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Adapted from "The Writing of Essays" in Certain Personal Matters by H.G. Wells (1901)
The art of the essayist is so simple, so entirely free from canons of criticism, and withal so delightful, that one must needs wonder why all men are not essayists. Perhaps people do not know how easy it is. Or perhaps beginners are misled. Rightly taught it may be learnt in a brief ten minutes or so, what art there is in it. And all the rest is as easy as wandering among woodlands on a bright morning in the spring.
Then sit you down if you would join us, taking paper, pens, and ink; and mark this, your pen is a matter of vital moment. For every pen writes its own sort of essay, and pencils also after their kind. The ink perhaps may have its influence too, and the paper; but paramount is the pen. This, indeed, is the fundamental secret of essay-writing. Wed any man to his proper pen, and the delights of composition and the birth of an essay are assured. Only many of us wander through the earth and never meet with her—futile and lonely men.
And, of all pens, your quill for essays that are literature. There is a subtle informality, a delightful easiness, perhaps even a faint immorality essentially literary, about the quill. The quill is rich in suggestion and quotation. There are quills that would quote you Montaigne and Horace in the hands of a trades-union delegate. And those quirky, idle noises this pen makes are delightful, and would break your easy fluency with wit. All the classical essayists wrote with a quill, and Addison used the most expensive kind the Government purchased. And the beginning of the inferior essay was the dawn of the cheap steel pen.
Wells' tone in this essay is __________.
Wells uses a lot of poetic flourishes in this writing while maintaining a certain playfulness, since it's unlikely he really thinks that all the quality of a writer's essays is determined by his or her choice of writing instrument.
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Adapted from Once on a Time by A. A. Milne (1922)
The Princess was still puzzled. "But I'm grown up," she said. "I don't want a mother so much now."
The King turned his flagon round and studied the other side of it.
"A mother's—er—tender hand," he said, "is—er—never——" and then the outrageous thing happened.
It was all because of a birthday present to the King of Barodia, and the present was nothing less than a pair of seven-league boots. The King being a busy man, it was a week or more before he had an opportunity of trying those boots. Meanwhile he used to talk about them at meals, and he would polish them up every night before he went to bed. When the great day came for the first trial of them to be made, he took a patronizing farewell of his wife and family, ignored the many eager noses pressed against the upper windows of the Palace, and sailed off. The motion, as perhaps you know, is a little disquieting at first, but one soon gets used to it. After that it is fascinating. He had gone some two thousand miles before he realized that there might be a difficulty about finding his way back. The difficulty proved at least as great as he had anticipated. For the rest of that day he toured backwards and forwards across the country; and it was by the merest accident that a very angry King shot in through an open pantry window in the early hours of the morning. He removed his boots and went softly to bed.
It was, of course, a lesson to him. He decided that in the future he must proceed by a recognized route, sailing lightly from landmark to landmark. Such a route his Geographers prepared for him—an early morning constitutional, of three hundred miles or so, to be taken ten times before breakfast. He gave himself a week in which to recover his nerve and then started out on the first of them.
The point of view from which the passage is told can best be described as that of __________.
The passage is told by a narrator in the third person. Granted, this could be one of the characters looking back at the event, but the lack of the use of “I” or “we” suggests it can be none of the directly or indirectly involved characters mentioned in the passage. The passage also has elements of fantasy stories or fairytales to it; in fairytales, the narrative is usually written from a distanced third-person perspective. We can therefore say the correct answer is "None of these characters."
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Adapted from Once on a Time by A. A. Milne (1922)
The Princess was still puzzled. "But I'm grown up," she said. "I don't want a mother so much now."
The King turned his flagon round and studied the other side of it.
"A mother's—er—tender hand," he said, "is—er—never——" and then the outrageous thing happened.
It was all because of a birthday present to the King of Barodia, and the present was nothing less than a pair of seven-league boots. The King being a busy man, it was a week or more before he had an opportunity of trying those boots. Meanwhile he used to talk about them at meals, and he would polish them up every night before he went to bed. When the great day came for the first trial of them to be made, he took a patronizing farewell of his wife and family, ignored the many eager noses pressed against the upper windows of the palace, and sailed off. The motion, as perhaps you know, is a little disquieting at first, but one soon gets used to it. After that it is fascinating. He had gone some two thousand miles before he realized that there might be a difficulty about finding his way back. The difficulty proved at least as great as he had anticipated. For the rest of that day he toured backwards and forwards across the country, and it was by the merest accident that a very angry King shot in through an open pantry window in the early hours of the morning. He removed his boots and went softly to bed.
It was, of course, a lesson to him. He decided that in the future he must proceed by a recognized route, sailing lightly from landmark to landmark. Such a route his geographers prepared for him—an early morning constitutional, of three hundred miles or so, to be taken ten times before breakfast. He gave himself a week in which to recover his nerve and then started out on the first of them.
The author’s tone in this passage could best be described as __________.
The author is presenting a fantasy story in a casual and humorous manner, and breaking it up with asides such as "as perhaps you know" in the line, "The motion, as perhaps you know, is a little disquieting at first, but one soon gets used to it." Based on these characteristics, the author's tone is best described as "conversational."
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"The Multiple Sides of Computer Science" by Matthew Minerd (2014)
It often takes some time for a new discipline to become recognized as an independent science. An excellent example of this is computer science. In many ways, this science still is a hodgepodge of several different sciences, each one having its own distinct character. For example, some computer scientists are almost indistinguishable from mathematicians. Many of the most difficult topics in pattern recognition and data communications require intensive mathematics in order to provide software solutions. Years of training in the appropriate disciplines are necessary before the computer scientist can even begin to work as a programmer in such areas. In contrast to those computer scientists who work with complex mathematics, many computer scientists work on areas of hardware development that are similar to disciplines like electrical engineering and physics.
However, computer science has its own particular problems regarding the unity of its subject matter. There are many practical applications for computing work; therefore, many computer scientists focus on learning a large set of skills in programming languages, development environments, and even information technology. All of these disciplines have a certain practical coloration that is quite distinct from the theoretical concepts used in other parts of the field. Nevertheless, these practical topics add to the broad range of topics covered by most academic programs that claim to focus on “computer science.” It can only be hoped that these disciplines will increase in orderliness in the coming decades.
Based on this passage, which of the following might be true about the early history of modern physics?
The basic point of this selection is that sciences tend to be somewhat "hazy" in their early years. They do not have defined boundaries and tend to deal with many topics. It is actually true that early modern physics tended to deal with many topics of "natural philosophy." Only with time did it define its own topics clearly. We are still waiting for this in computer science (or at least the passage implies this).
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"Cacti" by Ami Dave (2013)
Cacti are plants suited to the desert, and we must always keep this factor in mind when growing ornamental cacti in our gardens, for it helps us provide cacti with conditions that allow them to survive and thrive. For example, a cactus should never be watered over its body, as it will start to rot. This is because it is covered with a waxy coating which prevents water loss through evaporation. When one waters the cactus over its body, the waxy coating is washed away and the plant begins to rot. The amount of water that one must supply to the cactus is very much dependent upon the season and upon the climate of the place. During the summer season one should water cacti every four days, whereas in the rainy season, once every fifteen days is quite enough.
Cacti need a minimum of two and a half hours of sunlight per day; however, they should not be kept in the sun all day because they may wrinkle when exposed to too much bright sunlight. Unlike other plants, cacti produce carbon dioxide during the day and oxygen during the night, so they are ideal plants to be kept in bedrooms to freshen up the air at night.
If a cactus is to thrive and prosper, the size of the pot in which it is grown needs to be monitored carefully. The pot should always be a little smaller than the plant itself because it is only when the plant has to struggle to survive that it will thrive. If the pot is too spacious and the plant does not need to struggle, chances are that the cactus will die. Similarly, if a cactus shows no signs of growth, stop watering it. Watering should be resumed only when the plant begins to grow again.
The substrata of a cactus pot is ideally composed of pieces of broken bricks at the bottom, followed by a layer of charcoal above the bricks, and then coarse sand and pebbles above the charcoal. Leaf mould is the best manure.
Grafting cacti is very simple. A very small piece of the cactus plant should be stuck with tape to the plant that needs grafting. The smaller the piece, the easier it is to graft. To reproduce cacti, one has to simply cut off a piece of the cactus, allow it to dry for a few days, and then place it over the cacti substrate. It will automatically develop roots.
It is very easy to differentiate between cacti and other plants that look like cacti. All cacti have fine hair at the base of each thorn. The so-called “thorns” are in fact highly modified leaves which prevent loss of water through transpiration. If one ever gets pricked by cacti thorns, one should take tape, place it over the area where the thorns have penetrated the skin, and then peel it off. All of the thorns will get stuck to the tape and will be removed.
The tone of the passage can be described as __________.
The passage is explanatory and does not offer an opinion on cacti, their growth, their nourishment, or any other factor. Thus, it can be considered "objective," having to do with facts instead of feelings and opinions. There is no evidence that the author is impassioned, cautious, critical, or indignant.
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Adapted from a letter by T. Thatcher published in The Publishers Circular on September 27th, 1902
A PLEA FOR A LONG WALK
Sir—In these days of increasing rapid artificial locomotion, may I be permitted to say a word in favor of a very worthy and valuable old friend of mine, Mr. Long-Walk?
I am afraid that this good gentleman is in danger of getting neglected, if not forgotten. We live in days of water trips and land trips, excursions by sea, road, and rail—bicycles and tricycles, tram cars and motor cars, hansom cabs and ugly cabs; but in my humble opinion good honest walking exercise for health beats all other kinds of locomotion into a cocked hat. In rapid traveling all the finer nerves, senses, and vessels are "rush" and unduly excited, but in walking every particle of the human frame, and even the moral faculties, are evenly and naturally brought into exercise. It is the best discipline and physical mental tonic in the world. Limbs, body, muscles, lungs, chest, heart, digestion, breathing, are healthily brought into normal operation, while. especially in the long distance walk, the exercise of patience, perseverance, industry, energy, perception, and reflection—and, indeed, all the senses and moral faculties—are elevated and cultivated healthfully and naturally. Many never know the beauty of it because they never go far enough: exercise and hard work should never be relinquished at any age or by either sex. Heart disease, faintness, and sudden death, and even crime, are far more due to the absence of wholesome normal exercise and taste than to anything else, to enervating luxuries rather than to hill climbing.
I usually give myself a holiday on a birthday, and as I lately reached my 63rd I determined to give myself a day with my old friend Mr. Long-Walk, and decided to tramp to the city of Wells and back for my birthday holiday—a distance of about forty-two miles. Fortune favors the brave, and, thanks to a mosquito that pitched on my nose and was just commencing operations, I woke very early in the morning. It is an ill wind that blows no one any good. Mosquitoes are early birds, but I stole a march on them. But to my journey.
I started at about 5 A.M., and proceeding via Dundry and Chow Stoke, reached Wells soon after 10 A.M. After attending the cathedral, I pursued my walk homeward by a different route,via Chewton Mendip, Farrington, Temple Cloud, Clutton, and Pensford.
To make a walk successful, mind and body should be free of burden. I never carry a stick on a long walk, but prefer to be perfectly free, giving Nature’s balancing poles—the pendulum arms—complete swing and absolute liberty. Walking exercises, together with a well-educated palate, are the greatest physicians in the world: no disease can withstand them. I returned from my forty-two miles tramp with birthday honors and reward. I had no headache on the following morning, but was up early in good form, fresh and ready for work. Forty-two miles may be too strong a dose for many, but I cannot too strongly recommend for a day’s companionship the society of my old and well-tried friend, Mr. Long-Walk.
Faithfully yours,
T. Thatcher
44 College Green, Bristol.
The tone of the author is best described as __________.
The author uses plays on words and wit to create a playful tone. While the piece does have a cautionary aspect, the tone itself is lighter and playful. "Outrage" is too strong of a term to apply here, and the piece is too humorous to be called "solemn." Additionally, the author nowhere seems sarcastic.
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Adapted from Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads by John A. Lomax (1910)
The big ranches of the West are now being cut up into small farms. The nester has come, and come to stay. Gone is the buffalo and the free grass of the open plain—even the stinging lizard, the horned frog, the centipede, the prairie dog, the rattlesnake, are fast disappearing. Save in some of the secluded valleys of southern New Mexico, the old-time round-up is no more; the trails to Kansas and to Montana have become grass-grown or lost in fields of waving grain; the maverick steer, the regal longhorn, has been supplanted by his unpoetic but more beefy and profitable Polled Angus, Durham, and Hereford cousins from across the seas. The changing and romantic West of the early days lives mainly in story and in song. The last figure to vanish is the cowboy, the animating spirit of the vanishing era. He sits his horse easily as he rides through a wide valley, enclosed by mountains, clad in the hazy purple of coming night,—with his face turned steadily down the long, long road, "the road that the sun goes down." Dauntless, reckless, without the unearthly purity of Sir Galahad though as gentle to a woman as King Arthur, he is truly a knight of the twentieth century. A vagrant puff of wind shakes a corner of the crimson handkerchief knotted loosely at his throat; the thud of his pony's feet mingling with the jingle of his spurs is borne back; and as the careless, gracious, lovable figure disappears over the divide, the breeze brings to the ears, faint and far yet cheery still, the refrain of a cowboy song.
The mood of the passage is best described as __________.
The best answer here is "nostalgic" because of the way the author poetically describes the early days of the West as a “vanishing era” and laments the fact that it is no more.
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Adapted from "The Eulogy of the Dog" by George Graham Vest (1870)
The best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter whom he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it the most. A man’s reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads. The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.
Gentlemen of the jury, a man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he can be near his master’s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince.
When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast into the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open, in alert watchfulness, faithful and true, even unto death.
The author’s attitude toward dogs could best be described as __________.
As you know, the author spends the first paragraph disparaging the foibles of man in contrast with the virtues of dogs, so it can be inferred that the author’s attitude toward dogs must be positive. Only "reverential" (respectful) and "conditionally affectionate" are positive answer choices. The author makes no indication that his affection is conditional upon anything; therefore, the best description of the author’s attitude is "reverential." This conclusion is best confirmed in the final paragraph, where the author describes the “noble” dog.
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After sixteen years of immature decisions, Jeremiah finally decided to make decisions that would actually set him on a positive path for his future.
Which of the following is implied by this sentence?
This sentence implies that although for some years Jeremiah made immature decisions, he changed his life's course and decided to make mature decisions. (This is almost directly implied by the notion of being "set on a positive path"); however, do not imply anything additional to that, as many of the other options do.
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Three years ago, the lake was in far worse condition. This year, its water is finally potable, much to the surprise of the locals, who even until last year thought it would never improve.
Which of the following statements is implied by the sentences above?
First of all, note that the word "potable" means "safe to drink." Thus, this year the water was safe to drink—much to the surpise of the locals. The implication is that even last year, the lake's water was not safe to drink; however, we cannot say anything else. Even if it was not safe to drink, it might have been host to a number of animals and plants. Likewise, we know nothing about whether or not it was filled with garbage or not.
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As he aged, John-Paul realized that he needed to be far harsher in his judgments of others, for they are often far more iniquitous than he had imagined.
What does this sentence imply?
The word "iniquity" means "immoral" or "very unfair." "Iniquitous" is the adjective form, meaning, "The state of being immoral." Thus, the sentence states that John-Paul realized that he had to acknowledge the iniquity of others in his judgments. The implication is that he had be rather innocent in his judgments when he was younger, not imagining that people were as wicked as they actually were. (Whether or not this is true, this is what the sentence implies). This implies that he was somewhat naïve in his youth.
However, we cannot say anything specific about what brought him to this conclusion or what it says about his character today.
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Byron was extremely fair in his judgments concerning other people, rarely judging them based on their clothing or their day-to-day demeanor. He always took time to get to know the details of people’s lives before making any final real decision regarding their character. His wife, on the other hand, was quite different.
Which of the following is implied about Byron’s wife?
Byron is presented here as paying attention to significant details in others before making judgments regarding their characters. That is, he does not merely look to their surface-level characteristics but tries to go beyond such superficial determinations. To be "superficial" literally means to be "on the surface." Superficial judgments are those that look only to the "surface" characteristics of others (such as clothing or mere demeanor). If Byron's wife is contrasted to his attitude, she must be superficial in her judgments of others. However, we cannot say anything more than that, at least based on what the passage has provided for us.
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When she was young, Suzanna watched her grandparents live in dire poverty and decided that she would take every step to avoid such living conditions. Only when she was near death and was reviewing her life, she realized how much she overlooked in her desire to better her station in life.
Which of the following is implied by the sentences?
The passage implies that when Suzanna was able to look back over her whole life she could see that she had "missed out" on many aspects that were not directly related to making money and avoiding the poverty that she saw in her grandparents' lives. We cannot say exactly what she overlooked, as the passage does not indicate any specific details. Likewise, we cannot say that she was greedy or anything of the like. (Many people can be focussed on avoiding poverty without being greedy). Thus, the best answer is, "Suzanna subordinated many things in her life to her desire to avoid poverty."
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There could never be much more of a study in contrasts than that between Matthew and Gina, two siblings who were like two opposed elements. My goodness, Gina was quite the free spirit, never settling down in one place but always following after this or that passing dream!
Which of the following is implied by the sentences?
Clearly, these sentences intend to convey the fact that Gina and Matthew have opposite personality types. In contrast to the free-spirited Gina, Matthew must have a very "down to earth" and stable personality. Here a little vocabulary helps. The word "stolid" means "dependable" but also "unemotional" or at least "showing little in the way of emotion." Among the options, "Matthew's personality likely is rather stolid," is the best answer. Regarding other details about their lives, we must be careful not to infer too much.
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While the Gutenberg press was perhaps one of the greatest inventions of all time, we should not let its importance blind us to other very important events in the history of linguistic development. Granted, the efficiency of printing allowed for the dissemination of much learning in Europe. Still, such printing was not unique to Europe, and even in the scope of world history, there are several events that are equally as miraculous regarding the transmission of knowledge.
For instance, most people overlook the amazing nature of the first time that human beings communicated with spoken language. Perhaps there were simple signs by which these early humans could indicate their needs to each other; however, when the first event of person-to-person speech occurred, it was far more marvelous than simple practical communication. Such speech was like a sharing in ideas. When true speech happened, persons were able to communicate knowledge to each other, freeing it from its isolation in one lonely person. By means of such speech, knowledge could be orally transmitted from generation to generation, thus preserving wisdom in a way that is completely impossible without speech.
Of course, such spoken tradition is very fragile, relying on memories and stories that are passed down from generation to generation. For this reason, the invention of writing is extremely important. In contrast to the spoken word, the written word can continue to exist and be useful so long as it can be read intelligently. Likewise, much more can be recorded than ever could be remembered by someone with the best of memories. Indeed, once these records are written, copies can be sent to anyone who is able to read the language in question. Just so, it can be translated into written copies to be read by others. For these (as well as many other reasons) the invention of writing was a very significant event in history, greatly expanding the possibilities for the exchange of knowledge.
Thus, the printing press is quite important, but it is part of a larger story. Like both spoken and written communication, it allows human beings to communicate knowledge not only to each other but also across multiple generations. Often, we think of the press merely in its ability to provide a great number of books in a short period of time; however, when considered as a chapter in this longer tale, it likewise appears as the means by which humanity is able to conquer time by allowing the knowledge of today to live for multiple generations.
What does the author imply about the audience reading this passage?
The best thing to do in answering this question is to pay attention to the author's tone. In particular, note the uses of the word "us" and the word "we."
(1) We should not let its importance blind us to other very important events in the history of linguistic development.
(2) Often, we think of the press merely in its ability to provide a great number of books in a short period of time; however, when considered as a chapter in this longer tale, it likewise appears as the means by which humanity is able to conquer time by allowing the knowledge of today to live for multiple generations.
Clearly the author wishes to fix an historical misunderstanding, but it does not appear that the audience is judged to be completely ignorant. The author wishes to show that there are other important events in linguistic development. Likewise, knowledge of this history helps us to understand the meaning of the printing press in a fuller manner.
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Things had been very difficult in Poland during Maria’s childhood. From the time she was a very young lady, she wanted more than anything else to attend university to study philosophy; however, her family’s poverty led her to many years of hard working. After years of slaving in the mines, Maria decided that she would follow her dreams.
Which of the following can be inferred from this paragraph?
The passage implies that Maria had "made up her mind" to leave the mines to follow her dreams. Note that we cannot yet state if she had started her studies. Likewise, although it might be tempting to say that she merely "went back to school," this really is not all that implied by the passage. Clearly, the paragraph intends to express that she has decided to go back to school to study philosophy. This is a safe assumption, given the details. Likewise, we cannot say anything about how much money she had made in the mines. She might have left the hard work because she was now well-placed financially; however, she might have decided to leave because she was tired of the hard labor.
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Throughout the course of history, trends often occur in pairs, one cancelling out the excesses of the one that preceded it. For instance, after many years of dictatorship, a nation can find itself only worried about securing the maximum amount of freedom for its citizens. Things had been going very well for Paul for a number of years, and he had become quite wealthy and satisfied that he would forever rest in his wealth; however, he should have been aware that the winds of fate do change rapidly.
Which of the following can be inferred from the paragraph?
The opening sentence of this paragraph sets up the general motif that is being explained—about the "back and forth" of history that leads one change to happen in an opposite manner to the state of affairs before that change. The example of the dictatorship vs. quasi-libertarian state is supposed to provide an image of such change. Then, describing Paul's life, the paragraph remarks that he was wealthy. The paragraph closes by clearly (and ominously) relating Paul's life to the general "back and forth" of history; therefore, the implication is that Paul should be concerned that he will lose his wealth.
(Note that we cannot say anything about Paul's character, so any of the answers related there to go beyond what can be implied from the passage).
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There are a number of psychological “tools” that we often use to hide our depression from ourselves. For instance, some people take up exercise routines that are very harsh and others eat a lot more than normal. Recently Amber noticed that Wendy was obsessively practicing the piano, far more than she ever had in the past. This fact worried Amber.
Which of the following can be inferred from the paragraph?
The paragraph opens by giving us some information regarding the ways that we can hide the fact that we are depressed. Overactivity and overeating are cited as examples of the means by which we can distract ourselves from sadness. Amber is said to be worried about Wendy because of the latter's new habit of practicing the piano far more than is normal. Based on what this paragraph states, we can imply that Amber is concerned that Wendy is depressed, using piano practice as a "psychological relief valve" for her depression. We cannot say anything else, however.
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People who grow up in rural and semi-rural areas often have trouble understanding the travel habits of people who live in cities. In these less densely populated areas, most people must own vehicles in order to travel, and almost any trip requires transportation to travel to a desired location. In the city, however, it is quite a different matter.
Which of the following is the best conclusion to this paragraph?
The key sentence in the selection is: "In these less densely populated areas, most people must own vehicles in order to travel, and almost any trip requires transportation to travel to a desired location." After this, the "However . . ." is meant to set up a contrast. The best contrast is the one that focuses on vehicle ownership and the need to use a vehicle to travel almost anywhere. In contrast to this, the best option is, "Many city dwellers are able to travel by foot with great ease and often do not even own a car."
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There are two great mistakes in modern times regarding the possibility of knowing whether or not God exists. On the one hand, there are a number of people who believe that any natural knowledge of God is impossible. Among the ranks of such people are included not only scientists and atheists. There are likewise very religious people who believe that God is not at all known without religion. On the other hand there are those who believe that God’s existence is easily proven. Each of these positions is inadequate, though they do note truths that should not be overlooked.
Those who defend the possibility of knowing God’s existence without religion could be said to be members of a tradition of “natural theology.” This type of thought has taken many forms over the centuries; however, itscentral claim is that human knowledge can consider things like motion, change, beings, beauty, or other natural realities in order to know God as the source of motion, being, beauty, and so forth. This tradition has had many defenders, and it should not be quickly dismissed as a mere “left over” from another era.
Nevertheless, many of its proponents act as though its conclusions are very obvious and easily reached. This, however, is not actually the case, for such natural theology admittedly deals with profound, difficult questions. Inasmuch as the opponents of natural theology reject such simplistic arguments, they offer an honest critique; however, it is also very important to note that this other extreme position ultimately means that religion is completely irrational. While this might perhaps be acceptable for a dedicated atheist, it is unlikely that a religious person would want to say that he has “no rational reason” to believe in God.
These two positions ultimately are too extreme in their claims. The best approach to finding the truth of the matter is in considering the strengths and weaknesses of each argument. It is important to understand how religion is more than complete irrationality, for it has had an undeniably positive influence on much of culture and history. Indeed, it is also necessary to consider how there have been honest philosophers who believed in God without being religious in any explicit manner. On the other hand, it is necessary to admit that belief does not come naturally to many people as often seems to be implied by those who strongly defend the possibility of natural theology.
What does the first sentence of the third paragraph imply about the attitude of the proponents of natural theology?
Do not exceed what is stated by the sentence itself. It states that the proponents "act as though \[natural theology's\] conclusions are obvious and easily reached." That is, they believe that their positions are very easily reached and thus are very certainly held. This implies overconfidence in their conclusions.
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