Scholars studying diversity in students pursuing higher education

Question 1:

Solution strategy - Alternative: just review the answers, and check each one

1.Which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
A.Scholars arguing for hiring more Native American staff and faculty underestimate the ways in which diversity can be achieved in institutions offering higher education.
Since the passage says nothing of additional ways diversity can be achieved (but only criticizes one given way), no reason to think this is true.
B.Had the Native Americans formed a homogenous population, the suggestion proposed by the scholars would have been successful in achieving its purpose.
It's possible that the author thinks this, but it's too strong a statement: we know for sure that if they were homogeneous, it would be more likely for the plan to work, but what if there are other problems? We just don't know.
C. Because Native American teachers have an extensive background in education, they are not a good fit for teaching Native American students with deep ties to their ethnic origin.
Though the passage discusses an issue in hiring Native American teachers, this reason is definitely not given
D. The fact that various Native Americans belong to different tribal origins needs to be accounted for while addressing the issue of diversity through hiring more Native American staff and faculty. This is exactly what the argument is stating!
E.Hiring more Native American faculty and staff can be a way to eliminate prejudices against Native American students."
No, the argument is actually pointing out the problems with this approach

Question 2:

This is a classic question for a Precise Approach, since the passage gives us all the information we need. Before looking at the answers, we simply need to think: the passage starts by presenting the position of increasing diversity in teacher staff by hiring more Native Americans, but then points out a potential complication to this seemingly simple solution, namely - that inner-group diversity needs to be accounted for, and concludes that this is a factor that needs to be accounted for. It seems that his primary concern then, is arguing that the suggestion needs to be further explored (by focusing on this aspect), before rushing to adopt it. Looking at the answers, this is precisely what (D) states.


A different possible solution tool is the Alternative tool of simply checking the answers, though I think this is less recommended, as it will take more time.

2. The author is primarily concerned with
A.advocating a course of action that is contrary to a proposed argument this may sound right, as he is criticizing a certain course of action, but consider: what he is advocating is not a separate course of action, but rather a development of the existing one.
B.explaining how an idea, though not fully sound, could lead to unintended consequences
consequences aren't really discussed. Plus, the "though" in this sentence implies they are good consequences - if anything, the author thinks that because the idea is not fully sound, unintended consequences are possible
C.explaining why an idea needs to be explored more before it is actually adopted this is precisely what he's arguing: the need to check the relation between the teachers' tribe and their students'
D.describing the merits and demerits of a proposed argument merits aren't really discussed, he just focuses on one demerit
E.questioning the underlying thought behind a suggestion while offering a simpler plan to achieve the stated purpose no simpler plan is suggested - if anything, he suggests a complication of the existing plan

Question 3:

3.What can be inferred from the following statement made in the passage?
…making blanket assumptions about the cultural identity of Native American people who become faculty is just as inappropriate as it is to make stereotypical assumptions
about Native American people in general...


Here we'd best take the Logical approach, by focusing on the sentence's logical structure. The author is comparing two things )assuming things about the identity of Native American teachers, and using stereotypes with regards to Native American people in general) and saying that the first is "just as inappropriate" as the second. The assumption in this sentence is that it is the clear to the reader that the second is bad, and that the first is bad for the same reason. Looking at the answers, this is precisely what (D) tells us.

Another way to solve is comparing the answers, though again, this will probably take longer and the answers may confuse us as well:

A. Finding parallels between the two groups is unwarranted as they differ extensively with respect to their academic accomplishments. no mention was made of finding parallels between teachers and non-teachers!
B.The prejudice that Native American faculty face is a result of the stereotypical assumptions made about Native American people in general. Maybe, maybe not - the argument says both of these phenomenons are equally bad, but doesn't posit any causal connection between them
C.Irrespective of their achievements in the field of education, Native American faculty and staff are often mistreated because of their ethnic origin.Not what the argument says - the issue being raised is the teachers and students having trouble relating, not the teachers being discriminated against
D. Drawing opinions based purely on ethnic origins is equally unseemly in both the situations. Exactly the point the setnence is trying to make - one is "just as inappropriate" as the other
E.Assumptions that are not rooted in ethnic affiliations lead to progressive attitude towards Native Americans.Maybe, but this is not stated