Reading comp PrepTest 131 · Section 4 · Question 8

Topic: Science

Paragraph 1

• Paragraph note
  • Computer models - Accurate but variable
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
  • Climate models (oceans/atmospheres)
  • Author - Remarkable accuracy
  • Many variables, wide range of values

Paragraph 2

• Paragraph note
  • Problem
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
  • To solve for variables, brute force calculations
  • Example - 5 values, 9 variables = 2m calculations
  • Problem - Current individual computers can’t handle

Paragraph 3

• Paragraph note
  • Solution - Connected computers; Requirement
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
  • Private computers stronger, can be connected via internet
  • Solution - Divide calculations up between computers
  • Requirement - Get public interested so they sign up

Paragraph 1

• Paragraph note
  • New discovery
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
  • Researchers - Many problems in many areas are “parallel”
  • Parallel - Solved by working simultaneously
  • Similar characteristics - Lots of similar elements with simple rules that work together

Paragraph 2

• Paragraph note
  • Example - Ants
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
  • Individual ant - Follows simple rules
  • Colony of ants - Complex behavior

Paragraph 3

• Paragraph note
  • Shift in computer
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
  • Shift - Sequential (one calc at a time) → Parallel (thousands of computers at same time)
  • Problems = Parallel, makes sense to use same type of computer
  • Perform BEST
  • Old - Speed limits

Main Points:

Passage A - Adopting the use of many computers solving problems simultaneously will better allow for the exploration of complex systems such as ocean and atmosphere modes.

Passage B - A paradigm shift in computing is moving us away from sequential computing to parallel computing, which will be best able to tackle the problems that are inherently parallel.

Passage A:

• Lines 19-21 - The problem is stated, and the current approach is implied
• Lines 22-28 - The solution/new approach
• Lines 30-32 - A requirement for the new approach to work

Passage B:

• Lines 33-37 - Discovery
• Lines 37-42 - Common elements of problems
• Lines 53-56 - The old and new approaches are noted
• Line 63 - Superlative

These two passages don’t use exactly the same language, but they both largely overlap in talking about a shift in computing away from sequential/individual computing systems and towards connected/simultaneous ones for solving problems with complex variables that run in parallel. They use different examples, but they both arrive at the same conclusion. As such, these passages largely align and we should take that into account as we tackle the questions.

Old Approach/New Approach (Both) - Both passages, at their core, are about a new approach to computing that can address a set of problems that the old paradigm can’t (see the Problem/Solution discussion below). That old approach is simultaneous or sequential computing, where the necessary calculations are done one-at-a-time, and in order. The new approach is called “simultaneous” or “parallel” computing, and it involves connecting a lot of computers that each run some of those calculations in parallel, allowing for many calculations to be done at once. Both say that this approach is helping to perform complex calculations/solve computing problems. When a passage has an extended Old Approach/New Approach Meta-Structure, the Author’s opinion on the new approach is generally the main point. They both have similar opinions on that new approach, leading to the main points as we stated them above.

Problem/Solution (Both) - This is an offshoot of the Old Approach/New Approach Meta-Structure, where the new approach is an attempt to solve a problem with the old one. The old approach - sequential computing - couldn’t handle the number of calculations necessary to tackle many problems, and so the new approach - parallel/simultaneous computing - was developed to meet the needs of these problems. The solutions here line up with the New Approach from that Meta-Structure, reinforcing our view of the main point while expanding the language that we should look for in the answer choices.

Examples (Passage A) - Passage A brings up a type of “thing” that parallel computing can help to solve - computer models of oceans and the atmosphere, building to large-scale climate trends. This shows up in Paragraph 1, but it isn’t discussed at length after that, so this is a limited Meta-Structure and probably will serve as the basis for just a question or two.

Examples (Passage B) - Passage B uses ants foraging for food as an example of the type of complex system that can form when a bunch of simple elements work together - the characteristics of the problems that are solved well by parallel computing. Note that this isn’t an example of the type of problem that parallel computing can solve, but rather a highly complex system that emerges from simple parts.

While both passages use examples, they use them for different purposes. Passage A brings up some problems that parallel computing can help to solve - running computer models of certain natural systems. Passage B, on the other hand, uses an example to highlight the type of complex system that can emerge from simple interactions, but it’s not necessarily something that a parallel computer would “solve” - it’s not even clear what it would mean to “solve” ant foraging behavior. Let’s keep these different roles in mind for any Argument Structure questions that show up.