PrepTest 140, Section 3, Question 6
Many high school students interested in journalism think(55 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(11 more words not shown)
- AHigh school students(14 more words not shown)
- BOne should not(18 more words not shown)
- CStudents who are(16 more words not shown)
- DA career counselor(21 more words not shown)
- ECareer counselors are(24 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
International reporting sounds exciting. Covering a local tire sale might not be what these students picture. Yet the local newspaper is where most reporters actually work.
That doesn't mean the students can't become international reporters. A less common outcome is still possible. But someone choosing a career should understand what the ordinary version of that career looks like. Think of a student interested in law because of a prestigious job they've seen on television: explaining the other kinds of legal work isn't the same as telling that student to abandon the goal.
The recommendation here makes that same distinction. Tell the students about typical reporting work so they can make an informed choice. We aren't being asked to stop them from pursuing journalism.
What we’re looking for
For the principle question, I'd look for a rule about the counselor's responsibility: help students correct unrealistic expectations about their likely career experience. That connects the mismatch in expectations to the recommended conversation.
Working the answers
- A
This says not to encourage students to pursue a career when they misunderstand it. The argument recommends correcting the misunderstanding. A counselor could explain local reporting honestly and still encourage a student to become a journalist. We don't need a rule against encouragement.
- B
International reporting isn't described as unattainable. It is uncommon relative to local reporting. B also makes maximizing happiness the relevant goal, whereas the argument is about informing students of the typical work. Neither part gives us the needed connection.
- C
Encouraging students to reach the top would be a different recommendation. The counselor might offer advice on reaching an international reporting position, but that doesn't explain why students should learn about the ordinary local job. We need support for the recommendation actually made.
- DCorrect
To 'disabuse' someone of an unrealistic conception is to help them stop believing it. If a counselor should correct unrealistic expectations about likely career outcomes, the students' glamorous picture is a reason to describe the work most reporters do. That supports informing them without declaring their ambitions impossible.
- E
This concerns steering people toward choices they will regret. We haven't established that students would regret local reporting. They might enjoy it once they understand the work. Nor does the passage say counselors are encouraging these choices. Correcting an unrealistic expectation is warranted under D even without predicting future regret.
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