The number of musicians employed to play accom- paniment for radio and television commercials has sharply decreased over the past ten years. This has occurred even though the number of commercials produced each year has not significantly changed for the last ten years. Which of the following, if it occurred during the past ten years, would contribute LEAST to an explanation of the facts above?

(A) The type of music most popular for use in commercials has changed from a type that
requires a large number of instruments to atype that requires very few instruments.
(B) There has been an increase in the number of commercials that use only the spoken word
and sound effects, rather than musical accompaniment.
(C) There has been an increase in the number of commercials that use a synthesizer, an instru-
ment on which one musician can reproduce the sound of many musicians playing
together.
(D) There has been an increase in the number of commercials that use prerecorded music as
their only source of music.
(E) There has been an increase in the number of commercials that use musicians just starting
in the music industry rather than musicians experienced in accompanying commercials.

The proportion of manufacturing companies in Alameda that use microelectronics in their manufacturing processes increased from 6 percent in 1979 to 66 percent in 1990. Many labor leaders say that the introduction of microelectronics is the principal cause of the great increase in unemployment during that period in Alameda. In actual fact, however, most of the job losses were due to organizational changes. Moreover, according to new figures released by the labor department, there were many more people employed in Alameda in the manufacturing industry in 1990 than in 1979.Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the labor leaders’ claim concerning the manufacturing industry in Alameda?

(A) From 1979 to 1990, fewer employees of manu- facturing companies in Alameda lost their
jobs because of the introduction of microelec- tronics than did employees of manufacturing
companies in the nearby community of Rockside.
(B) The figures on the use of microelectronics that were made public are the result of inquiries
made of managers in the manufacturing industry in Alameda.
(C) The organizational changes that led to job losses in all sectors of the manufacturing
industry in Alameda were primarily the result of the introduction of microelectronics.
(D) Figures on job losses in the manufacturing industry in Alameda for the late sixties and
early seventies have not been made available.
(E) A few jobs in the manufacturing industry in Alameda could have been saved if workers
had been willing to become knowledgeable in microelectronics.

If there is an oil-supply disruption resulting in higher international oil prices, domestic oil prices in open-market countries such as the United States will rise as well, whether such countries import all or none of their oil.
Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the statement in the passage?

A) Domestic producers of oil in open-market countries are excluded from the international oil market when there is a disruption in the international oil supply.
B) International oil-supply disruptions have little, if any, effect on the price of domestic oil as long as an open-market country has domestic supplies capable of meeting domestic demand.
C) The oil market in an open-market country is actually part of the international oil market, even if most of that country’s domestic oil is usually sold to consumers within its borders.
D) Open-market countries that export little or none of their oil can maintain stable domestic oil prices even when international oil prices rise sharply.
E) If international oil prices rise, domestic distributors of oil in open-market countries will begin to import more oil than they export.

The most important aspect of moviemaking is conveying a scene’s rhythm. Conveying rhythm depends less on the artistic quality of the individual photographic images than on how the shots go together and the order in which they highlight different aspects of the action taking place in front of the camera. If the statements above are true, which of the following must be true on the basis of them?

(A) The artistic quality of the individual photo- graphic image is unimportant in movie photography.
(B) Photographers known for the superb artistic quality of their photographs are seldom effective as moviemakers.
(C) Having the ability to produce photographs of superb artistic quality does not in itself guarantee having the ability to be a good moviemaker.
(D) Movie photographers who are good at their jobs rarely give serious thought to the artistic quality of the photographs they take.
(E) To convey a scene’s rhythm effectively, a moviemaker must highlight many different aspects of the

Activity levels of the green iguana vary in cycles that are repeated every 24 hours. It is logical to assume that alteration in the intensity of incident light is the stimulus that controls these daily biological rhythms. But there is much evidence to contradict this hypothesis.Which of the following, if known, is evidence that contradicts the hypothesis stated above?

A) The temperature of the green iguana varies throughout the day, with the maximum occurring in the late afternoon and the minimum in the morning.
B) While some animals, such as the rabbit, are much more active during the day, others, such as moles, show greater activity at night.
C) When animals are transported from one time zone to another, their daily biological rhythms adjust in a matter of days to the periods of sunlight and darkness in the new zone.
D) Other types of iguanas display similar activity cycles even though they live in very different climates.
E) Even when exposed to constant light intensity around the clock, some iguanas display rates of activity that are much greater during daylight hours than at night.

Some commentators complain that a “litigation explosion” in the past decade has led to unreasonably high costs for U.S. businesses by encouraging more product liability suits against manufacturers. However, these complaints are based mainly on myth. Statistics show that the number of successful product liability suits has remained almost the same, and the average sum awarded in damages has grown no faster than the inflation rate.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above?

(A) The number of unsuccessful suits has skyrocketed, imposing huge new legal expenses on businesses.
(B) Several of the largest awards ever made in product liability cases occurred within the last two years.
(C) The rise of the consumer movement has encouraged citizens to seek legal redress for product flaws.
(D) Lawyers often undertake product liability cases on a contingency basis, so their payment is based on the size of the damages awarded.
(E) Juries often award damages in product liability suits out of emotional sympathy for an injured consumer.

Ronald: According to my analysis of the national economy, housing prices should not increase during the next six months unless interest rates drop significantly.
Mark: I disagree. One year ago, when interest rates last fell significantly, housing prices did not increase at all.
It can be inferred from the conversation above that Mark has interpreted Ronald’s statement to mean that
(A) housing prices will rise only if interest rates fall
(B) if interest rates fall, housing prices must rise
(C) interest rates and housing prices tend to rise and fall together
(D) interest rates are the only significant economic factor affecting housing prices
(E) interest rates are likely to fall significantly in the next six months

It’s time we stopped searching for new statistics to suggest that we are not spending enough on education. In fact, education spending increased 30 percent overall during the last decade.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken th

The U.S. census is not perfect: thousands of Americans probably go uncounted. However, the basic statistical portrait of the nation painted by the census is accurate. Certainly some of the poor go uncounted, particularly the homeless; but some of the rich go uncounted as well, because they are often abroad or traveling between one residence and another.

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

(A) Both the rich and the poor have personal and economic reasons to avoid being counted by the census.
(B) All Americans may reasonably be classified as either poor or rich.
(C) The percentage of poor Americans uncounted by the census is close to the percentage of rich Americans uncounted.
(D) The number of homeless Americans is approximately equal to the number of rich Americans.
(E) The primary purpose of the census is to analyze the economic status of the American population.

Which of the following best completes the passage below?

In today’s pluralistic society, textbook publishers find themselves in an increasingly uncomfortable position. Since the schools are regarded as a repository of societyâ€