#17 - Specific Reference, Strengthen

[annabelle.swift]

Hi, I understand why E is correct, but I had actually eliminated C and E as losers on my first go at the answer choices because they both use the word "premodern". I wasn't sure what this term meant, but since it was never defined or explicitly equated to "Mesolithic", I assumed it referred to something different than "Mesolithic".

'Premodern' only appears once in the passage: "Most of the evidence invoked in favor of the resource-procurement model for clearings comes from ethnography rather than archaeology, and principally from the recognition that some recent premodern populations used fire to increase grazing areas."

I don't think this sentence implies at all that 'premodern' and 'Mesolithic' are the same thing... Couldn't it be possible that 'premodern' refers to some time earlier than 'Mesolithic' and that experts would still use that evidence to draw a conclusion about Mesolithic populations? I'm not saying that's the correct way to use that evidence, but I do think it's a possibility.

Any advice on dealing with (in my opinion) ambiguous terms in the future? Thanks!

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

While I acknowledge that the author only uses the term "premodern" once in the passage, Annabelle, the passage uses several terms that help us understand that the Mesolithic period in question is premodern. First, the passage gives us a clear and specific time frame for the Mesolithic period (7,000 to 12,000 years ago) which is clearly not a modern period of time. Additionally, in the above paragraph highlighted, there are several references to the modern period as compared to the period discussed in the rest of the passage. And finally, in the highlighted period, they refer to a specific theory around the behavior in prehistory, which would encompass the years of the Mesolithic period.

In general, when faced with a term that seems vague, look through the passage to see if there are other similar ideas or concepts referenced in the passage. Sometimes a vague term will fall into a category that is mentioned elsewhere (for example Mesolithic is also part of prehistory). Sometimes they will be synonyms or equivalents. It's important to note where the terms are similar or they diverge. Which term is broader? Are they talking about different populations or concepts in a relevant way?

Hope that helps!