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SAT Reading 2.3 Long Passages 173 Views


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Description:

Reading Long Passages: Drill 2, Problem 3

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:03

Shmoop, it's what's for dinner.

00:06

Well, well, well... look who's here again.

00:07

If you want to read this passage one more time, just hit pause.

00:33

In describing his aunt's figure, as he remembers it, as "at once pathetic and grotesque", the

00:38

narrator draws attention to the contrast between...what?

00:42

And here are the potential answers...

00:48

What does it mean to call someone "pathetic"

00:50

and "grotesque"? Hint: don't try these words out on your big crush...

00:55

We'd like to pause this colossal dating blunder to point out that "pathetic" refers

01:00

to someone who inspires pathos, or pity and sympathy.

01:03

"Grotesque," on the other hand, means...well, gross or ugly.

01:07

Knowing these definitions helps us to eliminate some of the answer choices immediately.

01:12

We don't want to rain on its parade...

01:14

But we know, for example, that choice (D) is wrong.

01:16

There's some talk about how the Nebraska weather has affected poor grotesque Auntie

01:21

G, but it's not directly referenced in this line.

01:25

The line doesn't mention how Uncle Howard feels about his wife, so choice (E) is kind of random.

01:30

And wrong... so so wrong. By all accounts, young Aunt Georgiana was

01:35

neither pathetic nor grotesque before Uncle Howard came along...

01:40

Therefore (B) can't be correct.

01:42

While Aunt Georgiana might not have been worn down in her youth, she was already deteriorating

01:47

when the narrator was a kid.

01:49

Though he does talk about how she's gotten worse over time, it doesn't apply to this

01:54

line. We can't go with (C) either.

01:56

This leaves us with choice (A), which perfectly captures the idea that while the narrator

02:00

feels sorry for his aunt, he can't help but be a little grossed out by her.

02:04

This unfortunate situation perfectly fits with our definitions of "pathetic" and "grotesque."

02:09

Two words that should be used with great caution.

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