Reading comp PrepTest 142 · Section 3 · Question 20

Passage

Questions 17-21 Passage A  .       To a neuroscientist, you are your brain; nothing  . causes your behavior other than the Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic: Science

Passage A
Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • Scientific findings are discussed, along with what they should mean for the legal system
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Neuroscience - Your brain's working cause your behavior
    • Law assumption - Only rationality matters
    • Implications for law - People aren't necessarily in control of their actions
    • Recommendation - Shift justice system from retribution to deterring future harm (possibly decreasing punishment)
Passage B
Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • An argument that seemingly contradictory views can both be true is introduced
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Determinism (neuroscience) - The physical brain determines actions
    • Free will - People choose their action
    • Long-been argued - Free will and determinism can both be true
Paragraph 2
  • Paragraph note
    • The compromise view is introduced, and a distinction is made
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Ayer/Hume - Soft determinism
    • Free vs. Constrained actions
    • Free - Caused by internal (own will; exception - mental illness) - Did A, could have done B
    • Constrained - Caused by external (examples - hypnosis and mental disorders) - Did A, couldn't have done anything else
Paragraph 3
  • Paragraph note
    • The compromise view is clarified
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Ayer - Actions are free if they're not constrained/source of cause matters
    • Ayer - Doesn't discuss brain, but it's internal, so an action could be free but determined by it
Main Point:
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.

Key Lines:

Passage A:
Lines 3-5 - The overall topic is previewed
Lines 6-9 - A problem with the legal system is highlighted
Lines 15-16 - A recommendation away from something is made
Lines 19-20 - A recommendation on what to replace that thing with is made

Passage B:
Lines 29-31 - The paradoxical main argument is described
LInes 32-36 - The argument is attributed and stated
Lines 36-37 - A distinction is made within that argument
Lines 37-38 - The first part of the distinction is defined
Lines 39-40 - The second part of the distinction is defined
Lines 49-52 - The argument is stated with the distinction in mind
Lines 53-56 - The Author uses an analogy to relate it to the paradox

Meta-Structure - Relationship Between Passages:
Problem/Recommendation - In Passage A, the Author presents a problem with the legal system due to developments in neuroscience (Lines 4-5). She then makes a recommendation as to a shift in focus based on this problem (Line 16; Lines 19-20).

Paradox - Passage B introduces a paradoxical view: Free will (people make their own decisions) and determinism (people's decisions are determined for them) can coexist (Lines 29-31). From there, he discusses the philosophers who argued for this (Lines 32-34), eventually resolving it by defining concepts in specific ways—free actions are determined by internal sources, which include the brain and brain chemistry (Lines 37-38). Thus, some decisions that are determined are also free (Lines 54-56).

Both passages discuss neuroscience, brain chemistry, and decision-making/free will. They both accept that some decisions at least could be determined by the brain chemistry. However, there is a slight difference in what they believe that means. Passage A's Author is willing to say that these actions aren't freely chosen and thus they shouldn't face retribution. Passage B presents an argument from philosophers that believe these actions—in a disease-free brain—are free.

Last Thoughts:
Passage A's Author is much more involved in the passage than B. In Passage A, the Author ends up making some recommendations ("should"). In Passage B, the Author filters the argument through Ayer/Hume. We should keep that in mind as we analyze answer choices.

Question prompt

Passage B differs from 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

Science

Answer choices

  1. A
    engaged
    Why choice A is not credited
    Incorrect. (Line 14; Lines 29-30; Line 53) Passage A's Author makes a recommendation, while Passage B's Author presents all arguments as being something that has been long argued, could be argued, or was argued by specific philosophers. Recommendations are much more engaged than such a detached presentation of arguments that others can or have made.
  2. B
    dismissive
    Why choice B is not credited
    Incorrect. (Line 14; Lines 29-30; Line 53) While Passage A's Author is much more in favor of her arguments, making them in her voice, Passage B's Author is never dismissive of these other views. In fact, they're presented with respect and given the space to make their case without criticism.
  3. C
    detached
    Why choice C matches the stem
    Correct. Question Type:
    Author's Attitude

    Strategy Overview:
    Review anything we said about the overall tone/attitude in the two passages after reading them, then find an answer reflecting it

    Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
    When we analyzed the relationship between the two passages and talked about last thoughts, we said the following:

    Passage A's Author is much more involved in the passage than B. In Passage A, the Author ends up making some recommendations ("should"). In Passage B, the Author filters the argument through Ayer/Hume. We should keep that in mind as we analyze answer choices.

    Passage A definitely stepped in to make an argument, using language like "should." Passage B, on the other hand, presented the view of Ayer and Hume, stating that the coexistence of free will and determinism "has long been argued" for (Lines 29-30). Even at the end, when he took what Ayer said and added in modern neuroscience, he presented it as an analogy that "one could make" (Line 53).

    So let's find an answer reflecting Passage B's attitude as being more academic and neutral compared to the present Author of Passage A.

    Answer Explanation:
    (Line 14; Lines 29-30; Line 53) Passage A's Author makes a recommendation, so she is not detached from her passage. Passage B, on the other hand, presents all arguments as being made by Ayer/Hume, or as arguments that have long been made or one could make. That's a much more detached attitude than that of someone making recommendations herself, so this is the correct answer.

    Key Takeaway:
    Always note when the Author isn't present in a passage! It will be reflected in the answers, and it'll sometimes be the entire focus of a question. Here, noting that the Author of Passage B wasn't present and positively arguing for "soft determinism" would have been key to flying through this question.
  4. D
    ironic
    Why choice D is not credited
    Incorrect. While Passage B might deal with an argument that seems paradoxical—how can people have free will if biology determines many of our actions?—that's not the same as the Author having an ironic tone. There would have to be some level of wry humor or mocking for this answer to be correct.
  5. E
    skeptical
    Why choice E is not credited
    Incorrect. (Line 14; Lines 29-30; Line 53) Tempting! The Author of Passage A is much more involved in the passage, while Passage B presents arguments that others have made or could make. However, for this answer to be correct, there would have to be some hint of skepticism in Passage B. That passage, however, has no sign that the Author doesn't believe in the argument for "soft determinism," so this answer is incorrect.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 31%
  2. B 6%
  3. C Credited 49%
  4. D 4%
  5. E 10%

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