Author's perspective Β·Law enforcement mostly chooses not to prosecute acts that weren't intended to be punished
Punishing acts that weren't meant to be punished ("capricious enforcement") does occur, but it's not the norm because legislative oversight helps to counteract it.
Author's solution Β·Expand the law to allow liens for unpaid water bills
Passage Style
25.
The role of the word βββββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββββββββ ββ βββββββ β ββ ββββ βββββββ βββββββ ββ βββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββββ βββββ ββ βββββββ ββ
Question Type
Meaning in context (of word, phrase, or idea)
Structure
By βselectivelyβ cutting off water, Passage B means that officials will choose only a few of the residences that are late-paying for the water cutoff. They could cut off water for more residents, but they are choosing to be selective. This is related to Passage Aβs use of βdiscretionary.β Officials are exercising their discretion in choosing not to enforce the laws against most other people who are late in paying their water bills.
(A) refers to attempts by the legislature to specify conduct thatβs illegal. This doesnβt relate to βselectivelyβ in Passage B, which isnβt about trying to be more specific about something. βSelectivelyβ means being more limited in how something is applied, not trying to increase how specifically something is targeted.
(B) refers to the chance of letting a guilty person go free. This doesnβt match the role of βselectively,β which isnβt about the chance of something occurring.
βAlternativeβ refers to a different choice. This doesnβt match the role of βselectively,β which isnβt used to imply the existence of a different choice.
This best captures the role of βselectively.β Officials are exercising their discretion in enforcement; they are enforcing the law against fewer people than they could.
βCapriciousβ in the context of Passage A refers to enforcement of a law against those who are not intended to be brought within the scope of the law. This isnβt related to the role of βselectively,β because weβre not told that the officials are cutting off water to people who arenβt intended to have their water cut off in the event of late payments.
Difficulty
74% of people who answer get this correct
This is a difficult question.
It is similar in difficulty to other questions in this passage.
CURVE
Score of students with a 50% chance of getting this right
25%143
153
75%164
Analysis
Meaning in context (of word, phrase, or idea)
Structure
Comparative
Law
Answer Popularity
PopularityAvg. score
a
10%
160
b
2%
157
c
3%
158
d
74%
166
e
10%
161
Question history
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