501 Critical Reading Questions

Critical Reading Questions

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201.
e.
Hedged
(line 63) can mean hindered or hemmed in, but in this
instance, it most nearly means evaded. The author suggests in
lines 62–67 that the report evaded a risk by calling smoking a
habit rather than an addiction.
202.
b.
The author’s statement implies that the report could have sug-
gested specific actions to confront the health problem of smoking,
but that it did not.
203.
b.
The author describes the influence of the report in positive terms
except to mention that it did not give recommendations for reme-
dial actions.
204.
c.
An 
adage
is a word used to describe a common observation or say-
ing, like 
beauty is only skin deep
(Passage 2, line 1).
205.
c.
The author states that 
the health risk for cosmetic procedures is low
(Passage 1, lines 24–25) but does not give factual information to
back this claim. The statement is important to the author’s argu-
ment because he or she cites it as one of the reasons his or her
attitude toward plastic surgery has changed.
206.
e.
The author describes cosmetic plastic surgeons as 
slick salespeople
reaping large financial rewards from others’ insecurity and vanity
(Pas-
sage 1, lines 17–18).
207.
d.
The author of Passage 1 directly invokes the audience he or she
hopes to reach in line 31: 
members of the medical community.
208.
d.
One definition of 
saturate
is to satisfy fully; another definition,
which fits the context of the passage, is to fill completely with
something that permeates or pervades.
209.
b.
The author of Passage 2 claims that she grew up in 
the spirit of
feminism
(lines 10–11), 
believ[ing] that women should be valued for
who they are and what they do, not for how they look
(lines 12–13).
The author implies that this is a belief held by feminists of the
1970s.
210.
a.
The author of Passage 1, a physician, discusses his or her profes-
sional jealousy in lines 14–21. The author of Passage 2 does not
raise this issue.
211.
d.
Passage 1 states that the demand for cosmetic surgery has
increased in part 
because the job market has become more competitive
(line 6). Passage 2 comments on 
a competitive culture where looks
count
(line 24).
212.