RayChan wrote:Can someone help me interpret the question in the attachment? In the original sentence, I think the meaning of not unlike is kind of replicated. So I just chose answer D. But the correct one is B. I m curious.
This question has a slight twist in that it incorporates the expression
not unlike into the correct answer choice. Some test takers may be uncomfortable with that expression and so they may gravitate toward another answer choice in order to avoid
not unlike.
The truth is that the expression
not unlike is completely acceptable, and while I can see how initially you may find it to somehow use words redundantly,
not unlike is commonly used to express something that is subtly different from what is conveyed by
like.
So while maybe
like and
not unlike have very slightly different meanings, either one is fine, and so the use of one or the other does not render an answer choice wrong.
Even if you felt that
like is probably better than
not unlike, answer choice D has a clearer issue in that the use of
for refusing creates a sentence that does not make sense. His courage was like that of Rosa Parks for refusing to move? What does that mean? Her courage was for refusing?
Were you sure that
not unlike was clearly wrong? or were you just suspicious?
Here's one thing I recommend. Given that GMAT SC questions can contain false decision points like this one, and given that there will be other times that you will see difference between choices and not be sure which version is better, when you are not sure of a decision point, look for another, tighter, decision point. Usually, you will be able to find one.
