For a function question, identify what information the underlined sentence introduces and then track how later sentences use or qualify it. When several choices accurately describe part of the sentence, compare their claims about certainty, emphasis, and the passage’s conclusion to determine which one captures the sentence’s role in the full argument.
Hints
- Hint 1
Track the comparison
Identify the specific difference between the two experiments described in the underlined sentence.
- Hint 2
Consider all the variables
Notice whether the rest of the text discusses only the difference named in the underlined sentence or introduces additional differences.
- Hint 3
Evaluate the certainty
Distinguish between identifying a possible explanation and establishing that explanation as the cause.
Step-by-step
- Step 1
Identify the apparent conflict
The opening reports different findings: one experiment found a substantial switching delay, while the other found almost none.
- Step 2
Determine what the underlined sentence adds
The underlined sentence points out that the experiments provided the required-language cue at different times. This difference makes cue timing a possible explanation for the conflicting results.
- Step 3
Examine the qualification that follows
The text then identifies additional differences involving participant experience and image familiarity. Because these factors vary along with cue timing, the existing experiments cannot establish which difference caused the divergent results.
- Step 4
Connect the sentence to the conclusion
The proposed new experiment would vary cue timing while controlling the other factors. Thus, the underlined sentence introduces a possible source of the discrepancy that the remaining text says must be tested separately.