gre pp2

8/18/2019 GRE PP2

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/gre-pp2 1/14

GRE prep

ection2

1 dramatic literature often the history of a culture in that it takes as its

subject matter the important events that have shaped and guided the culture.

A confounds

B repudiates

C recapitulates

D anticipates

polari!es

2 since she believe him to be both candid and trust"orthy# she refused to consider

the possibility that his statement had been

A irrelevant

B facetious

C mistaken

D critical

insincere

$ given ho" %i&''''''' the shortcomings of the standard economic model are in its

portrayal of human behavior# the failure of many economists to respond to them is

astonishing. (hey continue to fill the journals "ith yet more proofs of yet more

%ii&''''''' theorem. )thers# by contrast# accept the criticisms as a challenge#

seeking to e*pand the basic model to embrace a "ider range of things people do.

Blank %i& Blank %ii&

A )verlook

ed

D Comprehensi

ve

B )ccasion

al

+mprobable

C ,atent - ,ervasive

. (here has been much hand/"ringing about ho" unprepared American students are

for college. 0raff reverses this perspective# suggesting that colleges are

unprepared for students. +n his analysis# the university culture is largely %i&

''''''' entering students because academic culture fails to make connections to

the kinds of arguments and cultural references that students grasp.

nderstandably# many students vie" academic life as %ii&'''''''' ritual.


A ,rimed for D An arcane

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B )paue to A

laudable

C ssential

for

- A

painstaking

3. (he narratives that vanuished peoples have created of their defeat have#

according to chivelbusch# fallen into several identifiable types. +n one of

these# the vanuished manage to %i& ''''''''the victor4s triumph as the result

of some spurious advantage# the victors being truly inferior "here it counts.

)ften the "inners %ii& ''''''' this interpretation# "orrying about the culture or

moral costs of their triumph and so giving some credence to the loser4s story.


A Construe D (ake

issue "ith

B Anoint Disregard

C Ackno"ledg

e

- Collude

in

5. (he uestion of %i&'''''''' in photography has lately become nontrivial# prices

for vintage prints%those make by a photographer soon after he or she made the

negative& so drastically %ii& '''''''''in the 1667s that one of these photographs

might fetch a hundred times as much as a nonvintage print of the same image. +t

"as perhaps only a matter of time before someone took advantage of the

%iii&''''''' to peddle ne"ly created 8vintage9prints for profit.

B:A;<1 B:A;<2 B:A;<$

A -orgery D Ballooned

0 Discrepanc

y

B +nfluence =eakened > Ambiguity

C tyle - ?aried + Duplicity

@.ven after numerous products made "ith artificial s"eeteners became available#

sugar consumption per capita continued to rise. ;o" manufacturers are introducing

fat/free versions of various foods that they claim have the taste and te*ture of

the traditional high/fat versions. ven if the manufacturers4s claim is true#

given that the availability of sugar/free foods did not reduce sugar consumption#

it is unlikely that the availability of these fat/free foods "ill reduce fat

consumption.

=hich of the follo"ing# if true# most seriously undermines the argument

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A several kinds of fat substitute are available to manufacturers# each of "hich

gives a noticeably different taste and te*ture to products that contain it.

B the products made "ith artificial s"eeteners did not taste like products made

"ith sugar.

C the foods brought out in sugar/free versions did not generally have reduced

levels of fat# but many of the fat/free versions about to be introduced are lo" in

sugar.

D people "ho regularly consume products containing artificial s"eeteners are more

likely than others to consume fat/free foods.

not all foods containing fat can be produced in fat/free versions.

%/11&

ecent studies of sediment in the ;orth Atlantic4deep "aters reveal possible

cyclical patterns in the history of arth4s climate. (he rock fragments in these

sediments are too large to have been transported there by ocean currents# they

must have reached their present locations by traveling in large icebergs that

floated long distance from their point of origin before melting. 0eologist 0erard

Bond noticed that some of the sediment grains "ere stained "ith iron o*ide#

evidence that they originated in locales "here glaciers had overrun outcrops of

red sandstone. Bond4s detailed analysis of deep/"ater sediment cores sho"ed

changes in the mi* of sediment sources over time the proportion of these red/

stained grains fluctuated back and forth from lo"s of 3 percent to highs of about

1@ percent# and these fluctuations occurred in a nearly regular 1#377/year cycle.

Bond hypothesi!ed that the alternation cycles might be evidence of changes in

ocean/"ater circulation and therefore in arth4s climate. >e kne" that the

sources of the red/stained grains "ere generally closer to the ;orth ,ole than

"ere the places yielding a high proportion of8clean9 grains. At certain times#

apparently# more icebergs from the Arctic )cean in the far north "ere traveling

south "ell into the ;orth Atlantic before melting and shedding their sediment.

)cean "aters are constantly moving. And "ater temperature is both a cause and an

effect of this movement. As "ater cools# it becomes denser and sinks to the

ocean4s bottom. During some periods# the bottom layer of the "orld4s oceans comes

from cold# dense "ater sinking in the far ;orth Atlantic. (his causes the "arm

surface "aters of the 0ulf tream to be pulled north"ard. Bond reali!ed that

during such periods# the influ* of these "arm surface "aters into northern regions

could cause a large proportion of the icebergs that bear red grains to melt before

traveling very far into the ;orth Atlantic. But sometimes the ocean4s dynamic

changes# and "aters from the 0ulf stream do not travel north"ard in this "ay.

During these periods# surface "aters in the ;orth Atlantic "ould generally be

colder# permitting icebergs bearing red/stained grains to travel farther south in

the ;orth Atlantic before melting and depositing their sediment.

(he onset of the so/called :ittle +ce Age%1$77/157&# "hich follo"ed the Eedieval

=arm ,eriod of the eighth through tenth centuries# may represent the most recent

time that the ocean4s dynamic changed in this "ay. +f ongoing climate/history

studies support Bond4s hypothesis of 1#377/year cycles# scientists may establish

a major natural rhythm in arth4s temperatures that could then be e*trapolated

into the future. Because the midpoint of the Eedieval =arm ,eriod "as about

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AD.37# an e*tension of Bond4s cycles "ould place the midpoint of the ne*t "arm

interval in the t"enty/fourth century.

according to the passage# "hich of the follo"ing is true of the rock fragments

contained in the sediments studied by Bond

A the majority of them are composed of red sandstone.

B they must have reached their present location over 1#377 years ago.

C they "ere carried by icebergs to their present location.

D Eost of them "ere carried to their present location during a "arm period in

arth4s climatic history.

(hey are unlikely to have been carried to their present location during the

:ittle +ce Age.

6 +n the final paragraph of the passage# the author is concerned primarily "ith

A ans"ering a uestion about arth4s climatic history

B pointing out a potential fla" in Bond4s hypothesis

C suggesting a ne" focus for the study of ocean sediments

D tracing the general history of arth4s climate

discussing possible implications of Bond4s hypothesis.

17 According to the passage# Bond hypothesi!ed that "hich of the follo"ing

circumstances "ould allo" red/stained sediment grains to reach more southerly

latitudes

A =arm "aters being pulled north"ard from the 0ulf tream

B Climatic conditions causing icebergs to melt relatively uickly

C +cebergs containing a higher proportion of iron o*ide than usual

D (he formation of more icebergs than usual in the far north

the presence of cold surface "aters in the ;orth Atlantic

11 +t can be inferred from the passage that in sediment cores from the ;orth

Atlantic4s deep "aters# the portions that correspond to the :ittle +ce Age

A differ very little in composition from the portions that correspond to the

Eedieval =arm ,eriod.

B fluctuate significantly in composition bet"een the portions corresponding to the

1$77s and the portions corresponding to the 1@77s

C "ould be likely to contain a proportion of red/stained grains closer to 1@

percent than to 3 percent.

D sho" a much higher proportion of red/stained grains in cores e*tracted from the

far north of the ;orth Atlantic than in cores e*tracted from further south.

"ere formed in part as a result of 0ulf tream "aters having been pulled

north"ard.

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12 arly critics of mily Dickinson4s poetry mistook for simplemindedness the

surface of artlessness that in fact she constructed "ith such

A astonishment

B craft

C cunning

D innocence

naivete

- ve*ation

1$ (he macromolecule ;A is common to all living beings# and D;A# "hich is found

in all organisms e*cept some bacteria# is almost

A comprehensive

B fundamental

C inclusive

D universal

significant

- ubiuitous

1 =hile in many "ays their personalities could not have been more differentFshe

"as ebullient "here he "as glum# rela*ed "here he "as a"k"ard# garrulous "here he

"as //they "ere surprisingly "ell suited.

A solicitous

B munificent

C irresolute

D laconic

fastidious

- taciturn

13 ven in this business# "here''''''''is part of everyday life# a talent of lying

is not something usually found on one4s resume.

A aspiration

B mendacity

C prevarication

D insensitivity

baseness

- avarice

G15H

>istorians freuently employ probate inventories/ lists of possessions compiles

after a person4s deathFto estimate standard of living. Because these inventories

"ere taken by amateur assessors according to un"ritten rules# they are sometimes

8/18/2019 GRE PP2


unreliable. )ne "ay to check their accuracy is to compare them to archaeological

records. A study of records from the state of Dela"are in the eighteenth century

found that "hile very fe" inventories listed earthen"are# every e*cavation

contained earthen"are. arthen"are may have gone unlisted simply because it "as

ine*pensive. But if it "as so commonplace# "hy "as it listed more often for

"ealthy householdsI,erhaps the more earthen"are people had# the more likely

appraisers "ere to note it. A fe" bo"ls could easily be absorbed into another

category# but a roomful of earthen"are could not.

15 elect the sentence that provides support for an ans"er to a uestion in the

passage.

G1@/16

H

+n the 167s# neuroscientists studying the brain processes underlying our sense of

conscious "ill compared subjects4 judgments regarding their subjective "ill to

move%=& and actual movement%E& "ith objective electroencephalographic activity

called readiness potential# or ,. As e*pected# = preceded E subjects consciously

perceived the intention to move as preceding a conscious e*perience of actually

moving. (his might seem to suggest an appropriate correspondence bet"een the

seuence of subjective e*periences and the seuence of the underlying events in

the brain. But researchers actually found a surprising temporal relation bet"een

subjective e*perience and objectively measured neural events in direct

contradiction of the classical conception of free "ill# neural preparation to

move%,& preceded conscious a"areness of the intention to move%=& by hundreds of

milliseconds.

1@ based on information contained in the passage# "hich of the follo"ing chains of

events "ould most closely conform to the classical conception of free "ill

A = follo"ed by , follo"ed by E

B , follo"ed by = follo"ed by E

C E follo"ed by = follo"ed by ,

D , follo"ed by E follo"ed by =

, follo"ed by = and E simultaneously

1 in the conte*t in "hich it appears# Jtemporal4 most nearly means

A secular

B mundane

C numerical

D physiological

chronological

16 the author of the passage mentions the classical conception of free "ill

primarily in order to

A argue that earlier theories regarding certain brain processes "ere based on

false assumptions

B suggest a possible fla" in the reasoning of neuroscientists conducting the study

discussed in the passage

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C provide a possible e*planation for the une*pected results obtained by

neuroscientists

D cast doubt on neuroscientists4 conclusions regarding the temporal seuence of

brain processes

indicate the reason that the results of the neuroscientists4 study "ere

surprising.

27

Kain/soaked soil contains less o*ygen than does drier soil. (he roots of melon

plants perform less efficiently under the lo"/o*ygen conditions present in rain/

soaked soil. =hen the efficiency of melon roots is impaired# the roots do not

supply sufficient amounts of the proper nutrients for the plants to perform

photosynthesis at their usual levels. +t follo"s that melon plants have a lo"er/

than/usual rate of photosynthesis "hen their roots are in rain/soaked soil. =hen

the photosynthesis of the plants slo"s# sugar stored in the fruits is dra"n off to

supply the plants "ith energy. (herefore# ripe melons harvested after a prolonged

period of heavy rain should be less s"eet than other ripe melons.

+n the argument given# the t"o highlighted portions play "hich of the follo"ing

roles

A the first states the conclusion of the argument as a "hole# the second provides

support for that conclusion.

B the first provide support for the conclusion of the argument as a "hole# the

second provides evidence that support an objection to that conclusion.

C the first provide support for an intermediate conclusion that support a further

conclusion stated in the argument# the second states that intermediate conclusion.

D the first serves as an intermediate conclusion that support a further conclusion

stated in the argument# the second states the position that the argument as a

"hole opposes.

the first states the position that the argument as a "hole opposesL the second

supports the conclusion of the argument .

Ans"ers

M

1C 2 $ CD BD 3 A- 5 AD0 @ B C 6 17 11 C 12 BC 1$ D- 1

D- 13 BC 15 NOPQ

1@ B 1 16 27 C

8/18/2019 GRE PP2


ection

1 -ar from vie"ing Refferson as a skeptical but enlightened intellectual#

historians of the 16574s portrayed him as''''''thinker# eager to fill the young

"ith his political orthodo*y "hile censoring ideas he did not like.

%A& an adventurous

%B& a doctrinaire

%C& an eclectic

%D& a judicious

%& a cynical

2 stories are a haunted genre# hardly%i&''''''''kind of story# the ghost story is

almost the paradigm of the form# and %ii&'''''''' "as undoubtedly one effect that

,oe had in mind "hen he "rote about ho" stories "ork.


A A debased D ,essimism

B A

normative

0oosebump

s

C A

meticulous

- Curiosity

$ the play"right4s approach is%i&'''''''' in that her "orks%ii&'''''' the

theatrical devices normally used to create drama on the stage


A ,edestrian D Rettison

B startling e*periment "ith

C celebrated - distill

+4ve long anticipated this retrospective of the artist4s "ork# hoping it "ould

make %i&'''''' judgments about him possible# but greater familiarity "ith his

paintings highlights their inherent %ii&'''''' and actually makes one4s

assessment%iii&''''''' .

B:A;<1 B:A;<2 B:A;<$

A Eodish D 0loom

0 imilarly

euivocal

B settled ambiguity > less sanguine

C detached - delicacy + more cynical

8/18/2019 GRE PP2


3 >igher energy prices "ould have many %i&''''''' effects on society as a "hole.

Besides encouraging consumers to be more %ii&''''''''' in their use of gasoline#

they "ould encourage the development of rene"able alternative energy sources that

are not %iii&''''' at current prices.

B:A;<1 B:A;<2 B:A;<$

A ,ernicious D Aggressive 0 nstabl

e

B counterintui

tive

predictabl

e

> adaptab

le

C salubrious - sparing + viable

5 But they pay little attention to the opposite and more treacherous failing

false certainty# refusing to confess their mistakes and implicitly claiming%i&

'''''''' #thereby embarrassing the nation and undermining the Constitution# "hich

established various mechanisms of self/correction on the premise that even the

"isest men are sometimes "rong and need# precisely "hen they find it most

%ii&''''''' # the benefit of %iii&'''''''' process.

B:A;<1 B:A;<2 B:A;<$

A +nfallibilit

y

D Discomfitin

g

0An adaptable

B immunity e*pedient > a remedial

C impartiality - imminent

+ an

injudicious

G@/6

STUVWXYZ[H

Eusic critics have consistently defined Rames ,. Rohnson as a great early ja!!

pianist# originator of the 1627s >arlem8stride9style# and an important blues and

ja!! composer. +n addition# ho"ever# Rohnson "as an innovator in classical music#

composing symphonic music that incorporated American# and especially African

American# traditions.

uch a blend of musical elements "as not entirely ne" by 162 both Eilhaud and

0ersh"in had composed classical "orks that incorporated elements of ja!!. Rohnson#

a serious musician more e*perienced than most classical composers "ith ja!!#

blues# spirituals# and popular music# "as particularly suited to e*pand Eihaud4s

0ersh"in4s e*periments . +n 162@ he completed his first large/scale "ork# the

blues/and ja!!/inspired \amekra"# "hich included borro"ings from spirituals and

Rohnson4s o"n popular songs. \amekra"# premiered successfully in Carnegie >all#

"as a major achievement for Rohnson# becoming his most freuently performed

e*tended "ork. +t demonstrated vividly the possibility of assimilating

contemporary popular music into the symphonic tradition.

@ "hich if the follo"ing best describes the organi!ation of the passage

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A a historical overvie" is presented# and a particular phenomenon is noted and

analy!ed.

B a popular belief is challenged# and a rival interpretation is presented and

supported.

C a common vie"point is presented and modified# and the modification is supported.

D an observation is made and rejected# and evidence for that rejection is

presented.

a common claim is investigated# and an alternative outlook is analy!ed and

critici!ed.

consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply

(he author suggest "hich of the follo"ing about most classical composers of the

early 1627s

A they "ere strongly influenced by the musical e*periments of Eilhaud and 0ersh"in

B they had little "orking familiarity "ith such forms of American music as ja!!#

blues# and popular songs.

C they made fe" attempts to introduce innovations into the classical symphonic

tradition.

6 the passage states that Rohnson composed all of the follo"ing ]C,(

A ja!! "orks

B popular songs

C symphonic music

D spirituals

blues pieces

G17/11STUVWXYZ[H

(he nearly circular orbits of planets in our solar system led scientists to e*pect

that planets around other stars "ould also reside in circular orbits. >o"ever#

most kno"n e*trasolar planets reside in highly elongated# not circular# orbits.

=hy (he best clue comes from comets in our solar system. Comets formed in

circular orbits but "ere gravitationally flung into their present/day elliptical

orbits "hen they ventured too close to planets. Astronomers suspect that pairs of

planets also engage in this slingshot activity# leaving them in disturbed#

elliptical orbits. +f t"o planets form in close orbits# one "ill be scattered

in"ard%to"ard its star&# the other out"ard. (hey "ill likely then travel close

enough to neighboring planets to disturb their orbits also.

17 consider each of the choices and select all that apply

According to the passage# "hich of the follo"ing factors help account for the

elliptical shape of the orbits of e*trasolar planet

I

A the planet4s formation in close pro*imity to other planets

B the gravitational influence of planets "hose original orbits have been disturbed

C the gravitational influence of comets

8/18/2019 GRE PP2


11 consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply

(he passage suggests that t"o planets formed in close orbits that engaged

in Jslingshot activity4 "ould be likely to

A deflect a"ay from each other

B change the shape of each other4s orbit

C affect the orbits of any neighboring planets

12 )nce =hite stepped do"n from a political platform# "here his

daring#'''''' speeches provoked baying applause from audiences# he "as

courteous and considerate even to politicians he had just slandered in the speech.

A florid

B defamatory

C calumnious

D inveigling

timorous

- diffident

1$ clearly the government faced a dilemma it could hardly'''''trials# especially

in the absence of irrefutable evidence# but it also "ould not "elcome# in the

midst of "ar# the scandal that "ould arise if trials "ere avoided.

A be keen on

B be inclined to

C arrange

D dispense "ith

turn its back on

- credit

1 the hodgepodge nature of local and federal la" enforcement and the changing but

often still inadeuate regulations governing the credit industry make identity

theft a particularly ''''''''crime.

A unobjectionable

B viable

C dubious

D innocuous

uncontrollable

- intractable

8/18/2019 GRE PP2


13 conomic competition among nations may lead to ne" forms of economic

protectionism that hearken back to the mercantilism of an earlier age there are

signs today that such protectionism is indeed''''''' .

A evanescent

B resurgent

C recrudescent

D transitory

controversial

- inimical

% 15/1@STUVWXYZ[&

According to the conventional vie"# serfdom in nineteenth/century ussia inhibited

economic gro"th. +n this vie" ussian peasants4status as serfs kept them poor

through burdensome ta*es in cash# in labor# and in kindL through restrictions on

mobility# and through various forms of coercion. Eelton# ho"ever# argues that

serfdom "as perfectly compatible "ith economic gro"th# because many ussian serfs

"ere able to get around landlord4rules and regulations. +f serfs could pay for

passports# they "ere usually granted permission to leave the estate. +f they could

pay the fine# they could establish a separate householdL and if they had the

resources# they could hire laborers to cultivate the communal lands# "hile they

themselves engaged in trade or "orked as migrant laborers in cities.

15 consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply

+t can be inferred from the passage that the 8rules and regulations9 affecting

serfdom in ussia involved

A responsibility for the "ork needed to accomplish certain defined tasks

B restrictions on freedom of movement

C limitations on the ability to set up an independent household.

1@ consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply

(he highlighted sentence has "hich of the follo"ing functions in the passage

A it provides support for an argument presented in the preceding sentence

B it provides evidence that helps undermine a vie" introduced in the first

sentence

C it raises a uestion that the succeeding sentence "ill resolve.

1G^_SH(he dusky salamander lives only in slo"/moving streams "here organic

debris settles and accumulates. +n almost all places in ;e" \ork tate "here dusky

salamanders used to live# suburban development has cleared uplands and put do"n

asphalt. As a result# rain"ater no" runs directly into streams# causing increased

flo" that slo"s the accumulation of organic sediments. (herefore# it is probably

the increased flo" caused by suburban development that is responsible for the

dusky salamander4s virtual disappearance from ;e" \ork tate.

=hich if the follo"ing# if true# most strongly supports the argument

8/18/2019 GRE PP2


A ince 167 the suburban population of ;e" \ork tate has gro"n ten times faster

than urban population.

B Dusky salamanders have disappeared in the past ten years from some suburban

areas of ;e" \ork tate that "ere originally developed more than a century ago and

that have not e*perienced significant development for decades.

C (he t"o/line salamander# a species that lives in both slo" and s"ift moving

"aters# continues to thrive in streams in ;e" \ork tate from "hich dusky

salamanders have disappeared.

D uburban development in ;e" \ork tate contributes significantly to pollution of

local streams "ith la"n fertili!ers that are poisonous to most small auatic

animals.

Euch of the suburban development in ;e" \ork tate has been occurring in areas

that never provided prime habitat for dusky salamanders.

G16/27STUVWXYZ[H

=hile the influence of British maga!ines in shaping public opinion predates the

nineteenth century# it "as during the 177s that mass distribution became possible

and an e*plosion in periodical readership occurred# vastly increasing maga!ine4s

opinion/shaping po"ers. (he role of maga!ines as arbiters of nineteenth/century

taste is seen in their depictions of the :ondon theater. (he maga!ines accorded

some legitimacy to ast nd "orking/class theaters that mirrored the format of the

fashionable =est nd theaters serving middle/and upper/class audiences. >o"ever#

the maga!ines also depicted music hallsF"hich competed for patronage "ith all

theatersFas places "here crass entertainment corrupted spectators4s taste and

morals. -inally# they suggested that popular demand for substandard fare created a

market unfriendly to higher e*pressions of dramatic art.

16 the author of the passage attributes the influence of British periodicals in

shaping public opinion in the nineteenth century in part to

A a gro"ing public interest in reading opinion pieces

B an increase in the relative number of readers from the middle and upper classes

C changes in the "ay in "hich maga!ines "ere distributed

D maga!ines4s increased coverage of theater and popular entertainment

changes in maga!ine format that attracted a "ider readership

27 the author of the passage mentions 8ast nd "orking/class

theaters9 primarily in order to

A illustrate a point about the ability of maga!ines to s"ay public opinion

B contrast the kinds of entertainment presented in ast nd and =est nd theaters

C make a point about ho" spectators4s tastes influenced the offerings at

different kind of theaters

D e*plain ho" maga!ine chose "hich kinds of entertainment to cover.

identify factors that helped make certain theaters fashionable

8/18/2019 GRE PP2


`abc

1 B 2A $ BD B0 3 C-+ 5 AD> @ C C 6 D 17 AB 11 ABC 12 BC 1$ A B 1

-

13 BC 15 ABC 1@ AB 1 C 16 C 27 A

gre pp2

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