Reading comp PrepTest 110 · Section 1 · Question 21

Topic: Legal

Paragraph 1

• Paragraph note
  • Author on U.N. Convention's "refugee" definition (some persecuted women are likely eligible for asylum as a "social group")
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Author's view:
    • Women persecuted on account of their gender are likely eligible for asylum as refugees; even though the U.N. definition doesn't mention gender persecution, the "social group" category was meant to cover such cases (first, fourth through last sentences)
  • Definition of a refugee from the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees:
    • Anyone who is persecuted "for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion" (second sentence)
  • Author's attitude: "likely to be eligible" (first sentence), "does not preclude" (fourth sentence), "nor does it reflect an intention" (fourth sentence), "indicates that this category "Rather" (fourth sentence)

Paragraph 2

• Paragraph note
  • Author's support ("social group" is meant as a catch-all phrase)
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Author's view:
    • The original definition of refugee (from the International Refugee Organization) didn't include protection for "social groups," but it was later added (by the United Nations Convention) as a safety net (first through last sentences)
  • Author's attitude: "in order to provide a 'safety net'" (second sentence), "fail to fit neatly" (second sentence), "intentionally left the precise boundaries of the social-group category undefined" (last sentence)

Paragraph 3

• Paragraph note
  • Author's support (UNHCR Handbook and committee member's comments support including women in refugee category)
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Definition of "social group" from the U.N. Handbook by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): "group as persons of similar background, habits, or social status" (first sentence)
  • Author's view:
    • The broad definition of "social group" from the UNHCR handbook supports and a UNHCR committee member support classifying women asylum seekers who face persecution under the "social group category"
  • Author's attitude: "is supported by" (first sentence), "expansive interpretation" (third sentence), "is resonant with the intentions of the Convention drafters" (third sentence), "should fall within" (fourth sentence), "states to use" (last sentence)

Paragraph 4

• Paragraph note
  • Author's support (UNHCR committee member's comments will influence the interpretation of laws)
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Author's view:
    • The UNHCR committee member's comments are important in the international community since it will have a strong influence on the interpretation of national laws (first through last sentences)
  • Author's attitude: "particularly significant" (first sentence), "likely to exert strong influence" (second sentence), "In particular" (third sentence), "likely to have an impact" (third sentence)

Main Point: Legislative history, supplementary materials, and committee member comments suggest that women facing gender persecution can qualify for asylum as refugees under the social group category.

Question/Answer: This passage doesn't fit neatly within any of the major Meta-Structures, but we think Question/Answer best fits the passage's argument.* That said, the question is implicit: "Should women facing persecution based on their gender qualify for asylum?" The author answers the question in the first sentence with a resounding "Yes." The author spends the rest of the passage supporting that answer, citing the "social group" category of the U.N. Convention, the Convention's legislative history, the U.N. Handbook on refugee status, and U.N. committee members' comments.

In a Question/Answer passage, the author's answer is generally the main point. So, we could just say the main point is "Yeah." But we decided to go with something a little more detailed: "Legislative history, supplementary materials, and committee member comments suggest that women facing gender persecution can qualify for asylum as refugees under the social group category. "

*Because this passage doesn't neatly fit into any Meta-Structures, some test-takers may wonder if this is a Reporting a Viewpoint passage. Classifying the passage this way won't necessarily cause you to misunderstand the passage. As long as you're clear on the "viewpoint" the passage expresses, you should understand the passage's main point and organization. That said, we typically reserve this Meta-Structure for passages in which the author reports someone else's view. Here, the author is clearly the one who argues that women should be eligible for asylum. Notice how many tonal phrases we highlighted. Also, notice how the argument isn't attributed to anyone else. So, while we wouldn't expect any Tone questions in a typical Reporting a Viewpoint passage, we should expect a few in this passage.