Q5

[pinkdatura]

Comparison Passage, Here I don't know how to write the notes Brian suggests me featuring 2 sides and author stands on one side, so I try to summarize each paragraph with a few words. pls correct me if I get anything wrong, or if there is a better way to diagram?

A p.1 huge tasks: calculation
p.2 PC can not handle
p.3 Internet connected PC parallel work; public support
B p.1 parallel everywhere; complex system
p.2 exe: ant
p.3 paradigm shift in computing
-------------------------------------
Q 5 passage b relates to passage a
I understand C is right
D: why is D wrong? passage B do mention complex system, and in ln 11-13, that's why there's no alternative for "brute force"

[ManhattanPrepLSAT2]

In terms of Brian's suggestion, I think what you may be discussing is the idea that, with comparative passages, it's helpful to consider what "bigger debate" both passages can be a part of, and what specific role each passage/author plays relative to this debate.

In this example, the commonality in the passages isn't clear until the very end of passage 2 -- they both discuss the idea of multiple computers working together, as opposed to individual computers working alone.

If we see the debate as being about computers working together vs computers working separately...

Passage 1 gives an example of a situation where the computing power of multiple computers working together is necessary.

Passage 2 gives reasons for why these multiple computers should work together a certain way (to parallel the situations the computers will be used to evaluate).

I think your short diagram is an excellent one -- one thing I'd encourage you to do is to notate a bit more how the different parts of the argument relate to one another(i.e. I might change the last point about P2 you mentioned from "paradigm shift" to "comp shift should match parallelism everywhere").

In terms of answer (D) for question #5, the example in passage B (the ants) represents a complex system, but not one that we know illustrates the "need" for the brute force system (maybe we don't NEED to study these ants on a computer system). Furthermore, the complexity associated with the ants has to do with the advanced intelligence of their "group" thinking -- the challenges mentioned in relation to brute force are about something slightly different -- situations with highly variable individual components.

Hope that helps, and please feel free to follow up if you have any further questions.

[maryadkins]

5. (C)
Question Type: Synthesis
We are asked to determine how the passages relate to one another. This should be a question we’ve already asked ourselves at this point, and the answer is that we think they are pretty consistent. (C) offers a description of the passages that aligns with our earlier assessment: Passage B provides a rationale for the solution proposed in Passage A. Is that true? Well, A’s proposed solution is to use many computers to solve a single problem. Passage B provides a description of how and why that method works. (C) it is.

(A) is unsupported. Passage B elaborates and expands on the solution in Passage A.
(B) is a contradiction. Passage B is consistent with A.
(D) is unsupported. The example given in Passage B of the ants is a description of a large, complex system composed of simple parts. (45-52.) It is not offered as an example of why it is necessary to perform every possible calculation, i.e. the "brute force" method mentioned in Passage A.
(E) is out of scope. Assumptions about individual computers?

[andrewgong01]

Not sure if this was a safe way but could we have just eliminated "A" right away because a comparative passage must be tied together somehow through some central argument and hence "A" would be wrong without even considering what was discussed or have there been cases where two passages were presented with little bearing on the issues.

When doing this passage the first time I was actually confused and unsure how exactly they tied aside from both saying computing to solve a problem because it was not that clear what the central connection was but even at that stage I thought "A" was just too extreme. I think its partly cause what exactly "parallel computing" means in the passage was a bit unclear compared to the much easier definition given in A, which seems to be simply division of labor between computers to work together. As I did some of the problems I was a bit unsure if that was what exactly parallel computing was and was hoping that there wasn't some nuance between what A and B meant by dividing the computation task. However choosing "Choice C" coupled with Q8 ( I didn't do it fully in order) made it clear that it was probably safe to assume there was not a nuance

[ohthatpatrick]

I think (A) definitely sounds fishy and unlikely, but it would be overstating things to say that the two passages MUST relate in terms of their central argument.

They really don't. They often do, but the connection could be way more minor and incidental.

I basically ask myself whether the passages were similar / dissimilar along any of these dimensions:
TOPIC
PURPOSE
MAIN POINT
EVIDENCE
TONE
SCOPE