Q13

[sbuzzetto10]

So for this main point questions, I eliminated C because it said the finding could someday be extended to a complete solution of the dark matter problem and I think that is way too strong and unsupported. The last paragraph says that the discoveries regarding neutrinos may add to our understanding. I felt that the use of the words "may" and "add to" were good cause to eliminate C. The neutrinos only account for 20% of the dark matter, so this alone cannot be extended to a complete solution. There was nothing indicating a complete solution, in fact I thought it kind of inferred that a complete solution given the evidence we have is not possible.

I chose A because I had eliminated all other choices for being too narrow or contradicting the passage. I realize it does not embody enough of the passage but given the choice between A and C where C is unsupported I chose A.

Could someone explain why C is correct? When can we safely eliminate something that doesn't correctly match up?

Thanks so much!

[giladedelman]

Great question! One thing I've noticed is that we have to be a little more cautious on synthesis questions, because the right answer is almost never perfect; in fact, as in this case, it's a little flawed! We have to remember that our job is to pick the best answer, which more often really means picking the least bad one.

So, we know that this passage is mainly about how neutrinos have been proposed as an answer to the dark matter question. That means that the correct answer to this "main point" question has to talk about neutrinos. It just has to.

For that reason, we absolutely must eliminate (A). This answer just talks about the dark matter problem. It's just some of the background information in the passage. It doesn't mention neutrinos at all! Surely the main point of this passage isn't just that we haven't been able to account for all the gravity in the universe. That's just the problem that leads into the discussion of neutrinos.

(B) is wrong because the passage doesn't suggest that our understanding of gravity is mistaken, just that our knowledge of the universe is incomplete.

(D) is way too narrow, and also, the passage doesn't say that oscillation proves they have mass, just that it suggests it.

(E) is the exact opposite of what the passage is getting at.

So that leaves us with (C): "Indirect evidence suggesting that neutrinos have mass may allow neutrinos to account for up to 20 percent of dark matter, a finding that could someday be extended to a complete solution of the dark matter problem."

You're right that "a complete solution" is more extreme than what the passage says. It doesn't contradict it, though; the passage says this can add to our understanding, which may or may not lead to a complete solution somewhere down the line. Anyway, crucially, this is the only answer that covers all our bases: it identifies the dark matter problem, and talks about how the indirect evidence that neutrinos have mass could give a partial solution to that problem.

So, again, on synthesis questions, be prepared to pick an answer you don't love. But make sure the one you pick expresses the main point, rather than some supportable but way-too-narrow point from the passage.

Does that help at all?

[sbuzzetto10]

Yes, definitely! Thanks. On main point questions, I often eliminate those that I deem unsupported first so that's why I eliminated C but I understand what you're saying and it definitely explains why C is correct and A is not.