#22 - Concept Reference, Must Be True

[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!

[biskam]

I really struggled with this passage even after doing a blind review.

I first chose A then B for this question and found the correct choice was D. Is the difference with the word "revealing" in D, meaning that the author doesn't close the door on the possibility that Rub's probate record method might be right while A and B are too negatively strong?

I can see how misleading might be too strong in A but I'm struggling to see how B might be wrong--ambiguous because uncertain and outdated bc of the lack of a goodwill valuation.

Would appreciate the help!

[lunsandy]

Hi Powerscore!

I also struggled to see why D is the correct answer. I was switching between C and D during the exam. I end up choosing C because I like that it said controversial since it is "provocative and deserve consideration" (line 14) and that there are still many uncertainties (line 24). I didn't like "readily available" but I felt like it made sense because of income tax returns and probate records are quite readily available? I didn't like the answer of this but didn't see how D was better.

I got rid of D because although I like revealing, I struggled to see how the author would see it as "difficult to interpret." Does the author think it's difficult to interpret because of its uncertainties (line 24) and complications (line 35)?

Thanks a lot!

[samswim009]

Hello,
I am also wondering about the answer choice for this question. The answer posted here is an explanation based on a question from a different passage.

[Stephanie Oswalt]

Hi Samswim!

Thanks for the question! Yes, somehow an explanation for another question was mistakenly posted in this one. I have removed that incorrect post. Good catch!

The correct answer for #22 is D. An instructor will post an explanation below.

Thanks!

[Francis O'Rourke]

The author describes Rubenstein's analysis of probate records in a number of different ways: provocative, deserving of consideration, not unequivocally convincing, uncertain, worth investigating, partially convincing. In the end, the author concludes that Rubenstein's analysis of the records need to be investigated further before they are confirmed.

From these statements, I prephrased "problematic, but possibly valuable if we investigate further."

Answer choice (D) states that the records are revealing. The author would agree with this since she does believe that they give us some insights, as stated around lines 15 - 20 concerning the location of wealth. This answer also describes the records as difficult to interpret, which was discussed in lines 23 - 42.

Answer choice (A) is unambiguously negative. It claims that the author thought the probate records were worse than worthless.
Answer choice (B) may be accurate in describing the records as ambiguous, but there is no support for outdated. In fact, the author implies that we should investigate the records further.
Answer choice (C) states that the records are readily available, which we have no proof of.
Answer choice (E) states that the records are widely used by historians. However, we only have proof that Rubenstein and has so far used them