The recently-appointed captain of the national football team has been publicly accused of adultery with several women, including the girlfriend of a former teammate. The newspapers have made a great deal of his extramarital activities and it has become a scandal. His behaviour has led him to be the subject of crude jokes. He has now been suspended from his duties. It is right that he has been removed from his position so that the team can start to pull together and have the best possible chance of winning the World Cup.
Which one of the following is an underlying assumption of the above argument?
The new captain's actions have weakened team morale
This new captain should not have been appointed
If the new captain is fired, the national team will win the World Cup
The national team will not win the World Cup
Newspapers have the right to report on people's personal livesDeseleziona risposta

E-cigarettes, which provide nicotine without cigarette smoke, have been praised by health campaigners. Research has suggested that success rates for quitting smoking are higher with e-cigarettes than with other methods. However, rather than tackling their nicotine addiction, e-cigarette users have simply replaced one habit with another. It is true that cigarette smoke contains many hazardous compounds, andalso that quitting smoking increases life expectancy and reduces the risk of many health problems. But nicotine also has its dangers: it has been associated with a range of conditions that we do not fully understand, and research has yet to establish the long-term effects of nicotine use outside of cigarette smoke.
Which one of the following is a conclusion that can be drawn from the above passage?
Smoking traditional cigarettes still poses a major risk to health
Using nicotine patches is an ineffective way to give up smoking
People should not assume e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes
E-cigarettes are just as harmful as traditional cigarettes
Not everyone is able to give up smoking without nicotine replacementDeseleziona risposta

Many children from poor backgrounds would benefit from wearing spectacles but do not have them. Sometimes parents are not aware of their children’s poor eyesight, but most often they suffer from financial constraints. The government should provide free glasses to poor children with eyesight problems. A recent study of underprivileged students with poor vision demonstrated that those who were given free glasses enjoyed an improvement in test scores equivalent to almost a year of additionalschooling. Using the most conservative estimate of the impact of schooling on salary, this would significantly increase an average school-leaver’s annual income and tax contributions, and by far more than the cost of a pair of glasses.
Which one of the following best expresses the main conclusion of the above argument?
Parents should be educated about potential eyesight problems in children
Children from poor backgrounds with bad eyesight should be given additional schooling
Exam marking should take into account any disabilities the student might have
The government should help financially with the provision of children’s glasses
People’s salaries should reflect whether or not they had eyesight problems during schoolDeseleziona risposta

It is common practice to look online for a loan or a mortgage. This has led to a large number of‘comparison websites’ where you type in your details and they search a range of companies for you based on these details. Night after night, there are adverts on television emphasising how much time and money comparison sites could save you. The experience of one user should make you consider the wisdom of using such sites. She gave her details to a comparison website and received no useful results. However, for weeks afterwards she was bombarded with emails and phone calls from companies she had never heard of.
Which one of the following is the best statement of the flaw in the above argument?
It attacks the website and not what the company does
It draws a conclusion based on one example of how a company operates
It assumes everyone uses comparison websites
It assumes that comparison websites save customers money
It assumes using the internet is the only way to get a loanDeseleziona risposta

Though relatively few people know it by name, palm oil is found in over fifty per cent of processed supermarket goods, from soaps to snacks. This vegetable oil, which is taken from the fruit of the oil palm tree, causes a great deal of environmental concern. The clearing of tropical forests to grow oil palm plantations threatens the survival of orangutans and other endangered species. The land conversion often happens on carbon rich peat soils in a process which releases significant greenhouse gas emissions. Yet even some environmental organisations warn that alternative vegetable oil crops may require much larger areas of forest to be converted to agricultural land.
Which one of the following is a conclusion that can be drawn from the above passage?
A ban on palm oil alone would not solve all of the environmental problems associated with vegetable oilproduction
To produce the most profitable crops, oil palm plantations must be grown on carbon rich peat soils
If farmers stopped clearing tropical forests for oil palm plantations, endangered orangutan populations wouldrecover
The environmental risks associated with oil palm plantations are not well understood in tropical countries
There is no motivation for manufacturers to stop using palm oil in their productsDeseleziona risposta

Next week the European Parliament will vote on whether to ban trawling, a method of fishing that involves pulling large fishing nets behind boats. The fishing industry is opposed to a ban and has argued strongly against it. Trawling is not as damaging to ecosystems as environmentalists claim. Trawling the seabed doesn’t always create ‘dead zones’ in the ocean. It can boost fish numbers, since the species that are more resistant to the effects of trawling can proliferate. So trawling on flat sandy beds in shallow areas can benefit marine life.
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the above argument?
Trawling in deep waters is expensive and an ineffective use of fishing resources
Trawling nets have a destructive impact on many endangered species
Trawling in shallow waters can alter the ecology in beneficial ways
Trawling in shallow waters can damage the bottom of fishermen’s boats
Trawling creates new habitats by making parts of the sea more habitableDeseleziona risposta

Car drivers understandably become very annoyed at high sales taxes on fuel. In the interests of fairness, money raised from fuel taxes should be spent on maintaining roads or even on subsidising public transport. In fact much of it is put to other uses, such as providing healthcare or improving national defence.
Which one of the following is an application of the principle underlying the above argument?
Money raised by taxing fuel should be spent on improving roads rather than on public transport
Better transport is more important than national defence
Maintaining roads should be a higher priority than spending on healthcare
Profits from sporting events should be spent on encouraging people to participate in sport
There should be no sales taxes on consumer goodsDeseleziona risposta

Widespread underage drinking in certain countries prompted their governments to place restrictions on selling alcohol to young people. The aim was to protect young people’s health, but the result was not as intended. Soon after the restrictions were in place, hospitals saw several cases of young people becoming ill as a result of drinking alcohol-based liquids such as medical spirits, ethanol solutions and perfumes. The young people claimed that the restriction on legal alcohol was the main reason they were drinking other substances. If the restrictions were abolished, the health risk would be reduced. 
Which one of the following is the best statement of the flaw in the above argument?
It ignores the role of education in encouraging young people to drink alcohol responsibly
It ignores the fact that if there had been no restrictions more young people would have suffered from drinking alcohol
It assumes that restrictions encourage young people to drink alcohol
It does not take into account the social and cultural importance of drinking alcohol
It ignores the problem of people drinking dangerous substances because they cannot afford to buy alcohol legallyDeseleziona risposta

Over the last ten years there has been a huge increase in the number of television programmes involving the work of forensic scientists. This media attention has been matched by a massive increase in the number of courses and qualifications available in this field. Although this new attention has led to greater public awareness, it has not led to the creation of more jobs in this fields. The work of forensics professionals has continued unchanged. Therefore, those who choose to study these courses will find that there is fierce competition for difficult and unpleasant work.
Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the above argument?
Many students of forensic science go on to pursue careers in other areas
New technologies have brought about a decrease in the number of forensics staff required in laboratories
Salaries for forensic scientists compare well with those in other scientific fields
The number of university courses in forensic science has grown at an unprecedented rate
Each year around 1500 graduates in forensic science compete for 200 jobs in the sectorDeseleziona risposta

Many banks encourage their customers to buy insurance against credit card fraud and other kinds of ‘identity theft’. But the banks are really protecting themselves. Customers who are victims of credit card fraud suffer inconvenience but they are unlikely to lose money: the costs of any fraudulent transactions are met by the bank. It is therefore unnecessary for customers to spend money on additional insurance services.
Which one of the following is an underlying assumption of the above argument?
The banks’ additional insurance services protect only against the costs of fraudulent credit card transactions
People who are worried about identity theft worry only about their credit cards
Credit card fraud is a less serious problem than many people believe
Customers whose identities have been stolen would have benefited from the banks’ additional insuranceservices
Additional insurance services are widely available for credit card customersDeseleziona risposta

I recently received a publications list and order form. I want to order seven items from the list. However, I noticed that the structure of the postage and packaging charges was very strange, as shown in the table below:

I have decided that I will ask them to pack my order in the number of parcels that will have the lowest postal charge.
What is the lowest postal charge for my seven items?
£ 1.90
£ 2.25
£ 2.35
£ 2.45
£ 3.30Deseleziona risposta

Luke walks his puppy to a nearby park and lets the puppy off the lead.
As Luke starts walking along the path, the puppy runs on ahead, until it has gone 100 metres. The puppythen turns and runs back to Luke, who in that time has walked 50 metres. The puppy then goes on ahead again, turns after running 100 metres and runs back to Luke who has now walked another 50 metres.
This routine continues until Luke has walked 1 km.
If it takes 12 minutes for Luke to walk 1 km in the park, what is the puppy’s average running speed duringthe same time?
5 km/h
15 km/h
10 km/h
12 km/h
14 km/hDeseleziona risposta

The diagram below shows how 12 matchsticks can be used to create a grid containing 4 squares, arranged in rows of 2.



I now intend to use matchsticks to create a grid containing 100 squares, arranged in 10 rows of 10.
How many matchsticks do I need?
200
242
300
400
220Deseleziona risposta

I have a tin of chocolates to share with some friends. In the tin are four types of chocolate – one type in red wrappers, one type in blue, one type in green and one type in yellow, with equal numbers of each.
The tin is passed around in turn from friend to friend. When the tin gets to them:

• John always takes three red chocolates.
• Peter always takes one of each colour.
• Jane always takes one yellow chocolate.
• I always take two green chocolates.

After six passings around of the tin, half of the chocolates remaining in the tin are blue. How manychocolates were there in the tin when it was full?
24
48
96
60
72Deseleziona risposta

The table below shows calories burned depending on a person’s weight:


Five friends choose the following exercise routine:


Which one of the five friends burns the most calories?
Harry
Holly
Jessie
Josie
PaulDeseleziona risposta

I leave Victoria at 8:07 and arrive at Three Bridges at 8:41. I need to catch a train from Three Bridges at 8:45 to either Arundel or Chichester. I want to spend at least four hours in Chichester and four hours in Arundel. I have no preference in which order I will visit the towns. I then need to return to Victoria.
The tables below show extracts from the train timetables:

What is the earliest possible time I can arrive back at Victoria?
18:47
19:15
19:18
20:20
19:47Deseleziona risposta

Sheelagh runs a business from London with regional headquarters located in seven cities – Jakarta, Nairobi, Prague, Ottawa, Moscow, Canberra and Hong Kong. The company also has plants in other cities shown in the table. Her senior managers at regional headquarters work from 8 am to 5.15  pm local time and constantly check their emails between these hours but are not available outside these hours. All her staff have an international time chart displayed at their place of work.
At 12 noon in London it is:


At 3 pm in London she sends an urgent email to all her senior managers at her regional headquarters.
What is the longest possible interval between the first and last of her senior managers reading the email?
7 hours
14 hours
9 hours
16 hours
17 hoursDeseleziona risposta

Alex’s bedroom is rectangular. If you stand at the doorway looking into the room, there is a square wardrobe on your right hand side in the corner. The bed is on the same side of the room as the wardrobe and is over half the length of the room. There is a desk along the other wall.
Which one of these aerial views is the view of Alex’s bedroom?




Deseleziona risposta

The distance from Ardale to Banby is 16 km and from Banby to Carston is a further 8 km in the same direction.
David leaves Ardale at 11.00 and runs for an hour at 6 km/h. He rests for 20 minutes and then completes the rest of the distance to Banby at an average speed of 10 km/h. He chats with some friends in Banby for 20 minutes and then borrows a bicycle from one of them and cycles to Carston at an average speed of 16 km/h. David leaves Carston at 15.00 and cycles back over his route, arriving home at 15.50.
Which one of the following correctly shows David’s distance from Ardale as a function of time?




Deseleziona risposta

This is a view of a cross section of part of an aluminium window frame.

The cross section is uniform troughout its lenght.
Which one of the following is NOT a possible side view of this part of the aluminium windowframe?





Deseleziona risposta

Which one of the following theories was publicly announced to the Prussian Academy of Science on 25^th November 1915?
String theory
Dalton’s atomic theory
Quantum theory
Einstein’s general theory of relativity
The Big Bang theoryDeseleziona risposta

Which one of the following introduced the metaphor of the ‘invisible hand’ in relation to a free tradeeconomy?
David Ricardo
Karl Marx
Vilfredo Pareto
Thomas Robert Malthus
Adam SmithDeseleziona risposta

Consider the following list of particles:

1. molecules
2. ions
3. single atoms

Which one of the following options correctly describes the particles that are present in an aqueoussolution of sodium chloride?
2 only
3 only
1 and 2 only
1 only
1, 2 and 3Deseleziona risposta

Element X is a grey solid.
It combines with chlorine to form a polar molecule with the formula XCl . In this compound, element X hasan oxidation state of +1.
In potassium iodide solution, it dissolves to form a coloured solution. At 500 °C, it becomes a coloured vapour.
What is the identity of element X?
lithium
manganese
iodine
fluorine
carbonDeseleziona risposta

Which option correctly describes the following features of a silane (silicon tetrahydride) molecule?

- number of bonding pairs (bp) of electrons
- number of lone/non-bonding pairs (lp) in the valence shell of the silicon atom
- bond angle

[Atomic number: Si = 14; H = 1]
3 bp; 1 lp; 109.5°
3 bp; 1 lp; 107°
4 bp; 0 lp; 90°
4 bp; 2 lp; 90°
4 bp; 0 lp; 109.5°Deseleziona risposta

Which one of the following options gives the correct electron structure of the particle ?
1s²2s²2p⁴
1s²2s²2p²
1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁴
1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶
1s²2s²2p⁶Deseleziona risposta

The solubility of potassium nitrate in water increases with temperature.
A saturated solution of potassium nitrate at 80 °C is cooled to 25 °C in a closed container.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. The mass of undissolved potassium nitrate will increase
2. The concentration of the potassium nitrate solution remains the same
3. The total mass of solvent present remains the same

1 only
2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3Deseleziona risposta

Which one of the following statements correctly describes the type of mixture and the most appropriate method used to separate the specified component from the mixture?
gasoline/petrol from crude oil – heterogeneous; simple distillation
chlorophyll from a solution of different plant pigments – homogeneous; chromatography
red blood cells from blood – homogeneous; centrifuge
salt from salt solution – homogeneous; paper filtration
water from salt solution – heterogeneous; simple distillationDeseleziona risposta

In which one of the following reactions is the underlined species acting as an oxidising agent?
Cl₂ + 2KBr → 2KCl + Br₂
Zn + CuSO₄ → ZnSO₄ + Cu
3CO + Fe₂O₃ → 3CO₂ + 2Fe
2Mg + O₂ → 2MgO
H₂SO₄ + 2NaOH → Na₂SO₄ + 2H₂ODeseleziona risposta

In an experiment involving the reaction shown below, 150 cm³ of F₂ reacts with 100 cm³ of Cl₂.
3F₂(g) + Cl ₂(g) → 2Cl F₃(g)
On completion of the reaction, what is the final gaseous volume at the same temperature and pressure?
150 cm³
100 cm³
200 cm³
250 cm³
350 cm³Deseleziona risposta

Which one of the following molecules is a structural isomer of methylcyclopentane?
hex-2-ene
cyclohexene
2-methylpentane
hexane
2,2-dimethylbutaneDeseleziona risposta

Which one of the following statements about the four atoms/ions below is correct?


Both  and   each have an equal number of protons, neutrons and electrons
 and  have exactly the same number of protons and electrons but not neutrons
 has the same number of electrons but four fewer neutrons than 
Out of the four atoms/ions, only  has two more electrons than
 has twice the number of neutrons that  has but only four more than Deseleziona risposta

Which one of the following samples of gases contains the most particles?
All gases are at 0 °C and 1 atm pressure, when 1 mole of gas has a volume of 22.4 L.
[Relative atomic mass, Ar: H = 1, He = 4, C = 12, O = 16, Cl = 35.5]
66.0 g of carbon dioxide gas
64.0 g of oxygen gas
22.4 L of hydrogen gas
10.0 g of helium gas
33.6 L of chlorine gasDeseleziona risposta

A solution of hydrochloric acid has a concentration of 1.0 mol/L. If 10 mL of this acid is added to water andmade up to a total volume of 1.0 L, what is the pH of the resulting solution?
0
5
6
9
2Deseleziona risposta

What is the gradient of the straight line passing through the points with coordinates (2, –3) and (–1, 6)?
-3
-9
-1
-\(\frac{1}{9}\)
-\(\frac{1}{3}\)Deseleziona risposta

Given that

log₁₀7 = x
log₁₀2 = y
log₁₀3 = z
What is log₁₀ \(\frac{14}{3}\)expressed in terms of x, y, and z?
\(\frac{x+y}{z}\)
xy - z
\(\frac{xy}{z}\)
xy + z
x + y - zDeseleziona risposta

Which one of the following is an expression for the mean of \(\frac{x}{3}\), x, and x+6?
7x + 2
\(\frac{7x + 18}{9}\)
\(\frac{7x + 6}{3}\)
7x + 18
\(\frac{7x + 6}{9}\)Deseleziona risposta

How many ways are there to order the letters ‘AABBC’? (For example, ‘ACABB’ and ‘AABBC’ are two ways.)
5
60
116
120
30Deseleziona risposta

A car starts at point X. It travels 3.0 km due east, then 4.0 km due south, then 6.0 km due west and finally 8.0 km due north.
How far away is the car from point X when it has reached the end of this journey?
[Assume that all distances moved are on a flat horizontal surface, and that point X is on the equator. You may ignore any curvature of the Earth.]
2.0 km
7.0 km
10.0 km
21.0 km
5.0 kmDeseleziona risposta

A solid wooden cube has sides of length a. The density of the wood is ρ.
The cube is completely immersed in a beaker of oil, which has a density σ. The top surface of the cube is horizontal. The gravitational field strength is g.
What is the upward force (upthrust) on the cube due to the oil? [Assume that no oil is absorbed by the wood.]
ρa³g
σa³
σa³g
ρa³
(σ – ρ)a³gDeseleziona risposta

A fixed mass of an ideal gas undergoes a change in which it is supplied with 3500 J of thermal energy. At the same time this gas does 3500 J of work on its surroundings.
Which type of change does the gas undergo during this time?
isobaric
isothermal
isochoric
isomeric
adiabaticDeseleziona risposta

A resistor has a resistance of 0 Ω. There is a direct current of 10 A in the resistor.
What is the power dissipated by the resistor?
50 W
500 W
250 W
20 W
2500 WDeseleziona risposta