Q10

[yoohoo081]

I got this question right (after narrowing it down), but I was wondering why E is the best answer?

I can see the skepticism in B toward A, but I wasn't sure if it was "pointed". I immediately crossed out A & B, so I kept staring at pure neutrality and general ambivalence, but those two attitudes seem even furthur off.

Please clarify this "pointed skeptism" please.
Thank you,

[daniel.g.winter]

I got this question right (after narrowing it down), but I was wondering why E is the best answer?

I can see the skepticism in B toward A, but I wasn't sure if it was "pointed". I immediately crossed out A & B, so I kept staring at pure neutrality and general ambivalence, but those two attitudes seem even furthur off.

Please clarify this "pointed skeptism" please.
Thank you,

You should have gotten this by process of elimination. A and B both say agreement which is clearly wrong. In the same manner, C and D are almost saying the same thing - ambivalence means he has no opinion, pretty much the same thing as neutrality, though not exactly. Since the author of Passage B definitely has an opinion, and a strong one at that, C and D are clearly out as well, leaving E.

[maryadkins]

Good discussion/explanation. "Pointed" skepticism just means direct. Since Author B has a direct and unambiguous opinion, "pointed" works. But more importantly, you were able to knock out A-D for sure--and for good reasons--so don't worry about getting too hung up on the precise meaning of the adjective here.