Read the passage(s) below and answer the question based on what is stated or implied in the passage(s) and in any introductory material that may be provided.
Passage
Passage 1
The realm of blogging and other user-generated web content, like personal home pages, has a Wild West, anything-can-happen feel to it. A guy who has never written a children's book goes from blogging, to networking, to causing a stir, and ends up with a book deal. A couple of women who find their conversations about dating incredibly amusing turn out to be right, and end up with a television deal from a major cable channel. While it is growing and changing more rapidly than anyone can accurately track, the world of blogging is still a place where anyone can stand out, make a splash, be seen, be heard, and be successful.
Passage 2
A blog can seem like a waste of time to some, since there is no guarantee readers will come and comment. Maintaining it with new posts and an interesting layout can seem like a chore. Why does someone bother to create a blog if it isn't to peddle a product or to get in touch with consumers? "The principal reason to blog is because you have something to say," claims one expert on blogging. "While the cadre of readers may be small, it is not really how many sets of eyeballs are reading your material that's important, but who the eyeballs belong to. Blogs are written by influencers, and it is often other influencers that read them."
At the end of Passage 2. ('While... them'), the expert emphasizes
- A. function over form
- B. theory over practice
- C. ethics over ambition
- D. quality over quantity
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
The emphasis on quality over quantity highlights the importance of substance in achieving meaningful results. Focusing on quality ensures that efforts lead to impactful outcomes, rather than merely increasing the number of tasks or projects. Option A, function over form, suggests prioritizing practicality, which is not the main point in this context. Option B, theory over practice, implies valuing ideas over action, contradicting the emphasis on tangible quality. Option C, ethics over ambition, shifts the focus to moral considerations rather than the value of high-quality efforts. Thus, the passage underscores the significance of quality in any endeavor.
The emphasis on quality over quantity highlights the importance of substance in achieving meaningful results. Focusing on quality ensures that efforts lead to impactful outcomes, rather than merely increasing the number of tasks or projects. Option A, function over form, suggests prioritizing practicality, which is not the main point in this context. Option B, theory over practice, implies valuing ideas over action, contradicting the emphasis on tangible quality. Option C, ethics over ambition, shifts the focus to moral considerations rather than the value of high-quality efforts. Thus, the passage underscores the significance of quality in any endeavor.
Other Related Questions
What assumption does the author of the passage make?
- A. Gases produced by algae will be cheaper to produce than other gases.
- B. The Department of Energy is already using hydrogen-producing algae as a source of energy.
- C. Mutant versions of algae will not be capable of the process of photosynthesis.
- D. Readers do not associate the Department of Energy with algae research.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
The assumption that readers do not associate the Department of Energy with algae research highlights a potential gap in public awareness, which the author seeks to address. Option A incorrectly suggests a comparison of costs that may not be discussed in the passage. Option B assumes current use of hydrogen-producing algae by the Department of Energy, which may not be established in the text. Option C presumes that mutant algae cannot photosynthesize, which overlooks the possibility of their adaptability. Each of these options misinterprets the author's intent and the context provided in the passage.
The assumption that readers do not associate the Department of Energy with algae research highlights a potential gap in public awareness, which the author seeks to address. Option A incorrectly suggests a comparison of costs that may not be discussed in the passage. Option B assumes current use of hydrogen-producing algae by the Department of Energy, which may not be established in the text. Option C presumes that mutant algae cannot photosynthesize, which overlooks the possibility of their adaptability. Each of these options misinterprets the author's intent and the context provided in the passage.
In sentence 13, the narrator most likely uses the image of 'a tightly woven fruit basket' to suggest that the rain is
- A. a physical challenge that must be endured
- B. falling so heavily that she can barely see through it
- C. a reminder of the weather in harvest season
- D. important because it allows crops to survive
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
The image of "a tightly woven fruit basket" conveys the idea of something dense and tightly packed, suggesting that the rain is overwhelming and challenging to endure. This aligns with option A, which emphasizes the physical challenge of the rain. Option B misinterprets the imagery; while heavy rain can obscure vision, the fruit basket metaphor does not directly imply visibility issues. Option C incorrectly suggests a seasonal reminder, while the metaphor focuses more on the immediate experience of rain rather than its seasonal context. Option D, while acknowledging the rain's importance for crops, overlooks the emphasis on the struggle implied by the basket imagery.
The image of "a tightly woven fruit basket" conveys the idea of something dense and tightly packed, suggesting that the rain is overwhelming and challenging to endure. This aligns with option A, which emphasizes the physical challenge of the rain. Option B misinterprets the imagery; while heavy rain can obscure vision, the fruit basket metaphor does not directly imply visibility issues. Option C incorrectly suggests a seasonal reminder, while the metaphor focuses more on the immediate experience of rain rather than its seasonal context. Option D, while acknowledging the rain's importance for crops, overlooks the emphasis on the struggle implied by the basket imagery.
Which choice best characterizes the way the author presents the relationship between the arts and political and social issues?
- A. The arts are a key driver of political and social change.
- B. The arts are a way to distract people from political and social problems.
- C. The arts reflect changes in the political and social landscape,
- D. The arts are stifled during times of political and social upheaval
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
The author illustrates that the arts serve as a mirror to society, effectively reflecting the evolving political and social landscape. This perspective highlights how artistic expression often responds to and encapsulates the sentiments of the times. Option A overstates the influence of the arts, suggesting they actively drive change rather than reflect it. Option B misrepresents the role of the arts, implying they serve only as distractions, which neglects their deeper societal relevance. Option D presents a limited view, focusing solely on suppression during upheaval, ignoring the arts' potential to comment on or critique such situations.
The author illustrates that the arts serve as a mirror to society, effectively reflecting the evolving political and social landscape. This perspective highlights how artistic expression often responds to and encapsulates the sentiments of the times. Option A overstates the influence of the arts, suggesting they actively drive change rather than reflect it. Option B misrepresents the role of the arts, implying they serve only as distractions, which neglects their deeper societal relevance. Option D presents a limited view, focusing solely on suppression during upheaval, ignoring the arts' potential to comment on or critique such situations.
What change needs to be made to sentence 7 (reproduced below) to make the sentence grammatically correct? American writers such as Dashiell Hammett, whose novel The Maltese Falcon was made into one of the first big-budget film noirs, and James M. Cain being particularly influential.
- A. Change 'such as' to 'like'
- B. Change 'whose' to 'which'
- C. Change 'was made' to 'making'
- D. Change 'being' to 'were'
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
To ensure grammatical correctness, the verb form must agree with the subject. Option D, changing "being" to "were," corrects the sentence by providing a proper verb to match the plural subject "American writers." Option A, substituting "such as" with "like," does not address the grammatical issue and merely alters style without improving clarity. Option B's change from "whose" to "which" is incorrect since "whose" appropriately refers to the novel's author. Option C's shift from "was made" to "making" disrupts the intended meaning and does not resolve the grammatical error. Thus, only option D effectively corrects the sentence.
To ensure grammatical correctness, the verb form must agree with the subject. Option D, changing "being" to "were," corrects the sentence by providing a proper verb to match the plural subject "American writers." Option A, substituting "such as" with "like," does not address the grammatical issue and merely alters style without improving clarity. Option B's change from "whose" to "which" is incorrect since "whose" appropriately refers to the novel's author. Option C's shift from "was made" to "making" disrupts the intended meaning and does not resolve the grammatical error. Thus, only option D effectively corrects the sentence.