund this
programme. Both Italy, the project leader which provided much of the initial
programme funding, and Britain, will have to significantly increase their contribution
of funding for the EXOMars project. Britain does not begrudge its contributions as it
considers that this project makes the most of its expertise in robotics. To date Britain
has not been involved in other high-profile ESA programmes such as the Columbus
science laboratory and the Arius Rocket project, which could explain why they are
not dragging their heels on this. The ESA now hopes to send the robot to Mars by
2020.
Q16 Britain is the project leader for the EXOMars project.
True False Cannot say
False - The fifth sentence says that “Both Italy, the project leader which provided
much of the initial programme funding…”. So we are told that Italy isthe project
leader. “The leader” means there is only one, so Britain cannot be the leader of this
project.
Q17 Britain feels reluctant about its spending on the EXOMars project.
True False Cannot say
False - The sixth sentence says that “Britain does not begrudge its contributions [to
the EXOMars project]”. The passage then goes on to say“they are not dragging their
heels on this”. So we are told that Britain is not reluctant about the EXOMars project.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Q18 Historically, Britain has tried to avoid ESA high-profile missions.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The seventh sentence says “To date Britain has not been involved in
other high-profile ESA programmes“. However the passage does nottell us if this is
because Britain has or has not tried to avoid being involved. No explanation is given
for Britain's non-participation in other ESA high-profile missions. Therefore based on
the information in the passage alone, we cannot say for sure if Britain has or hasn’t
tried to avoid these missions.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Predicting earthquakes using observable phenomena like phases of the moon,
cloud formations, weather conditions or animal behaviour is a controversial and,
some would say, impossible task. There islittle or no verifiable evidence to link
any of these phenomena to predictions of actual seismic activity. Early detection,
as a means of advance warning, is far more reliable than future prediction and
can be done by measuring primary waves (referred to as P-Waves). Prediction is
much flakier science than detection. These non-destructive waves travel faster
through the earth's crust than the harmful and destructive secondary waves and
so can provide a valuable, albeit short, advance warning. This effect ofdifferent
speed waves can be likened to the relationship between light and sound; we see
lightning before we hear the thunder. Some people believe that animals can
detect P-Waves and that this is what causes them to start behaving strangely.
Other possibilities of animal’s behaviour shortly before an earthquake are that
they are reacting to the low-frequency electromagnetic signals caused by the
fracturing of crystalline rock during the early stages of an earthquake.
Q19 Methods of detecting earthquakes are more reliable than methods of
predicting earthquakes.
True False Cannot say
True- The third sentence tells us that “Early detection, as a means of advance
warning, is far more reliable than future prediction”. The passage goes on to say
“Prediction is much flakier science than detection”.
Q20 Primary waves travel at a similar speed to sound waves.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The fifth sentence says “This effect of different speed waves can be
likened to the relationship between light and sound”. However the passage makes no
mention of the velocity of a P-Wavenor a sound wave, so we cannot say if they are
similar. All we are told is that primary waves travel faster than the harmful secondary
waves of an earthquake, which is the same concept as sound vs. light waves.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Q21 Electromagnetic signals can be caused by the fracturing of crystalline rock.
True False Cannot say
True- The last sentence says that “the low-frequency electromagnetic signals
caused by the fracturing of crystalline rock…”. So we are told that the fracturing of
crystalline rock causes low-frequency electromagnetic signals.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.Scientists have been able to successfully genetically modify plants, animals and
micro-organisms for a number of years. They do this by manipulating genes to
produce genetic changes, which could in theory occur naturally. Supporters of
genetically modified (GM) organisms claim that the benefits, such as being able to
produce crops that are resistant to disease, will help alleviate world food shortages.
Many environmentalists believe that the accidental release of genetically modified
organisms into the environment is genetic pollution and they fear that the
uncontrolled interbreeding of modified organisms with those occurring naturally will
contaminate the environment in unforeseen and possibly dangerousways. They
point out that experiments done by researchers to reassure the public about the
safety of GM crops have been carried out under scientifically-controlled conditions
which are far-removed from the actual working conditions of food producers.
Q22 There have been no experiments involving GM crops which have been
carried out in a scientifically-controlled environment.
True False Cannot say
False - The last sentence of the passage states that the results of experiments “done
byresearchers to reassure the public about the safety of GM crops have been
carried out under scientifically-controlled conditions…”. So we are told that there
have been such experiments undertaken in a scientifically-controlled environment.
Q23 Genetic change in plants could occur without the intervention of humans.
True False Cannot say
True- The second sentence of the passage refers to the manipulation of genes to
produce genetic changes “which could in theory occur naturally”
Q24 Some people expect global food shortages without the use of GM crops
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The passage does not tell us if this view is or is not held by anyone.
The passage comments only that supporters of genetic modification claim that GM
crops could help alleviate current shortages. Helping to alleviate shortages is not the
same as expecting food shortages, so we are not told whether this statement is true
or false and must answer Cannot Say.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.The carbonated soft-drinks industry is themost profitable drinks industry. There are
three reasons for this. Firstly, the cost of producing carbonated drinks, such as cola
and lemonade, costs the producer a fraction of the item’s selling price to make.
Secondly, carbonated soft-drinks are purchased by the largest cross-section of
society. Not only are soft-drinks popular amongst children and teenagers, they are
a common addition to alcoholic beverages and often chosen by adults wishing to
avoid alcohol. So the large target-audience of soft-drinks is another factor which
contributes to the profitability of such products. Finally, research suggests that
certain carbonated soft-drinks contain chemicals which have a mildly addictive
quality. Caffeine is one such substance but there may be others. Therefore, many
consumers of carbonated drinks are likely to be affected by such substances,
leading to repeat purchases and even dependence. Such factors are to the
advantage of the industry and lead to the increased profitability of their products but
are frowned upon by industry regulators.
Q25 Adults are more likely to buy a soft drink than an alcoholic drink.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The passage does not tell us how likely an adult is to buy either a soft
drink or an alcoholic drink.We are told that “carbonated soft-drinks are purchased by
the largest cross-section of society” and that “they are a common addition to
alcoholic beverages and often chosen by adults wishing to avoid alcohol”.
Q26 A can of carbonated soft drink will make more profit than a can of non-
carbonated drink.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The first sentence tells us that “The carbonated soft-drinks industry is
the most profitable drinks industry”. However this statement refers to the industry as
a whole and does not tell us how profitable each unit sold is. Also, the statement is a
sweeping one covering every single can of soft drink– whereas again the passage
just generalises about the industry as a whole.
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True False Cannot say
True- The eighth sentence says “Caffeine is one such substance” referring to the
previous sentence on mildly addictive chemicals. So we are told that caffeine is a
mildly addictive substance.
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prior written permission from AssessmentDay.There are statistics which suggest that in some of the most underdeveloped
countries almost one half of the population is aged between 10 and 19. These
countries have experienced a much smaller decrease in birth rates than has been
seen in more developed countries. Charities and other agencies are calling for
additional funds to be made available to provide improved education for these
young people as well as easier access to contraception. Aside from this is also a
global increase in the number of people aged 65 or older. In the next 50 years,
95% of this increase will happen in developing countries like India, while in
countries such as Japan, Germany and Italy the percentage of the population aged
65 or more is set to rise to 40%. Increases in the numbers of the very young and
the very old place stress on societies, and governments may find it difficult to cope
with the demands of an increasing number of dependent elderly citizens in addition
to providing healthcare and education for the young.
Q28 The percent of the population under the age of 19 is higher in developing
countries than it is in developed countries.
True False Cannot say
Cannot say-The first sentence says “suggest that in some of the most
underdeveloped countries almost one half of thepopulation is aged between 10 and
19”. However this percentage is not compared with the percentage in developed
countries, so we are not able to say for sure whether the figure is higher for
developing countries or for developed countries.
Q29 The world as a whole is seeing more people over the age of 65.
True False Cannot say
True- The fourth sentence says “Aside from this is also a global increase in the
number of people aged 65 or older”. So regardless of what is happening in
developing countries we are told that overall globally the number of over 65 year olds
is increasing.
Q30 Declines in birth rates are not limited to developed countries.
True False Cannot say
True- The second sentence says that “These countries[underdeveloped countries]
have experienced a much smaller decrease in birth rates than has been seen in
more developed countries”. So we are told that both developed and underdeveloped
countries are seeing a reduction in birth rate, albeit to differing degrees.
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