Question

PART A

In this passage from Woman on the Other Shore, how does the author create a sense of sympathy for Sayoko?

A. by limiting information about Sayoko’s circumstances

B. by emphasizing Sayoko’s rambling and disconnected thoughts

C. by highlighting Sayoko’s misunderstanding of her situation

D. by focusing almost completely on Sayoko’s thoughts and observations

I chose C

PART B

Select three pieces of evidence from the passage that illustrate the effect in the answer to Part A.

A. “She saw that they were following the lead of one woman in particular, and although they were careful not to be too open about it, avoiding any obvious snubs, they were in effect ostracizing one of the other mothers.” (paragraph 1)

B. “It didn’t mean they thought she was a bad person. They would naturally assume that someone as much older as she was would have different perspectives and be harder to open up to.” (paragraph 1)

C. “Even so, once she realized what was going on, Sayoko found it depressing to go to the park, and she gave up the daily outings for a while.” (paragraph 2)

D. “But it’s not like we’re hopping around by choice, she muttered as if making excuses to someone as she left the house with Akari in search of each new park. We’re just trying to find a park where we can feel at home.” (paragraph 4)

E. “This particular park, about a twenty-minute walk from their building, was the largest they’d found in their travels, and it drew a more mixed crowd than the communities of young mothers Sayoko had found so characteristic of the smaller parks. Here she saw fathers walking their babies, or older folks playing with their grandchildren, and even the mothers were much more varied in age and dress.” (paragraph 5)

F. “Not only that, but, as a matter of courtesy, all the grownups ignored each other; nobody ever tried to talk to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. Deciding she preferred it that way, Sayoko had been bringing her daughter here for nearly six months now.” (paragraph 5)

G. “Now and again tears would flow in a dispute over a toy, but even then the grownups tried hard not to get involved. It seemed to be an unwritten rule at this park.” (paragraph 6)

Answer 1

from Woman on the Other Shore

by Mitsuyo Kakuta, translated by Wayne P. Lammers

But as time passed, Sayoko began to notice a certain cliquishness among some of the young mothers who came to the park. She saw that they were following the lead of one woman in particular, and although they were careful not to be too open about it, avoiding any obvious snubs, they were in effect ostracizing one of the other mothers. Being over thirty herself, Sayoko was noticeably more advanced in age than most of the women, so she could accept that they might think she didn’t fit in. It didn’t mean they thought she was a bad person. They would naturally assume that someone as much older as she was would have different perspectives and be harder to open up to. It was an entirely understandable response, really.
Even so, once she realized what was going on, Sayoko found it depressing to go to the park, and she gave up the daily outings for a while. But then it wasn’t long before she started feeling guilty about keeping her daughter cooped up at home all the time. She worried that without the park and its opportunities for meeting other children, her little girl might never develop the social skills she needed.
And so Sayoko and Akari had spent the last two years slowly making the rounds of every park within walking distance of their condominium. Once they’d been going to Park A long enough for Sayoko to identify the social dynamics of the mothers who gathered there, they moved on to Park B. Fortunately, there was no shortage of parks large and small within range of their building.
Sayoko learned that people who wandered from park to park this way were known as “park hoppers.” But it’s not like we’re hopping around by choice, she muttered as if making excuses to someone as she left the house with Akari in search of each new park. We’re just trying to find a park where we can feel at home.
This particular park, about a twenty-minute walk from their building, was the largest they’d found in their travels, and it drew a more mixed crowd than the communities of young mothers Sayoko had found so characteristic of the smaller parks. Here she saw fathers walking their babies, or older folks playing with their grandchildren, and even the mothers were much more varied in age and dress. Not only that, but, as a matter of courtesy, all the grownups ignored each other; nobody ever tried to talk to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. Deciding she preferred it that way, Sayoko had been bringing her daughter here for nearly six months now.
Of course, even if the grownups kept to themselves, the little ones usually made friends. While their parents buried their noses in books or fiddled with cameras nearby, the children thrown together in the midst of all the play equipment gradually gravitated toward one another and began playing with kids they’d never seen before. Now and again tears would flow in a dispute over a toy, but even then the grownups tried hard not to get involved. It seemed to be an unwritten rule at this park.
Digging in the sand with her plastic shovel, Akari paused to watch two girls her age playing house in the middle of the large sandbox. One of them wore a red T-shirt, the other a sunflower-print dress, and they were giggling and chattering over a set of colorful plastic dishes, their voices ringing crisply into the air. A little boy tottered up from the far side of the sandbox and eyed them as if wanting to be included. At first they just stared back, but then the girl in the sunflower print picked up a fork and handed it to him, affecting what must have been the mannerisms of her own mother.
While pretending not to watch, Sayoko kept a surreptitious eye on the threesome in the middle of the sandbox and on Akari shoveling all by herself in one corner. Every so often she saw her daughter cast a glance toward the others, then quickly go back to her digging.
Sayoko often marveled at how much the daughter took after the mother. No matter how badly the girl wanted to join a game, she was too shy to simply walk up and ask if she could play, so she waited timidly nearby, hoping to be invited. Of course, children seldom noticed such things, and by the time Akari cast her next sidelong glance, the others might have run off to play somewhere else. As Sayoko watched Akari’s eyes dart back and forth, she invariably recognized in them the movements of her own eyes. This was exactly how she’d looked at the mothers in all those other parks, where she’d found it so hard to fit in. And each time she realized this, it gave her a deep sense of failure as a mother. If only she were a more self-confident and outgoing parent who could strike up easy conversations with whomever she met, pretending not to notice the walls that cliques tried to erect, then surely Akari would be growing into a more self-confident and outgoing child as well.
“Woman on the Other Shore” copyright © 2004 by Mitsuyo Kakuta. English translation copyright © 2007 by Wayne P. Lammers. Used by permission of The Michael Staley Agency, Inc. All rights reserved.

Answer 2

@AP

Answer 3

@AP

Answer 4

I'm not positive about this one, but I do think Part A is C.) as you said

Answer 5

What do you think the 3 choices are for Part B @bill533

Answer 6

B, C, and G

Answer 7

C.) is correct, but I'd say B.) and G.) are not

Answer 8

so which are correct ?

Answer 9

One sec lmao I'm getting all of the letters confused

Answer 10

lol

Answer 11

Okay, so B.) and G.) are incorrect

Answer 12

ok which are

Answer 13

You have A.), D.), E.), and F.) left. Look over them again.
Which two do you think are correct?

Answer 14

A and F

Answer 15

A.) is correct

Answer 16

D.) Is the last one that is correct. F.) is not.

Answer 17

Explain whether the author successfully supports the claim made in the title of the excerpt. Support your answer with relevant and specific details from the excerpt.

• Read the question carefully.

• Explain your answer.

• Add supporting details.

• Double-check your work.

Answer 18

Energy Drinks Promise Edge, but Experts Say Proof Is Scant
by Barry Meier
1 Energy drinks are the fastest-growing part of the beverage industry, with sales in the United States reaching more than $10 billion in 2012—more than Americans spent on iced tea or sports beverages like Gatorade.

2 Their rising popularity represents a generational shift in what people drink, and reflects a successful campaign to convince consumers, particularly teenagers, that the drinks provide a mental and physical edge.

3 The drinks are now under scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration after reports of deaths and serious injuries that may be linked to their high caffeine levels. But however that review ends, one thing is clear, interviews with researchers and a review of scientific studies show: the energy drink industry is based on a brew of ingredients that, apart from caffeine, have little, if any benefit for consumers.

4 “If you had a cup of coffee you are going to affect metabolism in the same way,” said Dr. Robert W. Pettitt, an associate professor at Minnesota State University in Mankato, who has studied the drinks.

5 Energy drink companies have promoted their products not as caffeine-fueled concoctions but as specially engineered blends that provide something more. For example, producers claim that “Red Bull gives you wings,” that Rockstar Energy is “scientifically formulated” and Monster Energy is a “killer energy brew.” Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, a Democrat, has asked the government to investigate the industry’s marketing claims.

6 Promoting a message beyond caffeine has enabled the beverage makers to charge premium prices. A 16-ounce energy drink that sells for $2.99 a can contains about the same amount of caffeine as a tablet of NoDoz that costs 30 cents. Even Starbucks coffee is cheap by comparison; a 12-ounce cup that costs $1.85 has even more caffeine.

7 As with earlier elixirs, a dearth of evidence underlies such claims. Only a few human studies of energy drinks or the ingredients in them have been performed and they point to a similar conclusion, researchers say—that the beverages are mainly about caffeine.

8 Caffeine is called the world’s most widely used drug. A stimulant, it increases alertness, awareness and, if taken at the right time, improves athletic performance, studies show. Energy drink users feel its kick faster because the beverages are typically swallowed quickly or are sold as concentrates.

9 “These are caffeine delivery systems,” said Dr. Roland Griffiths, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University who has studied energy drinks. “They don’t want to say this is equivalent to a NoDoz because that is not a very sexy sales message.”

10 A scientist at the University of Wisconsin became puzzled as he researched an ingredient used in energy drinks like Red Bull, 5-Hour Energy and Monster Energy. The researcher, Dr. Craig A. Goodman, could not find any trials in humans of the additive, a substance with the tongue-twisting name of glucuronolactone that is related to glucose, a sugar. But Dr. Goodman, who had studied other energy drink ingredients, eventually found two 40-year-old studies from Japan that had examined it.

11 In the experiments, scientists injected large doses of the substance into laboratory rats. Afterward, the rats swam better. “I have no idea what it does in energy drinks,” Dr. Goodman said.

12 Energy drink manufacturers say it is their proprietary formulas, rather than specific ingredients, that provide users with physical and mental benefits. But that has not prevented them from implying otherwise.

13 Consider the case of taurine, an additive used in most energy products.

14 On its Web site, the producer of Red Bull, for example, states that “more than 2,500 reports have been published about taurine and its physiological effects,” including acting as a “detoxifying agent.” In addition, that company, Red Bull of Austria, points to a 2009 safety study by a European regulatory group that gave it a clean bill of health.

15 But Red Bull’s Web site does not mention reports by that same group, the European Food Safety Authority, which concluded that claims about the benefits in energy drinks lacked scientific support. Based on those findings, the European Commission has refused to approve claims that taurine helps maintain mental function and heart health and reduces muscle fatigue.

16 Taurine, an amino acidlike substance that got its name because it was first found in the bile of bulls, does play a role in bodily functions, and recent research suggests it might help prevent heart attacks in women with high cholesterol. However, most people get more than adequate amounts from foods like meat, experts said. And researchers added that those with heart problems who may need supplements would find far better sources than energy drinks.

17 A spokeswoman for Red Bull did not respond directly to the European marketing claims report but said that the company did “not make claims for individual ingredients but rather for the product in its entirety.”

18 To woo consumers, companies have also used another tactic—including huge amounts of well-known nutrients that make for eye-catching numbers on labels.

19 For example, a two-ounce bottle of 5-Hour Energy contains 500 micrograms of Vitamin B12, or 8,333 percent of the recommended daily allowance. The energy shot also has 20 times the recommended intake of Vitamin B6.

20 B-group vitamins serve many functions, such as in the digestion of food. But several experts said that healthy people get adequate amounts of them from food and that huge added dosages do not provide benefits.

21 “They are not going to increase energy levels,” said Paul R. Thomas, a scientific adviser with the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.

22 Elaine Lutz, a spokeswoman for the distributor of 5-Hour Energy, Living Essentials of Farmington Hills, Mich., said the amounts of B vitamins used were safe and effective. “The body is going to use what it needs and it is going to excrete what it does not absorb,” said Ms. Lutz.

23 The sugar found in some drinks does provide a quick source of energy. But as for glucuronolactone, the additive that made rats swim better, the authors of a recent report in a scientific journal, Nutrition Reviews, said they were clueless as to why it was used in the products or what it did.

24 “Certainly, this is one ingredient for which evidence-based studies are needed to justify its popularity,” wrote the researchers. That same review, which examined all published energy drink studies, also concluded that there was an “overwhelming lack of evidence to substantiate claims” that drink ingredients, apart from caffeine and sugar, provided any benefits.

25 The roots of the energy drink phenomenon—and the claims surrounding ingredient mixes— can be traced to Japan. Those origins appear tied to the emergence of supposed cure-alls after World War II, a time when drugs there were in short supply.

26 In the late 1940s, Taisho Pharmaceuticals, a Japanese drug maker, began selling taurine extract, apparently drawn to it by accounts citing its wartime use by the Japanese Imperial Navy to reduce fatigue among sailors and sharpen their vision at night, a history of the drug company states. “A formula that is so effective in treating unexplained fevers, neuralgia, fatigue, whooping cough and other conditions for which there is no drug is very rare indeed,” an advertisement for the extract declared.

27 But around 1960, Taisho executives decided to use taurine in a new product, one that helped start the energy drink industry—Lipovitan D.

28 Lipovitan D, which was sold in a small vial, contained 50 milligrams of caffeine, 1,000 milligrams of taurine, various B vitamins and flavorings. The product, which was sold cold in drugstores, was a huge success during Japan’s economic boom years, particularly with overworked office employees.

29 However, 50 years and 34 billion bottles later, Taisho officials acknowledged they had not run a single clinical study involving Lipovitan D.

30 “Taurine is added to Lipovitan D not so much for specific medicinal benefits but for its multifaceted functions,” said Dr. Takanori Kouchiwa, a Taisho executive.

31 It was also in the 1960s that a product appeared in Thailand that was similar to Lipovitan D in its ingredient mix. It was called Krating Daeng (pronounced grating deng), or Red Bull. An Austrian businessman named Dietrich Mateschitz reportedly discovered it when trying to cure a case of jet lag and, in 1987, he and the drink’s Thai creator founded Red Bull.

32 Red Bull quickly became popular in Europe with truck drivers and students and as a mixer for alcoholic drinks. It arrived in the United States in the late 1990s and soon inspired hundreds of competitors. In 2002, for example, Monster Energy was marketed in a 16-ounce can, twice as large as Red Bull’s 8-ounce can and with twice as much caffeine.

33 Over the years, some producers have financed scientific studies to try to bolster performance claims. A British researcher, Dr. Chris Alford, said that Red Bull approached him about a decade ago while he was doing work on the ability of stimulants to reduce fatigue in drivers.

34 In 2001, Dr. Alford, a psychologist at the University of the West of England in Bristol who has received financing from Red Bull, published a study that found test participants given the energy drink had better reaction times, were more alert and showed increased physical endurance than test subjects given a placebo like flavored water. But studies like Dr. Alford’s, researchers say, only underscore caffeine’s known benefits. And more recent attempts to tease out the impacts of drink ingredients have produced mixed results.

“Energy Drinks Promise Edge, but Experts Say Proof Is Scant” by Barry Meier, from The New York Times (January 1, 2013). Copyright 2013 by The New York Times. Reprinted by permission of The New York Times.

Answer 19

What have you written so far?

Answer 20

I haven't written well

Answer 21

could you do it, it's the last one