The primary purpose of the passage is to

• Detail a solution to a problem

• Critique a common practice

• Point out a discrepancy in a theory

• Describe the origin of a movement

• Justify a widely held belief

One contrast presented in the first paragraph (lines 1 - 5) is between

• Talkative and uncommunicative children

• Graceful and clumsy movement

• Formal and informal learning

• Substantive and superficial mistakes

• Mandatory and optional instruction

In the course of the second paragraph (lines 6 - 21) the focus of the argument shifts from

• Foreigners' language acquisition to foreigners' adoption of local customs

• Adults view of children to children's view of themselves

• Older children's learning to infants' learning

• Children's independent learning to adults' instruction of children

• Adults' language acquisition to children's learning in general

The author's word choice in lines 14-16 ("Yet this.... elders") serves which of the following functions?

• It helps establish a characterization of children as playthings

• It emphasizes the pleasures of the domestic family unit

• It reveals the author's bias towards older generations in families.

• It questions the authority of parents and other relatives

• It presents a family dynamic from the children's perspective

In context, the word "sport" (line 15) is best interpreted to mean

• Competition

• Entertainment

• Politeness

• Instruction

• Struggle

Which of the following best describes the rhetorical function of the third paragraph (lines 22 - 25)?

• It makes an urgent appeal to the authority of experts

• It offers a stern retort to the author's critics

• It makes a concession to an opposing point of view

• It restates the author's argument at a transitional place in the passage

• It introduces a claim that is undermined in the following paragraph

The primary function of the anecdote recounted in the fourth and fifth paragraphs (lines 26-41) is to

• Emphasize a point by presenting an absurd example

• Reinforce readers' preconceived ideas in order to underscore a truism

• Present a hypothetical case that challenges the author's argument

• Transcribe dialogue between two people to make the argument more realistic

• Offer a model of etiquette for readers to emulate

In the sixth paragraph (lines 42 - 56), the author advances her argument by

• Offering and then eliminating potential explanations

• Acknowledging and then accepting common assumptions

• Recognizing and then conceding to several challenges to her reasoning

• Identifying and then examining the motivations of different groups of people

• Introducing and then elaborating on examples from her own personal experiences

The author's tone in lines 42-45 ("Now why.... the insulter") can be best described as

• Defensive

• Witty

• Elated

• Exasperated

• Ingratiating

According to the author, "the obvious ground" (lines 46-47) can be ruled out because it

• Makes unfounded claims about the seriousness of an infraction

• Relies on a distinction that is actually rather subtle

• Cannot be generalized to other similar situations

• Is too simple an explanation for such a complex issue

• Does not account for the widespread occurrence of a behavior