Reading Comprehension Answers - Ivy Global

Preptests 54 Answers and Explanations (By Ivy Global)e) This is the correct answer, as we’re told that many African Americans were drawn to thecakewalk as a way to connect to slave society.18. Walker helped to present the dance in different lights to different racial groups in order toappeal to the separate groups.a) This is the correct answer.b) Walker accentuated many different dimensions of the dance, not just the satirical ones.c) Walker simply highlighted different parts of the dance; she didn’t tailor it.d) Mimetic vertigo was just how one critic described one aspect of the cakewalk.e) Walker made the cakewalk popular-- she didn’t “revitalize” it.19. We will have to go straight to the answer choices for this question.a) This is the correct answer. We’re told this in the first paragraph.b) This isn’t answered in the passage.c) This isn’t mentioned in the passage.d) This isn’t answered in the passage.e) This isn’t mentioned in the passage.Questions 20 – 27Analyzing the PassageMain Point:Groupthink is a major impediment among cohesive decision-making groups.Structure:Paragraph 1 lays out the principle that a cohesive group is better at decision-making than a noncohesiveone. Why? Well, members of cohesive groups feel more accepted by each other and so areless likely to deliberately censor themselves.Paragraph 2 introduces us to a major pitfall of group cohesiveness—“groupthink.” Groupthink iswhen the desire for concurrence on every issue overpowers the desire to dissent.In paragraph 3, we’re told how groupthink manifests itself. Finally, we’re told that cohesivenessis necessary for groupthink but not sufficient, so the other factors that lead to groupthink need to beidentified.Answering the Question20. The main point is that groupthink is a major impediment among cohesive decision-makinggroups.a) This is the correct answer.b) There’s no support in the passage for a remedy to groupthink.c) This is a definition of groupthink—but the passage is more about how groupthink manifestsitself in collective decision-making environments.Ivy Global

Preptests 54 Answers and Explanations (By Ivy Global)d) We don’t know that low cohesion would be better. It may have worse problems thangroupthink.e) This is mentioned in paragraph 3, but it misses the main point of the passage, which is howgroupthink manifests itself in cohesive groups.21. This is an example of a non-cohesive group (disagreement,) so it doesn’t have anything to dowith groupthink since groupthink requires a cohesive group.a) There is a definite low level of cohesion over this group’s specific issue, but that doesn’ttranslate to a consistently low level of cohesion.b) Groupthink couldn’t have occurred here, since there wasn’t cohesion.c) This is the correct answer—this situation misses one of the requirements of groupthinkand so cannot be associated with it.d) Groupthink couldn’t have occurred here.e) We don’t know anything about the benefits of “studying information more thoroughly.”22. The author thinks that groupthink can only take place under conditions where there is a highlevel of cohesion among the group members, and members are beginning to accept decisionswithout dissent.a) Differences in professions are out of scope and not discussed in the passage.b) Internal support is not discussed in the passage and is irrelevant.c) This is the correct answer. If members distrust each other, there’s little cohesion, and sono groupthink.d) Members developing factions is not discussed and is out of scope.e) This is a key part of the author’s argument and so can’t help the argument.23. Groupthink involves overestimation of the group’s power and morality manifested in an illusionof invulnerability, closed-mindedness to warnings of problems and alternate views, andunwarranted pressures toward unanimity.a) This would be a non-cohesive group, so is not indicative of groupthink.b) This is the correct answer.c) High stress is not mentioned.d) Vapid, clichéd arguments are not mentioned.e) Dissents are not voiced, so there isn’t a careful deliberation over them.24. We will have to go straight to the answer choices here.a) In paragraph 3 we were told that cohesiveness is a necessary, but not sufficient, conditionfor groupthink—so it’s simply not true that all cohesive groups foster groupthink.b) We don’t know this. More investigation is required on the factors causing groupthink.c) This isn’t supported and so isn’t necessarily true.d) Outside information isn’t really mentioned in the passage, so we can’t make anyassumptions about it.e) This is the correct answer. The author describes in detail why groupthink is a problem.Ivy Global

Preptests 54 Answers and Explanations (By Ivy Global)25. Paragraph 1 tells us about the differences between non-cohesive and cohesive decision-makinggroups.a) There’s nothing about a need to “enforce” conformity.b) The military is one of the groups researchers studied, but there is no evidence that theyexpect conformity.c) “Inappropriate group conformity” is not discussed.d) We’re not told about the frequency of voluntary vs. involuntary conformity.e) This is the correct answer. This phenomenon is discussed in paragraph 1.26. Low cohesiveness is mentioned as a contrasting point with high cohesiveness, to demonstratehow cohesiveness is a quality of good decision-making.a) This is the correct answer.b) Groupthink hasn’t come up yet—this paragraph just examines cohesiveness.c) This paragraph doesn’t look to improve the decision-making in both groups. It just tells usthat cohesive groups are better.d) Groupthink hasn’t come up yet, again.e) Low cohesiveness is not the topic of the rest of the passage. High cohesiveness is.27. We’ll have to go straight to the answer choices.a) Paragraph 1 tells us that this is a characteristic of low cohesion groups, not high ones.b) This is the correct answer. Paragraph 1 lists this as a characteristic of highly cohesivegroups.c) It’s not the number of opinions that matter but the cohesiveness of the individuals.d) This is not mentioned nor supported by the passage.e) Cohesion is a requirement for groupthink—this cannot be true.Ivy Global