PrepTest 147, Section 3, Question 1
In the last half-century, firefighters in North America(454 more words not shown)
The primary purpose of the(3 more words not shown)
- Aclaim that ideological(13 more words not shown)
- Bcompare the actual(14 more words not shown)
- Ccontend that a(9 more words not shown)
- Drecommend a fundamental(13 more words not shown)
- Eargue that two(13 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
We've already predicted the main point: land managers should change how they handle fires because successful suppression has allowed dangerous fuel buildup. Selective harvesting and prescribed fires would address that problem. For a primary-purpose question, we're looking for that recommendation in more general language.
Working the answers
- A
No ideological dogma is identified as an obstacle. We have a problem with the consequences of fire suppression, not a claim that rigid beliefs are preventing reform.
- B
The writer discusses the effects of existing suppression and recommends a different approach. This is not primarily a comparison of actual results from two implemented policies.
- C
Funding is not the concern. We are not told that a recently implemented policy needs a larger budget.
- DCorrect
“Recommend a fundamental policy change” matches managing fires instead of trying to eliminate them. The “undesirable conditions” are the accumulated fuel and vulnerability to devastating fires created by effective suppression. Both halves describe the argument we already identified.
- E
The writer does not organize the argument around showing that two apparently conflicting goals are compatible. The central move is from an existing problem to a recommended change in practice.
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