Distracters on the ACT Reading Test – part 2 Enticer and Extreme You will do great!

Understand Distracters Distracters = the “other” answer choices Distracters are THINKING CHALLENGES designed to make wrong answers seem correct Prey upon your tendency to rush They are supposed to DISTRACT YOU Inference Questions: seek opinions from facts The answers are not directly stated in the reading Read your “road map” differently ACT constantly tries to make distracters more distracting Practice with them!

The FOUR Types of Distracters The Weasel The Shift The Enticer The Extreme Today we will look at the last two – the Enticer and the Extreme

Distracter #3: The Enticer Definition It’s a con. It looks right, but it’s too good to be true. Sounds great – warm and fuzzy Seems reasonable and correct Just because the choice says, “love is all we need,” doesn’t mean it’s the answer to the question you are being asked!

Example of the Enticer Partial Text from a passage Question ”Men gradually agreed to extend property rights to women, because property in a wife’s name could save a man from his creditors. They accepted coeducation, because universities needed students and society needed trained teachers. But the vote was something else. To give women the vote would mean recognizing them as individuals with their own rights and interests.” 11. The passage indicates that women’s demand for property rights was agreed to primarily because men realized that: A. Women were indeed individuals deserving of their own rights. B. If they gave in on the property rights issue, they’d be able to hold firm on suffrage. C. Conceding the right would provide men with a way to protect themselves from creditors. D. Women had unique interests and were needed as students in universities and teachers in schools.

Which answer is an Enticer? ”Men gradually agreed to extend property rights to women, because property in a wife’s name could save a man from his creditors. They accepted coeducation, because universities needed students and society needed trained teachers. But the vote was something else. To give women the vote would mean recognizing them as individuals with their own rights and interests.” Sounds nice, right? HOWEVER, this is NOT why men gave property rights to women. In fact, men did NOT want this! 11. The passage indicates that women’s demand for property rights was agreed to primarily because men realized that: A. Women were indeed individuals deserving of their own rights. B. If they gave in on the property rights issue, they’d be able to hold firm on suffrage. C. Conceding the right would provide men with a way to protect themselves from creditors. D. Women had unique interests and were needed as students in universities and teachers in schools.

Distracter #2: The Extreme Definition An incorrect answer choice which might be true if it did not include extreme words such as: always, completely, perfectly, all. If you can find an exception, it’s a wrong answer If the answer is debatable, it’s a wrong answer WATCH OUT! Not all extreme answer choices are incorrect (Question: why is this sentence NOT an extreme?)

Extreme: Examples Why are these NOT correct statements? Europeans won all their battles. They established an ideal community. The bank was always busy. Impressionism was an entirely different style of painting. It was impossible for him to overcome his past. Men were incapable of recognizing the equality of women

Extreme: Examples Answers! Europeans did not win all of their battles; they only won some of them! The definition of IDEAL changes from 1 person to the next. There can’t be only 1 ideal for all people! Banks close at night! They aren't busy then! Impressionism isn’t ENTIRELY different from other movements; similarities exist! He CHOSE to not overcome his past! Men were NOT incapable of recognizing the equality of women; they were unwilling to!

So what IS the correct answer? 11. The passage indicates that women’s demand for property rights was agreed to primarily because men realized that: A. Women were indeed individuals deserving of their own rights. B. If they gave in on the property rights issue, they’d be able to hold firm on suffrage. C. Conceding the right would provide men with a way to protect themselves from creditors. D. Women had unique interests and were needed as students in universities and teachers in schools. ”Men gradually agreed to extend property rights to women, because property in a wife’s name could save a man from his creditors. They accepted coeducation, because universities needed students and society needed trained teachers. But the vote was something else. To give women the vote would mean recognizing them as individuals with their own rights and interests.” (lines 44-51)

Great Job!!!