<p>I don't know if you guys will remember this passage. Anyways, it's from the PSAT of my sophomore year (last year). </p>
<p>This passage is adapted from a short story set in the early 1980s. Duncan Hsu, an idealistic young American, has taken a job in China teaching the English language under the supervision of Professor Mo.</p>
<p>Line 1 “You must assign more homework,” Professor Mo told
Duncan one day. “Otherwise, the students will loaf about
and make trouble.”
“I assign four hours a day,” ventured Duncan. “Since
Line 5 they’re in class from nine o’clock to four, that seems like
it ought to be enough.”
“Not enough,” said Professor Mo. “And no more
songs. You are not engaged in a popularity contest.”
“But they like songs,” Duncan protested. “They
Line 10 specifically asked for songs.” Duncan recalled the day
that the class monitor, William—the students had all
chosen English names for the year—had made the request
on behalf of his classmates. William was a square-headed,
square-bodied man, so strong that he could lift heavy
Line 15 building materials with his hands. Yet in presenting
the class request to Duncan, he had blushed red as
a pomegranate, feeling the difficulty of his task.
“You are not engaged in a popularity contest,”
repeated Professor Mo.
Line 20 Duncan knew what the real problem was. The real
problem was that Mo, endeavoring to do as little work
as possible, had elected, as his semester offering, to give
a practice session every day from four to five. Whereas
before Duncan arrived, Mo could count on a full class for
Line 25 whatever he taught, now he was finding that few students
bothered to come. The students complained that it was a
waste of time, and one had only to peek in the door and
behold Mo pontificating at the front of the room to
understand why. To begin with, though the classroom was
Line 30 of average size, Mo had a microphone on his desk. This
was hooked up to two speakers, each on a desk of its own,
flanking him. Mo took long drags of his cigarette, his chin
jutting up into the air, then swooped down importantly into
the mike. “Well,” he drawled. “That’s a matter of opinion.”
Line 35 Pause. “One might say.” The students—there were three of
them—looked bored. Mo’s classroom, like Duncan’s, had
been outfitted with an elaborate system of overhead wires,
from which extension cords hung down, one beside each
desk, so that the students could plug in their all-important
Line 40 tape recorders. Duncan’s own class was punctuated by the
constant sound of cassette tapes running out and being
flipped; at times he had wondered if there was anything
the students, in their avidity, would not tape. Now he
had his answer. None of the students were operating
Line 45 their machines.
Bearing all this in mind, Duncan endeavored to deal
with his supervisor in a diplomatic and sagacious manner,
one befitting his role as a foreign expert.
“Perhaps you could take over the song instruction,”
Line 50 he suggested, though he doubted that Professor Mo could
sing. “We could coordinate other parts of the curriculum,
as well. I could assign the practice session as part of their
homework. Make it required.” Duncan tried to broach
these ideas as delicately as he could.
Line 55 “What a nice idea,” said Mo in reply. “How very kind
of you.” Then he laughed, showing his nicotine-stained
teeth. He looped his arm over the back of his chair with
an elaborate motion, as, with some ceremony, he recrossed
his legs.
Line 60 Thus did the enmity begin. Over the next few weeks,
Mo did not make a comment to Duncan that did not
include the word “kind.” If you would be so kind, he
said. Just a kindly reminder. How very kind of you.</p>
<p>The statement in lines 44-45 (“None . . . machines”) primarily serves to</p>
<p>(A) depict a typical classroom situation
(B) demonstrate the limitations of a technology
(C) show Duncan’s disapproval of the students’ behavior
(D) explain the source of Professor Mo’s failings as a teacher
(E) contrast the behavior of Professor Mo’s and Duncan’s students</p>
<p>The answer is E.</p>
<p>I want to know how one could possibly know that the author is talking about Professor Mo's students when he says:
"Duncan’s own class was punctuated by the constant sound of cassette tapes running out and being flipped; at times he had wondered if there was anything the students, in their avidity, would not tape. Now he had his answer. None of the students were operating their machines."</p>
<p>I thought the author was criticizing Professor Mo's decision to install unnecessary wires in the classrooms, which led to failure: students of both professors were bored or not operating their machines, just fiddling with them.</p>
<p>But according to Collegeboard, the lines I just re-copied meant that the students of Professor Mo were not operating their machines, and Duncan's students were running the cassettes out and flipping them. With that understanding, they concluded the author was contrasting both professors.</p>
<p>I'm confused :(</p>