#18 – Specific Reference, Must Be True, Author's Perspective

[Administrator]

Please post below with any questions!

[Tryan]

This question really bugged me and I unfortunately chose the wrong answer, I know why my answer is wrong but can you just explain why B is the correct answer.

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi, Tryan,

This question tests our understanding of the author's viewpoint. In other words, we need to find an answer that both has direct evidence in the passage and is consistent with the author's perspective. To begin, we should articulate the author's view about "dowsing." It appears that based on the results of this study, the author seems to be receptive to the idea that dowsing is effective. Let's not go overboard. We don't know that this author is a total dowsing-dude; he might just be dowsing-curious. However, the discussion in the final paragraph puts the author clearly in the pro-dowsing camp, barring evidence to the contrary.

Now we can superimpose this viewpoint onto the specifics of this question. What would the author have to say about the results of this groundwater study? As we noted, the author seems to accept their validity in principle, or at least as providing some evidence that dowsing works.

Pay particular attention to the way that we have restricted our observations here. Are we saying that the author is a gung ho all-in-for-dowsing fiend? No. We are sticking to observations for which we have conclusive proof. Note that line 47 states that the claims of the dowsing proponents "were corroborated" by these studies. Use the rest of the information in the paragraph to provide possible support for the credited response.

This is what happens in answer choice (B). (B) discusses a concept at the very end, lines 59-60, that dowsers "can detect variations in subsurface conditions." What kind of variations can they purportedly detect? Back to line 47: the author claims the study corroborated the view of dowsing proponents. What is these proponents' view about dowsing and subsurface conditions? Lines 39-42 suggest that the dowsing proponents believe dowsing might operate through sensitivity to variations in earth's magnetic field.

Put these concepts together and we have good evidence for answer choice (B).

Please follow up with further questions!

[callmeclaire]

HI!

I understand now why the answer is B but can someone explain why it isn't D?

[Luke Haqq]

Hi callmeclaire!

To understand why (D) is incorrect, start by considering the question stem, "The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about the results of the groundwater-locating study discussed in the final paragraph?" This tells us (1) that the question is asking about the author's perspective, (2) it is a must be true question, and (3) it revolves around a reference to the last paragraph of the passage.

Since the question is asking about the final paragraph, it is worth noting its function. The prior paragraph ("Proponents of dowsing point out ...") provides some of the arguments presented by those who believe that dowsing works. In support of this claim, such proponents of dowsing emphasize that successful dowsers have higher success rates than geologists and hydrologists in locating water. This illuminates the function of the final paragraph, which describes a "recent and extensive study" (line 48) that corroborates this claim.

In other words, this study compared the methods of dowsers (who use sticks, pendulums, or rods (line 3) to detect water) with the methods used by geologists and hydrologists (who use "scientific tools such as electromagnetic sensors or seismic readings to locate groundwater" (lines 45-46)). This study corroborated what proponents of dowsing claimed--that successful dowsers have higher success rates than geologists and hydrologists in locating water.

Answer choice (D) states, "The results demonstrate that dowsers are most successful in their efforts to locate groundwater when they use tools that are typically employed by geologists and hydrologists." The final paragraph doesn't say anything about dowsers using the tools of geologists and hydrologists. To the contrary, the results are specifically of a study comparing the tools/methods of dowsers with those utilized by geologists and hydrologists, so those results don't provide us with information about how successful dowsers might be if they used the tools/methods of geologists and hydrologists.

[younghoon27]

May I have an explanation on why it isn't C?

[Adam Tyson]

Answer C is far too strong, younghoon27! Can we prove that the author would say this study provides conclusive proof that dowsing is the most dependable technique? That overstates the case by a long shot. All we could say is that in this one study, it appears that dowsing is more dependable than some other techniques. Just like any Must Be True question, we cannot select answers that are stronger than the evidence will support. Keep your preprhases and answer choices "soft" enough that you can easily defend them based exclusively on what you read in the passage. While answer C MIGHT be true, there is no evidence to support the claim that the author would agree that it IS true.