Verbal Ability
Tests verbal ability through sentence correction, critical reasoning, reading comprehension, and text completion questions.
Questions
Directions: The following question presents a sentence, part of which or all of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.
In addition to the revised curriculum requested last semester, the students are now demanding that a new grading system be instituted.
- In addition to the revised curriculum requested last semester, the students are now demanding that a new grading system be instituted.
- In addition to the revised curriculum that had been requested last semester, the students are now demanding that a new grading system be instituted.
- The students are now demanding that a new grading system be instituted in addition to the revised curriculum they requested last semester.
- Added to the revised curriculum that was requested last semester by the students, they are now demanding the institution of a new grading system.
- Added to the new curriculum requested last semester, the students have now demanded the institution of a new grading system.
Directions: For this question, select the best of the answer from the given choices.Argentina's beef cattle herd has dropped to under 50 million from 57 million ten years ago in 1990. The animals are worthless too: prices fell by over a third last year, before recovering slightly. Most local meat packers and processors are in financial trouble, and recent years have seen a string of plant closures. The Beef Producers' Association has now come up with a massive advertisement campaign calling upon Argentineans to eat more beef - their "juicy, healthy, rotund, plate-filling" steaks.
Which one of the following, if true, would contribute most to a failure of the campaign?
- There has been a change in consumer preference towards eating leaner meats like chicken and fish.
- Prices of imported beef have been increasing, thus making locally grown beef more competitive in terms of pricing.
- The inability to cross-breed native cattle with improved varieties has not increased production to adequate levels.
- Animal rights pressure groups have come up rapidly, demanding better and humane treatment of farmyard animals like beef cattle.
- In the past such advertisements have failed to evoke sufficient interest among consumers.
Directions: The following question presents a sentence, part of which or all of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.
Just as the European countries of the early eighteenth century sought to exploit the resources of our continent, so too are we now attempting to extract energy and minerals from the ocean bed.
- Just as the European Countries of the early eighteenth century sought to exploit the resources of our continent, so
- The European countries of the early eighteenth century sought to exploit the resources of our continent, and in a similar way
- Like the case of the European countries of the early eighteenth century who sought to exploit the resources of our continent, so
- As in the exploitation of the resources of our continent by European countries of the early eighteenth century.
- Similar to the European countries which sought in the early eighteenth century to exploit the resources of our continent
Directions: For this question, select the best of the answer from the choices given.
In the film, ‘Jurassic Park’, scientists create living dinosaurs by replicating dinosaur DNA found inside an insect that had bitten a dinosaur and was then trapped in amber. Although, such a feat has not yet been accomplished, one day modern science will probably succeed in recreating prehistoric creatures in a similar manner.
All of the following assumptions underlie the conclusion of the passage above except that
- to accurately replicate DNA in a laboratory will be a possibility someday
- DNA of a creature provides sufficient genetic information about a creature, that it allows recreation of the animal
- the functioning of DNA has not yet been understood by the scientist and the probability of the same is not good for future as well
- to recreate an entire creature, sufficient DNA can be extracted from an insect
- the probability for DNA to survive for more than tens of thousands of years inside an insect’s body is more than average
Directions: The following question presents a sentence, part of which or all of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.
Young female ballet dancers and gymnasts sometimes fail to maintain good eating habits caused by the desire to be as thin as possible.
- Young female ballet dancers and gymnasts sometimes fail to maintain good eating habits caused by the desire to be as thin as possible.
- Good eating habits sometimes fail to be maintained by young female ballet dancers and gymnasts caused by desiring to be as thin as possible.
- Because they desire to be as thin as possible, good eating habits are sometimes not maintained by young female ballet dancers and gymnasts.
- Because they desire to be as thin as possible, young female ballet dancers and gymnasts sometimes fail to maintain good eating habits.
- Young female ballet dancers and gymnasts sometimes fail to maintain good eating habits because they desire to be as thin as possible.
Directions: The following question presents a sentence, part of which or all of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.
Monitoring heart patients’ exercise, as well as athletes exercising, is now done by small transmitters broadcasting physiological measurements to nearby recording machines.
- Monitoring heart patients’ exercise, as well as athletes exercising, is now done by small transmitters broadcasting physiological measurements to nearby recording machines.
- Monitoring the exercise of heart patients, as well as athletes exercising, is now done by small transmitters broadcasting physiological measurements to nearby recording machines.
- Small transmitters broadcasting physiological measurements to nearby recording machines are now used to monitor the exercise of both heart patients and athletes.
- Broadcasting physiological measurements to nearby recording machines, small transmitters are now used to monitor heart patients’ exercise, as well as athletes exercising.
- Both athletes exercising and heart patients’ exercise are now monitored by small transmitters broadcasting physiological measurements to nearby recording machines.
Directions: For this question, select the best of the answer from the choices given.Contemporary newspapers carry stories about infanticide among the poor much more frequently than 19th century newspapers did. It’s clear, then, that due to the fact that less value is placed on human life today, there has been a substantial increase in incidence of infanticide.
All of the following, if true are valid objections to the argument above except:
- Editors of 19th century newspapers were less inclined to carry stories about infanticide than contemporary editors.
- There was less interest in, less newspaper coverage of the poor in the last century than there is today.
- No studies have demonstrated that less value is placed on human life today than in 19th century.
- Historical police records do not indicate a smaller number of infanticides in the past.
- Studies have indicated that there was less value placed on human life in the 19th century than today.
Directions: The following question presents a sentence, part of which or all of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.
The increased popularity and availability of televisions has led to the decline of regional dialects, language variations which originate from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated by geographic isolation.
- which originate from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated
- that originated from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated
- originated from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated
- originating from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated
- originating from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuating
Directions: For this question, select the best of the answer from the choices given.Although in the limited sense of freedom regarding appointments and internal working, the independence of the Central Bank is unequivocally ensured, the same cannot be said of its right to pursue monetary policy without co-ordination with the central government. The role of the Central Bank has turned out to be subordinate and advisory in nature.
Which of the following best supports the conclusion drawn in the passage?
- A decision of the chairman of the Central Bank to increase the bank rate by two percentage points sent shock-waves in industry, academic and government circles alike.
- Government has repeatedly resorted to monetization of the debt despite the reservations of the Central Bank.
- The Central Bank does not need the central government's nod for replacing soiled currency notes.
- The inability to remove coin shortage was a major shortcoming of this government.
- The Governor and the Board members of the Central Bank are nominated by the government of India.
Directions: The following question presents a sentence, part of which or all of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.
Promotions, retirements, deaths, and other actions approved by the board of directors at its May meeting will be reported in the July 15 issue of the company paper.
- Promotions, retirements, deaths, and other actions approved by the board of directors at its May meeting will be reported in the July 15 issue of the company paper.
- Promotions, retirements, and other actions which have been approved at the May meeting of the board of directors along with deaths, with be reported in the July 15 issue of the company paper.
- To be reported in the July 15 issue of the company paper are the promotions, retirements, deaths, and other actions which were approved at the board of directors’ May meeting.
- Meeting in May, the promotions, retirements, and other actions approved by the board of directors, including obituaries, will be reported in the July 15 issue of the company paper.
- The July 15 issue of the company paper will report on promotions, retirements, and other actions approved by the board of directors at its May meeting; the paper will also include obituaries.
Directions: The following question presents a sentence, part of which or all of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.
Ignoring the admonitions of his staff, the chief financial officer accepted the advice of the consulting company because he believed that the standardized accounting procedures would prove not only inexpensive but reliable indicators of economic performance.
- he believed that the standardized accounting procedures would prove not only inexpensive but
- the standardized accounting procedures will prove both inexpensive and also
- he believed the standardized accounting procedures would prove themselves to be both inexpensive and
- he believed that the standardized accounting procedures would prove to be both inexpensive and
- standardized accounting procedures will prove his belief that they are both inexpensive and
Which of the following statements about the Sullivan Principles can best be inferred from the passage?
Directions: The question
is based on the following reading passage.
Choose the best answer to the question on the
basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.
Multinational corporations frequently
encounter impediments in their attempts
to explain to politicians, human rights
groups, and (perhaps most importantly)
(5) their consumer base why they do business
with, even seek closer business ties to,
countries whose human rights records
are considered heinous by United States
standards. The CEOs propound that
(10) in the business trenches, the issue of
human rights must effectively be detached
from the wider spectrum of free trade.
Discussion of the uneasy alliance between
trade and human rights has trickled down
(15) from the boardrooms of large multinational
corporations to the consumer on the street
who, given the wide variety of products
available to him, is eager to show support
for human rights by boycotting the products
(20) of a company he feels does not do
enough to help its overseas workers.
International human rights organization also
are pressuring the multinationals to push
for more humane working conditions in
(25) other countries and to in effect develop a
code of business conduct that must be
adhered to if the American company is to
continue working with the overseas partner.
The president, in drawing up a plane for
(30) what he calls the "e;economic architecture
of our times,"e; wants economists, business
leaders, and human rights groups to work
together to develop a set of principles that
the foreign partners of United States
(35) corporations will voluntarily embrace.
Humans rights activists, incensed at the
nebulous plans for implementing such
rules, charge that their agenda is being
given low priority by the State Department.
(40) The president vociferously denies their
charges, arguing that each situation is
approached on its merits without
prejudice, and hopes that all the groups
can work together to develop principles
(45) based on empirical research rather than
political fiat, emphasizing that the
businesses with experience in the field
must initiate the process of developing
such guidelines. Business leaders, while
(50) paying lip service to the concept of these
principles, fight stealthily against their
formal endorsement as they fear such
"e;voluntary"e; concepts may someday be
given the force of law. Few business
(55) leaders have forgotten the Sullivan
Principles, in which a set of voluntary
rules regarding business conduct with
South Africa (giving benefits to workers
and banning apartheid in the companies
(60) that worked with U.S. partners) became
legislation.
- They had a detrimental effect on the profits of those corporations doing business with South Africa.
- They represented an improper alliance between political and business groups.
- They placed the needs of the foreign workers over those of the domestic workers whose jobs would therefore be in jeopardy.
- They will be used as a model to create future voluntary business guidelines.
- They will have a chilling effect on future adoption of voluntary guidelines.
Select the phrase that most appropriately completes the text in blank (8).
Directions: The blank in the following paragraph mark deletions from the text. For the question, select the phrase that most appropriately completes the text.
Libertarians argue that laws making suicide a criminal act are both foolish and an unwarranted intrusion on individual conscience. With regard to the first, they point out that there is no penalty which the law can assess which inflicts greater injury than the crime itself. As for the second, they argue that it is no business of the state to prevent suicide, for whether it is right for a person to inflict fatal injury on himself as opposed to others is a matter between him and his God, one in which the state, by the terms of the Constitution, may not interfere. Such arguments, however, seem to me to be ill-conceived. In the first place, the libertarian makes the mistaken assumption that deference is the only goal of the law. I maintain that the laws we have proscribing suicide are ___(7)___.
By making it a crime to take any life even one's own we make a public announcement of our shared conviction that each person is unique and valuable. In the second place, while it must be conceded that the doctrine of the separation of church and state is a useful one, it need not be admitted that suicide is a crime ___(8)___,. And here we need not have recourse to the possibility that a potential suicide might, if given the opportunity, repent of his decision. Suicide inflicts a cost upon us all: the emotional cost on those close to the suicide; an economic cost in the form of a loss of production of a mature and trained member of the society which falls on us all; and a cost to humanity at large for the loss of a member of our community.
- which does not necessarily lead to more serious crimes
- without victim
- as well as a sin
- which cannot be prevented
- without motive
Which of the following best describes the reason the author mentions the boycott of a corporation's products by its customers?
Directions: The question
is based on the following reading passage.
Choose the best answer to the question on the
basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.
Multinational corporations frequently
encounter impediments in their attempts
to explain to politicians, human rights
groups, and (perhaps most importantly)
(5) their consumer base why they do business
with, even seek closer business ties to,
countries whose human rights records
are considered heinous by United States
standards. The CEOs propound that
(10) in the business trenches, the issue of
human rights must effectively be detached
from the wider spectrum of free trade.
Discussion of the uneasy alliance between
trade and human rights has trickled down
(15) from the boardrooms of large multinational
corporations to the consumer on the street
who, given the wide variety of products
available to him, is eager to show support
for human rights by boycotting the products
(20) of a company he feels does not do
enough to help its overseas workers.
International human rights organization also
are pressuring the multinationals to push
for more humane working conditions in
(25) other countries and to in effect develop a
code of business conduct that must be
adhered to if the American company is to
continue working with the overseas partner.
The president, in drawing up a plane for
(30) what he calls the "e;economic architecture
of our times,"e; wants economists, business
leaders, and human rights groups to work
together to develop a set of principles that
the foreign partners of United States
(35) corporations will voluntarily embrace.
Humans rights activists, incensed at the
nebulous plans for implementing such
rules, charge that their agenda is being
given low priority by the State Department.
(40) The president vociferously denies their
charges, arguing that each situation is
approached on its merits without
prejudice, and hopes that all the groups
can work together to develop principles
(45) based on empirical research rather than
political fiat, emphasizing that the
businesses with experience in the field
must initiate the process of developing
such guidelines. Business leaders, while
(50) paying lip service to the concept of these
principles, fight stealthily against their
formal endorsement as they fear such
"e;voluntary"e; concepts may someday be
given the force of law. Few business
(55) leaders have forgotten the Sullivan
Principles, in which a set of voluntary
rules regarding business conduct with
South Africa (giving benefits to workers
and banning apartheid in the companies
(60) that worked with U.S. partners) became
legislation.
- to show the difficulties that arise when corporations attempt to become involved in politics.
- to predict the inevitability of failure of any plan that does not involve customer input.
- to disagree with the president's contention that big business is the best qualified to draw up the voluntary principles of workplace conduct.
- to indicate the pressures that are on the multinational corporations.
- to ridicule the consumers for believing that their small boycott would significantly affect the sales of a multinational corporation.
Select the phrase that most appropriately completes the text in blank (7).
Directions: The blank in the following paragraph mark deletions from the text. For the question, select the phrase that most appropriately completes the text.
Libertarians argue that laws making suicide a criminal act are both foolish and an unwarranted intrusion on individual conscience. With regard to the first, they point out that there is no penalty which the law can assess which inflicts greater injury than the crime itself. As for the second, they argue that it is no business of the state to prevent suicide, for whether it is right for a person to inflict fatal injury on himself as opposed to others is a matter between him and his God, one in which the state, by the terms of the Constitution, may not interfere. Such arguments, however, seem to me to be ill-conceived. In the first place, the libertarian makes the mistaken assumption that deference is the only goal of the law. I maintain that the laws we have proscribing suicide are ___(7)___.
By making it a crime to take any life even one's own we make a public announcement of our shared conviction that each person is unique and valuable. In the second place, while it must be conceded that the doctrine of the separation of church and state is a useful one, it need not be admitted that suicide is a crime ___(8)___,. And here we need not have recourse to the possibility that a potential suicide might, if given the opportunity, repent of his decision. Suicide inflicts a cost upon us all: the emotional cost on those close to the suicide; an economic cost in the form of a loss of production of a mature and trained member of the society which falls on us all; and a cost to humanity at large for the loss of a member of our community.
- drafted to make it more difficult to commit suicide
- passed by legislators in response to pressures by religious lobbying groups
- written in an effort to protect our democratic liberties, not undermine them
- important because they educate all to the value of human life
- outdated because they belong to a time when church and state were not
If the second hypothesis mentioned by the author (line 59 - 65) is correct, a general lessening of the discrimination against women should lead to
Directions: The question
is based on the following reading passage. Choose
the best answer to the question on the basis of what
is stated or implied in the passage.
The existence of both racial and sexual
discrimination in employment is well
documented, are policy makers and
responsible employers are particularly
(5) sensitive to the plight of the black female
employee on the theory that she is doubly
the victim of discrimination. That there exist
difference in income between whites and
blacks is clear, but it is not so clear that
(10) these difference are solely the result of
racial discrimination in employment. The
two groups differ in productivity, so basis
economics dictates that their incomes will
differ.
(15) To obtain a true measure of the effect of
racial discrimination in employment it is
necessary to adjust the gross black/white
income ratio for these productivity factors.
White women in urban areas have a higher
(20) educational level than black women and can
be expected to receive larger incomes.
More-over, state distribution of residence
is important because blacks are over-
represented in the South where wage rates
(25) are typically lower than elsewhere and where
racial differentials in income are greater. Also,
blacks are over-represented in large cities;
incomes of blacks would be greater if blacks
were distributed among cities of different sizes
(30) in the same manner as whites.
After standardization for these productivity
factors, the income of black urban women is
estimated to be between 108 and 125 percent
of the income of white women. This indicates
(35) that productivity factors more than account for
the actual white/black income differential for
women. Despite their greater education, white
women's actual median income is only 2 to 5
percent higher than that of black women in the
(40) North. Unlike the situation of men, the evidence
indicates that the money income of black urban
women was as great as, or greater than, that of
whites of similar productivity in the North, and
probably in the United States as a whole. For
(45) men, however, the adjusted black/white
income ratio is approximately 80 percent.
At least two possible hypotheses may
explain why the adjustment for productivity
more than accounts for the observed
(50) income differential for women, whereas the
income differential persists for men. First,
there may be more discrimination against
black men than against black women. The
different occupational structures for men
(55) and women give some indication why this
could be the case, and institutionalized
considerations – for example, the effect
of unionization in cutting competition – may
also contribute. Second, the data are
(60) consistent with the hypothesis that the
intensity of discrimination against women
differs little between whites and black.
Therefore, racial discrimination adds little
to the effects of existing sex
(65) discrimination. These findings suggest
that a black woman does not necessarily
suffer relatively more discrimination in the
labor market than does a white woman.
Rather, for women, the effects of sexual
(70) discrimination are so pervasive that the
effects of racial discrimination are negligible.
Of course, this is not to say that the more
generalized racial discrimination of which
black women, like black men, are victims
(75) does not disadvantage black women in their
search for work. After all, one important
productivity factor is level of education, and
the difference between white and black
women on this scale is largely the result of
(80) racial discrimination.
- a higher white/black income ratio for women
- a lower white/black income ratio for women
- lower female/male income ratio
- an increase in the productivity of women
Which of the following best describes the logical relationship between the two hypotheses presented in lines 47 - 65?
Directions: The question
is based on the following reading passage. Choose
the best answer to the question on the basis of what
is stated or implied in the passage.
The existence of both racial and sexual
discrimination in employment is well
documented, are policy makers and
responsible employers are particularly
(5) sensitive to the plight of the black female
employee on the theory that she is doubly
the victim of discrimination. That there exist
difference in income between whites and
blacks is clear, but it is not so clear that
(10) these difference are solely the result of
racial discrimination in employment. The
two groups differ in productivity, so basis
economics dictates that their incomes will
differ.
(15) To obtain a true measure of the effect of
racial discrimination in employment it is
necessary to adjust the gross black/white
income ratio for these productivity factors.
White women in urban areas have a higher
(20) educational level than black women and can
be expected to receive larger incomes.
More-over, state distribution of residence
is important because blacks are over-
represented in the South where wage rates
(25) are typically lower than elsewhere and where
racial differentials in income are greater. Also,
blacks are over-represented in large cities;
incomes of blacks would be greater if blacks
were distributed among cities of different sizes
(30) in the same manner as whites.
After standardization for these productivity
factors, the income of black urban women is
estimated to be between 108 and 125 percent
of the income of white women. This indicates
(35) that productivity factors more than account for
the actual white/black income differential for
women. Despite their greater education, white
women's actual median income is only 2 to 5
percent higher than that of black women in the
(40) North. Unlike the situation of men, the evidence
indicates that the money income of black urban
women was as great as, or greater than, that of
whites of similar productivity in the North, and
probably in the United States as a whole. For
(45) men, however, the adjusted black/white
income ratio is approximately 80 percent.
At least two possible hypotheses may
explain why the adjustment for productivity
more than accounts for the observed
(50) income differential for women, whereas the
income differential persists for men. First,
there may be more discrimination against
black men than against black women. The
different occupational structures for men
(55) and women give some indication why this
could be the case, and institutionalized
considerations – for example, the effect
of unionization in cutting competition – may
also contribute. Second, the data are
(60) consistent with the hypothesis that the
intensity of discrimination against women
differs little between whites and black.
Therefore, racial discrimination adds little
to the effects of existing sex
(65) discrimination. These findings suggest
that a black woman does not necessarily
suffer relatively more discrimination in the
labor market than does a white woman.
Rather, for women, the effects of sexual
(70) discrimination are so pervasive that the
effects of racial discrimination are negligible.
Of course, this is not to say that the more
generalized racial discrimination of which
black women, like black men, are victims
(75) does not disadvantage black women in their
search for work. After all, one important
productivity factor is level of education, and
the difference between white and black
women on this scale is largely the result of
(80) racial discrimination.
- The two hypotheses may both be true since each phenomenon could contribute to the observed differential
- The two hypotheses are contradictory, and if one is proved to be correct, the other is proved incorrect
- The two hypotheses are dependent on each other, and empirical disconfirmation of one is disconfirmation of the other
- The two hypotheses are logically connected, so that proof of the first entails the truth of the second
According to the passage, the President wants the voluntary principles to be initiated by businesses rather than by politicians or human rights activists because
Directions: The question
is based on the following reading passage.
Choose the best answer to the question on the
basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.
Multinational corporations frequently
encounter impediments in their attempts
to explain to politicians, human rights
groups, and (perhaps most importantly)
(5) their consumer base why they do business
with, even seek closer business ties to,
countries whose human rights records
are considered heinous by United States
standards. The CEOs propound that
(10) in the business trenches, the issue of
human rights must effectively be detached
from the wider spectrum of free trade.
Discussion of the uneasy alliance between
trade and human rights has trickled down
(15) from the boardrooms of large multinational
corporations to the consumer on the street
who, given the wide variety of products
available to him, is eager to show support
for human rights by boycotting the products
(20) of a company he feels does not do
enough to help its overseas workers.
International human rights organization also
are pressuring the multinationals to push
for more humane working conditions in
(25) other countries and to in effect develop a
code of business conduct that must be
adhered to if the American company is to
continue working with the overseas partner.
The president, in drawing up a plane for
(30) what he calls the "e;economic architecture
of our times,"e; wants economists, business
leaders, and human rights groups to work
together to develop a set of principles that
the foreign partners of United States
(35) corporations will voluntarily embrace.
Humans rights activists, incensed at the
nebulous plans for implementing such
rules, charge that their agenda is being
given low priority by the State Department.
(40) The president vociferously denies their
charges, arguing that each situation is
approached on its merits without
prejudice, and hopes that all the groups
can work together to develop principles
(45) based on empirical research rather than
political fiat, emphasizing that the
businesses with experience in the field
must initiate the process of developing
such guidelines. Business leaders, while
(50) paying lip service to the concept of these
principles, fight stealthily against their
formal endorsement as they fear such
"e;voluntary"e; concepts may someday be
given the force of law. Few business
(55) leaders have forgotten the Sullivan
Principles, in which a set of voluntary
rules regarding business conduct with
South Africa (giving benefits to workers
and banning apartheid in the companies
(60) that worked with U.S. partners) became
legislation.
- businesses have empirical experience in the field and thus, know what the conditions are and how they may/should be remedied
- businesses make profits from the labor of the workers and thus, have a moral obligation to improve their employees' working conditions
- workers will not accept principles drawn up by politicians whom they distrust but may agree to principles created by the corporations that pay them
- foreign nations are distrustful of the US political intervention and are more likely to accept suggestions from multinational corporations
- political activist groups have concerns that are too dramatically different from those of the corporations for the groups to be able to work together
According to the passage, the gross/white income ratio is not an accurate measure of discrimination in employment because the gross ratio
Directions: The question
is based on the following reading passage. Choose
the best answer to the question on the basis of what
is stated or implied in the passage.
The existence of both racial and sexual
discrimination in employment is well
documented, are policy makers and
responsible employers are particularly
(5) sensitive to the plight of the black female
employee on the theory that she is doubly
the victim of discrimination. That there exist
difference in income between whites and
blacks is clear, but it is not so clear that
(10) these difference are solely the result of
racial discrimination in employment. The
two groups differ in productivity, so basis
economics dictates that their incomes will
differ.
(15) To obtain a true measure of the effect of
racial discrimination in employment it is
necessary to adjust the gross black/white
income ratio for these productivity factors.
White women in urban areas have a higher
(20) educational level than black women and can
be expected to receive larger incomes.
More-over, state distribution of residence
is important because blacks are over-
represented in the South where wage rates
(25) are typically lower than elsewhere and where
racial differentials in income are greater. Also,
blacks are over-represented in large cities;
incomes of blacks would be greater if blacks
were distributed among cities of different sizes
(30) in the same manner as whites.
After standardization for these productivity
factors, the income of black urban women is
estimated to be between 108 and 125 percent
of the income of white women. This indicates
(35) that productivity factors more than account for
the actual white/black income differential for
women. Despite their greater education, white
women's actual median income is only 2 to 5
percent higher than that of black women in the
(40) North. Unlike the situation of men, the evidence
indicates that the money income of black urban
women was as great as, or greater than, that of
whites of similar productivity in the North, and
probably in the United States as a whole. For
(45) men, however, the adjusted black/white
income ratio is approximately 80 percent.
At least two possible hypotheses may
explain why the adjustment for productivity
more than accounts for the observed
(50) income differential for women, whereas the
income differential persists for men. First,
there may be more discrimination against
black men than against black women. The
different occupational structures for men
(55) and women give some indication why this
could be the case, and institutionalized
considerations – for example, the effect
of unionization in cutting competition – may
also contribute. Second, the data are
(60) consistent with the hypothesis that the
intensity of discrimination against women
differs little between whites and black.
Therefore, racial discrimination adds little
to the effects of existing sex
(65) discrimination. These findings suggest
that a black woman does not necessarily
suffer relatively more discrimination in the
labor market than does a white woman.
Rather, for women, the effects of sexual
(70) discrimination are so pervasive that the
effects of racial discrimination are negligible.
Of course, this is not to say that the more
generalized racial discrimination of which
black women, like black men, are victims
(75) does not disadvantage black women in their
search for work. After all, one important
productivity factor is level of education, and
the difference between white and black
women on this scale is largely the result of
(80) racial discrimination.
- fails to include income disparities due to gender discrimination
- must be adjusted to reflect the longer number of hours and greater number of days worked by black employees
- represents a subjective interpretation by the statistician of the importance of factors such as educational achievement
- is not designed to take account of the effects of the long history of racial discrimination
- includes income difference attributable to real economic factors and not a discrimination