Thinking Skills Assessment Oxford 4502/11

Wednesday 3 November 2010 Morning 1 hour 30 minutes

SECTION 1 Thinking Skills Assessment

 

Instructions to Candidates

Please read this page carefully, but do not open this question paper until you are told that
you may do so.

A separate answer sheet is provided for this section. Please check you have one.
You also require a soft pencil and an eraser.

Please complete the answer sheet with your TSA candidate number, centre number, date of birth
and name.

Speed as well as accuracy is important in this section. Work quickly, or you may not finish the
paper. There are no penalties for incorrect responses, only points for correct answers, so you
should attempt all 50 questions. All questions are worth one mark.

Answer on the sheet provided. Questions ask you to show your choice between five options.
Choose the one option you consider correct and record your choice on the separate answer sheet.
If you make a mistake, erase thoroughly and try again.

Any rough work should be done on this question paper.

Dictionaries and calculators may NOT be used.

Developed and administered on behalf of the

University of Oxford by Cambridge Assessment.

© Copyright UCLES 2010

Please wait to be told you may begin before turning this page.

This paper consists of 30 printed pages and 2 blank page.

© copyright UCLES 2010

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3 Every year in this country there are over 8000 personal accidents on golf courses, yet it is
estimated that as few as five per cent of all golfers take out adequate insurance against
claims for injury. If more golfers could be encouraged to take out appropriate insurance
policies the number of accidents could be dramatically reduced.

Which one of the following identifies the flaw in the argument above?

A It ignores the fact that millions of golfers never have an accident.

B It assumes that all insurance policies provide adequate insurance against
claims.
C It implies that the occurence of golfing accidents is causally related to the lack
of insurance.
D It overlooks the possibility that some accidents would not be covered by
insurance.
E It ignores the fact that there are diffferent kinds of insurance for different kinds
of activity.

4 In 1997 the UK Government banned the owning of handguns after a man went on the
rampage, killing several people, with a collection of legally owned firearms. In the time
since then the number of crimes involving firearms as a whole has increased. The
number involving legally owned firearms has gone up by 0.1% as compared to a 5%
increase overall.

Which one of the following could be reliably concluded from the above information?

A Banning handguns has simply increased gun crime.

B The number of legally owned firearms has decreased.
C The number of crimes involving handguns has stayed the same.
D The law change in 1997 has not resulted in a reduction in gun crime.
E It has become easier to acquire illegal firearms.

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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7 A woman has to get up for work at seven o'clock in the morning. She wakes up and looks
over at her digital clock. Unfortunately, the batteries are low and the figures on the
display, showing hours and minutes, aren't showing up properly. All she can see is the
display below:

It is light outside, so she cannot be more than twelve hours late.

What is the greatest amount of time that she could be late waking up?

A 1h 39min
B 1h 59min
C 2h 25min
D 2h 35min
E 2h 59min

8 The Richter Scale is used to measure the strength of earthquakes. It has the property that
an increase of one unit on the scale represents a tenfold increase in the strength of the
quake. Three earthquakes have the following values on the Richter Scale:

X : 2.0
Y : 3.0
Z : 4.0

Which one of the following statements about their relative strengths is true?

A X is one-tenth the strength of Y and one-twentieth the strength of Z.

B X is one-tenth the strength of Y and one-hundredth the strength of Z.
C X is one-tenth the strength of Y and one-thousandth the strength of Z.
D Z is twice as strong as X and Y is one-and-a-half times as strong as X.
E Z is one-tenth stronger than Y which is one-tenth stronger than X.

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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11 Many people imagine that large country houses in the eighteenth century had smooth
lawns. But in those days there was no way of killing wild plants and weeds and, with the
lawnmower not invented, the only method of cutting a lawn was by teams of gardeners
with hand scythes; today's weed-free close cuts were unthinkable. Given this, lawns must
have been like flowery meadows.

Which one of the following best expresses the main conclusion of the argument above?

A Modern lawns are kept smooth only with the use of weedkillers and
lawnmowers.
B The upkeep of eighteenth century lawns required the employment of large
numbers of gardeners.
C In the eighteenth century, lawns were not smooth but more like flowery
meadows.
D It is more natural to have a lawn like a flowery meadow than one kept in
smooth condition.
E Modern lawns would seem boring to a person from the eighteenth century.

12 Sue and Ben are buying some kitchen goods at a shop which is having a sale. The terms
of the sale are as follows:

Total marked price of purchases (before Reduction (%)

discount)
Up to £50 25
Up to £100 33
£100 or more 50

The marked prices of the goods they have chosen come to £96.

How much less would they actually spend, to the nearest £1, if they chose extra goods to
the value of £6?

A £ 2
B £ 6
C £ 10
D £ 13
E £ 16

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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14 The diagram shows the outline of a window which is intended to be composed of a

number of panes of glass, all of the same size and shape.

Which one of the shapes below could be used to fill this window?

A B C

D E

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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17 The expense of advertising adds greatly to overall production costs and thus to the prices
of goods when they reach the public. There is particular public resentment of mass
advertising for rival brands of products such as petrol or detergents - which, most people
suspect, are so similar in character as to be virtually indistinguishable except in their
packaging. Much of the huge sum devoted to advertising could be used more fruitfully to
bring down prices. Therefore, advertising disadvantages the consumer.

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

A Manufacturers would not spend money on advertising unless they believed it

would benefit the public.
B By increasing competition, advertising leads to an overall improvement in the
quality of goods.
C Advertising does not affect in any way what customers choose to buy.
D The advertising industry is able to employ people who would otherwise be out
of work.
E Advertisements often make misleading claims about the quality of the product.

18 I have been asked to move 120 boxes weighing 25kg each and 90 boxes weighing 20kg
each from the ground floor to the fifth floor of the office block in which I
work. Unfortunately, nobody is available to give me any help.

There is a sign in the lift which reads:

I weigh 80kg.

What is the minimum number of journeys I will have to make from the ground floor to the
fifth floor?

A 10
B 12
C 13
D 15
E 16

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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20 A taxi service advertises its rates for travel to the local airport as shown below:

Which one of the following bar graphs correctly illustrates how the cost per person
decreases as more people get together to share a taxi to the airport?

A B

C D

21 Increasingly, the affluent middle classes are choosing private health care. This has been
accompanied by steady decline in the National Health Service (NHS), evidenced by poor
funding, understaffing, long waiting lists and substandard hygiene. The obvious solution
would be to ban private healthcare, since its take-up by a privileged but growing minority
is inevitably driving down standards in the NHS.

Which one of the following is the best illustration of the flaw in the above argument?

A The NHS has recently received funding increases.

B The NHS is not in decline, we simply expect more of it these days.
C People might choose private health care because of decline in the NHS.
D People should have the freedom to choose the best healthcare option.
E The NHS would flourish if funds were not diverted to private health care.

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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24 A secretary is in a bad mood with her boss and has to write three letters intended for
three different people. She makes sure that each of the recipients of the letters will
receive one written to someone else.

In how many different ways can she send three different letters to achieve this?

A 1
B 2
C 3
D 5
E 6

25 Anne is a researcher working for an insurance company which has decided to send out a
safety awareness mailshot to its customers during the month which costs it most in
claims. She examines the average accident statistics bearing in mind that an accident
categorised as a write-off costs 10 times more than one categorised as serious which, in
turn, costs 10 times more than one categorised as slight.

Month Write-off Serious Slight Totals

January 30 539 2891 3460
February 24 414 2513 2951
March 31 550 2972 3553
April 19 401 2901 3321
May 19 440 2993 3452
June 24 509 3230 3763
July 24 515 2899 3438
August 26 477 2732 3235
September 22 510 2867 3399
October 30 474 3236 3740
November 21 578 2895 3494
December 26 381 2967 3374

In which month does Anne conclude the mailshot should be made?

A January
B March
C June
D October
E November

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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27 Store loyalty cards are designed to encourage customers to use one supermarket only.
But all the major supermarkets now have loyalty cards, so people are able to possess a
loyalty card for all of their local supermarkets. So it is pointless for the supermarkets to
continue using them and they might as well abandon the costly schemes, because they
cannot be the primary reason that people choose to shop at a particular store.

Which one of the following best expresses the main conclusion of the above argument?

A People obtain loyalty cards for all of their local supermarkets.

B Loyalty schemes are not the primary reason that people choose to shop at a
particular store.
C Supermarkets might as well abandon loyalty schemes.
D Loyalty card schemes cost too much to be worthwhile.
E Store loyalty cards are designed to encourage customers to use one
supermarket only.

28 The demand for blood donors is increasing all over the world. In Western countries, in
particular, demand has been rising so rapidly that shortages have begun to appear. In all
such countries, demand is growing much faster than rates of growth in populations aged
18-65 from whom donors are drawn. And, despite a massive research effort to find
alternatives, it remains true that in medicine there is no substitute for human blood.

Which one of the following conclusions can be drawn from the passage?

A As the demand for blood has increased, so has the supply fallen.
B The rate of growth of the blood-donor population has been slowing recently.
C The increase in the rate of demand for blood is mainly due to population
growth.
D If more blood donors could be found, there would be no need to find a
substitute for human blood.
E The problem of the increase in demand for blood shows no sign of
disappearing.

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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31 Rachel intends to buy some toiletries for her five brothers as a present. She thinks that
Rex would like aftershave, Tom talc, Magnus body spray and the twins, James and
Henry, would like shower gel. They all have a liking for "Jasmine" brand. Her budget is a
maximum of £10.00 and if she can spend less so much the better. She finds that the
items are available in combination packs as well as individually. Prices are:

Aftershave £2.99
Body spray £1.99
Talc £1.99
Shower gel £1.49
Aftershave & talc £4.49
Shower gel & body spray £2.99
Body spray double pack with free talc £3.95
Aftershave & shower gel £3.49

What is the least amount of money Rachel must spend?

A £7.48
B £8.46
C £8.47
D £8.97
E £9.95

32 A survey claimed that in 1990 40% of the adult British population smoked. It claimed
further that in 1991, after an anti-smoking campaign, only 30% of the adult British
population smoked. It reported a 10% fall in the number of smokers. However, the
campaign organisers, in their advertising, reported a 25% fall in the number of smokers.

The campaign organisers' advertisement reflects:

A the change in the number of smokers expressed as a percentage of the

population in 1990.
B the change in the number of smokers expressed as a percentage of the
population in 1991.
C the change in the number of smokers expressed as a percentage of smokers
in 1990.
D the change in the number of smokers expressed as a percentage of smokers
in 1991.
E the change in the size of the population expressed as a percentage of the
population in 1990.

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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35 Although the general public are demanding action to reduce the number of pedestrians
killed in road accidents in residential areas, road bumps in these areas should be
abolished. Road bumps were introduced to residential areas because they were cheap,
quick to implement, and showed that Local Authorities were acting to reduce road
deaths. They are admittedly effective at restricting the speed of traffic but they also hinder
emergency services. The London Ambulance Service has stated that they cause delays
in reaching critically ill people and this results in 500 deaths per year from heart failure
alone in the London area. Electronic speed signs, and more effective signing of speed
limits in residential areas, would be just as effective at reducing pedestrian deaths.

Which one of the following best expresses the main conclusion of the above argument?

A The general public are demanding action to reduce the number of pedestrians
killed in road accidents in residential areas.
B Road bumps are cheaper and easier to implement than other ways of
reducing traffic speed.
C Electronic speed signs are just as effective as road bumps.
D Road bumps should be abolished in residential areas.
E Road bumps interfere with the Emergency Services causing many deaths.

36 The fuel consumption of Ted's new car is given in the manufacturer's data sheet as
follows:

Speed 50km/h 90km/h 110km/h

Consumption l/100km 7.5 6.0 6.5

The cost of fuel is 80c per litre. Ted's journey to work consists of 20km on country roads
normally at 90km/h, 40km on motorway at 110km/h and 20km in town at 50km/h.

How much does his drive to work cost him?

A $4.16
B $4.24
C $4.26
D $4.40
E $5.30

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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38 Three views of the same die with unusual symbols are shown below:

Which one of the following dice is not identical to the die above?

A B

C D

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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41 The Eurovision Song Contest is coming in for increasing criticism. No matter how awful
the song, Greece can always be relied on to give a maximum 12 points to Cyprus and
Russia will vote for the Ukraine. In one year the political voting was so blatant that the
commentator for the UK described it as 'ridiculous'. With more Eastern European
countries competing, their power blocs are so strong that Western European countries
have little hope of winning. The result of the Eurovision Song Contest is now determined
by geo-politics and not by music.

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

A Britain nearly always gives high marks to the Irish song.

B The Eastern European songs are usually sung in English.
C Eastern European countries have shared tastes in music.
D Western European countries have won 75% of contests in the past.
E Poland has never won the Eurovision Song Contest.

42 The coffee machine in our office offers a choice of regular or decaffeinated coffee; black
or with one of three sorts of milk (full, semi-skimmed, skimmed); and, for those who want
sweetening, either one or two spoonfuls of sugar or one or two non-sugar sweetening
tablets.

How many different kinds of coffee can be made?

A 11
B 24
C 32
D 40
E 48

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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44 My local park has a network of paths linking various locations, as shown below. The stars
on the map represent five of the park's landmarks: the fountain, lake, bandstand, statue
and bowling green.

When I walk round the park, I often vary my routes and I do not always take the shortest
route from one place to another. I have noticed that when I go from the statue to the
fountain, I always pass the bandstand, but that going from the lake to the bowling green, I
never pass the fountain unless I pass the bandstand twice.

How many of the stars on the diagram can be identified from the given information?

A 0
B 1
C 2
D 3
E 5

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47 Launched in January 2008 as part of the U.S. administration's response to the looming
financial crisis, the creation of the Council of Financial Literacy, though not without merit,
is not necessarily the best way to approach things, especially in regard to the meltdown of
subprime mortgages. It's certainly true that many subprime mortgages were given to
borrowers who may not have understood the risks. Often borrowers did not even realise
that their monthly payment would rise if interest rates went up. Subprime borrowers on
an adjustable interest rate, whose mortgage repayments went up by just 7%, accounted
for more than 40% of the repossessions begun in the 4th quarter of 2007. Would better
information or education in financial literacy have made any difference? We don't need a
committee to tell us the simple solution. Don't offer subprime mortgages.

Which one of the following illustrates the principle underlying the above argument?

A It wouldn't make sense to withdraw strong alcohol from sale if more could be
done to educate people about the dangers of drinking it.
B Attempting to educate people about the dangers of drinking strong alcohol is
pointless. People would ignore the warnings anyway.
C Attempting to educate people about the dangers of drinking strong alcohol
doesn't make sense. It would make more sense if people just couldn't buy it.
D Creating committees to look into the problems caused by drinking strong
alcohol is pointless. A committee would seldom reach a unanimous decision.
E Creating committees to look into the problems caused by drinking alcohol is
unnecessary. It would be more effective for alcohol manufacturers to put
warning labels on their product.

48 The ferry from Harport to Selmer is at sea for 1 hour 15 minutes and at its berth at either
end for 30 minutes. The hovercraft service between the same ports takes only 45 minutes
and is berthed for 15 minutes before returning.

If both leave Harport at 08:00 what is the next time they will both be at the same port
together?

A 09:45
B 12:45
C 14:45
D 15:00
E 18:00

© UCLES 2010 TSA [Turn over]

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