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Test 4: Science Reasoning 45

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Science Reasoning Test

35 Minutes-40 Questions

DIRECTIONS: This test consists of several distinct pas­sages. Each passage is followed by a number of multi­ple-choice questions based on the passage. Study the passage, and then select the best answer to each ques­tion. You are allowed to reread the passage. Record your answer by blackening the appropriate space on the An­swer Sheet.

diagram below, each point represents the average and rate of death from breast cancer for a par-

country.

e SOUTH AFRICA

ISRAELe

eiTALY

NETHERLANDS • eu.K. DE:MARK

CANADA • • NEW ZEALAND SWITZERLAND

IRELAND... eu.S. BELGIUM

eAUSTRALIA esWEDEN

AUSTRIA eGERMANY • • NORWAY eFRANCE

e CZECHOSLOVAKIA e eFINLAND

e PORTUGAL HUNGARY

HON: KONG • POLAND

CHILEe e eBULGARIA eSPAIN Ae eROMANIA e

PANAM I •YuGOSLAVIA GREECE VENEZUELA

ecOLOMBIA PHILIPPINESe eMEXICO.

JAPANe .TAIWAN

60 80 100 120 ESTIMATED FAT INTAKE (GRAMS PER DAY)

Illustration by Andrew Christie from "Diet and Cancer," by Leonard A. Cohen. Copyright© November 1987 by Scientific American, Inc. All rights reserved.

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46 Diagnostic Examination

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 1. In countries where the death rate from breast can­

cer is about 13 or 14 per 100,000 of population, the average fat intake is: A. 60 g/day. B. from 70 to 120 g/day. C. from 60 to 90 g/day. D. 100 g/day.

2. Of the following pairs, which are two countries with about the same death rate, but drastically dif­ferent fat intakes? F. Israel and Greece G. Austria and Germany H. France and Mexico J. Israel and the United States

3. What inference is suggested by the data? A. Consumption of fats is the cause of breast can-

cer. ,

B. Women with breast cancer develop a craving for fatty foods.

C. High levels of fat intake tend to promote the formation of breast cancers.

D. Environmental pollution promotes a desire for fatty foods, and therefore, breast cancer.

4. For which country do the data suggest that some factor other than intake of fatty foods is causing many breast cancers? F. Thailand G. Philippines H. Netherlands J. South Africa

5. Why are the data points for Greece and Spain slightly below the general trend? A. The sunny Mediterranean climate offers some

protection against breast cancer. B. For many reasons, there is considerable scatter

in the points. , C. Olive oil, rather than animal fats, is used in

these countries. D. The scatter of the points implies that there is

much uncertainty in the data.

6. What additional evidence would tend to show that consumption of dietary fat is a chief contributor to the rate of breast cancer? F. Americans who move to Europe develop

higher rates of breast cancer. G. With an increase in meat consumption, the rate

of breast cancer in Japan is increasing. H. South Africans have a high level of fat in the

diet. J. In the United States the rate of breast cancer is

higher in whites than in blacks.

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_ Test 4: Science Reasoning 47

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 nsaae II

The chart below is a summary of the weather in New for the month of July 1988. The large numbers the temperature graph are dates of the month.

New York's Weather Last Month Daily Temperature in July

Mean Temperature

Normal: 76.7° Normal High Actual: 79.3°

Humidity at Noon

-A" N ,..._ ·-

!- -

Mean Precipitation

Normal: 3.77" Actual: 8.14''

A

Copyright © 1988 by The New York Times Company. Reprinted by permission.

was the weather like on July 22? Unusually hot and dry Humid, but not very hot Cool and moist in the morning, but very hot later Comfortably cool and dry all day

many days during the month of July were un­hot?

would the temperature variation during the be characterized?

Daily lows were nearly normal, but daily highs rWere considerably higher than normal. ·Daily highs were about normal, but daily lows

considerably above normal. . Both daily highs and daily lows were not much dttfet·ent from normal. Both daily highs and daily lows were some­what below normal.

did the humidity variation compare with the Jl!er·ature variation?

coolest days had the lowest noon humid-

G. On the warmest days, humidity increased sub­stantially between noon and dusk.

H. Humidity was about average for the month on days that had the lowest temperature.

J, Humidity at noon was highest on days that did not get unusually hot.

11. Normally, how does the average daily temperature vary during the month of July in New York? A. It varies between 77° F and 96° F. B. It increases by about 2° F during the month. C. It is steady at 76.7° F for the whole month. D. It is steady at 79.3° F for the whole month.

12. In comparison with the weather in other Julys, how might the weather in July of 1988 have affected the demand on public utilities? F. It probably produced shortages of electricity

and water. G. It probably relieved the threat of drought and a

shortage of natural gas. H. There may have been shortages of electric

power. J. Both electricity and natural gas were probably

in plentiful supply.

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48 Diagnostic Examination

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Passage Ill

A medical research worker is testing the effective­ness of an experimental vaccine in controlling cancer. His experimental animals are three different groups of mice. Strains A and B are purebred strains of laboratory white mice, whose susceptibility to cancer is well known. The third group consists of mice trapped in the wild.

Experiment I

All three groups were bred for several generations, and no treatment was given. Skin cancers developed at the following rates:

StrainA: 8% Strain B: 62%

Wild mice: 3%

Experiment 2

All three groups were treated with applications of benzol, a known carcinogen. Skin cancers developed at these rates:

Strain A: 59% Strain B: 98%

Wild mice: 14%

Experiment 3

All three groups were treated with benzol, followed by administration of the vaccine. Cancer rates were:

Strain A: 56% Strain B: 61%

Wild mice: 14%

Experiment 4

All three groups were treated with benzol, followed by treatment with fexadrin, a chemical agent that is now in common use in the treatment of cancer. Cancer rates were:

Strain A: 32% Strain B: 98%

Wild mice: 3%

13. Unless Experiment 1 were done, the scientist would not know: A. whether mice can develop skin cancer. B. how effective benzol is in producing cancers in

these strains. C. whether wild mice can be compared with labo­

ratory mice. D. if all laboratory-bred mice were alike.

14. One clear result of all these tests is the evidence that: F. the vaccine is completely ineffective. G. heredity influences the usefulness of the vac­

cine. H. there is no way to prevent skin cancer com­

pletely. J. neither of the two treatments will be effective

in combating human cancers.

15. The experiments show that: A. the vaccine was generally more effective than

fexadrin. B. fexadrin was generally more effective than the

vaccme. C. where there is a strong hereditary tendency to

develop cancer, the vaccine is more effective than fexadrin.

D. In wild mice, neither the vaccine nor the chem­ical agent had any effect.

16. These experiments would be significant in develop­ing treatment for human cancer only if: F. cancers produced in mice by benzol have prop­

erties similar to those of spontaneous human cancers.

G. there is no hereditary tendency to develop can­cer in human beings.

H. humans have about the same rate of cancer as wild mice.

J. human hereditary endowment is comparable to that of purebred laboratory mice.

17. Which of the following questions would it NOT be worthwhile to pursue further? A. Why do wild mice have such a low rate of

cancer? B. Why does the vaccine have such a good effect

in a strain with a strong hereditary susceptabil­ity to cancer, but not in the other strains?

C. Why does fexadrin have such a good effect in Strain A, but not in Strain B?

D. How can benzol be altered chemically to in­crease the rate at which it produces cancer in lines of mice with hereditary susceptibility?

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Test 4: Science Reasoning 49

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 e diagram below shows the results of sampling

contents of 5 species of fish. The data tell percentage of each species were found to contain

~ POLYCHAETES

Vi: INSECTS

SEAWEED

v-.. ~ MOLLUSCS

each of 6 kinds of food. A dot indicates that a particular species consumed none of the food in question.

~~ rn uPoPHRYs 0 GOB/US t:::.:::l PHOL/S PAGANELLUS

6i!J2··· ~ ~ I7A GOB/US • CILIATA rL..d COB/TIS MUSTELA

e;:> 5ili II ~

li) NEROPH/S LUMBRICIFORMIS

Illu~tration by Tom Prentiss from "Intertidal Fishes," by Michael H. Hom and Robin N. Gibson. Copyright© January 1988 by Scientific American, Inc. All rights reserved.

species did about one third of all individ­insects?

statement correctly describes an aspect of habits of these fishes?

rnarumal food is used by more Lipophrys by any of the other fishes.

cannot make any use of molluscs. paganellus uses a wider variety of food

any of the others. cobitis gets over 90% of its nourishment

crustaceans.

seem to suggest that: cobitis cannot digest plant food. members of the genus Gobius have identi­food choices.

~~IJVIJ•nrv.~ has jaws strong enough to crack

21. In what way would a change in the food supply af­fect the population of the fishes? A. If polychaetes were eliminated from the sup­

ply, all five fish populations would suffer. B. Loss of crustaceans might completely elimi­

nate the Nerophis population. C. Loss of molluscs might completely eliminate

the Lipophrys population. D. Increase in the availability of insects would in­

crease the population of G. paganellus.

22. Which fishes would be most likely to survive if crustaceans were completely wiped out in the ecosystem? F. Nerophis and G. cobitis G. Lipophrys and G. cobitis H. G. paganellus and Ciliata J. Lipophrys and Ciliata

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50 Diagnostic Examination

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 PassageV

A scientist is looking for a general rule that governs the viscous drag that a liquid exerts on a sphere moving through it. The viscous drag is a retarding force, tending to prevent any increase in the velocity of the sphere. If a sphere is dropped into a liquid, it will soon fall at a con­stant speed, at which the viscous drag is equal to the weight of the sphere.

Experiment}

Steel spheres of various sizes were dropped into a tank containing a 2% solution of methyl cellulose. When they reached' constant velocity, the speed of fall was measured.

Diameter of sphere Velocity of fall (em) (rn/s)

0.5 0.21

1.0 0.82 1.5

f 1.80

2.0 3.25 2.5 5.03 3.0 7.25

Experiment 2

Spheres made of materials of different density, but all having a diameter of 1.0 em, were dropped into a 2% solution of methyl cellulose, and the velocity of fall was measured.

Density Velocity of fall

Material (g/cm3) (m/s)

Tungsten 14.5 1.54 Lead 11.0 1.14 Brass 9.1 0.93 Steel 8.0 0.80 Gymalloy 5.2 0.48 Aluminum 2.7 0.19 Lignum vitae 1.3 0.03

Experiment 3

The same steel spheres as in Experiment 1 were now dropped through at 4% solution of methyl cellu­lose.

Diameter of sphere Velocity of fall (em) (rn/s)

0.5 0.07 1.0 0.27

1.5 0.60 2.0 1.07 2.5 1.65 l

3.0 2:41

23. If Experiment 1 were repeated using a lead sphere instead of steel, in what way would the readings in the second column compare to those in the second column for steel? A. They would all be larger. B. They would all be smaller. C. They would all be the same. D. There is no way to predict the results.

24. Why does a larger steel sphere fall at a higher ve­locity than a smaller one? F. The larger one has a greater surface area, so

there is less viscous drag on it. G. Since the larger one is heavier, a larger viscous

drag is required to keep it from increasing its speed.

H. The larger sphere generates currents in the liq­uid that tend to push it along.

J. The larger sphere has a greater density so it is less buoyant than the smaller one.

25. If a 1.0-cm steel sphere falls at 0.:50_mjs through honey, what would be the rate orrarr-of a 2.0-cm steel sphere? A. 0.25 m/s B. 0.50 rn/s C. 1.00 rn/s D. 2.00 rn/s

26. What is a reasonable conclusion obtained by com­paring the results of Experiments 1 and 3? ~Viscous drc:tg is three times as great in a 2%

Sqiution of methyl cellulose as in a 4% solu­tion.

G. Steel spheres fall three times as fast in a 2% solution of methyl cellulose as in a 4% solu­tion.

H. Larger steel spheres fall faster than smaller ones in a 4% solution of methyl cellulose.

J. Doubling the density of a solution of methyl cellulose raises its viscous drag by a factor of 3.

27. Which of the following spheres would probably NOT sink at all if placed in a methyl cellulose solution? A. A 1.0-cm sphere of I>Jastic with a density of

1.0 g;cm3

B. A 0.3-cm brass ~phere with a density of 8.0 g/cm3 -~- ·

C A 0 1 em aluminum sphere with a density of -2.7 g/cm3

-.

D. A 3.0-clifl teakwood sphere with a density of 1.3 g/cm3

) ---

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Test 4: Science Reasoning 51

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 egg of a fruit fly hatches int~ a larva. A:fter _some larva forms a shell around 1tself, turnmg mto a the pupa stage, it develops wings and legs and

as an adult fly. The adult lives for some

of a species of fruit fly, Drosophila A, were different controlled temperatures, and the aver­

of days that the developing fly spent in each recorded, as shown in the table below.

Larva stage , Pupa stage Adult stage (days) (days) (days)

5 5 15 7 -- ------5---- 19 6 5 22 7 5 20 5 5 16

1uc;uu'"'a.~. experiment was done with a different Jrnsnrlnu:u B:

3 3

7 6

5 5

20

bf both species were moved from the 10° C 25° c room as soon as the____pupae-f-armed.

Jrnsormu:a A survived an average Qf_l5days, :-IJur,rttu B an average of 28 days.

'-----------~------

:s1Jt''-'11:'1S-, wbich ofthe following effects is by higher temperatures?

development occurs through the egg

fraction of the total life span is spent pupa stage.

stage is completed more quickly. life expectancy is greater.

29. Which of the following statements applies to both species? A. Larvae grow faster .and larger at higher temper­

atures. B. The rate at which the egg grows into a larva is

independent of temperature. C. The rate at which the larva changes into an

- adult is independent of temperature. D. Adults survive longer at lower temperatures. _

30. Which of the following statements applies to Drosophila B but not to Drosophila A? F. At higher temperatures, all the early develop­

mental stages are speeded up. G. Life expectancy is greatest at the lower tem­

peratures. H. The flies that pass through their developmental

stages quickest have the longest life spans. J. The duration ofthe pupa stage is the same at

all temperatures.

31. Which of the following statements about the proba­ble natural habitat of the two species is suggested by the data? A. Drosophila A is a tropical species. B.-~ Drosophila B is a tropical species.

/c. Drosophila A is a cold-weather species. D. Drosophila B is a cold-weather species.

32. Experiment 3 suggests that the life expectancy of a fruit fly depends largely on the temperature during what part of its life cycle? F. Pupa G. Egg or larva or both H. Egg only J. Adult

33. Which of the following hypotheses is suggested by -----, all the data?

A. Fruit flies develop faster at .higher tempera­tures.

B. Optimum temperatures differ among different species of fruit fly.

C. Fruit flies that develop faster live longer. D. Higher temperatures reduce the life expectancy

of fruit flies.

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52 Diagnostic Examination

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Passage VII

Two scientists disagree on the question of how flight originated in birds.

Scientist I

What kind of evolutionary process resulted in the flight of birds? The crucial information comes ·from study of the fossils of the earliest known bird, Archae­opteryx. This bird was bipedal, like all birds and also like the small dinosaurs that were its ancestors. We know that it was a very poor flyer, since its breastbone had no keel for the attachment of the wing muscles. This was a crea­ture that lived mostly by running on the ground, like its ~cestors. It is most unlikely that Archaeopteryx could chmb trees, since its hind claw, used by modern birds for grasping limbs, was poorly developed. The long lower leg bone and the short upper one suggest that the bird was more adapted to running than to climbing. The whole skeleton suggests a creature that lived on the ground, running rapidly when necessary. I suggest that the stiff feathers of the wings were first used as a kind of net to trap insects and other small prey. The birds often leaped into the air in pursuit of their prey. Later, the wing f~athers took on a second function, that of helping the b~ds to chas~ their prey through the air by crude flap­prng of the wrngs. As their flying ability improved, they could eventually fly well enough to rise into the trees.

Scientist 2

Evolution presents us with many instances in which vertebrates have acquired the power of flight. We have bats that fly as well as birds. The ability to glide has ?risen independently in squirrels, frogs, lizards, the fly~ rng lemur, the sugar glider, and even in a snake. In all cases (except flying fish), the animals lived in trees and developed the power of gliding as an aid in getting from one tree to another. I believe the same is true of birds. The hypothesis that the flight feathers were first used as insect traps in a ground-living creature has several flaws. There is no animal that uses its forelimbs as an insect trap in the manner suggested. If it did, it could never learn to fly because the energy needed for an incompe­tent flyer to chase an insect through The air would be more t?an the benefit from catching it. Further, the hy­pothesis does not account for the stiff tail feathers, which have an obvious value in gliding. If the legs and claws of Arch~eopteryx were imperfectly adapted to climbing, that 1s surely to be expected in a creature that recently made the transition from running on the ground to climb­ing in the trees. The tree kangaroo's legs, for example, clearly reflect its ground-living ancestry. If birds are to be co~sid~r~d an exception to the rule that flight origi­nates rn ghdrng, we need much better evidence.

34. What is the strongest argun1ent against the hypoth­esis of Scientist 1? F. Archaeopteryx apparently did not live on the

ground. G. In all other flying vertebrates, flight originated

as gliding from tree to tree. H. Stiff feathers have no conceivable function in a

ground-living bird. · J. The teeth of Archaeopteryx show that it did not

eat insects.

35. What property of Archaeopteryx is the strongest argun1ent in favor of the hypothesis of Scientist 1? A. The shape of the wing feathers shows clearly

that they were used for catching insects. B. The stiff tail feathers could not have been used

to aid in gliding. C. The hind claw was clearly adapted for grasp­

ing tree limbs. D. The legs and claws were like those of a

ground-living creature.

36. What is the significance of the anatomy of the tree kangaroo in supporting Scientist 2's position? F. It shows that gliding flight develops in tree­

living animals. G. Although the tree kangaroo lives in trees, the

proportions of its leg bones are much like those of a running animal.

H. The tree kangaroo has fingers adapted for grasping the limbs of trees.

J. Although the tree kangaroo can climb trees, its anatomy shows that it spends much of its time on the ground.

37. Which of the following discoveries would lend support to the position of Scientist 1? A. A lizard that runs and uses flaps of skin on its

arms to trap insects B. A bird that can climb trees, but spends most of

its time on the ground C. A fossil bird that had no flight feathers, but

only soft body plumage D. A fossil dinosaur that was almost identical to

Archaeopteryx, but had no feathers

38. What additional argument might Scientist 2 bring to refute the theory advanced by Scientist 1? F. The structure of the wings and feathers of

Archaeopteryx shows that this bird could fly. G. A broad, flat surface formed by wing feathers

would have so much air resistance that it · would impede running.

H. An animal that runs upright on its hind legs would be unable to capture any prey.

J. There may have been many other kinds of birds whose fossils have never been found.

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of a

Test 4: Science Reasoning 53

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 What kind of experimental evidence might Scien­tist 1 bring to refute one of the arguments of Scien-

tist 2? .A. Measurements showing that large insects are

extremely high sources of food energy for birds A demonstration that gliding flight for tree­living animals takes very little energy Experiments showing that fast-running lizards are efficient hunters of insects A study that shows all gliding animals have descended from ground-living creatures

40. Which of the following statements would find the two scientists in disagreement? F. The anatomy of Archaeopteryx provides the

most crucial evidence concerning the dispute. G. The earliest birds were descendants of a small

dinosaur. H. The way the earliest birds developed the abil­

ity to fly was different from the process in all other flying vertebrates.

J. Archaeopteryx was a poor and inefficient flyer.

END OFTEST4

STOP! DO NOT RETURN TO ANY OTHER TEST.