Test: Must Be True - GMAT MCQ

The preceding passage does not provide enough information to draw definitive conclusions about the dogs' behavior or the reasons behind it. However, based on the information provided, the most reasonable inference is:

E. The dogs will bark and howl at 3 a.m. if they are outside at that time.

Here is a detailed explanation:

1. The dogs must be abused by their owners: The passage does not provide any information to suggest that the dogs are being abused. Therefore, this inference cannot be made.

2. The dogs' owners do not make efforts to stop the dogs from barking and howling: The passage does not provide any information about the efforts made by the owners to stop the dogs from barking and howling. Therefore, this inference cannot be made.

3. There are many pedestrians who walk by this neighbor's house, and the dogs are starving for attention: The passage does not mention anything about pedestrians or the dogs seeking attention. Therefore, this inference cannot be made.

4. The dogs frequently see birds in the tops of their favorite trees: The passage mentions that the CPA suggested that the dogs bark and howl when they see birds resting in trees. However, it does not indicate the frequency of such occurrences or whether it happens frequently enough to be considered "frequent." Therefore, this inference cannot be made.

5. The dogs will bark and howl at 3 a.m. if they are outside at that time: The passage does not mention anything specific about the time of day when the dogs bark and howl, except that it happens when the owner lets them outside. Therefore, it is not possible to infer that the dogs will bark and howl specifically at 3 a.m. based on the given information. This inference cannot be made.

Based on the information provided, none of the options other than E can be definitively inferred.

The given information states that over the past decade, the total market value of entertainment properties in Romanshorn has steadily declined, leading to a decrease in the assessed value of the city's entertainment properties. However, the percentage of assessed value paid as entertainment taxes to the city remained unchanged during this period. Now, Romanshorn plans to require entertainment property owners to pay a higher percentage of the assessed value as entertainment tax.

To determine the answer choice that is most strongly supported by this information, let's analyze each option:

(A) The percentage of Romanshorn's yearly revenue that comes from money collected in entertainment taxes has steadily declined over the past decade. This option is not supported by the information provided. The decline in the market value of entertainment properties and the assessed value does not necessarily imply a decline in the percentage of yearly revenue from entertainment taxes.

(B) The amount of revenue that Romanshorn collected from entertainment taxes was lower last year than it was a decade ago. This option is supported by the information given. The decline in the market value of entertainment properties and the assessed value suggests that the revenue collected from entertainment taxes may have decreased over the past decade.

(C) Money collected from entertainment taxes provided most of Romanshorn's revenue during the past decade. This option is not supported by the information provided. The information only mentions the decline in the assessed value of entertainment properties and does not provide information about the proportion of revenue from entertainment taxes compared to other sources.

(D) The percentage of Romanshorn's yearly revenue that comes from money collected in entertainment taxes did not change over the past decade. This option is contradicted by the information given. The information states that Romanshorn plans to require entertainment property owners to pay a higher percentage of the assessed value as entertainment tax, indicating a change in the percentage of revenue from entertainment taxes.

(E) During the past decade, Romanshorn officials increased tax rates on other sources of revenue such as retail sales and business profits. This option is not supported by the information provided. The information only focuses on the decline in the market value of entertainment properties and does not provide any details about tax rates on other sources of revenue.

Therefore, the answer that is most strongly supported by the information is (B) The amount of revenue that Romanshorn collected from entertainment taxes was lower last year than it was a decade ago.

The passage discusses the nature of legal rules and their application to specific cases. Let's break down the options and analyze which one is best supported by the passage:

(A) Legal rules, like matters of fact, are concerned with classifications of things such as actions.
The passage does not directly address whether legal rules are concerned with classifications of things. It focuses more on how legal rules are applied to specific cases, rather than their content or subject matter. Therefore, option (A) is not supported by the passage.

(B) Matters of fact, like legal rules, can sometimes be expressed in general terms.
This option is not directly supported by the passage. The passage focuses on the expression and application of legal rules rather than matters of fact. It does not discuss whether matters of fact can be expressed in general terms. Therefore, option (B) is not supported by the passage.

(C) Making a legal decision does not involve matters of fact.
This option is directly contradicted by the passage. The passage clearly states that the application of a legal rule to a particular case involves a decision on whether the facts of that case fall within the categories mentioned in the rule. This decision involves determining whether the factual circumstances match the requirements of the rule. Therefore, option (C) is not supported by the passage.

(D) The application of a rule to a particular case need not be left to a judge.
The passage does not discuss who should be responsible for the application of legal rules to specific cases. It focuses more on the decision-making process involved in determining whether the facts of a case fall within the relevant categories mentioned in the rule. Therefore, option (D) is not supported by the passage.

(E) Whether the facts of a case fall into a relevant category is not itself a matter of fact.
This option is directly supported by the passage. The passage states that the application of a rule to a particular case involves a decision on whether the facts of that case fall within the categories mentioned in the rule. This decision establishes the legal effect of what happened, rather than being solely based on objective matters of fact. Therefore, option (E) is supported by the passage and is the correct answer.

In summary, the passage supports option (E) because it highlights that the decision of whether the facts of a case fall within the relevant categories mentioned in a legal rule is not itself a matter of fact.

The prompt states that university professors need to engage in various activities, including classroom teaching, research, publication, and lectures to colleagues and the public. It further asserts that professors who are good teachers but have not participated in other scholarly activities are typically denied tenure.

Now let's evaluate the answer choices:

(A) University professors who have not failed to perform important parts of their jobs are not usually denied tenure.
This answer choice is not supported by the information provided. The prompt mentions that professors who are good classroom teachers but do not engage in other scholarly activities are denied tenure, suggesting that their failure to perform these additional activities is a factor in their tenure denial.

(B) Some university professors have been denied tenure even though they have done an important part of their jobs well.
This answer choice aligns with the information in the prompt. It acknowledges that professors who excel in classroom teaching but neglect other scholarly activities may still be denied tenure. This statement is supported by the prompt and is the most appropriate choice.

(C) University professors who do not engage in other scholarly activities are usually good classroom teachers.
This answer choice is not supported by the information provided. The prompt does not make a direct connection between professors who do not engage in other scholarly activities and their abilities as classroom teachers.

(D) University professors who have engaged in research, publication, and lectures to colleagues and the public are usually granted tenure.
This answer choice goes beyond what the prompt states. While the prompt mentions that engaging in research, publication, and lectures to colleagues and the public is important, it does not explicitly state that professors who do so are usually granted tenure.

(E) Classroom teaching is the least important part of a university professor’s job.
This answer choice contradicts the prompt, which states that classroom teaching is an important part of a university professor's job. The prompt emphasizes that professors who are good classroom teachers but neglect other scholarly activities are denied tenure.

In conclusion, the most strongly supported answer choice is (B) "Some university professors have been denied tenure even though they have done an important part of their jobs well."

The correct answer choice is (A) The argument begins with a statement that contains two necessary conditions: SS = involved in any serious scandal, sub-P = politician, R = reelected, C = censure, SSP —>~R and ~C. This conditional relationship is introduced by the “if” in the middle of the sentence, but the statement also features a “neither/nor” construction. In this case, the neither/nor indicates that the two named events both cannot occur if a politician is involved in a serious scandal, hence the “and” in the necessary condition.

The argument continues by stating that several prominent politicians have been involved in a serious scandal. This assertion begins a Repeat form argument by indicating that the sufficient condition has occurred: SSP. Given this occurrence, the author now concludes that one of the two necessary conditions—“not reelected”—will happen. Because this is true based on the premises, this is a valid conclusion. Some readers object that because the author does not mention censure, the conclusion is incomplete and therefore incorrect. This point has no merit.

Any GMAT author can choose what he or she wishes to address, and in this case the author has made a conclusion that follows from the premises. No false or incorrect statement has been made. The author is not compelled to address every single consequence of a given set of premises. However, as soon as the Must Be True questions stem appears, you should immediately search for an answer that addresses the censure issue. Based on the premises, we know that the prominent politicians will also be censured and answer choice (A) indicates that fact.

This question is asking us to determine which hypothesis is best supported by the observations provided. Let's examine each answer choice and evaluate its alignment with the given information:

(A) The political orientations of college students are more similar to the political orientations of their parents when the students start college than when the students are seniors.

The given information does not mention anything about the political orientations of the students' parents. Therefore, there is no direct support for this hypothesis.

(B) The political orientations of college seniors depend significantly on experiences they have had while in college.

The given information states that the trends in political orientations are much more pronounced in seniors than in beginning students. This suggests that college experiences might play a role in shaping their political orientations. Therefore, this hypothesis is supported by the observations.

(C) A college senior originally from the South is more likely to be politically conservative than is a college senior originally from the East.

The given information does not provide any specific data comparing the political orientations of seniors from the South to those from the East. Therefore, there is no direct support for this hypothesis.

(D) Whether their college is state-supported or private is the determining factor in college students' political orientations.

The given information mentions that the plurality of students in the eastern, big-city private university was liberal, whereas in the state-supported southern college, the plurality was conservative. This suggests that the type of college (state-supported or private) may have an influence on political orientations. Therefore, this hypothesis is partially supported by the observations.

(E) College students tend to become more conservative politically as they become older and are confronted with pressures for financial success.

The given information does not provide any evidence or trends regarding the political orientations of college students changing as they become older. Therefore, there is no direct support for this hypothesis.

Based on the above analysis, the hypothesis that is best supported by the observations is (B) The political orientations of college seniors depend significantly on experiences they have had while in college.

The study involved two groups of subjects:

1. Group 1: Their normal daily caloric intake was increased by 25 percent, entirely in the form of alcohol.
2. Group 2: Alcohol replaced non-alcoholic sources for 25 percent of their normal daily caloric intake.

Both groups gained body fat over the course of the study, and the amount of body fat gained was the same for both groups.

(A) Alcohol is metabolized more quickly by the body than are other food and drinks. The passage does not provide any information about the metabolism of alcohol compared to other food and drinks. There is no evidence to support this statement.

(B) In the general population, alcohol is the primary cause of gains in body fat. The passage only presents the results of the study conducted on the specific groups of subjects. It does not make a claim about the general population. This statement goes beyond the scope of the information given.

(C) An increased amount of body fat does not necessarily imply weight gain. The passage states that both groups gained body fat over the course of the study. There is no evidence to suggest that body fat gain does not lead to weight gain. This statement contradicts the information provided.

(D) Body fat gain is not dependent solely on the number of calories one consumes. This statement is supported by the fact that both groups gained the same amount of body fat, even though their caloric intake and the proportion of calories from alcohol differed. This suggests that body fat gain is not solely dependent on the number of calories consumed. Answer choice (D) is the most strongly supported by the information given.

(E) The proportion of calories from alcohol in a diet is more significant for body fat gain than are the total calories from alcohol. The passage does not provide any information about the relative significance of the proportion of calories from alcohol versus the total calories from alcohol for body fat gain. There is no evidence to support this statement.

Therefore, the correct answer is (D) Body fat gain is not dependent solely on the number of calories one consumes.

(A) Changes in the patient’s anxiety level during therapy can generally be used as an accurate measure of the extent to which the patient is becoming conscious of previously repressed beliefs. This statement goes beyond the information provided. The passage only states that a decrease in anxiety was observed on occasions when a patient became aware of and expressed a previously unconscious belief. It does not suggest that changes in anxiety can generally be used as an accurate measure of becoming conscious of repressed beliefs. Therefore, (A) cannot be concluded.

(B) Even when one of a patient’s unconscious beliefs remains unconscious, researchers are sometimes able to discover this belief. The passage does not provide any evidence or indication that researchers are able to discover unconscious beliefs that remain unconscious. Therefore, (B) cannot be concluded.

(C) If psychoanalytic theory is correct, then most conscious beliefs originate as unconscious beliefs. The passage does not provide any information about the origin of conscious beliefs. Therefore, (C) cannot be concluded.

(D) Researchers were able to distinguish expressed beliefs that had previously been unconscious from those that had long been conscious but that the patient had not previously expressed. According to the passage, the researchers were able to observe a decrease in anxiety when a patient became aware of and expressed a previously unconscious belief. This suggests that the researchers were able to distinguish between expressed beliefs that had been unconscious and those that had been conscious but not expressed. Therefore, (D) can be concluded.

(E) Although the beliefs on which the mechanism of repression works are all unconscious, the operation of the mechanism itself is something of which patients are consciously aware. The passage does not provide any information about patients' conscious awareness of the operation of the mechanism of repression. Therefore, (E) cannot be concluded.

In conclusion, based on the information provided, the only statement that must be true is (D): Researchers were able to distinguish expressed beliefs that had previously been unconscious from those that had long been conscious but that the patient had not previously expressed.

(A) Prediction about the results of future observations must be made by any good scientific theory.

• This statement is consistent with the passage. According to the passage, a good scientific theory must make definite predictions about the results of future observations. This is one of the requirements mentioned in the passage. Therefore, this statement is true based on the information provided.

(B) Observation of physical phenomena was not a major concern in Aristotle’s cosmological theory.

• This statement is not explicitly mentioned in the passage. The passage states that Aristotle's cosmological theory described a large class of observations in terms of four elements but did not make definite predictions about future observations. It does not provide information about whether observation of physical phenomena was a major concern or not. Therefore, this statement cannot be concluded based on the information provided. This makes statement (B) the correct answer, as it is the one that does not have to be true.

(C) Four elements can be the basis of a scientific model that is simple enough to meet the simplicity criterion of a good theory.

• This statement is consistent with the passage. The passage mentions that Aristotle's cosmological theory satisfied the first requirement of a good theory, which is to accurately describe a large class of observations. It describes these observations in terms of a model that contains only four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. This implies that the four elements can serve as a basis for a scientific model that is simple enough to meet the simplicity criterion. Therefore, this statement is true based on the information provided.

(D) A scientific model that contains many elements is not a good theory.

• This statement is not supported by the passage. The passage does not provide any indication that a scientific model with many elements is inherently not a good theory. It only mentions that a good theory should be simple enough to contain only a few elements. However, this does not imply that a theory with many elements cannot be a good theory. Therefore, this statement cannot be concluded based on the information provided.

(E) Aristotle’s cosmological theory described a large class of observations in terms of only four elements.

• This statement is consistent with the passage. The passage explicitly states that Aristotle's cosmological theory accurately described a large class of observations. It further specifies that this description was made in terms of the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Therefore, this statement is true based on the information provided.

In summary, the statement that is not necessarily true based on the passage is (B) "Observation of physical phenomena was not a major concern in Aristotle’s cosmological theory."

The evidence states that the study involved 200 comedy fiction readers who were asked to read at least one Wodehouse novel per day for 12 days. At the end of the experiment, they filled out a survey about their emotional state. It was found that the 10 students who read the greatest number of novels reported lower stress levels and higher energy levels. Additionally, most of the 20 students who read the fewest number of novels revealed below-average levels of emotional comfort.

Now, let's evaluate the answer choices:

(A) A majority of the participants lowered stress levels and reported higher emotional ease. There is no information provided in the evidence about the majority of participants. The evidence only mentions the 10 students who read the greatest number of novels reporting lower stress levels and higher energy levels. Therefore, we cannot conclude that a majority of the participants experienced these outcomes. So, (A) cannot be inferred from the evidence.

(B) During each week of the experiment, the participants spent at least 2 hours less per day on their academic work as a result of reading. There is no information provided in the evidence regarding the participants' time spent on academic work during the experiment. We cannot make any assumptions about the time they spent on academic work based on the given information. Thus, (B) cannot be inferred from the evidence.

(C) Reading Wodehouse’s novels for at least 2 hours per day improves the emotional well-being of the majority of young adults. The evidence does not explicitly state that reading Wodehouse's novels for at least 2 hours per day improves the emotional well-being of the majority of young adults. We only know that the 10 students who read the greatest number of novels reported lower stress levels and higher energy levels. So, (C) cannot be inferred from the evidence.

(D) More than 8 participants read at least 14 novels during the course of the experiment. Based on the evidence, we know that there were 10 students who read the greatest number of novels. However, we do not know the exact number of novels they read. The evidence does not provide information about the number of participants who read at least 14 novels. So, (D) cannot be inferred from the evidence.

(E) At least some of the students participated in the study in order to gain free access to Wodehouse’s novels. The evidence does not mention anything about the motivation of the students participating in the study. There is no information provided to support the claim that some students participated in order to gain free access to the novels. Therefore, (E) cannot be inferred from the evidence.

In conclusion, the only statement that can be inferred from the evidence is (D): More than 8 participants read at least 14 novels during the course of the experiment. This can be deduced because it is stated that the 10 students who read the greatest number of novels reported lower stress levels and higher energy levels, indicating that at least some participants read a significant number of novels.