GRE Reading Comprehension

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Source: XDF

In Hardy's novels, various impulses were sacrificed to each other inevitably and often. Inevitably, because Hardy did not care in the way that novelists such as Flaubert or James cared, and therefore took paths of least resistance. Thus, one impulse often surrendered to a fresher one and, unfortunately, instead of exacting a compromise, simply disappeared. A desire to throw over reality a light that never was might give way abruptly to the desire on the part of what we might consider a novelist-scientist to record exactly and concretely the structure and texture of a flower. In this instance, the new impulse was at least an energetic one, and thus its indulgence did not result in a relaxed style. But on other occasions Hardy abandoned a perilous, risky, and highly energizing impulse in favor of what was for him the fatally relaxing impulse to classify and schematize abstractly. When a relaxing impulse was indulged, the style一that sure index of an author's literary worth一was certain to become verbose.

Question List: 1 2 3

Which of the following statements best describes the onganization of the passage ("Thus....abstractly")？

  • A The author makes a disapproving observation and then presents two cases, one of which leads to a qualification of his disapproval and the other of which does not.
  • B The author draws a conclusion from a previous statement, explains his conclusion in detail, and then gives a series of examples that have the effect of resolving an inconsistency.
  • C The author concedes a point and then makes a counterargument, using an extended comparison and contrast that qualifies his original concession.
  • D The author makes a judgment, points out an exception to his judgment, and then contradicts his original assertion.
  • E The author summarizes and explains an argument and then advances a brief history of opposing arguments.

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