Reading comp PrepTest 123 · Section 4 · Question 27

Passage

 In tracing the changing face of the Irish landscape, scholars have traditionally relied primarily on evidence from historical documents. However, Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage Summary Topic: Social Science

Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • A problem with studying a certain history is noted
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Irish landscape - Historians rely on documents
    • Problem - Fragmentary, unreliable, and generally limited to military/commerce

Paragraph 2
  • Paragraph note
    • A partial solution
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Partial solution - Study fossilized pollen grains
    • Shows changes in vegetation (human and natural causes)
    • What plants grew when
    • Supplement/Correct documentary record (partial)

Paragraph 3
  • Paragraph note
    • Example of pollen analysis
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Pollen analysis - Cereal grains grown in LL/CD ~400 AD
    • Prior belief - Cereal grains not grown here (clay) until moldboard plough (7th c)
    • New belief - Cereal grains grown before that invention

Paragraph 4
  • Paragraph note
    • Example 2
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • LL linen
    • Prior belief - Flax (linen plant) was grown before 18th c
    • New belief - Flax pollen only since 18th c, so not grown before

Paragraph 5
  • Paragraph note
    • Limits and example
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Limits exist
    • Example - Can ID genus/family, but not species for some
    • Example of Example - Madder - can’t tell if cultivated or wild based on pollen

Main Point:
Studying fossilized pollen grains can supplement and correct the history of the Irish landscape that is derived from documents (even if it has limitations).

Key Lines?
Lines 3-5 - A problem is highlighted
Lines 10-12 - A partial solution is noted (partial because it’s an “additional means” aside from the incomplete one already noted)
Lines 18-20 - The Author shows how her solution works with the current process
Lines 48-50 - The Author places limitations on her solution

Meta-Structure?
Problem/Solution - This passage presents a problem in Paragraph 1 - the documentary evidence on a topic of interest (the Irish landscape’s history) is incomplete. The Author then presents a solution to that problem - fossilized pollen grains can be used to supplement and correct this record (Lines 10-12; Lines 19-20). However, there are limitations to this solution (Lines 48-50), so it’s a partial solution. When a passage is defined by a Problem/Solution Meta-Structure, the Author’s solution is the main point, reflected in what we wrote above.

Examples - The passage uses several examples to make its point. Paragraph 3 includes an example to show pollen records correcting a prior belief; Paragraph 4 had a separate example for the same purpose. And Paragraph 5 included an example that highlighted a limitation on the method. None of these examples are central, so they’re more likely to show up in questions about specifics rather than in big-picture questions.

Last Thoughts?
Those examples carried a lot of weight in the passage, so we should expect some questions focused on them. It’ll also be important to remember that the Author brought up limitations on her process for analyzing the history of the Irish landscape, so we should be sure that any answer we select that reflects her view is more balanced.

Question prompt

Which one of the Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: C

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Question Type

Social Science

Strategy Overview

Review the purpose of Paragraphs 2 and 5 as we described them while reading, then relate them to each other

Answer Anticipation

We said Paragraph 2 introduced the Author's (partial) solution to the problem of the incomplete and fragmentary documentary record of the history of Ireland's landscape. Paragraph 5, we noted, placed a limitation on this solution, and included an example of that limitation.
Let's find an answer reflecting these roles.

Answer choices

  1. A
    The second paragraph proposes Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    Incorrect. Paragraph 2 doesn't really propose a hypothesis — that would sound more uncertain (e.gScientists are testing whether pollen fossils . . . ). And Paragraph 5 places limitations on the process described in Paragraph 2, with an example where it would fall short. So both parts of this answer are wrong.
  2. B
    The final paragraph describes Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    Incorrect. While Paragraph 5 does describe a limitation on the method from Paragraph 2, it's not one that needs to be addressed before that method is viable. The Author already highlighted two situations where it proved to be viable, despite these shortcomings.
  3. C
    The final paragraph qualifies Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C matches the stem
    Correct. The claim made in Paragraph 2 is that analyzing the fossilized pollen record can supplement and correct the documentary record. Paragraph 5 brings up limitations to what types of situations the method described in Paragraph 2 can do so, qualifying it. This answer is therefore correct.
  4. D
    The second paragraph describes Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    Incorrect. Paragraph 2 is where the Author brings up the pollen record as a means of correcting the documentary record — her main point. She doesn't intend to argue against that view. While Paragraph 5 places a limit on it, that's a far cry from arguing against it.
  5. E
    The final paragraph offers Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Incorrect. Paragraph 5 introduces limitations on the method described in Paragraph 2 — not supplementary procedures.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 11%
  2. B 39%
  3. C Credited 29%
  4. D 14%
  5. E 7%

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