Reading comp PrepTest 142 · Section 3 · Question 17

Incorrect. (Lines 15-20) Passage A discusses the justice system and punishment, but Passage B doesn't.

Correct. Question Type:
Main Point

Strategy Overview:
Review the main points of both passages and where they overlap, then find an answer addressing that

Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
While this question doesn't necessarily have an answer directly addressing the main point—it doesn't ask what each passage is primarily concerned with—that's a great place to start for these as the correct answer will likely in some way address or reflect the overlap in the main points.

So let's reiterate what we said the main points were for each passage:

Passage A - Since neuroscience shows us that rational people aren't always in control of their behavior, the justice system should focus on deterrence rather than retribution.

Passage B - According to Ayer (and Hume), free will and determinism can coexist, as a free action can be determined by internal sources, while external causes result in non-free/constrained actions.

So Passage A focused on what neuroscience (Line 1) tells us about the justice system (Lines 4-5)—since people aren't always in control of their actions (Lines 11-14), we should focus on deterrence (Line 20) rather than retribution (Lines 15-16). And Passage B focused on a viewpoint (Lines 32-34) that attempts to reconcile free will and determinism (Lines 29-31)—neuroscience has shown that the physical brain controls actions(Lines 25-27) , but this doesn't mean humans don't have free will (LInes 49-50), since internal causes can still be considered free, even if they result in determined actions (Lines 53-56).

Where do both overlap? They both discuss whether actions are free, based on an analysis of neuroscientific analysis. They disagree on whether actions determined by the physical brain are free, but both passages present an opinion as to whether they are. Let's find an answer reflecting that.

Answer Explanation:
(Lines 3-4; Lines 11-15; Lines 25-27; Lines 53-56) Passage A argues that "recent findings in neuroscience" suggest that there are at least some actions of rational minds that are controlled by the physical structure of the brain. This implies that not all actions are freely willed. Passage B brings up neuroscience and its "mechanistic descriptions" of the brain, and through Ayer discusses the non-constrained nature of these mechanisms, thus resulting in free choices. As such, both connect neuroscience to free will, making this the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
When a question asks about what question a passage (or passages) is concerned with answering, it has to be a focus of the passage—something the passage actually attempts to answer. Even if an answer to the question could be inferred from that passage, that doesn't mean the passage was concerned with answering it, and thus that answer would be wrong.

That said, in general, wrong answers will be wrong because at least one of the passages won't address the question at all.

Incorrect. (Lines 21-25) Passage A discusses punishment and deterrence, but Passage B doesn't.

Incorrect. (Lines 4-5; Lines 15-16) This topic is discussed in Passage A, but it isn't in Passage B.

Incorrect. (Lines 39-43; Lines 49-50) Passage B discusses being physically forced by someone else to perform an action, calling such actions constrained and thus not free. However, Passage A focuses on how the physical nature of the brain leads to action, not how external forces do, so this answer is out of scope of Passage A.