The following appeared in an article written by Dr. Karp, an anthropologist."Twenty years ago, Dr. Field, a noted anthropologist, visited the island of Tertia andconcluded from his observations that children in Tertia were reared by an entire village

Essay topics:

The following appeared in an article written by Dr. Karp, an anthropologist.

"Twenty years ago, Dr. Field, a noted anthropologist, visited the island of Tertia and

concluded from his observations that children in Tertia were reared by an entire village

rather than by their own biological parents. However, my recent interviews with children

living in the group of islands that includes Tertia show that these children spend much more

time talking about their biological parents than about other adults in the village. This

research of mine proves that Dr. Field's conclusion about Tertian village culture is invalid

and thus that the observation-centered approach to studying cultures is invalid as well. The

interview-centered method that my team of graduate students is currently using in Tertia will

establish a much more accurate understanding of child-rearing traditions there and in other

island cultures."

It might seem logical, at first glance, to agree with the argument in Dr. Karp’s article

that children in Tertia actually are raised by their biological parents (and perhaps even,

by implication, that an observation-centered approach to anthropological study is

not as valid as an interview-centered one). However, in order to fully evaluate this

argument, we need to have a significant amount of additional evidence. The argument

could end up being much weaker than it seems, or it might actually be quite valid. In

order to make that determination, we need to know more then analyze what we learn.

The first piece of evidence that we would need in order to evaluate Dr. Karp’s claims

is information about whether or not Tertia and the surrounding island group have

changed significantly in the past 20 years. Dr. Field conducted his observational study

20 years ago, and it is possible that Tertia has changed significantly since then. For

example, if we had evidence that in teh intervening years Westerners had settled on

the island and they introduced a more typical Western-style family structure, it would

certainly weaken Dr. Karp’s argument. In that case, the original study could have been

accurate, and Dr. Karp’s study could be correct, as well, though his conclusion that Dr.

Field’s method is ineffective would be seriously weakened.

Another piece of evidence that might help us evaluate this claim involves the exact

locations where Dr. Karp’s interviews took place. According to this article, Dr. Karp and

his graduate students conducted interviews of “children living in the group of islands

that includes Tertia.” If we were to learn that they never interviewed a single Tertian

362

GRE Practice Test

child, it would significantly weaken the conclusion. It could turn out to be the case, for

example, that children on Tertia are raised communally, whereas children on other

islands nearby are raised by their biological parents.

In order to fully evaluate this article, we would also need to learn more about the

interview questions that Dr. Karp’s team used. What exactly did they ask? We don’t

know, nor do we know what the children’s responses actually were. What did they say

about their biological parents? The mere fact that they speak more frequently about

their biological parents than they do about other adults does not meant hat they are

raised by their biological parents. It would significantly undermine Dr. Karp’s argument

if it turned out that the children said things like how much they missed their parents or

how their parents had left them in a communal environment. Without knowing WHAT

the children said, it is hard to accept Dr. Karp’s conclusion.

It is slightly more difficult to discuss teh evidence we might need in order to

evaluate the more interesting claims in Dr. Karp’s article, namely his extension of the

results of his study to a conclusion that interview-centered methods are inherently

more valid than observational-centered approaches. In order to fully evaluate this

claim, in fact, we would need to look at many more examples of interview-based and

observation-based anthropological studies and we would also need to look into

different study designs. Perhaps Dr. Field did not conduct an effective observational

study, but other observational approaches could be effective. In order to make such

grandiose claims, Dr. Karp really needs a lot of additional evidence (ideally a meta -

analysis of hundreds of anthropological studies).

Clearly, then, we need to have additional evidence in order to get a more complete

understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Dr. Karp’s article. We need to know

about Tertia and the surrounding islands, whether or not they have changed over the

past 20 years. We also need to know about study design (Dr. Karp’s and Dr. Field’s).

And we really need a lot more information if we want to extend the results of a study

about one island culture to all anthropological fieldwork.

Votes
Average: 8.2 (3 votes)
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Comments

Grammar and spelling errors:
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It might seem logical, at first glance, ...
^^
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Suggestion: Not
... approach to anthropological study is not as valid as an interview-centered one. ...
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Suggestion: Argument
...ever, in order to fully evaluate this argument, we need to have a significant amount o...
^^^^^^^^
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Suggestion: Could
... of additional evidence. The argument could end up being much weaker than it seems,...
^^^^^
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Suggestion: Order
... it might actually be quite valid. In order to make that determination, we need to ...
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Line 13, column 56, Rule ID: COMP_THAN[2]
Message: Comparison requires 'than', not 'then' nor 'as'.
Suggestion: than
...hat determination, we need to know more then analyze what we learn. The fir...
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Line 15, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
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...know more then analyze what we learn. The first piece of evidence that we wo...
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Line 19, column 22, Rule ID: WHETHER[7]
Message: Perhaps you can shorten this phrase to just 'whether'. It is correct though if you mean 'regardless of whether'.
Suggestion: whether
...rp's claims is information about whether or not Tertia and the surrounding island group...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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...and the surrounding island group have changed significantly in the past 20 years. Dr....
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Suggestion: Certainly
...tern-style family structure, it would certainly weaken Dr. Karp's argument. In tha...
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Suggestion: Accurate
...e, the original study could have been accurate, and Dr. Karp's study could be cor...
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Line 37, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
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...ctive would be seriously weakened. Another piece of evidence that might hel...
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Line 39, column 1, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
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Suggestion: Locations
...valuate this claim involves the exact locations where Dr. Karp's interviews took p...
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Suggestion: Child
...gle Tertian 362 GRE Practice Test child, it would significantly weaken the conc...
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Line 53, column 1, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
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Suggestion: Islands
...communally, whereas children on other islands nearby are raised by their biological p...
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Line 57, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
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...aised by their biological parents. In order to fully evaluate this article,...
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Suggestion: Interview
...uld also need to learn more about the interview questions that Dr. Karp's team use...
^^^^^^^^^
Line 61, column 1, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
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Suggestion: Know
...t exactly did they ask? We don't know, nor do we know what the children'...
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Suggestion: About
...nses actually were. What did they say about their biological parents? The mere fact...
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Line 65, column 67, Rule ID: DID_BASEFORM[3]
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Suggestion: mean
...han they do about other adults does not meant hat they are raised by their biologic...
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...er adults does not meant hat they are raised by their biological parents. It would s...
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...how much they missed their parents or how their parents had left them in a commun...
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...nal environment. Without knowing WHAT the children said, it is hard to accept Dr....
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Line 77, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
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...accept Dr. Karp's conclusion. It is slightly more difficult to discuss...
^^
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Suggestion: More
...rview-centered methods are inherently more valid than observational-centered appro...
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...s and we would also need to look into different study designs. Perhaps Dr. Field did no...
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Line 89, column 60, Rule ID: DT_JJ_NO_NOUN[1]
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...igns. Perhaps Dr. Field did not conduct an effective observational study, but other observ...
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...ot conduct an effective observational study, but other observational approaches cou...
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Suggestion: Analysis
... additional evidence ideally a meta - analysis of hundreds of anthropological studies....
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Line 99, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
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...ndreds of anthropological studies. Clearly, then, we need to have additiona...
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...dence in order to get a more complete understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Dr. ...
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Line 103, column 43, Rule ID: WHETHER[7]
Message: Perhaps you can shorten this phrase to just 'whether'. It is correct though if you mean 'regardless of whether'.
Suggestion: whether
...out Tertia and the surrounding islands, whether or not they have changed over the past 20 ye...
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...her or not they have changed over the past 20 years. We also need to know about st...
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Suggestion: About
...want to extend the results of a study about one island culture to all anthropologic...
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Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, also, but, first, however, if, look, really, so, then, well, whereas, in fact

Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments

Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 20.0 19.6327345309 102% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 28.0 12.9520958084 216% => Less auxiliary verb wanted.
Conjunction : 18.0 11.1786427146 161% => OK
Relative clauses : 17.0 13.6137724551 125% => OK
Pronoun: 72.0 28.8173652695 250% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 85.0 55.5748502994 153% => OK
Nominalization: 19.0 16.3942115768 116% => OK

Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 3564.0 2260.96107784 158% => OK
No of words: 650.0 441.139720559 147% => Less content wanted.
Chars per words: 5.48307692308 5.12650576532 107% => OK
Fourth root words length: 5.04926703274 4.56307096286 111% => OK
Word Length SD: 3.22428535566 2.78398813304 116% => OK
Unique words: 271.0 204.123752495 133% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.416923076923 0.468620217663 89% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 1034.1 705.55239521 147% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK

A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 21.0 4.96107784431 423% => Less pronouns wanted as sentence beginning.
Article: 6.0 8.76447105788 68% => OK
Subordination: 5.0 2.70958083832 185% => OK
Conjunction: 6.0 1.67365269461 358% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 16.0 4.22255489022 379% => Less preposition wanted as sentence beginnings.

Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 26.0 19.7664670659 132% => OK
Sentence length: 25.0 22.8473053892 109% => OK
Sentence length SD: 75.9711581056 57.8364921388 131% => OK
Chars per sentence: 137.076923077 119.503703932 115% => OK
Words per sentence: 25.0 23.324526521 107% => OK
Discourse Markers: 3.34615384615 5.70786347227 59% => More transition words/phrases wanted.
Paragraphs: 48.0 5.15768463074 931% => Less paragraphs wanted.
Language errors: 34.0 5.25449101796 647% => Less language errors wanted.
Sentences with positive sentiment : 7.0 8.20758483034 85% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 7.0 6.88822355289 102% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 12.0 4.67664670659 257% => Less facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?

Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.189875631883 0.218282227539 87% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0695822591118 0.0743258471296 94% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0637066908873 0.0701772020484 91% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0542170433096 0.128457276422 42% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0503302586668 0.0628817314937 80% => OK

Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 16.9 14.3799401198 118% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 46.1 48.3550499002 95% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 13.0 12.197005988 107% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 14.8 12.5979740519 117% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.96 8.32208582834 96% => OK
difficult_words: 127.0 98.500998004 129% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 14.5 12.3882235529 117% => OK
gunning_fog: 12.0 11.1389221557 108% => OK
text_standard: 15.0 11.9071856287 126% => OK
What are above readability scores?

---------------------
Write the essay in 30 minutes.
Maximum six paragraphs wanted.

Rates: 66.67 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 4.0 Out of 6
---------------------
Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.

Attribute Value Ideal
Final score: 4.5 out of 6
Category: Good Excellent
No. of Grammatical Errors: 0 2
No. of Spelling Errors: 0 2
No. of Sentences: 70 15
No. of Words: 651 350
No. of Characters: 3255 1500
No. of Different Words: 253 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 5.051 4.7
Average Word Length: 5 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.999 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 213 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 165 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 116 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 73 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 9.3 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 4.646 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.3 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.244 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.841 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.155 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 50 5