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SAT Diagnostic Questions

1 / 10

Doctor: It would benefit public health if junk food were taxed. Not only in this country but in many other countries as well, the excessive proportion of junk food in people's diets contributes to many common and serious health problems. If junk food were much more expensive than healthful food, people would be encouraged to make dietary changes that would reduce these problems.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the doctor's argument?

Taxing junk food would benefit public health.

In many countries, the excessive proportion of junk food in people 's diets contributes to many common and serious health problems.

If junk food were much more expensive than healthful food, people would be encouraged to make dietary changes that would reduce many common and serious health problems.

Taxing junk food would encourage people to reduce the proportion of junk food in their diets.

Junk food should be taxed if doing so would benefit public health.

2 / 10

Some people believe that advertising is socially pernicious- it changes consumers' preferences, thereby manipulating people into wanting things they would not otherwise want. However, classes in music and art appreciation change people's preferences for various forms of art and music, and there is nothing wrong with these classes. Therefore, _________________

consumers would still want most of the things they want even if they were not advertised

the social perniciousness of advertising is not limited to its effect on people's preferences

the fact that advertising changes consumers' preferences does not establish that it is bad

if advertising changes consumers' preferences, it generally does so in a positive way

it is not completely accurate to say that advertising changes people 's preferences

3 / 10

Professor: A guest speaker recently delivered a talk entitled “The Functions of Democratic Governments” to a Political Ideologies class at this university. The talk was carefully researched and theoretical in nature. But two students who disagreed with the theory hurled vicious taunts at the speaker. Several others applauded their attempt to humiliate the speaker. This incident shows that universities these days do not foster fair-minded and tolerant intellectual debate.

The professor’s reasoning is flawed in that it

draws a conclusion based on the professor’s own opinion rather than on that of the majority of the students present at the talk

is inconsistent in advocating tolerance while showing intolerance of the dissenting students’ views

relies primarily on an emotional appeal

draws a general conclusion based on too small a sample

incorrectly focuses on the behaviour of the dissenting students rather than relating the reasons for that behaviour

4 / 10

Essayist: If Earth's population continues to grow geometrically, then in a few centuries there will be ten people for every square meter (approximately one person per square foot) of Earth's surface. Some people have claimed that this will probably not be a problem, since humans will have learned by then how to colonize other planets. This would, however, be a temporary solution at best: if the population continues to double every 30 years, and if in the year 2500 half of Earth's population emigrated to Mars, then by the year 2530 Earth would be just as crowded as it had been before the emigration.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the essayist's argument?

If Earth 's population continues to grow geometrically, then in a few centuries the population density of Earth's surface will be ten people per square meter.

Due to the continuing geometric growth of Earth's population, the problem of overpopulation of Earth will probably persist.

If Earth's population continues to double every 30 years, and if at some point half of the population of Earth emigrated elsewhere, then after 30 years Earth would be just as crowded as it bad been before the emigration.

The population of Earth 's surface will probably continue to grow geometrically even if temporary solutions to population growth, such as colonizing other planets, are adopted.

Learning how to colonize other planets would, at best, be a temporary solution to the overcrowding of Earth.

5 / 10

Contrary to recent speculations, no hardware store will be opening in the shopping plaza. If somebody were going to open a store there, they would already have started publicizing it. But there has been no such publicity.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the argument?

Some people have surmised that a hardware store will be opening in the shopping plaza.

A hardware store will not be opening in the shopping plaza.

If somebody were going to open a hardware store in the shopping plaza, that person would already have started publicizing it.

It would be unwise to open a hardware store in the shopping plaza.

There has been no publicity concerning the opening of a hardware store in the shopping plaza.

6 / 10

Some heartburn-medication advertisements imply that unrelieved heartburn is likely to cause esophageal cancer. This is simply false. The fact is that only about 5 percent of people with severe heartburn have a condition called Barrett's esophagus, in which cells similar to those in the stomach's lining develop in the lower esophagus. Only these people have an increased risk of developing cancer because of heartburn.

"Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion drawn in the argument?"

Only those people with Barrett's esophagus can suffer an increased risk of developing cancer from heartburn

An increase in the risk of esophageal cancer arises from cells similar to those in the stomach's lining developing in the lower esophagus.

Unrelieved heartburn is not likely to cause esophageal cancer.

Some heartburn-medication advertisements imply that unrelieved heartburn is likely to cause esophageal cancer.

The dangers touted by heartburn-medication advertisements will affect relatively few of the people who see those advertisements.

7 / 10

All people prefer colors that they can distinguish easily to colors that they have difficulty distinguishing. Infants can easily distinguish bright colors but, unlike adults, have difficulty distinguishing subtle shades. A brightly colored toy for infants sells better than the same toy in subtle shades at the same price.

Which one of the following conclusions is most strongly supported by the information in the passage?

Infants prefer bright primary colors to bright secondary colors.

Color is the most important factor in determining which toys an infant will prefer to play with.

Individual infants do now have strong preferences for one particular bright color over other bright colors.

The sales of toys of infants reflect the preferences of infants in at least one respect.

Toy makers study infants to determine what colors the infants can distinguish easily

8 / 10

Depression is a serious problem for residents of nursing homes.

However, a recent study has found that residents who developed personal bonds with pets had significantly lower rates of depression than did residents who did not develop personal bonds with pets.

Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by the information above?

Nursing-home residents are more subject to depression than any other invididuals

The best method for helping a nursing-home resident to overcome depression is to provide access to a pet.

High rates of depression among nursing-home residents x may result at least in part from a lack of companionship.

Animal companionship is essential for psychological well-being.

Animal companionship eliminates depression among the residents of nursing homes

9 / 10

Advertisement: GreenBank gives all of its customers unlimited free automatic teller machine (ATM) use. TekBank charges 25 cents for each ATM transaction. So, clearly, it costs more to bank at TekBank than at GreenBank.

The reasoning in the advertisement's argument is misleading in that the argument:

Bases a recommendation solely on economic factors without considering whether other factors are more important

Presents claims that are irrelevant to the issue under discussion in order to divert attention away from that issue

Draw a conclusion about the overall cost of a service solely on the basis of a claim about the cost of one component of that service

Concludes that a component of a service must ave a property that the service as a whole possess

Concludes that a claim must be false because of the mere absence of evidence in its favor

10 / 10

Double-blind techniques should be used whenever possible in scientific experiments. They help prevent the misinterpretations that often arise due to expectations and opinions that scientists already hold, and clearly scientists should be extremely diligent in trying to avoid such misinterpretations.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument?

Scientists' objectivity may be impeded by interpreting experimental evidence on the basis of expectations and opinions that they already hold.

It is advisable for scientists to use double-blind techniques in as high a proportion of their experiments as they can.

Scientists sometimes neglect to adequately consider the risk of misinterpreting evidence on the basis of prior expectations and opinions.

Whenever possible, scientists should refrain from interpreting evidence on the basis of previously formed expectations and convictions.

Double-blind experimental techniques are often an effective way of ensuring scientific objectivity.

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