Mr. Osama Ahmad February 17, 2025 8 min read

College Board Blue Book | Test 7 | Module 2 Hard | Domain 1 | Hans Castorp

Digital SAT Reading: Analyzing "Strongly Suggest" Questions (Test 7, Module 2)

TTA Pro: Guide to Digital SAT Reading | Domain 1 | Hans Castorp

Welcome back, beautiful people. It's your TTA pro, Mr. O, back with another episode.

Today, we're going to be solving question seven of the College Board Blue Book app, test 7, module 2, the hard module. Now we're going to be only focusing on this question today because it was a hard question.

Digital SAT Hard Module 2 Reading Questions

Question 7.

The following text is from Thomas Mann’s 1924 novel The Magic Mountain, translated by John E. Woods in 1995.

• The story of Hans Castorp that we intend to tell here—not for his sake (for the reader will come to know him as a perfectly ordinary, if engaging young man), but for the sake of the story itself, which seems to us to be very much worth telling (although in Hans Castorp’s favor it should be noted that it is his story, and that not every story happens to everybody)—is a story that took place long ago, and is, so to speak, covered with the patina of history and must necessarily be told with verbs whose tense is that of the deepest past.

What does the text most strongly suggest about the story of Hans Castorp?

  1. Though it is true that stories of even the most uninteresting people are themselves interesting because all people are unique, the reason this story is interesting is nonetheless difficult to understand because of the passage of time.
  2. Even though it is a story of a person of no particular importance, its age and the manner in which it therefore must be told are both indicators that the story itself is important.
  3. Like all stories about the lives of inconsequential people, this story must necessarily be related in a particular way if the reason the story is consequential is to be made evident to the audience.
  4. It is a remarkable story that happened to an unremarkable person, though one could plausibly argue that because the story is valuable, some of its value accrues to the person at its center.

Context and Inference Breakdown:

  • The question asks what the text "most strongly suggests" about the story. This means we need to make an *inference* – a conclusion based on evidence, not just a direct statement.
  • The text emphasizes that the story is being told "not for [Hans's] sake... but for the sake of the story itself." This is a HUGE clue. The story is important *in itself*, regardless of Hans.
  • The parenthetical aside "(for the reader will come to know him as a perfectly ordinary, if engaging young man)" tells us Hans is *not* special in himself. The word "ordinary" is key.
  • The phrase "it should be noted that it is his story, and that not every story happens to everybody" uses italics for emphasis. This highlights the *uniqueness of the story*, not the uniqueness of Hans.
  • The rest of the passage describes the story's age ("long ago," "patina of history," "deepest past"). This emphasizes the story's historical context.

The text suggests that it is Hans' story, and not every story happens to everybody. Hans' story is remarkable and worth telling, even though Hans himself is unremarkable.

Answer Choice Analysis:

  • Though it is true that stories of even the most uninteresting people are themselves interesting because all people are unique, the reason this story is interesting is nonetheless difficult to understand because of the passage of time.
    This contradicts the text. The text says that Hans is "perfectly ordinary," implying he is not unique. Also, the text doesn't say the story is "difficult to understand."
  • Even though it is a story of a person of no particular importance, its age and the manner in which it therefore must be told are both indicators that the story itself is important.
    This almost captures the main idea. Hans is "of no particular importance" (ordinary), but the story's age ("patina of history," "deepest past") and the manner of telling ("told with verbs whose tense is that of the deepest past") make the story itself important. However, the text also mentions that it is Hans' story, and not every story happens to everybody.
  • Like all stories about the lives of inconsequential people, this story must necessarily be related in a particular way if the reason the story is consequential is to be made evident to the audience.
    This is too general and doesn't focus on the key elements of this story. The text doesn't say that all stories of inconsequential people must be told a certain way. It focuses on the specific reasons this story is important.
  • It is a remarkable story that happened to an unremarkable person, though one could plausibly argue that because the story is valuable, some of its value accrues to the person at its center.
    This is the correct answer. The text suggests that it is Hans' story, and not every story happens to everybody. Hans' story is remarkable and worth telling, even though Hans himself is unremarkable.

The correct answer is (D).

Strategy: Pay Close Attention to Parenthetical Phrases and Emphasis

Information set off by dashes (—) or parentheses is often crucial for understanding the author's meaning. Don't skip over it! Also, notice words in *italics* – these are emphasized for a reason.

Important Note: On the Digital SAT, every word and every sentence matters. Don't skip over any information.
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