Read the paragraph carefully and determine the main point the author is trying to make. What conclusion can be drawn from the argument? Each paragraph is followed by five statements.One statement supports the author’s argument better than the others do.
1.
One New York publisher has estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United States want an anthology that includes the complete works of William Shakespeare. And what accounts for this renewed interest in Shakespeare? As scholars point out, his psychological insights into both male and female characters are amazing even today.
This paragraph best supports the statement that
A. Shakespeare’s characters are more interesting than fictional characters today.
B. people even today are interested in Shakespeare’s work because of the characters.
C. academic scholars are putting together an anthology of Shakespeare’s work.
D. New Yorkers have a renewed interested in the work of Shakespeare.
E. Shakespeare was a psychiatrist as well as a playwright.
Answer & Explanation
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
The last sentence in the paragraph clearly gives support for the idea that the interest in Shakespeare is due to the development of his characters. Choice a is incorrect because the writer never makes this type of comparison. Choice c is wrong because even though scholars are mentioned in the paragraph, there is no indication that the scholars are compiling the anthology. Choice d is wrong because there is no support to show that most New Yorkers are interested in this work. There is no support for choice e either.
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2.
One of the warmest winters on record has put consumers in the mood to spend money. Spending is likely to be the strongest in thirteen years. During the month of February, sales of existing single-family homes hit an annual record rate of 4.75 million.
This paragraph best supports the statement that
A. consumer spending will be higher thirteen years from now than it is today.
B. more people buy houses in the month of February than in any other month.
C. during the winter months, the prices of single-family homes are the lowest.
D. there were about 4 million homes for sale during the month of February.
E. warm winter weather is likely to affect the rate of home sales.
Answer & Explanation
Answer: Option E
Explanation:
This is clearly the best answer because the paragraph directly states that warm weather affects consumers inclination to spend. It furthers states that the sales of single-family homes was at an all-time high. There is no support for choice a or c. Choice b is wrong because even though there were high sales for a particular February, this does not mean that sales are not higher in other months. Choice d presents a misleading figure of 4 million. The paragraph states that the record of 4.75 million was at an annual, not a monthly, rate.
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3.
Generation Xers are those people born roughly between 1965 and 1981. As employees, Generation Xers tend to be more challenged when they can carry out tasks independently. This makes Generation Xers the most entrepreneurial generation in history.
This paragraph best supports the statement that Generation Xers
A. work harder than people from other generations.
B. have a tendency to be self-directed workers
C. have an interest in making history
D. tend to work in jobs that require risk-taking behavior.
E. like to challenge their bosses work attitudes.
Answer & Explanation
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
The support for choice b is given in the second sentence of the paragraph. Generation Xers like to work independently, which means they are self-directed. No support is given for either choice a or choice c. Choice d is not related to the paragraph. Although the paragraph mentions that Generation Xers like to be challenged, it does not say they like to challenge their bosses attitudes; therefore, choice e can be ruled out.
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4.
If you’re a fitness walker, there is no need for a commute to a health club. Your neighborhood can be your health club. You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to get a good workout either. All you need is a well-designed pair of athletic shoes.
This paragraph best supports the statement that
A. fitness walking is a better form of exercise than weight lifting.
B. a membership in a health club is a poor investment.
C. walking outdoors provides a better workout than walking indoors.
D. fitness walking is a convenient and valuable form of exercise.
E. poorly designed athletic shoes can cause major foot injuries.
Answer & Explanation
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
By stating that fitness walking does not require a commute to a health club, the author stresses the convenience of this form of exercise. The paragraph also states that fitness walking will result in a good workout. Choice a is incorrect because no comparison to weight lifting is made. Choice b may seem like a logical answer, but the paragraph only refers to people who are fitness walkers, so for others, a health club might be a good investment. Choice c is not in the passage. Although choice e seems logical, the paragraph does not indicate that the wrong shoes will produce major injuries.
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5.
In the past, consumers would rarely walk into an ice cream store and order low-fat ice cream. But that isn’t the case today. An increasing health consciousness combined with a much bigger selection of tasty low-fat foods in all categories has made low-fat ice cream a very profitable item for ice cream store owners.
This paragraph best supports the statement that
A. low-fat ice cream produces more revenue than other low-fat foods.
B. ice cream store owners would be better off carrying only low-fat ice cream.
C. ice cream store owners no longer think that low-fat ice cream is an unpopular item.
D. low-fat ice cream is more popular than other kinds of ice cream.
E. consumers are fickle and it is impossible to please them
Answer & Explanation
Answer: Option C
Explanation:
This choice is supported as the best answer because the paragraph indicates that low-fat ice cream was once an unpopular item, but now, because consumers are more health conscious and because there is a wider array of tasty low-fat foods, low-fat ice cream is a profitable item for ice cream store owners. There is no indication that choices a, b, d,or e are true based on the information given.