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- Posts: 8950
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Sat Jun 17, 2017 12:18 pm
#36120
Complete Question Explanation
Must Be True—Principle. The correct answer choice is (D)
In this stimulus the author discusses a study in which young children learned the word “stairs” as
they walked up and down a flight of actual stairs. When they later saw a video of a ladder being
used, the children also referred to the ladder, incorrectly, as stairs. It seems clear that the children
misconstrued the new word as more generally referring to some means of travelling upwards and
downwards.
There is no real conclusion drawn in this discussion; rather, the author provides a set of facts about
the recent study. Given the lack of any conclusion, it is not surprising that the stimulus is followed by
a Must Be True question stem—specifically, a question stem which asks for the principle illustrated
by the study. The general idea seems to be that in some cases, children might learn a new word, and
mistakenly use that word for something similar.
Answer choice (A): Although the study does deal with children who mistakenly apply a given word
to the wrong object, this incorrect answer choice discusses children who repeatedly hear a word
without seeing the object denoted. In the study discussed by the author, the children learned the
word “stairs” as they were using actual stairs. Since the first part of this answer choice is completely
inapplicable, this cannot be the principle illustrated.
Answer choice (B): The study discussed by the author does exemplify this method of teaching—
the children did learn the word “stairs” by seeing them used. However, the author does not make
the claim that this is the best way to learn words. In fact, this would be a rather questionable
assertion considering the fact that after the learning in precisely this manner, they all used the word
incorrectly.
Answer choice (C): The author provides no basis for this proposition. Only one study is discussed,
with one group of young children, so there is no way to assess whether older or younger children
would have learned better or worse.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. The study clearly illustrates the principle
that in some cases, children learn a given term through observation and mistakenly apply that term
to a different object that is similarly used—the children learned about stairs as a means of ascending
and descending; then the children mistakenly applied the term to a different means of comparable
movement.
Answer choice (E): The problem in the study was not that other objects were simultaneously present.
Rather, the children learned “stairs” as referring to something one climbs in order to go up and down,
and later mistakenly applied the word to a different means of achieving the same results of ascension
and descension.
Must Be True—Principle. The correct answer choice is (D)
In this stimulus the author discusses a study in which young children learned the word “stairs” as
they walked up and down a flight of actual stairs. When they later saw a video of a ladder being
used, the children also referred to the ladder, incorrectly, as stairs. It seems clear that the children
misconstrued the new word as more generally referring to some means of travelling upwards and
downwards.
There is no real conclusion drawn in this discussion; rather, the author provides a set of facts about
the recent study. Given the lack of any conclusion, it is not surprising that the stimulus is followed by
a Must Be True question stem—specifically, a question stem which asks for the principle illustrated
by the study. The general idea seems to be that in some cases, children might learn a new word, and
mistakenly use that word for something similar.
Answer choice (A): Although the study does deal with children who mistakenly apply a given word
to the wrong object, this incorrect answer choice discusses children who repeatedly hear a word
without seeing the object denoted. In the study discussed by the author, the children learned the
word “stairs” as they were using actual stairs. Since the first part of this answer choice is completely
inapplicable, this cannot be the principle illustrated.
Answer choice (B): The study discussed by the author does exemplify this method of teaching—
the children did learn the word “stairs” by seeing them used. However, the author does not make
the claim that this is the best way to learn words. In fact, this would be a rather questionable
assertion considering the fact that after the learning in precisely this manner, they all used the word
incorrectly.
Answer choice (C): The author provides no basis for this proposition. Only one study is discussed,
with one group of young children, so there is no way to assess whether older or younger children
would have learned better or worse.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. The study clearly illustrates the principle
that in some cases, children learn a given term through observation and mistakenly apply that term
to a different object that is similarly used—the children learned about stairs as a means of ascending
and descending; then the children mistakenly applied the term to a different means of comparable
movement.
Answer choice (E): The problem in the study was not that other objects were simultaneously present.
Rather, the children learned “stairs” as referring to something one climbs in order to go up and down,
and later mistakenly applied the word to a different means of achieving the same results of ascension
and descension.