Logical reasoning PrepTest 103 · Section 2 · Question 18

Incorrect. While this does raise a difference between the paragraph and list, it doesn't do so in a way that explains why the beginner readers made fewer errors when reading the paragraph. If anything, you'd expect the shorter thing to have fewer reading errors.

Incorrect. Close! This is related to our anticipation. However, it presents a reason to believe that the experienced readers would have an easier time with the paragraph, which doesn't explain what we saw with the beginner readers (or the experienced readers, for that matter).

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Paradox

Stimulus Summary:
Task - Read out loud 1) a paragraph, and 2) a list of words from that paragraph, but in different order
Experienced readers - Fewer pronunciation errors in whichever task was second
Beginning readers - Fewer pronunciation errors in paragraph, not list (no matter the order)

Answer Anticipation:
Note the question stem here—we're specifically tasked with explaining the results for the beginning readers, not the experienced ones. As such, we should focus on there, though we should view it in the context of the other group to see if we can get any help there.

The paradox we're tasked with explaining? Why did the order of the tasks (paragraph; list of words from paragraph) not matter to their accuracy?

Well, let's think about a comparison between those two situations to see if we can get any hints. In the paragraph, there's context that can help someone figure out what word is being used. When it's on a list, however, there is no context, so it's solely the ability to recognize or sound out the word that would be used.

Let's find an answer stating that the beginning readers were relying on context to read, thus meaning that they'd always have an easier time reading a paragraph than a list of words, even if that was done second. And we might also bring in something explaining the experienced readers, who probably were able to remember the word after seeing it once.

Answer Explanation:
This answer explains why the beginner readers had an easier time reading the paragraph, no matter the order of the tasks. If the beginner readers used context to guess at difficult words, then they'd have an easier time guessing correctly when those words showed up in a paragraph than when they showed up in a list, which lacks context.

Key Takeaway:
Always be sure that you understand the question stem! Here, there were quite a few things that could end up being the paradox, between the beginner and experienced readers, and within those groups. This one was specifically about the beginner readers, so that was the only thing we needed to explain. The correct answer here did address the other group, but it would have been equally correct if it cut out that first clause.

Incorrect. This answer suggests that all of the readers should have done better in the second task, which isn't what was seen with the beginner readers.

Incorrect. While this answer brings up a difference between the reader groups, it doesn't bring up a difference for the beginner readers between the two tasks that can explain their universal superior performance when reading a paragraph instead of a list.