Tricky CR Question

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>Here is a question from an official collegeboard past paper:</p>

<p>Passage excerpt:</p>

<p>Although I don’t recall any specific content of books from my early years as a reader, there was the more important emotional content those books represented—the knowledge that the segregated world I was forced to live in was not the only reality. Somewhere beyond that world,somewhere my eyes could not then penetrate, were dreams and possibilities, and I knew this was true because the books I read ravenously, desperately, were voices from that world.</p>

<p>Question:</p>

<p>The author’s choice of words in lines 7-9 (“I knew…world”) primarily emphasizes
(C) the intensity of his need (correct)
(E) the intellectual character of his curiosity</p>

<p>I was confused between these two options. After musing over for around 2 minutes, I chose E which is the wrong answer. </p>

<p>I couldn't recognize the 'need' of the author. I thought the 'curiosity' was his desire to explore those 'voices from that world'.</p>

<p>Why is C correct and E wrong? What is the author's 'need' here?</p>

<p>I would highly appreciate if you could also explain how to eliminate such tricky choices. </p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

2

<p>The words that you should be looking at are “ravenously” and “desperately.” There are no tone words in that clause that suggest intellectualism.</p>

3

<p>So is it correct that whenever I have the author is describing his inner feelings/thoughts, I can classify it as intellectualism?</p>

4

<p>No. Feelings can’t be classified as “intellectual” unless they’re analyzed. </p>

5

<p>Now I understand!
Thanks @‌marvin100</p>

<p>Would you mind solving another one?</p>

<p>Passage:</p>

<p>Indeed, the moment that an artist takes notice of what other people want, and tries to supply the demand, he ceases to be an artist, and becomes a dull or an amusing craftsman, an honest or a dishonest tradesman. He has no further claim to be considered as an artist. Art is the most intense mode of Individualism that the world has known. I am inclined to say that it is the only real mode of Individualism that the world has known. Crime, which, under certain conditions, may seem to have created Individualism, must take cognisance of other people and interfere with them. It belongs to the sphere of action. But alone, without any reference to his neighbours, without any interference, the artist can fashion a beautiful thing; and if he does not do it solely for his own pleasure, he is not an artist at all.</p>

<p>And it is to be noted that it is the fact that Art is this intense form of Individualism that makes the public try to exercise over it in an authority that is as immoral as it is ridiculous, and as corrupting as it is contemptible. It is not quite their fault. The public has always, and in every age, been badly brought up. They are continually asking Art to be popular, to please their want of taste, to flatter their absurd vanity, to tell them what they have been told before, to show them what they ought to be tired of seeing, to amuse them when they feel heavy after eating too much, and to distract their thoughts when they are wearied of their own stupidity. Now Art should never try to be popular. The public should try to make itself artistic. There is a very wide difference. If a man of science were told that the results of his experiments, and the conclusions that he arrived at, should be of such a character that they would not upset the received popular notions on the subject, or disturb popular prejudice, or hurt the sensibilities of people who knew nothing about science; if a philosopher were told that he had a perfect right to speculate in the highest spheres of thought, provided that he arrived at the same conclusions as were held by those who had never thought in any sphere at all – well, nowadays the man of science and the philosopher would be considerably amused. Yet it is really a very few years since both philosophy and science were subjected to brutal popular control, to authority – in fact the authority of either the general ignorance of the community, or the terror and greed for power of an ecclesiastical or governmental class. Of course, we have to a very great extent got rid of any attempt on the part of the community, or the Church, or the Government, to interfere with the individualism of speculative thought, but the attempt to interfere with the individualism of imaginative art still lingers. In fact, it does more than linger; it is aggressive, offensive, and brutalizing.</p>

<p>The one thing that the public dislike is novelty. Any attempt to extend the subject-matter of art is extremely distasteful to the public; and yet the vitality and progress of art depend in a large measure on the continual extension of subject-matter. The public dislike novelty because they are afraid of it. It represents to them a mode of Individualism, an assertion on the part of the artist that he selects his own subject, and treats it as he chooses. The public are quite right in their attitude. Art is Individualism, and Individualism is a disturbing and disintegrating force. Therein lies its immense value. For what it seeks to disturb is monotony of type, slavery of custom, tyranny of habit, and the reduction of man to the level of a machine.</p>

<p>Question:</p>

<p>The passage as a whole is best described as</p>

<p>(D) an explication of the public’s definition of art.
(E) an argument for unfettered artistic expression. (correct)</p>

<p>I couldn’t pin down which is correct. Why is D wrong? The introduction to the passage said “this passage discusses the relationship of art to its public”. So, shouldn’t D be correct? Please explain.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance :smile: </p>

6

<p>D is wrong because of the word “definition.” The passage does explicate the relationship between art and the public, but doesn’t spend time explaining the public’s definition of art. It’s also a persuasive passage, which should lead you to E.</p>

7

<p>I see.</p>

<p>So whenever I see the word ‘argument’, I must try to find out whether the author is trying to persuade me?</p>

8

<p>Another tip is to look at the very beginning and end of the passage. In this case, both include an argument for individualism–or E.</p>

9

<p>Thanks @Hunt‌ </p>

<p>Here’s another question from a past paper. The author talks about how apes can have their own grammar. Kanzi is an ape on whom the studies were done.</p>

<p>Passage:</p>

<p>Our analysis thus suggests that Kanzi has developed some simple grammatical strategies or rules. Kanzi’s communications strongly challenge the assumption that apes are unable to manipulate words according to grammatical conventions. Many scholars have argued that the utterances of apes should not be characterized as true language unless they employ grammatical rules similar to those found in human languages.</p>

<p>This seems to me an extreme position. After all, Kanzi knows that words can be used to communicate about things he wants and he can purposefully combine symbols to tell us something we would have no way of knowing otherwise.He recognizes that two symbols can be combined to form meanings that neither symbol in isolation could ever convey. He uses this skill to communicate completely novel ideas that are his own and have never been talked about with him. And he has simple grammatical rules, even if they are not rules human languages would use.</p>

<p>Such an extreme view is taken, I believe, because many scientists are hesitant to conclude that apes are capable of rational thought, foresight, or purposeful communication. If we allow that apes such as Kanzi are indeed attempting to tell us what is on their minds, we lose our scientific claim to having drastically different minds from all other creatures on the planet.</p>

<p>Question:</p>

<p>The final paragraph of Passage 2 suggests the author’s belief that Kanzi’s abilities</p>

<p>(B) have significant scientific implications (correct)
© will lead to a revolution in scientific methods
(D) are likely shared by other nonhuman primates</p>

<p>I identified the line in the last para which says, ‘If we allow that apes such as Kanzi are indeed attempting to tell us what is on their minds’. Doesn’t this completely support option D? B is implied but D is explicitly stated. </p>

<p>Please explain why B is correct and D is wrong. Also, is option C wrong because of the word ‘methods’?</p>

10

<p>The line in that paragraph that you refer to does imply that it is possible that other apes can also possess similar abilities, yet the question asks the reader to look at the entire paragraph. The paragraph in question contains phrases like “because many scientists are hesitant to conclude” and “we lose our scientific claim to having drastically different minds…”, which serve to suggest that there will be “significant” implications to a change in thinking… SAT questions often do this by giving an answer that is partially correct, but asking for the big picture… There is no doubt that that particular sentence suggests that there are other primates like Kanzi (especially using the phrase “such as Kanzi”), yet the paragraph, when taken as a whole, tells the reader that “allowing” that apes like Kanzi are communicating will cause some disturbances in the scientific community’s way of thinking.</p>

11

<p>So whenever the question asks about a ‘paragraph’, I must not select any option that represents only one line of that para? Should I make sure that the option is supported my more than one line?</p>

12

<p>Another Question. This one is Level 5:</p>

<p>Passage 1:</p>

<p>Variable work schedules are an inexpensive way for employers to offer their workers greater flexibility. And for many people, minor changes in schedules are all they need to help manage work and life. Plus, these arrangements usually don’t affect earnings or benefits. Being able to arrive and leave earlier or later allows workers to avoid peak commuting times—and to work when they’re most productive. However, they might need to consider the impact of not being in the office at certain times or on the days they have off. As with other types of flexible arrangements that involve time off, people can miss important office events if they aren’t there when everyone else is.</p>

<p>Passage 2:</p>

<p>Fusion of home and work will bring an end to weekends. As more people gain more control over when and where they work, neither the workday nor the work week will have a distinguishable beginning or end.Labor-short companies are increasingly willing to accommodate employees’ desire for more flexible scheduling, evidenced by the growing number of firms offering core hours, telecommunicating, and flex-time. The trade-off may be that the combination of these alternatives work arrangements, with the breakneck speed of doing business in the new economy, will further blur the line between work and home/family/leisure.</p>

<p>Which of the following is an assumption made in Passage 1 about the trend toward flexible schedules that is contradicted in Passage 2 ?</p>

<p>(A) Employers will recognize the importance of flexible schedules to productivity.
(B) Employers will emphasize the financial benefits of flexible schedules.
© Employers will need flexible schedules to retain talented staff.
(D) Employees will become more productive during their work hours.
(E) Employees will regularly have full days off from work.</p>

13

<p>“So whenever the question asks about a ‘paragraph’, I must not select any option that represents only one line of that para? Should I make sure that the option is supported my more than one line?”</p>

<p>Precisely. Scope is important. </p>

<p>If the question asks about a paragraph, you must consider the entire paragraph. Passage, the entire passage. Specific lines, focus your attention solely on the content of those lines.</p>

<p>CR requires you to read <em>both</em> the passage and the question critically in order to excel.</p>

14

<p>Thanks @DreamSchlDropout‌ </p>

<p>Could you try the new question I put up?</p>

15

<p>Start by breaking down the question. You need an assumption from the first passage that is contradicted by an assumption from the second.</p>

<p>So, list the assumptions made by each passage and find a matching pair that disagree with one another.</p>

<p>You should be able to take it from there.</p>

16

<p>I did, and I thought of D.
But the answer is E.</p>

17

<p>Passage 2 makes no statements about worker productivity. In order for there to be a contradiction, it must be a subject discussed by both passages. </p>

<p>1: “on the days they have off”</p>

<p>2: “neither the workday nor the work week will have a distinguishable beginning or end.”</p>

18

<p>It makes a little sense but there was no way I could have identified that subtle a difference during the test.
Usually they don’t ask such questions, but I guess this was an exceptional question.</p>

19

<p>That’s a bad question, in my opinion. Even if the work day and work week have no distinguishing beginning and end, that doesn’t mean that workers will not regularly have days with no work.</p>

20

<p>I agree the argument in favor of the correct answer is rather thin. Not a great question, but I don’t agree with</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>The question could easily be resolved by process of elimination. Eliminate the answers that don’t work and the correct answer is left standing. </p>