GRE Diagnostic Verbal Section 1 EXPLAINED.pages
Rules; 20 Questions, 30 Minutes, 1 of 4 sections for diagnostic Essay 1 Democratic institutions are devices for reconciling social order with individual freedom and initiative, and for making the immediate power of a country's rulers subject to the ultimate power of the ruled. The fact that, in Western Europe and America, these devices have worked, all things considered,not too badly is proof enough that the eighteenth century optimists were not entirely wrong. Given a fair chance, I repeat; for the fair chance is an indispensable prerequisite. No people that pass abruptly from a state of subservience under the rule of a despot to the completely unfamiliar state of political independence can be said to have a fair chance of being able to govern itself democratically. Liberalism flourishes in an atmosphere of prosperity and declines as declining prosperity makes it necessary for the government to intervene ever more frequently and drastically in the affairs of its subjects. Over-population and over-organization are two conditions which ... deprive a society of a fair chance of making democratic institutions work effectively. We see, then, that there are certain historical, economic, demographic and technological conditions which make it very hard for Jefferson's rational
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animals, endowed by nature with inalienable rights and an innate sense of justice, to exercise their reason, claim their rights and act justly within a democratically organized society. We in the West have been supremely fortunate in having been given a fair chance of making the great experiment in selfgovernment. Unfortunately, it now looks as though, owing to recent changes in our circumstances, this infinitely precious fair chance were being, little by little, taken away from us.
1. The author’s primary purpose is apparently to A. Explain a requirement and introduce a warning about that requirement B. Argue for the limitation of a certain form of government C. Define the conditions for social order D. Advocate liberalism in government of a certain era E. Credit certain thinkers with foresight Correct Answer: A Explanation: The ‘requirement’ in answer A is the need for democracy to be given a ‘fair chance’ which is what the author keeps reiterating. In the last sentence he warns that the chance may be being taken away. He is not arguing to limit democracy (eliminate B); nor is he defining conditions for social order in general (eliminate C). Answers D and E are too narrow to be the main point of the whole extract.
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2. The ‘infinitely precious fair chance’ highlighted in the last sentence, according to the author is A. Unlikely to emerge in an atmosphere of liberalism B. B. Incompatible with Jefferson’s views C. C. Vitiated in an atmosphere of prosperity D. D. An essential precondition for the success of
democracy E. E. Only possible in a large, advanced and highly
organised society
Correct Answer: D Explanation: The ‘fair chance’ is the opportunity for democracy to flourish, and this is clearly expressed in D, the correct choice. Since the author mentions liberalism in a way that indicates he equates it with democracy, we can eliminate A. Jefferson’s views are of people who are free to exercise their rights and are not ‘incompatible with a fair chance for democracy so B cannot be correct. We are told that declining prosperity is one reason for governments to intervene more and is thus not favourable for democracy. Thus, since ‘vitiated’ means weakened, answer C cannot be correct. Answer E is worded far too strongly to be correct.
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3. The author’s attitude to the way democratic institutions have functioned in Western Europe and America can best be described as A. Deliberate neutrality
B. Cautious approval C. Qualified disapproval D. Wholehearted endorsement E. Mocking disdain Correct Answer: B Explanation: The author thinks that democracy has worked ‘not too badly’; this suggests that he approves but not strongly enough to make D correct, and the best, mildly positive answer is B.
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Essay 2 Nadezhda Krupskaya, in her little book on Lenin, relates that towards the end of his life Lenin went to see a dramatized version of The Cricket on the Hearth, and found Dickens’s ‘middle-class sentimentality’ so intolerable that he walked out in the middle of a scene. It is worth noticing that the dislike of Dickens implied in this anecdote is something unusual. Plenty of people have found him unreadable, but very few seem to have felt any hostility towards the general spirit of his work. Some years later, Bechhofer Roberts published a fulllength attack on Dickens in the form of a novel, but it was a merely personal attack, concerned for the most part with ! ! Dickens’s treatment of his wife. It dealt with incidents which not one in a thousand of Dickens’s readers would ever hear about, and which no more invalidates his work than the
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second-best bed invalidates Hamlet. All that the book really demonstrated was that a writer’s literary personality has little or nothing to do with his private character. !It is quite possible that in private life Dickens was just the kind of insensitive egoist that Bechhofer Roberts makes him appear. But in his published work there is implied a personality quite different from this, a personality which has won him far more friends than enemies. It might well have been otherwise, for even if Dickens was a bourgeois, he was certainly a subversive writer, a radical, one might truthfully say a rebel.
Everyone who has read widely in his work has felt this. Gissing, for instance, the best of the writers on Dickens, was anything but a radical himself, and he disapproved of this strain in Dickens and wished it were not there, but it never occurred to him to deny it. In Oliver Twist, Hard Times, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, Dickens attacked English institutions with a ferocity that has never since been approached. Yet he managed to do it without making himself hated, and, more than this, the very people he attacked have swallowed him so completely that he has become a national institution himself. In its attitude towards Dickens the English public has always been a little like the elephant which feels a blow with a walking-stick as a delightful tickling. Before I was ten years old I was
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having Dickens ladled down my throat by schoolmasters in whom even at that age I could see a strong resemblance to Mr. Creakle, and one knows without needing to be told that lawyers delight in Sergeant Buzfuz and that Little Dorrit is a favourite in the Home Office. Dickens seems to have succeeded in attacking everybody and antagonizing nobody.
4. It can be inferred that the ‘second best bed’ (highlighted in the first paragraph) refers to something that A. could not be considered unpleasant in the personal life of Shakespeare (the author of Hamlet) B. is unwarranted in the plot of Hamlet C. most readers would approve of if they were aware of it D. is irrelevant in a discussion of the personality of Shakespeare E. has no place in an evaluation of the literary merit of the works of Shakespeare Correct Answer: E Explanation: Shakespeare’s ‘second best bed’ is an allusion to what he left his wife in his will. You do not need to know that in order to see that it is mentioned as something that has no relevance when we are analyzing Shakespeare’s literary contribution. (Thus E is clearly the best choice.)
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5. What are the first words of the sentence which specifically illustrates what the author means in saying ‘the very people he attacked have swallowed him so completely’. A.
Everyone who has
B.
In Oliver Twist
C.
Before I was ten
Correct Answer: Line 37 Explanation: Since specific illustrations are needed we need the sentence which shows how people of the type attacked by Dickens have accepted his works. The specific references to schoolmasters and lawyers etc. make the following sentence the one to choose: Before I was ten years old I was having Dickens ladled down my throat by schoolmasters in whom even at that age I could see a strong resemblance to Mr. Creakle, and one knows without needing to be told that lawyers delight in Sergeant Buzfuz and that Little Dorrit is a favourite in the Home Office.
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6. The author apparently believes that some (Select ALL answer choices that apply) A. Thought that Dickens was a subversive writer B. Disapproved of a certain aspect of Dickens’ writing C. Produced good critical writing on Dickens Correct Answer: ABC Explanation: All of the statements are correct and clearly given in the passage.
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7. Answer this question based on the information in the paragraph below.
“Josh has twenty years of typing experience behind him; therefore, if you are looking for an efficient typist to enter your data into the new system, you need look no further.”
The speaker assumes that A. Twenty years of practice ensures typing efficiency B. The type of typing required for the new system is identical to what Josh has been doing C. Josh’s job profile is the best that the new employer is going to get D. Josh is an outstandingly fast and accurate typist E. Josh will fit well into the new office Correct Answer: A Explanation: An assumption is an unstated premise. So we are looking for something that is implied in the argument, and if wrong, will undermine the argument. All that the speaker implies is that Josh is efficient because he has twenty years of practice, and so answer A is correct. Eliminate B because the word ‘identical’ is not implied. Eliminate C because we are talking about typing not the whole ‘job profile’. The argument claims that Josh is efficient but without defining efficiency we cannot assume that it involves both speed and accuracy, and certainly ‘outstandingly’ is not warranted. Nothing is implied about fitting into the office.
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8. Answer this question based on the information in the paragraph below. A fruit known as amla in certain parts of Asia is an excellent source of vitamin C. A small quantity of the fruit grated and added to salads provides almost all the daily requirement of this vitamin. However, the fruit is very sour. A new process designed to remove most of the sour taste will make the fruit acceptable to American tastes. We are therefore starting to grow this fruit for sale in the United States. The argument above assumes all of the following except A. Americans generally won’t eat very sour foods B. The new process does not remove a significant part of the vitamin content C. That a market exists for a new source of vitamin C D. The fruit can be used only in salads E. Apart from being sour there are no other objections to eating this fruit Correct Answer: D Explanation: There is a ‘missing link’ between saying that the fruit is sour and saying that removing the sourness will make the fruit acceptable to American tastes. The missing link is an ‘assumption’ in this case. Obviously the missing statement should be that Americans don’t like sour foods. So now we have found one assumption but this is an ‘except question’ and so we need to find three more! Since we are relying on the fruit for vitamin C it should be obvious that the author thinks the new process will not take away most of the vitamin. The author also thinks a market exists or they would not be starting to grow the fruit. He or she mentions salads as a way to use the fruit but there is nothing to suggest that there are no other ways to use the fruit and so D is not assumed and is the correct answer. He or she also assumes that there is nothing else wrong with the fruit. (Note: most students go wrong on ‘except’ questions!)
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9. Even though Byron is frequently glib, it is still hard to dismiss him as a ____ thinker. A. superficial B. profound C. lightweight D. lucid E. verbose F. uncompromising Correct Answer: AC Explanation: The word ‘though’ indicates an opposition of ideas. Byron is ‘glib’ (smoothtalking, possibly insincere) but it does not mean that his thought is ‘superficial’ or ‘lightweight’. [profound = deep; verbose = wordy]
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10. Far from being an innocent prank, their action is a ____ attempt to spoil my reputation. A. malicious B. salubrious C. naive D. saturnine E. innocuous F. callous Correct Answer: AF Explanation: The expression ‘far from’ is the clue; it indicates that the action is NOT an innocent prank. Hence we need words that are the opposite of innocent: ‘malicious’ (having bad or evil intentions) and ‘callous’ (deliberately unfeeling) are the best choices. [salubrious = health-giving; saturnine = gloomy; innocuous = harmless]
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11. Although his findings were initially greeted with ____ , the unlikely hero was finally vindicated when the French Academy acknowledged his work. A. derision B. accolades C. commendations D. sympathy E. jubilation F. incredulity Correct Answer: AF Explanation: 'Although' indicates the need for opposite ideas. So by choosing A you are saying that although he was initially treated with ‘derision’ (scorn), he was finally proved right (vindicated). Similarly, if he was treated with ‘incredulity’ (disbelief) at first, to be proved right would be surprising. [jubilation = great joy]
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12. Their latest theory aims to integrate the seemingly ____ elements of twenty years of research to form a coherent whole. A. relevant B. sporadic C. incessant D. disparate E. discrete F. extensive Correct Answer: DE Explanation: The sentence implies that elements that seem separate are to be combined into a coherent whole. ‘Disparate’ and ‘discrete’ both imply ‘separate’. (Do not confuse ‘discrete’ and ‘discreet’!) [sporadic = on and off; incessant = non stop]
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13. Svensson’s ____ in his work earned him few friends: his colleagues probably thought that he would be unwilling to overlook their foibles. A. xenophobia B. mendacity C. meticulousness D. intuition E. punctiliousness F. prevarication Correct Answer: CE Explanation: Someone who notices every little mistake in his work, and who pays attention to the details, that is someone ‘meticulous’ or ‘punctilious’, might be unwilling to overlook the little quirks or ‘foibles’ of others. Note that ‘prevarication’ and ‘mendacity’ are close in meaning but would not fit the overall logic of the sentence. [ xenophobia = fear of foreigners; mendacity = telling lies; prevarication = avoiding the truth]
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14. Icons would be well-advised to write their own memoirs; there are too many ____ writers out there who forego accuracy to pander to the preconceptions of the market. A. creative B. lackluster C. hackneyed D. sycophantic E. fawning F. best-selling
Correct Answer: DE Explanation: The words ‘sycophantic’ and ‘fawning’ are synonyms to describe people who suck up to others. This is just the kind of word we need to fill the blank as we are looking to describe writers who ‘pander’ to the public (and, presumably, to the icons that they portray).
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15. Both commentators noted the way that Dylan can submerge himself in tradition while somehow managing to create works of startling ____. A. gestation B. singularity C. provenance D. conservatism E. nonchalance F. originality Correct Answer: BF Explanation: We can infer from the sentence structure that the word to fill the blank should be unlike ‘tradition’. ‘Originality’ fits the bill well. Now all you need to do is to recognize that ‘singularity’ can mean something unique which would also give the same overall sense to the sentence. [gestation = period of development; provenance = authenticated origin; nonchalance = appearance of indifference]
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16. When aid is given to an autocracy, the donors are prone to rationalize their decision to support non-democratic governments, and thus lay themselves open to the charge of ____. A. negligence B. hypocrisy C. equivocation D. slander E. autonomy F. nepotism Correct Answer: BC Explanation: By rationalizing (trying to justify) their decision, donors are exposing the fact that they are not being entirely honest about their motives. Hence they are open to the charge of ‘hypocrisy’ (saying one thing and doing another) or ‘equivocation’ (using words in deliberately ambiguous ways). [nepotism = favoring relatives etc when assigning jobs, positions etc.]
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17. The insertion of a fiction into a news bulletin cannot be condoned, but inserting propaganda for a good cause seems less ____. A. untoward B. democratic C. reprehensible D. credible E. insupportable F. utilitarian Correct Answer: CE Explanation: If something cannot be ‘condoned’ (tolerated) it must be very bad. The only words that mean something bad enough not to be tolerated under any circumstances are ‘reprehensible’ and ‘insupportable’. [untoward = unexpected; credible = believable; utilitarian = concerned with the usefulness of something]
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18. In showing the shocking images of depravity and degradation, the curators of the art museum said that the importance of historical accuracy outweighed the danger of encouraging ____. A. prurience B. avarice C. vandalism D. voyeurism E. outrage F. torture Correct Answer: AD Explanation: ‘Prurience’ and ‘voyeurism’ both indicate taking an unhealthy interest in something unwholesome (especially something sexual). [avarice = greed for money]
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19. The success of the business venture ____ his expectations; he never thought that the firm would prosper. A. confirmed B. belied C. nullified D. fulfilled E. ratified Correct Answer: B Explanation: Clue: He never thought the business would prosper (do well). Therefore, the success came as a surprise and contradicted (‘belied’) his expectations. (nullified = canceled; ratified = gave approval to)
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20. The journalist (i)____ the efforts of the drug squad to control drug peddling, claiming that they had actually (ii) ____ the problem.
Blank (i) A. commended B. deprecated C. noted
Blank (ii) D. delineated E. mollified F. exacerbated
Correct Answer: BF Explanation: Clue: If the journalist claimed that the drug squad had caused the problem or made it worse, he would attack and not praise them. Hence, we can choose to say that he ‘deprecated’ (criticized) the efforts and said that they ‘exacerbated’ the problem (made it worse). [Note that the sentence could have been positive, with the journalist praising the efforts if the squad cured the problem. But, no such pair of positives is among the choices.]
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