Question

instructions
read the question carefully and select the best answer.
the reader can infer from the following passage that the author’s intent is ______ (paragraph 22).
those congratulated for their effort. those applauded for their hard work. and those praised for being smart. we found that intelligence praise encouraged a fixed mind - set more often than did pats on the back for effort—far more often than the kids applauded for their hard work wanted the difficult problem set from which they would learn, even on an easier one instead. (most of those lauded for their hard work wanted the difficult assignment—they wanted to learn.) when we gave everyone hard problems anyway, those praised for being smart became discouraged, doubting their ability. in contrast, students praised for their process (their hard work) did not lose confidence when faced with the harder questions, and their performance improved markedly on the easier problems that followed.
a. to sum up her argument which has just been outlined in detail previously
b. to explain the importance of praise for hard work and effort, not intelligence
c. to cite examples of how to deliver correct praise
d. to compare parents who give praise for intelligence versus parents who praise hard work

Explanation:

The passage discusses the effects of praising intelligence vs. praising hard work. The author presents a study where students praised for intelligence avoided challenges, while those praised for hard work tackled harder problems and improved. The author's intent is to show the importance of praising hard work (effort) over intelligence. Option A says the author's intent is to sum up the argument about praising hard work (not intelligence) which matches the passage's conclusion. Option B is about explaining how to deliver correct praise, but the passage is about the effects of different types of praise, not how to deliver it. Option C cites examples of parents, but the passage uses student studies, not parent examples. Option D compares parents, but the passage focuses on students. So A is correct.

Answer:

A. to sum up her argument which has just been outlined in detail previously that followed.