Passage Martial Arts for the Mind and Body
Martial Arts for the Mind and Body
(1) The martial arts blend a series of physical movements with strategic mental discipline so that practitioners can defend themselves, physically defeat an opponent, or both. (2) Historians are unsure of exactly when and where martial arts were first used. (3) Martial arts have been practiced by several different societies for many centuries. (4) Martial arts such as karate, kung fu, tae kwon do, and judo are still taught and practiced as methods of self-defense, but they offer students more than that. (5) The study of martial arts can provide students with a way to enhance their mental discipline as well as their physical fitness.
(6) Discipline, focus, and respect are important qualities for everyone to have. (7) However, for most people these qualities are not innate; they must be learned and practiced. (8) The study of martial arts can provide an opportunity to develop these skills. (9) Students are rewarded for their dedication by passing tests and advancing to higher ranks or levels. (10) For example, in a typical tae kwon do class, students learn discipline by diligently practicing moves, improve focus by listening carefully, and demonstrate respect by bowing to the instructor and following directions.
(11) For teenagers, martial arts classes provide a safe and structured environment for gaining physical skills, building confidence, and enjoying a sense of community. (12) A lot of teens go through hard situations as they try to do well in school and in life. (13) A martial arts class can provide teens with a physical outlet for stress while also challenging them mentally. (14) Participating in a martial arts program also helps children and teens focus on self-improvement rather than on competition. (15) Progressing through levels of achievement involves mastering more physically demanding techniques. (16) It requires students to take responsibility and be accountable for achieving set goals. (17) Students gain confidence and experience companionship with other students who are progressing through the ranks.
(18) Adults who practice martial arts can experience many of the same benefits that younger people do, but perhaps the greatest of these is health and fitness. (19) Adult martial arts students often see changes in their body within weeks of beginning a program.
(20) For people interested in studying a martial art, there are many ways to learn and practice. (21) In addition to private studios, community recreation centers often offer low-cost or free martial arts classes. (22) There are even online videos that introduce students to the basic concepts. (23) People should study martial arts.
Question
Which transitional phrase should be added to the beginning of sentence 17?
- AOver time,
- BIn fact,
- CEven so,
- DFor instance,
Show the answer
Correct answer: A
The question asks for the transitional phrase that should be added to the beginning of sentence 17.
A. CORRECT. This option is correct because it best shows the chronological progression between the ideas in sentence 16—progressing through levels of achievement “requires students to take responsibility and be accountable for achieving set goals”—and the ideas in sentence 17—“students gain confidence and experience companionship with other students who are progressing through the ranks.” The transitional phrase “over time” shows the gradual nature of the relationship between the cause in sentence 16 and the effect in sentence 17.
B. Incorrect. Though the ideas in sentences 16 and 17 are related, “in fact” does not show the correct relationship between the ideas. The transitional phrase “in fact” emphasizes an idea by giving a detail or example of greater intensity, but the ideas in sentence 16—progressing through levels “requires students to take responsibility and be accountable for achieving set goals”—and the ideas in sentence 17—“students gain confidence and experience companionship with other students who are progressing through the ranks”—are related by cause and effect rather than by (degree of) intensity.
C. Incorrect. The transitional phrase “even so” is used to connect opposing ideas, but the ideas in sentence 16—progressing through levels “requires students to take responsibility and be accountable for achieving set goals”—do not contrast with the ideas in sentence 17—“students gain confidence and experience companionship with other students who are progressing through the ranks.”
D. Incorrect. Although the transitional phrase “for instance” connects an idea with a related example, it does not show the cause-and-effect relationship between the ideas in sentence 16—progressing through levels “requires students to take responsibility and be accountable for achieving set goals”—and the ideas in sentence 17—“students gain confidence and experience companionship with other students who are progressing through the ranks.”
Question analysis
This transition question asks which phrase should begin sentence 17 of the martial arts passage, which says students gain confidence and companionship with others progressing through the ranks. Students must work out how it relates to sentences 15 and 16, on mastering harder techniques and meeting set goals, because all four phrases are common openers that sound natural.
- NYS standards
- 7W2d transitions in informative writing
- Grade level
- Grade 7 reading and task
- Compared with grade 7
- At grade 7 Choosing a transition that fits the link between sentences is routine grade 7 writing work. The sentences are short and plain, but more than one phrase sounds acceptable on a first reading, so careful but typical reasoning is needed.
- Estimated difficulty
- Moderate: several steps, or a close reading with one strong distractor.
- Thinking it demands
- Depth of knowledge 2, skills and concepts · mainly evaluate
- What makes it hard
- How sentences fit together moderate
- Reading between the lines minor
- Evidence
- Answered from one paragraph or stanza
- Reading level
- Passage: about grade 11, 402 words; question and choices: about grade 3, 19 words.
- Corrected from the DOE handbook
- A grammar slip in the explanation was corrected.
- Students, last 30 days
- Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)
Why it is hard
All four phrases are common transitions, and “In fact” in particular sounds natural in front of almost any sentence that adds a point. The question rewards naming the link first: sentence 17 describes what students gain as they move up, a result that comes with time, not a stronger restatement, a contrast or an example. Students who read sentences 15 to 17 as one progression find the time phrase; those who test each phrase by sound tend to stop at the emphatic one.
How sentences fit together moderate Working it out
Sentence 16 says moving up the levels makes students responsible for “achieving set goals”; sentence 17 gives what they gain while “progressing through the ranks,” a result that builds up gradually. (Halliday & Hasan, 1976)
Reading between the lines minor Working it out
No word in either sentence says time passes or that one thing causes another, so students must infer that confidence and companionship come from the effort described in sentences 15 and 16. (Graesser, Singer & Trabasso, 1994; Kintsch, 1998)
Strategy: Restate sentences 16 and 17 in your own words and name the link between them, such as example, contrast, emphasis or time, before trying each phrase in front of sentence 17.
Traps
- Wrong transition: A connecting word or phrase that signals the wrong relationship, such as contrast where the idea continues.
The wrong answers, classified
B Wrong transition (Halliday & Hasan, 1976)
Hears “In fact” as a natural way to add a point, but sentence 17 does not restate sentence 16 more strongly; it names what follows from meeting goals.
C Wrong transition (Halliday & Hasan, 1976)
Sets the hard work of sentences 15 and 16 against the rewards of sentence 17 and calls it a contrast, though gaining confidence follows from that work rather than despite it.
D Wrong transition (Halliday & Hasan, 1976)
Takes sentence 17 as an example of sentence 16, but confidence and companionship are results of taking responsibility for goals, not instances of it.
What was corrected from the DOE handbook, and why
- Explanation: The DOE’s explanation of Option C says “the ideas in sentence 16 … does not contrast with the ideas in sentence 17.” The subject is “ideas,” so the site now says “do not contrast.”
Working it out, step by step
Figure out what the question asks
This asks for a transition to start sentence 17. A transition is a word or phrase that shows how two ideas connect. First figure out the link between sentences 16 and 17. Then pick the phrase that names it.
Read sentences 15 to 17
Sentence 15 says moving up “involves mastering more physically demanding techniques.” Sentence 16 says, “It requires students to take responsibility and be accountable for achieving set goals.” Being accountable means you must answer for your own results. Sentence 17 says, “Students gain confidence and experience companionship with other students who are progressing through the ranks.” Companionship means friendship.
Name the link
Confidence and friendship don’t come in one day. They grow as students keep working and moving up the ranks. So sentence 17 is a result that builds slowly. A time phrase fits. For example: I practiced piano every day. Over time, I could play the whole song.
Check each choice
- A is right. “Over time” shows the rewards grow as students keep working.
- B is wrong. “In fact” adds a stronger version of the same point. Sentence 17 makes a new point.
- C is wrong. “Even so” means in spite of that. Confidence comes because of hard work, not in spite of it.
- D is wrong. “For instance” starts an example. Confidence is a result of taking responsibility, not an example of it.
Watch out: “In fact” sounds natural in front of almost any sentence. Name the link before you test the phrases by sound.
Choose the answer
With the phrase added, sentence 17 begins Over time, students gain confidence. So the answer is A, “Over time,” added to the beginning of sentence 17.
Why this answer and not the closest wrong one
B is the closest wrong answer, since “In fact” is a common way to add a point. But “In fact” signals a stronger restatement. Sentence 17 doesn’t restate sentence 16. It tells what students gain as they keep moving up. That gain builds slowly, so “Over time” fits best.
More questions like this
The original DOE question
The passage “Martial Arts for the Mind and Body” as printed (page 52)
