General Achievement Test

Thursday 11 June 2009

Reading time: 10.00 am to 10.15 am (15 minutes)
Writing time: 10.15 am to 1.15 pm (3 hours)
QUESTION BOOK
Structure of book
Type of
questions
Number of questions
to be answered
Suggested times
(minutes)
Suggested time
allocation
Writing Task 1 1 30 10.15 10.45
Writing Task 2 1 30 10.45 11.15
Multiple-choice questions 70 120 11.15 1.15
Students are permitted to bring into the examination room: pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers,
sharpeners, rulers, and an English and/or bilingual dictionary.
Students are NOT permitted to bring into the examination room: blank sheets of paper and/or white
out liquid/tape.
No calculator is allowed in this examination.
Materials supplied
Question book of 36 pages.
Answer book for both Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2.
Answer page for multiple-choice questions on page 15 of the answer book.
Instructions
Write your student number and student name on the answer book.
Write your student name on the answer page for multiple-choice questions on page 15 of the answer
book.
Follow the times suggested for each task.
You may complete tasks in any order and you may return to any task at any time.
Do not waste time on one particular multiple-choice question. If you nd a question very difcult,
return to it later.
Answer all questions.
All written responses must be in English.
At the end of the test
You may keep this question book.
Students are NOT permitted to bring mobile phones and/or any other unauthorised electronic
devices into the examination room.
VICTORIAN CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY 2009
Victorian Certicate of Education
2009
4
GAT 2009
WRITING TASK 2 To be answered in the answer book in pen, not pencil.
You are advised to allocate 30 minutes to this task.
Consider the statements below.
Based on one or more of the statements, develop a piece of writing presenting your point of view.
Your piece of writing will be judged on:
the extent to which you develop your point of view in a reasonable and convincing way,
and
how effectively you express yourself.
Material possessions do not bring
contentment; they often bring dissatisfaction
because we are always aware of what we
dont possess.
Material possessions bring with them a sense
of our achievements, and a sense of security.
They are proof of our efforts to improve our
lives.
It is our preoccupation with possessions that
prevents us from living a free and noble life.
It is perfectly acceptable that our possessions
bring us happiness and contentment. We
should not be made to feel guilty about
enjoying what we have.
5
GAT 2009
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
Answer this section in the GAT ANSWER BOOK.
Mark your answers on the Multiple-Choice Answer Page.
You are advised to allocate 2 hours to this task.
Choose the response that is correct, or that best answers the question,
and shade the square on the answer page for multiple-choice questions
according to the instructions on that page.
A correct answer is worth 1 mark, an incorrect answer is worth 0 marks.
No marks will be given if more than one answer is shown for any question.
Marks will not be deducted for incorrect answers.
6
GAT 2009
UNIT 1
Question 1
This cartoon is about 1
ambition. A
endurance. B
indulgence. C
misconception. D
7
GAT 2009
UNIT 2
Question 2
Around his neck, Tom wears a carved octopus pendant hanging from a cord (Figure 1). The
pendant is darker on one side than on the other (Figures 2a and 2b). The clip can be attached to the
pendant in four additional places (Figure 3).

clip

clip

P
R
Q
S
Figure 1 Figure 2a Figure 2b Figure 3
2 Susan puts on the octopus pendant. Tom is facing her and sees it as shown in Figure 4.
Susan has put the clip in position
P. A
Q. B
R. C
S. D
Figure 4
8
GAT 2009
UNIT 3
Questions 3 6
Cold reading is a group of techniques used by fortune tellers and psychics to covertly discover
details about a person. Cold readers commonly employ high probability guesses based on the
subjects appearance (and rened on the basis of the subjects reactions) so as to emphasise and
reinforce any chance connections the subject acknowledges while the reader quickly moves on
from missed guesses. Before starting the actual reading, the reader will typically try to gain
cooperation from the subject by saying something like: I often see images that are a bit unclear
and which may sometimes mean more to you than to me; if you help, we can together uncover
new things about you. A crucial element in a convincing cold reading is a subject eager to make
connections or reinterpret vague statements in any way that will help the reader appear to have
specic intuitions and to have made specic predictions. While the reader will do most of the
talking, it is the subject who provides the meaning.
The following are four common cold reading techniques:
Shot Gunning This technique involves a series of very general claims some of which
will be correct, or near correct, and the subjects reactions are used to
narrow the scope of the claims.
Fine Flattery In this technique the reader asks the subjects to agree that they have some
valuable characteristic or other.
Barnum Statements This technique involves a statement that seems to be specic and personal
but actually applies to most people.
The Rainbow Ruse This technique involves statements that simultaneously describe the
subject with a specic personality trait, as well as the opposite of that
trait.
The following statement by a reader or psychic: 3
I sense that you are sometimes insecure, especially with people you dont know very
well.
would be best described as an example of
Shot Gunning. A
Fine Flattery. B
Barnum Statements. C
The Rainbow Ruse. D
9
GAT 2009
The following statement by a reader or psychic: 4
You are an independent person who accepts responsibility.
would be best described as an example of
Shot Gunning. A
Fine Flattery. B
Barnum Statements. C
The Rainbow Ruse. D
The following statement by a reader or psychic: 5
I would say that you are mostly shy and quiet, but when the mood strikes you, you can
easily become the centre of attention.
would be best described as an example of
Shot Gunning. A
Fine Flattery. B
Barnum Statements. C
The Rainbow Ruse. D
Which of the cold reading techniques is 6 least dependent on the subject making the
meaning?
Shot Gunning A
Fine Flattery B
Barnum Statements C
The Rainbow Ruse D
10
GAT 2009
UNIT 4
Questions 7 9
This diagram shows the marine fossil record of major groups of animals (e.g. Trilobita) during the
last 680 million years. The width of the spindle record for a group is proportional to the number
of species present at the time.
Present
65
C
M
P
p
235
570
680
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Key: C Cenozoic M Mesozoic P Paleozoic p Precambrian
Which of the following groups had the most species 65 million years ago? 7
Articulata A
Gastropoda B
Osteichthyes C
Trilobita D
At the end of the Paleozoic a mass extinction occurred. 8
If there were 100 species of Articulata in existence just before this mass extinction,
approximately how many survived?
20 A
50 B
80 C
There is insufcient information provided to answer this question. D
In general, as the number of species of Trilobita decreased, the number of species of 9
Gastropoda decreased. A
Gastropoda increased. B
Osteichthyes decreased. C
Osteichthyes increased. D
11
GAT 2009
UNIT 5
Questions 10 11
One style of personalised number plates allows a mixture of letters and digits. The rules applying
to this style of number plate are:
both letters and digits must be used;
the frst symbol must be a letter, not a digit;
the digits 19 are allowed, but not 0;
a number plate can only have Iour, fve or six symbols (letters and digits).
Note: This is the letter O and this is the digit 0.
How many of the following number plates are allowed under the rules? 10
MY230 A3B6C9 24TEE
XXX XY4GEN B4MA
two A
three B
four C
fve D
Under the rules, how many diIIerent number plates can have only one letter and three digits? 11
9 9 9 A
26 10 10 10 B
26 9 9 9 4 C
26 9 9 9 D
12
GAT 2009
UNIT 6
Questions 12 14
The following diagram is from a book discussing marketing techniques. It shows four aspects of
promoting a product.
Due to copyright restriction,
this material is not supplied.
13
GAT 2009
The diagram suggests that branding occurs when consumers 12
adopt marketed messages. A
understand why marketing occurs. B
use marketed messages differently from how they were intended. C
provide feedback to marketers about their products and services. D
Which one of the following sets of words best represents marketing and branding, as 13
presented in the diagram?
Marketing Branding
A product development product promotion
B seeking consumer views attempt to sell
C product promotion inuence upon consumer
D trial promotion consumer feedback
Which of the following quotations best captures the meaning of branding? 14
The customer is always right. A
Perception is reality. B
To be convinced requires proof. C
A product is more important than its press. D
14
GAT 2009
UNIT 7
Questions 15 18

Axial
Vertical
Toe box
Pointe shoe
Figure 1 indicates that the toe of a ballet shoe,
or pointe shoe, contains a small, hardened box
called the toe box.
A toe box helps ballerinas to dance on their toes.
Figure 2 indicates the strength and stiffness,
measured in both axial and vertical directions, of
the toe boxes of ve brands (I to V) of pointe
shoe.
Figure 1
In this unit:
strength relates to the maximum Iorce that can be applied to a toe box beIore it breaks
(in newtons, N).
stiIIness relates to resistance to change oI shape oI a toe box (in kilonewtons per metre,
kN/m).
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
I II III IV V
Pointe shoe brand
V
e
r
t
i
c
a
l

s
t
r
e
n
g
t
h

(
N
)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
I II III IV V
Pointe shoe brand
V
e
r
t
i
c
a
l

s
t
i
f
f
n
e
s
s

(
k
N
/
m
)
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
I II III IV V
Pointe shoe brand
A
x
i
a
l

s
t
r
e
n
g
t
h

(
N
)
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
I II III IV V
Pointe shoe brand
A
x
i
a
l

s
t
i
f
f
n
e
s
s

(
k
N
/
m
)
Figure 2
15
GAT 2009
Jocelyns pointe shoes need replacing, but she is unable to buy the brand 15 IV shoes she
prefers.
Which other brand of pointe shoe would be most similar to brand IV?
I A
II B
III C
V D
Wendy usually wears brand 16 V pointe shoes. After she injured her toes, the doctor suggests
she continues to use toe boxes but with minimum axial stiffness.
Which shoe would best suit Wendys usual preference and address the doctors advice?
brand A I
brand B II
brand C III
brand D IV
A toe box with a vertical stiffness less than 25 kN/m is most likely to also have 17
an axial stiffness less than 600 kN/m. A
an axial stiffness greater than 500 kN/m. B
a vertical strength less than 150 N. C
an axial strength greater than 3000 N. D
The test results indicate that for all of the toe boxes, 18
axial strength is less than vertical strength. A
axial stiffness is less than vertical stiffness. B
axial stiffness is greater than vertical stiffness. C
axial strength is greater than axial stiffness. D
16
GAT 2009
UNIT 8
Questions 19 23
The following passage is from a novel. Ichthyology is the study of sh. Tip is an undergraduate
university student.
Tip took a jar containing eight small warmouths from his basket and put them
back on the shelf where they belonged. There were six rooms in the Department of
Ichthyology, which was located beneath the museum, six brick-walled cells in the
subterranean hive, each one a maze of metal shelving, shes stacked oor to ceiling
like bins of nails in a hardware store, 1.3 million dead shes suspended in alcohol.
A dozen or more tiny sh clustered together in small jars, single sh folded over in
larger jars, huge sh alone in metal boxes. There were sh that had been recently
discovered in the Amazon and a sh dating back as far as the 1700s. Put a jar in the
wrong spot and you can pretty much say goodbye to it altogether. Tip followed the
numbers with a librarians precision, setting his basket on the oor so that he could
handle the jar more carefully when he returned it to its proper location. Tip Doyle
had a position of importance in the lab, even if his father didnt see it that way.
Historically, the recataloguing of shes was work for graduate students. That this job
had come to Tip, a senior, was a sign of his seriousness and demonstrated his sense
of responsibility.
Does the country need another ichthyologist? his father would have said had
he been following Tip through his rounds. Tip was looking for the empty spot to
which the next jar, eleven small bluegills, should be returned. Would the country
lay down its foreign wars, its need for health care and education, in order to turn its
collective gaze to the splendours of the cod? Tip stopped for a moment, using the
buzz of the lights to work the voice out of his head. His father liked to say he paid
more than forty thousand dollars a year to one of the nest universities in the world
to give his son the right to peer into glass jars at dead sh.
Every jar Tip replaced introduced him to a group of specimens he had never
seen before. Whenever he put a sh back he stopped to pick up three or four of
its neighbours and contemplate their connections, and inevitably those connections
led him to other sh, which might lead him to someday making a real scientic
discovery of his own. The warmouth, for example, was in a bin next to some nearly
translucent banded pygmy sunsh. Had there been more time, that would be enough
to make him put the bluegill down on the oor and lift up all the sunsh. Once he got
going, Tip could often manage to shoot through half a night, nally turning the lights
out behind him and locking up with his own key.
5
10
15
20
25
30
In the passage, Tips father is presented as 19
a tolerant and humorous presence in Tips life. A
constantly applying pressure on Tip to achieve at a high level in his studies. B
someone who is attempting to do the right thing by their child, but is ignored. C
a domineering presence in Tips life, even though Tip attempts to ignore his inuence. D
17
GAT 2009
Historically, the recataloguing of shes was work for graduate students (line 13). 20
The aim of this sentence is to
reveal that Tip has condence in his own capabilities at the museum. A
show that Tip has been given a job that is beyond his real capabilities. B
prove that Tips father was correct in his estimation of Tips role at the museum. C
convince the reader that recataloguing shes is a tedious task, no matter who you are. D
Tips fathers comment in lines 1820 (Would the countryof the cod) is most likely said 21
in a tone of
outright hostility. A
controlled sarcasm. B
resentful bitterness. C
good-natured affection. D
To Tip, the effect the buzz of the lights (line 21) produces is 22
a gentle reminder. A
a temporary relief. B
a slight annoyance. C
an unwelcome invasion. D
Which of the following phrases from the passage best captures Tips interest in the sh at 23
the museum?
A dozen or more tiny sh clustered together in small jars, single sh folded over in A
larger jars, huge sh alone in metal boxes. (lines 6 and 7)
Tip followed the numbers with a librarians precision (lines 9 and 10) B
Would the country lay down its foreign wars, its need for health care and education, C
in order to turn its collective gaze to the splendours of the cod? (lines 1820)
he stopped to pick up three or four of its neighbours and contemplate their D
connections (lines 25 and 26)
18
GAT 2009
UNIT 9
Questions 24 28
For a number of groups of common materials, information is provided below on ranges of their
rigidity and density (Figure 1), and strength and true toughness (Figure 2). This information can
be used to help select materials for particular purposes.
Note: The scale on each axis is not linear.
In this unit:
rigidity is resistance to bending due to a heavy load in gigapascals (GPa)
density is mass contained in a given volume in kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m
3
)
strength is resistance to breaking due to a heavy load in megapascals (MPa)
true toughness is ability to withstand an impact without breaking in kilojoules per square
metre (kJ/m
2
)
1000
100
10
1
0.1
0.01
100 300 1000 3000 10 000 30 000
Foam
Ceramics
M
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d
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m
R
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g
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d
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t
y

(
G
P
a
)
H
i
g
h
L
o
w
Medium
Density (kg/m
3
)
High Low
Wood
Polymers
Rubber
Metals
and alloys
10 000
1000
100
10
1
0.1
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Foam
Rubber
Polymers
M
e
d
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m
S
t
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e
n
g
t
h

(
M
P
a
)
H
i
g
h
L
o
w
Medium
True toughness (kJ/m
2
)
High Low
Wood
Ceramics
Metals
and alloys
Figure 1 Figure 2
Which of the following groups contain materials which rate High in all of the four physical 24
properties?
rubber A
ceramics B
polymers C
metals and alloys D
19
GAT 2009
An object which requires Medium strength and Low density, and which must withstand 25
medium impacts, is best made from
wood. A
rubber. B
ceramics. C
polymers. D
Bicycle frames are made from metals and alloys rather than ceramics. 26
Which of the following best explains this decision?
Ceramics are less dense. A
Ceramics are more likely to bend due to a load. B
Metals and alloys can support heavier loads without bending. C
Metals and alloys can withstand greater impacts without breaking. D
Compared with materials of Low rigidity and Low density, materials with High rigidity and 27
High density can also be distinguished because of their relatively
low strength. A
high strength. B
low true toughness. C
high true toughness. D
A gardener notes that his polymer rake is not as effective as the same product made from 28
metal.
The difference is least likely to be the result of the polymer rakes
lower rigidity. A
lower density. B
lower strength. C
lower true toughness. D
20
GAT 2009
UNIT 10
Questions 29 31
Figure 1 and Passage 1 are about inuences on health and wellbeing.
B
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d

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,

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, cultural, he
a
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d l o c a l l e v e l s
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w
orking c
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al beh
a
v
i
o
u
r
Innate
individual traits:
age, sex, race and
biological factors
The biology of
disease
I
Influences on
health and wellbeing
II
III
IV
V
Figure 1
Passage 1
Public health campaigns to change individual behaviour have traditionally focused on the diseases
themselves. Public health activities have been classied in this way, that is according to the specic
disease or organ system being addressed (e.g. heart disease, arthritis, diabetes). This classication
system tends to detract from efforts to promote the wellbeing of entire communities. Health
promotion is more than disease prevention: it treats good health as more than just the absence of
disease; it is a resource that allows people to live full, productive and satisfying lives. This reects
the World Health Organisations denition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and
social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or inrmity.
In Figure 1 an individuals health is shown mostly to be a matter of 29
interaction between variables. A
perfect living conditions. B
economic constraints. C
genetic inheritance. D
21
GAT 2009
In which ring of the diagram would immunisation programs for babies be placed? 30
II A
III B
IV C
V D
Both Passage 1 and Figure 1 support the idea that maintaining good health is a process 31
which is
standardised and invariant. A
straightforward and linear. B
all-inclusive and continual. C
spontaneous and inconstant. D
UNIT 11
Questions 32 34
In the table, letters m, n and p each represent an integer (i.e. ... , -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...). The
value of the letters q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x and y can be found by using the rule 2a b. For example,
according to the table, v = 2p n.
m
m
n
n
p
p
q r s
t u v
y x w
{
{a
b
r 32 equals
A n 2m C m 2n
B 2n m D 2m n
If 33 m = -1 and p = 1, what is the value of w?
A -3 C -1
B -2 D 0
If 34 v = 5 and x = -1, what is the value of n?
A -3 C 1
B -1 D 3
22
GAT 2009
UNIT 12
Questions 35 36
In order to open a lock, the correct key must be inserted and turned. The lock shown in Figure 1
consists of a casing that houses a cylindrical plug. Inside the lock are ve vertical cylindrical
holes, each containing a spring, a driver pin and a key pin. When the correct key is inserted, the
pins move upwards so that the tops of the key pins line up with the shear line. This allows the
cylindrical plug to rotate when the key is turned, and the lock can be opened (Figure 2).
Spring
Cylindrical plug
Casing
Driver pin
Key
Shear line
Key pin

Figure 1 Figure 2
In order to open the lock in Figure 3 35
I II III
Pins A II and III both need to be raised more than Pin I.
Pins B II and III both need to be raised less than Pin I.
Pin C II needs to be raised more than Pin I, and Pin III
needs to be raised less than Pin I.
Pin D II needs to be raised less than Pin I, and Pin III
needs to be raised more than Pin I.
Figure 3
Which of these keys will most likely unlock 36 the lock
in Figure 4?
Figure 4
A C

B D


23
GAT 2009
UNIT 13
Questions 37 39
Jake, Kate, Lee, Mel and Nat left Patton at 9:00 am using different forms of transport and travelled
to Litton, as indicated in the gure.
Mel travelled a distance of 50 km in one hour before stopping for a rest.
D
i
s
t
a
n
c
e

(
k
m
)
Time since departure (hours)
Patton
Litton
0
0
Jake
Kate
Lee
Mel Nat
Note:
Assume Jake, Kate, Iee, Mel and Nat each travelled in a straight line between Patton
and Litton.
The scale on each axis is linear.
What is the distance from Patton to Litton? 37
A 50 km C 150 km
B 100 km D 250 km
What time did Kate reach Litton? 38
A 11:30 am C 2:00 pm
B 11:45 am D 2:30 pm
If Nat continued to travel at the same rate, which of the following is the best estimate of the 39
time that she would reach Litton?
A 11:30 am C 2:00 pm
B 11:45 am D 2:30 pm
24
GAT 2009
UNIT 14
Questions 40 44
The cruel girls we loved
Are over forty,
Their subtle daughters
Have stolen their beauty;
And with a blue stare 5
Of cool surprise,
They mock their anxious mothers
With their mothers eyes.
David Campbell
The poem suggests mothers and daughters are 40
allies. A
rivals. B
opposites. C
soul mates. D
The poet believes 41
the mothers need more power. A
the daughters have inappropriate power. B
it is inevitable the daughters have the attitude they do. C
it is unforgivable that the daughters do not respect their mothers as they should. D
In line 1 the mothers are described as cruel. 42
This is probably a direct result of the poets own
prejudices. A
predictions. B
imagination. C
experiences. D
25
GAT 2009
In line 7 the daughters mock their mothers. 43
This shows the daughters are
attempting to be amusing. A
judging their mothers desperation. B
jealous of their mothers youthfulness. C
embarrassed by their mothers scrutiny. D
Which of the following comments best reects the main idea in the poem? 44
Maturity can bring painful uncertainty. A
Maturity brings with it a sense of security. B
If one is insecure, one can never be mature. C
Maturity is simply the name we give to our mistakes. D
UNIT 15
Question 45
Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. 45
Hermann Hesse
This statement suggests that wisdom
leads to knowledge. A
is not knowledge. B
depends on knowledge. C
is gained through knowledge. D
UNIT 16
Question 46
Which one of the following proverbs contrasts with the other three? 46
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. A
Beauty is only skin deep. B
Beauty is no inheritance. C
Please your eye and plague your heart. D
26
GAT 2009
UNIT 17
Questions 47 49
Hand-operated ventilation pumps are installed in the wall spaces between two rooms of storm
shelters so that fresh air can be pumped into the shelter without the need to open a door. The pump
is operated by a handle that is moved in and out to draw outside air into the shelter. The handle is
connected to a rubber seal in the air chamber.
The gures show cross sections of a ventilation pump, indicating the ow of air, and the position
of six apper valves (P, Q, R, S, T and U) during successive in (Figure 1) and out (Figure 2)
movements of the handle. Note that each apper valve opens in only one direction.
T
R S R S
U
P
Q
T
U
P
Q
Air inlet pipe
from outside
Air chamber Handle Rubber seal
Room 1 Room 2
In Out
Wall space
Figure 1 Figure 2
This ventilation pump is designed so that air is drawn through the air inlet pipe 47
when the handle is pushed in only. A
when the handle is pulled out only. B
when the handle is both pushed in and pulled out. C
in none of the above situations. D
Suppose that the direction of air ow in the pump is to be reversed, so that when the handle 48
is moved in and out, air is drawn from both rooms in the shelter and pumped out through
the air inlet pipe.
Which of the following modications would best achieve this?
Flapper valves P, Q and R only must open in the opposite direction. A
Flapper valves P, Q, T and U only must open in the opposite direction. B
Flapper valves P, Q, R, S, T and U must open in the opposite direction. C
It is not possible to reverse the direction of the air ow. D
27
GAT 2009
Suppose apper valve R becomes stuck closed. 49
Which of the following would allow fresh air to be pumped into Room 1?
Flapper valve S only must be held open as the handle is pulled out. A
Flapper valves T and U only must be held open as the handle is pushed in. B
Flapper valves P and R only must be held open as the handle is pulled out. C
None of the above would allow fresh air to be pumped into Room 1. D
UNIT 18
Questions 50 51
The gure shows the rst three steps (starting from ground level) of a spiral staircase of radius
100 cm (1 m) that ts exactly within a 2-metre wide cylindrical tower. Each step has a 20 cm
vertical rise.
Radius oI a circle r
CircumIerence oI a circle 2Pr, where Py 3.14
Area oI a circle Pr
2
View from above
Steps
3
3
2
2 1
1
20 cm rise
Ground level
90
After a full circle of steps, what is the height of the top of the highest step above ground 50
level?
A 120 cm C 240 cm
B 180 cm D 270 cm
If no part of any step is directly above any part of another step, which one of the following 51
is the best estimate of the area of the top of a step?
0.25 square metres A
0.50 square metres B
0.75 square metres C
1.00 square metre D
28
GAT 2009
UNIT 19
Questions 52 55
The following questions 52 55 are from a debate for and against the topic:
The Internet should be censored.
For each of the questions 52 55 you are to choose the alternative (AD) that most appropriately
describes the relationship of the statement to the topic of the debate.
The statement:
is most likely part of the debate A for the topic.
is most likely part of the debate B against the topic.
could possibly be part of the debate C for or against the topic.
is D not relevant to either the debate for or against the topic.
Total freedom leads to total vice. 52
Those who use the Internet should decide its content. 53
People already spend too much time on the Internet. 54
That which is forbidden only becomes more tempting. 55
29
GAT 2009
UNIT 20
Questions 56 59
The following passage is taken from a book about ecology and the environment.
Wetlands are not always, and for some not ever, the most pleasant of places. In fact,
they have often been seen as horric places. In western cultural tradition, wetlands
have been associated with death and disease, the monstrous and the melancholic,
if not the downright mad. Wetlands are black waters. They have even been seen
as a threat to health and sanity, to the clean and proper body and mind. The typical
response to the horrors and threats posed by wetlands has been simple and decisive:
dredge, drain or ll and so reclaim them. Yet the idea of reclaiming wetlands begs
the questions of reclaimed from what? for what? from whom? A critical history of
wetlands drainage could quite easily be entitled Discipline and Drain.
5
According to the writer, the traditional western response to wetlands has been 56
uncompromising. A
apathetic. B
rational. C
neutral. D
The writer suggests that in the past, people have wanted to 57
extend wetlands. A
abandon wetlands. B
preserve wetlands. C
gain control of wetlands. D
According to the writer, wetlands 58
should be made useful and productive. A
have been imbued with a moral dimension. B
are neglected wastelands. C
do cause madness. D
When the writer argues that a critical history of wetland drainage could be entitled 59
Discipline and Drain, he suggests that the reclamation of wetlands is
chaotic. A
logical. B
authoritarian. C
understandable. D
30
GAT 2009
UNIT 21
Questions 60 63
The gure represents a prediction, made in 2006, for GDP growth versus consumer spending
growth in 2011. GDP means gross domestic product, which is a measure of the value of all goods
and services produced by a country or group of countries.

Bubble size is directly proportional to predicted GDP in 2011.

Asia means Asian countries other than those specically mentioned.

10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
2% 0% 4% 6% 8%
G
D
P

g
r
o
w
t
h
Consumer spending growth
Emerging countries
Japan
Western
Europe
USA
Australia
China
Asia
Middle East Middle East Middle East
Eastern
Europe
Africa Africa
Latin
America
Russia
India
Australia
Latin
America
According to the prediction, in contrast with China, in 2011 Russia will have greater 60
GDP. A
consumer spending. B
percentage GDP growth. C
percentage consumer spending growth. D
According to the prediction, which of the following will have the greatest GDP in 2011? 61
India A
Russia B
USA C
It is not possible to determine this from the information given. D
31
GAT 2009
According to the prediction, for Australia the percentage growth in consumer spending in 62
2011 will be
less than its percentage growth in GDP. A
greater than its percentage growth in GDP. B
less than the USA percentage growth in consumer spending. C
less than the Japanese percentage growth in GDP. D
Which of the following best illustrates what is meant by the comment: Emerging countries 63
will drive the world economy. ?
Compared with the USA, for emerging countries in general in 2011
GDP will be greater. A
consumer spending will be greater. B
percentage growth in both consumer spending and GDP will be greater. C
the ratio of percentage growth in consumer spending to percentage growth in GDP D
will be greater.
32
GAT 2009
UNIT 22
Questions 64 66
A class tests ve white powders to see if they dissolve in two liquids, X and Y (Test i and Test ii).
They also test the reaction of the powders with an acid (Test iii). The results are shown in Table 1.
Liquids X and Y are not acids.
Table 1
Test i
Adding powder to
liquid X
Test ii
Adding powder to
liquid Y
Test iii
Adding powder
to an acid
Dissolves
in liquid X
Floats or sinks
in liquid X
Dissolves
in liquid Y
Floats or sinks
in liquid Y Result
Powder I yes - yes - zz
Powder II yes - no oats no zz
Powder III no sinks no sinks no zz
Powder IV no oats yes - no zz
Powder V yes - no sinks zz
The class then tests ve mixtures of powders, each of which contains two of the ve white powders.
The results are shown in Table 2.
Table 2
Test i
Adding powder to
liquid X
Test ii
Adding powder to
liquid Y
Test iii
Adding powder
to an acid
Dissolves
in liquid X
Floats or sinks
in liquid X
Dissolves
in liquid Y
Floats or sinks
in liquid Y Result
Mixture I yes -
some
dissolves
some oats zz
Mixture II
some
dissolves
some oats
some
dissolves
some oats no zz
Mixture III no
some oats,
some sinks
some
dissolves
some sinks no zz
Mixture IV yes -
some
dissolves
some sinks zz
Mixture V yes - no
some oats,
some sinks
zz
33
GAT 2009
What is in 64 Mixture II?
Powders II A and IV
Powders II B and V
Powders III C and IV
Powders III D and V
Given the results in Table 1, if the class had 65 only done Test i on Mixture I, what could be
concluded?
Mixture I A contains Powder I and Powder II.
Mixture I B contains Powder III and Powder IV.
Mixture I C contains two of Powders I, II and V.
None of the above conclusions is justied. D
Given the results in Table 1, what is the minimum number of the three tests required to 66
determine the powders in Mixture III?
one A
two B
three C
The powders in D Mixture III cannot be determined.
34
GAT 2009
UNIT 23
Questions 67 70 refer to the text below and the text and image on the following page.
Pop art is a style of art which seeks its inspiration from commercial art and items of mass
culture. In 1961, the American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein created the picture, Girl with a Ball.
He took the image of the girl straight from a photograph that appeared in an advertisement for
a hotel. This artwork was the subject of much critical review. The following page contains the
image Girl with a Ball and the comments of two art critics.
Critic One objects to the image primarily because he thinks 67
it is difcult to understand. A
the subject matter is immoral. B
the artist lacked technical skill. C
it does not conform to his perception of art. D
Critic One believes that art 68
should appeal to a mass market. A
is a concept open to interpretation. B
has certain parameters and constraints. C
can be derivative and innovative at the same time. D
According to Critic Two, the simplicity of the image is 69
puzzling. A
deceptive. B
unoriginal. C
unimportant. D
Critics One and Two agree that the image is 70
borrowed. A
immature. B
idealistic. C
creative. D
35
GAT 2009
Critic One
Roy Lichtensteins image, Girl with a Ball, reduces art to the dismal level of the comic strip.
There is little that is original in an image that was pilfered from an advertising board and it
represents the worst of middle-brow, mass culture. The at and vacuous gure in the sterile
background is as devoid of intellect as it is of emotion, and art without feeling can never
move the viewer. Any artist who purports to nd meaning in the junk he is supposed to have
outgrown is hardly an artist at all. Someone should tell him that advertisements are illegitimate
subjects for art and comic strips do not belong on the walls of galleries and museums.
Critic Two
In Girl with a Ball, Roy Lichtenstein transforms the pirated image of a girl with a beach
ball, submitting the original photograph to the techniques of the comic-strip artist and the
printer. The resulting simplications intensify the artice and meaning of the picture, curdling
its careful dream of fun in the sun. The girls rounded mouth is more doll-like than female;
any sex appeal she had has become as plastic as her beach ball. The self-conscious, moral
seriousness of art and the unquestioned assumptions about arts longevity are parodied by this
apparently cheap, transient advertisement from the consumer marketplace.
36
GAT 2009
ACER thanks rights holders who have kindly granted permission to reproduce the material cited
below. Every effort has been made to trace and acknowledge copyright. However, should any
infringement have occurred, ACER tenders its apology and invites copyright owners to contact
ACER at [email protected].
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Angus & Robertson (Harper Collins Aust) for the poem
Mothers and Daughters by David Campbell; Isabelle Bannerman, at CartoonStock for
the cartoon Urban Relaxation; Anne Patchett and ICM, New York for extract from Run;
Cunningham, B.W., DiStefano, A.F., Kirjanov, N.A., Lavine, S.E. and Schon, L.C., 1998. A
comparative mechanical analysis of the pointe shoe toe box: an in vitro study. The American
Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol 26, No. 4, pp. 555-561, for Pointe Shoe unit; Scala Group
S.P.A. Firenze: http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=79665
for the reproduction of Girl with Ball 1961; http://www-materials.eng.cam.ac.uk/mpsite/
physics/introduction/default.html, accessed 7/02/2008, for Materials selection unit.