Reading comp PrepTest 145 · Section 3 · Question 1

Topic: Legal

Paragraph 1

• Paragraph note
  • History of UDHR (first treaty on human rights, some wanted to create an obligation to act)
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Comparisons, according to the author:
    • Unlike other international treaties, the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was expressly affirmed and created a standard for human rights (first and second sentences)
    • Some small countries and NGOs wanted the language of UDHR to go further and create an obligation to promote human rights, but the version of UDHR that passed didn't feature such an obligation (third through last sentences)
  • Author's attitude: "lobbied vigorously" (fourth sentence)

Paragraph 2

• Paragraph note
  • Process and content of UDHR (long drafting/debate process, expressed principles of freedom/equality and fundamental rights)
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Examples of fundamental rights asserted in UDHR, according to the author:
    • The right to work, the right to rest and leisure, and the right to education (last sentence)
  • Author's attitude: "elaborate" (second sentence)

Paragraph 3

• Paragraph note
  • Author on what UDHR gets wrong (nonbinding) and right (led to binding conventions and set standards/aspirations)
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Author's view:
    • The biggest weakness of the UDHR is that it's a nonbinding legal document (first and second sentences)
    • But the UDHR is a progressive document that has created (belatedly) legally binding human rights and sent a good message (last sentence)
  • Cause-and-effect relationship, according to the author:
    • The UDHR has caused the creation of legally binding human rights agreements (last sentence)
  • Author's attitude: "in many ways a progressive document" (first sentence); "weaknesses" (first sentence); "most regrettable" (first sentence); "purely programmatic nature" (second sentence); "has led, even if belatedly" (last sentence); "clearly deserves recognition" (last sentence)

Main Point: Despite its nonbinding legal status and late adoption, the UDHR is a good first step in promoting and starting to set a legal framework for international human rights laws.

Importance of [Subject]: This passage best fits the Importance of [Subject] Meta-Structure. In such a passage, the author describes why a particular person, artistic work, law or legal accomplishment, or scientific breakthrough was historically significant or meaningful. The word "[Subject]" is just a placeholder for whatever specific topic the passage is about. In this case, the passage is about an international treaty, so we can think of this as an Importance of Treaty passage.

In an Importance of [Subject] passage, the main point is generally the author's opinions on why the subject was important. The author summarizes their opinions on the UDHR treaty in the last paragraph, so we'll use that to construct our anticipated main point.

Note how the last paragraph presents the strengths and weaknesses of the UDHR, yet our anticipated main point makes it seem as if the author has a positive view of it. That's because of how the last paragraph is phrased, with the author pointing out a flaw but then pivoting ("Nevertheless") to the positive. In pivoting away from the negative to the positive, we should view the author's opinion as leaning more towards the latter while still believing the former.