Answer Explanations: ReadingTest

QUESTION 1.
Choice B is the best answer. In the passage, a young man (Akira) asks a mother (Chie) for permission to marry her
daughter (Naomi). The request was certainly surprising to the mother, as can be seen from line 47, which states that
prior to Akira’s question Chie “had no idea” the request was coming.
Choice A is incorrect because the passage depicts two characters engaged in a civil conversation, with Chie being
impressed with Akira’s “sincerity” and finding herself “starting to like him.” Choice C is incorrect because the passage
is focused on the idea of Akira’s and Naomi’s present lives and possible futures. Choice D is incorrect because the
interactions between Chie and Akira are polite, not critical; for example, Chie views Akira with “amusement,” not
animosity.

QUESTION 2.
Choice B is the best answer. The passage centers on a night when a young man tries to get approval to marry a woman’s
daughter. The passage includes detailed descriptions of setting (a “winter’s eve” and a “cold rain,” lines 5-6); character
(Akira’s “soft, refined” voice, line 33; Akira’s eyes “sh[ining] with sincerity,” line 35); and plot (“Naomi was silent. She stood a
full half minute looking straight into Chie’s eyes. Finally, she spoke,” lines 88-89).
Choice A is incorrect because the passage focuses on a nontraditional mar- riage proposal. Choice C is incorrect because
the passage concludes without resolution to the question of whether Akira and Naomi will receive permis- sion to marry.
Choice D is incorrect because the passage repeatedly makes clear that for Chie, her encounter with Akira is momentous
and unsettling, as when Akira acknowledges in line 73 that he has “startled” her.

QUESTION 3.
Choice C is the best answer. Akira “came directly, breaking all tradition,” (line 1) when he approached Chie and asked
to marry her daughter, and he “ask[ed] directly,” without “a go-between” (line 65) or “mediation,” because doing otherwise
would have taken too much time.
Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because in these contexts, “directly” does not mean in a frank, confident, or precise
manner.

QUESTION 4.
Choice A is the best answer. Akira is very concerned Chie will find his mar- riage proposal inappropriate because he did not
follow traditional protocol and use a “go-between” (line 65). This is clear in lines 63-64, when Akira says to Chie “Please don’t
judge my candidacy by the unseemliness of this proposal.”
Choice B is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage that Akira worries that Chie will mistake his earnestness for
immaturity. Choice C is incor- rect because while Akira recognizes that his unscheduled visit is a nuisance, his larger concern is
that Chie will reject him due to the inappropriateness of his proposal. Choice D is incorrect because there is no evidence in the
passage that Akira worries Chie will underestimate the sincerity of his emotions.

QUESTION 5.
Choice C is the best answer. In lines 63-64, Akira says to Chie, “Please don’t judge my candidacy by the unseemliness
of this proposal.” This reveals Akira’s concern that Chie may say no to the proposal simply because Akira did not follow
traditional practices.
Choices A, B, and D do not provide the best evidence for the answer to the previous question. Choice A is incorrect
because line 33 merely describes Akira’s voice as “soft, refined.” Choice B is incorrect because lines 49-51 reflect Chie’s
perspective, not Akira’s. Choice D is incorrect because lines 71-72 indicate only that Akira was speaking in an eager and
forthright matter.

QUESTION 6.
Choice D is the best answer because Akira clearly treats Chie with respect, including “bow[ing]” (line 26) to her, calling
her “Madame” (line 31), and looking at her with “a deferential peek” (line 34). Akira does not offer Chie utter deference,
though, as he asks to marry Naomi after he concedes that he is not following protocol and admits to being a “disruption”
(line 31).
Choice A is incorrect because while Akira conveys respect to Chie, there is no evidence in the passage that he feels
affection for her. Choice B is incor- rect because neither objectivity nor impartiality accurately describes how Akira
addresses Chie. Choice C is incorrect because Akira conveys respect to Chie and takes the conversation seriously.

QUESTION 7.
Choice D is the best answer. The first paragraph (lines 1-4) reflects on how Akira approached Chie to ask for her
daughter’s hand in marriage. In these lines, the narrator is wondering whether Chie would have been more likely to say
yes to Akira’s proposal if Akira had followed tradition: “Akira came directly, breaking all tradition. Was that it? Had he
followed form—had he asked his mother to speak to his father to approach a go-between—would Chie have been more
receptive?” Thus, the main purpose of the first para- graph is to examine why Chie reacted a certain way to Akira’s
proposal.
Choice A is incorrect because the first paragraph describes only one aspect of Japanese culture (marriage proposals) but not
the culture as a whole. Choice B is incorrect because the first paragraph implies a criticism of Akira’s individual marriage proposal
but not the entire tradition of Japanese marriage proposals. Choice C is incorrect because the narrator does not question a
suggestion.

QUESTION 8.
Choice B is the best answer. In line 1, the narrator suggests that Akira’s direct approach broke “all tradition.” The
narrator then wonders if Akira had “followed form,” or the tradition expected of him, would Chie have been more
receptive to his proposal. In this context, following “form” thus means following a certain tradition or custom.
Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because in this context “form” does not mean the way something looks (appearance),
the way it is built (structure), or its essence (nature).

QUESTION 9.
Choice C is the best answer. Akira states that his unexpected meeting with Chie occurred only because of a “matter of
urgency,” which he explains as “an opportunity to go to America, as dentist for Seattle’s Japanese community” (lines 41-42).
Akira decides to directly speak to Chie because Chie’s response to his marriage proposal affects whether Akira accepts
the job offer.
Choice A is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage that Akira is worried his parents will not approve of Naomi.
Choice B is incorrect because Akira has “an understanding” with Naomi (line 63). Choice D is incorrect; while Akira may
know that Chie is unaware of his feelings for Naomi, this is not what he is referring to when he mentions “a matter of
urgency.”

QUESTION 10.
Choice B is the best answer. In lines 39-42, Akira clarifies that the “mat- ter of urgency” is that he has “an opportunity
to go to America, as dentist for Seattle’s Japanese community.” Akira needs Chie’s answer to his marriage proposal so he
can decide whether to accept the job in Seattle.
Choices A, C, and D do not provide the best evidence for the answer to the previous question. Choice A is incorrect
because in line 39 Akira apologizes for interrupting Chie’s quiet evening. Choice C is incorrect because lines 58-59
address the seriousness of Akira’s request, not its urgency. Choice D is incorrect because line 73 shows only that Akira’s
proposal has “startled” Chie and does not explain why his request is time-sensitive.

QUESTION 11.
Choice A is the best answer. Lines 1-9 include examples of how many people shop (“millions of shoppers”), how
much money they spend (“over
$30 billion at retail stores in the month of December alone”), and the many occasions that lead to shopping for gifts
(“including weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and baby showers.”). Combined, these examples show how
frequently people in the US shop for gifts.
Choice B is incorrect because even though the authors mention that “$30 billion” had been spent in retail stores
in one month, that figure is never discussed as an increase (or a decrease). Choice C is incorrect because lines 1-9 provide
a context for the amount of shopping that occurs in the US, but the anxiety (or “dread”) it might cause is not introduced
until later in the passage. Choice D is incorrect because lines 1-9 do more than highlight the number of different
occasions that lead to gift-giving.

QUESTION 12.
Choice B is the best answer. Lines 9-10 state “This frequent experience of gift-giving can engender ambivalent
feelings in gift-givers.” In the sub- sequent sentences, those “ambivalent” feelings are further exemplified as conflicted
feelings, as shopping is said to be something that “[m]any relish” (lines 10-11) and “many dread” (line 14).
Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because in this context, “ambivalent” does not mean feelings that are unrealistic,
apprehensive, or supportive.

QUESTION 13.
Choice D is the best answer. In lines 10-13, the authors clearly state that some people believe gift-giving can help a
relationship because it “offers a powerful means to build stronger bonds with one’s closest peers.”
Choice A is incorrect because even though the authors state that some shoppers make their choices based on
“egocentrism,” (line 33) there is no evidence in the passage that people view shopping as a form of self- expression.
Choice B is incorrect because the passage implies that shopping is an expensive habit. Choice C is incorrect because the
passage states that most people have purchased and received gifts, but it never implies that peo- ple are required to
reciprocate the gift-giving process.

QUESTION 14.
Choice A is the best answer. In lines 10-13, the authors suggest that people value gift-giving because it may strengthen
their relationships with others: “Many relish the opportunity to buy presents because gift-giving offers a powerful
means to build stronger bonds with one’s closest peers.”
Choices B, C, and D do not provide the best evidence for the answer to the previous question. Choice B is incorrect
because lines 22-23 discuss how people often buy gifts that the recipients would not purchase. Choice C is incorrect
because lines 31-32 explain how gift-givers often fail to consider the recipients’ preferences. Choice D is incorrect
because lines 44-47 suggest that the cost of a gift may not correlate to a recipient’s appreciation of it.

QUESTION 15.
Choice A is the best answer. The “deadweight loss” mentioned in the second paragraph is the significant monetary
difference between what a gift-giver would pay for something and what a gift-recipient would pay for the same item.
That difference would be predictable to social psychologists, whose research “has found that people often struggle to
take account of others’ perspectives—their insights are subject to egocentrism, social projection, and multiple
attribution errors” (lines 31-34).
Choices B, C, and D are all incorrect because lines 31-34 make clear that social psychologists would expect a disconnect
between gift-givers and gift- recipients, not that they would question it, be disturbed by it, or find it sur- prising or
unprecedented.

QUESTION 16.
Choice C is the best answer. Lines 41-44 suggest that gift-givers assume a correlation between the cost of a gift
and how well-received it will be: “. . . gift-givers equate how much they spend with how much recipients will appreciate
the gift (the more expensive the gift, the stronger a gift-recipient’s feelings of appreciation).” However, the authors suggest
this assumption may be incorrect or “unfounded” (line 47), as gift-recipients “may not construe smaller and larger gifts as
representing smaller and larger signals of thought- fulness and consideration” (lines 63-65).
Choices A, B, and D are all incorrect because the passage neither states nor implies that the gift-givers’ assumption
is insincere, unreasonable, or substantiated.

QUESTION 17.
Choice C is the best answer. Lines 63-65 suggest that the assumption made by gift-givers in lines 41-44 may be
incorrect. The gift-givers assume that recipients will have a greater appreciation for costly gifts than for less costly gifts,
but the authors suggest this relationship may be incorrect, as gift- recipients “may not construe smaller and larger gifts
as representing smaller and larger signals of thoughtfulness and consideration” (lines 63-65).
Choices A and D are incorrect because lines 53-55 and 75-78 address the question of “why” gift-givers make
specific assumptions rather than address- ing the validity of these assumptions. Choice B is incorrect because
lines 55-60 focus on the reasons people give gifts to others.

QUESTION 18.
Choice D is the best answer. Lines 53-55 state that “Perhaps givers believe that bigger (i.e., more expensive)
gifts convey stronger signals of thought- fulness and consideration.” In this context, saying that more expensive
gifts “convey” stronger signals means the gifts send, or communicate, stronger signals to the recipients.
Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because in this context, to “convey” some- thing does not mean to transport it
(physically move something), coun- teract it (act in opposition to something), or exchange it (trade one thing
for another).

QUESTION 19.
Choice A is the best answer. The paragraph examines how gift-givers believe expensive gifts are more
thoughtful than less expensive gifts and will be more valued by recipients. The work of Camerer and others
offers an explanation for the gift-givers’ reasoning: “gift-givers attempt to signal their positive attitudes toward
the intended recipient and their willingness to invest resources in a future relationship” (lines 57-60).
Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because the theory articulated by Camerer and others is used to explain an idea
put forward by the authors (“givers believe that bigger . . . gifts convey stronger signals”), not to introduce an
argument, question a motive, or support a conclusion.

QUESTION 20.
Choice B is the best answer. The graph clearly shows that gift-givers believe that a “more valuable” gift will be
more appreciated than a “less valuable gift.” According to the graph, gift-givers believe the monetary value of a
gift will determine whether that gift is well received or not.
Choice A is incorrect because the graph does not suggest that gift-givers are aware of gift-recipients’ appreciation
levels. Choices C and D are incorrect because neither the gift-givers’ desire for the gifts they purchase nor the gift-
givers’ relationship with the gift-recipients is addressed in the graph.

QUESTION 21.
Choice A is the best answer. Lines 69-75 explain that while people are often both gift-givers and gift-receivers, they
struggle to apply information they learned as a gift-giver to a time when they were a gift-receiver: “Yet, despite the extensive
experience that people have as both givers and receivers, they often struggle to transfer information gained from one role
(e.g., as a giver) and apply it in another, complementary role (e.g., as a receiver).” The authors sug- gest that the disconnect
between how much appreciation a gift-giver thinks a gift merits and how much appreciation a gift-recipient displays for the
gift may be caused by both individuals’ inability to comprehend the other’s perspective.
Choices B and C are incorrect because neither the passage nor the graph addresses the idea that society has become
more materialistic or that there is a growing opposition to gift-giving. Choice D is incorrect because the pas- sage
emphasizes that gift-givers and gift-recipients fail to understand each other’s perspective, but it offers no evidence that
the disconnect results only from a failure to understand the other’s intentions.