Reading Comprehension

Sure Here you go !


The moment we realize that the author is strongly in
favor of retaining the letter and spirit of the Hippocratic
oath-with modifications "at the oath's periphery"-
we can toss out (A) and (E), both of which are on the
side of either radically rewriting the oath or scrapping it
altogether. (C) is a general statement to which the
author might subscribe, but it fails to recognize that the
topic of this passage is the specific example of the
Hippocratic oath. And (D) seems to think that the
passage is an argument about "patients' need for
assurance," a point made around line 44 as the author
moves to his main view about the oath.
That leaves (B), which has the topic and scope right,
and recognizes the author's strong belief that
physicians' professionalism and beneficence is best
served by retaining the basic oath.




Because the author responds to critics by denying their
premise that the oath needs to be scrapped or totally
overhauled, and because he offers evidence as to why
their view is wrong, "reasoned disagreement," (C), is
the best answer. Now let's consider how the passage
would have to look (i.e., very different!) if any of the
other choices were correct:
(A) The author would have to be 100% gung-ho about
the prospect of dispensing with, or overhauling, the
oath. We would also not see any concession to
retaining its central principle (lines 47-50) or rewriting
it on the periphery (lines 50-53).
(B) The passage would have to ignore the oath's critics
without comment, though not without explicitly
expressing puzzlement ("bemused") over their peculiar
stance.
(D) There would be nothing but objective reporting and
no point of view. Certainly, we'd never see a sentence
advocating that anything "should be retained"
(lines 49-50).
(E) We would need to see "approval with
reservations," when in fact what we get is
"disagreement with reservations."

Thanks Giorgio. I guess my new strategy of not reading the entire passage still has flaws

Can some one explain how to attack # 8)
8. Which one of the following most accurately describes
the organization of the material presented in the
passage?
(A) A general principle is described, criticisms of
the principle are made, and modifications of
the principle are made in light of these
criticisms.
(B) A set of criticisms is put forward, and possible
replies to those criticisms are considered and
dismissed.
(C) The history of a certain code of conduct is
discussed, criticisms of the code are mentioned
and partially endorsed, and the code is
modified as a response.
(D) A general principle is formulated, a partial
defense of that principle is presented, and
criticisms of the principle are discussed and
rejected.
(E) The tradition surrounding a certain code of
conduct is discussed, criticisms of that code are
mentioned, and a general defense of the code is
presented.