Foundations of Comprehension | Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills for MCAT PDF Download

Foundations of Comprehension -  Introduction

Understanding the Basic Components of the Text

• The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section includes fundamental questions that focus on the basic elements of the passages. These comprehension questions may require you to provide an overall summary of the passage or to analyze specific parts of the text. You might be asked to identify the author's main argument, the central theme or message of the passage, supporting examples, or instances where the author deviates from the main idea.
• To answer these questions effectively, it is essential to understand the purpose of different sections within the passage. You should be able to identify the thesis statement, recognize examples that support the main idea, and pinpoint statements that present arguments or assumptions. Authors often use rhetorical markers like "for example," "therefore," or "consequently" to indicate a sustained train of thought rather than an isolated detail.
• Additionally, you should be able to recognize when an author draws upon multiple sources to support their thesis or presents various perspectives within a single passage. It's important to pay attention to the perspective being presented: whether the author expresses their own viewpoint or includes verbatim quotations or restatements from other sources. Being mindful of these aspects will enhance your comprehension and analysis of the passages.

Inferring Meaning from Rhetorical Devices, Word Choice, and Text Structure

• In addition to the previously mentioned aspects, some questions in the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section may require you to infer meanings that are not explicitly stated in the text. These inferences involve understanding the implied ideas or intentions of the author, which may require a deeper analysis beyond a surface-level reading. Furthermore, you may need to analyze how the author has structured the text, such as identifying cause-and-effect relationships in behavioral sciences, chronological order in historical discussions, or point-counterpoint arguments in political science pieces. Recognizing the structure of the passage helps you grasp its purpose and understand how the different parts of the text are interconnected.
• Subtle rhetorical decisions made by the author can also play a significant role in shaping the meaning of a passage. Questions may require you to explain paradoxes, analyze highlighted words or phrases, or identify unexpected transitions in ideas. To answer such questions, you should examine the context surrounding specific sections of the passage. You might also be asked to identify points of view presented indirectly through authorial summaries or paraphrases. The author's choice of tone, whether humorous, authoritative, or satirical, contributes to or obscures the meaning of the passage and can often reveal its underlying purpose, such as persuading, instructing, informing, or entertaining. For instance, a satirical piece may initially appear to be purely entertaining, but closer examination often reveals its persuasive intent.
• At this level, some questions may require you to make assumptions based on the author's use of connotative language or figures of speech. These questions may involve information that is not explicitly stated in the passage, requiring you to infer the author's intended meaning. It is important to consider the author's expressed point of view and the extent to which they use summaries or paraphrases to introduce other perspectives.
• Lastly, questions may also focus on the ending of passages. You may be asked to determine whether the passage offers a definitive solution, a partial resolution, or a call for further research. The passage's conclusion could include a dramatic rhetorical statement or a humorous remark that leaves unanswered questions. Understanding how the different parts of the passage contribute to supporting the author's central thesis is crucial in addressing these types of questions effectively.

Sample Skills Passage and Questions

The exhibition titled "The Garry Winogrand Game of Photography" served as a powerful reminder of why Garry Winogrand is regarded as one of the most significant American photographers of the twentieth century. Despite the passage of time, his street photographs, particularly those taken in Midtown Manhattan during the 1950s and 1960s, have retained their dynamic immediacy. Furthermore, his captivating animal photographs offer astute insights into the human condition, while his images capturing the essence of American road trips deviate from the path laid out by Walker Evans and Robert Frank, taking the genre on an unexpected trajectory. Moreover, Winogrand's documentation of various public events, including antiwar demonstrations, art-world parties, and political press conferences, has contributed significantly to the visual record of midcentury United States history. While his initially unconventional compositions and trademark tilted-frame effect were initially dismissed for their apparent lack of formal strength, we now recognize the subtlety and unpredictability of his framing, as well as the intricate interplay he often achieves between narrative and form.

In organizing the exhibition, one of the curators, Richard Misrach, decided to shed light on an aspect of Winogrand's work that had received little attention: his color slides. Winogrand began experimenting with color photography in the 1950s and continued to do so until the late 1960s. The reasons behind his decision to stop shooting in color remain unknown, but it is possible that the difficulties and expenses associated with producing color prints, as well as their instability, played a role.

Misrach was particularly drawn to Winogrand's photographs taken at boxing matches in the 1950s, selecting eighteen such shots for the exhibition. In these images, the boxers' bodies are isolated against dark backgrounds, often fragmented by out-of-focus ropes that create a quasi-abstract effect across the frame. One particularly striking shot captures a boxer recoiling from a body blow, seemingly ascending into the surrounding void with an off-center composition that adds to its bizarre allure.

This small but captivating selection left viewers eager to see more of Winogrand's color work. However, it was the presentation of the color slides that sparked heated debates among the curators. Bill Jay expressed objections to showcasing the slides in any format due to the fact that they had never been edited by Winogrand himself. Unlike the prints in the archive, which had been selected for enlargement by the photographer from contact sheets, the slides had undergone no such process. Jay insisted that the archive's extensive collection of slides and unproofed negatives should be exclusively used for research purposes and should never be published or exhibited.

Misrach defended his decision by arguing that adhering strictly to "curatorial laws" would prevent the public from accessing the true hidden treasures within the archive. He also pointed out that Winogrand had given his photographs, slides, and negatives to the Center for Creative Photography without any conditions, implying consent for their display and publication. Misrach noted that if Winogrand had intended to keep his archive private, he could have simply chosen to destroy it. Indeed, as others noted, some photographers have deliberately destroyed their negatives to exert control over the fate of their work.

Furthermore, some curators emphasized the significance of posthumous discoveries of an artist's work. Taking the discussion to a broader context, one curator argued that artists are not always the best judges of their own work, citing the example of Franz Kafka requesting Max Brod to destroy his manuscripts, a request that Brod ignored to the benefit of the world's literary heritage.
Q.1. Which of the following best captures the main goal of the passage?
(a) To bring additional attention to Winogrand, unfairly neglected as an important American photographer
(b) To showcase the diversity of Winogrand’s subject matter and the genres he explored
(c) To describe the controversy over the appropriate use of Winogrand’s archival color slides
(d) To argue that art lovers and scholars have a right to see all of the work that Winogrand left after his death

Correct Answer is Option (c)
The passage primarily focuses on the exhibition of Garry Winogrand's photography and delves into the contentious discussion surrounding the display and publication of his color slides from the archive. It explores the differing viewpoints of curators regarding the inclusion of the slides in the exhibition, with one curator arguing that the slides should only be used for research purposes, while another curator defends their display, highlighting the absence of conditions imposed by Winogrand on his archive. Thus, the main goal of the passage is to describe the controversy over the proper utilization of Winogrand's archival color slides.

Q.2. The author’s use of the term kinetic immediacy (paragraph 1) to describe Winogrand’s photographs most likely refers to the photographs’:
(a) ability to capture the hustle and bustle of the city.
(b) incorporation of roadside scenes.
(c) historically significant details and context.
(d) unique compositional strategies

Correct Answer is Option (a)
The term "kinetic immediacy" used by the author in paragraph 1 refers to the dynamic and energetic quality of Winogrand's photographs. It suggests that his images effectively capture the liveliness and fast-paced nature of the urban environment, particularly in Midtown Manhattan during the 1950s and 1960s. This aligns with option (a), which describes the ability of the photographs to depict the hustle and bustle of the city.