Reading Comprehension

PLEASE MAKE IT A TIMED EFFORT ,IF POSSIBLE MENTION TIME AS WELL WITH ANSWERS



Arguments abound over whether marijuana should be legalized. Many of
these arguments pertain to the lengthy federal guidelines for prison
sentences meted out for what is considered a relatively petty crime.
Others point out that marijuana is a drug that could, and should, be used
for medicinal purposes. But most proponents of legalization ignore the
mounting evidence which points to the long term damage to the user and
for society as a whole.

In the Netherlands, marijuana has been legally available since 1976.
"•Coffee shops"– sell cannabis over the counter in many parts of the
country. However, more people have tried cannabis since it has been
legalized.

Medical research has repeatedly provided evidence that marijuana use
causes permanent physical, psychological, and thus emotional damage to
those who regularly use it. Studies at the University of Maryland and
UCLA indicated that the regular smoking of only two marijuana cigarettes
a day would tend to promote toe fungus and thrush. But over the years,
much stronger claims have surfaced: heavy marijuana users perform
poorly at work or school, are more likely to be delinquent and develop
psychiatric problems, or have abnormal brain waves. Repeatedly,
however, such studies encounter the same objection: are the problems
caused by smoking marijuana, or is it just that people with problems are
more likely to end up using marijuana heavily?

Marijuana is addictive. According to Wayne Hall, director of the National
Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales,
Sydney, cannabis is not generally regarded as a drug of dependence
because it does not have a clearly defined withdrawal syndrome. But
that, he says, is an old-fashioned definition of addiction.

Research into marijuana's use as a medicine has proven either
inconclusive or tended to show that its side effects rendered cannabis
unsuitable as a drug. For instance, one study surveyed the use of
cannabinoids to combat nausea following chemotherapy. While the
tablets or injections were slightly more effective than standard
treatments, their side effects, plus the recent development of new, more
powerful drugs, makes them a poor choice for nausea relief. In her study,
"•Cannabinoids were no more effective than codeine in controlling acute
and chronic pain and they had undesirable effects in depressing the
central nervous system,"– comments Eija Kalso of Helsinki University
Hospital. Yet, under mounting pressure, the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Agency has reluctantly agreed to provide funds for once again testing the
efficacy of marijuana as a medicine.


1. According to the passage, all of the following are harmful effects of
marijuana EXCEPT:
A. poor performance at work
B. development of psychiatric problems
C. growth of toe fungus and thrush
D. depression and memory loss
E. Abnormal brain waves

2. According to an earlier definition, why is marijuana not considered addictive?
A. Its use does not result in death
B. Lack of clearly defined withdrawal syndrome
C. It has several beneficial uses
D. Its harmful effects have not been proved
E. Its use is legal in a lot of countries

3. Which of the following can be inferred from the information in the passage?
A. It has now been proved without a doubt that marijuana is indeed
harmful to humans
B. Marijuana has been unreasonably criticized by doctors
C. Netherland will soon make marijuana illegal
D. Marijuana has several harmful effects and probably some beneficial
ones as well
E. The US Drug enforcement Agency has decided to ban the use of
marijuana

OA Solveit1st

Easy passage, 6 mns, DBD I think

Thanks Paulrichards for the reply , i will update the OA soon after few entries pitch in .

AIM GMAT wrote:PLEASE MAKE IT A TIMED EFFORT ,IF POSSIBLE MENTION TIME AS WELL WITH ANSWERS



Arguments abound over whether marijuana should be legalized. Many of
these arguments pertain to the lengthy federal guidelines for prison
sentences meted out for what is considered a relatively petty crime.
Others point out that marijuana is a drug that could, and should, be used
for medicinal purposes. But most proponents of legalization ignore the
mounting evidence which points to the long term damage to the user and
for society as a whole.

In the Netherlands, marijuana has been legally available since 1976.
"•Coffee shops"– sell cannabis over the counter in many parts of the
country. However, more people have tried cannabis since it has been
legalized.

Medical research has repeatedly provided evidence that marijuana use
causes permanent physical, psychological, and thus emotional damage to
those who regularly use it. Studies at the University of Maryland and
UCLA indicated that the regular smoking of only two marijuana cigarettes
a day would tend to promote toe fungus and thrush. But over the years,
much stronger claims have surfaced: heavy marijuana users perform
poorly at work or school, are more likely to be delinquent and develop
psychiatric problems, or have abnormal brain waves. Repeatedly,
however, such studies encounter the same objection: are the problems
caused by smoking marijuana, or is it just that people with problems are
more likely to end up using marijuana heavily?

Marijuana is addictive. According to Wayne Hall, director of the National
Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales,
Sydney, cannabis is not generally regarded as a drug of dependence
because it does not have a clearly defined withdrawal syndrome. But
that, he says, is an old-fashioned definition of addiction.

Research into marijuana's use as a medicine has proven either
inconclusive or tended to show that its side effects rendered cannabis
unsuitable as a drug. For instance, one study surveyed the use of
cannabinoids to combat nausea following chemotherapy. While the
tablets or injections were slightly more effective than standard
treatments, their side effects, plus the recent development of new, more
powerful drugs, makes them a poor choice for nausea relief. In her study,
"•Cannabinoids were no more effective than codeine in controlling acute
and chronic pain and they had undesirable effects in depressing the
central nervous system,"– comments Eija Kalso of Helsinki University
Hospital. Yet, under mounting pressure, the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Agency has reluctantly agreed to provide funds for once again testing the
efficacy of marijuana as a medicine.


1. According to the passage, all of the following are harmful effects of
marijuana EXCEPT:
A. poor performance at work
B. development of psychiatric problems
C. growth of toe fungus and thrush
D. depression and memory loss
E. Abnormal brain waves

2. According to an earlier definition, why is marijuana not considered addictive?
A. Its use does not result in death
B. Lack of clearly defined withdrawal syndrome
C. It has several beneficial uses
D. Its harmful effects have not been proved
E. Its use is legal in a lot of countries

3. Which of the following can be inferred from the information in the passage?
A. It has now been proved without a doubt that marijuana is indeed
harmful to humans
B. Marijuana has been unreasonably criticized by doctors
C. Netherland will soon make marijuana illegal
D. Marijuana has several harmful effects and probably some beneficial
ones as well
E. The US Drug enforcement Agency has decided to ban the use of
marijuana

OA Solveit1st

My answers:
1. D
2. B
3. C
What are the answers?

DBD : 6 Min overall

Sorry for the delay guys . The OA is DBD.

I found this one easy , whats your opinion ? Is this GMAT like ?

DBD too approx 5 mins.

I don't know whether it is easy , but these research topics are actually more interesting then history topics. :mrgreen:

czarczar wrote:DBD too approx 5 mins.

I don't know whether it is easy , but these research topics are actually more interesting then history topics. :mrgreen:

I agree with you czarczar.

Ans: DBD
Time taken: 04 mins

champmag wrote:Ans: DBD
Time taken: 04 mins

Wow champmag great going 100% correct in short span of time , you rock .