Question

It can be inferred that the author of the passage considers traditional scholarly methods courses to be

• A. irrelevant to the work of most students
• B. inconsequential because of their narrow focus
• C. unconcerned about the accuracy of reference sources
• D. too superficial to establish important facts about authors
• E. too wide-ranging to approximate genuine scholarly activity

Hint:

Often, an author's opinion is best understood by looking at the contrast they create. What they praise in one thing reveals what they dislike about its opposite. Here, praising the "authentic" nature of the new course implies the old one is "inauthentic."

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question asks for the author's inferred opinion about the traditional courses that the experimental course was designed to replace.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
The author's opinion is revealed through the criticisms leveled against the traditional course and the praise given to the new one. We must find the key descriptive words used for each.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
- The author criticizes the "artificial aspects of the conventional course" and its "usual procedure of assigning a large number of small problems drawn from the entire range of historical periods." This establishes that the course is "wide-ranging."
- The author states this traditional procedure only "superficially familiarizing students" with sources.
- This is contrasted with the new course, which provides an "authentic experience of literary scholarship," also described as "genuine scholarly activity."
- Putting these pieces together, the author's view is that the traditional course, because it is too broad and wide-ranging, offers only a superficial experience that doesn't feel like real, genuine scholarship.
- Option (E) captures this criticism perfectly. The wide range is the cause, and the failure to approximate genuine activity is the effect.
- (B) is incorrect; the author criticizes their focus for being too broad, not too narrow.
- (D) is a possible consequence, but (E) better describes the fundamental problem according to the author: the lack of authenticity caused by the broad-survey design.
- (A) and (C) are not directly supported by the text.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The author implies that the traditional course's attempt to cover a vast range of topics makes the experience superficial and prevents students from engaging in what feels like genuine, focused scholarly work.