#18 - Specific Reference, Author's Perspective

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (D).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

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

Answer choice (E):

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

[mghatch2023]

I was between a few choices for this question, and ultimately chose AC (A) on my first pass through. I think the reference to "fragmentary" attracted me, and the fact that the author seemed to be defending her use of them in the first paragraph with the following sentence ("Yet even from these fragments...")

When taking the whole passage into perspective, I can see how AC (D) is the credited response, because the author does seem to build an attitude of confidence in these sources/her inferences throughout the passage, but I felt that she didn't seem to start off with that attitude. Looking back, I think the question stem asking about the reference "in the beginning of the first paragraph" also made me think too narrowly about things.

Any tips on how to nail down the author's attitude when it seems to be segmented out in passages like this? Or any other perspectives you have that might make her attitude more clear? Thanks in advance!

[Jeff Wren]

Hi mghatch,

The first thing to be aware of is that the information needed to solve these questions is often not in the exact lines cited, but rather in the lines above/below the lines cited or, in some cases, in an entirely different part of the passage.

Since these are the beginning lines of the passage, a good strategy is to start there and keep reading.

The first sentence does mention that the evidence is fragmentary, which is generally not a good thing, or at least not ideal. However, the very next sentence starts with the word "Yet," suggesting that even though the evidence is fragmentary, it is still going to be useful, positive, etc.. The author says that we can still "piece together a picture."

The rest of the passage uses the evidence that we do have to make the author's argument. Notice lines like "The very nature of the scant evidence tells us something" (lines 17-18) and "Instead, the scattering of references to them indicate that, although their numbers were probably small, women doctors were an unremarkable part of ancient life" (lines 20-23).

The entire passage is about the evidence, so it's not surprising that it is mentioned in the first sentence to introduce the idea that will be explored in the passage.

You'll want to track how the evidence is discussed throughout the passage.

Another tip is to check the answer to the Main Point question 14. Answer A, the correct answer, states "there is a range of textual evidence indicating that the existence and profession activity of women doctors were an accepted part of everyday life in ancient Greece and Rome." That main point answer supports/reinforces Answer D in this question.

Lastly, there's no indication in the text that the author is wary of misinterpretation as mentioned in Answer A. Be careful not to make assumptions, just stick to the words in the passage.