Methods of Argument Development Practice Test
•15 QuestionsRead the following passage and answer the question.
Students are told to pursue “passion,” as if a single lightning bolt of interest will strike and solve the future. But passion is not a prerequisite for meaningful work; it is often a product of competence. Passion, in the practical sense, is the energy that appears when effort begins to pay off—when a skill turns from frustrating to fluent. Think of the guitarist who enjoys practice only after their fingers stop stumbling, or the math student who starts to like proofs after learning the basic moves. Some people object that this definition sounds cynical, reducing passion to mere reward. Yet it is actually empowering. If passion can be built, then indecision is not a character flaw; it is a starting point. This view also protects students from the panic of choosing “the one” perfect major at seventeen. Instead, it encourages experiments: try a class, volunteer, shadow a job, and let interest grow where ability grows. In that sense, the advice “follow your passion” should be rewritten as “follow your practice long enough to find passion.”
Which method does the author primarily use to develop the argument?
Read the following passage and answer the question.
Students are told to pursue “passion,” as if a single lightning bolt of interest will strike and solve the future. But passion is not a prerequisite for meaningful work; it is often a product of competence. Passion, in the practical sense, is the energy that appears when effort begins to pay off—when a skill turns from frustrating to fluent. Think of the guitarist who enjoys practice only after their fingers stop stumbling, or the math student who starts to like proofs after learning the basic moves. Some people object that this definition sounds cynical, reducing passion to mere reward. Yet it is actually empowering. If passion can be built, then indecision is not a character flaw; it is a starting point. This view also protects students from the panic of choosing “the one” perfect major at seventeen. Instead, it encourages experiments: try a class, volunteer, shadow a job, and let interest grow where ability grows. In that sense, the advice “follow your passion” should be rewritten as “follow your practice long enough to find passion.”
Which method does the author primarily use to develop the argument?