Reading comp PrepTest 132 · Section 1 · Question 17

Passage

Questions 15-21 Passage A  .        Because dental caries (decay) is strongly linked to  . consumption of the sticky, carbohydrate-rich Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage Summary

Topic: Science


Passage A

Paragraph 1

  • Paragraph note
    • Factors in decay; connection; what it can show
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Connection - Dental caries (decay) and sticky carbs
    • Show - When humans went from hunting to agriculture
    • Factors in decay (don’t try to memorize)

Paragraph 2

  • Paragraph note
    • Research and examples of connection
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Conclusion - Carbs are linked to caries
    • Leigh - Sioux (meat, no caries) and Zuni (carbs/agriculture, caries)
    • Others confirm

Paragraph 3

  • Paragraph note
    • Exceptions (examples)
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Exceptions - Nonagricultural groups who had caries - at more cariogenic carbs
    • Examples - Western North America (stone-ground acorns); Hopi (pinyon nuts and tubers)

Passage B

Paragraph 1

  • Paragraph note
    • Background
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Ban Chiang skeletons found - 2000 year period from hunter to agriculture

Paragraph 2

  • Paragraph note
    • A trend is noted and explained
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Trend - More agriculture = declining health (including caries)
    • Why? More sticky carbs
    • Why? Less tooth wear (fiber/grit) that removes fissures in carb diet
    • (Exception - Too much wear causes caries)

Paragraph 3

  • Paragraph note
    • Expectation in example from Paragraph 1
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Ban Chiang - Ate carbs throughout 2000 year period
    • Expectation - Carbs should have led to caries

Paragraph 4

  • Paragraph note
    • A paradox is introduced; potential resolutions noted
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Paradox - More frequent caries in early group despite increasing agriculture
    • Ruled out explanation - Changes in tooth wear (no changes seen)
    • Potential explanation - Diet remained varied and switched to less bad carbs

Main Points:

Passage A - While there are some exceptions, a shift to agriculture and consumption of “sticky” carbs increases the frequency of dental caries in a population.

Passage B - Remains found at Ban Chiang present a paradoxical case where increased reliance on agriculture resulted in fewer dental caries - contrary to expectations - which may be explained by their overall diet and switch from certain carbs to others.

Key Lines?

Passage A:

  • Lines 1-3 - A relationship is established
  • Lines 3-5 Using one thing as a proxy for another is discussed
  • Line 6 - A list of factors is introduced
  • Line 12 - A list of examples/research is started
  • Lines 23-25 - An exception is noted
  • Line 25 - More examples are started

Passage B:

  • Lines 39-41 - A relationship is established
  • Lines 42-44 - Two potential explanations are established
  • Line 57 - A paradox is previewed (“should theoretically”)
  • Lines 58-60 - The paradox is stated
  • Lines 61-62 - One explanation from earlier is ruled out
  • Lines 63-69 - Potential explanations are presented

Meta-Structure? Relationship Between Passages?

Generalization/Example (Passage A) - Passage A presents several generalizations that it follows up with examples. This happens in both Paragraphs 2 and 3.

Exception (Passage A) - After discussing a general rule throughout the first two paragraphs, the Author shifts to discussing a class of exceptions to that rule.

Overarching Example (Passage B) - Unlike Passage A, Passage B focuses on a single example - that of the skeletal remains found in Ban Chiang.

Paradox/Resolution (Passage B) - Passage B introduces a paradox (“Yet”). According to expectations, as the Ban Chiang population relied more on agriculture, they should have seen more caries. Evidence says that the frequency of caries went down. The passage then rules out one explanation before presenting alternatives as possibilities (“more likely that”).

The two passages both deal with the same topic - the relationship between an increased reliance on agriculture and the frequency of dental caries/tooth decay. And both are largely aligned in that they treat it as a general rule that more agriculture results in more tooth decay (Lines 11-12; Lines 39-41). And neither concludes that this is wrong - instead, they both present exceptions. In the case of Passage A, the Author explicitly mentions exceptions (Paragraph 3). In Passage B, the Author explores an exceptional case (Line 57; Lines 58-60) and presents potential reasons that this case doesn’t conform to the norm (varied diet; switch to less cariogenic carbs).

Last Thoughts?

These passages have a lot of overlap between them, so we should expect more questions about similarities than differences.

Question prompt

Passage B most strongly 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

Find where Passage B discusses fiber and grit and use that information to identify the correct answer

Answer Anticipation

This is a bit of a tricky question in that you’d need to spend time to find where the passage discussed fiber and grit. If we didn’t note it, we’d have to skim to find it, probably starting with the paragraphs we think are more likely to include it. That should lead us to Paragraph 2 of Passage B, since that one spoke in generalities and mentioned tooth wear, which sounds related to fiber and grit. We also could have noted it when reading through the passage since they’re listed as a cause of tooth wear. In either case, fiber and grit are mentioned in Line 47.With the relevant line found, let’s look at the surrounding area. Overall, this paragraph explained a trend - that more agriculture hurts human health, especially dental health. How do fiber and grit factor in?They’re related to tooth wear. When teeth get worn down, fissures that lead to caries are eliminated. As fiber and grit leave a diet, teeth get worn down less, and caries frequency goes up. However, too much wear (from, presumably, too much fiber and grit) and expose a tooth’s pulp and lead to caries.Let’s find an answer that’s supported by these details.

Answer choices

  1. A
    They can either limit Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem

    (A) (Lines 44-50) The passage notes that tooth wear can limit caries by removing fissures, but that too much can result in caries. A reduction in fiber and grit diminishes tooth wear, which establishes that it causes tooth wear. So some fiber and grit can limit caries by removing fissures, but too much can expose the pulp and cause caries. This answer is therefore correct.

  2. B
    They are typically consumed Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited

    (B) (Lines 39-44) The passage notes that the decline in dental health that comes from a switch to agriculture is related to changes in tooth wear - specifically, a decrease in tooth wear that allows fissures to form. Since fiber and grit are established as causing tooth wear, it’s implied that their consumption goes down as a group adopts agriculture.

  3. C
    They have a negative Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited

    (C) (Lines 47-48) Unless consumed in too high of a quantity, eating less fiber and grit causes an increase in caries frequency - so they have a positive effect on overall health. The passage also doesn’t discuss their nutritional value at all.

  4. D
    They contribute to the Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited

    (D) (Lines 44-48) Eating less fiber and grit diminishes tooth wear, so fiber and grit cause tooth wear. And tooth wear removes fissures in the teeth, so this answer is contradicted by the passage.

  5. E
    They increase the stickiness Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited

    (E) (Lines 42-44) Paragraph 2 in Passage B introduces two separate reasons that an increased reliance on agriculture hurts dental health, and this answer conflates those two. Additionally, there’s no discussion of anything that makes carbs stickier.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A Credited 73%
  2. B 4%
  3. C 1%
  4. D 19%
  5. E 3%

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