Question 1 can be answered without knowing the physics of pulleys. To begin with, D, can be eliminated because it defies principles of work physics. A and B can also be eliminated because they are saying the same thing. Two answers cannot be correct in a multiple choice exam. That leaves C as the only plausible answer. You can do reasonably well on the MCAT by horning on your critical and strategy thinking.
You are totally correct! The MCAT does often write questions in a way that allows students to get the correct answer through multiple paths and test taking skills - if you are comfortable with mechanics in general, elimination strategies can usually get you down to two or even one "possible" answer! It's always it's nice to know the content, but not always required. One of the benefits of a critical reasoning based multiple choice exam :).
