剑桥Thinking Skills Assessment 真题NO1 2004a

Monday

17        In an effort to find employment:

1)        I wrote to 37 companies, inquiring about positions vacant.
2)        I enclosed a stamped addressed envelope with each letter.
3)        I received only 11 replies.
4)        Stamps cost 45 cents each.

If you were asked to work out how much this exercise cost me in postage, which piece of information (if any) is not necessary?

A        1)
B        2)
C        3)
D        4)
E        All the information is necessary.

Monday

18        Five days into my new fitness programme things are not quite going to plan. I set myself a target of running an average of 12 kilometres per day, but over the five days so far I have only averaged 10 kilometres per day.

What is the minimum distance I need to run altogether during the next two days if I am to achieve my target over the first week?

A        28 kilometres
B        30 kilometres
C        34 kilometres
D        38 kilometres
E        44 kilometres

Monday

23 In many countries in Europe, there has been a decline in school pupils learning to play the double bass and trombone. Some people would explain this in terms of a decline in interest in orchestral music, which relies on these instruments. However, much smaller orchestral instruments, such as the flute, have not experienced a decline in popularity. The reason, therefore, for the decline in pupils learning to play the double bass and trombone is that they are large and extremely difficult to transport in comparison with instruments such as flutes.

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument in the above passage?

A        Instruments such as flutes are as expensive as double basses and trombones.
B        The number of pupils playing some smaller instruments, such as trumpets, has declined.
C        The number of pupils playing other larger instruments, such as bass drums, has increased.
D        Sales of double basses and trombones to orchestras have not declined.
E        Countries outside Europe have not seen the same pattern of decline.

Monday

26        Mavis is an air steward. She has just touched down at Manchester Airport after a return flight to Cyprus.

1)        It is now 8.35 pm in Manchester.
2)        Local time in Cyprus is 2 hours ahead of Manchester.
3)        The plane was on the ground in Cyprus for 1 hour 20 minutes.
4)        The total flying time was 8 hours 50 minutes.

If you were asked to work out at what (local) time Mavis originally took off from Manchester, which piece of information (if any) is not necessary?

A        1)
B        2)
C        3)
D        4)
E        All the information is necessary.

Monday

30        A cyclist in a race is riding with a group of riders at 40 km/hr. He has a puncture. Fortunately his team car is just behind him and they manage to change his wheel and return him on his way in 30 seconds. The group continues at the same pace and the rider who had the puncture chases them at 50 km/hr.

How long will it take him to catch up with the group?

A        1 minute 36 seconds
B        1 minute 45 seconds
C        2 minutes
D        2 minutes 30 seconds
E        5 minutes

Monday

33        The explanation for the link between smoking and physical illnesses, such as cancer, is being increasingly understood. However, what is still little understood is the link between smoking and mental illness, such as depression. One recent study of young people showed that those who suffered from major depression at the start of the study were three times as likely to move from being light to being heavy smokers during the period of study. Why this was so is not clear. It is likely that the causal relationship between smoking and mental illness is much more complex than that of depression somehow making people want to smoke more. Thus we need a better understanding of this relationship if we are to deal with the problem.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the above argument?

A        People who smoke have a higher risk of depression than those who do not.
B        Some physical illnesses can cause people to become depressed.
C        Large numbers of young people neither smoke nor suffer from depression.
D        Heavy smokers do not always develop physical illnesses such as cancer.
E        The various treatments for depression do not take into account whether or not the patient smokes.

Monday

35        The influenza virus is carried by birds. People can become infected by the virus when there is contact between human beings and birds. This is why some epidemics of influenza started in Asia, where there are large markets selling live chickens. So if you avoid contact with birds, you will avoid catching influenza.

Which of the following is the best statement of the flaw in the above argument?

A        It assumes that influenza epidemics occur only in Asia.
B        It assumes that influenza cannot be treated with antibiotics.
C        It ignores the fact that chickens do not show symptoms of influenza.
D        It assumes that contact with birds is the only way of catching influenza.
E        It ignores the fact that most people do not have contact with live chickens

Monday

36        I have a grandfather clock. It runs slightly fast, gaining one second every four hours. It needs winding once a week, which I do just before noon every Saturday. The clock has to be stopped to carry out this process, and after it has been restarted it is always 15 seconds slow at precisely 12 o’clock.

Today is Thursday, and the correct time now is 8pm. How many seconds past 8 o’clock does the clock show?
A        14 seconds
B        17 seconds
C        20 seconds
D        32 seconds
E        47 seconds

Monday

38        Insulating your home can significantly reduce fuel bills. The total amount saved over a particular period of time can be calculated by multiplying the reduction in the fuel bill per year by the number of years since the insulation was installed, then subtracting the original cost of the insulation.

An insulation specialist has estimated that by spending $500 on insulation I could reduce my fuel bills by $120 per year.

If I install this insulation now, how much should I save over the next 10 years?

A        $700
B        $1200
C        $1700
D        $3800
E        $4880

Monday

42 Each year about 100 million sharks are killed by fishing nets, causing many species of shark to become endangered. Populations of some species are as low as 20 per cent of the figure for the 1970s. It is odd then that the last ten years have seen the highest recorded number of unprovoked shark attacks on humans. The increase has happened at the same time that the practice of shark-watching dives has developed. In these dives, a mixture of meat and blood (called 'chum') is thrown into the sea to attract sharks. As a result, sharks associate people with food. Such dives should be discouraged if we are to reverse this increasing risk of unprovoked attacks by sharks.

Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the above argument?

A        Some species of shark are more dangerous than others.
B        Sharks can be attracted by means other than using the mixture called 'chum'.
C        The monitoring of shark attacks on people has increased over recent years.
D        People who go surfing are the most likely group to be attacked by sharks.
E        The risk of being attacked by sharks is lower than many other risks that people face in the sea.