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Thinking Skills CRITICAL THINKING FOR READING, SCIENCE, AND SOCIAL STUDIES

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GED® Test

CONTENTS Unit 3: Synthesize and Evaluate Information

Unit 1: Understand Information

Strategy 9

Strategy 1 Understand Central Ideas and Supporting Information

4

Strategy 2

Summarize Ideas

6

Strategy 3

Make Inferences

8

Strategy 4 Make Generalizations Based on Evidence 10 Unit 1 Practice Understand Information

12

Unit 2: Analyze Information Strategy 5

Follow a Sequence

16

Strategy 6

Interpret Cause and Effect

18

Strategy 7

Draw Conclusions

20

Strategy 8 Analyze the Author’s Point of View

22

Unit 2 Practice Analyze Information

24

Compare and Contrast Ideas

28

Strategy 10 Differentiate Facts from Opinion and Speculation

30

Strategy 11 Evaluate Relevance and Sufficiency of Information

32

Strategy 12

Determine the Purpose of a Text 34

Unit 3 Practice Synthesize and Evaluate Information

36

GED Test Practice

40

Answers

44

Scoreboost® for the GED® Test Thinking Skills: Critical Thinking for Reading, Science, and Social Studies ISBN 978-1-56420-470-7 Copyright © 2013 New Readers Press New Readers Press ProLiteracy’s Publishing Division 104 Marcellus Street, Syracuse, New York 13204 www.newreaderspress.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America 10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1 Proceeds from the sale of New Readers Press materials support professional development, training, and technical assistance programs of ProLiteracy that benefit local literacy programs in the U.S. and around the globe. Scoreboost® Developer: Caren Van Slyke Revision Developer: Words & Numbers Editorial Director: Terrie Lipke Design and Production Director: James Wallace Technology Specialist: Maryellen Casey Senior Designer: Carolyn Wallace GED® is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education (ACE) and administered exclusively by GED Testing Service LLC under license. This material is not endorsed or approved by ACE or GED Testing Service.

Item Types on the GED® Test The GED® Test will be given on the computer. The Reasoning Through Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science Tests will include multiple-choice questions as well as drag-and-drop, hot spots, fill-in-the-blank, and drop‑down menu items. This is an example of what a drop-down menu item may look like. When you put your cursor on the “Select…” box and click your mouse, you will see four answer options in a drop‑down menu. Move your cursor to the answer that best completes the sentence, and then click your mouse. Your answer will move to the correct place. Reread the whole sentence to be sure that you have chosen the correct answer. The passage below is incomplete. Navigate to each “Select…” button and choose the option that correctly completes the sentence.

Urban Sprawl Unrestrained growth around large cities is a great cause for concern. Residents of these areas have become too dependent on their cars. Green space Select...

 The result is

been sprawl. disappearing at an alarming rate. urban has been disappearing at an alarming rate. have been disappearing at an alarming rate. disappear at an alarming rate.

A drag-and-drop item may require you to place labels on a chart or put steps in order. Put your cursor on the text you want to move, hold down the mouse button, and drag it to the correct spot. Drag and drop the steps of the scientific method to show the order in which you do them. Construct a hypothesis Analyze data and draw a conclusion Ask a question Conduct background research Communicate results Test hypothesis by doing an experiment

˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜

© New Readers Press. All rights reserved.

After you complete each Unit Practice in this book, you can go to scoreboost.newreaderspress.com to practice answering GED test questions in electronic format. If you’d like, you can complete this entire book and then go online and answer all the electronic Unit Practice questions. When you are finished with the online questions, you can print a score sheet. The score sheet includes a Scoreboost Action Plan to help you improve your score.

  3

strategy

4

Make Generalizations Based on Evidence On the GED test, you will need to use specific facts in a passage to make broad, logical conclusions, or generalizations. To make a generalization, draw a conclusion by determining what is generally true about a topic given the facts presented in the passage.

SOCIAL STUDIES TEST

Economics

Competition for limited resources can lead to violent conflict between competing groups. When violent conflict breaks out between two or more groups in a society, it can escalate quickly into a civil war. While there are other causes of civil war, such as religious-based conflict between groups, poverty and lack of resources are common causes for group conflict. In countries where there is a weak government or slow economic growth, poverty levels tend to remain high. Many countries around the world have large segments of the population that live in poverty. Poverty affects people’s health when they can’t get enough food, or the food they can afford doesn’t provide enough nutrients. In addition, where there are higher levels of poverty there are typically higher levels of crime. However, poverty levels are not always the same for different groups of people within a society. The poor living conditions that result from poverty often lead to increased competition between these groups for limited resources. Countries with weak governments or with slow economic growth often lack the ability to reduce poverty levels.

GED Question 1

GED Question 2

Based on information in the passage, which statement is a generalization about poverty?

Which generalization can be made about countries unable to reduce existing poverty levels?

This question asks which statement is a conclusion that can be drawn from the information in the passage. Think: What does the passage indicate are the causes of poverty? What does the passage indicate are the effects of poverty? The passage doesn’t specifically state the causes of poverty. The passage does explain several effects of poverty, including potential conflict between people in society. Answer: Choice (B)

testwise Read passages and questions carefully, and ask yourself, What facts are given on the topic? How can these facts be used to draw a general conclusion about the topic?

10  Unit 1: Understand Information

(A) Social groups will begin to physically harm each other to gain resources. (B) Social groups will learn to cooperate rather than compete against each other. (C) The government will abandon incentives to make living conditions better for its people. (D) The government will increase its control over the people, and crime will decrease. This question asks what is broadly true for countries that have no way to reduce poverty. Think: What is a generally true statement, given the facts stated, about the effects of poverty on social groups in a society? What is the likely outcome of long-term poverty? Choice (A) explains that poverty can potentially cause violence and even civil war. Choices (B) and (C) are not good choices because neither cooperation nor incentives are linked to poverty in the passage. Choice (D) is not based on evidence presented in the passage. Answer: Choice (A)

© New Readers Press. All rights reserved.

(A) Poverty is a result of poor health. (B) Poverty increases civil unrest. (C) Poverty keeps governments strong. (D) Poverty is caused by civil war.

Apply the Strategy Science Test • Physical Science

Language Arts Test • Informational Workplace

Questions 1 and 2 below relate to mathematical discoveries about motion developed by Isaac Newton.

Question 3 refers to the following memo to employees of a large company.

In 1687, Isaac Newton published a book containing mathematical equations that explained the relationship between moving objects and forces that act upon them. The most important equations, or laws, Newton wrote about are called the Three Laws of Motion. The first law states an object will continue to move at the same speed if no outside force acts upon it. For example, an object at rest will stay at rest until something causes it to move. The second law states the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the strength of the force acting on it and is inversely proportional to the mass of the object accelerating. The third law states that when one object exerts force on another object, the second object will exert a force of equal size back onto the first object. The contribution of these laws to science was tremendous because these laws applied to all physical objects.

Dear Employee:

1. Which statement is a generalization about an object already in motion? Think: Which broad statement about the movement of objects is true? (A) The speed of movement will always be the same. (B) It will move more quickly if it is larger. (C) It will automatically stop unless an outside force acts on it. (D) Another object must have exerted force on it. 2. Which generalization about the uses of the Three Laws of Motion can be drawn from the passage? Think: What does the evidence given about the laws of motion suggest about how scientists can apply this knowledge?

© New Readers Press. All rights reserved.

(A) The laws of motion can only be used to explain the behavior of moving objects, not objects at rest. (B) The movement of planets can’t be explained with the laws of motion because they are in space. (C) Scientists can only use the laws of motion to explain the movement of non-human objects. (D) Scientists can use the laws of motion to determine the strength of the forces acting on an object if they know its rate of acceleration and mass.

Between now and December 31, you have the opportunity to change your healthcare coverage. You may choose from Coverall Health Insurance, Modern Health Maintenance Organization, and Swann Managed Care. Descriptions of the coverage and premiums of each plan are enclosed. Note that if you or a covered member of your family is now undergoing treatment for a serious medical condition or is in the third trimester of pregnancy, you may be able to transfer health coverage to Coverall Health Insurance or Swann Managed Care. Contact Debbie Bloch to see if you qualify. However, Modern Health Maintenance Organization will not cover preexisting medical conditions and pregnancy in the third trimester. Please keep this in mind as you choose your healthcare coverage. Sincerely, Benefits Department 3. Which generalization about health insurance coverage for this company’s employees can be drawn from this memo? (A) Health insurance coverage is mandatory for each employee to have. (B) Health insurance is not guaranteed for everyone employed by this company. (C) Health insurance options for all employees are paid for by the employer. (D) Health insurance is always available to employees of this company.

Answers start on page 44.  Unit 1: Understand Information

  11

strategy

7

Draw Conclusions Drawing conclusions is a skill that is often tested on the GED tests. When you draw a conclusion, you use all of the available facts to come up with a reasonable judgment. Remember, if some of the facts don’t fit, then the conclusion is probably wrong.

SCIENCE TEST

Life Science

Until the last hundred years or so, most people in the West hosted pinworms, tapeworms, and hookworms in their digestive systems. With improvements in public health and hygiene, such as water and sewage treatment plants, these parasites have largely disappeared in industrialized nations. As a result, health in general has improved and people live longer lives. However, people in industrialized nations have higher incidences of autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases. In these diseases, the body is harmed by the immune system rather than by outside invaders like worms and bacteria. Scientists have hypothesized about the increase in autoimmune diseases and concluded that the worms must have performed some useful function for their human hosts. To test this, they fed parasitic worm eggs to six patients suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel disease. The symptoms of five patients disappeared, and those of the sixth were eased. When the worms had passed out of their bodies, the symptoms of chronic inflammatory bowel disease returned. Although the sample was small and the results must be confirmed with controlled experiments, scientists say the results make sense from a biological viewpoint. Busy attacking worms, the immune system did not attack the digestive system.

GED Question Which conclusion can be drawn from the information in the passage? (A) Improvements in public health have caused more serious health problems than they have solved. (B) Chronic inflammatory bowel disease is caused by an invasion of parasitic worms in a human’s digestive system. (C) Parasitic worms harmed their human hosts without performing any beneficial function for them. (D) In the future, a treatment for chronic inflammatory bowel disease based on parasitic worms may become available.

This question is asking you to come to a conclusion about parasitic worms and the causes and relief of chronic bowel disease. The correct choice must be supported by the facts in the passage. Choice (A) is contradicted by the fact that better public health has generally increased longevity. Choice (B) is contradicted by the fact that bowel disease is an autoimmune disease. Choice (C) is contradicted by the results of the experiment described in the passage. Choice (D) is a valid conclusion. The experiment resulted in complete or partial relief for all six patients. If the scientists can reproduce these results, then worms may eventually be used to treat chronic bowel disease.

testwise Read passages carefully, and ask yourself, What can I reasonably conclude based on this passage? Do all the facts and evidence support my conclusion?

20  Unit 2: Analyze Information

© New Readers Press. All rights reserved.

Answer: Choice (D)

Apply the Strategy Language Arts Test • Informational Workplace

Social Studies Test • Economics

Question 1 refers to the following advice about buying a used car.

Questions 2 and 3 refer to the following passage about sweatshops.

If you are still interested in buying a used car after you inspect it, you should test-drive it and have a mechanic check it. Then you should check whether the asking price is reasonable. You can check used car prices in guides such as the Kelley Blue Book or by using a used car pricing service.

Most people think of sweatshops as factories found in the past or in faraway places. They would be surprised to learn about modern-day American sweatshops. For instance, one clothing factory in New York City forces workers to stay overtime on the job for no extra pay. Another in Kentucky pays such low wages that fulltime workers qualify for government food stamps.

Begin the negotiation by making an offer that is less than you are willing to pay. You can politely inform the seller about any problems or drawbacks your review of the vehicle has uncovered, and tell the seller how much it will cost to bring the car up to your standard. Then say no more. Allow the seller to make a counteroffer; when he or she does, explain that your offer is fair and as much as you can pay. See what happens. If you must raise your original offer, do so in small amounts, about $100 at a time. When you get to your target price, tell the seller your offer is final and good only for the next 24 hours. If the seller doesn’t accept it, then leave. There are plenty of other used cars for sale. However, a seller will usually accept a fair offer rather than lose the sale. 1. What can you conclude from the information in the passage? Think: What is a reasonable judgment based on the information? What conclusion do the details support?

© New Readers Press. All rights reserved.

(A) The first price the seller offers is usually the price at which the used car sale is made. (B) An inspection, knowledge of the car’s value, and a businesslike approach are critical to success in negotiating to buy a used car. (C) A buyer has greater success in negotiating the purchase of a used car when he or she tells the seller why the car is desirable. (D) The key to successful negotiation is to be willing to meet the seller’s original price.

Because of low labor costs, sweatshops can sell their clothes fairly cheaply. Stores that buy from sweatshops sell these clothes at a big profit. Some store owners say their customers will not pay the higher prices they would have to charge if they sold clothes that came from factories paying workers decent wages and thus charged more for the clothes. 2. What can you conclude about the wages of U.S. sweatshop workers? (A) They are lower than those of most other U.S. workers. (B) They are about the same as those of most other U.S. workers. (C) They are about the same as those of most foreign workers. (D) They are higher than those of most other U.S. workers. 3. What can you conclude about how store owners price the clothes they sell? (A) Their prices are set in proportion to the government’s minimum wage. (B) Their prices are set by sweatshop owners. (C) Their prices are based on what they pay for the clothes and what their customers are willing to spend. (D) Their prices are based on what customers will spend for the clothes and on the profits the sweatshop owners make.

Answers start on page 45.  Unit 2: Analyze Information

  21

strategy

11

Evaluate Relevance and Sufficiency of Information Some GED questions will ask you to evaluate whether a passage provides sufficient evidence to support a conclusion. Part of this process requires sorting out the relevant, or related, information from unrelated information.

SCIENCE TEST

Earth and Space Science

In December 1999, two unusually fierce storms hit Western Europe within a few days. Heavy rains and gales caused widespread damage. Thousands of trees were uprooted, many electrical wires were blown down, and 88 people died. Yet the day before each storm, the forecast was for rainstorms—nothing unusual. Weather forecasts are usually fairly accurate up to two days out. So how did European meteorologists miss the severity of these storms? First, the storms, like most of Western Europe’s weather, came off the Atlantic Ocean, where little weather data is collected. So their computer models, which make the best predictions with complete data, have a greater chance of failure. Second, the storms traveled across the Atlantic in only one day, giving less than the normal two days for meteorologists to analyze information and make predictions.

GED Question 1

GED Question 2

Which statement is sufficiently supported by the information in the passage?

Which detail supports the conclusion that even with large amounts of weather data, the forecast might NOT have been accurate?

(A) It is more difficult to predict the behavior of storms that form over the Atlantic due to lack of data. (B) A more accurate forecast would have prevented all deaths and property damage. (C) In regions where weather comes off an ocean, forecasting is less accurate. (D) Modern forecasting techniques ensure that two-day forecasts are always accurate. This passage explains why two severe storms were not accurately forecast. Think: What details help explain why the forecasts failed? What conclusions do these details support?

The passage explains two factors leading to an inaccurate forecast. One can be inferred from the question. Think: What was the other factor? The other factor was the unusual speed of the storms. Answer: Choice (A)

that support the

There are details about little weather data being collected over the Atlantic that support the conclusion that it is more difficult to predict these storms’ behavior. Note there is not sufficient information to make Choice (C) well supported. Answer: Choice (A)

32  Unit 3: Synthesize and Evaluate Information

testwise Read passages carefully, and ask yourself, Even if a conclusion sounds true, is there sufficient evidence in the passage to support it? Are all of the details in the passage relevant to this conclusion?

© New Readers Press. All rights reserved.

There are details about . conclusion that

(A) the speed of the storms (B) the use of computer modeling (C) the extensive damage to the electric grid (D) the uprooted trees

Apply the Strategy Social Studies Test • Geography and the World

Language Arts Test • Informational Social Studies

Questions 1 and 2 refer to Germany after World War I and the rise of Adolf Hitler.

Questions 3 and 4 refer to a selection from a business education textbook.

After its defeat in World War I, Germany faced many problems. The war reparations it had to pay the Allies contributed to runaway inflation in the 1920s and increased the impact of the Great Depression in the 1930s. This was a time of great uncertainty, especially for the poor and middle class. Political extremists on both the right and the left created social unrest. Against this backdrop, Austrian Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power.

A proprietorship is a firm owned and operated by a single person. He or she can make all decisions and is responsible for all the company’s debts. About 70 percent of all U.S. firms are proprietorships. Because these companies are small, they produce only about six percent of the United States’ total output.

In 1921, when Hitler became head of the Nazi Party, it had about 6,000 members. By 1923, membership had grown to 50,000. After Hitler was released from prison for his role in an attempted 1923 revolution, he broadened the appeal of the party, promising benefits to workers and to the middle class. By 1932, the Nazi Party had become the largest political party in Germany, and in 1933, Hitler became the head of the German government. 1. Which conclusion is sufficiently supported by the information in the passage? Think: What do the central idea and details of the passage lead you to believe would be true? (A) The war reparations Germany had to pay were too severe a punishment for the damage caused in World War I. (B) The economic and political chaos of post– World War I Germany contributed to Hitler’s rise to power. (C) Hitler’s role in the 1923 uprising made him extremely unpopular among the German people. (D) Hitler weakened the Nazi Party by broadening its appeal to workers and the middle class. 2. Which detail is NOT relevant to the conclusion that Hitler’s Nazi Party rose to power because of its broad appeal to workers and the middle class? © New Readers Press. All rights reserved.

Think: Which detail is NOT related to the Nazi Party’s broad appeal? (A) Hitler was born in Austria. (B) Hitler promised benefits to workers. (C) War reparation had caused great stress on the German economy. (D) It was a time of great uncertainty for the poor and middle class.

A partnership is a business with two or more owners who share decision-making authority (in a way they arrange between themselves). Each partner is liable for business debts. About 10 percent of U.S. firms are partnerships, and they account for about 4 percent of U.S. output. A corporation is a business owned by one or more people called stockholders. In contrast to owners of a proprietorship or a partnership, stockholders are not liable for the debts incurred by the corporation. The corporation, as a separate legal entity, is responsible for its debts. In addition, stockholders usually do not participate in the management of the firm. Corporations make up only about 20 percent of U.S. businesses, but they account for about 90 percent of output. 3. Which conclusion is sufficiently supported by the details in the passage? (A) Corporations are more profitable than partnerships or proprietorships. (B) The stockholders of a corporation have no interest in managing its day-to-day operations. (C) A proprietorship is more efficient than a corporation because a single person can make all the decisions. (D) A business owner who wants to limit personal liability should form a corporation. 4. Which detail is relevant to the conclusion that freedom is a chief benefit of proprietorships? (A) A proprietor is liable for all the firm’s debts. (B) A proprietor can make all the decisions. (C) About 70 percent of firms are proprietorships. (D) Proprietorships are small companies.

Answers start on page 46.  Unit 3: Synthesize and Evaluate Information

  33

GED TEST Practice

Questions 1 through 3 refer to the following passage about asthma. Asthma is a chronic disease in which the lungs become inflamed and bronchial passages become constricted. When the inflammation becomes severe, the patient has an asthma attack and is unable to breathe. Often a trip to the emergency room is required for treatment. Asthma attacks can be caused by the following triggers: allergies to airborne particles like dust and mold; colds, flu, and other respiratory infections; and exercise. For unknown reasons, the incidence of asthma is on the rise. In fact, asthma accounts for more children’s hospitalizations each year than any other disease. People who have asthma symptoms more than twice a week need two basic types of medication. The first type helps prevent inflammation and therefore helps prevent asthma attacks. This medication may be in the form of inhaled steroids or other drugs, steroid pills, or other drugs in pill form. Inhaled drugs are usually preferred to pills, because they work directly on the lungs, and a smaller dose is needed. A drawback of the inhaled steroids is that heavy use may slow children’s growth. The second type of medication treats the symptoms of an asthma attack. These inhaled drugs, called bronchodilators, relax the muscles that squeeze airways shut, temporarily making breathing easier. Although they ease symptoms, they do not reduce the underlying inflammation. Thus a person using bronchodilators may think he or she is getting better when in fact the inflammation may be worsening. In addition to drug treatments, patients with asthma can use a peak flow meter, a device that measures how much air a person can exhale. The less the patient can exhale, the more inflammation there is. Peak flow meters indicate when inflammation is occurring even before symptoms appear, so patients can adjust their medication.

40  GED Test Practice

1. What can be inferred from the information in the passage? (A) Patients who use peak flow meters do not need asthma medication. (B) Bronchodilators can be used to reduce lung inflammation in patients with asthma. (C) Although chronic asthma can be difficult to deal with, it is not a life-threatening disease. (D) Keeping homes free of dust and other allergens may reduce the number of asthma attacks. 2. What is the main difference between inhaled steroids and bronchodilators? (A) Inhaled steroids are breathed in and bronchodilators involve injections. (B) Inhaled steroids have no side effects, and bronchodilators have side effects. (C) Inhaled steroids reduce inflammation, and bronchodilators relax muscles to ease breathing. (D) Inhaled steroids are used by children, and bronchodilators are used by adults. 3. Which generalization is supported by the evidence in the passage? (A) Scientists have been unable to develop effective treatments for the symptoms of asthma. (B) Even though there are some preventative medications and methods to monitor inflammation, asthma attacks may occur at any time. (C) Scientists have been able to use inhaled steroids to prevent other health problems in children. (D) Asthma affects a decreasing percentage of the population over time as the medications are improving.

© New Readers Press. All rights reserved.

Science Test • Life Science