Verbal Reasoning Flashcards

Andrew has been a vegetarian his whole life. In contrast, he frequently feels awkward around his buddies. His friends always eat at the concession stands while they watch a sporting event, even though he knows better. Andrew is ashamed to be around his pals.

Answer: Can’t Say

The text states Andrew 'frequently feels awkward' around his friends and 'knows better' regarding their eating habits. While this implies discomfort or disapproval, it does not explicitly state he is 'ashamed to be around his pals.' Awkwardness and knowing better are not direct equivalents of shame towards his friends, making the conclusion 'Can’t Say'.

What can we say about the conclusion if the premises are true? Some residents of Oklahoma walk backwards. Some residents of Oklahoma eat only with a spoon. There are some residents of Oklahoma who walk backwards and eat only with a spoon.

Answer: Uncertain

This is a logical fallacy. The premises state that 'some' residents have one characteristic and 'some' have another. However, 'some' does not necessarily refer to the same individuals. It is possible that the group of Oklahomans who walk backwards is entirely separate from the group who eat only with a spoon. Therefore, we cannot definitively conclude that there's an overlap between these two specific groups, making the conclusion 'Uncertain'.

Select the response that most effectively connects these two sentences. If I had known it was going to rain, I would have brought my umbrella. I should have checked the forecast.

Answer: If I had known it was going to rain, I would have brought my umbrella; evidently, I should have checked the forecast

The original sentences are two independent clauses that are closely related, with the second sentence providing a consequence or realization related to the first. A semicolon is correctly used to join two such independent clauses. The word 'evidently' further clarifies this relationship, indicating that checking the forecast is a clear implication or realization from the first statement, making option D the most effective and grammatically sound connection.

Mary teaches on the primary level. She initially pursued a career in teaching high school, but she was only able to secure employment as a primary school instructor. Mary is a K–6 teacher.

Answer: True

The term 'primary level' education typically refers to elementary school, which commonly encompasses grades from kindergarten (K) through sixth grade (6). Since Mary teaches at this level, it is a direct and accurate inference that she is a K–6 teacher. The information provided supports this common understanding of educational levels.

Price Slicer is where Ellen always gets her groceries. She began purchasing her groceries at Tops Markets after Price Slicer stopped carrying her preferred brand of ice cream. Tops Markets is Ellen's favorite.

Answer: False

Ellen switched to Tops Markets because Price Slicer stopped carrying her preferred brand of ice cream, indicating a practical decision based on product availability. The text does not provide any information to suggest that Tops Markets is her 'favorite' store, only that she began shopping there out of necessity for a specific item. Therefore, the conclusion is false.

What would be the best revision to this sentence? Gazing wistfully out the window, the snow man had caught Jen’s eye.

Answer: Gazing wistfully out the window, Jen happened to see the snowman

The original sentence contains a dangling modifier: 'Gazing wistfully out the window' incorrectly modifies 'the snowman.' The revision in option B correctly places 'Jen' as the subject performing the action of gazing, resolving the grammatical error. It also maintains the original intent that the snowman caught her attention, making it the most effective and grammatically sound revision.

What does the bolded word in this sentence mean? The town functioned INDEPENDENTLY of the state managing all public facilities according to the municipality’s own constitution.

Answer: Free from outside control

In the given sentence, 'INDEPENDENTLY' describes how the town functions 'of the state managing all public facilities according to the municipality’s own constitution.' This context clearly indicates that the town operates without external control or authority from the state. Therefore, 'Free from outside control' is the most accurate definition for 'independently' in this context.