Comprehension
The questions in this group are based on the content of a passage. After reading the passage, choose the best answer to each question. Answer all questions following the passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.

Although hard statistics are difficult to come by, there is substantial anecdotal evidence that use of performance-enhancing drugs, or doping, is rampant in professional sports. Of perhaps greater significance to society are the estimated 1.5 million amateur athletes who use steroids, either to improve their appearance or to emulate the performance of their favorite professional athletes. This chemical epidemic is a pernicious threat to both the nation’s health and our collective sense of "fair play."

Nonprescription anabolic steroids have been illegal in the United States since 1991, and most professional sports leagues have banned them since the 1980s. These bans are partly a matter of fairness—a talented athlete trained to the peak of their ability simply cannot compete with an equivalent athlete using steroids—but also based on issues of health. Anabolic androgenic steroids ("anabolic" means that they build tissues; "androgenic" means that they increase masculine traits) have been linked to liver damage, kidney tumors, high blood pressure, balding, and acne. They function by increasing the body’s level of testosterone, the primary male sex hormone. In men, this dramatic increase in testosterone can lead to the shrinking of testicles, infertility, and the development of breasts; in women, it can lead to the growth of facial hair and permanent damage to the reproductive system. Steroids have also been linked to a range of psychological problems, including depression and psychotic rage.

The punishments for getting caught using steroids are severe, and the serious health consequences are well documented. Despite this, millions of professional and amateur athletes continue to use performance-enhancing drugs. Why is this?

One clear pattern is that many athletes will do whatever it takes to get an edge on the competition. Since the 1950s, Olympic athletes have played a cat-and-mouse game with Olympic Committee officials to get away with doping, because the drugs really do work. Athletes who dope are simply stronger and faster than their competitors who play fair. Professional athletes in football and baseball have found that steroids and human growth hormone can give them the edge to score that extra touchdown or home run, and in the modern sports market, those results can translate into millions of dollars in salary. For the millions of less talented athletes in gyms and playing fields across the country, drugs seem like the only way to approach the abilities of their heroes in professional sports.

The other clear pattern, unfortunately, is that it has been all too easy for abusers to get away with it. Steroid abuse is often regarded as a "victimless crime." One of the favored ways to trick the testers is to use "designer" steroids. There are thousands of permutations of testosterone, such as THG, that can be produced in a lab. Chemists have discovered that they can create new drugs that produce androgenic effects but do not show up off the standard drug testing charts. Other methods have been used to hide the steroids but stop a few weeks before testing, to use other chemicals to mask the traces of steroids, or to switch in a "clean" sample of urine at the testing site. Other athletes use steroid precursors, such as androstenedione, that have androgenic effects similar to those of steroids but are not illegal because they are not technically steroids. The sad fact is that unless the government and professional sports organizations are willing to get tough on the steroid problem, the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports is not going to end.
Question: 1

What appears to be the primary purpose of this passage?

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When reading passages, focus on the main message or purpose rather than the details to answer the question correctly.
Updated On: Oct 3, 2025
  • To educate readers about the health threats involved in the use of performance-enhancing drugs
  • To analyze the ways in which professional athletes have eluded attempts to screen for performance-enhancing drugs
  • To discuss the reasons why performance-enhancing drugs are a dangerous and persistent problem for society
  • To complain about the inadequate efforts by government and professional sports organizations to eliminate the problem of performance-enhancing drugs
  • To argue that athletes, both professional and amateur, should not use performance-enhancing drugs on the grounds that they are both dangerous and unfair
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understand the primary focus of the passage.
The passage addresses the widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs, both in professional and amateur sports, and highlights the dangers associated with them.
Step 2: Review the options.
- (A) This option focuses on health threats but does not capture the overall discussion of the issue in society.
- (B) The passage does mention how athletes have evaded detection, but the primary purpose is not to analyze this behavior.
- (C) This option captures the main theme of the passage, which is why performance-enhancing drugs are a long-standing problem.
- (D) While the passage does mention the failure of organizations, it is not primarily a complaint about their efforts.
- (E) The passage does discuss the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs but does not primarily focus on a call to stop their use.
Conclusion:
Option (C) is the best answer because it directly reflects the passage’s primary purpose: explaining the problem of performance-enhancing drugs.
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Question: 2

According to the passage, all of the following are known potential consequences of steroid use except for which of the following?

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Always carefully review the passage for specific details to identify which options are not supported.
Updated On: Oct 3, 2025
  • Damage to reproductive organs
  • Decreased blood pressure
  • Increases in the user’s strength and speed
  • Kidney tumors
  • Increased risk of depression
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Review the potential consequences mentioned in the passage.
The passage lists several health risks associated with steroid use, including liver damage, kidney tumors, high blood pressure, and psychological effects like depression.
Step 2: Review the options.
- (A) The passage mentions damage to reproductive organs as a consequence of steroid use.
- (B) Decreased blood pressure is not mentioned as a consequence of steroid use, so this is the correct answer.
- (C) The passage explicitly states that steroids increase strength and speed.
- (D) Kidney tumors are listed as a consequence of steroid use.
- (E) Increased risk of depression is clearly stated in the passage.
Conclusion:
Option (B) is the correct answer because it is not mentioned in the passage as a consequence of steroid use.
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Question: 3

The author’s attitude toward the problem of steroid abuse is best described as which of the following?

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Pay attention to the tone of the passage, especially the author’s level of concern and optimism about solving the issue.
Updated On: Oct 3, 2025
  • Cautious but optimistic
  • Judgmental but supportive
  • Ambivalent but resigned
  • Curious but subjective
  • Concerned but pessimistic
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The Correct Option is

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Analyze the tone of the passage.
The passage expresses concern about the widespread use of steroids, especially in both professional and amateur sports. However, the author suggests that unless stronger measures are taken, the problem will persist. This shows a level of pessimism.
Step 2: Review the options.
- (A) The author is not optimistic about solving the problem, so this is not the correct choice.
- (B) While the passage is concerned, it is not judgmental or supportive.
- (C) The author is not ambivalent, as the concern is clear.
- (D) The passage is not curious or subjective in tone.
- (E) This option best captures the author’s attitude, which is concerned about the issue but pessimistic about its resolution.
Conclusion:
Option (E) is the best choice, as it accurately describes the author’s attitude toward the problem of steroid abuse.
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Question: 4

Which of the following can be inferred about a long-distance race in which both athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs and those who do not use these drugs compete?

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Focus on the key information presented in the passage to find the best inference. Here, it’s about the performance improvement due to drugs.
Updated On: Oct 3, 2025
  • The athletes using the drugs will be caught by the proper authorities and ejected from the race.
  • The athletes using the drugs will have a better chance of winning the race.
  • The athletes using the drugs will use steroid precursors that produce effects similar to those of androgenic drugs but are not technically steroids.
  • The athletes using the drugs are more likely to be professionals in their sport than the athletes who do not use such drugs.
  • The athletes using the drugs will be more likely to use any means possible to win the race, including intentional sabotage of other racers' equipment.
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understand the context.
The passage discusses how athletes using performance-enhancing drugs may gain an edge over competitors who do not use such drugs.
Step 2: Review the options.
- (A) This is not supported by the passage. There is no mention of authorities ejecting the athletes.
- (B) This is supported by the passage, which explains that athletes using performance-enhancing drugs can become stronger and faster than their competitors.
- (C) This is not discussed in the passage; the focus is on steroid use, not precursors.
- (D) While professionals might use performance-enhancing drugs, the passage does not specifically make this distinction.
- (E) Sabotage is not mentioned as a likely tactic for athletes using drugs.
Conclusion:
Option (B) is correct because it directly supports the claim that performance-enhancing drugs improve athletic performance.
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Question: 5

The relationship of an athlete who does not use performance-enhancing drugs to an athlete who does use such drugs is most similar to which of the following?

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When looking for analogous situations, focus on the idea of fairness and advantage gained by one party over another.
Updated On: Oct 3, 2025
  • The relationship of a farmer selling milk from cows that have been given bovine growth hormone, a legal drug that promotes greater than normal milk production, to a farmer selling milk from cows that have not been given bovine growth hormone.
  • The relationship of a chess player to a competitor who uses psychological tricks in order to gain an advantage.
  • The relationship of a boxer in the lightweight class to a boxer in the heavyweight class.
  • The relationship of a person taking a standardized test according to the rules to a person taking the same test while using an illegal hidden calculator.
  • The relationship of a person entering a pig in an agricultural contest to a person entering a guinea pig in the same contest.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understand the comparison.
The passage compares athletes using performance-enhancing drugs to those who don’t use them, focusing on the unfair advantage the drug users have.
Step 2: Review the options.
- (A) This comparison involves legal vs. illegal drug use and does not fully capture the idea of one competitor gaining an unfair advantage over another.
- (B) This is not quite analogous to the comparison between athletes, as it’s more about psychological tricks.
- (C) This is a comparison of different weight classes, not an unfair advantage from drug use.
- (D) This is the best comparison because it highlights the difference between a person following the rules and one who gains an unfair advantage using illegal methods.
- (E) This comparison is unrelated to the issue of unfair advantage in competition.
Conclusion:
Option (D) best matches the idea of an unfair advantage, similar to the one gained by athletes using performance-enhancing drugs.
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Question: 6

According to the passage, which of the following can be inferred about the “designer” steroid THG?

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Focus on key details from the passage, especially those related to the specific topic of the question—in this case, the properties of THG.
Updated On: Oct 3, 2025
  • It can increase masculine traits in users without setting off standard doping tests.
  • It does not cause the health problems associated with traditional anabolic steroids.
  • Even if professional sports organizations could detect THG, they would take no action against those who use it.
  • It is a chemical permutation of progesterone, a hormone that has powerful effects on the human body.
  • Because it is a “designer” steroid, it is more expensive than generic steroids.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Review the relevant details in the passage.
The passage mentions designer steroids like THG, which are created to bypass standard doping tests while still producing androgenic effects.
Step 2: Review the options.
- (A) This is directly supported by the passage, which says that designer steroids do not show up in tests but still have androgenic effects.
- (B) The passage does not state that THG lacks the health risks associated with traditional steroids.
- (C) The passage suggests that sports organizations are not doing enough to catch users, but it doesn’t imply that no action would be taken if THG were detected.
- (D) The passage does not specifically describe THG as a permutation of progesterone.
- (E) There is no information about the cost of THG compared to other steroids.
Conclusion:
Option (A) is the best answer because it directly relates to the fact that THG can bypass doping tests while still having similar effects to other steroids.
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Question: 7

Which of the following best expresses the role of the third paragraph in the overall structure of the passage?

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Pay attention to how each paragraph develops or shifts the main theme or focus of the passage.
Updated On: Oct 3, 2025
  • It redirects the theme of the passage from presenting a problem to explaining the reasons for the problem’s severity.
  • It introduces a new concept that defines the rest of the passage.
  • It provides an answer to a question posed in the first two paragraphs.
  • It refutes the central hypothesis of the second paragraph and poses a question that is answered in the following paragraphs.
  • It narrows the focus of the passage from the general themes of the first two paragraphs to the more specific themes of the last two paragraphs.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understand the function of the third paragraph.
The third paragraph shifts from introducing the problem of steroid use to explaining why it is so widespread and difficult to control.
Step 2: Review the options.
- (A) This option best captures how the third paragraph shifts the focus to explaining why steroid use persists despite the known risks.
- (B) The third paragraph doesn’t introduce a new concept but rather expands on the existing idea.
- (C) The first two paragraphs present the problem, but the third paragraph does not directly answer any specific question from those sections.
- (D) The third paragraph doesn’t refute any hypotheses or introduce a new question to be answered later.
- (E) The third paragraph doesn’t narrow the focus but elaborates on the issue discussed in the first two paragraphs.
Conclusion:
Option (A) is the best because it explains the role of the third paragraph in redirecting the passage’s theme from the problem to the reasons for its persistence.
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