ASVAB PC 3

Question 1

Few drivers realize that steel is used to keep the road surface flat despite the weight of buses and trucks. Steel bars, deeply embedded in the concrete, are sinews to take the stresses so that the stresses cannot crack the slab or make it wavy.

The passage best supports the statement that a concrete road

Answer 1

is reinforced with other material.

Question 2

Blood pressure, the force that the blood exerts against the walls of the vessels through which it flows, is commonly meant to be the pressure in the arteries. The pressure in the arteries varies with the contraction (work period) and the relaxation (rest period) of the heart. When the heart contracts, the blood in the arteries is at its greatest, or systolic, pressure. When the heart relaxes, the blood in the arteries is at its lowest, or diastolic, pressure. The difference between these pressures is called the pulse pressure.

According to the passage, which one of the following statements is most accurate?

Answer 2

The blood in the arteries is at its greatest pressure during contraction.

Question 3

More patents have been issued for inventions relating to transportation than for those in any other line of human activity. These inventions have resulted in a great financial savings to the people and have made possible a civilization that could not have existed without them.

One of the following statements that is best supported by the passage is that transportation

Answer 3

is an important factor in our civilization.

Question 4

The Supreme Court was established by Article 3 of the Constitution. Since 1869, it has been made up of nine members– the chief justice and eight associate justices– who are appointed for life. Supreme Court justices are named by the president and must be confirmed by the Senate.

The Supreme Court

Answer 4

consists of nine justices.

Question 5

With the exception of Earth, all of the planets in our solar system are named for gods and goddesses in Greek or Roman legends. This is because the other planets were believed to be in heaven like the gods and our planet lay beneath, like the earth.

All the planets EXCEPT Earth

Answer 5

were believed to be in heaven.

Question 6

Both the high school and the college should take the responsibility for preparing the student to get a job. Because the ability to write a good application letter is one of the first steps toward this goal, every teacher should be willing to do what he or she can to help the student learn to write such letters.

The paragraph best supports the statement that

Answer 6

inability to write a good letter often reduces one’s job prospects.

Question 7

Many people think that only older men who have a great deal of experience should hold public office. These people lose sight of an important fact. Many of the founding fathers of our country were comparatively young men. Today more than ever, our country needs young, idealistic politicians.

The best interpretation of what this author believes is that

Answer 7

younger men can and should take part in politics.

Question 8

The X-ray has gone into business. Developed primarily to aid in diagnosing human ills, the machine now works in packing plants, in foundries, and in service stations and in a dozen ways contributes to precision and accuracy in industry.

The X-ray

Answer 8

is being used to improve the functioning of industry..

Question 9

In large organizations, some standardized, simple, inexpensive methods of giving employees information about company policies and rules, as well as specific instructions regarding their duties, is practically essential. This is the purpose of all office manuals of whatever type.

The paragraph best supports the statement that office manuals

Answer 9

are necessary to large organizations.

Question 10

In relations of man to nature, the procuring of food and shelter is fundamental. With the migration of man to various climates, ever-new adjustments to the food supply and to the climate became necessary.

According to the passage, the means by which man supplies his material needs are

Answer 10

varied.

Question 11

Questions 11-12 are based on the following passage.

Many experiments on the effects of alcohol consumption show that alcohol decreases alertness and efficiency. It decreases self-consciousness and at the same time increases confidence and feelings of ease and relaxation. It impairs attention and judgement. It destroys fear of consequences. Usual cautions are thrown to the winds. Drivers who use alcohol tend to disregard their usual safety practices. Their reaction time slows down; normally quick reactions are not possible for them. They cannot judge the speed of their car or any other car. They become highway menaces.

The above passage states that the drinking of alcohol makes drivers

Answer 11

less attentive.

Question 12

Many experiments on the effects of alcohol consumption show that alcohol decreases alertness and efficiency. It decreases self-consciousness and at the same time increases confidence and feelings of ease and relaxation. It impairs attention and judgement. It destroys fear of consequences. Usual cautions are thrown to the winds. Drivers who use alcohol tend to disregard their usual safety practices. Their reaction time slows down; normally quick reactions are not possible for them. They cannot judge the speed of their car or any other car. They become highway menaces.

It is reasonable to assume that drivers may overcome the bad effects of drinking by

Answer 12

waiting for the alcohol to wear off before driving.

Question 13

Questions 13-15 are based on the following passage.

Arsonists are persons who set fires deliberately. They don’t look like criminals, but they cost the nation millions of dollars in property loss and sometimes loss of life. Arsonists set fires for many different reasons. Sometimes a shopkeeper sees no way out of losing his business and sets fire to it to collect the insurance. Another type of arsonist wants revenge and sets fire to the home or shop of someone he feels has treated him unfairly. Some arsonists just like the excitement of seeing the fire burn and watching the firefighters at work; arsonists of this type have even been known to help fight the fire.

According to the previous passage, an arsonist is a person who

Answer 13

intentionally sets a fire.

Question 14

Questions 13-15 are based on the following passage.

Arsonists are persons who set fires deliberately. They don’t look like criminals, but they cost the nation millions of dollars in property loss and sometimes loss of life. Arsonists set fires for many different reasons. Sometimes a shopkeeper sees no way out of losing his business and sets fire to it to collect the insurance. Another type of arsonist wants revenge and sets fire to the home or shop of someone he feels has treated him unfairly. Some arsonists just like the excitement of seeing the fire burn and watching the firefighters at work; arsonists of this type have even been known to help fight the fire.

Arsonists have been known to help fight fires because they

Answer 14

enjoyed the excitement.

Question 15

Arsonists are persons who set fires deliberately. They don’t look like criminals, but they cost the nation millions of dollars in property loss and sometimes loss of life. Arsonists set fires for many different reasons. Sometimes a shopkeeper sees no way out of losing his business and sets fire to it to collect the insurance. Another type of arsonist wants revenge and sets fire to the home or shop of someone he feels has treated him unfairly. Some arsonists just like the excitement of seeing the fire burn and watching the firefighters at work; arsonists of this type have even been known to help fight the fire.

According to the previous passage, we may conclude that arsonists

Answer 15

are not all alike.

Question 16

The lead-acid storage battery is used for storing energy in its chemical form. The battery does not actually store electricity but converts an electrical charge into chemical energy that is stored until the battery terminals are connected to a closed external circuit. When the circuit is closed, the battery’s chemical energy is transformed back into electrical energy and, as a result, current flows through the circuit.

According to this passage, a lead-acid battery stores

Answer 16

chemical energy.

Question 17

A good or service has value only because people want it. Value is an extrinsic quality wholly created in the minds of people and is not intrinsic in the property itself.

According to this passage, it is correct to say that a object will be valuable if it is

Answer 17

sought after

Question 18

You can tell a frog from a toad by its skin. In general, a frog’s skin is moist, smooth, and shiny while a toad’s skin is dry, dull, and rough or covered with warts. Frogs are also better at jumping than toads.

You can recognize a toad by its

Answer 18

dry, rough skin.

Question 19

The speed of a boat is measured in knots. One knot is equal to a speed of one nautical mile an hour. A nautical mile is equal to 6,080 feet, while an ordinary mile is 5,280 feet.

According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

Answer 19

A nautical mile is longer than an ordinary mile

Question 20

There are only two grooves on a record–one on each side. The groove is cut in a spiral on the surface of the record. For stereophonic sound, a different sound is recorded in each wall of the groove. The pick-up produces two signals, one of which goes to the left-hand speaker and one to the right-hand speaker.

Stereophonic sound is produced by

Answer 20

recording different sounds in each wall of the groove.

Question 21

It is a common assumption that city directories are prepared and published by the cities concerned. However, the directory business is as much a private business as is the publishing of dictionaries and encyclopedias. The companies financing the publication make their profits through the sales of the directories themselves and through the advertising in them.

The paragraph best supports the statement that

Answer 21

the publication of a city directory is a commercial business.

Question 22

Although rural crime reporting is spottier and less efficient than city and town reporting, sufficient data have been collected to support the statement that rural crime rates are lower than those in urban communities.

The paragraph best supports the statement that

Answer 22

there appears to be a lower proportion of crime in rural areas than in cities.

Question 23

Iron is used in making our bridges and skyscrapers, subways and steamships, railroads and automobiles, and nearly all kinds of machinery–besides millions of small articles, from the farmer’s scythe to the tailor’s needle.

The paragraph best supports the statement that iron

Answer 23

has many different uses.

Question 24

Most solids, like most liquids, expand when heated and contract when cooled. To allow for this, roads, sidewalks, and railroad tracks are constructed with spacing between sections so that they can expand during the hot weather.

If roads, sidewalks, and railroad tracks were not constructed with spacing between sections,

Answer 24

they would crack or break when the weather changed.

Question 25

Twenty-five percent of all household burglaries can be attributed to unlocked windows or doors. Crime is the result of opportunity plus desire.

To prevent crime, it is each individual’s responsibility to

Answer 25

prevent the opportunity.

Question 26

Questions 11 and 12 are based on the following passage.

When demand for new buildings rises sharply, prices of such buildings usually increase rapidly while construction invariably lags behind. The relation of supply to demand is one of the factors that may greatly influence prices. When demand for new buildings suddenly declines, their prices fall because the available supply cannot be immediately curtailed.

According to the previous passage, a sharp increase in demand for new buildings usually results in

Answer 26

fewer new buildings in proportion to buyers.

Question 27

When demand for new buildings rises sharply, prices of such buildings usually increase rapidly while construction invariably lags behind. The relation of supply to demand is one of the factors that may greatly influence prices. When demand for new buildings suddenly declines, their prices fall because the available supply cannot be immediately curtailed.

When there is a sudden drop in the demand for new buildings, the immediately resulting effect on their prices is attributable mainly to the

Answer 27

static condition in the supply of such buildings.

Question 28

Questions 13-15 are based on the following passage.

A large proportion of the people behind bars are not convicted criminals, but people who have been arrested and are being held until their trial in court. Experts have often pointed out that this detention system does not operate fairly. For instance, a person who can afford to pay bail usually will not get locked up. The person must show up in court when he is supposed to; otherwise, he will forfeit his bail. Sometimes, one who can show that he is a stable citizen with a job and a family will be released on “personal recognizance.” The result is that the well-to-do, the employed, and the family men can often avoid the detention system. Those who do wind up in detention tend to be the poor, the unemployed, the single, and the young.

According to the previous passage, people who are put behind bars

Answer 28

are often people who have been arrested but have not yet come to trial.

Question 29

Questions 13-15 are based on the following passage.

A large proportion of the people behind bars are not convicted criminals, but people who have been arrested and are being held until their trial in court. Experts have often pointed out that this detention system does not operate fairly. For instance, a person who can afford to pay bail usually will not get locked up. The person must show up in court when he is supposed to; otherwise, he will forfeit his bail. Sometimes, one who can show that he is a stable citizen with a job and a family will be released on “personal recognizance.” The result is that the well-to-do, the employed, and the family men can often avoid the detention system. Those who do wind up in detention tend to be the poor, the unemployed, the single, and the young.

The passage says that the detention system works unfairly against people who are

Answer 29

unemployed

Question 30

A large proportion of the people behind bars are not convicted criminals, but people who have been arrested and are being held until their trial in court. Experts have often pointed out that this detention system does not operate fairly. For instance, a person who can afford to pay bail usually will not get locked up. The person must show up in court when he is supposed to; otherwise, he will forfeit his bail. Sometimes, one who can show that he is a stable citizen with a job and a family will be released on “personal recognizance.” The result is that the well-to-do, the employed, and the family men can often avoid the detention system. Those who do wind up in detention tend to be the poor, the unemployed, the single, and the young.

When someone is released on “personal recognizance,” this means that

Answer 30

he does not have to pay bail.

Question 31

Numerous benefits to the employer as well as to the worker have resulted from physical examinations of employees. Such examinations are intended primarily as a means of increasing efficiency and production, and they have been found to accomplish these ends.

The passage best supports the statement that physical examinations

Answer 31

may serve to increase output.

Question 32

Examination of traffic accident statistics reveals that traffic accidents are frequently the result of violations of traffic laws—and usually the violations are the result of illegal and dangerous driving behavior rather than the result of mechanical defects or poor road conditions.

According to this passage, the majority of dangerous traffic violations are cause by

Answer 32

poor driving.

Question 33

Complaints from the pubic are no longer regarded by government officials as mere nuisances. Instead, complaints are often welcomed because they frequently bring into the open conditions and faults in operation and service that should be corrected.

This passage means most nearly that

Answer 33

complaints from the public can be useful in indicating needs for improvement in operation and service.

Question 34

In a pole-vaulting competition, the judge decides on the minimum height to be jumped. The vaulter may attempt to jump any height above the minimum. Using flexible fiberglass poles, vaulters have jumped as high as 18 feet, 8 1/4 inches.

According to the passage, pole vaulters

Answer 34

must jump higher than the height set by the judge.

Question 35

When gas is leaking, any spark or sudden flame can ignite it. This can create a “flashback,” which burns off the gas in a quick puff of smoke and flame. But the real danger is in a large leak, which can cause an explosion.

According to the passage, the real danger from leaking gas is a(n)

Answer 35

explosion.

Question 36

A year—the time it takes the earth to go exactly once around the—is not 365 days. It is actually 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes 9 1/2 seconds, or 365 1/ 4 days. Leap years make up for this discrepancy by adding an extra day once every four years.

The purpose of leap year is to

Answer 36

adjust for the fact that it takes 365 1/ 4 days for the earth to circle the sun.

Question 37

Any business not provided with capable substitutes to fill all important positions is a weak business. Therefore, a foreman should train each man or woman not only to perform his or her own particular duties but also to do those of two or three positions.

The paragraph best supports the statement that

Answer 37

vacancies in vital positions should be provided for in advance.

Question 38

In the business districts of cities, collections from street letter boxes are made at state hours, and collectors are required to observe those hours exactly. Anyone using these boxes can rely with certainty on the time of the next collection.

The paragraph best supports the statement that mail

Answer 38

is collected in business districts on a regular schedule

Question 39

The increasing size of business organizations has resulted in less personal contact between superior and subordinate. Consequently, business executives today depend more on records and reports to secure information and exercise control over the operations of various departments.

The increasing size of business organizations has

Answer 39

resulted in less personal contact between superior and subordinate.

Question 40

Kindling temperature is the lowest temperature at which a substance catches fire and continues to burn. Different fuels have different kindling temperatures. Paper catches fire easily because it has a low kindling temperature. Coal, because of its high kindling temperature, requires much heat before it will begin to burn. Matches are tipped with phosphorus, or some other low-kindling material, to permit the small amount of heat produced by friction to ignite the match.

The property of phosphorous that makes it ideal for use on matches is

Answer 40

its low-kindling temperature.

Question 41

Questions 11-12 are based on the following passage.

Racketeers are primarily concerned with business affairs, legitimate or otherwise, and preferably those that are close to the margin of legitimacy. They get their best opportunities from business organizations that meet the needs of large sections of the public for goods and services that are defined as illegitimate by the same public, such as gambling, illicit drugs, etc. In contrast to the thief, the racketeer and the establishments he or she controls deliver goods and services for money received.

According to the passage, racketeering, unlike theft involves

Answer 41

payments for goods received.

Question 42

Questions 11-12 are based on the following passage.

Racketeers are primarily concerned with business affairs, legitimate or otherwise, and preferably those that are close to the margin of legitimacy. They get their best opportunities from business organizations that meet the needs of large sections of the public for goods and services that are defined as illegitimate by the same public, such as gambling, illicit drugs, etc. In contrast to the thief, the racketeer and the establishments he or she controls deliver goods and services for money received.

It can be deduced that suppression of racketeering is difficult because

Answer 42

many people want services that are not obtainable through legitimate sources.

Question 43

Questions 13-15 are based on the following passage.

The two systems of weights and measures are the English system and the metric system. The English system uses units such as foot, pound, and quart; the metric system uses meter, gram, and liter.

The metric system was first adopted in France in 1795 and is now used by most countries in the world. In the metric system, the unit of length is the meter, which is one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole.

The British recently changed their system of weights and measures to the metric system; however, in the United States, there has been much opposition to this change. It would cost billions of dollars to change all our weights and measures to the metric system.

According to the passage, the metric system is used

Answer 43

in almost all countries of the world.

Question 44

Questions 13-15 are based on the following passage.

The two systems of weights and measures are the English system and the metric system. The English system uses units such as foot, pound, and quart; the metric system uses meter, gram, and liter.

The metric system was first adopted in France in 1795 and is now used by most countries in the world. In the metric system, the unit of length is the meter, which is one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole.

The British recently changed their system of weights and measures to the metric system; however, in the United States, there has been much opposition to this change. It would cost billions of dollars to change all our weights and measures to the metric system.

The United States has not changed to the metric system because

Answer 44

the change would be costly.

Question 45

Questions 13-15 are based on the following passage.

The two systems of weights and measures are the English system and the metric system. The English system uses units such as foot, pound, and quart; the metric system uses meter, gram, and liter.

The metric system was first adopted in France in 1795 and is now used by most countries in the world. In the metric system, the unit of length is the meter, which is one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole.

The British recently changed their system of weights and measures to the metric system; however, in the United States, there has been much opposition to this change. It would cost billions of dollars to change all our weights and measures to the metric system.

The meter is equal to

Answer 45

1/10,000,000 of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole.