EST October 2020 | Literacy I Explanation | Passage 4

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By Mr. Osama Ahmad | July 25, 2023

EST October 2020 | Literacy I Explanation | Passage 4

EST October 2020 | Literacy I Explanation | Passage 4

Introduction:

Are you ready to dive into the world of private investigators and unlock the secrets to acing the EST October 2020 Literacy I Passage 4? Look no further! In this comprehensive blog post, "EST October 2020 | Literacy I Explanation | Passage 4," seasoned EST tutor Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim shares his invaluable insights and strategies to help you master the passage and boost your EST score. Discover the key differences between fictional detectives and real-life investigators, and learn how to navigate through questions that test your understanding of main ideas, parallel structure, punctuation, and word choice. With Mr. Osama’s expert guidance and years of experience preparing students for the EST exam, you'll gain the confidence and skills needed to tackle even the most challenging questions. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your EST performance and take a crucial step towards achieving your academic goals!

Questions 34-44 are based on the following passage.

Private Investigators in Fiction and Fact After I graduated from college and was looking for a job, a newspaper employment ad caught my eye. It sounded interesting, so I sent in a résumé. I later discovered that the job was for a store detective. [34] Duties including watching for shoplifters and tracking the legally or ethically questionable actions of store employees. The interview was my first hint that real-life private investigators were not like the characters one encountered in movies or mystery novels such as [35] Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe or Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade whose tough exteriors belie their soft-hearted natures. [36] Not only do they track down criminals, but they also solve crimes in the most dangerous of circumstances.

34. A. NO CHANGE

B. Duties including watching for shoplifters,and tracking the legally or ethically questionable actions of store employees.

C. Duties included watching for shoplifters and tracking the legally or ethically questionable actions of store employees.

D. Duties including watching for shoplifters and tracking the legally, or ethically questionable actions of store employees.

EST Shortcut: Focus on the verb tense and punctuation.

 

Tip: When describing a completed action in the past, use the simple past tense and avoid unnecessary commas.

 

Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim, a seasoned EST tutor, emphasizes the importance of using the correct verb form and punctuation in this question. When describing a completed action in the past, the simple past tense is the most appropriate choice. Option C, "Duties included watching for shoplifters and tracking the legally or ethically questionable actions of store employees," uses the correct verb form "included" and avoids unnecessary commas. Options A, B, and D use the present participle "including," which is incorrect in this context, and Options B and D have misplaced commas that disrupt the flow of the sentence. By selecting Option C, you demonstrate your understanding of verb tenses and punctuation, essential skills for acing the EST exam.

 35. A. NO CHANGE

B. Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe, or Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade whose tough exteriors belie their soft-hearted natures.

C. Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe or Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade, whose tough exteriors belie their soft-hearted natures.

D. Raymond Chandler's, Philip Marlowe, or Dashiell Hammett's, Sam Spade, whose tough exteriors belie their soft-hearted natures.

EST Shortcut: Identify the relationship between clauses and use commas accordingly.

Tip: Use a comma to separate an independent clause from a dependent clause starting with "whose."

 

In this question, Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim highlights the significance of using proper punctuation to clarify the relationship between clauses. Option C, "Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe or Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade, whose tough exteriors belie their soft-hearted natures," correctly places a comma after "Spade" to separate the independent clause from the dependent clause starting with "whose." Options A and B lack the necessary comma, while Option D uses commas incorrectly, creating confusion. By choosing Option C, you show your ability to identify and apply the appropriate punctuation, a crucial skill for success in the EST exam and beyond.

36. A. NO CHANGE

B. They not only track down criminals, but they also solve crimes in the most dangerous of circumstances.

C. Not only tracking down criminals, but they also solve crimes in the most dangerous of circumstances.

D. They not only track down criminals, but also they solve crimes in the most dangerous of circumstances.

EST Shortcut: Check for the correct use of correlative conjunctions and parallel structure.

 

Tip: When using "not only...but also," ensure that the subject is placed before the conjunction and that each part is followed by a verb phrase.

 

Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim stresses the importance of using correlative conjunctions correctly in this question. Option A, the original text, correctly employs the correlative conjunction "not only…but also" by placing the subject "they" before the conjunction and following each part with a verb phrase. By selecting Option A, you demonstrate your understanding of correlative conjunctions and parallel structure, key concepts that frequently appear in the EST exam. 

These heroic figures adhere to an incorruptible code of personal morality that enables them to [37] succumb to the most formidable obstacles as they apprehend criminals and restore order to society. That is one vision of detective work. Another image comes out of a more playful tradition of mystery writing that includes characters such as [38] Sherlock Holmes the fictional genius who solves complex crimes sometimes without leaving his comfortable armchair. Holmes approaches crime as if it was a crossword puzzle missing a few essential letters that, once supplied, [39] make the motive for a crime and the identity of its perpetrator clear to all concerned. Using his wits and courage, he invariably [40] searches for the needed evidence and quickly solves the crime.

37 A.NO CHANGE

B. usher

C. surmount

D. conceal

EST Shortcut: Choose the word that best fits the context of the sentence.

 

Tip: Look for a word that accurately describes the action of the subject and aligns with the overall meaning of the sentence.

In this question, Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim emphasizes the significance of choosing the most appropriate word to fit the context of the sentence. Option C, "surmount," meaning "to overcome a difficulty or obstacle," accurately describes the action of the heroic figures who adhere to an incorruptible code of personal morality. By selecting Option C, you showcase your ability to identify the most suitable word choice, a vital skill for excelling in the EST exam and improving your overall language proficiency.

38. A.NO CHANGE

B. Sherlock Holmes the fictional genius who solves complex crimes— sometimes, without leaving his comfortable armchair.

C. Sherlock Holmes the fictional genius who solves complex crimes, sometimes without leaving his comfortable armchair.

D. Sherlock Holmes, the fictional genius who solves complex crimes— sometimes without leaving his comfortable armchair.

EST Shortcut: Use commas to set off non-essential information and em dashes for parenthetical remarks.

 

Tip: Place a comma after the noun to separate an appositive phrase and an em dash to introduce a parenthetical remark.

 

Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim highlights the importance of using commas and em dashes correctly to set off non-essential information in this question. Option D, "Sherlock Holmes, the fictional genius who solves complex crimes— sometimes without leaving his comfortable armchair," accurately places a comma after "Holmes" to separate the appositive phrase and an em dash after "crimes" to introduce a parenthetical remark. By choosing Option D, you demonstrate your understanding of appositive phrases and the proper use of commas and em dashes, essential skills for achieving a high score in the EST exam.

39. A.NO CHANGE

      B. made

      C. makes

      D. making

EST Shortcut: Ensure subject-verb agreement and maintain consistent verb tense.

 

Tip: Choose the verb form that agrees with the singular subject "once supplied" and maintains the present tense.

 

This question requires you to choose the correct verb form to agree with the singular subject "once supplied." Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim, with his extensive experience as an EST tutor, advises that the correct answer is Option A, "make." The verb "make" agrees with the singular subject and maintains the present tense, which is consistent with the rest of the sentence. By selecting Option A, you demonstrate your mastery of subject-verb agreement and verb tenses, crucial concepts for succeeding in the EST exam.

40. Which word would have a bigger effect when used in this context ?

A. NO CHANGE

B. expunges

C. scrutinizes

D. effaces

EST Shortcut: Select a word that effectively conveys the intensity of the action and matches the tone of the sentence.

 

Tip: Choose a word that captures the subject's approach and aligns with the tone set by other words in the sentence.

 

In this question, Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim emphasizes the importance of selecting a word that effectively conveys the intensity of Sherlock Holmes' investigation and matches the tone of the sentence. Option C, "scrutinizes," meaning "to examine closely and carefully," best captures Holmes' meticulous approach to solving complex crimes. It also aligns with the tone set by words like "complex," "essential," and "clear." By choosing Option C, you showcase your ability to identify the most impactful word choice, a skill that will greatly benefit you in the EST exam and beyond.

[41][1]In fact, all this is a far cry from the world of real-life detectives. [2] Modern private investigators sometimes do monitor potential shoplifters, but more often are involved in actual investigations. [3] Typical assignments might include [42] to do background checks on people or tracking down missing persons.[4]The work of real-life detectives differs from the way their work is portrayed in books and movies. [5] The modern-day private investigator, however, spends less time on his or her feet and considerably more time on the computer. [43] Because the work is routine, the end result of such inquiries might lead to the reuniting of siblings separated since childhood or to the criminal investigation of a company's business practices. Even at its most exciting, the work of modern-day private investigators is rarely glamorous. It is much more likely to involve the careful analysis of data than a high-speed car chase. Today's private detectives typically [44] perform tasks that are a romantic’s dream, full of action and excitement. But for those who like to solve puzzles, for those who like to find what's missing or figure out what someone may be up to, real private investigation still appeals to the detective in all of us.

41. The main idea of this paragraph is stated in two sentences. Which are they?

A. Sentence 2 and 4

B. Sentence 1 and 3

C. Sentence 1 and 4

D. Sentence 4 and 5

EST Shortcut: Identify the main idea of a paragraph by locating the topic sentence and concluding sentence.

 

Tip: The main idea is often introduced in the first sentence and reinforced in a later sentence.

 

Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim stresses the importance of identifying the main idea of a paragraph, which is often stated in the topic sentence and reinforced in a concluding sentence. In this question, Option C correctly identifies Sentence 1 and Sentence 4 as the main idea statements. Sentence 1 introduces the topic of real-life detectives and contrasts it with fictional portrayals, while Sentence 4 summarizes the main point that the work of real-life detectives differs from how it is portrayed in books and movies. By selecting Option C, you demonstrate your ability to recognize the main idea of a paragraph, a crucial skill for comprehending complex passages in the EST exam.

42. A. NO CHANGE

B. doing background checks

C. to doing background checks

D. done background checks

EST Shortcut: Maintain parallelism in a list or series.

 

Tip: Ensure that all items in a list or series have the same grammatical form, such as the -ing form of a verb.

 

In this question, Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim highlights the significance of maintaining parallelism in a list or series. Option B, "doing background checks," correctly uses the -ing form of the verb, which is consistent with the other item in the list, "tracking down missing persons." By choosing Option B, you showcase your understanding of parallel structure, an essential concept for crafting well-written sentences and excelling in the EST exam.

43. A. NO CHANGE

B. Although

C. Moreover,

D. Knowing

EST Shortcut: Select a transitional word or phrase that accurately conveys the relationship between two sentences.

 

Tip: Look for a word or phrase that implies contrast or concession when the second sentence presents information that differs from or contradicts the first sentence.

 

Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim emphasizes the importance of selecting a transitional word or phrase that accurately conveys the relationship between two sentences. Option B, "Although," correctly implies that the work is routine despite the inquiries, which aligns with the intended meaning of the paragraph. By selecting Option B, you demonstrate your ability to identify the most suitable transitional word or phrase, a skill that will greatly benefit you in the EST exam and enhance your overall writing proficiency.

44. Which choice is most consistent with the argument made in the first sentence of the paragraph ?

A. NO CHANGE

B. perform tasks that can vary from one day to the next.

C. carry out detail oriented, methodical, and often mundane tasks.

D. spend days or weeks watching and shadowing subjects with a lot of action.

EST Shortcut: Choose a statement that supports the main argument presented in the paragraph.

 

Tip: Look for a statement that reinforces or aligns with the main idea introduced in the first sentence of the paragraph.

 

In this question, Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim stresses the significance of choosing a statement that supports the main argument presented in the first sentence of the paragraph. Option C, "carry out detail-oriented, methodical, and often mundane tasks," best aligns with the idea that the work of real-life detectives differs from how it is portrayed in books and movies. By selecting Option C, you showcase your ability to identify a statement that reinforces the main argument, a critical skill for analyzing complex passages in the EST exam.

Conclusion:

In this blog post, "EST October 2020 | Literacy I Explanation | Passage 4," Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim has provided you with valuable insights and strategies to master the passage and excel in the EST exam. By understanding the key differences between fictional detectives and real-life investigators, and applying the concepts of verb tenses, punctuation, parallelism, word choice, main ideas, and supporting arguments, you are now better equipped to tackle even the most challenging questions. Remember to practice these skills regularly and seek guidance from experienced tutors like Mr. Ibrahim to further enhance your performance. With dedication and perseverance, you will undoubtedly achieve your academic goals and unlock a world of opportunities. Stay focused, stay motivated, and keep striving for excellence in your EST journey!

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