#20 - Specific Reference, Must Be True

[Administrator]

Please post below with any questions!

[mokkyukkyu]

Is E wrong because it does not talk about written language?
I was not sure about the part "less abstract"...I thought it's about three-dimensional nouns and this is a system of marks on clay tablets, not token system...maybe I was confused with which is which?

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi mokkyukkyu,

To help you figure out where you went wrong here, please provide a detailed breakdown of how you understood the question you’re asking about. Since you’re asking about a Reading Comprehension question, we expect to see evidence that you were able to do the following:

• Correctly identify the type of question in the stem.
• If the stem refers to a specific concept in the passage, identify where in the passage this concept was discussed.
• If the stem allows for a paraphrasable answer, tell us what it was. (Don't be afraid if your prephrase was off).
• Assuming this is a Must Be True question, as most RC questions are, tell us what textual evidence you have supporting your choice of (incorrect) answer.
• Explain why you believe the correct answer choice is not supported by the passage.

The more you tell us about your method of approach, the better we can help you figure it out.

Thanks!

[Rita]

Hi Nikki,

I thought this was a must be true question that specifically referenced paragraph two. I found it tough to prephrase this question because it was so broad, but I assumed it would have something to do with the function or usability of the tablets. I narrowed the answers down to C and D. I decided that C was incorrect because the "abstract" items mentioned earlier were called tablets, not tokens, and were found in Uruk. In terms of earlier tokens (discussed beginning at line 20), we know they are inscribed, but we don't know whether those inscriptions are abstract or not. So, I decided that the passage better supported D, because if the tokens' users needed to describe the storage and transport of liquids (as evidenced by the forms of jars with handles), those tasks must have been important to their everyday life.

Could you please explain where I went wrong?

Thanks,
Rita

[Adam Tyson]

Hey Rita, you are absolutely right about the type of question here - it is a Must Be True. Take another look at the question stem and the 2nd paragraph, though, and I think you'll find the support you need for answer C. The question asks about the tokens, not the tablets. The tokens are described initially as having simple forms - cones, spheres, pyramids. Later, we learn that there are hundreds more types of tokens and that they are more figurative, or representational, like bowls and jars. They didn't use the word "abstract" in describing the tokens, but they did say that they were simple forms at first, and that's close enough! The tokens evolved from simple to detailed, and that's answer C.

I hope that helps!

[bli2016]

Hi- for this question I chose A but I think I misread the answer choice as saying "there were tokens that designated more than one type of item", or in other words, one token could designate more than one kind of item. If the answer choice was worded in this way, would it be correct? Or am I still misunderstanding something in this paragraph? Thanks!

[Adam Tyson]

I think your interpretation of answer A is correct, bli - it's saying that some tokens denoted more than one item. A cone, for example, might be used to indicate a bale of hay but it could also indicate a barrel of oil, etc.

The problem with that answer is that nothing in the passage ever suggests that. It might make sense that that's the case, since there were few shapes used and they were abstract, but we cannot get that from the text without "helping" it more than we should. When they ask what we can infer, we use the text, and only the text, to support that inference, leaving out our assumptions and outside information. The text supports answer C but does not support answer A, and so C is the better choice.

Stick to the evidence presented in the passage and avoid drawing conclusions that are too remote from that evidence, and you'll be in better shape moving forward. Keep up the good work!

[CJ12345:]

Hi, Powerscore,
I eliminated C right away since it seems it contradicts the main argument of the passage (the evolution from the token - clay tablet - mature writing is becoming more abstract over time). Even though I understand this AC has textual support, I am still wondering why it seems so contradictory toward the main point

[Robert Carroll]

CJ12345:,

You're incorrect about what you take the main argument to be. The final destination is an abstract and flexible form of writing, but the evolution of that result did not move uniformly from less abstract to more abstract depictions. With that assumption eliminated, you should have no more issue picking answer choice (C).

Robert Carroll