Reading comp PrepTest 145 · Section 1 · Question 27

Incorrect. The evidence cited by Steele supposedly showed that altered DNA had made it into the reproductive cells because of a signature pattern. This answer is more analogous to finding a human reproductive cell from before the DNA was altered to compare modern DNA to, but that's not the type of evidence cited.

Incorrect. Unless Steele claims that a virus wrote him a letter admitting to changing human reproductive cell DNA, this answer is wrong. And if he were to claim that, his argument would have some big problems.

Incorrect. There's no virus out there claiming that a rival virus was the one to alter human DNA.

Incorrect. This answer is very similar to (A) in that it provides verification of the original version before it was altered, but Steele's evidence is of the altered DNA pattern that carries the signature of a virus interfering.

Correct. Question Type:
Parallel Reasoning

Strategy Overview:
Find the evidence mentioned in the last paragraph, line up the noted elements with those of the situation in the question stem, and then find an answer that lines up with the evidence

Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
Phew, this is a tough question (not that the others in this passage have been a walk in the part).

Let's start by identifying the evidence. Looking to Paragraph 4, we can see that Steele has claimed to have found evidence of his theory (Lines 48-49). This evidence is a "signature" of past events all over the genes that carry immune system information which consists of a pattern of mutations in certain areas of the genes.

Now, let's work through the situation described in the question stem and line it up with the analogous parts from the situation in the passage.

The scholar here is clearly meant to match up with Steele. The "surviving text" would have to match up with the surviving DNA—the DNA in people today. And the alterations are analogous to those mutations in the immune system's DNA that represent learned immunities. What about the copyist? The copyist is the one who introduced the alterations to the text (the DNA, in the original situation), so the copyist is the virus that's carrying the DNA over.

With that lined up, let's think about the evidence—patterns that strongly suggest that the DNA in reproductive organs was altered at a specific point in the past. As such, the evidence in the Greek play's case would also have to have "specific patterns" of text that demonstrated the text was altered by the copyist duing that later era, suggesting there was a specific point in the past where that alteration happened. Let's find an answer lining up with this (very difficult to make) anticipation.

Answer Explanation:
This answer is analogous to the evidence Steele cites. Steele found signature patterns in the DNA that suggest it was altered by a virus. Similarly, this answer establishes that there is a signature pattern (the vocab) that suggests it was someone from the later era that altered the text.

Key Takeaway:
Match up the parts. It's the only way through these Parallel Reasoning questions. You should be able to do a 1:1 match between the situations, and especially the correct answer.