<p>For those who have the Blue Book:</p>
<p>Can someone kindly explain to me why # 17 on pg. 963 is A and not D?
And also, for #24 on pg. 964?</p>
<p>Although the
“If it works, exploit it. If it still works, copy it” is a way to do something, but it’s not a highly systematic fashion. Tip: in general, stay away from extreme words. “<<<highly>>> systematic fashion” should tip you off! Extreme words don’t mean that the answer is wrong, but they should make you more hesitant to choose an answer. Second of all, nothing in the lines referenced OR the context suggests any planning. The physicists didn’t know where to start, according to paragraph 5. If they had no clue where to start, of course they didn’t systematically plan something. Just like the physicists (according to paragraph 5) the hollywood producers didn’t know where to start. This implies the producers did not systematically plan their work. </highly></p>
<p>D, C, and E are obviously wrong. Say if you don’t understand why.</p>
<p>“If it works, exploit it. If it still works, copy it.”</p>
<p>First of all, the use of “it” in the lines referenced suggests that the hollywood movie producers use “it” as long as it works. The use of “it” is purposefully vague to demonstrate that hollywood producers are not sure why “it” works. This should automatically make A seem like a reasonable answer. To be sure of answer A one can read paragraph 5. In paragraph 5 the passage says that physicists simply created a model and found out that the model solved the problem. “physicists follow the same guidelines that have helped keep Hollywood movie producers rich”. If creating some model for something and then finding out it works is what physicists did and the same guidelines help keep hollywood producers rich, then the producers will obviously create some model (without knowing where to start) and using this model (“it”) to keep making moola. Rephrased in different words, the producers don’t know why a model works but keep using it to make successful films (films that make big bucks). </p>
<p>Hollywood producers…
A) do not always know why a film succeeds.</p>
<p>Second question…</p>
<p>B, D, and E are obviously wrong. Post if you don’t understand why.</p>
<p>That leaves us with A and C.</p>
<p>C: Galileo DID offer a pragmatic approach to a theoretical dilemma. And the author DID explain such approach, which is why so many people will choose C. However, the answer is wrong because the author does not use the expression “get in the way” to illustrate the approach. </p>
<p>“get in the way”</p>
<p>The SAT brings TONS of stuff out of context, which confuses a lot of people. Let’s bring it back to context. </p>
<p>In the second to last and last paragraph we are told that aristotle had focused to much on details and little things that disproved theories.</p>
<p>"In this sense, a theoretical world in which there was no medium to get in the way was only a “hairbreadth” away from the real one.</p>
<p>Paraphrasing the quoted sentence: “The real world is really close to an imaginary world where mediums don’t get in the way.” So, mediums are the thing getting in the way. Getting in the way of what? Theories (specifically, physicists’ theories, as that’s what the passage is about).</p>
<p>Focusing too much on lots of little things/details/INFORMATION (as aristotle did) caused by mediums (the real world) <gets in="" the="" way=""> (impedes, slows the progress of) theories.</gets></p>
<p>What’s answer A)?</p>
<p>emphasize the difficulty created by too much information.</p>
<p>Does the medium (real word) <getting in="" the="" way=""> theories demonstrate the difficulties caused by having too much information (details in the medium (the real world)). Yes.</getting></p>