Reading Comprehension

PT124 · S4 · P3 · Q16 Research Commercialization

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The passages discuss relationships between business interests and university research

Passage A

Central Topic - researchers at universities sharing research vs. hiding it (to profit from) Purpose - Old vs. New Main Point- It used to be that discoveries made at universities were eagerly shared with the rest of the scientific community, but increasingly market forces are creating situations where these discoveries are buried, patented, and profited off of.

Passage B

Central Topic- the fruits of science: public goods or private commodities? Purpose - Old vs. New Main Point - It used to be that scientific discoveries were treated as public goods that couldn't and shouldn't be patented, but scientific discoveries in the "information economy" have gotten so lucrative and exploitable that the lines are blurrier.

Other Commentary

Since the passages have very similar topics and purposes, we might ask ourselves, "How were they different?"

It seems like Passage A had a slightly narrower scope targeted at universities, and it had a more discernibly negative tone about this new trend.

16.

Both passages place in opposition the members of which one of the following pairs?

  1. commercially successful research and commercially

    Out Of Scope: "successful vs. unsuccessful"

    Although some discoveries are said to be successful in making lots of money for those who own the rights to them, neither passage discusses anything in relation to successful vs. unsuccessful.

    1% picked this

  2. research methods and research results

    Out Of Scope: "methods vs. results"

    Passage A actually lumps these together at the end of the 3rd paragraph. The conversations are never making a distinction between methods and results.

    1% picked this

  3. Correct

    a marketable commodity and a

    Why this is right

    Yes, the central old vs. new trajectory of both passages is that scientific research WAS a public good and is NOW increasingly a marketable commodity.

    Skill tested: Method · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

    94% picked this

  4. a discovery and an invention

    Fails A

    On question 15, we just picked a correct answer based on the idea that discovery vs. invention was something only discussed in passage B.

    3% picked this

  5. scientific research and other types

    Out Of Scope

    Out Of Scope: "other types of inquiry" These passages are pretty much only about scientific research. Other forms of inquiry would be like what: Humanities? Philosophy?

    1% picked this

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