DSAT R&W Practice Question-Craft and Structure-Words in Context - Hard
DSAT R&W Practice Question-Craft and Structure-Words in Context – Hard
DSAT R&W Practice Question-Craft and Structure-Words in Context – Hard is part of Craft and Structure : This section evaluates skills in understanding advanced academic vocabulary words from the context they are used in, analyzing an author’s rhetorical (persuasive writing) techniques and purpose, and synthesizing key ideas by making connections between multiple related texts on a topic.
Weightage : 20%
Subtopic: Cross-Text Connections
Question
Rejecting the premise that the literary magazine Ebony and Topaz (1927) should present a unified vision of Black American identity, editor Charles S. Johnson fostered his contributors’ diverse perspectives by promoting their authorial autonomy. Johnson’s self-effacement diverged from the editorial stances of W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, whose decisions for their publications were more ______.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. proficient
B. dogmatic
C. ambiguous
D. unpretentious
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans. B
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. A person who is “dogmatic” believes strongly that their principles and opinions are true. Because Du Bois and Locke are implied to have one “unified vision” of Black American identity that
they prioritize over the “diverse perspectives” of different writers, they can be described as dogmatic.
Choice A is incorrect. “Proficient” means “skilled.” Du Bois and Locke are contrasted with Johnson, but nothing in the text suggests that Johnson was not skilled at making editorial decisions. Based on the text, the three editors just have different styles; they’re not necessarily more or less skilled. Choice C is incorrect. “Ambiguous” means “unclear” or “open to multiple interpretations.” However, it’s actually Johnson who encouraged multiple interpretations (“diverse perspectives”). Since Du Bois and Locke are said to “diverge” from Johnson, we can assume that the views they published were not ambiguous, but instead clear and firm (a “unified vision”). Choice D is incorrect. “Unpretentious” means “not trying to impress others with greater skill or importance than is actually possessed.” Du Bois and Locke are contrasted with Johnson, but nothing in the text suggests that Johnson is pretentious (trying to impress others).
Question
Economist Marco Castillo and colleagues showed that nuisance costs—the time and effort people must spend to make donations—reduce charitable giving. Charities can mitigate this effect by compensating donors for nuisance costs, but those costs, though variable, are largely ______ donation size, so charities that compensate donors will likely favor attracting a few large donors over many small donors.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. supplemental to
B. predictive of
C. independent of
D. subsumed in
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans. C
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. We’re told that charities that pay donors back for nuisance costs will attract a few large donors instead of many small donors. This suggests that nuisance costs are not linked to donation size.
Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. If nuisance costs are supplemental to (meaning in addition to) donation size, that wouldn’t result in charities that compensate donors for those costs attracting a few large donors over many small donors. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. If nuisance costs can predict donation size, that wouldn’t necessarily result in charities that compensate donors for those costs attracting a few large donors over many small donors. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. If nuisance costs are subsumed in (meaning included in) donation size, that wouldn’t result in charities that compensate donors for those costs attracting a few large donors over many small donors.