PrepTest 157, Section 2, Question 5
Columnist: Many people with access to the Internet(51 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(10 more words not shown)
- AIt is common(20 more words not shown)
- BThe longing for(22 more words not shown)
- CPeople who have(20 more words not shown)
- DFor people desiring(22 more words not shown)
- EWhen people long(32 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Learning about people and feeling connected to them aren't necessarily the same thing.
I can see the columnist's concern. You could watch a video about another culture or read about its traditions and come away with more facts. That might feel different from talking with people, sharing their food, and taking part in their lives. If what you wanted was an emotional connection, acquiring information might leave that desire unsatisfied.
Still, could learning itself create a connection? Perhaps discovering someone's experiences helps you relate to them. That's a reasonable response to the columnist. We don't have to settle it, because the question asks what the columnist concludes, not whether the conclusion is right.
What we’re looking for
The prediction is: learning about other cultures through the Internet probably won't provide the emotional connection these people want. Keep the limits of that claim. We're talking about this use of the Internet, and the columnist says “probably,” not that an online connection is impossible. Put the author's point into your own words before looking for its paraphrase.
Working the answers
- A
This gives the opening observation: many people want a connection to a global community. That sets up the problem. The columnist then evaluates whether their attempt to satisfy that desire will work. A leaves out that evaluation.
- B
This describes what the people try: they use the Internet to learn about other cultures. But does that work? The columnist's answer is probably not. B stops at the attempted solution and omits the judgment that the argument supports.
- C
This resembles the reason introduced by “for”: the Internet is used primarily to acquire information rather than develop interconnectedness. That fact is offered to support the claim that learning online probably won't satisfy the desire for emotional connection. Giving the reason is different from stating the conclusion. C also recasts the primary use as a primary-versus-secondary ranking, which the passage doesn't fully spell out.
- DCorrect
For people seeking this global connection, learning about other cultures through the Internet probably won't give them the emotional connection they want. That is the claim supported by the Internet's primary role as an information source. D preserves both the particular activity being evaluated and the columnist's qualified prediction.
- E
This broadens the argument to people's behavior whenever they long for a global connection. The opening “many people” doesn't mean most people, let alone everyone. Even a small percentage of a large population can include many people. Some people might respond by traveling or spending time with people from other cultures—activities that could provide the connection they want. The columnist evaluates learning about cultures online, not all the ways people respond to this desire. E's general claim about behavior and its results goes beyond that conclusion.
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