Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?
Milleron September 20, 2017
The Problem with E
Can you help me see what makes E less accurate than D for the main point? E seems to be what is expressed in the first and last few sentences of the passage. Is it because there is nothing in the passage that says Emaeagwali "initiated" the paradigm shift?
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Hi @Miller @sharpen7, thanks for your posts. There are two problems with (E) - the "initiated by" language (not textually supported) and the "made it more likely that scientists will in the future" (also not textually supported).
On the "initiated by" language, the passage tells us that Emeagwali pioneered the use of parallel computer systems (Lines 11-12), but not that this "initiated" a "paradigm shift."
On the "made it more likely that" language, we know only that Emeagwali "believes that computer scientists in the future will increasingly look to nature" (Lines 55-57) - not that they are in fact "more likely" to do so.
Hope this helps!
Shiyi-Zhangon February 5, 2019
Why is D correct?
Ravion February 5, 2019
@Shiyi-Zhang,
Great question.
In order to get this question correct, it's imperative that you're able to correctly identify the main conclusion of the passage, which is the first sentence (lines 1-6).
The reason the first sentence is the main point of the passage is because the rest of the material we're given is used to build upon the idea discussed in the first sentence: "The success that Nigerian-born computer scientist Philip Emeagwali (b. 1954) has had in designing computers that solve real-world problems has been fueled by his willingness to reach beyond established paradigms and draw inspiration for his designs from nature.
The question stem asks us to choose the answer that most accurately expresses the main point of the passage.
(D) says, "Emeagwali has designed parallel computer systems that are modeled on natural systems and that are aimed at solving real-world computational problems that would be difficult to solve with more traditional designs."
This answer choice provides a descriptive summary that matches the main conclusion we identified in the passage. The conclusion states that Emeagwali, who was inspired by nature, developed successful parallel computing systems to help solve real-world problems. This is the main point, and it's our correct answer choice.
Does this make sense? Let us know if you have any more questions!
