Q18

[storm_cyclones_]

I understand this is a "synthesis" question (referencing the RC categorization language in the Manhattan RC Book).

I eliminated all answer choices but C and D, finally choosing C.

Why is D more correct than C?

C to me is correct because it indeed HELPS/forms part of the author's hypothesis in lines 6-10, that: "In spite of the fact that profits have accrued to relatively few people, the developments themselves have served overall as a remarkable democratizing force", which incidentally happens to be the main topic of the passage (and not just "part of an argument"), right?
[Does the modifying word speculative in front of "hypothesis" make this answer choice incorrect?]

D on the other hand quotes the phrase "causal explanation" -- but what causation is present? I see this thesis as more of hypothesis that lines 56-58 help to complete.

Would appreciate any of your thoughts on this.

[soyeonjeon]

I think D is correct because the causal argument is displayed in lines 57 - 60, where it says "In other words, BECAUSE....."
Also in line 51 where it says, "but rather the RESULT of a general tendency of the market...," the RESULT indicates that there is a causal argument going on. And general tendency of the market system corresponds to lines 52- 54 I think. Hope that helps.

[ohthatpatrick]

I just want to respond to a couple issues the original poster brought up:

I think you're correct that "speculative" is a problem. The word "hypothesis" CAN be used to refer to
1. a guess about the future
2. a causal explanation to explain something that already happened

In this passage, the author is explaining facts that have already happened (as you noted, since it says "in spite of the fact" in lines 5-6).

A "speculative hypothesis" would be one based on a guess or on abstract, theoretical terms. But this author is explaining, in practical terms, how technology has been a democratizing force.

The other language problem you hit was thinking that something that related to the main point would NOT be part of an argument.

You may want to revisit how you look at RC passages. They are almost invariably arguments. The author's main point is typically an opinion/judgment that is supported by reasons.

You correctly understood that lines 52-54 tie back to the author's main point, but you seemed to think it was 'incidental' not 'explanatory'.

We would identify the author's main point as lines 6-12:
technological developments tend to democratize, and market forces tend to narrow the difference in benefits accruing to different groups.

If that is the author's conclusion, what is his premise?

Why/How do technological developments democratize? Why/How do market forces tend to narrow the gap in benefits?

Lines 52-54 provide the causal explanation.

New tech invented --> entrepreneurs and investors start making money --> want to expand market --> must change prices to make tech accessible to ever-larger share of population.

Great work by the previous poster to catch the textual support for "explanation" ... "result" in line 52 and "Because ____ does this, ___ happens" in the final sentence.

Hope this helps.

[deedubbew]

Why is E wrong?

[ohthatpatrick]

What (E) describes is a passage in which an author builds an argument in the first two paragraphs, and then slightly retreats from that argument in the last paragraph by offering some exceptions / caveats / concessions.

That doesn't seem to fit this passage, in which all three paragraphs argue the same point.

P1: The market serves as a democratizing force for new technologies (even if the profits are narrowly enjoyed by only a few people)

P2: Examples of new technologies that diffused benefits broadly: printing press, phone, email, TV/radio, etc.

P3: Explanation of how market dynamics themselves cause the phenomenon described in P1 and exemplified in P2.

Do you see something in P3 that looks negative or contrasting? A "concession" is when an author admits something that works against his argument.

If I'm arguing that "Baseball is a boring sport", I may make a concession that "although it IS fun to attend a baseball game live once in a while".

Do you see anything in P3 that matches up with "complicates" the argument?

I don't. I see P3 as the author's summary/conclusion. He's actually trying to tie a pretty bow around the whole discussion of the passage, not introduce messy complications.

=== other answers ===

(A) the author isn't trying to summarize the benefits of the printing press, TV, email, etc. He really did that in P2. As we can see from the topic sentence of P3, he's explaining what these benefits resulted from.

In other words, (A) is saying that P3 is about summarizing WHAT benefits have occurred. But in reality, P3 is about summarizing WHY these benefits have occurred.

(B) "Social consequences" of technology is killing this. P3 is about "economic motivations", not "social consequences".

[deedubbew]

I did see the it as a concession that diffusion of benefits would not happen without entrepreneurs and investors lowering costs for consumers. I thought the first paragraph was saying that the diffusion will always happen regardless.

[VickX462]

The first sentence of the third paragraph contains the phrase "as a result of", which suggests that the author is offering a causal explanation. Line 52-54 is not a conclusion but rather a theory offered by the author to support his hypothesis (Line 5-12) and to account for the examples he gives in the second paragraph. Therefore, (A) and (B) are out.

A "speculative hypothesis" or not, (C) is saying that line 52-54 serves no purposes for the overarching argument (not part of an argument). However, the first sentence of paragraph 3 is obviously trying to connect what comes after to the main argument ("the result of..."). So (C) is out.

That leaves us (D) and (E). (D) is spot-on. Let's go to (E). Is there a concession line 52-54? No. The passage is not saying that market competition complicates the spread of technological development from the few to the masses, but rather that market competition is the reason there is a spread. (D) is the right answer.