GMAT RC – Mixed Questions (Set 5) [Veritas] 1
Passage 1
One clear advantage of selling goods online is that smaller
markets can be served without the seller needing to invest in
heavy inventory costs. Recordings of classical music, for
example, are increasingly hard to find at the larger music
chains, where only a handful of recordings sell well enough to
make the inventory costs and use of shelf space worthwhile,
but the aficionado can now locate nearly any classical CD in
print on the Internet. In addition, forward-thinking artists
without national reputations have made their music available
on personal sites or through services that provide the musicians
a more generous share of profits than that offered by the large
record labels. For some, this has resulted in increased sales
volume, greater return on investment, greater control of
product, and a more direct connection with an eager market
base. Major orchestras and record labels have taken note, and
have created Web sites where one can purchase individual
tracks, full CDs, archival recordings, and even music exclusively
made available for online downloads. Some symphony
orchestras now include, with the price of admission to a
concert, the right to download a recording of the concert
afterward. Other services allow the listener unlimited
streaming or downloading for a monthly fee.
The question remains as to whether classical music will remain
at the periphery of the online market, just as it is in the big retail
chains. The short answer is most likely yes; classical music is
now just one more niche market, albeit one with a particularly
long and distinguished past. Cultural factors—most notably
television—have been at work for some time now, creating a
limited audience for music that requires sustained critical
listening. However, the digital economy has ensured two
important factors. First, for those with an interest, an
impressively wide range of classical music will be available for
some time to come. Second, motivated new artists can earn
enough to continue to produce new recordings.
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to _______.
A demonstrate that classical music, though it is part of
a culture that is antithetical to its existence, will exist
for some time to come
B acknowledge that classical music sales are unlikely
to capture a significantly larger part of the market
share of musical recordings, despite the beneficial
effect of online sales
C discuss the many ways that the Internet has
contributed, and will contribute, to sales of smaller
markets
D use the effect that online sales has had–and will
have–on classical music sales as an example of how
the digital economy can change smaller markets
E show how a few motivated artists have
revolutionized a field that was in danger of
becoming extinct
2. It can be inferred from the passage that the author
believes that _______.
A classical music recordings available exclusively
online are equal to those available in stores
B the large music chains have not done enough to
promote the sales of classical music recordings
C the enjoyment of popular music does not
necessitate long periods of intense listening
D any classical musician who wishes to increase sales
of his or her recordings should set up a personal
Web site
E the digital economy has had a mixed effect on
classical music sales
3. Which of the following is NOT an example of the
effect that the digital economy has had on the selling
of classical music, as described in the passage?
A Consumers are able to purchase CDs that are
unavailable in stores.
B Artists find it easier to send promotional information
to people who have expressed an interest in the
artists’ music.
C A major record label offers its new artists a greater
share of profits than in the past.
D Listeners download music without having to concern
themselves with the cost of each download.
E A new artist sells enough copies of a first CD to pay
for the production of a second.
4. It can be inferred from the passage that one factor that
has led to the marginalizing of classical music in retail
stores is that _______.
A classical music must compete with a wide range of
other niche market recordings
B physical space is needed for better-selling
recordings
C major orchestras have had a difficult time selling
tickets to live performances
D inventory costs of classical music recordings tend to
be higher than those associated with popular music
E recordings are displayed in a way that is
disadvantageous to the consumer who is interested
in a recording that is not a big seller

Passage 2
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal was hotly debated at
the time it was instituted, and amazingly, it is still a sensitive
topic for ideologues on the left and right today. Whether
Roosevelt’s overhauling of the economy brought the U.S.
out of the Great Depression or prolonged it, as some
believe, there is little disagreement as to the magnifying
effect that his policies had on the ability and propensity of
the federal government to involve itself in the nation’s
economic affairs, by legislative means or by direct
expenditures. New Deal emergency relief programs gave
the government control over labor laws, transportation
regulations, and farming methods, not to mention criminal
law and even social welfare. Prior to the New Deal, banks
were regulated by the states, though the Federal Reserve
Bank, sometimes referred to as a decentralized central
bank, was in place by 1913.
Any wartime effort is sure to increase federal power, and
World War II solidified the expectation that the executive
branch in particular could, for better or worse, have a large
hand in controlling economic and business policy. The bond
between the military and the industrial sector, which had
been so important in winning the war, gave rise to what
President Eisenhower called, with some foreboding, the
military-industrial complex. When John Kennedy took office
during economically promising times, he announced his
New Frontier program, now often remembered for its
boosterism of the space program, but which also gave the
government added powers to negotiate tariff reductions
and take part in multinational trade negotiations.
Amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act increased
both the minimum wage and the number of workers in the
retail sector that were to be covered. An ambitious housing
bill increased the government’s involvement in authorizing
mortgages for home rehabilitation and providing grants for
urban renewal.
Though the expansion of federal economic activism has
been associated with Democrats since the time of
Roosevelt, Republican Richard Nixon did not shy from
federal involvement in non-emergency economic issues. It
wasn’t until the presidency of Ronald Reagan that an
attempt was made to scale back government influence in
economic and business affairs so that the famous—and
debatable—“invisible hand” of capitalism could guide the
economy and promote social good.
GMAT RC – Mixed Questions (Set 5) [Veritas] 2
1. Which of the following is the most appropriate title of the
passage?
A How the New Deal Increased Federal Spending
B The Economic and Social Impact of Executive Branch
Spending
C The New Deal’s Legacy of Federal Economic Activism
D Government Control of Monetary Policy Since the
New Deal
E The Path from Government Activism to the Invisible
Hand
2. It can be inferred from the passage that the New Deal
_______.
A turned regulation of the banks over to the federal
government
B created the Federal Reserve Bank as a means of
gaining more control over economic policy
C was responsible for the federal government’s first
attempt at directly promoting social welfare
programs
D came to an end with the start of World War II
E was unpopular with labor leaders whose actions were
increasingly overseen by the executive branch of the
government
3. According to the passage, which of the following was NOT
necessarily true of the New Frontier?
A It addressed the need for loans with which to improve
housing.
B It gave the federal government a larger role to play in
some global affairs.
C It was enacted during a time when the future of the
economy looked bright.
D It was instrumental in creating the Fair Labor
Standards Act.
E It guaranteed wages for a greater number of people.
4. It can be inferred from the passage that federal
involvement in business affairs _______.
A became associated with Republicans after Richard
Nixon took office
B was discouraged by those who believed that the
“invisible hand” of capitalism would produce non-
economic benefits
C was responsible for the creation of a so-called
“military-industrial” complex
D was never the intent of the New Frontier, though it
was essential to the implementation of the New Deal
E is most effective when it is reserved for economic
emergencies such as those created by the Great
Depression

Passage 3
Thomas Henry Huxley (1825−1895), one of Charles Darwin’s
earliest and most staunch defenders, as well as an
influential naturalist in his own right, first observed the
many similarities between reptiles and birds. Huxley noted,
for example, that the wings of a bird hid reptilian fingers.
Today, few scientists challenge not only the link between
birds and reptiles in general, but between birds and
theropods, a group of bipedal saurischian dinosaurs.
Hundreds of structural similarities exist, including
elongated arms, large eye openings, swiveling wrists, three
forward-facing toes, and hollow bones.
The most diverse theropod group is the coelurosaurs, a
carnivorous bipedal group that includes the Tyrannosaurus
rex and the Velociraptor, the latter of which is quite similar
to the oldest known bird, the Archaeopteryx.
Coelurosauria, in fact, is the clade that contains all
theropods more closely related to birds than to carnosaurs,
and all coelurosaurs have been thought to possess feathers.
However, a recent find of what seems to be an entirely
new—and apparently featherless—coelurosaur has
complicated the subject. Several suggestions have been
made as to why this particular chicken-sized dinosaur from
the Late Jurassic period lacked feathers.
One possibility is that, in some creatures, feathers were
replaced by scales because the feathers were not needed
for warmth, recognition of family members, or mating
rituals—uses that feathers were thought to have had for
dinosaurs that did not fly. It is also possible that some
coelurosaurs had feathers in only certain geographic areas.
Another idea is that this particular coelurosaur was so
young that it had not yet grown feathers.
A more fundamentally profound alternative is that,
contrary to conventional scientific thought, birds and
feathered dinosaurs developed feathers independently of
each other rather than from a common ancestor. This
would certainly not be the first case of what is known as
convergent evolution. Fish and certain mammals can swim,
but have evolved this attribute separately. Likewise, insects
have wings, but developed them independently from birds.
Luckily, the new fossil of what has been named a
Juravenator is well-preserved almost in its entirety. More
insights into why it did not have feathers will likely lead to
new insights into how other animals did develop this trait.
GMAT RC – Mixed Questions (Set 5) [Veritas] 3
1. According to the passage, convergent evolution.
A had not been thought to apply to a common trait
found in birds and other animals prior to the
discovery of the Juravenator fossil
B has not been shown to apply to humans
C was not always thought to apply to birds and
coelurosaurs
D was first noticed by Thomas Henry Huxley
E explains why some dinosaurs developed feathers
for warmth
2. In the passage, the author is primarily interested in:
A presenting possible solutions to a problem that has
troubled scientists for years
B providing background information and possible
explanations for a curious discovery
C answering critics of a controversial theory that is
supported by a new finding
D showing how an established idea can become too
entrenched in conventional scientific thought
E presenting historical background to a current
phenomenon
3. According to the passage, the Archaeopteryx
A had feathers but did not fly
B is the oldest known coelurosaur
C was approximately the size of a chicken
D shares some similarities with carnivorous dinosaurs
E and the Juravenator developed feathers from a
common ancestor
4. According to the passage, feathers on dinosaurs
A were not used for flight
B were not always present at birth
C were first noted by Huxley
D might have evolved from scales
E were a characteristic of all coelurosaurs
5. Which of the following can be inferred from the
passage?
A All adult coelurosaurs possessed feathers.
B Coelurosaurs who did not need feathers for
warmth or mating rituals shed those feathers for
scales.
C Scientists have reached a consensus that certain
birds and dinosaurs are evolutionarily linked.
D Thomas Henry Huxley believed in the idea of
convergent evolution.
E Coeulurosaurs that did not have feathers instead
had scales.