Q21

[rinagoldfield]

21.(E)
Question type: Synthesis

This question asks us to articulate the structure of the passage as a whole. This type of question is best approached by identifying the key points of each paragraph, either by scanning any notes you took, or skimming the first and last sentences of each paragraph. In this passage, the author presents a problem (the process of restoring overproduced land to its natural state is very slow), describes a potential solution to that problem (the methods researched by the Dutch scientists), and concludes that the methods described could indeed help solve the problem.

(A) displays a detail creep with the word "inconclusive." The author is fairly confident that the results of the study are promising. This answer choice incorrectly identifies the degree of the author’s opinion.

(B) is unsupported. The Dutch study is not presented in terms of its hypothesis, and no undermining evidence is presented.

(C) is a tempting answer choice, but a few fishy details make it wrong. (C) states that the passage begins by evaluating a study. However, the passage begins by detailing the problems of overproduction. It then goes on to describe a study, but waits until the final paragraph to evaluate it. Additionally, almost all of this answer choice focuses on the plan of action generated by the study. Yet the passage only briefly describes a plan of action at the very end of its final paragraph.

(D) is unsupported. One one study is described, not multiple "studies." Additionally, the goal of restoring overproduced land is never modified or revised. Eliminate this answer choice.

(E) correctly identifies the structure of the passage.

[isaac.botier]

Here's my explanation.

21. (E)
Question Type: Synthesis (1-5, 22-29, 54-58)
This question requires that we understand the overall flow of the passage. The flow of our passage is roughly: (i) agricultural overproduction is problematic, (ii) description of the Netherlands study, and (iii) what we learn from the study. Answer (E) encapsulates the flow.

(A) is an unsupported interpretation. The study’s results are not judged to be inconclusive

(B) is an unsupported interpretation. There is no evidence undermining a hypothesis and there is no modification that is argued for.

(C) is an unsupported interpretation. There are no conclusions concerning the likely effectiveness of the plan.

(D) is an unsupported interpretation. There is only one study rather than numerous studies. And there is no modification of a goal’s objective.

[ericha3535]

Dear teachers,

I may be splitting hairs but this is what I think.

I found A very attractive even if the word "inconclusive."

I mean first of all, what does inconclusive mean? that something did not reach to a conclusion or did not resolve "all the issues."

P3 says that, in line 50, the "preliminary" results seems pretty promising; and it says that such result CAN be used to restore the land. From these two things, I inferred that oh the researchers are not done with the research but found the initial result very promising.

Thus, I feel like the word "inconclusive fits" in this case.

Anybody wants to teach me why it's wrong?

[JorieB701]

Dear teachers,

I may be splitting hairs but this is what I think.

I found A very attractive even if the word "inconclusive."

I mean first of all, what does inconclusive mean? that something did not reach to a conclusion or did not resolve "all the issues."

P3 says that, in line 50, the "preliminary" results seems pretty promising; and it says that such result CAN be used to restore the land. From these two things, I inferred that oh the researchers are not done with the research but found the initial result very promising.

Thus, I feel like the word "inconclusive fits" in this case.

Anybody wants to teach me why it's wrong?

I clearly need to read more carefully because I didn't really take issue with "inconclusive" on first pass, either. However, I did recognize that while the first paragraph may have introduced a study, it wasn't really described until the second paragraph. So, I skipped it, found the one that started with "a problem is presented...," liked it and moved on.

But I have to agree that "inconclusive" isn't really supported here. I feel like, in order for a study to be inconclusive it needs to provide virtually no answers to hypotheses or at the very least produce results that are indeterminate. Here, the study provided a ton of insight with noticeably different results among the control plots, plots sown with varying mixtures of native grasses, others with additional toadflax (plant names are weird, I'm discovering), and others scattered with soil 20 years out of commission. But even if that's still questionable, the author seems pretty pleased by the results. According to her (RC passage authors are girls to me), the researchers have "concluded" things, the preliminary results "suggested" things, and researchers now "believe" things. I think in order for A to be right, the author would have had to have been the one 'judging them inconclusive,' and I don't think she'd agree with that.