Paired passages are a set of short passages about a common topic that say different things about it. Your task is to determine what relationship there is between the two texts. Usually, you will have to say how they differ, either partly or entirely, but you might also see a “general-specific” structure in which Passage A introduces a topic and Passage B focuses on one aspect of it. You can be certain that the passages do not agree completely with one another, but any other kind of relationship is possible.
Note that some questions will ask you to infer what the author of one passage would say in response to the other passage.
Here’s an example:
Passage A
New Year’s resolutions sound like a great idea, but do they really work? Research shows that about ninety percent of people toss them into their mental trash piles before the month is out. This makes sense, because no one who is serious about self-improvement waits until a pre-determined date to get started! Besides, most resolutions are really just wishful thinking. Resolving to exercise three times a week isn’t going to make getting to the gym any easier. Instead, it will just make you feel like a failure. So, be kind to your inner self. Instead of setting yourself up to fail, skip the whole process and continue to strive to be the best you can be every day, regardless of the calendar.
Passage B
It’s true that most people fail to keep New Year’s resolutions, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still make them. Setting goals for self-betterment is always an optimistic act because it acknowledges your current imperfection while also reminding you that you don’t have to live with things you don’t like about yourself. However, it’s a good idea to think intentionally about what you resolve. In other words, don’t just resolve to lose weight. Instead, resolve to undertake certain concrete activities that you can track and measure, like working up to 10,000 steps a day or eliminating juice from your diet. That way, the resolution isn’t just something you say on January 1, but something to work on all year.
Which statement best describes the relationship between the two passages?
a. Passage A says that New Year’s resolutions set people up to fail, and Passage B says that setting concrete goals helps people to stick to their resolutions.
b. Passage A says that New Year’s resolutions fail because the January 1 start date feels contrived, and Passage B says that people should make resolutions year-round.
c. Passage A says that New Year’s resolutions just reinforce our negative expectations of ourselves, and Passage B says that we bring our failures on ourselves.
d. Passage A says that New Year’s resolutions are bound to fail because they aren’t spontaneous, and Passage B says that even the best resolutions will probably fail.
e. Passage A says that New Year’s resolutions only make sense for people who like working out on a regular basis and Passage B says that they work best for those who already have a workout routine.
Correct: Passage A says that New Year’s resolutions set people up to fail, and Passage B says that setting concrete goals helps people to stick to their resolutions is the correct answer. The main idea of Passage A is that most resolutions fail because they are too nebulous to be actionable. Passage B says that taking concrete, measurable steps helps people stick to their resolutions.
Passage A says that New Year’s resolutions fail because the January 1 start date feels contrived, and Passage B says that people should make resolutions year-round is incorrect because Passage B does not say that people should make resolutions at any time of the year. Instead, it suggests steps that may help people stick to their resolutions throughout the year.
Passage A says that New Year’s resolutions just reinforce our negative expectations of ourselves, and Passage B that we bring our failures on ourselves is incorrect because Passage B does not say that people “bring our failures on ourselves. Instead, it says that working to stick to resolutions is most effective if the resolution includes taking specific steps.
Passage A says that New Year’s resolutions are bound to fail because they aren’t spontaneous, and Passage B says that even the best resolutions will probably fail is incorrect because it’s nonsense and misstates what both passages say.
Passage A says that New Year’s resolutions only make sense for people who like working out on a regular basis and Passage B says that they work best for those who already have a workout routine is incorrect because both passages use exercise as an example to prove their points.