MCAT verbal test (26)

Passage I Questions 1-6 Topic and Scope: The nature of Plato’s “tyrant” and Giovannini’s proposed interpretation.. A final point about the second paragraph: Note that the words “the trad

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Passage I (Questions 1-6)

Topic and Scope: The nature of Plato’s “tyrant” and Giovannini’s proposed

interpretation

Paragraph 1 rewards the patient reader: only at the last sentence, after

negotiating through two dense sentences about such broad subjects as the Enlightenment and democracy, do we get a clear sense that the topic of the passage will likely be Plato’s view of the tyrannical character

Paragraph 2 begins by describing the view of tyranny traditionally associated with Plato The sentence that begins, “An argument recently propounded…” indicates

a major development in the unfolding of the passage Buried mid-paragraph, this sentence, in classic MCAT style, should prompt a strong suspicion that the scope

of the passage is to discuss Giovannini’s alternative view of platonic tyranny—a suspicion quickly confirmed by a glance at the remainder of the passage, in which the word “Giovannini” appears frequently A final point about the second paragraph: Note that the words “the traditional view, while sound as far as it

goes, is incomplete” establish the opinion, not of the author, but of Giovannini

Expect that, in the questions associated with the passage, some wrong choices will trip-up test takers who failed to make this distinction

Paragraph 3 gives the details of Giovannini’s alternative view

Paragraph 4 gives the first clear sense of the author’s opinion: Giovannini’s findings, “while ingenious and provocative, [are] not beyond question.” Notice that, like so much else in the content and structure of the passage, this opinion adheres to a familiar MCAT style: authorial voices that are reasoned and

moderate, rather than intense and extreme

in the study

Choice (A) is FUD This is the image of tyrannical regimes that is associated with

Republic, not Lysis (B) is a Distortion Though tempting, this choice, on careful

inspection, falls on the subtle grounds that tyranny cannot be reconciled with

“healthy political community.” What’s more, such a reconciliation is “ultimately

impossible,” not, as this choice has it, “typically incompatible.” (C) captures the

heart of Giovannini’s claims about Lysis as expressed in the third paragraph, particularly the idea that “the tyranny found in Lysis is the wake of a doomed

union between the needy masses and the singular, complete one.” (D) is Outside

the Scope The discussion of Lysis provides no evidence for this claim In fact, to

the extent that paragraph describes the relationship between the ruler and ruled

as “doomed,” we have reason to believe that the ruled would not achieve such positive traits as strength and self-reliance

3 A

Choice (A) represents the narrative function of the Aristotle reference, which appears in the first paragraph, immediately following the words “the Greek

philosophers contributed to this development less by their embrace of the

democratic principle than by their rejection of tyranny.” (B) is FUD True, a broad

connection is made in the first paragraph between the Greek philosophers and the Enlightenment But the purpose of the specific reference to Aristotle’s

classificatory schema is, again, to amplify the claim that these philosophers tended to reject tyranny as a desirable form of government (C) is wrong Plato did greatly influence political thought, especially that of Aristotle But the passage explicitly mentions neither of these points, so to involve them in our thinking about a choice would be to allow outside knowledge to inform our reading of a passage—always a bad move (D) contradicts information in the passage

Aristotle and Plato alike rate tyranny worst

4 B

(B), the exception (therefore the correct choice), might be tempting because it’s

FUD The topic of friendship arises in the third paragraph, which treats Lysis, not the “best-known platonic description of tyranny.” The treatment in Lysis

specifically grounds the tyrant’s status in his non-reliance on the populace

Choices (A), (C), and (D) are all characteristics discussed in the second

paragraph, which treats the “best-known platonic depiction of tyranny” in

Republic: the tyrant’s slavishness includes the domination of “unnecessary

appetites” over the tyrant (C), and the tyrant’s dependence ontaxation (A) and bodyguards (D)

5 C

Choice (A) contradicts information in the passage The supposition in the

question stem strongly suggests that Plato may have recognized but chosen not

to disclose the paradoxical conception of tyranny that emerges from comparative

readings of Republic and Lysis This would lend support to, not undermine,

Giovannini’s argument (B) is FUD and a Distortion Recall the observation from our analysis of the passage: at one point or another, a likely wrong choice will exist to tempt test takers who have not distinguished the opinion of the author of the passage (“ingenious and provocative, [but] not beyond question”) from that of Giovannini (“the traditional view, while sound as far as it goes, is incomplete”) This is that choice Giovannini, not the author of the passage, claimed that

Republic and Lysis, taken together, provide a more accurate depiction of platonic tyranny than arises from consideration of Republic alone What’s more, note the

distortion signified by the word “verify.” Even if the choice were about Giovannini, the question stem’s hypothetical would lend some support to, but certainly would not in itself verify, Giovannini’s claim Choice (C) is correct The author is

concerned that “Giovannini may have invented, rather than discovered, subtle interconnections in Plato’s thought.” The basis of this concern is the fact that “if

Plato intended the conception of tyranny that appears in Republic to be somehow bound up in a paradox with the conception in Lysis, he would presumably have

hinted as much.” But if, as this choice has it, Plato by design may have avoided acknowledging his paradoxical finding, we have some grounds to discount the author’s criticism of Giovannini (D) contradicts information in the passage

Again, the supposition in the question stem strongly suggests that Plato may have recognized but chosen not to disclose the paradoxical conception of

tyranny that emerges from comparative readings of Republic and Lysis Were

this the case, significant doubt would arise about the soundness of the author’s major criticism of Giovannini, who may have “right” in his finding of a paradox If

we knew that indeed, he was right, we would have all the more reason to agree

with the author’s estimation of Giovannini’s work as “ingenious and provocative.”

6 D

In paragraph 4, the author states that the most significant objection to

Giovannini’s work is that works from Plato’s “formative” period are treated as

“bound up in a paradox” wit the later treatment of tyranny in Republic Choice

(D) is a paraphrase of this (A) and (B) are FUDs; they are both mentioned as

aspects of the Republic version of the tyrant (C) is never mentioned in the

passage, and clearly both the author and Giovannini are citing the original

sources

Passage II (Questions 7-12)

Topic and Scope: Hobbes’ theory, including some ambiguities connected to it Paragraph 1 introduces Hobbes “state of nature”

Paragraph 2 describes the state of nature

Paragraph 3 introduces the ambiguities

7 D

Choices (A), (B), and (C) are all FUD The relationship in (A) is addressed in paragraph three as one in which nature “derive[s]” from physics The conception

in (B) is addressed in paragraph two as “matter and motion.” And the role in (C)

is addressed in paragraph three as instrumental: through introspection we can know the “thoughts and passions of all other[s].” At no point does the passage treat the transition from the state of nature to civil society Note the potential trap Some readers may happen to know that the idea of a social contract is the key to

this transition But does the passage address that? No

Read above and below the actual line reference, in order to contextualize it The billiard-ball depiction emerges immediately after acknowledgement that for

Hobbes, the universe is simply matter and motion And soon following the

billiard-ball reference is the implication for human behavior: “What is usually

termed ‘will’ is unreal, nothing more than the final derivative of appetite or

aversion…there is also no natural law in the scholastic sense of prescribed rational commands of right conduct for everyone ‘Good’ is radically individual and utilitarian; it is always and only that to which appetite or aversion drives a person.” For Hobbes, neither Providence nor nature makes any pursuit

providentially-or principle inherently good providentially-or bad Passions drive people to their interests as force drives one billiard-ball into another—and that’s all there is to it This view is consistent with choice (A) (B) is Outside the Scope This is a very broad claim, part of which—political society—is almost completely ignored in the passage (C) is FUD The passage mentions positive law and natural law, but makes no claim about the basis of one in the other (D) is opposite Again, Hobbes

believes that will is unreal

9 C

Choice (A) is FUD The choice starts of fine, but goes wrong with the words “but groundless.” After all, the author agrees with the commonplace understanding of the state of nature as the foundation of Hobbesian thought (B) is FUD This choice is tempting, but falls under close examination: There’s nothing necessarily inconsistent between the views, on one hand, that a concept is seminal and, on the other, that it is ambiguous (C) captures the structural role of the “every social theorist” reference, which is a “rule” that appears immediately after

reference to LaJoie and Saccente, who make similar claims with respect to

Hobbes (D) is FUD and Distortion The tip-off to the Faulty Use of Detail is that this choice refers to paragraph two, while the reference in the question stem comes from paragraph one What makes Hobbes’s philosophy systemic is that it bases a political theory one a theory of nature, which in turn is a reflection of a theory of the nature of physical reality The choice is also a Distortion, in the

sense that very little in this passage is a matter of demonstration in the sense of

proving Even if the reference in the question stem bore on the systemic

character of Hobbes’s thought, the reference would not prove that the thought is

systemic

10 C

We have four parameters here: covenants, compacts, civil society, and the state

of nature In the passage we read much about the last, but next to nothing about civil society—a consideration that should prompt heavy doubt about choices (B) and (D) (Remember: We need the answer that “the passage suggest[s].”) We also know very little about compacts and covenants, other than the “key

distinction” described in the question stem So the question is, Is the state of nature characterized by “good faith and the expectation of long-term future

cooperation?” No So despite all that we don’t know, we can be very confident that a covenant of mutual trust is unlikely in the state of nature

11 C

The situation in choice (A) implies cooperation and superior-subordinate

relationships that bear no resemblance to the state of nature The situation in (B), though tempting by its reference to war, implies moral restraint and principled

behavior—both without analogy in the state of nature (C) is analogous to the claims that in the state of nature, “because of limited resources and the absence

of any summum bonum to fortify a moral order, anarchy rules.” Also, “‘Good’ is

radically individual and utilitarian…Possessed of a natural liberty to compete for limited resources and to win what security they can by whatever means they choose, actors in the natural state vie, according to the famous phrase, for

“Power after power.” The vigilantes and lawlessness in (D) give its situation anarchic overtones, but the reference to businesses and police—neither of which could exist in the state of nature—rule it out

12 B

Begin by defining LaJoie’s characterization Paragraph one attributes to LaJoie the view that the state of nature “’sets in motion the dominoes of deduction’ from which ultimately issue the politics proper.” The last paragraph quotes LaJoie’s description of the state of nature as “a creation of logic, not history.” The point then becomes to identify the book in which understanding of the state nature is most clearly associated with logic and deduction Paragraph three associates

Leviathan, choice (A), with direct experience, De Cive (C) with intuition, and Leviathan Logic—note the clever but misleading use of “Logic” in the title—with imagination, among other things But De Corpore (B) “derives” nature (as one

might derive a proof of logic or math) and uses “ratiocination”—a perhaps

unfamiliar term, but one that probably deals with reasoning and rationality (In fact, ratiocination is the deduction of conclusions from premises.)

Passage III (Questions 13-18)

Topic and Scope: Why Creationism should be discussed outside the science class

Paragraph 1 introduces the ancient roots of “evolution” theories

Paragraph 2 discusses Christian versions of earlier evolution theories

Paragraph 3 describes the increased acceptance of Darwin’s evolution theory Paragraph 4 introduces the proposed “creation science” theory

Paragraph 5 concludes with where and how Creationism should be discussed

curricula There is no implication here that Darwin’s ideas needed a great deal of support to make their way into the British educational system (C) yet Huxley’s presence could not have hurt (D) is incorrect because natural theology was not based on a literal interpretation of the Bible, but rather was an attempt to

reconcile nature’s beauty with God’s assumed benevolence

14 D

Carl Sagan suggests in his quote that part of being human is that we create for ourselves a world filled with (haunted by) demons Because this quote can be found in the passage directly after a reference to Sagan as an advocate “of

rationality and reason,” it would be safe to assume that Sagan does not himself believe in demons nor would he feel that human claims of demons should be supported, choice (A) In addition, (B) is too much of a sweeping generalization, somehow implying that we are born superstitious, and is incorrect Although Sagan would certainly agree with (C), his reference to a demon-haunted world does not imply anything about science teaching (D) makes the most sense given the quote, that part of the human condition is to surround ourselves with

“demons” that we create in order to fill in gaps in our understanding of the world around us

15 A

As stated in the question stem, Wallace’s ideas on evolution were nearly identical

to Darwin’s Yet, he could not bring himself to include the complexities of the human brain along with other traits evolved by natural selection Thus his views are closest to Huxley’s, an ardent supporters of Darwin’s, with a little natural theology (an attempt to recognize God’s creation in nature) mixed in Wallace’s views were certainly not all creationist, which eliminates choices (B), (C), and (D)

16 B

The author is clear that creationism does not belong in science classrooms and that it works counter to rationalism He builds up the discussion of evolution to show that evolutionary ideas are perhaps as old as creationist ones, yet

maintains that the continued strength of creationist views today threatens

“rationality and reason,” choice (B) The passage neither contrasts disparate creationist views, (A) and (C), nor attempts to explain the merits of a scientific approach over a creationist one, (D)

17 D

The author here has nothing whatsoever to say of the Bible’s legitimacy in

guiding moral principles and consoling people; yet, it is clear that the author does not support the use of the Bible in any endeavor having to do with science

education Thus, he would most likely agree with choice (D) here Be careful of (C), a tempting answer, since the author seems to imply that there is no room for any irrationality or superstition However, a close read of the passage shows that

he reserves this statement for a specific instance: the teaching of creationism in science classrooms (A) is incorrect because the author states that creationism should be discussed, simply to show what it is and what it is not There is no evidence in the passage for (B)

18 C

By simply legalizing the teaching of evolution as blocking attempts to ban

evolution from science classrooms, the Supreme Court took a large step toward ensuring that proper science was being taught in science classrooms Yet, the case never touched upon issues such as creation science, which – with its

“science” sounding name – was able to start infiltrating classrooms around the country Thus, choice (C) is correct

Passage IV (Questions 19-25)

Topic and Scope: Diversity in coral reef ecosystems and the diverse behavior exhibited by reef fishes

Paragraph 1 demonstrates the richness of coral ecosystems

Paragraph 2 concerns fish mimicry, camouflage, and symbiotic relationships between fish and other organisms

Paragraph 3 concentrates on different fish reproductive behaviors

19 C

This global question asks for a general statement that the author would agree with Keep the passage’s scope and topic in mind when choosing the correct answer Choice (A) is outside the scope of the passage Choosing this answer would mean that you are privy to an awareness of the author’s intentions that is not contained in the passage Stick to what the passage states (B) is too

extreme (C) is the correct answer The passage concerns the richness and diversity of coral reefs, and the author would agree with this statement (D) is an opposite answer The passage mentions the importance of scientific analysis of reef ecosystems Be careful with this answer, though It is appealing until it says

“environments other than coral reefs.” If you are reading fast you might miss this important distinction

referring to how reef fishes intrigue scientists Look over the answer set keeping these sentences in mind Choice (A) builds on information in the passage Don’t get confused by “perciform.” Perciform families are mentioned in line 12

Biologists studying reproductive behaviors would be interested in the

evolutionary development of these behaviors, which can be inferred from the final sentence of the passage (B) is way outside the scope of the passage (C) is FUD Spawning behavior of coral animals is mentioned in the opening sentence but would be outside the interest of fish biologists (D) is also FUD While

temperature requirements for coral growth would interest some scientists,

remember that the question asks about scientists studying fish reproduction

diversity of a small section of reef There is no evidence for (A) since the author does not present the coral head as being an anomaly (B) is FUD The example demonstrates the diversity of worms, but the passage does not rank diversity or compare the coral head to fish species (C) is outside the scope of the passage

22 C

To tackle this question, evaluate what the author says about the effect of water clarity and temperature of coral growth In the first paragraph the author mentions how these factors are necessary for coral growth but doesn’t give any specific requirements Choice (C) paraphrases what the passage states about these requirements and is the correct answer (A) contradicts the author’s point that while there are strict requirement for reef growth, ecological diversity is not

limited by these requirements While it may look like a tempting answer, (B) is FUD Once you refer to the question stem, which asks why these criteria would interest scientists studying reefs, you can recognize that (B) doesn’t address the question (D) is outside the scope of the passage

anemonefish (C) is too extreme The section mentions that the benefits to the anemone are not clear, which contradicts this choice (D) is outside the scope of the passage and fails to address the question stem

24 B

To answer this question, you must first address what the author is arguing or attempting to convey The author demonstrates the diversity of coral reefs by discussing fish behaviors that can be found on a reef Look for the answer that weakens the concept of diverse behavior on a reef That would be choice (B) Don’t let the fact that the answer mentions a specific coral reef throw you off (A)

is stated in the passage itself and FUD The author acknowledges that other organisms have more diverse representation on a reef, but this fact doesn’t relate

to the author’s main point (C) is another faulty use of detail The passage

mentions teleost species, but discovery of a new species would not weaken the