Section 3. Verbal Reasoning
- B The word in the blank describes how the professor regarded the student’s
theory. The clause after the comma provides the clue. Since the professor views
parts of the theory as “creative” and parts as “unsound,” the professor’s view is
conflicted. Of the choices, the word that best matches conflicted is ambivalent. - B The word in the blank clarifies Dylan’s “belief in the priority of self-
interest.” The clause after the colon further clarifies this belief, telling you that
“he could never be sure of others’ beliefs or desires.” Solipsism, which is the
philosophical belief that we cannot be sure of the existence of other minds, is
the best choice. - B and D There are more clues for the first blank, so start there. Since “a
retreat to nature appealed to Thoreau,” he most likely absorbed himself in the
untamed. The word closest in meaning to absorbed is immersion. What did
“immersion in the untamed” put Thoreau in touch with? A good guess would
be the word untamed. Of the choices, the word closest in meaning to untamed
is unpredictability. - B and F Since there are more clues for the first blank, start there. The word
in the blank describes what component of the institutions the critics focus on.
Since the critics are focused on the “greed” of the institutions, a good prediction
for the blank is greed. The word closest in meaning to greed is avarice. Now
look at the second blank. The word in the blank is described as something
“whose value can and should be quantified economically.” A good prediction is
good. Of the choices, the word closest in meaning to good is commodity. - C and E Since there are more clues for the first blank, start there. The word
in the blank describes what economists are unable to do, with respect to
the causes of recessions. The fact that critics are wrong about this inability
implies that, on its face, the inability might be something negative. What
would economists be expected to do? A good prediction is explain. Of the
choices, the word closest in meaning to explain is delineate. Now move to
the second blank. The clause after the colon indicates that economists put
their faith in “the appropriate mode of analysis.” A good prediction for the
blank is approach. Of the choices, the word closest in meaning to approach is
methodologies. - A, F, and I There are the most clues for the first blank, so start there. The
first blank describes the type of process that most scientific discoveries are.
Since they “build on and supplement” previous discoveries, the process is
most likely cumulative. Now move to the second blank. The contextual clue
but indicates that discoveries that “alter the trajectory of human thought” are
made in a process that is the opposite of cumulative. These processes must thus
not build on previously established models. Of the choices, the word closest in
meaning to models is paradigms. Now look at the third blank. The contextual
clue “for example” indicates that Darwin’s discovery will provide an example
of the previous fact. Since such a discovery must have been made in isolation
of previous scientific work, the work of others must not have anticipated
Darwin’s work. - D First, understand the situation. By limiting the sale of tobacco products, the
government decreased a revenue source. Despite that, the government’s net
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