MCAT-CARS Practice Test T6

Table of Contents Why should I trust you? Introduction: T6 How to Set Up Your Kindle for Achieving the Optimal Testing Experience So, You want to See the Passages and Questions at the Same Time? I Want Some More Practice! T6 - MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test Passage I Passage II Passage III Passage IV Passage V Passage VI Passage VII Passage VIII Passage IX T6 - MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test: Solutions Guide Raw Score to Scaled Score Conversion How to Review a Practice Test Passage I - Solutions Passage II - Solutions Passage III - Solutions Passage IV - Solutions Passage V - Solutions Passage VI - Solutions Passage VII - Solutions Passage VIII - Solutions Passage IX - Solutions References I've never heard of Testing Solutions? Why should I trust you? Well... that's a fair question. First with the apparent, we are not a big company. The truth is though that we really don't want to be. The bigger you are, the more money you have to bring in, the higher your prices go, the more attention you have to pay to marketing to bring in the bigger profits you need to keep a roof over your head, and consequently, the less attention you pay to putting out an incredibly high quality product at as low a cost as possible. So...if you are expecting a mega corporation (Kaplan, Princeton Review, Exam Krackers, etc.) that will charge you thousands of dollars based on their big fancy name alone for their mediocre at best MCAT prep materials, you are definitely looking in the wrong place. (“By definitely looking in the wrong place,” we mean, turn off your computer or kindle and delete this book, because we are not what you are looking for.) We are not a big company and we never plan to be. We are a small company putting out what we believe to be the highest quality Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) materials on the market at a fair and reasonable price. 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Testing Solutions equals the highest equality CARS materials on the market. Plain and simple. Read the reviews and see for yourself. Take this practice CARS test for example. It cost you roughly 20% of what it would cost for you to buy a Kaplan test. You should take it and see what you think. It took over 120+ hours to write the test you have in front of you (just this one.) 120+ hours of pouring over and scrutinizing every detail of the released AAMC CARS practice materials so we could get the passage topics, question formats, and trickster answer choices just right. When you take one of our exams, you feel as if you are taking the real thing, you have that uneasy feeling at the end when you aren't quite sure how you did. Don't take our word for it. Try out the test in front of you. What do you have to lose? Introduction: Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T6 The test you have in front of you is good, in fact it is really good. We had a group of fresh first year med students who just took the MCAT take TS1. 83% of the group said it mirrored the difficulty of the real MCAT nearly perfectly and the other 17% said that it was actually slightly more difficult. Talk about getting it right! Our tests simulate the real thing perfectly. We are in the process of formatting all of our exams for kindle download. The process is surprisingly cumbersome and laborious, but our computer monkeys are pounding away at their computers as quickly as possible to get as much content out there to you as soon as we can while maintaining the highest standards of content and formatting. So far we have completed formatting the following exams: Click Here for a List of Our Most Current Practice Materials or individually below: Testing Solutions' 30 Day Guide to MCAT CARS Success T1 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T2 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T3 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T4 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T5 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T6 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T7 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T8 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test We are very careful in the writing of our exams, but errors do occasionally occur. We update all of our exams regularly, taking into account any errors which have been found. We maintain that our exams have fewer errors than any other company. 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Formatting: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Although you can certainly take this practice test on your kindle or tablet, we strongly recommend you use Amazon's eReader app on your laptop or desktop computer. This better simulates the conditions you will actually face on test day, thus we have optimized the formatting of this exam for use on a computer. On the next page (click next) you will see a practice passage. If you are seeking to optimize your testing experience, be sure to fit the entire passage (including the navigation bar at the bottom) all onto one screen. To change your Kindle App settings to make the sample passage fit on one screen do the following: 1) Click on the this button located on the toolbar in the upper left corner, see below: 2) Adjust the “Font size” and “Words per line” by moving the sliders left or right (seen right) until the sample passage fits on one screen. Passage III [3] Scholarly treatment of the use of traditional myth by Aristophanes, the great Corinthian playwright, has mostly employed the following perspectives: First, the combining of comic plots and mythical elements for political satire. Comic poets use traditional mythical elements to enrich newly invented plots which entail satire of current political and social issues. For example, the plot of Lysistrata, which draws on traditional myths of gynecocracy, satirises the political and social dead end reached by wartime Greeks, suggesting a comically unrealistic solution. The second perspective is that of the parody of tragic myth, on which several comedies depend for some of their basic plot lines, and finally, the least prominent perspective is that of the substratum of myth and political rituals discerned by functional analysis, which attempts to connect comic myth with familiar political and social issues. This final approach is one of great controversy among classicists. Political myth is usually produced by the reinterpretation or the reworking of traditional mythical material so that it may bear political significance and import in the current context of the political life of the city state. Myths formed in this way constitute new versions which contribute to the self-definition of cities or social groups, or serve to justify political developments. In attempting to understand such mythical references to the past, a functional analysis demonstrates the socio-political function and ideological significance of the politic use of traditional myth, or as many scholars have come to call it, the use of “intentional history.” The phrase expresses the blend of myth and history which the ancient Greeks saw as their past. This kind of cultivation of memory secures the survival and consolidation of collective identity and has the power to influence the future. The political use of myth has its roots in archaic poetry; Athenian politics is known to have taken advantage and made great use of poetic myth of this kind. It is only natural that political myth, which is found in historical and poetic settings, echo in the comedies of Aristophanes. We would expect Aristophanes’ political comedies to be significantly attracted to this particular type of myth: political comedy is filled with contemporary allusions, and political myth is an appropriate carrier of such scholars have come to call it, the use of “intentional history.” The phrase expresses the blend of myth and history which the ancient Greeks saw as their past. This kind of cultivation of memory secures the survival and consolidation of collective identity and has the power to influence the future. The political use of myth has its roots in archaic poetry; Athenian politics is known to have taken advantage and made great use of poetic myth of this kind. allusions in a poetic context. This is not to suggest that political myth in comedy should bear a ‘solemn’ message. The comic plot elements and jokes within the political satires form part of varied contexts within many different Aristophanic plays, but they have a common basis (like jokes based on the satire of women or of sophists which are also common through Aristophanes work). The common basis here is the satire of the political use of myth. As noted at the start, political myth is put at the service of satire, hence this type of use of myth suggests another form of comic satire. Aristophanes use of the politic myth in order to satirize it functions as a means of elucidating a common experience to the Greeks, namely the use of myth for socio-political gains. Although seemingly on the surface, a serious topic, Aristophanes ability to integrate such a topic into a comedic work demonstrates its pervasiveness and profane status in Greek culture, but more importantly its comedic value in bringing his audiences both to laughter and enjoyment. Awareness of this form of satire brings significant gains: it enhances our view of the plays’ political aspects and of the satirical techniques used; and it provides new clues to the conception of certain comic heroes and lines of comic action « | Passage III | » | Q11 | Q12 | Q13 | Q14 | Q15 | Q16 Did you make it fit? It shouldn't be too difficult. We optimized the entire book so that it will be easily and comfortably viewable on a range of devices, but your optimal testing experience will be on an actual computer with your settings dialed in so that the previous passage fits on one page. * Make sure you use a timer (i.e. 90 Minutes). Don't waste your time if you aren't going to take this with a timer. 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Then when you're reviewing, you can return and better remember what was troubling you during the actual test. * Carefully review the breakdown of our navigation features on the next page. (It will save you a lot of time) « | Passage II | » | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 Clicking Passage II allows you to jump to the beginning of your current passage (the passage you are currently on). Clicking « or » allows you to go backwards to the previous passage or jump forward to the next one respectively. Clicking Q5 allows you to jump directly to question 5. « | Passage II | » || ← | → You already know how to use the passage features as outlined previously. Clicking ← or → allows you to return to the previous question or jump to the next one respectively « | Passage V | » | Q23 | Details | A | B | C | D | ← | Ξ | → You already know how to use the passage and question navigation features as discussed previously, so we aren't going to waste your time reviewing them. 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We are feverishly working to get our online platform up and running where you will be able to take your practice tests in the exact format that you will on your test day. Right now, however, it isn't ready. We know this is a pain for you. If you read through our over 200+ reviews on , the only complaint that comes up in our 4 star reviews is that users would like to see the passages and the questions at the same time. Everything else is perfect. We would offer PDF versions of our tests, but unfortunately, it wouldn't take long for a pirated version to get posted to a forum and then we wouldn't be able to fund producing more material. This is the primary reason why we're use the kindle format. We hope to liberate ourselves soon! The solution we've come up with is to offer a PDF copy of the nine passages that make up this practice test. You can download that file here and then print it off or open it up on another screen. This will allow you to have the passages in front of you while you are taking the test. We've also included an answer sheet you can print off as well so you can keep track of your answers. Many people actually find not being able to as quickly reference the passage to end up being a strength of our tests, because it breaks you of the bad habit of wasting too much time searching for an answer that isn't there. It has been our experience that if you spend a few minutes with our navigation features, it really isn't too much of a pain after getting used to it, but if it bothers you, download the passages and you'll be all set. Click here to download a copy of T6 Passages so you can see the questions and passages at the same time! Click here to download the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Answer Sheet We hear you! We have spent over 1,100 hours in the past year developing what we believe to be the most advanced and accurate MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Materials on the market. Each of our practice tests is perfectly formatted for the Kindle to simulate test day perfectly. Click below to see our other available MCAT Practice Tests. Click Here for a List of Our Most Current Practice Materials or individually below: Testing Solutions' 30 Day Guide to MCAT CARS Success T1 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T2 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T3 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T4 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T5 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T6 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T7 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test T8 – MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Practice Test Coming Soon! The entire Testing Solutions team is hard at work creating the most comprehensive and complete online MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning course. 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We thank you for your support and interest, and we wish you the best of luck! Click here to download the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Answer Sheet T6 - MCAT CARS Practice Test Time: 90 Minutes Question: 1 – 53 Directions: You have ninety minutes to complete the fifty-three questions which correspond to the nine passages contained within this Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills practice test. For each question, select the one answer choice which most completely and satisfactorily answers the question. Use the provided answer sheet to mark down your answers as you progress through the test. If you are unsure of an answer, eliminate as many answer choices as possible and then select one of the remaining choices. Any questions left incomplete after the completion of the ninety minutes testing interval will be marked as incorrect. Passage I [1] Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound is a lively testament to the Greek intellectual achievements of the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.E. In Aeschylus’ poetry one finds subtle reflections of the new learning and advances in both ethical and natural philosophy. For instance, Apollo’s defense of Orestes, that the mother is not even related to her children, but rather that the father provides the “seed” and the generative material, evinces the current state of medical theory and anticipates Aristotle’s efficient cause. Okeanos’ mandate to Prometheus to “come to know yourself” echoes the maxim inscribed at Delphi as well as a dictum attributed to Heraclitus, that he claimed to have searched himself out, Kahn suggests that this little fragment may presuppose the Delphic maxim or even the Christian ideal of alienation from one’s (true) self. Awareness, knowledge, and understanding—of self and one’s environment —were the very cornerstones of early Greek philosophy whose purpose was to seek the causes of things and to understand the natural world. For Heraclitus and others, this line of rational inquiry was the path to wisdom. Transparently, the play is about fire, which serves as the central image of Heraclitus’ natural philosophy and as the connective symbol of the Prometheus. Fire, according to Kratos, is the prerogative of Hephaestus, who unwillingly binds his kinsman. To Heraclitus, fire serves as the catalyst with which change occurs and by which the world is governed. At the most basic level, it serves as the foundation of the world. The world-fire correlates to the soul in an individual and that soul’s constituent fiery make-up determines to what degree one can understand and comprehend the cosmos. In the Prometheus, fire represents technological advancement and the means for understanding the causes of things. Heraclitus’ balance of elemental properties can be seen throughout the Prometheus. The description of the eruption of Aetna manifests the central facet of Heraclitus’ natural philosophy; that fire is the dynamis by the agency of which all things cycle. Heraclitus’ binary cosmos is evoked in Prometheus’ antagonism and hostility to Zeus’ world order, the conflict between Logos and Bia or Kratos, the contrast between opposites and the equilibrium resulting from their unity, and the preeminence of fire, Heraclitus’ fundamental catalyst, as a reagent in the Prometheus and as the foundation of all human technology. The author of the Prometheus astutely draws broadly from early Greek natural philosophy, and this is reflected in the tone, scope, and thematic resonance of the play. Isolated phrases suggest that the playwright engaged widely with trends in philosophical inquiry. Although much in the play does reflect and build from Heraclitus’ doxography—the prevalence of fire to actuate change, the preeminence of justice, the value of Logos over force as the path to wisdom— Prometheus Bound is no apology for Heraclitan natural philosophy. It in fact has no central philosophical goal which at times leaves it wandering aimlessly. Prometheus’ opening and closing words may derive from or anticipate Empedoclean physics, not Heraclitan, where four elements provide the substrate for the material world. Finally, despite Prometheus’ Job-like suffering, unjust and public, Aeschylus’ outlook differs significantly from the pessimistic Heraclitus. Prometheus gives humankind blind hopes to alleviate the pain of foreseeing doom. He resists fully revealing Io’s future lest that knowledge add to her despair. Like his mother, the mis-Gaia, Prometheus has the power of unerring prophecy, of foresight, and he knows that Zeus will mellow and mature. There is a limit to Prometheus’ sufferings, and there is a limit to the torments besetting Io whose travails parallel Prometheus’: she will be returned to human form by Zeus’ gentle touch. Prometheus will be freed by a descendant of Io in the thirteenth generation, and the elements, wind, water and earth, will find equilibrium through the modulations of fire. Passage I | » | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 1. The author's major contention concerning Prometheus Bound is that: A) it mirrors the intellectual and philosophical achievements of the sixth and fifth centuries BCE. B) it contains significant early Greek philosophical themes and foreshadows the later developments of Western thought. C) it provides guidance and hope for those who suffer unjustly like Prometheus, as “there is a limit to the torments besetting Io whose travails parallel Prometheus.” D) it represents a complete innovation from that which came before it, leading to the development of more modern and familiar Greek philosophical ideas. Passage I | » || → 2. A reasonable expectation for someone who accepts the author's views concerning Prometheus Bound would be that: A) reading the Prometheus Bound will provide a reasonable survey of early Greek thought and will introduce the reader to later “up and coming” philosophical notions. B) one will be able to learn both about Prometheus and also the “ins and outs” of the early Greek intellectual tradition. C) one will be able to draw correlations between the philosophical inventions of Aeschylus and their later integration into mainstream Greek philosophy. D) the social pressures facing Athens will be ever present throughout the story, representing Athens’ struggle against Sparta. Passage I | » || ← | → 3. Fire to Heraclitus represented: A) the significance of justice. B) technological advancement. C) one of the four physical elements, earth, wind, water, and fire, which constitute all of reality. D) the motive force of the universe. Passage I | » || ← | → 4. The author's attitude toward Prometheus Bound can be best described as: A) negative B) critical C) favorable D) enthusiastic Passage I | » || ← | → 5. The passage suggests that the essential relationship between Empedoclean and Heraclitan physics is: A) their divergent understandings of what constitutes the world. B) their disagreement concerning what the impetus for change actually is. C) their agreement concerning the elemental nature of reality. D) their similar views concerning unjust suffering and eventual reprieve. Passage I | » || ← | → Passage II [2] Recent evidence gathered both from developed, and developing nations indicates that corporate social disclosures (CSD) have been receiving increased attention from corporations and stakeholders in these corporations throughout the world. CSD is one of the primary means by which corporations can disclose how they are responding to an ever-widening array of social, environmental and economic issues. By definition, a corporate social disclosure is one where information concerning companies’ interactions with society are made public. Corporate activities have an impact on employee related issues, community involvement, environmental concerns, and a myriad of ethical issues. By making a CSD, the corporation tries to reflect their awareness and competency of addressing these to the public. These activities are most commonly referred to as corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, and CSDs are the most prominent method of disclosing CSR activities. Even though CSD has enjoyed increased popularity with companies, regulators, stakeholders group and academicians alike, not all companies have decided to make such disclosures of social information. Some companies (e.g., Henkel, BHP, Johnson and Johnson) have long been industry leaders in reporting non-financial information, but the majority of companies report only limited information, or in some cases, no information at all. Prior studies have revealed that larger companies disclose more information than smaller ones. More established companies also have greater pressure from various stakeholders, political parties, and regulators which influence the degree of detail that their disclosures have as well as the decision to disclose more information upon request or not. Contrary to the findings of these studies, a recent South African study found no relationship between size and CSD. Profitable companies are assumed to disclose more voluntary information than those that are financially in trouble. Previous studies have theorized and found that profitable companies would be more likely to implement CSR disclosures. However, some researchers findings suggested a negative association between the extent of disclosure and profitability whereas others suggested no association between profitability and CSD at all. Accordingly, the association between profitability and CSD is inconclusive due to the conflicting results of the current literature. In regard to the association between financial leverage and CSD, a University of Chicago study found that companies with higher financial leverage have higher levels of social disclosure (SD). Furthermore, in terms of corporate voluntary disclosure, it has been found that highly leveraged firms disclose more information than those that retain primary ownership of their company. This same study found that the size of a corporation's customer pool in relation to the total customer base is a significant explanatory variable for CSD, although profitability was not taken into account. This has not been disputed and has only been confirmed by other studies. An investigator mentions that “this study examines whether differences in profitability impact the level of social information included in annual reports. The previous studies examined whether the level of SD had any impact on a company's profits”. Ultimately, it has been determined that size and industry are in some ways associated with SD, but such correlations have yet to be fully realized. The findings of the study provide evidence that utilities and industrial firms are not avoiding SD in their annual reports during financial crisis, rather the amount of disclosure increased during the global financial crisis (GFC) compared to before the GFC, although this was not the case for all companies studied it was a general theme. However despite recent increases, the extent of CSD still remains lower than would be ideal. Corporations have disclosed information regarding how they deal with GFC, in terms of whether the GFC had any adverse impact on these companies or whether company strategy or objectives have changed in regards to social activities. Government and regulators can encourage and provide a framework for the companies to provide more information to the public during unfavorable economic periods as many companies might have suffered from it. More social information can make stakeholders well aware of the corporations’ social activities during economic crises. « | Passage II | » | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 6. The author's main thesis is that: A) there is no conclusive finding regarding the correlation of Corporate Social Disclosure (CSD) of Corporate Social Responsibility Activities (CSR) and a company's profits. B) few companies desire to publicize their responses to social and environmental issues for fear of adverse financial repercussions. C) the global financial crisis actually led to an increase in CSD. D) CSD has little to nothing to do with a company's profitability and more with other factors. « | Passage II | » || ← | → 7. According to the passage, the single most important predictive factor in determining a company's level of CSD is: A) profitability. B) a company's size. C) the size of the market share of a given company. D) the condition of the global market. « | Passage II | » || ← | → 8. Which of the following conclusions does the passage support with evidence? I – It is unclear as to whether or not profitability is a predictor of CSD. II – CSD is becoming more popular for larger companies. III – CSR increases shareholder confidence in a company's leadership. A) I Only B) II Only C) I and II Only D) I, II, and III « | Passage II | » || ← | → 9. A medium-sized technology company reported a 37% increase in profits last year while their corporate policy regarding CSD became increasingly more strict and limited. How does this information affect the author's central thesis? A) It strengthens the author's thesis that the far majority of companies disclose little or no information regarding their responses to social and environmental issues. B) It weakens the author's assertion that “Profitable companies are assumed to disclose more voluntary information than those that are financially in trouble.” C) It has no effect on the author's central thesis. D) It challenges the author's understanding of the role of market size in determining the level of CSD. « | Passage II | » || ← | → 10. The author of the passage would be most likely to propose which of the following? A) Tax credits which encourage corporations to make regular CSD. B) State mandated CSD for every corporation. C) Shareholder directed CSDs for large and small companies alike. D) The discontinuation of CSDs in order to focus resources on more productive efforts. « | Passage II | » || ← | → Passage III [3] Those who solely by good fortune become princes from being private citizens have little trouble in rising, but much in keeping atop; they have not any difficulties on the way up because they fly, but they have many when they reach the summit. Such are those to whom some state is given either for money or by the favour of him who bestows it; as happened to many in Greece, in the cities of Ionia and of the Hellespont, where princes were made by Darius, in order that they might hold the cities both for his security and his glory; as also were those emperors who, by the corruption of the soldiers, from being citizens came to empire. Such stand simply elevated upon the goodwill and the fortune of him who has elevated them—two most inconstant and unstable things. Neither have they the knowledge requisite for the position; because, unless they are men of great worth and ability, it is not reasonable to expect that they should know how to command, having always lived in a private condition; besides, they cannot hold it because they have not forces which they can keep friendly and faithful. States that rise unexpectedly, then, like all other things in nature which are born and grow rapidly, cannot leave their foundations and correspondencies fixed in such a way that the first storm will not overthrow them; unless, as is said, those who unexpectedly become princes are men of so much ability that they know they have to be prepared at once to hold that which fortune has thrown into their laps, and that those foundations, which others have laid before they became princes, they must lay afterwards. Concerning these two methods of rising to be a prince by ability or fortune, I wish to adduce two examples within our own recollection, and these are Francesco Sforza and Cesare Borgia. Francesco, by proper means and with great ability, from being a private person rose to be Duke of Milan, and that which he had acquired with a thousand anxieties he kept with little trouble. On the other hand, Cesare Borgia, called by the people Duke Valentino, acquired his state during the ascendancy of his father, and on its decline he lost it, notwithstanding that he had taken every measure and done all that ought to be done by a wise and able man to fix firmly his roots in the states which the arms and fortunes of others had bestowed on him. Because, as is stated above, he who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building. If, therefore, all the steps taken by the duke be considered, it will be seen that he laid solid foundations for his future power, and I do not consider it superfluous to discuss them, because I do not know what better precepts to give a new prince than the example of his actions; and if his dispositions were of no avail, that was not his fault, but the extraordinary and extreme malignity of fortune. « | Passage III | » | Q11 | Q12 | Q13 | Q14 | Q15 | Q16 11. Which of the claims below most clearly conflicts with the author's main argument: A) seizing power can be an uphill battle for a would-be prince, but keeping it is easier. B) Cesare Borgia did not do all he could to retain power once he had it. C) even if a new prince does his best to solidify his position, he is at a disadvantage. D) the only way a new prince can expect to retain power is if he has a highly unusual set of abilities. « | Passage III | » || ← | → 12. If a new prince wanted to ensure that he retains power, what would he most likely need to do according to the passage? A) take measures to increase the well-being of the local populace in order to make them less likely to revolt. B) build a strong army, loyal only to him while also courting the favor of whoever elevated him to that position. C) perform a purge, killing everyone in the state who might be opposed to his rule. D) declare war on a weaker state in the same region in order to seize their resources while building defenses for his own territory. « | Passage III | » || ← | → 13. The passage suggests that the author would probably disagree with which of the following statements? A) Francesco Sforza was unlike Cesare Borgia in that Sforza retained power while Borgia soon lost it. B) Francesco Sforza was like Cesare Borgia in that both were called dukes. C) Francesco Sforza was unlike Cesare Borgia in that the latter acquired his state from his father. D) Francesco Sforza was like Cesare Borgia in that both acquired power due to being highly capable. « | Passage III | » || ← | → 14. What is the relation of other passage information to the assertion that “he who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building.” A) It reprises the author's main argument. B) It refutes the idea that Francesco Sforza retained power without trouble C) It mainly refers to the trouble Cesare Borgia had in retaining power. D) It takes the author's main argument a step further. « | Passage III | » || ← | → 15. One can infer from the passage that the underlying goal of Cesare Borgia's father was: A) to test whether or not his son was capable of retaining power. B) to get rid of his son by putting him in a vulnerable position as a new prince. C) to have his son keep the state he was given secure for him. D) to seize power over all of medieval Italy. « | Passage III | » || ← | → 16. The author outlines which of the following as ways that it is possible to seize power over a state: I – Through the goodwill of someone else II – By acquiring enough money to purchase it from its present governors III – Taking it by force with an army A) I Only B) I and II Only C) I and III Only D) I, II, and III « | Passage III | » || ← | → Passage IV [4] Stories move like rivers. When a reader penetrates rich and solid narratives, it is relatively easy to perceive the plot in motion, the fiction flowing, the storyline pushing through. Even if the origins, paths, and destinations of such currents may be unclear, multiple, or distant, there is usually a sense of direction: stories do not merely move; they also go somewhere. Movement brings with it a sense of meaning and purpose that situates the reader in a specific place and furnishes an incentive to follow the plot. A good narrative – through a book, a movie, a story, or a personal experience – provides whoever is witnessing or experiencing it both this fictional river and a good reason to swim in it. Sometimes, however, movement and meaning are lost, the stream is interrupted, and the bed crumbles away, and stories enter vicious circles: histories get stuck and become mere anecdotes, images are fixated and turn into dry stereotypes, and values grow stale and degenerate into hollow habits. All these are signals of decaying storylines, which may occur in several contexts: In art, they can result in bad novels or trite films. In culture, they can be reflected in oppressive societal structures or sterile collective practices. And on a personal level they can produce dull, rigid, and lifeless lives. But how is it possible to identify this interruption of narrative rhythm? What causes it, and how can we overcome it? How does one restart the flux and recover significance after an episode of mythic paralysis? And by the term “mythic paralysis,” let us understand a state in which the stories that sustained a given system – a person, a novel, a society, a culture – no longer perform their function of providing such a system with meaning. Mythic paralysis is the blocking or drying out of the fictional rivers on which the boats of our lives and our cultures float. When the narratives that usually keep us on course go sterile, there is a rise in the feelings of randomness, meaninglessness, impotence, and futility; the myths that once held us together lose their power, leaving the culture without either the motor that moved it or the course on which it moved. The river is deprived of water and of bed. This imaginative stagnation is to a great extent a desperate call for an epic intervention. This desperate call for an intervention is a manifestation of mythic paralysis, where there is a failure in the ordering, moving, or directive function of a story. When a narrative structure detaches itself from order and direction, it is, in essence, lacking the father principle, or as James Hillman says “we are uncertain about what we are about because we are uncertain of our author, from whom would come both our authority and our authenticity.” A story lacking this father principle risks becoming stagnant and loses its meaning. Psychologically, this makes sense, for developmentally it is the father (or, at least, the fathering function) that situates us in the world. It is the father who validates us as a part of society and certifies that our personal history is inserted into the fabric constituted by the larger stories of our culture – a very Athena- like role considering that it weaves us into the “fabric” of civilization. By giving us a place in the human race, and thus handing us a role to play in the collective drama, father introduces us into an established order, one within which we can move in this or that direction. In short, father gives us meaning by helping us figure out who we are. The epic poem functions as our proverbial father and allows for the self-discovery that will bring water to the dry river once again. « | Passage IV | » | Q17 | Q18 | Q19 | Q20 | Q21 | Q22 | Q23 17. The central argument of the passage is that myth: A) authors our existence and provides us with orientation in the world. B) requires both movement and meaning if it is to be a “good narrative.” C) is the boat on which we ride down the river of life. D) is an example that shows that something does not need to be true to be meaningful. « | Passage IV | » || ← | → 18. The passage suggests that myth provides which of the following? A) Wisdom B) Innovation through imagination C) Movement D) Significance « | Passage IV | » || ← | → 19. Based on the passage, which of the following may occur as a result of “mythic paralysis”: I – Loss of movement and meaning II – Feelings of powerlessness III – Breakdown of order A) I and II Only B) I and III Only C) II and III Only D) I, II, and III « | Passage IV | » || ← | → 20. Based on the passage, myth speaks to: A) “oppressive social structures.” B) both the individual and society. C) “feelings of randomness, meaninglessness, impotence, and futility.” D) our lack of the father principle. « | Passage IV | » || ← | → 21. According to the passage, the “father principle” is most closely related to which other part of the passage? A) the development of good narrative. B) the conception of movement and directive function. C) sustenance of a given mythic structure that supports life. D) the destruction of stale and sterile myths. « | Passage IV | » || ← | → 22. Which of the following assertions if true would most WEAKEN the main point of the passage? A) Most moderns do not rely on myth to provide them with meaning and contextual understanding of their lives in the world. B) The term “myth” has become bogged in its secondary usage in the context of “true” and “false.” C) Many modern individuals feel a sense of listlessness when they read contemporary literature or watch popular films. D) Myth must first be accepted by the individual or society before it can be effective in giving meaning. « | Passage IV | » || ← | → 23. What does the passage NOT imply about the functions of myth? A) Myth can be a guiding light to a wandering soul. B) Myth makes life interesting and worth living. C) Myth provides meaning and context for the individual. D) Myth is the basis for upright social constructions. « | Passage IV | » || ← | → Passage V [5] As individuals and social beings, we desire the freedom to think, choose and act according to our own point of view, conscience or moral code. Is personal autonomy a universal human right, or does it depend on social, cultural, legal and institutional precepts and moral codes? Does it apply to children, the elderly, those deemed ' mentally unfit' and in other situations where expert opinion weighs in to decide what is best? Most individuals have been in situations where there are barriers to self-expression or dissent with the prevailing opinion. One must not look far for a recent example. After the end of World War II, many soldiers revealed to the world that they were horrified by their own actions, but there was nothing they could do. They were duty- bound to follow orders and fight for their country. It was not their choice, as it was required of them by their superiors. Such situations are repeated on a smaller scale anytime there exist power imbalances or challenging situations where there is not a positive solution, but whereas some would say the individual is not culpable, others would argue that they are indeed responsible for everything they have done and everything they will ever do. In relatively 'normal' situations, in our private and personal lives, do we freely choose who we are and what we do? According to the French existentialist philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, this freedom is the chief characteristic of the human condition. Sartre rejects any idea that we, or our actions, are determined by forces outside our control; biology, biography, personality or situation cannot be called upon as excuses or explanations for our actions: 'there is no determinism, man is free, man is freedom. Here, we have a very different understanding of human nature or the human condition from that put forward by Freud. Indeed, Sartre rejects emphatically one of the corner-stones of Freudian psychoanalysis, the unconscious, arguing that, on some level, we exercise a choice regarding the material that is repressed out of conscious awareness. Thus, the unconscious cannot be called upon as an excuse for our actions or behavior. This stance disavows the possibility that our choices may sometimes result from unconscious wishes or fears, early influences, learned behaviors, or the subtle dictates of the superego as defined by Freud. The impact of past experiences or ideologically conditioned assumptions in the cultural and moral realms, do not, according to Sartre, dissipate our autonomy and our responsibility for our choices, decisions, and behaviors. Anyone who tries to explain away his or her behavior is living in what Sartre calls “bad faith,” and is hiding and shirking from true human existence. One must always choose. Whether or not they take responsibility for their actions determines whether they live in “bad faith” or not. Is Sartre's conception of human freedom compatible with our personal experience of life? Is it extreme in its demands and its responsibilities? Does it remain a theory or can we actually live up to it? In opposition to Sartre's conception is the contemporary philosopher Susan Wolf, who insists that freedom and responsibility are conditional on sanity: 'In order to be responsible, an agent must be sane.' This assertion leads Wolf to explore the complexities and ambiguities pertaining to individual responsibility, culpability and autonomy. Her admission that 'it is not ordinarily in our power to determine whether we are or are not sane' raises other questions relating to the power and 'expertise' of others when it comes to judgment and diagnose. Sartre's conception of human freedom and responsibility raises important questions regarding the human experience. It provides an interesting and perhaps an extreme perspective on perennial philosophical issues that are pertinent and significant beyond the particularities of time and space: Who am I? How am I to live? Sartre's exploration of the nature of truth and knowledge and particularly self-knowledge and understanding is limited and debatable, but may provide a starting-point for a more comprehensive and on-going investigation into the nature of human beings and more generally the human experience. « | Passage V | » | Q24 | Q25 | Q26 | Q27 | Q28 | Q29 | Q30 24. The central thesis of this passage is that: A) although Sartre's philosophical understandings of responsibility and freedom are extreme, in a more tempered form they can provide valuable insight into the human condition and can help elucidate human experience. B) humans are free beings and are responsible for their actions without excuse. C) although the sane individual is wholly responsible for their actions, sanity is a precondition of responsibility and without it the concept of responsibility makes no sense. D) humanity is always making excuses and instead should embrace its true nature and realize that “there is no determinism, man is free, man is freedom.” « | Passage V | » || ← | → 25. Implicit in the statement “The impacts of past experiences or ideologically conditioned assumptions in the cultural and moral realms, do not, according to Sartre, dissipate our autonomy and our responsibility for our choices, decisions and behaviors” is the idea that: A) the influence of any one factor is not determinative in terms of any one individual. B) humans are in sum a conglomeration of all past experiences, social conditioning, and genetic disposition, which when compelled to action, act in a way that gives voice to each. C) autonomy and responsibility ought to be the highest priorities for any human being. D) although the unconscious is real and influences the individual, this individual is not determined by his or her unconscious and can overcome this influence. « | Passage V | » || ← | → 26. According to Sartre, someone who makes excuses for the ways in which he or she acts is most likely: A) living in “bad faith” because of their refusal to accept and explore the deep-seated psychological reasons for their behavior. B) not living life to the fullest. C) living a life both informed by Sartian freedom and Wolfs' understanding of sanity. D) someone who's actions are driven by emotion and not reason. « | Passage V | » || ← | → 27. The ideas discussed in this passage would likely be of most use to: A) a guilty prison inmate who has decided to turn over a new leaf and take control of his life. B) a psychologist who is counseling a couple where one partner has had an affair and continues to make excuses. C) a high school student who is preparing for a debate that argues against the validity of psychology. D) a politician who is arguing for fiscal responsibility and budget cuts. « | Passage V | » || ← | → 28. An appropriate explanation of Sartre's “bad faith” derived from the passage would include the following: I – Effects of social conditioning II – The impact of the unconscious III –The role of past experiences A) I and II Only B) I and III Only C) I, II, and III D) None of the Above « | Passage V | » || ← | → 29. Susan Wolf's insistence that freedom and responsibility require sanity most closely resembles which of the following: A) locomotion both requires fuel and mechanical function in order to occur. B) mature crops require both sunlight and rain. C) courage and bravery are conditional on the level of knowledge of the risks. D) memory is conditional both on retrieval and encoded knowledge. « | Passage V | » || ← | → 30. According to information in the passage, Sartre's conception of freedom: A) is contingent on the condition of sanity in the individual. B) asserts that action is a product of a multitude of factors. C) revolves around the idea of power imbalances between individuals, as can been seen in the cases of soldiers following their orders because of “duty.” D) is always exercised by the individual in the action of choice, the issue is whether or not he or she will accept responsibility. « | Passage V | » || ← | → Passage VI [6] If we glance for a moment at the various fields in which the idea of evolution is scientifically applied we find that, firstly, the whole universe is conceived as a unity; secondly, our earth; thirdly, organic life on the earth; fourthly, man, as its highest product; and fifthly, the soul, as a special immaterial entity. Thus, we have, in historical succession, the evolutionary research of cosmology, geology, biology, anthropology, and psychology. The first comprehensive idea of cosmological evolution was put forth by the famous critical philosopher Immanuel Kant, in 1755, in the great work of his earlier years, General Natural History of the Heavens, or an Attempt to Conceive and to Explain the Origin of the Universe mechanically, according to the Newtonian Laws. This remarkable work appeared anonymously and was dedicated to Frederick the Great, who, however, never saw it. It was little noticed and was soon entirely forgotten until it was exhumed ninety years later by Alexander von Humboldt. Note particularly that on the title-page stress is laid on the mechanical origin of the world and its explanation on Newtonian principles; in this way, the strictly monastic character of the whole cosmogony and the absolutely universal rule of natural law are clearly expressed. It is true that Kant speaks much in it of God and his wisdom and omnipotence, but this is limited to the affirmation that God created once for all the unchangeable laws of nature, and was henceforward bound by them and only able to work through them. The Dualism, which became so pronounced subsequently in the philosopher of Koenigsberg, counts for very little here. The idea of a natural development of the world occurs in a clearer and more consistent form and is provided with a firm mathematical basis, forty years later, in the remarkable Montaigne Celeste of Pierre Laplace. His popular Exposition du Systéme du Monde (1796) destroyed at its roots the legend of creation that had before prevailed or the Mosaic narrative in the Bible. Laplace, who had become Minister of the Interior, Count, and Chancellor of the Senate, under Napoleon, was merely honorable and consistent when he replied to the emperor's question, "What room was there for God in his system?" "Sire, I have no need for that unfounded hypothesis." Certain orthodox periodicals have lately endeavored to deny this famous atheistic confession of the great Laplace, which was merely a candid deduction of his splendid cosmic system. They say that this monastic natural philosopher acknowledged the Catholic faith on his death-bed; and in proof of this, they offer us the later testimony of an ultramontane priest. We need not point out how uncertain is the love of truth of these heated partisans. When testimony of this kind tends to "the good of religion" (i.e., their own good), it is held to be true. The Church soon recognized that the personal Creator was dethroned, and the creation - myth destroyed, by this Monastic and now generally received theory of cosmic development. Nevertheless, it maintained towards it the attitude which it had taken up 250 years earlier in regard to the closely related and irrefutable system of Copernicus. It endeavored to conceal the truth as long as possible, or to oppose it with Jesuitical methods, and finally, it yielded. If the Churches now silently admit the Copernican system and the cosmogony of Laplace and have ceased to oppose them, we must attribute the fact not to actual belief, but partly to a feeling of their spiritual impotence, and partly to an astute calculation that the ignorant masses do not reflect on these great problems. « | Passage VI | » | Q31 | Q32 | Q33 | Q34 | Q35 31. According to the passage, which of the following are NOT results of the intellectual prominence of the notion of the natural history of the world that began with Kant? A) Persecution of those who held scientific beliefs that conflicted with organized religion. B) The “pushing out” of God from the cosmic creative sphere C) Eventual acceptance by the Church. D) The discrediting of the historical perspective that many believed about the Mosaic narrative. « | Passage VI | » || ← | → 32. The passage states that cosmological evolution: A) eliminates the need for God. B) in its earliest form was not as convincing as later reworkings. C) was readily accepted by most intellectuals while the church fought it and refused to accept its conclusions. D) was finally accepted as truth by the church. « | Passage VI | » || ← | → 33. The author's discussion concerning the evolution of research implies that she believes that: A) at the most basic level, science is always studying the same thing. B) science is an interconnected network of various disciplines that relate to one another in various ways. C) the same principles which led to biological evolution, and cosmological evolution led to the evolution of research. D) science is, in reality, an agglomeration of human knowledge that ought to be understood as a singular unity of thought. « | Passage VI | » || ← | → 34. On the SOLE BASIS of the passage, one might draw which of the following conclusions concerning the church leaders referred to by the author? A) They only do things that are in their interest. B) They do not understand science. C) They are slow to change their minds and beliefs, but when they do so, they do it wholeheartedly. D) They seek to eradicate any view which contradicts or challenges their own. « | Passage VI | » || ← | → 35. The main idea of the passage is A) to discuss the impact of Immanuel Kant's work concerning cosmological evolution. B) to show the anti-scientific tendencies of the Catholic church. C) to examine the development of a natural history of the universe. D) to demonstrate the scientific arc of progress. « | Passage VI | » || ← | → Passage VII [7] Anthony Minghella wrote and directed his first film, Truly Madly Deeply, as a commentary about grief and how people deal with it. Although he never says so and may not consciously have intended it, the film also works beautifully as a re-imagining of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It explores the hermetic qualities of communication that enable a grieving person to pass through the underworld of loss and return once again to the daylight world of ongoing life and love. Ovid tells this story as a tragedy. No sooner have Orpheus and Eurydice married than “the bride, just wed, met death” by snakebite. Orpheus refuses to accept the loss of his love. As Monteverdi tells the story in his opera Orfeo, he cries, “Gone from me forever, and no more may I see you. Yet I remain here? No!” He dares to cross over into the land of the dead and, using the power of his song, begs Pluto and Proserpina to “lend” Eurydice to him for a normal lifetime, or let him die as well. The gods relent, but with a condition: he must not turn to look at Eurydice as she follows him until they are out in the sunlight once again. Orpheus agrees, but in his desire for her cannot keep his promise: They’d almost reached the upper world, when he, afraid that she might disappear again and longing so to see her, turned to gaze back at his wife. At once she slipped away—and down. Orpheus ultimately is reunited with Eurydice through death, but his death is a judgment and punishment for his greatest sin of refusing to accept what life requires of him. He becomes the sacrifice he would not make when he is torn to pieces by the women he has rejected. As they attack him, “for the first time [he] spoke words without effect; for the first time, his voice did not enchant.” His gift in life was to charm others through song; when he rejects life, his gift fails him. Nina, the lead character of Truly Madly Deeply, also cannot let go of her dead love Jamie. She turns away from the living and huddles in her flat, holding Jamie’s cello and her memories of him close to her, refusing the love others offer her. Ultimately, her unrelenting pain pulls Jamie back to her—but Jamie is a ghost and cannot come all the way into the world of the living. Instead, Nina’s flat becomes a limbo where the dead can enter, and other ghosts begin to take it over. Nina eventually realizes that she does not want to stay in limbo, that she wants life, her own life, even at the cost of losing Jamie forever. In the very last scene of the movie, Nina cleans up her flat, reclaiming it as a place of life, no longer a Hades where the dead are welcome. She carefully puts Jamie’s cello back into its case and shuts and locks it, burying his body at last. As she closes the door behind her, the ghosts reappear at the window. They watch as Nina greets Mark, a new love interest, at the front gate. Jamie smiles and wipes away a tear as Nina kisses Mark and, without looking back, takes his hand and walks away with him from Hades into life. Minghella shows us in this movie just how dangerous unchecked grief can be. It can lead us to separate so completely from life that we enter the land of the dead while still alive, just as Orpheus went into Hades after his lost Eurydice. In the case of Orpheus, he was unable to recover, but Nina through a period of grieving was able to one again engage in the beauty and wonder of life. « | Passage VII | » | Q36 | Q37 | Q38 | Q39 | Q40 36. The passage's discussion of grief assumes that: A) grief necessarily involves the loss of a love. B) grief requires a sacrifice, either of one's self or of that which has passed away. C) the course of a person's life is often out of their control. D) grief is a necessary part of life that eventually leads to closure if it is not avoided. « | Passage VII | » || ← | → 37. What does the author assert about Anthony Minghella? A) Minghella's movie is an attempt at modernizing of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. B) Truly, Madly, Deeply takes up the universal theme of dealing with human loss in similar ways to that of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.. C) Minghella's response to Nina's grief is her metaphysical communication with Jamie. D) His protagonist, Nina, follows the lead of Orpheus in how to respond t