Admission Tests GMAT Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

Admission Tests GMAT Online Questions & Answers

• Question 161:

  Many managers, believing that temporary employees have no commitment to their company, have been concerned that when a large part of the regular work force Is replaced by temporary employees there will be a dilution of company loyalty. This concern can be set aside, however, since temporary employees in fact have as much company loyalty as the regular employees they replace.

  Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument above depends?

  A. When regular employees are replaced by temporary employees, there is no diminution in the loyalty of those regular employees who are not replaced.
  B. Replacing regular employees by temporary employees results in no managerial disadvantages other than the risk of diluting company loyalty.
  C. Companies in which regular employees have not been replaced by temporary employees have no higher a level of company loyalty than those In which they have been replaced.
  D. Managers are Incapable of overcoming declines In company loyalty.
  E. The Importance for a manager of preserving company loyalty is greater now than It has ever been before.
  C. Companies in which regular employees have not been replaced by temporary employees have no higher a level of company loyalty than those In which they have been replaced.

• Question 162:

  Welleby's Plan

  The water In the underground water table beneath the town of Welleby is moderately saline-- 20,000millkjrarns of salt per liter of water (mg/L), or roughly half as saline as ocean water. To lower the level of the water table and thus prevent agricultural land from being inundated with salt water, the town plans to pump water from the table at a rate of 450kiloliters per day (kL/day) into a large shallow pond, allowing much of the water to evaporate. The town plans to divert 10percent of the water pumped from the water table to supplement Us supply of drinking water, which Is currently piped In from great distances. Due to the water's supply, the town intends to construct a desalination plant to treat the diverted water for use as drinking water. Desalination Types

  

  Comparison Welleby is deciding among the following three desalination methods. Reverse Osmosis (RO): Water Is pushed through a membrane, leaving salts behind. RO systems can handle a large range of water flow rates and use relatively little energy. However, RO membranes are expensive and must be replaced

  every 2 to 5 years. There is also a possibility that bacteria can grow on the membrane. Introducing tastes and odors Into the desalinated water.

  Multi-Effect Distillation (MED): Saline water Is heated to produce water vapor, from which Is condensed potable fresh water. This process requires large amounts of energy, regardless of the salinity of the source water. It becomes more cost effective as water volumes increase. Electrodialysis (ED): Electricity is used to selectively move salts through a membrane. Consumption of energy Is directly proportional to the salinity of the water to be treated, so with higher salinities the process rapidly becomes more costly

  than other methods. ED membranes need to be replaced every 7 to 10years.

  Based on the information provided, which one of the following benefits to Welleby is most likely to result from Its building a desalination plant?

  A. Reduced dependence on distant sources for drinking water
  B. Reduced costs for pumping water from the underground water
  C. table Increased quantity of agricultural land
  D. Reduced salinity of the underground water table
  E. Reduced average salinity of the town's drinking water
  A. Reduced dependence on distant sources for drinking water

• Question 163:

  The primary purpose of the passage is to

  A. utilize a theoretical model to compare two sales tactics
  B. explain the rationales for the adoption of each of two alternative sales tactics
  C. illustrate ways in which a salesperson might employ each of two sales tactics
  D. clarify why each of two sales tactics is appropriate for a particular type of product line
  E. demonstrate how different product lines require different sales tactics
  C. illustrate ways in which a salesperson might employ each of two sales tactics

  ---

  Explanation/Reference:

  Salespersons have employed two major sales tactics in order to influence customers to make relatively high-priced selections when presented with sequenced product lines (lines with graduated attributes and prices). The top-down tactic begins by presenting information on the highest-priced model and descends down the product line, explaining the sacrifices made with each step down. The way people use decision heuristics (rules of thumb) to simplify complex, information-rich decision tasks may explain the success of top-down selling. The "anchoring-and-adjustment" theory suggests that such mental shortcuts can systematically bias the decision outcome, as decision-makers start from an initial value or anchor point and adjust to yield a final decision. The bottom-up sales tactic starts by presenting the lowest- priced model as the reference point and steps up to higher-priced models. Salespersons seek to communicate that the more expensive item is actually a better value. But nothing in the decision-heuristics literature supports the bottom-up strategy as an effective tactic, and to the extent that the anchoring-and- adjustment theory explains the effectiveness of top-down selling, it suggests that the bottom-up tactic should be ineffective. Furthermore, some psychologists suggest that customers may attribute less honesty and credibility to a salesperson who is trying to step them up the product line to a more expensive model; if true, this could limit the tactic's effectiveness.

• Question 164:

  

  A. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) atone is not sufficient.
  B. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) atone is not sufficient.
  C. BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
  D. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient
  E. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.
  E. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

• Question 165:

  The primary purpose of the passage is to

  A. explain why some of the subjects in the study did not commit the conjunction fallacy
  B. discuss why the conjunction fallacy is a mistake
  C. Identify an area In which mathematical probability theory needs to make further advancements
  D. illustrate how the formulation of choices in terms of betting can eliminate certain forms of ambiguity
  E. describe the conjunction fallacy and consider evidence as to whether it is in fact widely committed
  C. Identify an area In which mathematical probability theory needs to make further advancements

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  Explanation/Reference:

  Mathematical principles of probability entail that for any future event, the probability that it will occur Is at least as great as the probability that both it and some other given event will occur. Consider, for example, the following statements that were shown to subjects in a 1998 study. X The percentage of adolescent smokers In Texas will decrease at least 15% from current levels by September 1, 1999. Y The cigarette tax in Texas will increase by $1.00 per pack in 1999. Z The cigarette tax in Texas will increase by $1.00 per pack in 1999, and the percentage of adolescent smokers in Texas will decrease at least 15% from current levels by September 1, 1999. Z("Kand X") could not have been more probable than X. Nevertheless, many of the subjects judged Zto be more probable than X. This mistaken form of reasoning, displayed with surprising frequency in various studies in addition to the 1998 study, is known as the "conjunction fallacy." A number of researchers have offered alternative explanations for the seeming manifestations of the mistake, thus arguing that the fallacy is less widely committed than the various studies would indicate. Some have claimed that research subjects can take "probability" in a sense that does not conform to the mathematical principles of probability. Detailed descriptions of some such conceptions of "probability" have been developed under the names of "confirmation" and "support." Other researchers would claim, correctly, that subjects shown Z(" Kand X") and ^simultaneously will sometimes think of Xas involving the negation of Y--as a claim that the percentage of adolescent smokers in Texas will decrease, but without the $1.00 increase in the cigarette tax. However, although the subjects in the 1998 study were to consider Xand Z simultaneously, the statements were presented in terms of bets rather than explicit requests for judgments of relative probability. Subjects were asked to choose between Zand X, with a chance of winning $50.00 if the chosen statement turned out to be true. Terms such as "most probable," "likely," etc., were thus avoided, and the interpretation of X\n conjunction with the negation of Kwas thereby eliminated. And with these alternative explanations eliminated, many of the subjects nonetheless bet on Zrather than

  X:

• Question 166:

  By understanding the fundamental nature of human immune response, scientists can both study ways to reduce excessive activity of the immune system. such as occur in autoimmune diseases like diabetes, and to amplify the immune response, as a new way of fighting diseases like cancer.

  A. both study ways to reduce excessive activity of the immune system, such as occur
  B. both study ways of reducing excessive activity of the immune system, like occurs
  C. study both ways to reduce excessive activity of the immune system, such as occurs
  D. study ways both to reduce excessive activity of the immune system, such as occurs
  E. study ways both of reducing excessive activity of the immune system, like occur
  D. study ways both to reduce excessive activity of the immune system, such as occurs

• Question 167:

  If we are to develop a theory of how social factors influence the evolution of languages, both the system of social network that deter mines the spread of individual changes, plus the role of dialects and A. both the system of social networks that determines the spread of individual changes, plus the role of dialects and standard languages, must be understood

  B. both the system of social networks that determines the spread of individual changes, as well as the role of dialects and standard languages, must be understood
  C. we must understand both the system of social networks that determines the spread of individual changes and the rote of dialects and standard languages
  D. we must both understand the system of social networks that determines the spread of individual changes, and the role of dialects and standard languages
  E. the system of social networks that determines the spread of Individual changes, and as well the role of dialects and standard languages, must be understood
  C. we must understand both the system of social networks that determines the spread of individual changes and the rote of dialects and standard languages

• Question 168:

  An employee of Store Z purchased an item at Store Z. The item was on sale at -? off its list price and the employee also received an employee discount of i-*%. If no taxes were Involved, what net percent discount did the employee receive off the list price of the Item?

  (1)

  The employee paid $181.25 less for the item than its list price.

  (2)

  The employee discount was applied before the sale discount was applied.

  A. Statement (1) ALONE Is sufficient, but statement (2) atone Is not sufficient.
  B. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) atone is not sufficient.
  C. BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NETTHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
  D. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
  E. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.
  E. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

• Question 169:

  Civil disobedience fan make a political point by refusing to copy restrictive regulations, answer a summons or In not cooperating with authorities such as the police.

  A. Civil disobedience can make a political point by refusing to obey restrictive regulations, answer a summons, or
  B. In A political point can be made through civil disobedience by people by refusing to obey restrictive regulations, to answer a summons, or
  C. People can make a political point through civil disobedience by refusing to obey restrictive regulations or answering a summons or by
  D. Civil disobedience can make a political point when people refuse to obey restrictive regulations, answer a summons, or In not
  E. People can make a political point through civil disobedience by refusing to obey restrictive regulations or answer a summons or by
  C. People can make a political point through civil disobedience by refusing to obey restrictive regulations or answering a summons or by

• Question 170:

  Psychologist: People tend instinctively to impose patterns on events even when such patterns are not really present. If early humans believed that a rustle in the grass indicated a dangerous predator when it was just the wind, they were more likely to survive than if they believed that it was just the wind when a dangerous predator was there. Thus, in a world of split-second interactions between predators and prey, a person who made an error of the first type was more likely to survive than a person who made an error of the second type. So the tendency to make the first type of error is probably due to__________.

  Which of the following would, if true, most logically complete the psychologist's argument?

  A. evolutionary processes affecting the human species
  B. a decision people make to avoid taking risks
  C. a widespread fear of dangerous animals
  D. a tendency to treat hidden perils as more dangerous than obvious perils
  E. anxiety to avoid the first type of error
  A. evolutionary processes affecting the human species