Which one of the following can most reasonably be inferred from the passage?

on January 9, 2020

What's wrong with C?

What is the problem with answer choice C?

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Annie on January 10, 2020

Hi @MACZ,

(C) is incorrect because the passage never states that innate talent in required in some fields but not others. In contrast, the very last paragraph sums up the argument by telling us that "the evidence does not, therefore, support the claim that a notion of innate talent must be invoked in order to account for the difference between good and outstanding performance" (lines 51-54).

(A) is correct because it provides an inference suggested by the passage. The passage tells us that innate ability is not necessarily required for outstanding skill, but also tells us that this is a recent realization and that many studies have not been done. This indicates that it is hard to determine whether ability comes from innate skills or from practice.

on April 17, 2021

Thanks for your explanation. I'm still a bit fuzzy about how the author defines "innate talent" - is this not the same thing as inborn traits that enable exceptional performers to be exceptional? Since the author does say that there are certain exceptions such as height that are innate, can you please explain why this does not count as "innate talent"? The example I thought of Sun Mingming, and whether he would be able to be as successful in basketball if he was not 7'9".