Reading comp PrepTest 149 · Section 2 · Question 1

Passage

Questions 1-5  . The following passage is adapted from an article  . published in 1981.  .       Chinese is a language Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic:

Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • And introduction to an argument about a new dialect
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Some linguists - "Chinatown Chinese" is a new dialect that sprung up in San Francisco, based on two claims:
      • Someone from China might have a hard time understanding someone speaking this dialect, but
      • Other Chinese Americans can understand the dialect
    Paragraph 2
    • Paragraph note
      • The Author rebuts the first claim
    • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
      • Chinese American in San Fran speaking with a recent arrival from China
      • The new terms are mostly for proper names, but the core language is the same - most of the language has been preserved
    Paragraph 3
    • Paragraph note
      • The Author rebuts the second claim
    • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
      • Chinese American speaking to another Chinese American
      • People who speak different base dialects can have a hard time understanding each other even if they have a common vocab of US-based words (e.g., cities)
    Main Point:
    While some linguists argue that "Chinatown Chinese" is a unique dialect that sprung up in San Francisco, analyzing the two claims they base this on shows their view to lack support.

    Key Lines:
    Lines 2-4 - The opposing viewpoint is introduced
    Lines 7-16 - The two claims that form the basis of this viewpoint are explained
    Lines 25-27 - The Author's rebuttal of the first claim
    Lines 39-43 - The Author's rebuttal of the second claim

    Meta-Structure:
    View/Rebuttal - The Author here brings up the view of some linguists, shows the claims that it's based on, and then rebuts them one at a time

    Last Thoughts:
    This argument is interesting in that there isn't a single statement of the main point of the argument. Rather, we infer it from the fact that the Author takes each claim that forms the basis for a viewpoint and rebuts it. So, at the end of the day, the Author believes that the linguists who think of "Chinatown Chinese" as a distinct dialect of Chinese don't have a strong argument for that to be the case.

    There were a lot of details in each paragraph here, but we should use the structure to help us find and answer questions rather than attempt to remember all of the individual details. We should have a general idea of what each paragraph is talking about! The second rebuts the claim that Chinatown Chinese has a lot of new terminology, and that someone recently arrived from China wouldn't know it. The third paragraph rebuts the claim that Chinese Americans would be able to communicate with each other by highlighting that their base dialects might be incompatible. Let's keep those overarching arguments in mind so that we can identify which paragraph is likely to lead to the answer to any specific detail question.

Question prompt

Which one of the 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

Humanities

Answer choices

  1. A
    Linguists who argue that Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    Incorrect. (Paragraph 3) This answer discusses the Conatonese dialect, which made up a part of the Author's rebuttal of only the second claim of the linguists, so this answer doesn't encompass the entire argument.
  2. B
    Because Chinatown Chinese is Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 25-27; Lines 39-43) This answer reflects the main point of the linguists, but the Author rebuts their claims individually, so this answer is incorrect.
  3. C
    The primary claims supporting Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C matches the stem
    Correct. Question Type:
    Main Point

    Strategy Overview:
    Reiterate the main point that we thought of after reading the passage

    Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
    The passage starts by introducing an argument made by ""[s]ome linguists"" that's based on two claims. The next two paragraphs take one claim each and rebuts them, showing that the Author believes the first one is misguided (""has remained intact"" - Lines 26-27) and the second is a ""misleading oversimplification"" (Line 43). Let's find an answer reflecting the view that the argument for ""Chinatown Chinese"" being a distinct dialect—the view of those linguists—doesn't stand up to analysis.

    Answer Explanation:
    (Lines 25-27; LInes 39-43) The Author takes the two claims offered by those arguing that Chinatown Chinese is a new dialect and shows that they're not correct when you dig into the details. The first ignores that ""the core of the language..has remained intact,"" (Lines 25-27), and the second is a ""misleading oversimplification"" (Line 43). As such, her main point is that these claims don't stand up to scrutiny, as this answer choice states.

    Key Takeaway:
    For RC, structure and argument are usually solidly linked. Here, the claims raised/individually rebutted structure ended up being strongly reflected in the correct answer. This connection between structure and argument can help you when you're a little confused by the passage—if you can identify structural elements, you can probably get the contours of the argument!
  4. D
    Because visitors from China Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    Incorrect. (Paragraph 2) This answer serves as part of the rebuttal for the first claim of the linguists, but the third paragraph rebuts the second claim by talking about Chinese Americans conversing with each other. This answer isn't comprehensive enough to address the full passage.
  5. E
    Although Chinese dialects are Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 2-4) The only linguists mentioned in the passage believe that Chinatown Chinese is a new dialect. The Author argues against the claims underlying that belief, but there's no indication that her view is the consensus view of linguists. And, in fact, this answer is framed to suggest that all linguists hold this view, whereas the stimulus presents linguists who don't.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 4%
  2. B 9%
  3. C Credited 77%
  4. D 4%
  5. E 6%

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