PrepTest 117, Section 4, Question 8
Insurgent political parties that are profoundly dissatisfied with(51 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(8 more words not shown)
- Ano victorious insurgent(16 more words not shown)
- Ba victorious insurgent(15 more words not shown)
- Cthe heretofore insurgent(17 more words not shown)
- Da victorious insurgent(10 more words not shown)
- Eit is impossible(21 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
They can agree on whom to defeat without agreeing on how to govern.
An insurgent party here is challenging the party in power. Its factions have deeply different views and aims, but they put those differences aside to oppose a common rival. That can explain their cooperation for now. It doesn't make their disagreements disappear.
What happens after they win? The passage says their internal disagreements inevitably come forward. The temporary alliance now has to deal with the differences it set aside. I would expect the final sentence to say that the factions will have to work those conflicts out somehow. That could involve arguments or compromise; the passage doesn't tell us the method or guarantee the outcome.
What we’re looking for
We're completing the argument. Keep the answer centered on the new governing party's internal disagreements. We know those disagreements must be faced, but we don't know whether the factions will ultimately succeed or fail.
Working the answers
- A
This predicts how long the victorious party will hold power compared with its predecessor. The passage gives no such comparison. The factions could settle their differences and remain in power for a very long time. Having a problem to address doesn't establish that their reign must be shorter.
- BCorrect
Once the common goal of defeating the dominant party has been achieved, the factions' disagreements come to the surface. If the new party is to remain in power, it must address those internal divisions. That completes the thought without predicting a particular way of doing so.
“Must address” doesn't mean “cannot resolve.” The factions might reach compromises or find another way to manage their differences. B identifies the task their victory creates, not an inevitable defeat.
- C
This is about whether the victorious party will announce a new ideology to justify its policies. The passage mentions dissatisfaction with the old party's ideology, but it doesn't tell us whether the new party will produce one of its own. That is a different prediction from facing the factions' disagreements.
- D
Watch whose opposition we're discussing. The problem described comes from factions inside the victorious party, not necessarily from the party it defeated. The former ruling party might oppose it, but the passage doesn't establish that it always will. D shifts to a different group.
- E
Deep disagreements don't establish that compromise is impossible. The passage says those disagreements will emerge, not that no solution exists. The factions might find a workable arrangement. E turns a challenge they must confront into a guaranteed inability to meet it, which goes beyond the argument.
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