I see the passage and i'm looking at the answer and I look again at the passage and none of these answers look appealing, someone mind breaking this down and explaining how D is infered from the text? Like I get that the scientific assumption is wrong but how does the centuries old belief have anything in the world to do with that? It's a complete non-sequitur.
It was believed in the past. Therefore the scientific assumption may be wrong? What? How does that follow?
Obviously I'm missing something here, would appreciate some insight...
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- ohthatpatrick
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Atticus Finch
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Re: Q21
I agree that this answer is weak on support, but this type of question stem in RC (author mentioned ____ "in order to" / "serves to" / "primarily to") is almost always just paraphrasing the bigger idea before or after the detail in question.
So you just try to find an answer that reinforces the broader point being made in the immediate vicinity.
The "bookend" ideas surrounding the detail in question are
- "Because of the assumption that wine is like all the other alcoholic drinks, scientists haven't researched it specifically"
and
- "by making no distinction, scientists have obscured the healthful effects of wine" (that people for centuries have thought wine to have)
When I predicted my answer here, I thought "the author brings up the centuries old belief about wine to contrast that the way science has treated wine with the way people have thought of wine."
(A) Though it's true that the science being discussed towards the end of the passage WOULD bear out the popular belief that wine has healthful effects, it seems odd to say that the author wanted to stress how science legitimizes popular beliefs. Also, this doesn't happen in the first paragraph.
(B) I don't think the centuries-old belief is REALLY supposed to be evidence ... the author is more science-y than that. Also, the theory mentioned doesn't come until later paragraphs.
(C) Fake comparison ... too extreme to say "no less important".
(D) "Suggest" is super soft and safe. This DOES fit the overall point of the first paragraph. The "scientific assumption" is referred to in the previous idea and "might be mistaken" is supported by "have obscured".
(E) "Refute" is super strong and dangerous. Plus, in this instance, the public turns out to be right, so this would be a bad detail for refuting that science should take cues from popular beliefs.
So, to recap, I agree that (D) is not what I would have guessed the correct answer would say, but it certainly seems accurate. The author is definitely suggesting in the first paragraph that science might be wrong by lumping wine in with the others, and centuries of folk wisdom support the idea that wine is special.
On a more test-taking awareness level, if you realize that "in order to" / "serves to" / "primarily to" questions want you to reinforce the general point being made in the immediate vicinity of that detail, (D) looks really safe.
If the question stem instead read, "what's the author doing in lines 4-12? What point is being made in that window of text?" would you think that (D) is the clear winner? If so, then start reformulating these questions that way when you see them.
Hope this helps.
So you just try to find an answer that reinforces the broader point being made in the immediate vicinity.
The "bookend" ideas surrounding the detail in question are
- "Because of the assumption that wine is like all the other alcoholic drinks, scientists haven't researched it specifically"
and
- "by making no distinction, scientists have obscured the healthful effects of wine" (that people for centuries have thought wine to have)
When I predicted my answer here, I thought "the author brings up the centuries old belief about wine to contrast that the way science has treated wine with the way people have thought of wine."
(A) Though it's true that the science being discussed towards the end of the passage WOULD bear out the popular belief that wine has healthful effects, it seems odd to say that the author wanted to stress how science legitimizes popular beliefs. Also, this doesn't happen in the first paragraph.
(B) I don't think the centuries-old belief is REALLY supposed to be evidence ... the author is more science-y than that. Also, the theory mentioned doesn't come until later paragraphs.
(C) Fake comparison ... too extreme to say "no less important".
(D) "Suggest" is super soft and safe. This DOES fit the overall point of the first paragraph. The "scientific assumption" is referred to in the previous idea and "might be mistaken" is supported by "have obscured".
(E) "Refute" is super strong and dangerous. Plus, in this instance, the public turns out to be right, so this would be a bad detail for refuting that science should take cues from popular beliefs.
So, to recap, I agree that (D) is not what I would have guessed the correct answer would say, but it certainly seems accurate. The author is definitely suggesting in the first paragraph that science might be wrong by lumping wine in with the others, and centuries of folk wisdom support the idea that wine is special.
On a more test-taking awareness level, if you realize that "in order to" / "serves to" / "primarily to" questions want you to reinforce the general point being made in the immediate vicinity of that detail, (D) looks really safe.
If the question stem instead read, "what's the author doing in lines 4-12? What point is being made in that window of text?" would you think that (D) is the clear winner? If so, then start reformulating these questions that way when you see them.
Hope this helps.
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