#11 - Specific Reference, Must Be True, Expansion

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (B).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[mtuli]

Im having a hard time figuring out where to start answering a question like this. I did't pick B because I assumed that the side effects weren't relevant.

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi, Mtuli!

Expansion questions can be challenging! How can we know what would necessarily make sense as a continuation of the idea presented right before it?

To succeed here, it is advisable to start with a description of the purpose of the paragraph itself. What is the passage accomplishing in the paragraph as a whole? When you answer this question, you give yourself evidence about how an expansion would fit into the larger discussion. This also begins to be a basis for your prephrase.

In this specific instance, the final paragraph is a discussion of the manner in which modern bankruptcy law has moved away from the punitive approach and its current goals vis-a-vis creditors, debtors, and the public good. An expansion will be thematically consistent with this purpose.

Second, read in detail a couple sentences leading up to the point of expansion. Where was the train of thought headed here? In this instance, the paragraph concludes with an encapsulation of the intended effects of modern bankruptcy law, namely not to be punitive and to operate in the interests of both debtors and creditors.

As a prephrase from this, you will want more of the same. These are must be true questions. There must be sufficient evidence in the text to infer that the author would likely agree that the expansion provided in the answer choices is consistent with the structure and purpose of the text.

Thus, we could at a minimum expect an expansion to state something about the either (1) the intended effects of modern bankruptcy law, (2) how it has moved away from punishment, or both these ideas. We have direct evidence for information such as (1) from the immediately preceding statement; we have evidence for information such as (2) from our understanding of purpose of the paragraph as a whole.

Answer choice (B) both talks about the intended effects of modern bankruptcy law and how it relates to punishment. It effectively checks off both of our boxes and is the only answer that meets these criteria.

I hope this helps!