PREPTEST 24

1. Many people perceive risk taking as brainwashing because of persuasive stance taken by risk communication
experts.
2. (i) people perceive risk differently based on (i) information given (ii) subjective ethical concerns
3. Risk communication experts should incorporate understanding of peoples beliefs.’

1. Main Point

a) False. This is contrary to the passage. Risk communicators do not effectively address risk because people
misconstrue their persuasive stance.
b) Correct.
c) False. Distorts details. The passage states that risk communicators should present adequate information
with the understanding of people’s individual subjective ethical concerns NOT simplify their
communications with the people.
d) False. Contrary to the passage. Risk communication is NOT the task of persuading people of anything
rather it is the task of enabling people to make informed risk-taking decisions.
e) False. Too narrow. This is only discussed in the second paragraph.

2. Author Agree
a) Correct.
b) False. Contrary to the passage. The author is neither recommending risk communications to promote
anything nor justify anything. The author is recommending risk communicators to provide adequate
information to risk takers so that they may make informed decisions.
c) False. Contrary to the passage. The passage is only concerned with risk communicators communicating to
the people not vice versa.
d) False. Distorts details. The passage does not recommend risk communicators to do either. Instead, the
passage recommends risk communicators to provide adequate information to the public. In-fact, when
given adequate information, the passage notes people can logically rank risks themselves.
e) False. Contrary to the passage. The author notes that risk communicators fail to acknowledge people’s
subjective ethical concerns.

3. Must be true
a) False. Distorts details. The passage never mentions people discarding their beliefs. Instead, the passage
says that when communicated to by risk communicators, the people will misconstrue what risk
communicators communicate.
b) False. Distorts details. The passage never mentions that risk people will only partially revise their ideas on
the basis of the new information. In-fact, the passage suggests that there is a high chance that people will
perceive this as brainwashing and further misconstrue the actual risks.
c) Correct.
d) False. Out of scope. The passage never mentions communicating the risk to other people.
e) False. Distorts details. The passage suggests that the people will misconstrue the actual risks not ignore
them.

4. Analogy
a) False. This answer choice does not distinguish between mundane and exotic risks.
b) False. This answer choice does not distinguish between mundane and exotic risks.
c) False. This suggests that the person responds in the same fashion to both mundane and exotic risks.
d) Correct.
e) False. This answer choice does not distinguish between mundane and exotic risks.
5- Must be True

a) False. This answer choice captures what the passage tells about experts but we don’t know the take of the
authors.
b) False. Contrary to the passage. Experts ask lay people to compare risks which the authors believe are not
comparable.
c) False. Out of scope. The passage does not mention scientists.
d) False. Out of scope. Neither the risk communicators nor the author explicitly rank risk solely based on
fatalities.
e) Correct.

6 – People Agree

a) False. Contrary to the passage.

b) Correct.
c) False. Too narrow. Only discussing technological risks not science in general.
d) False. Out of scope. The passage does not differentiate between formal and informal functions.
e) False. Distorts details. This is what the author believes not what the people believe.

Notice how agree/opinion questions keep assigning an opinion to correct person.