Explain for a sentence in CR section

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<h2>The first paragraph of a passage:</h2>

<h2>I first became interested in arcana* when I was given a deteriorating leather-bound 1911 edition of the “Encyclopedia Britannica”. A dubious gift, I thought at first—then I started using it. The 1911 “Britannica” is said to be especially reliable in its literary and historical entries but outdated in its coverage of science and technology. I found both assessments to be off the mark. The literaryand historical entries often turned out to be Western cultural imperialism at its worst, whereas the science and technology entries were a cabinet of wonders, a window into the ingenuity of the human mind when its informationis insufficient and it must therefore chew more than it can bite off.</h2>

<p>Please help explain the last sentence (the long one). What does the author mean when s/he says “it must therefore chew more than it can bite off.”?</p>

2

<p>I believe the passage is saying that “something” (not sure which it is describing) is attempting something more difficult than its threshold.</p>

<p>correct me If I’m wrong, CR is my worst… but I tried</p>

3

<p>It is a reversal of a common expression, to bite off more than you can chew, which means to attempt something that you don’t have the resources to complete. The author is describing a reverse situation in which a person can’t “bite off” sufficient scientific data in order to appropriately support theories–and so generates interesting theories based on “the ingenuity of the human mind.”</p>

<p>I would just point out here my usual refrain on CR: the key to doing well is to read a great deal of prose in English. Studying vocab lists won’t help with something like this.</p>

4

<p>Do you have any starter books, articles or anything to help?</p>

5

<p>You could try reading well-written magazines, like the New Yorker, or even Time Magazine; also the New York Times.</p>

6

<p>These are just in-general any topic magazines right? It won’t matter what topic it covers am I right? Thanks </p>

7

<p>“I would just point out here my usual refrain on CR: the key to doing well is to read a great deal of prose in English. Studying vocab lists won’t help with something like this.”</p>

<p>True, but this is a very unusual question. MOST questions can be solved with very basic reading skills if your vocab is developed enough. VERY few questions in the test’s recent history have required knowledge of an idiom like this.</p>

8

<p>But even having a developed vocabulary is not the same as memorizing definitions–it’s understanding how words are actually used in English. Also, reading a lot will help you write the essay.</p>

<p>

The things I suggested will address a lot of different topics, using (generally) good writing. The New Yorker also includes fiction.</p>