Here’s the passage-
Passage 1
It is striking how our culture has wholeheartedly adopted the recycling ethic. Most parents have probably received humbling lectures from their children after tossing
Line a glass jar or newspaper in the trash can. But the popularity 5 of recycling is even more surprising considering the incon-
veniences associated with it. Who hasn’t experienced the annoyance of trying to satisfy complicated rules about what can and cannot be recycled? Glass jars — but not their tops? Plastics number 1 and 2 — but not number 3? Still there is
10 no sign that the public is becoming impatient, so convinced are people of the virtues of recycling.
Passage 2
Mandatory recycling programs aren’t good for posterity. They offer mainly short-term benefits to a few groups— like politicians and waste-handling corporations—while
15 diverting money from genuine social and environmental problems. Recycling programs actually consume resources. They require extra administrators and a continual public relations campaign explaining what to do with dozens of different products—recycle milk jugs but not milk cartons,
20 index cards but not construction paper. Collecting a ton of recyclable items is three times more expensive than collect- ing a ton of garbage because crews pick up less material
at each stop. Recycling may be the most wasteful activity in the modern United States: a waste of time and money,
25 a waste of human and natural resources.
I’m pretty sure the answer is E, tempered. Passage 1 really talks about surprising acceptance of recycling despite the annoyances associated with it; it may slightly criticize the process, but it never talks down the effects of recycling. Passage 2 on the other hand, isn’t at all as balanced, as it basically tells the reader only the negative aspects of recycling.
I would say B (arrogant).
A: Passage 2 is more pessimistic than is Passage 1 because Passage 2 says “recycling is the most wasteful activity in the modern United States, a waste of time and money, and a waste of human and natural resources”, whereas Passage 1 says only that recycling rules are annoying.
B: The main point of passage 1 is that recycling rules are annoying. This suggests the author thinks he is too good to waste his time satisfying complicated recycling rules.
“Glass jars — but not their tops? Plastics number 1 and 2 — but not number 3?”
He also seems to think the public is foolish and easily duped.
“Still there is no sign that the public is becoming impatient, so convinced are people of the virtues of recycling.”
C. Both passages are critical, but passage 2 is more critical (see analysis of answer A).
D: Passage 2 is more scholarly.
E: Passage 2 is more critical of recycling than is passage 1, but passage 1 is also quite critical. The tone is too annoyed and impatient to be tempered.
I agree with @unwound . The author of the first passage is annoyed with the complications of recycling. However, towards the end, he says that the public is not becoming impatient, and that they are convinced of the virtues. The author of passage 2 directly criticizes recycling by calling it “the most wasteful activity” he obviously expresses his opinions much more directly and openly. Passage 1 acknowledges the public’s opinion and isn’t as blunt with his words as is the author of passage 2.
It is, of course, “tempered,” which means “balanced.” P1 says that there are problems with recycling but that people have really taken to it. P2 explicitly says recycling is a “waste”. Pretty easy Q. @ThisGirlIsOnFire
