GMAT SECTION 3: VERBAL ABILITY Exam Questions and Answers

QUESTION: 111

Don’t be surprised if we have an unusually cold winter this year. The last time we had a very cold winter was 12 years ago, and the last time before that was 12 years earlier, and the time before that was also 12 years earlier. Brace yourself for another cold one.

Which of the following would most strengthen this argument?

a chart showing the average temperature of winters over the last 11 years
a chart comparing the actual winter temperatures to predictions for the last 36 years
a chart with the average winter temperatures for the last 36 years
weather predictions from the National Weather Center
a discussion of weather patterns that create colder winters

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

The conclusion of the argument is that we should expect an unusually cold winter because we are in the twelfth year of a cycle in which every twelfth year is unusually cold. Although the 12-year cycle might indeed have existed for the last 36 years, it goes against our understanding of weather that such a pattern will continue. In all likelihood, the fact that the twelfth year has been unusually cold for the last 36 years is coincidence, not a set meteorological pattern. Thus, the information that would most strengthen the argument is predictions from the National Weather Center, which uses advanced forecasting technology and analysis of existing weather patterns to predict the weather and could estimate the general tenor of the approaching season. The charts in choices a through c would be useful in proving that such a pattern has existed the last 36 years, but they do not provide strong evidence of the weather to come. A discussion of weather patterns (choice e) would be informative, but it would not strengthen the argument about the approaching winter weather.

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QUESTION: 112

The main principle of feng shui is that our environment must be ordered to permit and encourage the free flow of energy. One of the fundamental steps is to eliminate clutter, which blocks the flow of energy.

Based upon the previous information, which of the following statements is also likely to be true?

Proper ventilation will improve the flow of energy.
Objects should be dispersed as evenly as possible around the room.
Square objects should be placed in corners.
Walls should be kept bare except for mirrors.
Light colored paints are best.

Answer(s): B

Explanation:

The information provided in the passage leads to the conclusion that objects should be dispersed evenly around the room. This would “encourage the free flow of energy” and reduce clutter, because objects would not be crammed together. Proper ventilation (choice a) may indeed improve the flow of energy, but that cannot be concluded from the passage. The passage does not indicate where square objects should be placed (choice c), whether walls should be kept bare (choice d), or whether light colored paints are best (choice e), so these choices are incorrect.

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QUESTION: 113

Of course, the Task Force on Crime is going to conclude that crime is on the way up. If they conclude it’s on the way down, they would have to disband, wouldn’t they?

Which of the following assumptions is most pivotal to this argument?

The Task Force is more concerned with its own existence than with carrying out its mission.
The Task Force is led by an adversary of the speaker.
The speaker was not asked to serve on the Task Force.
The speaker’s leadership ability will be questioned by the findings of the Task Force.
The Task Force wants to hire more police officers and other law enforcement personnel.

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

This argument assumes that the main concern of the Task Force is its own existence. The speaker assumes that the Task Force will present findings that would ensure that the Task Force is not disbanded. The passage did not identify the speaker’s relationship to the leader of the Task Force (choice b) or indicate that the speaker was not asked to join the Task Force (choice c). Neither of these assumptions makes a logical connection between the premise and conclusion of the argument. It is possible that the speaker’s leadership ability will be questioned by the Task Force findings (choice d) or that the Task Force wants to hire more police officers (choice e), but these two assumptions also do not link the premise and conclusion.

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QUESTION: 114

Organic farmers are looking for non-chemical methods to rid their crops of pests.
Giving crops a slight electric shock has no ill effect on crops but rids them of caterpillars. This method should be employed by organic farmers all over the country.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the view that it would not be advisable to try to eradicate agricultural pests with the method mentioned above?

Most species of caterpillar are subject to some natural predators.
Many agricultural pests do not go through a caterpillar stage.
This method also kills insects that are agriculturally beneficial.
Since caterpillars of different species appear at different times of the year, several shocks would be necessary.
No large-scale production facilities exist today for the product that electrifies crops.

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

If electrifying crops kills beneficial pests, it may do as much or more harm than good.

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QUESTION: 115

A study of business partnerships in which one partner’s management style differs from that of the other partner reveals that such partnerships are more likely be fraught with problems and to ultimately end in dissolution.
Thus, mismatched management styles can seriously jeopardize a business partnership. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

Business partnerships in which both partners have the same management style also occasionally have disagreements that can jeopardize the partnership.
The management style of individuals tends to vary from year to year.
The individuals who have management style that differ significantly from those of their partners tend to argue little with spouses at home.
Partners who are considering dissolution have been found to express hostility by adopting a different management styles from that of their partners.
According to a recent study, most people’s management styles can be controlled and modified easily.

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

If partners who are considering dissolution have been found to express hostility by adopting a different management style from that of their partners, then the different management styles are the result and not the cause of the discordance between the partners.

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GMAT GMAT SECTION 3: VERBAL ABILITY Exam (page: 23) GMAT Section 3: Verbal Ability Updated on: 25-Dec-2025

QUESTION: 111

Explanation:

QUESTION: 112

Explanation:

QUESTION: 113

Explanation:

QUESTION: 114

Explanation:

QUESTION: 115

Explanation:

GMAT GMAT SECTION 3: VERBAL ABILITY Exam (page: 23)
GMAT Section 3: Verbal Ability
Updated on: 25-Dec-2025