PrepTest 124
Passage
Passage walkthrough
Topic: Social Science
Passage A
Paragraph 1
- Paragraph note
- Author identifies herself; discusses tradition; contrasts with recent trend
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- Author - First-person - Researcher at university
- Tradition - University researchers share ideas, which are public good
- New trend - Commodify research ($$$)
Paragraph 2
- Paragraph note
- Comparing Universities and Market - New ideas
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- University - Uniquely suited to new ideas
- Market - Quick returns and risk aversion = not equipped for new ideas or replacing disproven theories
Paragraph 3
- Paragraph note
- Downside to market - Burying discoveries
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- Entrepreneurs - Not interested in intellectual adventures - Bury discoveries if it makes them money
- Consequence/Example - New drugs, but less sharing of methods/results (Biotech)
Paragraph 4
- Paragraph note
- Wrap-up
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- Author worries about future of science
Passage B
Paragraph 1
- Paragraph note
- Prior view (“were once”)
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- Scientific discoveries a public good because funded by government grants to universities
Paragraph 2
- Paragraph note
- New view; example; consequence
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- New view - Scientific discoveries are marketable good
- Example - Cells/genes used to make money (Biotech)
- Consequence - Legal claims to intellectual property are important
Paragraph 3
- Paragraph note
- Blurring of lines between previously distinguished things
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- Distinction - Discovery (no patent) vs. Invention (patent)
- Now, legal and moral lines blurred
Paragraph 4
- Paragraph note
- Industry’s argument
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- Industry - If we fund it, we should be able to make money on it
Main Points:
Passage A - University research has shifted from a collegial environment to a market-driven one, which is ill-suited to new ideas and academic adventure, threatening the future of scientific research.
Passage B - The shift of scientific discoveries from public good to market commodity has blurred the line between what is/should be and isn’t/shouldn’t be patented, with Industry arguing that their investments should pay off.
Key Lines?Passage A:
- Lines 1-6 - The traditional situation, and a recent trend that is threatening
- Lines 7-12 - A difference between universities and markets
- Lines 21-23 - A downside of the recent trend
- Lines 29-31 - The Author outlines her fears
Passage B:
- Lines 32-33 - The old view
- Lines 38-41 - The new view
- Line 41 - An example is introduced
- Lines 45-48 - Consequence of new view
- Lines 55-58 - A previous distinction now has its lines blurred
- Lines 59-62 - Industry makes an argument
Meta-Structure? Relationship Between Passages?
Both passages discuss scientific research in universities, and how discoveries are treated - either as a public good or a private commodity. However, there’s a big difference in the opinions stated in the two passages. Passage A is written by a researcher who feels the trend towards treating these discoveries as market-based commodities is worrisome, while the Author of Passage B doesn’t really stake out an argument or position - the only viewpoint presented there is that of Industry.
Last Thoughts?There’s such an extreme difference between the two passages in opinion, with the Author from Passage A staking out such a strong view on the situation while the Author of Passage B remains largely neutral. It’s striking, and it should influence how we approach questions about the two. Let’s be sure that the very different opinions (and the strengths of those opinions) is a top consideration when we’re looking at answer choices.
Question prompt
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
Strategy Overview
Answer Anticipation
Answer choices
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Acommercially successful research and Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice A is not credited
(A) Neither of the passages compare research that has a valuable product with research that doesn’t have a valuable product, so neither presents these two as in opposition to each other.
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Bresearch methods and research Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice B is not credited
(B) (Lines 23-24) Passage A lumps these two things together, so they’re not in opposition to each other.
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Ca marketable commodity and Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice C matches the stem
(C) (Lines 4-6; Lines 39-41) Passage A talks about a recent tendency to “treat research findings as a commodity,” and this “threatens...the role of research as a public good,” putting commodities and public goods in opposition. Passage B says that “what was previously seen as a public good is being transformed into a market commodity,” again putting them in opposition to each other. This answer also lines up with the main point of both passages, so this is the correct answer.
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Da discovery and an Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice D is not credited
(D) (Lines 49-52) As we noted when picking (A) in Question #15, this distinction shows up only in Passage B, so we can eliminate it for not showing up in Passage A.
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Escientific research and other Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice E is not credited
(E) Both passages focus on scientific research and, if it’s placed in opposition to anything, it’s in opposition to market forces, not “other types of inquiry.”