Sat - MC Grawhill part 21 docx

SAT Practice 5: Connecting the Questions to the Passage 190 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT group members protect them. The bonds among group members may make them treat the whistle-blower, not the wrongdoer, as the 50 criminal. They do this especially if the whistle- blower is a member of their in-group—one does not squeal, tell tales, or inform on one’s comrades. Social psychologists find that we easily 55 become prejudiced. It takes the smallest hint that you belong to one group and other people to another for you to favor “your own” group. The reason you belong to one group rather than another may be no more than a prefer- 60 ence for abstract artists, Paul Klee rather than Wassily Kandinsky. You need not even meet and interact with the members of your own group, but prejudice will nonetheless rear its ugly head. It may be our football team, school, 65 town or nation, or the color of our skin. Once fully identified with that “we,” people become sensitive to the needs of their group and callous toward other groups. Outsiders cease to matter. The stronger our identification with 70 the “we,” the blinder we become to the humanity we share with “them.” Out of this psychology comes the nasty side of history and the human race: the world of “ethnic cleansing,” genocide, racial prejudice, and 75 global terrorism. Thus, we may be born alone, but we quickly learn to identify ourselves with a group, leading, in some cases, to barbaric consequences. 1. The primary purpose of this passage is to (A) examine a problem (B) compare human behavior with bird behavior (C) disprove a theory (D) suggest an alternative (E) analyze a phenomenon The following is an excerpt from a recent book by two science writers on the evolution of human intelligence. Where can freedom be found? Perhaps in a flock of estuary birds? Flying together at high Line speeds, thousands of birds maneuver with precise coordination. The flock flies this way 5 and then that. It turns as if a wave has passed through it. These “maneuver waves” start slowly in a few individuals but quickly spread. Unless the individual birds reacted together, the flock would disperse, exposing isolated 10 birds to predators. Sometimes it is “smart,” in a survival sense, to give up your freedom and fit in with a group. Once started, a wave travels through a flock at about 70 birds a second. Surprisingly, this 15 is much faster than a single bird’s reaction time. Thus, individual birds cannot have seen their neighbors and said to themselves, “Hey, they’ve changed direction—I’d better copy them.” Something else besides copying is 20 synchronizing the birds. Somehow they see themselves, if only for a short time, as part of a whole. They see the wave maneuver and time their own change of flight with it. Individuals cease to be individuals in many 25 ways—not just when flying together. Humans can react physically as a group; a wave of legs passes down a chorus line at roughly 10 dancers every second. As with birds taking off, this is too fast for movements made in reaction 30 to neighbors. A similar thing, no doubt at a deeper level, organizes a jazz jam or a basket- ball team. This suggests that people are good—surprisingly good—at synthesizing their actions into a larger whole. Soldiers 35 marching in step with each other are not doing so as individuals. We all have a sense of “we” that identifies with “our” group and favors “us” against out- siders. We have our fraternities, sororities, 40 and other old boy and girl networks. We seek out people who share the same club, school tie, or accent. Much of this activity is harm- less, but our loyalties also have their darker side. When loyal group members are found to 45 be doing wrong—committing sexual or physi- cal abuse, faking data, or taking bribes—other John R. Skoyles and Dorion Sagan, Up from Dragons. © 2002 McGraw-Hill. Reprinted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies. CHAPTER 4 / CRITICAL READING SKILLS 191 5. On the whole, the authors’ attitude toward group behavior is one of (A) ambivalence (B) disdain (C) admiration (D) skepticism (E) fear 6. The “psychology” mentioned in line 72 is closest to the mindset of (A) an orchestra conductor working to perfect a performance (B) a scientist studying the nature of cooperation (C) a football player trying to become a produc- tive member of a team (D) an artist seeking isolation in which to work (E) an ideologue trying to inspire hatred of an enemy 2. The passage refers to the “freedom” of estuary birds in lines 1–2 in order to emphasize the fact that (A) birds are more physically free than humans (B) something is not as it appears (C) scientists do not yet understand how birds move in flocks (D) the coordination of birds in flight is distinctly different from the coordination of human political movements (E) birds do not appreciate the complexity of their actions 3. By saying that soldiers do not march “as individuals” (line 36), the authors suggest that the soldiers (A) are compelled to march through coercion (B) must obey the orders of their superiors (C) react as a part of an organized whole (D) lack leadership skills (E) are reluctant 4. Klee and Kandinsky (lines 60–61) are mentioned as examples of (A) artists whose works are closely related (B) people who do not act as individuals (C) men whose followers may form distinct groups (D) those who belong to a privileged group (E) individuals who express prejudice Answer Key 5: Connecting the Questions to the Passage 192 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Concept Review 5 1. (1) Read each question carefully, covering up the answer choices for now, (2) translate it into a “stand-alone” question, if possible, (3) formulate your own answer to the translated question, and (4) choose the best match among the choices. 2. A “stand-alone” question is one that can be an- swered without needing to look at multiple choices. It should be phrased like an open-ended essay question, such as “What is the tone of line 35?” rather than “The tone of line 35 is best char- acterized as. . . .” 3. Translating and answering the question as a “stand-alone” question helps you to avoid the most common “traps” in SAT Critical Reading questions. Many of the choices will sound good because they are “true” in some sense but in fact do not answer the question. (More on this in Lesson 8.) 4. a. What is the author’s attitude toward the “oppo- sition” in line 42? b. Why has the garden become important to the author? c. What motivates Davis, according to the last paragraph? d. What is the author trying to emphasize by men- tioning the freedom of estuary birds in lines 1–2? e. Why does the author use the term “solid” in line 16? 5. The “sandwich strategy” shows you where to look when a Critical Reading question does not contain a line reference. Because the questions follow the order of the passage, the answer usually can be found between the line reference in the previous question and the line reference in the next question. 6. The phrase “in order to” indicates that the ques- tion is asking you to determine the purpose of the passage as a whole or the purpose of some part of the passage. To tackle purpose questions, first re- mind yourself of the purpose of the passage over- all, then of the purpose of the specific paragraph, and then of the purpose of the specific word or reference. SAT I Practice 5 1. E This passage analyzes (examines closely) the phenomenon of group behavior, first in terms of birds flying together, then in terms of human beings acting as teams, and then in terms of human group identification. This passage is not focused on a “problem” because group behavior is often depicted as a positive thing, particularly in the first three paragraphs, so choice (A) is incorrect. Since the passage discusses birds only in the first couple of paragraphs, (B) must be incorrect. Also, since no alternative to a situation or refutation of a theory is presented, (C) and (D) cannot be right. 2. B The authors begin with a question: “Where can freedom be found?” and a rhetorical answer: “Perhaps in a flock of estuary birds?” This leads us to believe that the author might use the example of birds flying as an example of “freedom.” How- ever, the paragraph (and the passage as a whole) goes on to suggest that bird flight is not as “free” as it seems and often typifies group behavior. 3. C The example of the marching soldiers follows the examples of the estuary birds, the chorus line, the jazz band, and the basketball team. All of these examples reinforce the common theme of group behavior being an organized whole. 4. C The sentence says that “The reason you be- long to one group rather than another may be no more than a preference for abstract artists, Paul Klee rather than Wassily Kandinsky.” This means that those who like the art of Klee might form a distinct group from those who like Kandinsky. 5. A The authors indicate the positive benefits of group behavior in the first three paragraphs, then its “darker side” in the last two paragraphs. This is an example of ambivalence, in which the authors are not saying that group behavior is always good or always bad. 6. E According to the passage, the “psychology” mentioned in line 72 is the mind-set by which people become blind “to the humanity we share with ‘them’” (lines 70–71) and which leads to scourges such as “‘ethnic cleansing,’ genocide, racial prejudice, and global terrorism” (lines 73–75). Therefore, it is closest to the mind-set of an ideologue trying to inspire hatred of an enemy. CHAPTER 4 / CRITICAL READING SKILLS 193 Lesson 6: Finding Alternatives in Attacking the Questions “Whole-Passage Attack” versus “Paragraph Attack” Although many students do best by reading the whole passage before attacking the questions, some prefer to attack the questions sooner. This approach, called the “paragraph attack,” takes advantage of the ordering of SAT CR questions. In this mode of attack, you read the first paragraph or two, and then answer the questions that pertain to just those paragraphs (skipping any “big picture” questions for now). When you reach a question that refers to a portion of the passage that you haven’t read, go back and read the next paragraph or two, and so on. Always read and summarize whole paragraphs at a time before going to the questions. Don’t stop in the middle of a paragraph. Experiment with the “whole-passage attack” and the “paragraph attack” strategies as you practice, and decide which works better for you. Attacking Paired Passages Every SAT contains “paired” passages—one pair of long passages and one pair of short passages—that share a common theme but are written by different authors. They are followed by normal CR questions and then questions comparing or contrasting the ideas and tone of the two passages. For these passages, you’ll want to change your attack strategy slightly. Here’s how to attack paired passages: • First, read Passage 1 with the key ques- tions in mind, paying particular attention to tone. • After summarizing, attack the questions that pertain only to Passage 1. • Next, read Passage 2, again paying atten- tion to tone. Ask, “How do the perspective and tone of this passage differ from those of Passage 1? How are they similar?” • Then attack the questions that pertain to Passage 2 and the comparison questions. •Do not read the passages back-to-back because then you will be more likely to confuse the ideas in the passages. Attacking SAT Passages from Hell Hopefully, if you’ve practiced the College Hill Method for attacking the SAT CR, you’ve learned that you can attack even tough reading passages about, say, an- cient Greek metaphysics. But what if you’re faced with a real SAT passage from hell? What if you just can’t get through the language or concepts in a really tough SAT passage? Don’t panic. Just change your mode of attack. If a particular passage seems completely incomprehensible, first see if there is another passage to attack on that section, and move on to that one. If not, just go to the questions that require little reading: the “word in context” questions and the “secondary idea” questions. Usually these don’t require you to understand the “big picture,” so they are easier to attack. The Need for Speed The SAT isn’t a speed-reading test, so don’t rush through the passages. With practice in the College Hill Method, your reading will become brisker and more efficient on its own. But what if you still strug- gle to finish the SAT CR sections on time? Here’s our approach: • Step 1: Don’t panic. Your efficiency will improve as you practice with the College Hill Method, and the problem may well take care of itself. But what if you still struggle with time after weeks of practice? • Step 2: Use your finger to “push” your eyes more quickly over the words. Move your finger smoothly over the words, and focus your eyes right next to your finger. With just a little practice, you may be amazed at how much faster you can read without losing comprehension. Practice this strategy con- tinuously with everything you read for two weeks— use it when you’re reading the newspaper, your homework assignments, magazines, everything. But what if even this doesn’t work well enough? • Step 3: Get tested to see if you can take the SAT with extended time. If you have a diagnosable learning disability that slows down your reading, you may well qualify for extra time on the SAT. Talk to your guidance counselor about getting tested, and do it at least a few months before taking the SAT. Concept Review 6: Finding Alternatives in Attacking the Questions 194 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT 1. Briefly describe the difference between the “whole-passage attack” and the “paragraph attack.” 2. How should your attack strategy shift when reading paired passages? 3. How should your attack strategy shift when reading an extremely difficult passage? 4. What strategies should you try if you have trouble finishing the CR sections in time? CHAPTER 4 / CRITICAL READING SKILLS 195 35 passion, for fits of anger and craving for sensual pleasures and some such things do unmistakenly produce a change in bodily condition and in some instances actually cause madness. 1. The last sentence of Passage 1 (“For normal man . . . do not exist,’ lines 19–20) suggests that (A) certain modern discoveries have hindered our understanding of our bodily senses (B) biological knowledge has grown rapidly in recent decades (C) we must work hard to maintain the pace of technological progress (D) recent studies of proprioception have been misleading (E) most people do not appreciate the function of certain physical senses 2. According to Passage 2, wrongdoing “does not seem strange” (line 27) when the wrongdoer (A) applies moral knowledge to the situation (B) is attacking a person incapable of self-defense (C) is in full control of his or her faculties of reason (D) fails to think about what is right and wrong before committing the act (E) is doing something that he or she believes is right SAT Practice 6: Finding Alternatives in Attacking the Questions PASSAGE 1 We have five senses in which we glory, senses that constitute the sensible world for us. But Line there are other senses, equally vital, but unrecognized and unlauded. These senses, 5 unconscious, automatic, had to be discovered. What the Victorians vaguely called “muscle sense”—the awareness of the relative position of trunk and limbs, was only really defined, and named “proprioception,” in the 1890s. 10 And the complex mechanisms and controls by which our bodies are properly aligned and balanced in space have only been defined in the 20th century and still hold many myster- ies. Perhaps it will only be in this space age, 15 with the paradoxical license and hazards of gravity-free life, that we will truly appreciate our inner ears, our vestibules, and all the other obscure receptors and reflexes that gov- ern our body orientation. For normal man, in 20 normal situations, they simply do not exist. PASSAGE 2 A person can “know” something and apply that knowledge but also can “know” something Line without applying that knowledge. There is a difference between doing wrong when one 25 knows but does not reflect on that knowledge and doing wrong when one knows and reflects. Wrongdoing does not seem strange in the former case, but it does in the latter. When a person has knowledge but does not 30 apply it, “having” has an unconventional meaning. In fact, in one sense he has knowl- edge and in another sense he does not, as in sleep or madness or intoxication. This is the condition of people under the influence of First passage: Excerpted with permission of Simon and Schuster Adult Publishing Group from The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks. Copyright © 1970, 1981, 1984, 1985 by Oliver Sacks. Second passage: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics. Public domain. 196 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT 3. Unlike Passage 2, Passage 1 is primarily con- cerned with (A) the nature of bodily senses (B) knowledge that helps us to decide between right and wrong (C) technological innovations in science (D) the importance of controlling our consciousness (E) the biological systems involved in emotion 4. The authors of both passages would most likely agree that (A) it is immoral to ignore knowledge gained from our senses (B) emotions often interfere with rational thought (C) certain kinds of ignorance are essential to human survival (D) people are not always conscious of the infor- mation that their minds process (E) moral knowledge is gained directly through the physical senses CHAPTER 4 / CRITICAL READING SKILLS 197 Answer Key 6: Finding Alternatives in Attacking the Questions back-to-back because then you will be more likely to confuse the ideas in the passages. 3. Hopefully, the SAT “passages from hell” won’t seem so hellish with some practice with the College Hill Method. But if you’ve read through a passage and its language or concepts seem incom- prehensible, just (1) move on to an easier passage, if it’s available, or, if not, (2) attack the questions that require relatively little reading, namely, the “word in context” questions and the “secondary idea” questions. 4. First, don’t panic. Most students struggle a bit with the time limit in their first few practice tests. Often, with a bit of patient practice, the problem will resolve itself. If it doesn’t, then practice “eye- finger” coordination, using your finger to sweep through the passage smoothly and at a quicker pace than your eyes are inclined to go. Practice this continually with everything you read for sev- eral weeks. As a last resort, talk to your guidance counselor to see if you qualify to take the SAT with extended time. Concept Review 6 1. The “whole-passage attack” involves reading the entire passage—but with a focus on just answer- ing the three key questions, not on absorbing every detail—before attacking the questions. Many students prefer this method because they prefer to stay “in the flow” of the passage and to absorb information in large chunks. The “para- graph attack” involves reading the introduction and first paragraph or two and then answering the questions that pertain only to the parts you’ve read, skipping any “big picture” questions for now. Then go on to the next paragraph or two, and answer those questions, and so on. Remember only to read whole paragraphs. Don’t stop in the middle of a paragraph. (And be sure to go back and answer those “big picture” questions.) 2. First read Passage 1, paying particular attention to tone. After Passage 1, attack the questions that pertain only to Passage 1. Next, read Passage 2, again paying attention to tone. Ask, “How do the perspective and tone of this passage differ from those of Passage 1? How are they similar?” Then attack the questions that pertain to Passage 2 and the comparison questions. Do not read the passages SAT Practice 6 1. E The central idea of this passage is that “there are other senses [that are] unrecognized and . . . unconscious [and] automatic” (lines 3–5). Thus, when the final sentence states that for “normal man . . . they simply do not exist” (lines 19–20), it suggests that most people do not appreciate the functioning of certain physical senses. 2. D The passage states that a wrongdoing “does not seem strange in the former case” (lines 27–28), which is the case in which one knows something but does not reflect on that knowledge. In the case of a wrongdoing, this is a knowledge of right and wrong. The author is suggesting that wrongdoing only makes sense when the wrongdoer either does not know right from wrong or does not reflect on that knowledge. 3. A Passage 1 is primarily concerned with “unconscious” and “automatic” bodily senses, specifically the “awareness of the relative position of trunk and limbs” (lines 7–8) and the “controls by which our bodies are properly aligned and bal- anced” (lines 10–12). Passage 2 is concerned with moral knowledge but not knowledge that comes directly from the bodily senses. Although Passage 1 does mention “the space age” (line 14) in pass- ing, it is certainly not primarily concerned with technological advances. 4. D Both authors would clearly agree that people are not always conscious of the information their minds process. Passage 1 states that there are “senses [that are] unconscious [and] automatic” (lines 4–5), and Passage 2 states that in certain cases a person “has knowledge and [yet] in another sense he does not, as in sleep or madness or intox- ication” (lines 31–33). 198 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Lesson 7: Thinking Logically About the Questions Using Logic on the Questions Straightforward logic can help enormously on the toughest SAT CR questions. For instance, if one answer choice implies another answer choice, it can- not be correct without both answers being correct; therefore, it must be wrong. Okay, maybe that was a little confusing. Let’s look at an example: What is the author’s attitude toward the “transgres- sions” mentioned in line 12? (A) dismissiveness (B) vehement opposition (C) ambivalence (D) disapproval (E) resignation Even if you didn’t read the passage, you should know that the answer couldn’t possibly be (B). Why? Because (B) implies (D). If someone is vehemently opposed to something, he or she sure as heck disap- proves of it too, right? So, if (B) were right, (D) would have to be right, too. But there can’t be two right answers! So (B) is out. Okay, we kind of cheated there, in order to illus- trate a concept (just like those physics problems that ignore friction even though it’s always there). In fact, questions that can be solved without reading the pas- sage almost never appear on the SAT (although crack- the-test folks want you to believe it’s chock full of them). But logical thinking is still extremely helpful. It’s just that on the real test, you have to pair it with a solid understanding of the passage. Meet Logic’s Best Bud, Common Sense Logic shows you what must be true, given a set of assumptions. Common sense shows you what is probably true, given a set of assump- tions. Using basic principles of common sense pays off on the Critical Reading questions. Let’s go back to the question above. Your common sense tells you that writers write about things they care about. And even if they’re only writing on assignment and don’t really care about the subject, they at least have to pretend that they care about the subject. So de- cent writers almost never write with a dismissive tone toward their subjects. So choice (A) dismissiveness is probably not the right answer. But don’t be too hasty—it’s remotely possible that the author is really saying, “These transgressions are what other people focus on, but they really don’t matter.” Just check the passage quickly to see if this is the case—but chances are, anyone who writes about transgressions isn’t in- different about them. So logical elimination, with quick passage checks, can help a lot. So now you’re left with choices (C) am- bivalence, (D) disapproval, and (E) resignation. The answer is (C) if the author thinks the transgressions are both good and bad (remember ambivalent means “having conflicting feelings,” not “unclear and vague”—that’s ambiguous), (D) if he criticizes it con- sistently, and (E) if he thinks they’re bad, but he can’t do anything about them. What Can You Do in 500 Words? Can you “delineate (describe precisely) the history of European political reform” in 500 words? I sure can’t, and neither can anyone who writes SAT passages. But someone sure can “suggest a few political reforms” in 500 words. So, when answering purpose questions, use common sense to eliminate unreasonable or petty purposes. Which of the following best expresses the purpose of the passage as a whole? (A) to describe the relationship between literature and history (too big a task—eliminate) (B) to belittle modern literary critics (possible, but that seems petty—eliminate) (C) to refute a misconception (very possible and worthwhile—keep) (D) to delineate a new mode of literary analysis (too big a task—eliminate) (E) to suggest several remedies for a problem (very possible and worthwhile—keep) When answering general purpose questions, use your common sense when thinking about the scope of a 500-word essay. It can’t be trivial or petty, but it also can’t do too much. CHAPTER 4 / CRITICAL READING SKILLS 199 Concept Review 7: Thinking Logically About the Questions 1. If the answer to a CR question is either “extremely enthusiastic” or “positive,” which must be the correct answer and why? 2. Why is it nearly impossible for an author’s attitude on a topic to be “indifferent?” Using only logic and common sense, make your best guess on the following questions: 3. The first paragraph implies that art is primarily the product of (A) desire for wealth (B) anxiety (C) exact imitation (D) reason (E) intuition 4. With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree? (A) Voters always choose incapable political candidates. (B) Voters should be more educated about candidates. (C) Political candidates rarely campaign effectively. (D) Politicans do not represent their constituents well. (E) Voters are not interested in critical political issues. 5. Which of the following best expresses the purpose of this passage? (A) to dissuade students from studying political science (B) to describe the evolution of ethics in American history (C) to attack the credibility of politicians (D) to refute a misconception (E) to prescribe a solution to a problem . SAT Practice 5: Connecting the Questions to the Passage 190 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT group members protect them. The bonds among group members may make them treat the whistle-blower, not. wrong—committing sexual or physi- cal abuse, faking data, or taking bribes—other John R. Skoyles and Dorion Sagan, Up from Dragons. © 2002 McGraw-Hill. Reprinted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies. CHAPTER. months before taking the SAT. Concept Review 6: Finding Alternatives in Attacking the Questions 194 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT 1. Briefly describe the difference between the “whole-passage attack” and the