MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Question 118: Answer and Explanation

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Test Information

Question: 118

5. The primary purpose of the passage is most nearly:

  • A. to describe the unique characteristics and challenges of the sport of basketball.
  • B. to defend the ideas offered in Leonard Koppett's All About Basketball against his critics.
  • C. to compare and contrast basketball players and musicians.
  • D. to describe the crucial role of the referee in a basketball game.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

A This is a Main Idea/Primary Purpose question.

A: Yes. This choice can include all of the author's major points, without going beyond the scope of the passage.

B: No. This option is too narrow; also, the author never makes mention of any critics of Koppett's ideas.

C: No. This answer might be tempting, since so much of the passage is devoted to comparing basketball and jazz. But since the answer frames it in terms of "comparing and contrasting basketball players and musicians," it misrepresents the focus of the passage, which is on the sport of basketball itself not just the players.

D: No. This choice is too narrow. Referees are only discussed in paragraph 2, and the rest of the passage isn't given in support of the author's claims about referees in that paragraph.

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