Reading comp PrepTest 124 · Section 4 · Question 15

Passage

The passages discuss relationships between business interests and university research . Questions 15-19 Passage A  .        As university researchers Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage Summary

Topic: Social Science


Passage A

Paragraph 1

  • Paragraph note
    • Author identifies herself; discusses tradition; contrasts with recent trend
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Author - First-person - Researcher at university
    • Tradition - University researchers share ideas, which are public good
    • New trend - Commodify research ($$$)

Paragraph 2

  • Paragraph note
    • Comparing Universities and Market - New ideas
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • University - Uniquely suited to new ideas
    • Market - Quick returns and risk aversion = not equipped for new ideas or replacing disproven theories

Paragraph 3

  • Paragraph note
    • Downside to market - Burying discoveries
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Entrepreneurs - Not interested in intellectual adventures - Bury discoveries if it makes them money
    • Consequence/Example - New drugs, but less sharing of methods/results (Biotech)

Paragraph 4

  • Paragraph note
    • Wrap-up
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Author worries about future of science

Passage B

Paragraph 1

  • Paragraph note
    • Prior view (“were once”)
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Scientific discoveries a public good because funded by government grants to universities

Paragraph 2

  • Paragraph note
    • New view; example; consequence
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • New view - Scientific discoveries are marketable good
    • Example - Cells/genes used to make money (Biotech)
    • Consequence - Legal claims to intellectual property are important

Paragraph 3

  • Paragraph note
    • Blurring of lines between previously distinguished things
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Distinction - Discovery (no patent) vs. Invention (patent)
    • Now, legal and moral lines blurred

Paragraph 4

  • Paragraph note
    • Industry’s argument
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Industry - If we fund it, we should be able to make money on it

Main Points:

Passage A - University research has shifted from a collegial environment to a market-driven one, which is ill-suited to new ideas and academic adventure, threatening the future of scientific research.

Passage B - The shift of scientific discoveries from public good to market commodity has blurred the line between what is/should be and isn’t/shouldn’t be patented, with Industry arguing that their investments should pay off.

Key Lines?

Passage A:

  • Lines 1-6 - The traditional situation, and a recent trend that is threatening
  • Lines 7-12 - A difference between universities and markets
  • Lines 21-23 - A downside of the recent trend
  • Lines 29-31 - The Author outlines her fears

Passage B:

  • Lines 32-33 - The old view
  • Lines 38-41 - The new view
  • Line 41 - An example is introduced
  • Lines 45-48 - Consequence of new view
  • Lines 55-58 - A previous distinction now has its lines blurred
  • Lines 59-62 - Industry makes an argument

Meta-Structure? Relationship Between Passages?

Both passages discuss scientific research in universities, and how discoveries are treated - either as a public good or a private commodity. However, there’s a big difference in the opinions stated in the two passages. Passage A is written by a researcher who feels the trend towards treating these discoveries as market-based commodities is worrisome, while the Author of Passage B doesn’t really stake out an argument or position - the only viewpoint presented there is that of Industry.

Last Thoughts?

There’s such an extreme difference between the two passages in opinion, with the Author from Passage A staking out such a strong view on the situation while the Author of Passage B remains largely neutral. It’s striking, and it should influence how we approach questions about the two. Let’s be sure that the very different opinions (and the strengths of those opinions) is a top consideration when we’re looking at answer choices.

Question prompt

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

Credited answer: A

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

Question Type

Social Science

Strategy Overview

Review the big-picture notes for each passage (main point; role of each paragraph), then find an answer that lines up with Passage B but not Passage A

Answer Anticipation

The correct answer here has two criteria - it must show up in Passage B, and it can’t show up in Passage A. It’s always easier to show something is present (you just have to find it) than to show that it’s absent (you have to review the whole passage to show it isn’t there). As such, for these questions, we should focus on finding answers that show up in Passage B and eliminating answers that show up in Passage A, and then we can find the right answer from what’s left.With that in mind, there are too many details for us to be guaranteed to find the correct one in anticipation of the answers, so we should review the big-picture stuff for each passage quickly (a few seconds for each), then head straight to the answers.

Answer choices

  1. A
    the blurring of the Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem

    (A) (Lines 56-58) We noted that the purpose of Paragraph 3 in Passage B is to discuss the blurring of these lines, so we know it shows up there. We would have noted it if it showed up in Passage A, as distinctions (even ones that have eroded) are key elements that we know to note, so we can feel comfortable picking this answer.

  2. B
    the general effects of Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited

    (B) (Lines 28-31) Passage A discusses the impact of the shift from treating scientific discoveries as a public good to a market commodity, so this answer lines up with the main point, making it something that probably shows up there. Since we already like (A), we should eliminate this (and there are actually a few places where this shows up).

  3. C
    the role of scientific Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited

    (C) (Lines 1-6) Passage A was all about treating research as a public good, so we can eliminate this answer for showing up there.

  4. D
    new pharmaceuticals that result Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited

    (D) (Lines 21-25) In Passage A, we noted that a consequence of the shift to commodification of research was “new drugs and therapies,” so this answer shows up in that passage.

  5. E
    industry's practice of restricting Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited

    (E) (Line 20; Lines 22-23; Lines 28-29) Passage A’s Author definitely complained about entrepreneurs burying discoveries, and about researchers rushing to patent lawyers and venture capitalists, and about a reduction of free sharing of research methods and results. All of these would qualify as this answer, so we can eliminate it.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A Credited 83%
  2. B 4%
  3. C 3%
  4. D 7%
  5. E 3%

Deeper help

Ask follow-ups on any step

Optional AI tutor mode will let you interrogate assumptions, compare answers, and drill weak patterns without leaving the page.

Human-written explanations stay primary; AI is an add-on when you want it.

Discussion

View all discussions Start a discussion