1 GMAT OFFICIAL GUIDE 10th Edition 2 CRITICAL REASONING 1. Which of the following best completes the passage below? In a survey of job applicants, two-fifths admitted to being at least a little dishonest. However, the survey may underestimate the proportion of job applicants who are dishonest, because____. A. some dishonest people taking the survey might have claimed on the survey to be honest B. some generally honest people taking the survey might have claimed on the survey to be dishonest C. some people who claimed on the survey to be at least a little dishonest may be very dishonest D. some people who claimed on the survey to be dishonest may have been answering honestly E. some people who are not job applicants are probably at least a little dishonest 2. The average life expectancy for the United States population as a whole is 73.9 years, but children born in Hawaii will live an average of 77 years, and those born in Louisiana, 71.7 years. If a newlywed couple from Louisiana were to begin their family in Hawaii, therefore, their children would be expected to live longer than would be the case if the family remained in Louisiana. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the conclusion drawn in the passage? A. Insurance company statisticians do not believe that moving to Hawaii will significantly lengthen the average Louisianan’s life. B. The governor of Louisiana has falsely alleged that statistics for his state are inaccurate. C. The longevity ascribed to Hawaii’s current population is attributable mostly to genetically determined factors. D. Thirty percent of all Louisianans can expect to live longer than 77 years. E. Most of the Hawaiian Islands have levels of air pollution well below the national average for the United States. 3. The average life expectancy for the United States population as a whole is 73.9 years, but children born in Hawaii will live an average of 77 years, and those born in Louisiana, 71.7 years. If a newlywed couple from Louisiana were to begin their family in Hawaii, therefore, their children would be expected to live longer than would be the case if the family remained in Louisiana. Which of the following statements, if true, would most significantly strengthen the conclusion drawn in the passage? A. As population density increases in Hawaii, life expectancy figures for that state are likely to be revised downward. B. Environmental factors tending to favor longevity are abundant in Hawaii and less numerous in Louisiana. C. Twenty-five percent of all Louisianans who move to Hawaii live longer than 77 years. D. Over the last decade, average life expectancy has risen at a higher rate for Louisianans than for Hawaiians. E. Studies show that the average life expectancy for Hawaiians who move permanently to Louisiana is roughly equal to that of Hawaiians who remain in Hawaii. 4. Insurance Company X is considering issuing a new policy to cover services required by elderly people who suffer from diseases that afflict the elderly. Premiums for the policy must be low enough to attract customers. Therefore, Company X is concerned that the income from the policies would not be sufficient to pay for the claims that would be made. Which of the following strategies would be most likely to minimize Company X’s losses on the policies? A. Attracting middle-aged customers unlikely to submit claims for benefits for many years. B. Insuring only those individuals who did not suffer any serious diseases as children C. Including a greater number of services in the policy than are included in other policies of lower cost D. Insuring only those individuals who were rejected by other companies for similar policies 3 E. Insuring only those individuals who are wealthy enough to pay for the medical services 5. A program instituted in a particular state allows parents to prepay their children’s future college tuition at current rates. The program then pays the tuition annually for the child at any of the st