Questions+17-18+(Anusha+Prasad)

// Yet unlike other nations, American schools are financed at the local rather than the federal level. //
 * 17. Which of the following versions of the sentence in lines 4-6, reproduced below, is clearest? **

This question is a grammar based question which does not require much knowledge of the rest of the essay; it is based on sentence structure. In order to answer this question, the student must be able to first identify what the question is asking: this question is asking which option // increases clarity // of the original sentence found in the passage. The student must also have knowledge of basic grammar rules in order to assess which option is the best answer.

(A) Change "Yet" to "Nevertheless" // Nevertheless unlike other nations, American schools are financed at the local rather than the federal level. // Answer A is a wrong answer. Using "nevertheless" rather than "yet" does not increase the clarity of this sentence. The purpose of the original sentence was to show a contrast between American schools and schools of other nations and "nevertheless" does not accomplish that. Another point to consider is that "nevertheless" is an adverb which, in most instances, has a comma after it, to help with the flow of the sentence. Without the comma, this sentence becomes choppy and does not help the flow of the sentence. A final point to consider is that this sentence is comparing American schools to other nations. This is known as a faulty comparison, and two of the same thing are not being compared. Schools cannot be compared to nations. Schools can only be compared to other schools.

(B) Add "schools in" after "unlike" // Yet unlike schools in other nations, American schools are financed at the local rather than the federal level. // Answer B is the correct answer. The addition of "schools in" removes the problem of the faulty comparison and makes this sentence the clearest, thus answering the question.

(C) Add "however" after "schools" // Yet unlike other nations, American schools however are financed at the local rather than the federal level. // Answer C is a wrong answer. The use of the contradiction word "yet" at the beginning of this sentence and the addition of another contradiction word, "however" does not make this sentence clear. It in fact makes the sentence awkward and difficult to understand. In addition, a grammar guideline to consider is that "however", when used in the middle of a sentence, is usually enclosed in commas.

(D) Change "are financed" to "receive income" // Yet unlike other nations, American schools receive income at the local rather than the federal level. // Answer C is the distractor option. While the option is grammatically correct, it does not answer the question. The question asks for an answer that will // improve the clarity // of the original sentence. While answer C is still grammatically correct, it does not increase the clarity of the sentence and is not the right answer.

(E) Add "from" after "than" // Yet unlike other nations, // // American schools are financed at the local rather than from the federal level. // Answer E is a wrong answer. The word "at" is in parallel with the two parts of this sentence. If written out completely, the sentence would read, "financed at the local rather than at the federal level". The "from" in this sentence is unnecessary and does not improve the clarity of the sentence.

// And voters, many of them parents who believe they already "did their bit" by raising their own children, are becoming less and less willing to subsidize schools for "other" people's kids. //
 * 18. In context, the tone of lines 8-12 ("And voters . . . kids") can best be described as... **

Question 18 is a tone in context question and requires knowledge of how to read an author's tone as well as knowing the definitions of the offered tone words. By picking out certain phrases in the excerpt and paying close attention author's overall choices in diction and rhetorical technique, the student should be able to identify the overall tone of the sentence. After identifying the tone of the sentence, the student should look for the answer option which most closely matches the word they had used to describe the tone.

(A) heedless Answer A is a wrong answer. "Heedless" means "careless; thoughtless; unmindful". There is nothing careless or reckless about the excerpt. The author makes it a point to note that the decision of these voters is very closely made, a contradiction to the answer option.

B) scandalized Answer B is the distractor option. "Scandalized" means that something is done with the intent of "shocking or horrifying by something considered immoral or improper". While the author did write this excerpt with the idea of instilling disgust or dislike in the reader at the decision the voters made, the passage does not contain the shock that would accompany something scandalizing.

(C) critical Answer C is the correct answer. "Critical" means "inclined to find fault or to judge with severity". The author deliberately uses quotations from parents to scathingly mock them with the intention of getting a negative reaction out of the reader. The author is judging the parents by pointing out their flaws and faults.

(D) surprised Answer D is a wrong answer. "Surprised" means that something caused "a sudden feeling of astonishment or wonder". The author is not surprised by the actions, he is merely making a statement.

(E) encouraging Answer E is a wrong answer. "Encouraging" means "to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence". The remarks the author makes here are negative remark made to get a negative reaction. The option contradicts what is meant to be done, and the author is not encouraging in any way.