FREE MSAP Reasoning in the Humanities and Social Sciences Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which two of the statements below are most similar to each other in the attitude to equality presented?

(i) Although people possess unequal powers, they nonetheless deserve equal rights.
(ii) People are made by nature unequal. It is vain, therefore, to treat them as if they were equal.
(iii) Kneeling ne’er spoil’d silk stocking; quit thy state;
All equal are within the church’s gate.
(iv) The wealth of a nation consists more than anything else in the number of superior people it harbours.

Accepted Answer

Statements (i) and (iii)

Answer

Statements (ii) and (iii)

Answer

Statements (i) and (iv)

Answer

Statements (iii) and (iv)

Question 2

The cartoon is a comment on:

Accepted Answer

The social implications of a decentralised workforce.

Answer

Corporate loyalty.

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The value of teamwork.

Answer

The social implications of a casualised workforce.

Question 3

The cartoon suggests that current work practices are:

Accepted Answer

unsatisfying.

Answer

quaint.

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congenial.

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unproductive.

Question 4

Which one of the following best describes the tone of the poem?

Accepted Answer

Bitter, with a note of derision

Answer

Sympathetic, with a note of nostalgia

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Compassionate, yet irritated

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Contemptuous, yet humble

Question 5

Which literary device is predominantly used in the poem?

Accepted Answer

Symbolism

Answer

Metaphor

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Alliteration

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Personification

Question 6

One week after beginning to see, the man:

Accepted Answer

formed visual impressions of shape indirectly.

Answer

related shape directly to visual images.

Answer

spontaneously reduced his dependence on his sense of touch.

Answer

was developing a visual appreciation of shape through association with colour.

Question 7

The man’s mistake about the square (lines 3 and 4) suggests that:

Accepted Answer

he could not make full use of visual clues.

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his eyesight was still impaired.

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the idea of shape was meaningless to him.

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colour makes shape perception more difficult.

Question 8

The passage suggests that the man refers to the shapes as ‘one patch of light’ (line 8) because:

Accepted Answer

he does not associate visual images with shapes.

Answer

he does not know the names of shapes.

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he wants to be precise in order to make his reasoning clear.

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he wants to choose wording that will convey the difficulty of his task.

Question 9

The passage presents shape perception as generally dependent on:

Accepted Answer

experience.

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keen eyesight.

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inherited skills.

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colour perception.

Question 10

Which two of the following statements express a belief in the inherent value of equality?

(i) "Regardless of our diverse abilities, everyone should have equal access to opportunities."
(ii) "Some individuals are naturally more talented than others, so treating everyone equally is futile."
(iii) "In the eyes of the law, all citizens are considered equal regardless of their social status."
(iv) "A nation's prosperity is directly linked to the quality of its most gifted citizens."

Accepted Answer

Statements (i) and (iii)

Answer

Statements (ii) and (iii)

Answer

Statements (i) and (iv)

Answer

Statements (iii) and (iv)