CLT Verbal Reasoning 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read the excerpt: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' What does 'self-evident' mean in this context?
- Requiring extensive scientific proof before acceptance
- Obvious and needing no external proof (Correct answer)
- Derived from careful historical research
- Subject to debate among reasonable people
Correct answer: Obvious and needing no external proof
A self-evident truth is one that is immediately obvious and requires no demonstration or argument.
Question 2: Which word best completes the analogy? MELODY : CACOPHONY :: ORDER : ___
- Structure
- Harmony
- Chaos (Correct answer)
- Rhythm
Correct answer: Chaos
Just as cacophony is the opposite of melody (pleasant sound), chaos is the opposite of order.
Question 3: In Aristotle's Rhetoric, 'ethos' primarily refers to:
- An appeal to the audience's emotions
- An appeal based on logical argumentation
- An appeal based on the speaker's credibility and character (Correct answer)
- An appeal using concrete examples and evidence
Correct answer: An appeal based on the speaker's credibility and character
Ethos is the rhetorical appeal grounded in the trustworthiness and moral character of the speaker.
Question 4: A student argues: 'Every great leader in history faced adversity; therefore, facing adversity will make me a great leader.' This reasoning is flawed because it:
- Uses emotional language to manipulate the reader.
- Confuses a necessary condition with a sufficient one. (Correct answer)
- Relies on a single historical example.
- Makes an appeal to authority.
Correct answer: Confuses a necessary condition with a sufficient one.
Adversity may be necessary for great leadership, but it is not sufficient — many people face adversity without becoming great leaders.
Question 5: The word 'inimical' most nearly means:
- Extremely friendly and welcoming
- Difficult to imitate
- Harmful or hostile (Correct answer)
- Impossible to describe
Correct answer: Harmful or hostile
'Inimical' means tending to obstruct or harm; it shares a root with 'enemy' (Latin: inimicus).
Question 6: Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
- Running through the park, Maria noticed the flowers were blooming.
- Having finished the exam, the results were awaited nervously. (Correct answer)
- Although tired, the students completed the assignment on time.
- To improve her score, Jane practiced verbal reasoning daily.
Correct answer: Having finished the exam, the results were awaited nervously.
The participial phrase 'Having finished the exam' has no logical subject in the sentence — it modifies 'results' rather than a person.
Question 7: Read: 'The pen is mightier than the sword.' This statement is best classified as:
- A literal comparison of writing instruments and weapons
- A metaphor asserting that communication is more powerful than violence (Correct answer)
- An example of hyperbole exaggerating the physical strength of writers
- An allusion to a specific classical battle
Correct answer: A metaphor asserting that communication is more powerful than violence
The sentence uses metaphor — 'pen' and 'sword' represent ideas/rhetoric and military force respectively.
CLT Verbal Reasoning 3
Read the excerpt: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' What does 'self-evident' mean in this context?