Q22

 
yoamols
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Q22

by yoamols Sun May 01, 2011 7:50 pm

I was deciding between answer choice A and D. I picked D and then switched to A (hate it when that happens!). My rationale for switching was the answer the handbook was "specific" in that it defines "social group" (line. 37-39: "persons of similar background, habits, or social status") and "flexible" because it is "expansive" (line 39). For these same reasons, I eliminated answer choice D because I thought the example was "specific" and not "general."

Any advice or guidance on this one?

Thanks! :)
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noah
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Re: Q22

by noah Mon May 02, 2011 2:04 pm

What a tricky question!

I was also between (A) and (D). I'd say that "flexible" and "adaptable" are too close to use, so it's down to "specific" and "general." For this, there's more support for "general." Look at link 32, where the author notes that the interpretation is "broad" - that's definitely not specific.

The lines you referred to lay out a rather broad or general definition - the people simply have to have something in common! That's not very specific. I think you might have confused having a definition for something with being specific. You can define something but it still can be quite general.

Here's an example of where your actual knowledge of what the passage is saying - your true comprehension - is more useful than hunting for this or that word.

When reading this passage you should have come away, more or less, thinking that the definition is rather loose, to catch all the folks who couldn't fit into another category. That definitely doesn't fit the idea of "specific."