Reading Test.

Question

Hi,Would you please help me here?It can be inferred from the paragraph that the author most likely believes which of the following about the Underground Railroad?A. The people who worked on the railroad should have been arrested.B. The railroad was unsuccessful because it could not help every slave.C. Southerners did not know about the railroad until after it closed.D. The railroad represented a psychological victory for abolitionists.The people who worked on the railroad were braking the law. Although the escape network was never as successful or as well organized as Southerners thought, the few thousand slaves who made their way to freedom in this way each year had a symbolic significance out of proportion to their actual numbers. The Underground Railroad continued operating until slavery in the United States was finally abolished in 1865.I chose B, but the Answer Key's answer is D. Yes, it can be understand that D is kind of correct. But the question asked about what is most likely, and I went for the obvious fact. This is a TOEFL model test. Have you any tip or hint to answer such questions? And, which one would you choose?My own conclusion: I should mentioned the "although", and I have to be careful about transitions, so it is most likely that the test designer, considered that while he or she was making up the question.

Yeganeh · Accepted Answer

Hi guys,
Would you please help here?

Enoon · Answer

That is a poor test question. The sample paragraph is disorganized. The topic sentence seems to have nothing to do with the rest of it. If we try to make it so, A becomes the right answer. Why else would the writer mention that? Not every test question is going to be correct and fair.

The way to approach these questions is to look in the text for the words in the answer. In this case, they changed them a little, making it harder. "Symbolic significance" is equivalent to "psychological victory".

You are right that "although" makes your answer wrong. It establishes a contrast between "never as successful" and the true state of affairs, which would be somewhat successful.

Yeganeh · Answer

Thank you enoon. You have been always very patient with my question, specially writings, during the last two years.

Blue Jay · Answer

I agree with D. -the few thousand slaves who made their way to freedom in this way each year had a symbolic significance out of proportion to their actual numbers.

I don't think it would be fair to say that it was unsuccessful because it didn't help every single slave. Each slave that was helped was a small victory.

NB breaking the law.

Yeganeh · Answer

Thank you Blue Jay, it was a hard one I guess, but what would be your suggestion to not make same mistake in such questions?

Blue Jay · Answer

Yeganehwhat would be your suggestion to not make same mistake in such questions?

First of all, I concur with enoon's excellent advice to look for matches between the answers and the text, and to look in the text for things that rule out some answers.
Secondly, consider if the answer makes logical sense outside of the passage. For instance, the US is extremely sensitive about the issue of slavery, so it is unlikely that the writer is going to suggest that the Underground Railroad workers were criminals who belonged in jail. Less obviously, but for the same reason, the writer is unlikely to put forward the idea that the Underground Railroad was a failure, even if he or she suggests that its success was limited. It would seem unlikely that such an organization could operate successfully for any length of time without its existence being suspected, so C is doubtful. That leaves D as the most likely answer, even if we hadn't read the passage itself. You cannot always rely on writers to put forward logical ideas, so this approach is a backup to seeking the answers in the text, but it can help you confirm that an answer is a sensible choice.
This isn't directly relevant to the type of question you are asking about, but I think it's worth repeating anyway. A piece of advice I have given to many students in the past is this:
1) Always read the question carefully.
2) Decide what, exactly, is being asked.
3) Make sure your answer clearly and completely answers the specific question that was asked.

Yeganeh · Answer

Thank you Blue Jay.
I also impressed by your tone, and like it. I presume that you are a gentle and kind person, too. I enjoy conversing with such people.
Thank you again.

Blue Jay · Answer

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