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UCAT practice questions

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Question 1Verbal Reasoning

The harbour was once crowded with fishing boats, but since the new marina opened in 2010 the number of working vessels has fallen by half. Most of the old boat sheds are now cafes. According to the passage, what has happened to the number of working fishing boats since 2010?

  1. It has stayed the same
  2. It has risen slightly
  3. It has halved Correct answer.
  4. It has doubled

Explanation

The passage states that the number of working vessels 'has fallen by half', which is the same as saying it has halved. The other changes described are not supported by the text.

Question 2Verbal Reasoning

Bees do not simply collect nectar; they also transfer pollen between flowers, allowing many plants to reproduce. Without them, harvests of apples, almonds and many berries would shrink sharply. Which statement best expresses the main point of the passage?

  1. Almonds are difficult to grow
  2. Flowers attract insects with colour
  3. Bees are essential to many food crops Correct answer.
  4. Bees produce honey for human use

Explanation

The passage emphasises pollination and the collapse of harvests without bees, so its central claim is that bees matter greatly to food production. Honey and flower colour are not discussed.

Question 3Verbal Reasoning

The committee's report was terse: two pages, no diagrams, and not a single sentence wasted. In the passage, the word 'terse' most nearly means:

  1. Lengthy
  2. Confusing
  3. Brief Correct answer.
  4. Rude

Explanation

The colon introduces a description of the report as only two pages with nothing wasted, which defines brevity. Context therefore points to 'brief' rather than to length or confusion.

Question 4Verbal Reasoning

The museum's oldest exhibit is a stone axe found in a nearby field. It is displayed beside a bronze helmet donated in 1952. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

  1. The axe predates the helmet Correct answer.
  2. The helmet was found in a field
  3. The museum holds only two items
  4. The axe was donated in 1952

Explanation

Since the axe is described as the museum's oldest exhibit, it must be older than every other item, including the helmet. The passage does not state that only two objects are held.

Question 5Verbal Reasoning

Supporters claim the new bypass will cut journey times. In truth, the traffic simply moves from one village to the next, and the noise now blights a quiet valley. The author's attitude towards the bypass is best described as:

  1. Critical Correct answer.
  2. Uncertain
  3. Neutral
  4. Enthusiastic

Explanation

Phrases such as 'in truth' and 'blights' signal disagreement with the supporters' case. The author presents the scheme as shifting problems rather than solving them.

Question 6Verbal Reasoning

The library lends books for three weeks. Renewals are permitted twice, provided no other reader has reserved the item. According to the passage, a renewal is allowed only if:

  1. the borrower has paid a fine
  2. the book was borrowed less than a week ago
  3. the book is under 100 pages
  4. no other reader has reserved the book Correct answer.

Explanation

The condition attached to renewals in the passage is that the item has not been reserved by another reader. No other requirement is mentioned.

Question 7Verbal Reasoning

Every student who joined the debating club last term also joined the chess club. No member of the chess club has yet won a regional trophy. Which statement must be true?

  1. All chess players joined debating
  2. The debating club has no members
  3. Winning a trophy is required for chess
  4. No debater has won a regional chess trophy Correct answer.

Explanation

Debaters are a subset of chess club members, and no chess member has won a regional trophy, so no debater can have won one. The relationship does not run in the other direction.

Question 8Verbal Reasoning

For decades, the town's river was treated as a drain. Factories discharged waste into it and fish vanished. Since the clean-up began, salmon have returned and anglers now line the banks. Which option best summarises the passage?

  1. Angling is a popular sport in the town
  2. Factories often pollute rivers
  3. Salmon are sensitive to water quality
  4. The river has recovered from pollution Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage contrasts a polluted past with a restored present, with returning salmon as evidence of recovery. Angling and salmon sensitivity are supporting details rather than the overall point.

Question 9Verbal Reasoning

Dr Halvorsen's study followed 4,000 adults for twenty years. Those who walked at least thirty minutes daily were no less likely to develop heart disease than those who walked less. However, the daily walkers reported better mood scores throughout. Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?

  1. Thirty minutes of walking is harmful
  2. Walking did not reduce heart risk in this group Correct answer.
  3. Mood has no effect on heart health
  4. Walking causes heart disease in some adults

Explanation

The study found daily walkers were 'no less likely' to develop heart disease, meaning no protective effect was observed on that measure. The passage does not claim walking is harmful.

Question 10Verbal Reasoning

The council proposes to remove all parking meters from the high street and make parking free. Shopkeepers argue this will increase custom because shoppers dislike paying to park. The shopkeepers' argument depends on which assumption?

  1. The council owns the high street
  2. Free parking will reduce traffic congestion
  3. Parking meters are expensive to maintain
  4. Shoppers are influenced by parking charges Correct answer.

Explanation

The argument moves from shoppers' dislike of charges to a rise in custom, which only works if parking charges actually affect where people shop. Ownership, congestion and meter costs are irrelevant to that link.

Question 11Verbal Reasoning

Coastal wind farms generate electricity without burning fuel, but they are costly to build and can disturb seabirds. Solar farms on farmland are cheaper to install yet take land out of food production. According to the passage, which is a disadvantage of solar farms but not of the coastal wind farms described?

  1. Harm to wildlife
  2. Loss of agricultural land Correct answer.
  3. High construction cost
  4. Dependence on fuel

Explanation

The solar farm drawback given is that it takes land out of food production, which is not attributed to wind farms. Cost and wildlife harm are explicitly linked to wind farms.

Question 12Verbal Reasoning

Her account of the expedition is vivid but partisan: she praises her own team lavishly and dismisses every rival as incompetent. In the passage, 'partisan' most nearly means:

  1. Brief
  2. Confused
  3. Biased Correct answer.
  4. Accurate

Explanation

The colon explains 'partisan' by showing favouritism towards her own team and hostility to rivals, which is the meaning of biased. The other options do not fit that description.

Question 13Verbal Reasoning

The trial enrolled patients aged 18 to 65. Participants were randomly assigned to the drug or a placebo and assessed after twelve weeks. Neither patients nor doctors knew which treatment was given. According to the passage, who was unaware of which treatment each patient received?

  1. Both the patients and their doctors Correct answer.
  2. Only the patients
  3. Only the doctors
  4. Neither group; both were informed

Explanation

The phrase 'neither patients nor doctors knew' indicates that both groups were kept unaware. This is the defining feature of a double-blind design.

Question 14Verbal Reasoning

The village post office closes at noon on Wednesdays. The nearest alternative is in Marston, six miles away, and the bus runs only twice a day. Which statement is best supported?

  1. The village post office is busiest on Wednesdays
  2. Marston's post office is open on Wednesdays
  3. The bus service runs on an hourly timetable
  4. Some villagers may find a post office hard to reach Correct answer.

Explanation

A midday closure combined with a distant alternative and a sparse bus service supports the inference that access is difficult for some residents. The passage does not confirm Marston's opening hours.

Question 15Verbal Reasoning

It is often said that handwriting is obsolete. Yet studies of note-taking suggest that students who write by hand recall more than those who type, perhaps because writing forces them to summarise. The author's main purpose is to:

  1. explain the history of writing
  2. argue that schools should ban computers
  3. question whether handwriting is obsolete Correct answer.
  4. describe how keyboards are manufactured

Explanation

The word 'Yet' signals a challenge to the claim that handwriting is obsolete, supported by evidence on recall. The author does not go as far as advocating a ban.

Question 16Verbal Reasoning

All of the paintings in the east wing were donated by the Ferris family. The gallery's most valuable painting hangs in the east wing. Which statement must be true?

  1. The most valuable painting was painted by a Ferris
  2. The most valuable painting was a Ferris gift Correct answer.
  3. The east wing contains no other paintings
  4. The Ferris family donated every painting in the gallery

Explanation

Since every east-wing painting came from the Ferris family and the most valuable painting is in the east wing, it must have been donated by them. Its painter and the rest of the collection are unknown.

Question 17Verbal Reasoning

Cities plant trees for beauty, but the benefits go further. Mature trees cool streets in summer, absorb rainwater that would otherwise flood drains, and filter airborne dust. Which statement best captures the main idea?

  1. Street trees cause drainage problems
  2. Dust is the greatest problem facing cities
  3. Trees in cities are planted mainly for decoration
  4. Street trees offer benefits beyond appearance Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage acknowledges beauty but then lists cooling, drainage and dust filtration, making practical value its central point. Decoration is presented as only the starting benefit.

Question 18Verbal Reasoning

In the survey, 62% of respondents said they read for pleasure daily; 28% said weekly. The remainder said they rarely read. What percentage of respondents said they rarely read for pleasure?

  1. 10% Correct answer.
  2. 62%
  3. 28%
  4. Cannot be calculated

Explanation

The three groups must total 100%, so the remainder is 100 minus 62 minus 28, which equals 10. All the figures needed are supplied.

Question 19Verbal Reasoning

Company X has replaced its paper invoices with email versions. It expects to save money, since printing and postage costs will disappear. The expected saving depends on which assumption?

  1. Most customers prefer to receive their bills by email
  2. Email is more secure than post
  3. Paper invoices were frequently lost in the post
  4. Email costs less than paper, printing and postage Correct answer.

Explanation

A saving arises only if the new costs of emailing are lower than the removed costs of printing and posting. Customer preference, security and lost invoices do not determine the net cost.

Question 20Verbal Reasoning

The northern trail climbs steeply for six miles but rewards walkers with views of the glacier. The southern trail is flat and shaded, passing several small lakes. According to the passage, which feature is unique to the southern trail?

  1. A length of six miles
  2. A steep climb
  3. Views of the glacier
  4. Shade along the route Correct answer.

Explanation

Shade is attributed only to the southern trail in the description. The glacier views, steep climb and six-mile length all belong to the northern trail.

Question 21Verbal Reasoning

Critics of the new curriculum argue that it devotes too little time to spelling. Supporters reply that pupils who read widely absorb spelling naturally. Notably, neither side disputes that spelling matters. Which statement is best supported by the passage?

  1. The curriculum has already been withdrawn
  2. Supporters believe spelling should not be taught at all
  3. Both sides agree that spelling is important Correct answer.
  4. Critics want more time for reading

Explanation

The final sentence states explicitly that neither side disputes that spelling matters, which means both accept its importance. Their disagreement concerns how spelling is acquired.

Question 22Verbal Reasoning

Only those who have passed the safety course may use the laboratory. Priya used the laboratory on Tuesday. Marcus has passed the safety course. Which conclusion follows necessarily?

  1. Priya has not passed the safety course
  2. Marcus used the laboratory on Tuesday
  3. Everyone who passed the course uses the lab daily
  4. Priya has passed the safety course Correct answer.

Explanation

Passing the course is a necessary condition for lab use, so Priya's use of the laboratory entails that she passed it. Marcus's qualification permits but does not require lab use.

Question 23Verbal Reasoning

The proposal to widen the road is presented as inevitable. But forecasts of congestion rest on traffic models that failed to predict the recent fall in car use. Before concrete is poured, the assumptions deserve scrutiny. The author's tone is best described as:

  1. Amused indifference
  2. Cautious scepticism Correct answer.
  3. Wholehearted approval
  4. Angry denunciation

Explanation

The author questions the reliability of the forecasts and urges scrutiny rather than outright rejection, which is measured doubt. The language is pointed but not furious.

Question 24Verbal Reasoning

The two studies reached opposite conclusions. The first surveyed 200 volunteers for a month; the second tracked 8,000 people for a decade. Where they conflict, most researchers now favour the larger, longer study. Which statement is best supported?

  1. Both studies used exactly the same methods
  2. The first study was deliberately and knowingly dishonest
  3. The larger study is now thought more reliable Correct answer.
  4. Surveys of volunteers are always unreliable

Explanation

The passage reports that researchers currently favour the larger, longer study where the two conflict, which supports its greater perceived reliability. Size and duration are offered as reasons, not proof of misconduct.

Question 25Verbal Reasoning

Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses, yet they are often prescribed for colds. Each unnecessary course gives bacteria another chance to evolve resistance. Doctors and patients alike must therefore treat the prescription pad as a limited resource. Which option best summarises the author's message?

  1. Patients should never take antibiotics for any illness
  2. Colds are caused by bacteria
  3. Antibiotics should be reserved for bacterial illness Correct answer.
  4. Resistance to antibiotics cannot occur

Explanation

The passage's argument is that antibiotics work only on bacteria and misuse fuels resistance, so they should be used only where bacteria are involved. It does not reject antibiotics altogether.

Question 26Verbal Reasoning

The Antonine Wall was built across central Scotland in the AD 140s, but its garrison was withdrawn within about twenty years and the frontier was pulled back to Hadrian's Wall to the south. Coins and pottery from the period have been found along its line, though evidence of long occupation is slight. Which statement is best supported?

  1. No Roman troops were ever stationed along the wall.
  2. The wall was abandoned soon after it was constructed. Correct answer.
  3. Hadrian's Wall was built after the Antonine Wall.
  4. The wall was never finished by the soldiers who built it.

Explanation

The passage dates the wall to the AD 140s and says its garrison was withdrawn within about twenty years, which supports a short period of use. Nothing in the text concerns unfinished construction, and the withdrawal of a garrison presupposes troops had been there.

Question 27Verbal Reasoning

The Arctic tern makes the longest known annual migration of any animal, flying from Arctic breeding grounds to Antarctic feeding waters and back - a round trip of roughly 70,000 km. Which statement is supported by the passage?

  1. The tern makes the journey only once in its life.
  2. The tern nests in the Antarctic and feeds in the Arctic.
  3. No other animal is known to migrate further each year. Correct answer.
  4. The tern's round trip covers about 7,000 km.

Explanation

The passage calls the tern's migration the longest known of any animal, which directly supports the claim that no other species is known to travel further annually. The remaining options either reverse the stated geography or reduce the stated distance tenfold.

Question 28Verbal Reasoning

Lake Baikal in Siberia contains roughly one fifth of the world's unfrozen fresh water and is the deepest lake on Earth, reaching over 1,600 metres. Which statement is supported?

  1. Baikal is the deepest lake in the northern hemisphere only.
  2. Baikal has the largest surface area of any lake.
  3. Most of Baikal's water is permanently frozen.
  4. Baikal holds more fresh water than any other single lake. Correct answer.

Explanation

If one lake contains about a fifth of the world's unfrozen fresh water, no other single lake can contain more, so the volume claim follows. The passage makes no statement about surface area, freezing, or a hemispheric limit on its depth.

Question 29Verbal Reasoning

The novel appeared anonymously in 1818. The author's name was not printed on a title page until a revised edition five years later. What can be inferred about the first edition?

  1. It contained no text by the author named later.
  2. It was published without the author's permission.
  3. It did not identify who had written it. Correct answer.
  4. It was poorly received by critics.

Explanation

An anonymous publication is one whose author is not named, and the passage confirms the name appeared only in a later edition. The text offers no information about reviews, authorship of the contents, or consent to publish.

Question 30Verbal Reasoning

Marathon runners cover 42.195 km. The distance was fixed for the 1908 Olympic race and has not changed since. Which statement is supported?

  1. The distance differs from one marathon to another.
  2. Runners must complete the course within a strict time limit.
  3. The marathon was first run at the 1908 Olympics.
  4. The marathon distance has been fixed for over a century. Correct answer.

Explanation

The distance was settled in 1908 and has remained unchanged, which means it has been standard for more than a hundred years. The passage does not claim the race began in 1908, nor does it mention varying distances or time limits.

Question 31Verbal Reasoning

The word 'nice' entered English meaning 'foolish'. Over centuries it shifted to 'precise' and then to its current sense of 'pleasant'. Which statement is supported?

  1. The word 'nice' is no longer in everyday use.
  2. The word 'nice' has always carried a positive sense.
  3. The word originally meant 'precise' rather than 'pleasant'.
  4. The word's meaning today differs from its earliest sense. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage traces a change of sense from 'foolish' to 'pleasant', so the present meaning is not the original one. It also places 'precise' as a middle stage and implies the word is still current by giving its present sense.

Question 32Verbal Reasoning

The axolotl, a Mexican salamander, retains larval features such as external gills into adulthood - a phenomenon called neoteny. Which statement is supported?

  1. Adult axolotls keep features typical of larvae. Correct answer.
  2. The axolotl is found only in captivity.
  3. The axolotl is a kind of fish rather than an amphibian.
  4. The axolotl loses its gills when it matures.

Explanation

Neoteny is defined in the passage as the retention of larval features, gills included, into adult life, so adults keep juvenile characteristics. The animal is described as a salamander from Mexico, which rules out the other options.

Question 33Verbal Reasoning

A standard piano has 88 keys: 52 white and 36 black. How many of the keys on a standard piano are black?

  1. 44
  2. 88
  3. 52
  4. 36 Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage gives the number of black keys directly as 36. The other figures in the passage refer to white keys and to the total number of keys.

Question 34Verbal Reasoning

When a central bank raises interest rates, borrowing costs rise. Households and firms usually spend less, easing demand and slowing price growth. Economists note that this effect typically appears after a lag of a year or more. Which statement is best supported?

  1. Higher interest rates immediately reduce consumer spending.
  2. Higher interest rates may take time to affect prices. Correct answer.
  3. Central banks raise rates in order to increase borrowing.
  4. Price growth never responds to changes in interest rates.

Explanation

The passage states that the effect on price growth typically appears after a lag of a year or more, which supports the claim about delay. It also indicates that rates are used to restrain borrowing and that price growth does respond, merely slowly.

Question 35Verbal Reasoning

A video platform's recommendation system suggested clips similar to what each user had watched. An internal review found that users shown more extreme material watched for longer, so the system supplied more of it. Which statement is best supported?

  1. The system favoured whatever content held attention. Correct answer.
  2. Watch time fell once extreme clips were shown.
  3. The platform deliberately set out to radicalise its users.
  4. Users actively requested more extreme material.

Explanation

The system increased supply because viewing time rose, so its selection was driven by whatever sustained attention, regardless of content. The passage describes this as a consequence of the design rather than a stated aim, and it records that viewing time increased.

Question 36Verbal Reasoning

In the trial, all patients received the drug for twelve weeks. Those who improved continued on it for a further year, while the rest were switched to a placebo. The authors concede that this design may overstate the drug's long-term benefit. Why might the design overstate the benefit?

  1. Only patients who had already responded stayed on the drug. Correct answer.
  2. The placebo was given to patients who had already responded.
  3. Twelve weeks is too short a period to show any effect.
  4. No comparison group was included in the trial.

Explanation

The one-year results compare responders on the drug with non-responders on a placebo, so the drug group is selected for people who were already doing well. Such a comparison flatters the drug's apparent long-term performance.

Question 37Verbal Reasoning

Rewilding schemes often reintroduce large grazing animals. Their grazing keeps grassland open, supporting insects and birds that depend on short vegetation. Critics note that fencing and returning predators can affect neighbouring farms. Which statement is supported?

  1. Rewilding always requires the return of predators.
  2. Short vegetation supports fewer species than tall grass.
  3. Grazing by large animals can benefit other wildlife. Correct answer.
  4. Farmers generally welcome rewilding schemes.

Explanation

The passage links grazing to open grassland and, in turn, to insects and birds, so grazing can create habitat for other species. Predators are mentioned only as a possible source of concern, and the effect on farms is described as a criticism.

Question 38Verbal Reasoning

Studies often report that pupils in smaller classes achieve better results. Few of these studies adjust for the fact that schools with small classes tend to serve wealthier neighbourhoods. What does the passage suggest about the reported link?

  1. It may partly reflect pupils' family wealth. Correct answer.
  2. Wealthier schools always have larger classes.
  3. Class size has no effect on any pupil's results.
  4. Small classes have been proven to raise attainment.

Explanation

If small classes cluster in wealthier areas and studies fail to allow for this, the apparent advantage of small classes could be partly due to affluence. The passage questions the causal reading without denying that class size might matter.

Question 39Verbal Reasoning

Volunteers asked to recall a happy memory rated a stranger as more trustworthy than those asked to recall a sad one. The researchers stress that such mood effects on judgement are typically small and short-lived. Which statement is supported?

  1. The volunteers knew the stranger personally.
  2. Sad memories make people better at judging strangers.
  3. Mood has a large and lasting effect on trust.
  4. Temporary mood can colour a first impression. Correct answer.

Explanation

The study shows ratings of an unfamiliar person shifting with induced mood, while the researchers limit the effect to something small and brief. This supports a fleeting influence of mood on an initial impression.

Question 40Verbal Reasoning

The excavated bones carried cut marks, and stone tools lay nearby. The team concluded that the site had been used for butchery rather than as a dwelling. On what was the conclusion chiefly based?

  1. Written records describing the site's use.
  2. The size of the shelter found beside the bones.
  3. The absence of any stone tools at the site.
  4. Marks on the bones and tools found with them. Correct answer.

Explanation

Butchery is inferred from the combination of cut marks on bone and associated stone tools, which together indicate carcass processing. A dwelling would be identified from structural evidence, which the passage does not mention.

Question 41Verbal Reasoning

Planners predicted that a new tram line would cut car journeys by 15%. A year after opening, counts showed a fall of 4%. Planners argue that the full effect emerges over several years, as people change where they live and work. Which statement is supported?

  1. Car journeys rose after the tram line opened.
  2. The original forecast has been shown to be accurate.
  3. Travel patterns may take years to adjust. Correct answer.
  4. The tram line has had no effect on car use.

Explanation

The planners attribute the gap between forecast and observed change to gradual shifts in where people live and work, which supports the claim that habits adjust slowly. The recorded fall of 4% shows some effect, though well short of the prediction.

Question 42Verbal Reasoning

One farm replaced deep ploughing with a method that leaves crop residues on the soil surface. Yields dipped at first, but soil moisture improved and after five years yields matched the old system's. Which statement is supported?

  1. The farm abandoned the new method after five years.
  2. The new method raised yields immediately.
  3. Residues on the surface dried the soil out.
  4. Yields took several years to match the old system. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage states that yields dipped initially and only equalled the old system after five years, so the new method needed time to prove comparable. It also records improved soil moisture, contradicting the idea that residues dried the soil.

Question 43Verbal Reasoning

The planet follows a markedly elliptical orbit, so its distance from its star varies widely. Its surface temperature correspondingly swings between extremes. What does the passage imply?

  1. The star's brightness varies with the planet's orbit.
  2. The planet's orbit is almost perfectly circular.
  3. Its temperature is constant throughout the year.
  4. Distance from the star shapes its temperature. Correct answer.

Explanation

The word 'correspondingly' links the change in distance directly to the temperature swings, implying that distance governs temperature. The orbit is described as markedly elliptical, and no variation in the star itself is mentioned.

Question 44Verbal Reasoning

Screening programmes detect cancers at an early stage, but they also find some slow-growing tumours that would never have caused symptoms. Patients may then receive treatment they did not need. Which statement is supported?

  1. Early detection removes the need for any treatment.
  2. Screening may lead to unnecessary treatment. Correct answer.
  3. Screening has no benefits for patients.
  4. Slow-growing tumours are always fatal.

Explanation

The passage says screening can uncover tumours that would never have caused harm, after which patients may be treated needlessly. It simultaneously credits screening with early detection, so it does not deny benefit altogether.

Question 45Verbal Reasoning

After cutting its prices, the firm sold more units, but the profit on each unit fell. Overall profit was unchanged. Which statement is supported?

  1. The firm lost money on every item it sold.
  2. Sales volume rose as the margin per unit fell. Correct answer.
  3. Cutting prices increased the firm's total profit.
  4. Unit sales stayed the same after the price cut.

Explanation

The passage reports both a rise in units sold and a fall in profit per unit, which is what this option restates. Total profit was unchanged, so the extra volume simply offset the thinner margin.

Question 46Verbal Reasoning

The court held that a duty of care arises only where the harm suffered was reasonably foreseeable. The claimant's loss flowed from an unforeseeable sequence of events, so the claim failed - even though the defendant had plainly been careless. Which conclusion follows?

  1. The defendant was found not to have been careless.
  2. The claimant failed to prove that any loss occurred.
  3. Carelessness alone does not establish liability. Correct answer.
  4. A careless defendant is always liable for the resulting harm.

Explanation

Liability required both carelessness and foreseeable harm, and the claim failed on the second limb despite the first being satisfied. That shows negligence on its own is not enough to ground a claim.

Question 47Verbal Reasoning

Proportional systems tend to produce coalitions; first-past-the-post usually yields single-party majorities. Defenders of the latter prize decisive government, while critics say it manufactures majorities that most voters did not support. Which statement best captures the passage?

  1. The systems trade accuracy for decisive government. Correct answer.
  2. Proportional systems always produce unstable governments.
  3. Coalitions are impossible under proportional systems.
  4. First-past-the-post mirrors the popular vote more exactly.

Explanation

The passage sets the greater decisiveness of single-party majority rule against the charge that such majorities may not reflect most voters' preferences, which is a trade-off between decisiveness and representational accuracy. Instability is not asserted, and coalitions are described as typical rather than impossible.

Question 48Verbal Reasoning

Ice cores trap ancient air in bubbles. Because each layer is buried by later snowfall, depth corresponds to age, so a core read from top to bottom yields a record of past atmospheres. Which assumption underlies the reading of ice cores?

  1. The bubbles formed after the ice had fully compacted.
  2. Ancient air contained no gases found today.
  3. Snowfall has been identical in every year.
  4. The layers are still in the order they formed. Correct answer.

Explanation

Treating depth as a sequence of past atmospheres requires that the layers have not been overturned or mixed since deposition. Comparisons with present air presuppose shared gases, and constant annual snowfall is not needed for ordering.

Question 49Verbal Reasoning

After wolves were reintroduced, deer numbers fell, willow regrew, and beavers returned. Some ecologists warn that the story is tidier than the evidence: a severe drought in the same period also shaped the willow's recovery. Which statement is supported?

  1. The willow's recovery may have another cause. Correct answer.
  2. Wolves played no part in the changes observed.
  3. Beavers returned before the wolves were released.
  4. The drought prevented the willow from regrowing.

Explanation

If a drought in the same period also affected the willow, part of the regrowth may be attributable to something other than reduced deer grazing. The warning challenges the neatness of the chain without denying that wolves were involved.

Question 50Verbal Reasoning

The reviewer praised the book's research but called its prose 'dense to the point of opacity'. The same notice now appears on the cover as a rave review, which shows how selectively quotations can be cut. Which statement is supported?

  1. The publisher printed the review without permission.
  2. Cover quotations can distort a review's verdict. Correct answer.
  3. The reviewer later changed their opinion of the book.
  4. The book's research was criticised in the review.

Explanation

A mixed notice presented as a rave shows that extracting fragments can make a review sound more favourable than it was. The passage attributes this to selective cutting rather than to any change of mind by the reviewer.