Victory for the ACT Student Text 15e

144 • R EADING

”‡ƒ†‹Ž› ™‡”‡ ‹– ‘– –Šƒ– –Š‡ •–‘”› ‘ˆ ‡‹ˆǯ• voyage, contained in the supposedly more reliable Saga , is almost as amazing,” which strongly suggests that the author does not regard the issue as settled. Therefore, eliminate (G). (H) is the best answer: the author considers the Biarni narrative to be possibly true. 15. (D) Reading/Key Ideas and Details/ Implied Idea  –Š‡ ϐ‹ƒŽ ’ƒ”ƒ‰”ƒ’Šǡ –Š‡ ƒ—–Š‘” •–ƒ–‡• that the Saga ƒ––”‹„—–‡• –‘ ‡‹ˆ ˆ‡ƒ–• –Šƒ– are similar to those attributed to Biarni in the Flat Island Book . Nonetheless, ‘•– ƒ—–Š‘”‹–‹‡• ”‡‰ƒ”† ‡‹ˆǯ• ˜‘›ƒ‰‡ ƒ• authentic and thus probable, while they consider Biarni’s voyage to be inauthentic and thus improbable. The passage does not qualify the condition of authenticity as being “that which is believable.” Therefore, since circular reasoning, (D), makes assumptions, it is not a valid method of reasoning. The other choices describe logical errors that might make an argument fallacious, but they are not descriptive of the author’s argument in the last paragraph. EXPLANATIONS 16. (H) Reading/Key Ideas and Details/Explicit Detail  Ž‹‡• ͳͲȂͳͳǡ –Š‡ ƒ—–Š‘” •–ƒ–‡• –Šƒ– Biarni is the son of a prominent man named Heriulf, (H). 17. (C) Reading/Key Ideas and Details/Explicit Detail  Ž‹‡• ʹͲȂʹͳǡ –Š‡ ƒ—–Š‘” ‘–‡• –Šƒ– ‘•– writers have rejected the Biarni narrative, (C). 18. (G) Reading/Key Ideas and Details/ Explicit Detail  Ž‹‡• ͳͷȂͳͻǡ –Š‡ ƒ—–Š‘” ‘–‡• –Šƒ– Biarni returned to his father’s house in Greenland, (G).

15.  –Š‡ ϐ‹ƒŽ ’ƒ”ƒ‰”ƒ’Šǡ –Š‡ ƒ—–Š‘” •—‰‰‡•–• that some authorities who regard the Saga as authentic are guilty of which of the following errors in reasoning? Ǥ ˜‡”•‹’Ž‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‹‘ Ǥ ‘‰‹…ƒŽ…‘–”ƒ†‹…–‹‘ C. False analogy D. Circular reasoning

According to the passage, Heriulf is: Ǥ ‡‹ˆ ”‹…••‘ǯ• •‘Ǥ Ǥ ‘‡ ‘ˆ ‡‹ˆ ”‹…••‘ǯ• •ƒ‹Ž‘”•Ǥ H. Biarni’s father. J. King Olaf Tryggvason’s son. According to the author, most authorities regard the Biarni narrative as: A. conclusively demonstrated. B. probably true. C. probably untrue. D. an attempted fraud.

16.

17.

Biarni’s home was in: F. Norway. G. Greenland. H. Wineland. J. Flat Island.

18.