Test - GRE-Reading Comprehension

Select one answer choice from the given options.

1

The antithesis of nature and nurture is not a new one. The whole body of experimental and observational evidence in biology tends to show that the characters which the individual inherits from his ancestors remain remarkably constant in all ordinary conditions to which they may be subjected. Their constancy is roughly proportionate to the place of the animal in the scale of evolution; lower forms are more easily changed by outside influence, but as one ascends to the higher forms, which are more differentiated, it is found more and more difficult to effect any change in them. Their characters are more definitely fixed at birth. The differences in men are due much more to inherited nature than to any influences brought to bear after birth. The problem of nature vs. nurture cannot be solved in general terms; a moment's thought will show that it can be understood only by examining one trait at a time.

Mere inspection does not always tell whether some feature of an individual is more affected by changes in heredity or changes in surroundings. Which explanation is correct, can only be told by examining a number of such individuals under critical conditions, or by an examination of the ancestry.

The limited effect of nurture in changing nature is in some fields a matter of common observation. The man who works in the gymnasium knows that exercise increases the strength of a given group of muscles for a while, but not indefinitely. There comes a time when the limit of a man's hereditary potentiality is reached, and no amount of exercise will add another millimeter to the circumference of his arm.

The passage as a whole can best be described as doing which of the following?

Explaining how in the debate between nature and nurture, nurture takes a strong foothold

Criticizing the belief that in the nature vs. nurture argument, one's nature takes the lead as it is inherited

Tracing the origins of the chasm between nature and nurture and seeking to bridge it

Analyzing the traits of a person to determine which of the two, nature or nurture, is dominant

Formulating a response to theory that claims that nature and nurture both are equally responsible for inherited traits

Select one answer choice from the given options.

2

The antithesis of nature and nurture is not a new one. The whole body of experimental and observational evidence in biology tends to show that the characters which the individual inherits from his ancestors remain remarkably constant in all ordinary conditions to which they may be subjected. Their constancy is roughly proportionate to the place of the animal in the scale of evolution; lower forms are more easily changed by outside influence, but as one ascends to the higher forms, which are more differentiated, it is found more and more difficult to effect any change in them. Their characters are more definitely fixed at birth. The differences in men are due much more to inherited nature than to any influences brought to bear after birth. The problem of nature vs. nurture cannot be solved in general terms; a moment's thought will show that it can be understood only by examining one trait at a time.

Mere inspection does not always tell whether some feature of an individual is more affected by changes in heredity or changes in surroundings. Which explanation is correct, can only be told by examining a number of such individuals under critical conditions, or by an examination of the ancestry.

The limited effect of nurture in changing nature is in some fields a matter of common observation. The man who works in the gymnasium knows that exercise increases the strength of a given group of muscles for a while, but not indefinitely. There comes a time when the limit of a man's hereditary potentiality is reached, and no amount of exercise will add another millimeter to the circumference of his arm.

According to the passage, how can one determine whether it is nature or nurture that is responsible for the change in a particular trait?

Experimentation of a set of organisms under similar conditions or examination of their lineage.

Decoding the genes of the organism and then comparing with the genes of the offspring.

Comparing the traits under study with the traits of ancestors over successive generations.

Observation of the organism's nature of habitat and environmental factors that have brought about the change.

Observing similar organisms under similar conditions to observe the change developed in them.

Paragraph

The passage is scrollable

The antithesis of nature and nurture is not a new one. The whole body of experimental and observational evidence in biology tends to show that the characters which the individual inherits from his ancestors remain remarkably constant in all ordinary conditions to which they may be subjected. Their constancy is roughly proportionate to the place of the animal in the scale of evolution; lower forms are more easily changed by outside influence, but as one ascends to the higher forms, which are more differentiated, it is found more and more difficult to effect any change in them. Their characters are more definitely fixed at birth. The differences in men are due much more to inherited nature than to any influences brought to bear after birth. The problem of nature vs. nurture cannot be solved in general terms; a moment's thought will show that it can be understood only by examining one trait at a time.Mere inspection does not always tell whether some feature of an individual is more affected by changes in heredity or changes in surroundings. Which explanation is correct, can only be told by examining a number of such individuals under critical conditions, or by an examination of the ancestry.The limited effect of nurture in changing nature is in some fields a matter of common observation. The man who works in the gymnasium knows that exercise increases the strength of a given group of muscles for a while, but not indefinitely. There comes a time when the limit of a man's hereditary potentiality is reached, and no amount of exercise will add another millimeter to the circumference of his arm.

3

Select the sentence that summarizes the author's opinion about source of the differences in humans.

Select one answer choice from the given options.

4

In preceding centuries, classical mythology had been treated by their Baroque aficionados as part of a timeless heritage, an inherited esthetic vocabulary that educated individuals had to learn in order to participate in high culture. The Enlightenment critics, by contrast, drew attention to the absurd, often grotesque, features of these same myths. 'They cannot be read,' Bayle judged, 'without feeling pity for those philosophers who used their time so badly.' Fontenelle, for his part, speculated that the Olympian deities of thunder and the seas were merely what the ancient Greeks had conjured up in their imaginations in order to explain natural phenomena that they lacked the scientific knowledge to comprehend. What emerged from later cultural reappraisals was a formula for conceptualizing civilization progress as a linear trajectory, pointing firmly away from myth. As 18th-century Europeans came to understand it, societies with rich mythological cultures – such as those of Greco-Roman antiquity, but also those of contemporary indigenous peoples in the New World and elsewhere – occupied a 'primitive' stage of culture. By comparison, their own enlightened society had successfully shed its myths and superstitions in favor of more rigorous ways of thinking.

Which of the following best states the author's main point?

Contrary to ancient beliefs, mythology is a waste of time.

The perception for mythology has overturned over the ages.

Enlightenment critics do not value classical mythology for its virtues.

Mythology is only a lack of scientific knowledge of facts.

Classical mythology has been deprived of a place in European culture.

Select one answer choice from the given options.

5

In preceding centuries, classical mythology had been treated by their Baroque aficionados as part of a timeless heritage, an inherited esthetic vocabulary that educated individuals had to learn in order to participate in high culture. The Enlightenment critics, by contrast, drew attention to the absurd, often grotesque, features of these same myths. 'They cannot be read,' Bayle judged, 'without feeling pity for those philosophers who used their time so badly.' Fontenelle, for his part, speculated that the Olympian deities of thunder and the seas were merely what the ancient Greeks had conjured up in their imaginations in order to explain natural phenomena that they lacked the scientific knowledge to comprehend. What emerged from later cultural reappraisals was a formula for conceptualizing civilization progress as a linear trajectory, pointing firmly away from myth. As 18th-century Europeans came to understand it, societies with rich mythological cultures – such as those of Greco-Roman antiquity, but also those of contemporary indigenous peoples in the New World and elsewhere – occupied a 'primitive' stage of culture. By comparison, their own enlightened society had successfully shed its myths and superstitions in favor of more rigorous ways of thinking.

Which of the following inferences about the understanding of the 18th century Europeans is best supported by the passage?

It relegated the contribution of all past societies to a primeval stage of cultural progress.

It emerged from iterations of cultural assessments undertaken to theorize cultural progress.

It was bestowed by a society that used rigorous thinking to conceptualize superstitions.

It was derived from their own society which embraced progressive thinking.

It was based on the presupposition that myths and superstitions impede the civilizational progress of a society.

Paragraph

The passage is scrollable

In preceding centuries, classical mythology had been treated by their Baroque aficionados as part of a timeless heritage, an inherited esthetic vocabulary that educated individuals had to learn in order to participate in high culture. The Enlightenment critics, by contrast, drew attention to the absurd, often grotesque, features of these same myths. 'They cannot be read,' Bayle judged, 'without feeling pity for those philosophers who used their time so badly.' Fontenelle, for his part, speculated that the Olympian deities of thunder and the seas were merely what the ancient Greeks had conjured up in their imaginations in order to explain natural phenomena that they lacked the scientific knowledge to comprehend. What emerged from later cultural reappraisals was a formula for conceptualizing civilization progress as a linear trajectory, pointing firmly away from myth. As 18th-century Europeans came to understand it, societies with rich mythological cultures – such as those of Greco-Roman antiquity, but also those of contemporary indigenous peoples in the New World and elsewhere – occupied a 'primitive' stage of culture. By comparison, their own enlightened society had successfully shed its myths and superstitions in favor of more rigorous ways of thinking.

6

Select a sentence in the passage that suggests the possibility of cultural exclusion of the educated.

Select one answer choice from the given options.

7

Before humans, a species generally stayed in one place. But we began moving species around the planet, introducing them to potential mates of other species they'd never have met otherwise. This movement of species across continents has created novel opportunities for interbreeding and hybridization. That rate of speciation, which is the process of a new species emerging, could be faster than any other time in history. Not only do we move species around, we also modify environments in ways that allow animals to expand their ranges. Climate change, which also shifts animals' ranges, "puts animals in each other's backyards in perhaps surprising ways. It's too soon to tell whether the human-influenced increase in hybridization is leading to more new animal species, or rather, dissolving existing ones. Even if we are adding new species to the Earth, looking only at the grand total of species ignores biodiversity and the uniqueness of species that are disappearing. But rather than thinking about human beings as just destroyers of other life forms, Thomas suggests that we think of ourselves as transformers, taking a hand in the remaking of ecosystems that has happened across our planet's long history.

Which of the following can be a conclusion drawn from this passage?

Humans have played a positive role in the evolution of species.

Life that comes on Earth after humans will be different because of us being there.

The extinction caused by humans has been balanced by evolution of new species.

Human interference is an essential component dictating the extinction and evolution of the species.

Humans should be given the due credit for the process of speciation.

Select one answer choice from the given options.

8

Before humans, a species generally stayed in one place. But we began moving species around the planet, introducing them to potential mates of other species they'd never have met otherwise. This movement of species across continents has created novel opportunities for interbreeding and hybridization. That rate of speciation, which is the process of a new species emerging, could be faster than any other time in history. Not only do we move species around, we also modify environments in ways that allow animals to expand their ranges. Climate change, which also shifts animals' ranges, "puts animals in each other's backyards in perhaps surprising ways. It's too soon to tell whether the human-influenced increase in hybridization is leading to more new animal species, or rather, dissolving existing ones. Even if we are adding new species to the Earth, looking only at the grand total of species ignores biodiversity and the uniqueness of species that are disappearing. But rather than thinking about human beings as just destroyers of other life forms, Thomas suggests that we think of ourselves as transformers, taking a hand in the remaking of ecosystems that has happened across our planet's long history.

Which of the following information supports the main contention of the author of this passage?

It has been found that nearly 13 species went extinct due to human activities.

Scientists have found 4 new species and this number is comparable to the number of species that went extinct.

Although five new hybrid species have been reported, the total tally of species is down by ten.

The number of species that went extinct due to various factors is more than the number of newly evolved species.

Climate change, whether brought by human or non-human factors, has resulted in significant loss in biodiversity.

Number	Status	Marked
1	Not answered
2	Not answered
3	Not answered
4	Not answered
5	Not answered
6	Not answered
7	Not answered
8	Not answered

GRE-Reading Comprehension - 12

Paragraph

Paragraph