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Describe |
Evaluate |
Persude |
| Humanities |
Newspaper article on Harlem Renaissance |
Book review of Margaret Atwood novel |
Essay arguing that the romance is a distinctly American literary genre |
| Social Science |
Textbook Section on Civil War |
Newspaper opinion column about a politician’s economic plan |
Environmentalist’s op-ed piece arguing for tighter controls on the
use of a new chemical |
| Science |
Museum pamphlet on volcanoes |
Commentary in a physics journal on a new plan for solar power |
A scientist’s explanation of why he believes the Big Bang Theory
is wrong |
| Business |
Newspaper account of the collapse of the real estate market |
Harvard Business Review assessment of a new theory of corporate leadership |
A corporate manager’s letter to a newspaper defending his company
against accusations of mismanagement |
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Review this passage as an example.
During our discussion of the 5 Questions, we’ll use this
passage as an example:
One of the most persistently
troubling parts of national domestic policy is the development
and use of water resources. Because the technology of water
management involves similar construction skills, whether
the task is the building of an ocean jetty for protection
of shipping or the construction of a river dam for flood
control and irrigation, the issues of water policy have
mingled problems of navigation and agriculture. A further
inherent complexity of water policy is the frequent conflict
between flood control and irrigation and between requirements
for abundance and those for scarcity of water. Both problems
exist in America, often in the same river basins; one is
most typically the problem of the lower part of the basin
and the other the problem of the upper part.
Then there are the problems of cities located along the major American rivers,
not infrequently directly on the very flood plains of highly erratic streams.
In the arid parts of the land it has recently become clear that climate
varies over time, with irregular periods of serious drought followed by
wet periods marked by occasional floods. The problems of land and water,
then, are inherently difficult. For this reason alone, shortcomings and
failures have probably been inevitable. Moreover, in the scale of the undertakings
that have been attempted involving on occasion no less than the reversal
of stream flow and the altering of the natural features of whole river basins,
it is inevitable.
Nevertheless, the most startling fact about the history of water projects
in the United States is the degree to which their shortcomings have been
associated with administrative failures. Again and again these shortcomings
have proved to be the consequences of inadequate study of water flow: of
soil, of factors other than construction technology and of faulty organization.
In 1959, the Senate Select Committee on National Water resources found that
twenty different national commissions or committees charged with examining
these problems and seeking solutions had emphasized with remarkable consistency
the need for coordination among agencies dealing with water. |
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First, is it humanities, social science, science, or business? While
there’s some business (administrative failings), it contains
a mix of social science (role of government) and science (environment
science about problems in water management). It is on the borderline
between science and social science. It has a couple of challenges
common to science passages: Jargon/Scientific
terminology: flood control, river basins, construction technology,
etc.. . If this were a real passage, you might struggle between calling
it social science or science. Don’t spend excessive time classifying
passages by category. The categories are there to help you know what
challenges to expect and to get a handle on the essay, not to distract
you from the task at hand.
Second, does it Describe, Evaluate, or Persuade? If you made a snap judgment
after paragraphs 1 and 2, you might say Describe. Actually, the author is analyzing
the problems in water management and comes to a conclusion in paragraph 3, so
it’s an Evaluate passage.
SUMMARY
Answer 5 questions while you read. Answering these questions
should become second nature.
Question 1. What is the Passage Type?
Question 2. What is each paragraph about?
Question 3. What is the Organization?
Question 4. What is the Big Idea?
Question 5. What is the author’s purpose?
There are two types of classifications. Every passage is
a combination of the two.
Subject: Humanities, Social Sciences,
Sciences, Business
Purpose: Describe, Evaluate, Persuade |
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