Answering this question requires you to use your knowledge of the types, characteristics, and purposes of different written material. This passage does not fit the textbook model. Textbook prose is by nature an objective reporting of events and ideas in scholarly language. This passage is neither objective nor scholarly. Further, the subject matter is limited to the campaigning for office of Georgia judges and therefore probably doesn't fit the more general subject matter of "the judicial system." Also, the passage does not necessarily represent a problem characteristic of the judicial system in other states.

The passage contains a strong criticism of the canons, a general description of what they are, and a few specific examples of some of the rules contained in the canons. It is not at all logical that a passage about the canons would appear in the canons.

Answering this question requires you to use your knowledge of the types, characteristics, and purposes of different written material. As you correctly recognized, editorial columns address issues of a political nature, they argue a particular point of view on an issue, they contain a combination of facts and opinions, they tend to be filled with judgmental language, and they often consist of numerous short paragraphs. The passage fits this description of editorial columns.

Answering this question requires you to use your knowledge of the types, characteristics, and purposes of different written material. This passage does not fit the model followed by novelists -- there are no characters, the events reported do not make up a story, and the setting for the events is not described.

Academic language is scholarly, learned, textbook language. Don't be misled because the passage contains this word (line 27) or because the passage concerns teaching. Notice that the question tells you to concentrate on the quoted statement.

In analytical writing an author uses logic, presents a problem and solution, and/or breaks down a whole into parts and shows how the parts are related. This statement does not fit the characteristics of an analysis. Don't be misled because the passage contains logical fallacies. Notice that the question tells you to concentrate on the quoted statement.

Factual language is based on or contains facts. The narrator did not literally pound or claw; therefore the statement cannot be considered factual.

Figurative language uses words that mean something else on a literal level. The narrator did not actually pound, claw, and scrape. He uses these words to suggest that teaching logic to Polly was very hard work requiring a great deal of effort. He compares the mental work of teaching with hard, physical labor. Notice that the narrator mentions earlier in the paragraph that teaching Polly is "like digging a tunnel," (line 6), another instance of figurative language, which clued you that, "I pounded and clawed and scraped" was also figurative.

A narrator's attitude (or point of view) is revealed in several ways: by his choice of words (negative, positive or neutral), by the information he chooses to include, and by the information he leaves out of the passage. The narrator considers himself to be superior to Polly (condescending means "to assume an air of superi ority"). Notice the words and information used to describe Polly: "not altogether a cretin" (meaning he once thought she was close to being mentally retarded), "I had taught her to think" (meaning she had not been able to think until he taught her to), and "she was worthy of me at last" (meaning he had made her 'good' enough to associate with him). The narrator does not tell us of any of Polly's talents or virtues.

Note that the question tells you to pick the best description of the narrator's attitude. He clearly is not indifferent, for indifferent means to be uncaring and unconcerned. He works very hard to teach Polly, as described by such phrases as "five grueling nights," "I began a long, patient review," and "I...kept hammering away without letup." He would not have worked so hard if he didn't care at all.

Note that the question tells you to pick the best description of the narrator's attitude toward Polly. The narrator appears to be loving but in reality he is not. Consider his selfish motives for teaching Polly: he wants a wife who will make him look good ("a proper hostess for my many mansions") and who will do the work of parenting ("a suitable mother for my well-heeled children"). He loves himself too much to love anyone else. And when he says he is "not... without love" he means that he loves what he created, not the whole person Polly actually is. He loves his creation, not Polly herself.

The narrator is not sympathetic. He does not show concern for Polly's feelings -- in fact, he doesn't appear to be aware that Polly has feelings. Further, he does not act supportively. Look at the way he describes how hard he worked to teach Polly (lines 2-11). Notice that no mention is made of how hard Polly must have worked to learn what he wanted her to know.

Most of the narrator's concern is with himself. He describes how hard he worked, overlooking Polly's efforts; he teaches her to benefit himself (lines 16-20), not to benefit Polly; and he is apparently upset (line 50), not pleased for Polly, when she uses her newly acquired knowledge to point out the errors in his logic.

Note that the question directs you to identify what the narrator is most concerned with. His only reference to his children (lines 19-20) is that they will look rich. He does not describe them in a way that suggests concern -- he sees them merely as well-heeled, in other words, as a way to show off his money. No suggestion is made that his behavior is motivated by concern for his future offspring.

Note that the question directs you to identify what the narrator is most concerned with. His only reference to his "many mansions" is in line 19. Consider what else he mentions in this sentence and the adjectives he uses to describe his future wife, home, and children. He wants many mansions, true, but he does not express concern about them. He simply assumes he will have them.

Note that the stem directs you to identify what the narrator is most concerned with. It is true that he mentions Polly repeatedly. She is, after all, his pupil. What you have to consider is why he spends so much time with her, why he tries to teach her logic, and how he reacts when she masters the subject. His motives are very selfish. He is teaching Polly in order to improve himself, to have a wife who "fits his image." He can do this by improving her ability to think -- but remember, this is primarily for his benefit and only incidentally to Polly's benefit. After all, he didn't really want her to become an independent thinker, as you can tell from his reaction in the final sentence of the passage.

This choice is the direct opposite of the correct answer. Note that the question directs you to select an adjective which describes a change in the relationship "on the sixth night." The relationship has been academic for five nights (remember, he was teaching), so "academic" would be continuing the same way. The narrator wants to change the relationship.

This choice is close to what the relationship has been for "five grueling nights," not what the narrator wants to change it to on the sixth night. He wanted to make a logician out of Polly, but he does not want a logical relationship.

The information for answering this question is stated almost directly in the text. In this second paragraph you learn that the narrator spent five nights teaching. In the third paragraph you are told that at the next meeting, in other words, on the sixth night, he wants to tell her his feelings (lines 25-26). Finally, the passage states that the narrator thinks the "time had come to change our relationship from academic to romantic" (lines 26-27).

"Spiritual" is an adjective which applies to some relationships, but it does not describe the narrator's and Polly's relationship either before or after the sixth night. A spiritual relationship is typically religious in nature.

This answer applies to what happened in lines 32-43. The problem with this answer is that it does not fit the end of the passage. You have probably put too much emphasis on the narrator's statement that "She had learned the lessons well" and overlooked the change in the narrator's attitude that occurs in lines 44-50. Note that the question directs you to select the narrator's point of view at the end of the passage.

This answer contradicts the events of the passage. In lines 28-50 Polly shows that she has learned the fallacies. At first, the narrator is pleased and even states that Polly "had learned her lessons well" (line 43). He could not, therefore, think she had not learned them at all. At the end of the passage -- which this question tells you to base your answer on -- the narrator is no longer pleased.

In lines 28-50 Polly demonstrates that she has learned the fallacies. The narrator's reaction to Polly's progress changes during the passage, but at no point in the passage does he appear to feel she hasn't learned well enough. He states that he "had made a logician out of Polly; I had taught her to think" (lines 15-16) and that "The dear child had learned her lessons well" (lines 42-43). Note that the stem directs you to base your answer on the end of the passage. Reread lines 45-50, noting especially the narrator's final statement.

The narrator wanted Polly to learn to think well enough to be a "fit" wife for him, but he is not pleased when she applies her knowledge to his logical fallacies. At first he is amused, but in the final sentence he reveals that he is no longer pleased. He realizes that Polly is smarter than he thought and that she will use her new knowledge -- even against her teacher, the narrator.

Events have turned out the opposite of what the narrator expected. He was pleased that he had made a logician out of Polly, thinking that people would admire him for having an intelligent wife. He did not anticipate that Polly would "turn against him" -- that is, use his own logic against him.

Overstatement is a literary device meaning exaggeration, or too strong a statement. If the narrator had described Polly as the "greatest logician that ever lived," this would have been an overstatement.

Propaganda is the art of spreading information (or the information itself) to help or injure a cause, an individual, or an institution. The information is generally misleading, for rather than providing both sides it either concentrates on the positive or negative side. If the narrator had described success as "100% of my pupils learning logic in only five nights" to try to get other pupils, this might have been considered propoganda, for he wouldn't be admitting that he had only one pupil -- and that he wasn't pleased with the results.

A simile is a comparison of two unlike things that often begins with the words like or as. The outcome of the story does not reflect such a comparison.

While it is true that competing groups will ask for the opportunity to make money, this verb is not powerful enough to fit the context of "debate" and "competing projects." The groups are going to fight, not ask permission.

This vocabulary item can be answered on the basis of a direct clue provided in the sentence. Notice that the projects are described as "competing." Competing projects would, logically, compete.

Reread the sentence, noticing the emphasis on "ambitious," "stir considerable debate," and "competing projects." This choice does not fit the combative, competitive tone of the sentence.

Reread the sentence, trying to identify the subject of the verb "vie for." "Competing projects" are going to "vie for" oppor tunities for profit. The projects (meaning groups of people) aren't going to provide the opportunity, they are going to seek it. It is the plan to extend public access to Moon Walk that will provide opportunities.

Business expansion is only one part of the renewal -- see lines 24-25 for all the other groups involved (other than business groups). The passage focuses on one portion of the urban renewal movement -- that is, renewal of waterfronts. This choice is wrong because it excludes many groups and also because it includes whole urban areas. What you have probably done is overlooked the role of many different groups, placing too much emphasis on the commercial or business interests. And, you have failed to notice that the author emphasizes urban waterfronts, not entire urban areas.

Note that the question directs you to select the primary purpose of the entire passage. It is true that Moon Walk is described. The author mentions Moon Walk not for its own sake but as an illustration of the trend toward renewal of urban waterfronts. In other words, Moon Walk is a supporting detail, not a primary purpose.

Note that the question directs you to select the primary purpose of the entire passage. This option fits only the fourth paragraph of a five-paragraph passage.

The details in the passage develop this general idea of the renewal of waterfront areas. The first two paragraphs describe the renewal of one specific area, Moon Walk. In the third paragraph, numerous other successful renewals are listed. The final two paragraphs describe why waterfront areas declined and what led to the interest in revitalizing them.

The author mentions that tourists and residents stroll, but he gives no indication that there are so many tourists and residents that crowding occurs. Perhaps you pictured a crowd as you read, filling in information that is not necessarily true. For all we know, from the author's description, there could have been very few people or just a comfortable number.

It is not possible from the author's description to determine the size of Moon Walk. We are told that it runs along a stretch of the Mississippi. While the river itself is large, we are given no indication of the length of the Moon Walk itself. Perhaps you focused on the city's plans for expansion, thinking that this meant that Moon Walk was large.

The author creates the impression that Moon Walk is pleasant through a series of descriptions and a positive choice of words. He describes it as a "charming place" where people stroll, that is, where they walk at a leisurely pace. Pleasant background sounds provided by a band and the whistle of a paddlewheeler were mentioned.