113 年 國立臺灣大學應用數學科學研究所碩士班《英文（A）》

The diplomat's negotiation skills were pivotal in ________ a consensus among the warring factions.
(A) brokering
(B) disrupting
(C) manufacturing
(D) playing

Her ability to remain calm and composed under pressure was truly ________.
(A) commendable
(B) reprehensible
(C) deplorable
(D) pioneering

The policy to impose new taxes sparked ________ among the citizens, leading to widespread protests.
(A) apathy
(B) dissent
(C) acquiescence
(D) compliance

The CEO's announcement to downsize the company was met with ________ from employees who feared losing their jobs.
(A) acclamation
(B) approbation
(C) consternation
(D) deportation

His ________ approach to problem-solving often yielded innovative solutions that others hadn't considered.
(A) orthodox
(B) avant-garde
(C) conventional
(D) traditional

The scarf is a perfect ________ to her outfit.
(A) complexion
(B) compliment
(C) completion
(D) complement

The speaker's ________ arguments were met with skepticism from the audience, who demanded concrete evidence.
(A) meticulous
(B) courageous
(C) salacious
(D) fallacious

The orchestra's performance was ________, leaving the audience in awe of their musical prowess.
(A) ephemeral
(B) prodigious
(C) unremarkable
(D) mediocre

As the new virus can be transmitted in the form of small liquid particles when people cough, sneeze, or speak, it is very difficult to ________ the spread of the disease in crowded places.
(A) refrain
(B) contain
(C) sustain
(D) maintain

To ________ conversations about mental health and improve the psychological wellbeing of students, National Taiwan University passed a proposal for mental health leave last fall.
(A) decasualize
(B) desensitize
(C) destigmatize
(D) decriminalize

The weather was terrible, so Sarah decided to ________ her plans and stay indoors.
(A) cancel
(B) cancelled
(C) cancelling
(D) cancels

I can't believe how much the company's profits ________ last year.
(A) have increased
(B) increasing
(C) increased
(D) increase

If he ________ the train, he would have missed the important meeting.
(A) missed
(B) would have missed
(C) had missed
(D) would miss

The director presented the annual report, ________ emphasized the center's achievements over the past year.
(A) who
(B) whom
(C) which
(D) that

It's high time we ________ for the event; we don't want to be late.
(A) leave
(B) left
(C) have left
(D) leaving

By next year, she ________ for this company for ten years.
(A) will be working
(B) would have worked
(C) will have been working
(D) would have been working

I'm looking forward to ________ you at the conference next week.
(A) met
(B) meet
(C) meeting
(D) be meeting

Which of the following is correct?
(A) So far the manager has interviewed fifty applicants, one of whom has a doctorate degree.
(B) Teenagers spend an average of four hours a day on their smart phones, the majority of whom are spent on social media.
(C) Over a thousand people, most of which were female, participated in the marathon.
(D) On the shelf are over twenty mugs, all of which is designed by the most famous artist in town.

Which of the following is NOT correct?
(A) Ten dollars is too much to pay for a coffee.
(B) Each of the contestants is on the stage waiting.
(C) Mathematics has been difficult for me since I was a child.
(D) Neither the teacher nor the students wants to leave the house.

Which of the following expression is more correct?
(A) Singing at the top of his voice, the song irritated everybody at the party.
(B) Stuffed with chestnuts, Peter served the turkey to his family and friends.
(C) A decision was finally reached after reviewing all of the facts available.
(D) They failed the experiment, not having studied the lab manual carefully.

Generative Artificial Intelligence is a type of artificial intelligence technology that uses machine learning to create new things. Related developments in AI assistance and Human-Robot Collaboration are ________ trends for the future. National Taiwan University has adopted a positive attitude towards these trends and encourages faculty members to consider generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT) as an opportunity to enhance teaching. In response to the development of new tools, teachers can make ________ adjustments to classroom teaching, and designing content and assessments that better reflect the uniqueness and objectives of their courses. At the same time, students should also understand the ________ of using AI tools, and learn how to use these tools to facilitate their learning. [excerpt from the Guidance for Use of Generative AI Tools for Teaching and Learning, Center for Teaching and Learning Development x Digital Learning Center at NTU]

21. (A) incompatible
    (B) inevitable
    (C) inconsequential
    (D) instructive

Generative Artificial Intelligence is a type of artificial intelligence technology that uses machine learning to create new things. Related developments in AI assistance and Human-Robot Collaboration are ________ trends for the future. National Taiwan University has adopted a positive attitude towards these trends and encourages faculty members to consider generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT) as an opportunity to enhance teaching. In response to the development of new tools, teachers can make ________ adjustments to classroom teaching, and designing content and assessments that better reflect the uniqueness and objectives of their courses. At the same time, students should also understand the ________ of using AI tools, and learn how to use these tools to facilitate their learning. [excerpt from the Guidance for Use of Generative AI Tools for Teaching and Learning, Center for Teaching and Learning Development x Digital Learning Center at NTU]

22. (A) timely
    (B) temporary
    (C) tertiary
    (D) trustworthy

Generative Artificial Intelligence is a type of artificial intelligence technology that uses machine learning to create new things. Related developments in AI assistance and Human-Robot Collaboration are ________ trends for the future. National Taiwan University has adopted a positive attitude towards these trends and encourages faculty members to consider generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT) as an opportunity to enhance teaching. In response to the development of new tools, teachers can make ________ adjustments to classroom teaching, and designing content and assessments that better reflect the uniqueness and objectives of their courses. At the same time, students should also understand the ________ of using AI tools, and learn how to use these tools to facilitate their learning. [excerpt from the Guidance for Use of Generative AI Tools for Teaching and Learning, Center for Teaching and Learning Development x Digital Learning Center at NTU]

23. (A) limitations
    (B) language
    (C) loss
    (D) linkages

A key goal of transitional justice is to balance atoning for past ________ of human rights with creating the conditions for social and political stability in the future, and this requires avoiding forms of "victor's justice" whereby one system of ________ is simply replaced with another.
(A) democracy
(B) prosperity
(C) modernity
(D) security

25. (A) accomplishments
    (B) accusations
    (C) abuses
    (D) arrangements

26. (A) suppression
    (B) depression
    (C) compression
    (D) oppression

A key goal of transitional justice is to balance atoning for past ________ of human rights with creating the conditions for social and political stability in the future, and this requires avoiding forms of "victor's justice" whereby one system of ________ is simply replaced with another.
24. (A) democracy
(B) prosperity
(C) modernity
(D) security

A key goal of transitional justice is to balance atoning for past ________ of human rights with creating the conditions for social and political stability in the future, and this requires avoiding forms of "victor's justice" whereby one system of ________ is simply replaced with another.
25. (A) accomplishments
(B) accusations
(C) abuses
(D) arrangements

A key goal of transitional justice is to balance atoning for past ________ of human rights with creating the conditions for social and political stability in the future, and this requires avoiding forms of "victor's justice" whereby one system of ________ is simply replaced with another.
26. (A) suppression
(B) depression
(C) compression
(D) oppression

27. (A) rebuilding
    (B) reallocation
    (C) retribution
    (D) reimbursement

Abalone tops the list of the most ________ seafood in Chinese cuisine, and fresh South African abalone are always the first choice for feasts in Cantonese restaurants, where one fresh abalone alone can cost up to HK$2,000 (about 8000NTD). In recent years, the overfishing and smuggling of wild abalone has pushed this ________ species of the South African coast towards extinction.
28. (A) economic
(B) ecological
(C) elegant
(D) exquisite

Abalone tops the list of the most ________ seafood in Chinese cuisine, and fresh South African abalone are always the first choice for feasts in Cantonese restaurants, where one fresh abalone alone can cost up to HK$2,000 (about 8000NTD). In recent years, the overfishing and smuggling of wild abalone has pushed this ________ species of the South African coast towards extinction.
29. (A) pandemic
(B) pacific
(C) epidemic
(D) endemic

"The South African wild abalone are heavier, and they are better than the farmed Japanese and Australian ones in terms of fresh flavor and texture," said Lau, general manager of Ah Yat Abalones restaurant in Hong Kong. "Our fresh South African abalone are all imported through ________ channels. The smuggled ones are usually dried and rare in Hong Kong.".
30. (A) robust
(B) intellectual
(C) exploratory
(D) legitimate

The illicit abalone trade has been gathering significant attention from ________ combating wildlife trafficking, who believe the profitable contraband market of abalone is linked to the black market of ivory and rhino horns - both of which are driven by high demand from the Chinese market. [excerpt taken and adapted from How SA's abalone ends up on China's plates by Crystal Chow, Oxpeckers]
31. (A) conservationists
(B) geologists
(C) zoologists
(D) archeologists

On November 11, 2019, volunteers planted 11 million trees in Turkey as part of a government-backed ________ called Breath for the Future. In one northern city, the tree-planting campaign set the Guinness World Record for the most saplings planted in one hour in a single location: 303,150. "By planting millions of young trees, the nation is working to foster a new, ________ green Turkey," Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said when he kicked off the project in Ankara.
32. (A) instance
(B) indoctrination
(C) inception
(D) initiative

On November 11, 2019, volunteers planted 11 million trees in Turkey as part of a government-backed ________ called Breath for the Future. In one northern city, the tree-planting campaign set the Guinness World Record for the most saplings planted in one hour in a single location: 303,150. "By planting millions of young trees, the nation is working to foster a new, ________ green Turkey," Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said when he kicked off the project in Ankara.
33. (A) lush
(B) flush
(C) rush
(D) plush

Less than three months later, up to 90 percent of the saplings were ________, the Guardian reported. The trees were planted at the wrong time and there wasn't enough rainfall to support the saplings, the head of the country's agriculture and forestry trade union told the paper.
34. (A) sold
(B) grown
(C) stolen
(D) dead

In the past two decades, mass tree-planting campaigns like this one have gained popularity as a salve for many of our modern ________ from climate change to the extinction crisis. Companies and billionaires love these campaigns. So do politicians. Really, what's not to like about trees? They suck up carbon emissions naturally while providing resources for wildlife and humans - and they're even nice to look at. It sounds like a win-win-win.
35. (A) joys
(B) woes
(C) discoveries
(D) extravagancies

Instead of focusing on planting huge numbers of trees, we should focus on growing trees for the long haul, protecting and restoring ecosystems beyond just forests, and empowering the local communities that are best positioned to care for them. [excerpt taken and adapted from The surprising downsides to planting trillions of trees by Benji Jones, Vox]
36. (A) obscure
(B) obtain
(C) obstruct
(D) observe

Passage A: Questions 37-39
National Taiwan University (NTU) students who face sexual harassment from supervisory teachers can now more effectively end their supervisory relationships, after the university amended regulations on November 20, 2023.
NTU said that before the regulations were changed, if a student raised a complaint regarding sexual harassment or abuse from a supervisor, the complaint was processed by the gender equity committee, which would coordinate with the supervisor's department to find a replacement. Now, students are able to directly end the relationship themselves, if their complaint is upheld by the gender equity committee.
If a supervisory relationship is ended by a student on this basis, the relevant department will be required to coordinate with both parties to determine how the student's research results will be shared. The new regulations said this must happen within one month of the relationship ending.
The changes come after reported cases of sexual harassment and abuse exploded in Taiwan in June amid a nationwide "Me Too" movement. Cases reported involved university staff and students, including some at NTU.
The university said that the new regulations were created with input from the graduate student association, the academic affairs office, the gender equity committee, the legal affairs office, and the NTU President. It said the changes reflect students' and teachers' efforts to improve the campus environment. [excerpt taken and adapted from National Taiwan University updates teacher-student sexual harassment guidelines by Jono Thomson, Taiwan News]

37. What change was made by National Taiwan University regarding supervisory relationships following sexual harassment complaints?
    (A) Students can file complaints directly to the president.
    (B) The gender equity committee no longer oversees complaints.
    (C) Students can now independently end supervisory relationships if their complaint is upheld.
    (D) The university removed the graduate student association's involvement in the process.

Passage A: Questions 37-39
National Taiwan University (NTU) students who face sexual harassment from supervisory teachers can now more effectively end their supervisory relationships, after the university amended regulations on November 20, 2023.
NTU said that before the regulations were changed, if a student raised a complaint regarding sexual harassment or abuse from a supervisor, the complaint was processed by the gender equity committee, which would coordinate with the supervisor's department to find a replacement. Now, students are able to directly end the relationship themselves, if their complaint is upheld by the gender equity committee.
If a supervisory relationship is ended by a student on this basis, the relevant department will be required to coordinate with both parties to determine how the student's research results will be shared. The new regulations said this must happen within one month of the relationship ending.
The changes come after reported cases of sexual harassment and abuse exploded in Taiwan in June amid a nationwide "Me Too" movement. Cases reported involved university staff and students, including some at NTU.
The university said that the new regulations were created with input from the graduate student association, the academic affairs office, the gender equity committee, the legal affairs office, and the NTU President. It said the changes reflect students' and teachers' efforts to improve the campus environment. [excerpt taken and adapted from National Taiwan University updates teacher-student sexual harassment guidelines by Jono Thomson, Taiwan News]

38. What will happen to a student's research results if they terminate their supervisory relationship due to upheld sexual harassment complaints?
    (A) The department will continue to supervise the research independently.
    (B) Both parties must reach an agreement on sharing the research within a month.
    (C) The department will suspend the research until further notice.
    (D) The supervisor's department will handle the research independently.

Passage A: Questions 37-39
National Taiwan University (NTU) students who face sexual harassment from supervisory teachers can now more effectively end their supervisory relationships, after the university amended regulations on November 20, 2023.
NTU said that before the regulations were changed, if a student raised a complaint regarding sexual harassment or abuse from a supervisor, the complaint was processed by the gender equity committee, which would coordinate with the supervisor's department to find a replacement. Now, students are able to directly end the relationship themselves, if their complaint is upheld by the gender equity committee.
If a supervisory relationship is ended by a student on this basis, the relevant department will be required to coordinate with both parties to determine how the student's research results will be shared. The new regulations said this must happen within one month of the relationship ending.
The changes come after reported cases of sexual harassment and abuse exploded in Taiwan in June amid a nationwide "Me Too" movement. Cases reported involved university staff and students, including some at NTU.
The university said that the new regulations were created with input from the graduate student association, the academic affairs office, the gender equity committee, the legal affairs office, and the NTU President. It said the changes reflect students' and teachers' efforts to improve the campus environment. [excerpt taken and adapted from National Taiwan University updates teacher-student sexual harassment guidelines by Jono Thomson, Taiwan News]

39. What prompted the changes in regulations at National Taiwan University?
    (A) A surge in reported cases of sexual harassment and abuse nationwide.
    (B) Pressure from the government to modify university policies.
    (C) Lack of involvement from the NTU President in addressing complaints.
    (D) Inadequate support from the academic affairs office for victims of harassment.

Passage B: Questions 40-42
'Cancel culture' has recently become the focus of heated public debates and controversies in countries around the world.
Driven primarily by Twitter and other social media, cancel culture has become a common phrase referring to practices of publicizing, shaming, and shutting down individuals who are perceived to exhibit offensive, unethical, politically incorrect, or harmful behavior.
Besides social media, the phenomenon of cancel culture has also penetrated universities through events such as speaker cancellations and campaigns in college campuses that demand the 'cancelling' of artworks, monuments or buildings associated with racism, colonialism, and sexism. These events have raised debates on campuses around the world concerning the ethical issues around the morality and motivations of cancel culture as well as the political implications of cancel culture, especially in relation to free speech. On the one hand, there are those who argue that calling out discriminatory behavior is a good thing because it helps the vulnerable deal with perpetrators. On the other hand, there are also those who criticize cancel culture for stifling free speech and open debate, suggesting that cancel culture ends up being a kind of a performative spectacle that enables those doing the calling out to feel morally superior. These critics question whether the practice of 'cancelling' really succeeds in addressing very real, structural, and pressing issues of social injustice.
The phenomenon of cancel culture is much more complex than a binary scheme between those who argue for or against it.
One way of seeing this phenomenon is to situate it in the broader terrain of 'culture wars' and how to teach this issue in schools. In other words, a key question for educators to reflect on is: How can the phenomenon of cancel culture be engaged pedagogically in ways that identify and challenge social inequalities, rather than getting stuck on cancelling individuals, leading to a toxic culture often filled with dogmatism and disillusion? The intention is not to dismiss the transformative possibilities of cancel culture in the fight against injustice. What may be the fundamental issue in debates around cancel culture is not so much the threat to free speech, but rather the ethical willingness for taking a restorative approach - an approach that does not reproduce the ostracization and social exclusion of perpetrators but considers how to reconnect people in their collective efforts towards co-creating a better world.
[excerpt taken and adapted from The phenomenon of cancel culture through the social media: pedagogical implications for teacher education by Michalinos Zembylas, Journal of Pedagogy, Culture, & Society]

40. What is the primary mode through which 'cancel culture' operates, as described in the article?
    (A) Television news
    (B) Social media platforms
    (C) Printed newspapers
    (D) Radio broadcasts

Passage B: Questions 40-42
'Cancel culture' has recently become the focus of heated public debates and controversies in countries around the world.
Driven primarily by Twitter and other social media, cancel culture has become a common phrase referring to practices of publicizing, shaming, and shutting down individuals who are perceived to exhibit offensive, unethical, politically incorrect, or harmful behavior.
Besides social media, the phenomenon of cancel culture has also penetrated universities through events such as speaker cancellations and campaigns in college campuses that demand the 'cancelling' of artworks, monuments or buildings associated with racism, colonialism, and sexism. These events have raised debates on campuses around the world concerning the ethical issues around the morality and motivations of cancel culture as well as the political implications of cancel culture, especially in relation to free speech. On the one hand, there are those who argue that calling out discriminatory behavior is a good thing because it helps the vulnerable deal with perpetrators. On the other hand, there are also those who criticize cancel culture for stifling free speech and open debate, suggesting that cancel culture ends up being a kind of a performative spectacle that enables those doing the calling out to feel morally superior. These critics question whether the practice of 'cancelling' really succeeds in addressing very real, structural, and pressing issues of social injustice.
The phenomenon of cancel culture is much more complex than a binary scheme between those who argue for or against it.
One way of seeing this phenomenon is to situate it in the broader terrain of 'culture wars' and how to teach this issue in schools. In other words, a key question for educators to reflect on is: How can the phenomenon of cancel culture be engaged pedagogically in ways that identify and challenge social inequalities, rather than getting stuck on cancelling individuals, leading to a toxic culture often filled with dogmatism and disillusion? The intention is not to dismiss the transformative possibilities of cancel culture in the fight against injustice. What may be the fundamental issue in debates around cancel culture is not so much the threat to free speech, but rather the ethical willingness for taking a restorative approach - an approach that does not reproduce the ostracization and social exclusion of perpetrators but considers how to reconnect people in their collective efforts towards co-creating a better world.
[excerpt taken and adapted from The phenomenon of cancel culture through the social media: pedagogical implications for teacher education by Michalinos Zembylas, Journal of Pedagogy, Culture, & Society]

41. What major debate does 'cancel culture' provoke, as mentioned in the article?
    (A) The economic impact on social media platforms
    (B) The impact on academic funding for universities
    (C) Its effects on free speech and social justice
    (D) The role of technology in modern culture and society

Passage B: Questions 40-42
'Cancel culture' has recently become the focus of heated public debates and controversies in countries around the world.
Driven primarily by Twitter and other social media, cancel culture has become a common phrase referring to practices of publicizing, shaming, and shutting down individuals who are perceived to exhibit offensive, unethical, politically incorrect, or harmful behavior.
Besides social media, the phenomenon of cancel culture has also penetrated universities through events such as speaker cancellations and campaigns in college campuses that demand the 'cancelling' of artworks, monuments or buildings associated with racism, colonialism, and sexism. These events have raised debates on campuses around the world concerning the ethical issues around the morality and motivations of cancel culture as well as the political implications of cancel culture, especially in relation to free speech. On the one hand, there are those who argue that calling out discriminatory behavior is a good thing because it helps the vulnerable deal with perpetrators. On the other hand, there are also those who criticize cancel culture for stifling free speech and open debate, suggesting that cancel culture ends up being a kind of a performative spectacle that enables those doing the calling out to feel morally superior. These critics question whether the practice of 'cancelling' really succeeds in addressing very real, structural, and pressing issues of social injustice.
The phenomenon of cancel culture is much more complex than a binary scheme between those who argue for or against it.
One way of seeing this phenomenon is to situate it in the broader terrain of 'culture wars' and how to teach this issue in schools. In other words, a key question for educators to reflect on is: How can the phenomenon of cancel culture be engaged pedagogically in ways that identify and challenge social inequalities, rather than getting stuck on cancelling individuals, leading to a toxic culture often filled with dogmatism and disillusion? The intention is not to dismiss the transformative possibilities of cancel culture in the fight against injustice. What may be the fundamental issue in debates around cancel culture is not so much the threat to free speech, but rather the ethical willingness for taking a restorative approach - an approach that does not reproduce the ostracization and social exclusion of perpetrators but considers how to reconnect people in their collective efforts towards co-creating a better world.
[excerpt taken and adapted from The phenomenon of cancel culture through the social media: pedagogical implications for teacher education by Michalinos Zembylas, Journal of Pedagogy, Culture, & Society]

42. What does the article propose as an alternative approach regarding 'cancel culture' debates?
    (A) Emphasizing the importance of social media influencers in shaping public opinion.
    (B) Encouraging a broader dialogue on cancel culture without addressing social inequalities.
    (C) Focusing solely on punishing individuals rather than addressing systemic issues.
    (D) Engaging pedagogically to challenge social inequalities without perpetuating a toxic culture of exclusion.

Passage C: Questions 43-46
We all know the word argument. By argument, we usually mean that people have some kind of quarrel. People take opposing positions about something and then each proceeds to try to convince the other(s) that they are right. When arguments are heated, participants aim to demolish all objections and perhaps even the people who make them.
This kind of antagonistic positioning is not what we mean when we talk about academic argument. When an argument is academic, we generally mean something much more reasoned. Something which proceeds logically. Something which produces supporting evidence for both claims and conclusions.
But academic argument can and often does - proceed with the same kind of conquer and destroy mindset as the non-academic argument. An academic writer may see the purpose of their argument as converting others to their point of view. They think that they have to "prove" their thesis by anticipating and rejecting all possibilities other than the one they are advancing. They aim for a rhetorical knockout. You often see the helmets-on-lances-at-the-ready academic stance on social media, but it's also very live at conferences. You know, the conference questioner from hell. The what-about-this and haven't-you-read leading to the how-could-you-possibly-think-that. This is the resolutely declarative writer, itching for the duel at dawn, refusing to acknowledge that other positions are possible.
The victory-oriented argumentative position stands in contrast to another possibility - that of the explanatory, consensus building stance. Explanatory argument writing starts from the position that scholarly communication is a conversation. The purpose of academic argument is to create a dialogue which recognizes different perspectives, which invites and supports further understanding. The writer of an explanatory argument seeks to make something intelligible, to make something meaningful and comprehensible. They want to converse, not convert. The explanatory argument is a yes-and, not a yes-but.
Explanatory writers begin without hubris. They do not assume that they know it all. They are open to new ideas and perspectives, even when they are writing something that they feel relatively confident about, and comfortable with. The explanatory writer has generally engaged in deep reading and has an understanding of the nuances of their field and topic. They are aware of how much more there is to know, while also maintaining the possibility of saying something. They accept that it is always possible to interpret phenomena differently, that scholarly knowledge is collectively produced and not the result of one person's work and that it is best to be modest about contributions.
While they can be authoritative, explanatory argument writers are less conquering heroes than scholarly colleagues writing to make sense of data and sources. Rather than writing to be invincible, less combative writers hope to encourage additional contributions to a conversation. Instead of position-taking, they see their task as becoming more informed themselves, as well as offering their readers deeper engagement with a topic. [excerpt taken and adapted from writing argument – it's not (always) a contest by Pat Thomson, patter]

43. What distinguishes academic argument from non-academic argument?
    (A) A focus on defeating opponents
    (B) An emphasis on logical reasoning and supporting evidence
    (C) A goal to engage in quarrels and heated discussions
    (D) A pursuit of converting others to a specific viewpoint

Passage C: Questions 43-46
We all know the word argument. By argument, we usually mean that people have some kind of quarrel. People take opposing positions about something and then each proceeds to try to convince the other(s) that they are right. When arguments are heated, participants aim to demolish all objections and perhaps even the people who make them.
This kind of antagonistic positioning is not what we mean when we talk about academic argument. When an argument is academic, we generally mean something much more reasoned. Something which proceeds logically. Something which produces supporting evidence for both claims and conclusions.
But academic argument can and often does - proceed with the same kind of conquer and destroy mindset as the non-academic argument. An academic writer may see the purpose of their argument as converting others to their point of view. They think that they have to "prove" their thesis by anticipating and rejecting all possibilities other than the one they are advancing. They aim for a rhetorical knockout. You often see the helmets-on-lances-at-the-ready academic stance on social media, but it's also very live at conferences. You know, the conference questioner from hell. The what-about-this and haven't-you-read leading to the how-could-you-possibly-think-that. This is the resolutely declarative writer, itching for the duel at dawn, refusing to acknowledge that other positions are possible.
The victory-oriented argumentative position stands in contrast to another possibility - that of the explanatory, consensus building stance. Explanatory argument writing starts from the position that scholarly communication is a conversation. The purpose of academic argument is to create a dialogue which recognizes different perspectives, which invites and supports further understanding. The writer of an explanatory argument seeks to make something intelligible, to make something meaningful and comprehensible. They want to converse, not convert. The explanatory argument is a yes-and, not a yes-but.
Explanatory writers begin without hubris. They do not assume that they know it all. They are open to new ideas and perspectives, even when they are writing something that they feel relatively confident about, and comfortable with. The explanatory writer has generally engaged in deep reading and has an understanding of the nuances of their field and topic. They are aware of how much more there is to know, while also maintaining the possibility of saying something. They accept that it is always possible to interpret phenomena differently, that scholarly knowledge is collectively produced and not the result of one person's work and that it is best to be modest about contributions.
While they can be authoritative, explanatory argument writers are less conquering heroes than scholarly colleagues writing to make sense of data and sources. Rather than writing to be invincible, less combative writers hope to encourage additional contributions to a conversation. Instead of position-taking, they see their task as becoming more informed themselves, as well as offering their readers deeper engagement with a topic. [excerpt taken and adapted from writing argument – it's not (always) a contest by Pat Thomson, patter]

44. How does the explanatory argument differ from the victory-oriented argumentative position?
    (A) It focuses on rhetorical knockout and proving a singular thesis.
    (B) It seeks to demolish objections and opposing viewpoints.
    (C) It encourages scholarly dialogue and acknowledges nuances.
    (D) It aims to convert others to the writer's point of view.

45. Which word below has a similar meaning to 'hubris'?
    (A) arrogance
    (B) shame
    (C) humility
    (D) dedication

Passage C: Questions 43-46
We all know the word argument. By argument, we usually mean that people have some kind of quarrel. People take opposing positions about something and then each proceeds to try to convince the other(s) that they are right. When arguments are heated, participants aim to demolish all objections and perhaps even the people who make them.
This kind of antagonistic positioning is not what we mean when we talk about academic argument. When an argument is academic, we generally mean something much more reasoned. Something which proceeds logically. Something which produces supporting evidence for both claims and conclusions.
But academic argument can and often does - proceed with the same kind of conquer and destroy mindset as the non-academic argument. An academic writer may see the purpose of their argument as converting others to their point of view. They think that they have to "prove" their thesis by anticipating and rejecting all possibilities other than the one they are advancing. They aim for a rhetorical knockout. You often see the helmets-on-lances-at-the-ready academic stance on social media, but it's also very live at conferences. You know, the conference questioner from hell. The what-about-this and haven't-you-read leading to the how-could-you-possibly-think-that. This is the resolutely declarative writer, itching for the duel at dawn, refusing to acknowledge that other positions are possible.
The victory-oriented argumentative position stands in contrast to another possibility - that of the explanatory, consensus building stance. Explanatory argument writing starts from the position that scholarly communication is a conversation. The purpose of academic argument is to create a dialogue which recognizes different perspectives, which invites and supports further understanding. The writer of an explanatory argument seeks to make something intelligible, to make something meaningful and comprehensible. They want to converse, not convert. The explanatory argument is a yes-and, not a yes-but.
Explanatory writers begin without hubris. They do not assume that they know it all. They are open to new ideas and perspectives, even when they are writing something that they feel relatively confident about, and comfortable with. The explanatory writer has generally engaged in deep reading and has an understanding of the nuances of their field and topic. They are aware of how much more there is to know, while also maintaining the possibility of saying something. They accept that it is always possible to interpret phenomena differently, that scholarly knowledge is collectively produced and not the result of one person's work and that it is best to be modest about contributions.
While they can be authoritative, explanatory argument writers are less conquering heroes than scholarly colleagues writing to make sense of data and sources. Rather than writing to be invincible, less combative writers hope to encourage additional contributions to a conversation. Instead of position-taking, they see their task as becoming more informed themselves, as well as offering their readers deeper engagement with a topic. [excerpt taken and adapted from writing argument – it's not (always) a contest by Pat Thomson, patter]

46. According to the article, which of the following is NOT likely what a conference questioner from hell would say?
    (A) Haven't you read the publications of Dr. Lee? You clearly do not know this topic well.
    (B) This is ridiculous. How could you possibly claim your results are true based on that data?
    (C) I disagree with everything you have said. There is only one answer to this question. Period.
    (D) Your perspective is insightful. I've never thought about that. Can you tell me a bit more?