Admission Tests GMAT Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

Admission Tests GMAT Online Questions & Answers

• Question 31:

  CORRECT TEXT

  

  Select from each drop-down menu the option that creates the statement that most accurately reflects the information in the graph.

  The age groups of India reflected on the vertical axis for which the population is projected to be higher in 2050 than it was in 2010 are the age groups that are above Select...

  The age groups of India reflected on the vertical axis for which the population is projected to be lower in 2050 than it was in 2010 are the age groups that are below Select...

  A. check the explanation
  B. PlaceHolder
  A. check the explanation

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  Explanation/Reference:

  

• Question 32:

  The passage is primarily concerned with doing which of the following?

  A. Surveying the different mechanisms that plants adopt to defend themselves from predators
  B. Citing an experiment that explains why a certain kind of organism has difficulty in locating its prey
  C. Providing an example of farmers' current use of one insect to prey on another that damages their crops
  D. Describing an instance in which one kind of organism exploits the behavior of another kind of organism in order to protect itself from a predator
  E. Describing an instance in which one kind of organism defends itself from predators by mimicking the behavior of another kind of organism
  D. Describing an instance in which one kind of organism exploits the behavior of another kind of organism in order to protect itself from a predator

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  Explanation/Reference:

  Parasitic wasps propagate by injecting their eggs into a caterpillar that then becomes paralyzed as the eggs inside develop into wasp larvae. The wasp larvae kill the caterpillar host as they feed on it, form cocoons, and finally develop into wasps. In attempting to discover how such wasps detect the presence of the caterpillar hosts that are so critical to the wasps' propagation, researchers have uncovered an intriguing defense mechanism developed by the plants on which the caterpillars feed. When chewed on, many plants release volatile compounds from both damaged and undamaged tissues. When these compounds are toxic to the insects that feed on the plants, they can help defend the plants from such attacks. However, the plants on which the wasps' caterpillar hosts feed have evolved an even more complex defense: the caterpillar-infested plants appear to release volatile chemicals that attract parasitic wasps, which then prey on the caterpillars. Scientists originally suspected that the wasps were attracted by an odor, reminiscent of cut grass, that is released as the caterpillar feeds, but a recent study suggests that a different set of volatile attractants is involved. In this study, when researchers used a razor blade to mimic caterpillar damage on the leaves, only grassy odors were emitted, not the volatile compounds that attracted wasps. However, when oral secretions from the caterpillars were applied to these damaged leaves, the leaves released the wasp attractants several hours later. Further tests revealed that oral secretions placed on the razor-damaged leaves stimulated the release of such attractants, making the plants as attractive to wasps as plants that had suffered actual caterpillar damage. These results suggest that chemicals from the caterpillar must be present for these attractants to be released and that unlike the grassy scent, which emanates only as the caterpillar on the plant, the wasp attractants are produced several hours after the attack and persist for several hours, perhaps days. Researchers have launched additional studies to determine whether the wasps' capacity to prey on caterpillars can be enhanced to the extent that the wasps could be used as a natural pesticide to "police" plants and protect them from crop- destroying caterpillars.

• Question 33:

  The information in the passage suggests that its authoi believes there may be "a halo effect" (see highlighted text) associated with which of the following errors?

  A. A company's profitable Implementation of sustainable practices is mistakenly attributed to altruistic motives.
  B. The apparent association of a company's adoption of sustainability initiatives with Its need to address resource limitations is mistaken for causation.
  C. A company's financial success Is mistakenly attributed to the positive qualities of those who make the management decisions at that company.
  D. The financially successful strategies of some companies are mistaken to Imply that a larger group of companies will be similarly successful If they adopt similar strategies.
  E. The positive environmental impact of a company's adoption of sustainable practices Is mistakenly understood to offset a greater negative environmental Impact than K actually does.
  D. The financially successful strategies of some companies are mistaken to Imply that a larger group of companies will be similarly successful If they adopt similar strategies.

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  Explanation/Reference:

  Many policymakers adopt a macro approach to environmental problems in emerging markets (countries experiencing rapid economic growth): discussing ambitious regulations in global faums and looking to giant multinational companies and non- governmental organizations (NGOs) for insight. But examining what successful companies in these countries are already doing to make growth more environmentally sustainable may make more sense. One study identifies several such firms that are turning eco-consciousness into a source of competitive advantage. The most salient quality of these highly profitable companies Is that they turn limitations (of resources, labor, and Infrastructure) into opportunities. An Indian cement company suffering water shortages developed the world's most water-efficient cement-making method, using air-cooling rather than water cooling. A Philippines utility reduced its water loss through wastage and illegal tapping from 63 percent (1997) to 12 percent (2010) by making water more affordable for lower-Income consumers. A Chinese company makes air conditioners powered with buildings' waste heat, reducing strain on the electric grid. The companies also seek to shape their business environment to support sustainable objectives. Some lobby regulators: a Brazilian organic-sugar producer works with Brazil's government to establish an organic certification system. Some form partnerships: Kenya's Equity Bank allies with international groups to reduce its risks when lending to smallholders or single-family farms; a Brazilian cosmetics company works with suppliers to produce sustainable packaging. Some firms also work to reach and educate lower-income consumers, sacrificing short-term profits to create future markets: a Chilean forestry company organizes local carpenters into networks and connects them to low-income customers. One could quibble with the study. Switzerland's Phil Rosenzweig has argued that management writers are prone to a halo effect: they treat a company's temporary success as proof that It has discovered some eternal principle of good management. That some successful companies have embraced environmental sustainability does not prove that It makes companies successful. Some firms, having prospered, can afford splurging on green Initiatives; some pursue eco-Initiatives for public relations purposes. Nonetheless, the study Is thought-provoking. Critics argue that environmentalism Is a rich- world luxury, but such fears are overblown. When natural resources are scarce and consumers are cash-strapped, sustainability can be a lucrative business strategy.

• Question 34:

  A set of 5 numbers has a range of 40. The smallest of the numbers is 10. Which of the following CANNOT be a number in this set?

  A. 15
  B. 25
  C. 30
  D. 50
  E. 55
  E. 55

• Question 35:

  =Psychologist: Early humans lived primarily in small bands. As a result, humans today are naturally adapted to group Interactions. Hence, social connections and participation in the community are necessary to maintain good emotional health.

  Which of the following is an assumption the psychologist's argument requires?

  A. Studies have found that people who have strong social connections tend to have better emotional health as well.
  B. Earty humans had better emotional hearth, on average, than humans do today.
  C. Participation in the community always involves group Interactions similar to those to which humans are naturally adapted.
  D. Human emotional health depends at least in part on Irving in conditions to which humans are naturally adapted.
  E. Humans should live in the social conditions that are necessary for maintaining good emotional health.
  D. Human emotional health depends at least in part on Irving in conditions to which humans are naturally adapted.

• Question 36:

  Is the positive integer n even?

  (1)

  The sum of the first n positive Integers is even.

  (2)

  The sum of the first In positive integers is even.

  A. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) atone is not sufficient.
  B. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone 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.
  B. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.

• Question 37:

  One year ago a window washing service charged S100 for setup and an additional $30 per hour for on-site washing. This year the company charges $20 for setup and an additional $50 per hour for on-site washing. Which of the following is equivalent to the percentage change from last year to this year that the company charges for setup and x hours of on- site washing?

  

  A. Option A
  B. Option B
  C. Option C
  D. Option D
  E. Option E
  D. Option D

• Question 38:

  The reference to the psychologists' suggestion (see highlighted text) functions primarily to

  A. justify the application of studies from the decision-heuristics literature to bottom-up selling
  B. help explain the effectiveness of top-down selling
  C. explain why there are some situations in which customers are unable to use rules of thumb in making buying decisions
  D. demonstrate how the effectiveness of the bottom-up strategy is limited by the complexity of the information available to the customer
  E. reinforce the assessment of bottom-up selling suggested by applying anchoring-and- adjustment theory
  D. demonstrate how the effectiveness of the bottom-up strategy is limited by the complexity of the information available to the customer

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  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 39:

  The passage takes up the issue of aggregation of data in order to

  A. show how it provides a basis for minimizing large variations in the amount of goods produced over time and thus reduces costs
  B. consider the possibility that it masked the applicability of the production smoothing model for individual firms
  C. contrast the use of inventory as buffer with its use to smooth production
  D. describe a method of extracting meaningful information from slight individual variations
  E. provide a reason why the production-smoothing buffer model is inadequate to represent the actual situation of production
  B. consider the possibility that it masked the applicability of the production smoothing model for individual firms

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  Explanation/Reference:

  According to the production-smoothing buffer stock model, inventories of a firm's products allow it to supply unexpected demand without having to adjust Output immediately. When costs per additional unit produced are increasing, using inventory to smooth production is efficient as long as the savings from not adjusting production exceed the cost of holding inventory. Inventory acts as a buffer stock, absorbing increases or decreases in demand while production remains relatively steady. If firms are smoothing production, then sales should vary more than production. If inventories are used as a buffer stock, then high-frequency changes in inventory should be in the opposite direction to sales. Empirical research using aggregate data daes not confirm this expectation, however; production varies more than sales, and changes in inventory and sales tend to vary in the same direction. Thus either the production-smoothing buffer stock model is

  incorrect, or other factors are preventing empirical confirmation of the smoothing effect.

  Most of the research that finds contradictions of production smoothing uses seasonally adjusted aggregate data concerning inventory and sales. It is possible that firms actually do use inventory to smooth production, but the research has

  failed to detect signs of this activity because the data are too highly aggregated over many firms. But even research at the level of individual companies has failed to confirm the model.

• Question 40:

  The information in the passage most strongly implies that, if an astrophysicist built a device exclusively located on Earth's surface that was able to detect gamma rays from space striking the atmosphere, it would

  A. be able to detect gamma rays only at night, when the level of visible-spectrum light is lowest
  B. not be able to provide an accurate account of the quantity of gamma rays reaching the ground at the device's location
  C. likely be designed to detect the effects of gamma rays on the atmosphere rather than the rays themselves
  D. likely be able to detect most ultraviolet and infrared frequencies of light
  E. likely be composed partly of extremely rare materials that do not absorb gamma rays
  C. likely be designed to detect the effects of gamma rays on the atmosphere rather than the rays themselves

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  Explanation/Reference:

  Light exists on a spectrum of freque;ncies extending from gamma rays at the highest frequencies to radio waves at the lowest, though human eyes are sensitive to only a narrow range of frequencies in the middle known as the visible spectrum. The different colors we see correspond to the different frequencies of light within that range. Given that there are so many frequencies of light, one might wonder why our eyes didnt evolve to be sensitive to more frequencies. Gamma rays from space collide with Earth's atmosphere, which converts some of their energy to heat and creates a distinctive cascade of subatomic particles down toward the ground. However, the rays themselves are entirety absorbed before they can reach Earth's surface. Thus, Earth would appear to be pitch black to eyes that were only sensitive to gamma rays. Similarly, the majority of frequencies of light that are higher or lower than those in the visible spectrum--such as ultraviolet and most infrared frequencies, respectively--are mostly or entirely absorbed by Earth's atmosphere. One reason we see the frequencies we do is that visible-spectrum light generally passes through our atmosphere without being absorbed or reflected. Another reason is that the Sun, in some respects an average star, emits most of its light at frequencies in the visible spectrum, whereas a hot star emits most of Its light at ultraviolet frequencies and a very cool star emits most of its light at infrared frequencies. Indeed, to remarkably high precision, the human eye to most sensitive to the exact frequency in the yellow part of the spectrum at which the Sun is the brightest. Even if there are living beings on other planets, it is not likely that they would see mainly at very different frequencies than we do. Virtually all gases that are abundant in the cosmos tend to allow frequencies in the visible spectrum to pass through while absorbing other frequencies, and all but the coolest stars put out much, If not most, of their light in the visible spectrum. If there are Irving beings on other planets, they probably see at roughly the same frequencies as we do, though there may be occasional exceptions.