Reading comp PrepTest 124 · Section 4 · Question 16

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

Both passages place in 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 big-picture notes for each passage (main point; role of each paragraph), then find an answer that reflects a conflict present in both

Answer Anticipation

Both passages discuss scientific research in universities, and how discoveries are treated - either as a public good or a private commodity. Passage A argues that this is a bad thing (Lines 28-31), as the transition from treating research as a public good to a commodity can stifle research. Passage B doesn’t really argue anything, instead exploring this transition from public good to market economy (Lines 32-34; Lines 40-41).In any case, both of the passages discuss the transition from research as a public good to research as a market commodity, so we should look for that pair in the answer choices.

Answer choices

  1. A
    commercially successful research and Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited

    (A) Neither of the passages compare research that has a valuable product with research that doesn’t have a valuable product, so neither presents these two as in opposition to each other.

  2. B
    research methods and research Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited

    (B) (Lines 23-24) Passage A lumps these two things together, so they’re not in opposition to each other.

  3. C
    a marketable commodity and Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C matches the stem

    (C) (Lines 4-6; Lines 39-41) Passage A talks about a recent tendency to “treat research findings as a commodity,” and this “threatens...the role of research as a public good,” putting commodities and public goods in opposition. Passage B says that “what was previously seen as a public good is being transformed into a market commodity,” again putting them in opposition to each other. This answer also lines up with the main point of both passages, so this is the correct answer.

  4. D
    a discovery and an Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited

    (D) (Lines 49-52) As we noted when picking (A) in Question #15, this distinction shows up only in Passage B, so we can eliminate it for not showing up in Passage A.

  5. E
    scientific research and other Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited

    (E) Both passages focus on scientific research and, if it’s placed in opposition to anything, it’s in opposition to market forces, not “other types of inquiry.”

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 4%
  2. B 2%
  3. C Credited 87%
  4. D 5%
  5. E 1%

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