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- esultana
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Vinny Gambini
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Q20
I feel like with this type of question either I get it immediately or I do not at all. Should I be glancing back to where each of the answer choices are in the passage to figure out their exact context, or just take them at face value (for what they mean independent of the passage)?
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- christine.defenbaugh
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Atticus Finch
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Re: Q20
Great question esultana, I'm so glad you asked!
This is an interesting inference question that demands that we not only interpret what a particular phrase means in Passage B, but also match it up with an interpreted phrase from Passage A!
I would never try to answer this kind of question without checking back to the passage. If they expected us to use the strict dictionary definition of the words in the answer choices, completely unrelated to the passage, they would not have given us quotes from Passage A! Also, they give us line references alongside the quotes themselves, so checking back to the passage should be speedy.
The phrase to interpret, "this same stance", refers to the defense of developing a corresponding portfolio of software patents for defensive purposes. (lines 54-56) This matches up almost precisely to (D); the "credible deterrent" is defined in lines 21-23. Essentially, it means 'have patents, will countersue!'.
Outside the context of the passage, a 'credible deterrent' could mean any number of things! The same thing is true of all the answer choices.
The Unintended Definitions
(A) truly innovative and new
(B) get to the same goal without violating patents
(C) make it easier to get a patent without so much innovation
(E) the parts and pieces that make up most software developed
There is always a balancing test as to when to go back to the passage to answer a question. Remember that this is essentially an open book exam - you are not expected to have these kinds of details memorized. In this case, it is very easy to check (we have line references and quotes), and nearly impossible to answer the question without doing so. As a result, the choice is clear!
Please let me know if this completely answers your question!
This is an interesting inference question that demands that we not only interpret what a particular phrase means in Passage B, but also match it up with an interpreted phrase from Passage A!
I would never try to answer this kind of question without checking back to the passage. If they expected us to use the strict dictionary definition of the words in the answer choices, completely unrelated to the passage, they would not have given us quotes from Passage A! Also, they give us line references alongside the quotes themselves, so checking back to the passage should be speedy.
The phrase to interpret, "this same stance", refers to the defense of developing a corresponding portfolio of software patents for defensive purposes. (lines 54-56) This matches up almost precisely to (D); the "credible deterrent" is defined in lines 21-23. Essentially, it means 'have patents, will countersue!'.
Outside the context of the passage, a 'credible deterrent' could mean any number of things! The same thing is true of all the answer choices.
The Unintended Definitions
(A) truly innovative and new
(B) get to the same goal without violating patents
(C) make it easier to get a patent without so much innovation
(E) the parts and pieces that make up most software developed
There is always a balancing test as to when to go back to the passage to answer a question. Remember that this is essentially an open book exam - you are not expected to have these kinds of details memorized. In this case, it is very easy to check (we have line references and quotes), and nearly impossible to answer the question without doing so. As a result, the choice is clear!
Please let me know if this completely answers your question!
3 posts Page 1 of 1