PrepTest 127, Section 3, Question 15
As part of a new trend in the(58 more words not shown)
The statements above, if true,(8 more words not shown)
- AStudying the details(12 more words not shown)
- BOverarching historical trends(16 more words not shown)
- CThose who attend(19 more words not shown)
- DA change in(14 more words not shown)
- EHistory should be(23 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
The emphasis in history writing has shifted from large trends and movements to the details of events and people's motivations. Neither description alone tells us whether the change is helpful. Details might teach us something important; so might the larger patterns.
The passage identifies a cost of this particular shift. The larger trends are often overlooked, so historians also miss possible warning signs in the similarities between past trends and current ones. That makes us less able to learn from history. We are being asked for the most strongly supported statement, so we should accept that stated consequence without turning it into a claim that details are inherently harmful.
What we’re looking for
My expectation is a conclusion about the change that actually occurred: moving the emphasis away from larger trends has reduced our ability to learn from history. The passage doesn't need to settle the ideal way to divide attention between details and broad movements to support that conclusion.
Working the answers
- A
Studying details is not itself identified as the problem. The problem is emphasizing them in a way that causes larger trends to be overlooked. Someone could study details while still attending to the larger patterns. A turns the consequence of this shift in emphasis into a general claim against studying details.
- B
The passage says the larger trends are often overlooked, not that recognizing them while emphasizing details is impossible. Imagine a student doing well in math but neglecting science. That doesn't show that students cannot do well in both; perhaps this student needs to devote attention to both. Likewise, the present failure to notice historical trends doesn't establish B's restriction on when they can be recognized.
- C
We are not told who is best able to learn from history. Attending to broad trends can provide an important benefit without making the complete neglect of details the best approach. C adds both a ranking and a reason to ignore details that the passage does not establish.
- DCorrect
The change in emphasis is the shift from broad historical trends to details of events and motivations. The passage says the resulting neglect of trends causes possible parallels to be missed, which lessens our ability to learn from history. D captures that stated consequence without adding a claim about the ideal method.
- E
Equal emphasis is a new requirement. Even if attending to both would help, why must the division be fifty-fifty? Perhaps a useful approach would devote 90 percent of its attention to details and 10 percent to broader trends. The passage doesn't establish any particular balance, so it cannot support the equality E recommends.
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