Test Prep MCAT Test Exam (page: 27)
Test Prep Medical College Admission Test: Verbal Reasoning, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Writing Sample
Updated on: 15-Dec-2025

Today's new urban Asia is just as sophisticated and in many ways more exciting than Western cities. Urban Asian consumers are knowledgeable, modern, and keen to embrace the global lifestyle. Young, urban Asians have grown up accustomed to many things that originated in the West. They have, for example, completely embraced pizza, some even claiming that it is a part of their heritage. The story is told about a young Singaporean boy who was taken by his father to Rome. "Hey, look, Dad," the little boy exclaimed, "they have pizza here too!" On sampling the product, the boy decided that it was not as good as the original back home.
Nury Vitachi, who writes for the South China Post and the Far Eastern Economic Review, describes the Asian middle-class phenomenon: "Executives in Asia have become rich at warp speed by taking full control of their own lives. They invest a great deal of time in their work, they use strategy to scramble up the corporate ladder, and they demand payment in cash ­ so they can make their money work as hard as they do."
Signs of affluence are everywhere, but don't get carried away. Traveling around Asia, no matter how rich the Asians become, signs of their frugal nature are still apparent. And they are very cost-conscious. Shopkeepers in many Asian cities, most notably in Hong Kong, demand payments for discounted merchandise in cash instead of plastic, and many Asians are accustomed to that. Most people save the increases in their income, and many prefer to put it into fixed or other income-generating assets. Stock, land, and property are their favorites.
Many affluent Asians still regard financial security as the most important form of security, and they are confident that Asia is the place to be to achieve that. While many have begun to savor the good life, they are not letting go of their top priority of education for their children. Education is looked upon as the most important contributing factor to success in life. And in many of Asia's competitive urban centers, there is a rush to acquire a second degree and other forms of professional qualification to ensure personal competitiveness in the workplace. There are extraordinary opportunities in Asia for education and training programs from language to software programming.
Despite the rise in their assertiveness, Asians still look to the United States and not so much to Europe for ideas and trends. In general, except for those in Hong Kong and Japan, they are not particularly concerned with being fashionable. For today's Asia, Japan and Hong Kong are the sources of Asian fashion ideas, but as Asia becomes more affluent, there is a great opportunity to develop an indigenous fashion industry. For example, a huge market potential exists in introducing new materials and simplified but fashionable designs for countries in tropical Asia with a hot humid climate throughout the year.
The population density and lack of space in urban areas has prohibited Asians from exercising frequently and few indulge in outdoor activities. This is changing. Most Asians consider themselves in good health. Compared with Americans, few are overweight ­ largely as a result of their Asian diet. But now health clubs are becoming popular among younger Asians. Potential for indoor exercise equipment holds great promise. It is also important to dress for the gym, and younger Asians are serious about looking good, complete with makeup, sunglasses, designer exercise shoes and outfits, and a gym bag.
In trying to hit Asia's moving targets, regardless of what you are selling, it is a good idea to stick with market density ­ not country by country, but, mostly, city by city. Asian markets can be a marketer's dream in that their densities are among the highest in the world. Java, Indonesia's main island, has 115 million people. On Nanjing Road, Shanghai's busiest street, businesses are open twelve hours a day almost every day of the year. More than 1.5 million people visit the shops there and spend more than $50 million every day.
Someone said that you can only become rich if you sell to the rich. I would add that you can become rich faster if you sell to the new rich. For investors in the West, watch for Western companies that are preparing a big push in Asia. The world has not yet seen anything like it before, and you can reap handsome dividends if you back those stocks that are going eastward.
Based on the information presented in the passage, with which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?

Today's new urban Asia is just as sophisticated and in many ways more exciting than Western cities. Urban Asian consumers are knowledgeable, modern, and keen to embrace the global lifestyle. Young, urban Asians have grown up accustomed to many things that originated in the West. They have, for example, completely embraced pizza, some even claiming that it is a part of their heritage. The story is told about a young Singaporean boy who was taken by his father to Rome. "Hey, look, Dad," the little boy exclaimed, "they have pizza here too!" On sampling the product, the boy decided that it was not as good as the original back home.
Nury Vitachi, who writes for the South China Post and the Far Eastern Economic Review, describes the Asian middle-class phenomenon: "Executives in Asia have become rich at warp speed by taking full control of their own lives. They invest a great deal of time in their work, they use strategy to scramble up the corporate ladder, and they demand payment in cash ­ so they can make their money work as hard as they do."
Signs of affluence are everywhere, but don't get carried away. Traveling around Asia, no matter how rich the Asians become, signs of their frugal nature are still apparent. And they are very cost-conscious. Shopkeepers in many Asian cities, most notably in Hong Kong, demand payments for discounted merchandise in cash instead of plastic, and many Asians are accustomed to that. Most people save the increases in their income, and many prefer to put it into fixed or other income-generating assets. Stock, land, and property are their favorites.
Many affluent Asians still regard financial security as the most important form of security, and they are confident that Asia is the place to be to achieve that. While many have begun to savor the good life, they are not letting go of their top priority of education for their children. Education is looked upon as the most important contributing factor to success in life. And in many of Asia's competitive urban centers, there is a rush to acquire a second degree and other forms of professional qualification to ensure personal competitiveness in the workplace. There are extraordinary opportunities in Asia for education and training programs from language to software programming.
Despite the rise in their assertiveness, Asians still look to the United States and not so much to Europe for ideas and trends. In general, except for those in Hong Kong and Japan, they are not particularly concerned with being fashionable. For today's Asia, Japan and Hong Kong are the sources of Asian fashion ideas, but as Asia becomes more affluent, there is a great opportunity to develop an indigenous fashion industry. For example, a huge market potential exists in introducing new materials and simplified but fashionable designs for countries in tropical Asia with a hot humid climate throughout the year.
The population density and lack of space in urban areas has prohibited Asians from exercising frequently and few indulge in outdoor activities. This is changing. Most Asians consider themselves in good health. Compared with Americans, few are overweight ­ largely as a result of their Asian diet. But now health clubs are becoming popular among younger Asians. Potential for indoor exercise equipment holds great promise. It is also important to dress for the gym, and younger Asians are serious about looking good, complete with makeup, sunglasses, designer exercise shoes and outfits, and a gym bag.
In trying to hit Asia's moving targets, regardless of what you are selling, it is a good idea to stick with market density ­ not country by country, but, mostly, city by city. Asian markets can be a marketer's dream in that their densities are among the highest in the world. Java, Indonesia's main island, has 115 million people. On Nanjing Road, Shanghai's busiest street, businesses are open twelve hours a day almost every day of the year. More than 1.5 million people visit the shops there and spend more than $50 million every day.
Someone said that you can only become rich if you sell to the rich. I would add that you can become rich faster if you sell to the new rich. For investors in the West, watch for Western companies that are preparing a big push in Asia. The world has not yet seen anything like it before, and you can reap handsome dividends if you back those stocks that are going eastward.
The quote by Vitachi (lines 15-20) is used by the author to illustrate that:

Today's new urban Asia is just as sophisticated and in many ways more exciting than Western cities. Urban Asian consumers are knowledgeable, modern, and keen to embrace the global lifestyle. Young, urban Asians have grown up accustomed to many things that originated in the West. They have, for example, completely embraced pizza, some even claiming that it is a part of their heritage. The story is told about a young Singaporean boy who was taken by his father to Rome. "Hey, look, Dad," the little boy exclaimed, "they have pizza here too!" On sampling the product, the boy decided that it was not as good as the original back home.
Nury Vitachi, who writes for the South China Post and the Far Eastern Economic Review, describes the Asian middle-class phenomenon: "Executives in Asia have become rich at warp speed by taking full control of their own lives. They invest a great deal of time in their work, they use strategy to scramble up the corporate ladder, and they demand payment in cash ­ so they can make their money work as hard as they do."
Signs of affluence are everywhere, but don't get carried away. Traveling around Asia, no matter how rich the Asians become, signs of their frugal nature are still apparent. And they are very cost-conscious. Shopkeepers in many Asian cities, most notably in Hong Kong, demand payments for discounted merchandise in cash instead of plastic, and many Asians are accustomed to that. Most people save the increases in their income, and many prefer to put it into fixed or other income-generating assets. Stock, land, and property are their favorites.
Many affluent Asians still regard financial security as the most important form of security, and they are confident

that Asia is the place to be to achieve that. While many have begun to savor the good life, they are not letting go of their top priority of education for their children. Education is looked upon as the most important contributing factor to success in life. And in many of Asia's competitive urban centers, there is a rush to acquire a second degree and other forms of professional qualification to ensure personal competitiveness in the workplace. There are extraordinary opportunities in Asia for education and training programs from language to software programming.
Despite the rise in their assertiveness, Asians still look to the United States and not so much to Europe for ideas and trends. In general, except for those in Hong Kong and Japan, they are not particularly concerned with being fashionable. For today's Asia, Japan and Hong Kong are the sources of Asian fashion ideas, but as Asia becomes more affluent, there is a great opportunity to develop an indigenous fashion industry. For example, a huge market potential exists in introducing new materials and simplified but fashionable designs for countries in tropical Asia with a hot humid climate throughout the year.
The population density and lack of space in urban areas has prohibited Asians from exercising frequently and few indulge in outdoor activities. This is changing. Most Asians consider themselves in good health. Compared with Americans, few are overweight ­ largely as a result of their Asian diet. But now health clubs are becoming popular among younger Asians. Potential for indoor exercise equipment holds great promise. It is also important to dress for the gym, and younger Asians are serious about looking good, complete with makeup, sunglasses, designer exercise shoes and outfits, and a gym bag.
In trying to hit Asia's moving targets, regardless of what you are selling, it is a good idea to stick with market density ­ not country by country, but, mostly, city by city. Asian markets can be a marketer's dream in that their densities are among the highest in the world. Java, Indonesia's main island, has 115 million people. On Nanjing Road, Shanghai's busiest street, businesses are open twelve hours a day almost every day of the year. More than 1.5 million people visit the shops there and spend more than $50 million every day.
Someone said that you can only become rich if you sell to the rich. I would add that you can become rich faster if you sell to the new rich. For investors in the West, watch for Western companies that are preparing a big push in Asia. The world has not yet seen anything like it before, and you can reap handsome dividends if you back those stocks that are going eastward.
Which of the following is NOT directly supported by the passage?

Today's new urban Asia is just as sophisticated and in many ways more exciting than Western cities. Urban Asian consumers are knowledgeable, modern, and keen to embrace the global lifestyle. Young, urban Asians have grown up accustomed to many things that originated in the West. They have, for example, completely embraced pizza, some even claiming that it is a part of their heritage. The story is told about a young Singaporean boy who was taken by his father to Rome. "Hey, look, Dad," the little boy exclaimed, "they have pizza here too!" On sampling the product, the boy decided that it was not as good as the original back home.
Nury Vitachi, who writes for the South China Post and the Far Eastern Economic Review, describes the Asian middle-class phenomenon: "Executives in Asia have become rich at warp speed by taking full control of their own lives. They invest a great deal of time in their work, they use strategy to scramble up the corporate ladder, and they demand payment in cash ­ so they can make their money work as hard as they do."
Signs of affluence are everywhere, but don't get carried away. Traveling around Asia, no matter how rich the Asians become, signs of their frugal nature are still apparent. And they are very cost-conscious. Shopkeepers in many Asian cities, most notably in Hong Kong, demand payments for discounted merchandise in cash instead of plastic, and many Asians are accustomed to that. Most people save the increases in their income, and many prefer to put it into fixed or other income-generating assets. Stock, land, and property are their favorites.
Many affluent Asians still regard financial security as the most important form of security, and they are confident that Asia is the place to be to achieve that. While many have begun to savor the good life, they are not letting go of their top priority of education for their children. Education is looked upon as the most important contributing factor to success in life. And in many of Asia's competitive urban centers, there is a rush to acquire a second degree and other forms of professional qualification to ensure personal competitiveness in the workplace. There are extraordinary opportunities in Asia for education and training programs from language to software programming.
Despite the rise in their assertiveness, Asians still look to the United States and not so much to Europe for ideas and trends. In general, except for those in Hong Kong and Japan, they are not particularly concerned with being fashionable. For today's Asia, Japan and Hong Kong are the sources of Asian fashion ideas, but as Asia becomes more affluent, there is a great opportunity to develop an indigenous fashion industry. For example, a huge market potential exists in introducing new materials and simplified but fashionable designs for countries in tropical Asia with a hot humid climate throughout the year.
The population density and lack of space in urban areas has prohibited Asians from exercising frequently and few indulge in outdoor activities. This is changing. Most Asians consider themselves in good health. Compared with Americans, few are overweight ­ largely as a result of their Asian diet. But now health clubs are becoming popular among younger Asians. Potential for indoor exercise equipment holds great promise. It is also important to dress for the gym, and younger Asians are serious about looking good, complete with makeup, sunglasses, designer exercise shoes and outfits, and a gym bag.
In trying to hit Asia's moving targets, regardless of what you are selling, it is a good idea to stick with market density ­ not country by country, but, mostly, city by city. Asian markets can be a marketer's dream in that their densities are among the highest in the world. Java, Indonesia's main island, has 115 million people. On Nanjing Road, Shanghai's busiest street, businesses are open twelve hours a day almost every day of the year. More than 1.5 million people visit the shops there and spend more than $50 million every day.
Someone said that you can only become rich if you sell to the rich. I would add that you can become rich faster if you sell to the new rich. For investors in the West, watch for Western companies that are preparing a big push in Asia. The world has not yet seen anything like it before, and you can reap handsome dividends if you back those stocks that are going eastward.
In the passage, the author does all of the following EXCEPT:

...[TV Guide's] immediate concern was the television quiz show scandal, which had reached its climax two weeks earlier when Charles Van Doren, the appealing young man who'd taught viewers the value of learning while winning big on MCA's Twenty-one, stood before a House committee and admitted he was a fraud. But the issue went well beyond rigged quiz shows. The charge was that through their stranglehold on talent, MCA and William Morris monopolized the medium to the detriment of their clients, the industry, and the public at large. This was why the Justice Department had launched a secret investigation of both agencies more than two years before.
The Morris Agency had started the quiz show vogue in 1955, when it packaged The $64,000 Question for Revlon and sold it to CBS. While the show won praise for its "educational" nature, the real source of its appeal was in its crapshoot format ­ the idea that once contestants' winnings hit the $32,000 mark, they had to decide whether to go double or nothing on the final, $64,000 question, or play it safe and go home. The response was tremendous. Within weeks, the show knocked I Love Lucy out of the number-one slot in the ratings. Casinos in Vegas emptied out when it went on the air. Bookies took odds on whether the first contestant to go for the big one ­ a marine captain whose specialty was cooking ­ would get the answer right. (He did.) Revlon sold so much Living Lipstick that its factory was unable to meet the demand.
The $64,000 Question quickly inspired imitators, among them an MCA package called Twenty-one. Based on the card game, more or less, Twenty-one was a dismal failure at first. "Do whatever you have to do," the sponsor ordered angrily, so the producers put the fix in. In December 1956, when Charles Van Doren, a boyishly attractive English instructor at Columbia University, beat Herb Stempel, a short, squat, nerdy grad at City College, Van Doren became the first intellectual hero of the television age. Honors and acclaim poured in ­ the covers of Time, letters by the hundreds, offers of movie roles and tenured professorships and a regular guest spot on The Today Show. But Herb Stempel didn't like being told to lose, especially to some Ivy League snot. He went to the press. The DA's office started to investigate. The walls began to close in.
Meanwhile, the show's producers agreed to sell the rights to NBC for $2 million. One of them started to feel queasy about selling the show without letting the network know the score, so he went to Sonny Werblin, MCA's top man in New York, and asked his advice. Werblin, the man behind such hits as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Jackie Gleason Show, ran the television department as if it were a football team coached by Attila the Hun. "Dan," he asked the producer, "have I ever asked you whether the show was rigged?" No, he hadn't. "And has NBC ever asked you whether the show is rigged?" No, they hadn't either. "Well," Werblin concluded, "the reason that none of us has asked is because we don't want to know."
And with good reason. Not only was Twenty-one an MCA package and Van Doren himself an MCA client; Werblin had a special relationship with NBC's president, Robert Kintner. Kintner had been president of ABC until...ABC's chairman forced him out in his determination to move the network out of third place. MCA used its influence to place him at NBC, where he proved an extremely pliant customer. In the spring of 1957, when the networks were putting together their schedules for the next season, Werblin went to a meeting of NBC programming executives led by Kintner and his boss, RCA chairman Robert Sarnoff. "Sonny, look at the schedule for next season," Kintner said when he walked in, "here are the empty slots, you fill them."
Suppose that the contestants on the television game shows mentioned in the passage had not been supplied with answers. Which of the following conclusions would most likely be correct?