12. Light utility trucks have become popular among consumers who buy them primarily for the trucks' rugged appearance. Yet although these trucks are tough-looking, they are exempt from the government's car-safety standards that dictate minimum roof strength and minimum resistance to impact. Therefore, if involved in a serious high-impact accident, a driver of one of these trucks is more likely to be injured than is a driver of a car that is subject to these government standards.

The argument depends on the assumption that

（A） the government has established safety standards for the construction of light utility trucks

（B） people who buy automobiles solely for their appearance are more likely than other people to drive recklessly

（C） light utility trucks are more likely than other kinds of vehicles to be involved in accidents that result in injuries

（D） the trucks' rugged appearance is deceptive in that their engines are not especially powerful

（E） light utility trucks are less likely to meet the car-safety standards than are cars that are subject to the standards

13. Five years ago, during the first North American outbreak of the cattle disease CXC, the death rate from the disease was 5 percent of all reported cases, whereas today the corresponding figure is over 18 percent. It is clear, therefore, that during these past 5 years, CXC has increased in virulence.

Which one of the following, if true, most substantially weakens the argument？

（A） Many recent cattle deaths that have actually been caused by CXC have been mistakenly attributed to another disease that mimics the symptoms of CXC.

（B） During the first North American outbreak of the disease, many of the deaths reported to have been caused by CXC were actually due to other causes.

（C） An inoculation program against CXC was recently begun after controlled studies snowed inoculation to be 70 percent effective in preventing serious cases of the illness.

（D） Since the first outbreak, farmers have learned to treat mild cases of CXC and no longer report them to veterinarians or authorities.

（E） Cattle that have contracted and survived CXC rarely contract the disease a second time.

Questions 14-15

Economist： Some policymakers believe that our country's continued economic growth requires a higher level of personal savings than we currently have. A recent legislative proposal would allow individuals to set up savings accounts in which interest earned would be exempt from taxes until money is withdrawn from the account. Backers of this proposal claim that its implementation would increase the amount of money available for banks to loan at a relatively small cost to the government in lost tax revenues. Yet, when similar tax-incentive programs were tried in the past, virtually all of the money invested through them was diverted from other personal savings, and the overall level of personal savings was unchanged.

14. The passage as a whole provides the most support for which one of the following conclusions？

（A） Backers of the tax-incentive proposal undoubtedly have some motive other than their expressed aim of increasing the amount of money available for banks to loan.

（B） The proposed tax incentive is unlikely to attract enough additional money into personal savings accounts to make up for the attendant loss in tax revenues.

（C） A tax-incentive program that resulted in substantial loss of tax revenues would be likely to generate a large increase in personal savings.

（D） The economy will be in danger unless some alternative to increased personal savings can be found to stimulate growth.

（E） The government has no effective means of influencing the amount of money that people are willing to put into savings accounts.

15. The author criticizes the proposed tax-incentive program by

（A） challenging a premise on which the proposal is based

（B） pointing out a disagreement among policymakers

（C） demonstrating that the proposal's implementation is not feasible

（D） questioning the judgment of the proposal's backers by citing past cases in which they had advocated programs that have proved ineffective

（E） disputing the assumption that a program to encourage personal savings is needed

16. Although all birds have feathers and all birds have wings, some birds do not fly. For example, penguins and ostriches use their wings to move in a different way from other birds. Penguins use their wings only to swim under water at high speeds. Ostriches use their wings only to run with the wind by lifting them as if they were sails.

Which one of the following is most parallel in its reasoning to the argument above？

（A） Ancient philosophers tried to explain not how the world functions but why it functions. In contrast, most contemporary biologists seek comprehensive theories of how organisms' function, but many refuse to speculate about purpose.

（B） Some chairs are used only as decorations, and other chairs are used only to tame lions. Therefore, not all chairs are used for sitting in despite the fact that all chairs have a seat and some support such as legs.

（C） Some musicians in a symphony orchestra play the violin, and others play the viola, but these are both in the same category of musical instruments, namely string instruments.

（D） All cars have similar drive mechanisms, but some cars derive their power from solar energy, whereas others burn gasoline. Thus, solar-powered cars are less efficient than gasoline-powered ones.

（E） Sailing ships move in a different way from steamships. Both sailing ships and steamships navigate over water, but only sailing ships use sails to move over the surface