Help on a verbal problem

Test Preparation
1

<p>I am having trouble understanding Critical Reading Question #7 in Section 2 of Test 6 in the CB Blue book. The question is as follows concerning the discussion on science fiction:</p>

<p>Both passages suggest that science fiction</p>

<p>A. can motivate people to pursue a scientific education
B. Can provide a bridge between the worlds of art and science
C. is more appealing to children than it is to adults
D. Intentionally glosses over the difficult challenges that scientists face
E. Does not attempt to reflect scientific reality with rigorous exactness. </p>

<p>I picked choice B, and my reasoning is as follows:</p>

<p>In Passage I, the author states, "science fiction's most important use ... is as a means of dramatizing social inquiry, of providng a fictional mode in which cultural tendencies can be isolated and judged." I think that phrase implies that science, acting as a medium, serves to bring out cultural and societal factors one would not normally expect in the scientific genre, as the author later says, "discover how many of his or her cherished insights are common ground in science fiction." So doesn't that mean science fiction provides a connection or bridge between the worlds of art (ie, culture) and science? </p>

<p>Passage II clearly supports answer B by stating, "the genre serves as a link between the culture of the arts on one hand, and of science and tech on the other." </p>

<p>But the online guide says the correct answer is E, and they explain that:
"Choice E is correct. Both passages imply that the genre takes enormous liberties in distorting scientific facts." and that "B is incorrect. Only passage 2 claims that science fiction may help children to make a connection between art of science". </p>

<p>Can someone explain to me where my thinking went wrong?</p>

2

<p>cultural tendencies do not equal art, so it's not b
dramatizing does not equal rigorous exactness, so e is a possibility</p>

<p>if your explanation ever has to be that long to justify an answer, you're probably wrong. the answer should be able to be backed up easily and without leaps of faith in interpretation. your biggest mistake was equating culture to art, a relationship that is tenuous at best for an SAT question. E is the BEST answer.</p>

3

<p>I saw that question, and I narrowed it down to those two. However, choice E is the better choice because you do not need to make very broad connections to understand it. Both passages clearly discuss how science fiction rarely portrays science accurately. Both choices are right, but E is more discernible from actual claims in the text.</p>