Help with TRICKY passage

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>Passage 1
When I entered journalism school in the 1920’s, I
found out that perennial and fundamental laws governing
the art of good writing had been discovered. Experts
had stubbornly and rigorously analyzed readers’ modest
capacity to dedicate th 5 eir attention to the printed page
and had established once and for all, apparently with the
mathematical precision of astronomers, the order of
readers’ natural preferences. They found that effective
prose was composed of a limited number of very simple
10 and common words grouped in short, crisp sentences.
When designed rigorously, such prose could penetrate the
opaque barrier of millions of readers’ indifference, apathy,
inattention, and obtuseness.</p>

<p>Passage 2
Beginning writers are often taught that effective prose
15 is crisp and concise and that most readers have no patience
with densely complex sentences and obscure vocabulary.
While clarity and succinctness are certainly worthy goals,
I sometimes worry that our assumption that the reading
public can comprehend only such writing might be selling
20 them short. Assuming that readers are merely able to digest
simple words, and that they have no interest in puzzling
through more challenging prose, turns that theory into a
self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s our responsibility as writers
to offer the public something beyond workmanlike writing:
25 if we don’t, readers will never appreciate writing as an art
rather than as a mechanical craft.</p>

<p>In comparison to Passage 2, the tone of Passage 1
is more
(A) earnest
(B) inspirational
(C) complacent
(D) defensive
(E) sarcastic</p>

<p>The answer is E. HOW? I put A :(</p>

2

<p>Compared to passage two, passage one completely underestimates readers so much, that the tone comes off as sarcastic/cynical.
The writer discusses how catching an audience’s attention is completely formulaic, and involves almost no creativity. Because the attention span of readers is so low, many writers are forced to do stoop down to their level for them to comprehend and stay attentive.
“When designed rigorously, such prose could penetrate the opaque barrier of millions of readers’ indifference, apathy, inattention, and obtuseness.”</p>

<p>His/Her use of negative, sarcastic words like indifference, apathy, inattention, and obtuse is so completely negative that it is meant to be taken as dark humor/irony. He’s mocking the fact that writers think readers only want simple writing, and underestimate the attention span of readers to be so low. In contrast, Passage 1 is lighter, more hopeful, and optimistic, and calls for writers to take action and do something about this issue of readers being inattentive. </p>

<p>Hope this helps!</p>

3

<p>The first line should tip you off:</p>

<p>“When I entered journalism school in the 1920’s, I found out that perennial and fundamental laws governing the art of good writing had been discovered.”</p>

<p>When it comes to good writing, the idea that there are fundamental laws to be discovered is ludicrous. The writer is essentially railing against the establishment in a sarcastic tone.</p>