GMAT Critical Reasoning Practice Test 02

1.

Recent studies have highlighted the harmful effects of additives in food (colors, preservatives, flavor enhancers etc.). There are no synthetic substances in the foods we produce at Munchon Foods – we use only natural ingredients. Hence you can be sure you are safeguarding your family’s health when you buy our products.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the contention of Munchon Foods?

A. Some synthetic substances are not harmful
B. Some natural substances found in foods can be harmful
C. Food without additives is unlikely to taste good
D. Munchon Foods produces only breakfast cereals
E. Without preservatives some foods could cause harm

2.

A fruit known as amla in certain parts of Asia is an excellent source of vitamin C. A small quantity of the fruit grated and added to salads provides almost all the daily requirement of this vitamin. However, the fruit is very sour. A new process designed to remove most of the sour taste will make the fruit acceptable to American tastes. We are therefore starting to grow this fruit for sale in the United States.

The argument above assumes all of the following except

A. Americans generally won’t eat very sour foods
B. The new process does not remove a significant part of the vitamin content
C. That a market exists for a new source of vitamin C
D. The fruit can be used only in salads
E. Apart from being sour there are no other objections to eating this fruit

3.

Most scientists agree that new lines of interdisciplinary research are the need of the hour. Even government committees on science have stressed the need for more interdisciplinary projects. Yet, of ten proposals for new interdisciplinary projects last year, only one was successfully funded. Some have suggested that this means that as yet researchers are not coming up with sufficiently persuasive projects, or that their proposals are not of high enough quality, or even that the reputations of these researchers is not high enough. However, the real reason probably lies in the way funding is organized. Funding is still allocated according to the old categories and there are no funds specifically for research that overlaps different subject areas.

The two parts in bold-face are related to each other in which of the following ways?

A. The first is a finding that the author finds unacceptable; the second is the author’s own position
B. The first is a finding that the author attempts to account for; the second is a finding that contradicts the author’s main conclusion.
C. The first is a fact that the author attempts to account for. The second is data that explicitly supports the author’s main conclusion.
D. The first is a position that the author opposes; the second is the author’s main position.
E. The first is a situation that the author finds paradoxical; the second is an assumption that the author uses to reinforce the paradox.

4.

Anton: I sold my house on an internet site last year and was happy with the price. I got a speedy sale and the cost of advertising was insignificant. I would advise you to avoid real estate agents.

Barbie: It is in the interest of the real estate agent to get me the best price for my property because he gets a commission based on the selling price. Therefore, when selling my house I will certainly use an agent rather than trying to sell the house by word of mouth, or by advertising in newspapers or on the internet.

Barbie’s could strengthen her position by pointing out all of the following except

A. Houses of comparable value often obtain a lower price when sold on the internet
B. Very few houses are sold on the internet at the moment an so a valid comparison is difficult
C. The agent’s service includes many add-on benefits in terms of legal fees, surveyor’s reports and advice that are not available on internet sites
D. Some buyers pay the agent to find them a cheap house
E. The agent’s commission is usually less than the difference between the internet price and the higher price the agent obtains for you

5.

Early data on seat-belt use showed that seat-belt wearers were less likely to be killed in road accidents. Hence, it was initially believed that wearing a seat-belt increased survival chances in an accident. But what the early analysts had failed to see was that cautious drivers were more likely to wear the belts and were also less likely to cause ‘big accidents’, while reckless drivers were more likely to be involved in ‘big’ accidents and were less likely to wear the belts.

Which of the following, if true, could an opponent of the view presented above best cite as a reason for recommending continued use of seat-belts?

A. Careful drivers who are involved in accidents caused by reckless drivers, would be more likely to survive if wearing a belt
B. All drivers should be required by law to wear a belt
C. The ratio of ‘big’ to ‘small’ road accidents is very small
D. In fatal accidents seat-belt wearers in the front seat are less likely to survive than those wearing seat belts in the back seat
E. On average, careful drivers pay lower insurance premiums than do drivers who have been involved in accidents.

6.

French cuisine is highly regarded all over the world. Yet in Paris there are more American restaurants selling burgers and fries (which many people now class as ‘junk food’) than there are in any other European capital city. Obviously the French are very fond of ‘junk food’, and are not too proud to eat it.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author’s contention?

A. There are also a larger number of Lebanese restaurants in Paris than there are in other European capital cities
B. French Cordon Bleu cuisine is very expensive
C. The number of French tourists eating in New York burger restaurants is very low
D. Junk food is actually has high nutritional value when eaten in moderation
E. There are an unusually large number of American tourists in Paris who eat at burger joints