Highlight the author’s conclusions:

p2:
applying the term “trickster” to both characters obscures essential differences between them.

The picaro–typically a male character–operates primarily as an agent of satire.

p3: 
But the trickster…does not serve a satiric function

the trickster is a comic figure

Map the wording of the answers to the reference in the prompt, or to the author’s conclusions:

8. The passage provides the most support for inferring that…

Map the answers to the reference in the prompt. It’s near the end of paragraph two, right after it says “the picaro’s authenticity serves as a foil to the perceived hypocrisy of conventional society.”

(A) The picaro has the potential to inflict physical injury…

Haha, nice try. The picaro is a character in a story though.

(B) …threatens to upset long-standing political structures.

Be careful. This is way stronger than what the passage actually says about the picaro being a “foil”. The passage doesn’t mention “political structures” in there anywhere, so don’t start adding in your own assumptions.

(C) The picaro has been marginalized by conventional society.

I get why you might pick this if you’re going a little too fast. The passage does say this. But it says this is how society “reacts” to the picaro. It’s not why they perceive him that way in the first place. So it doesn’t fit what the prompt is asking for.

(D) The picaro threatens to force society to face its hypocrisy.

This definitely maps better to the reference in the passage than anything else on this list. You love that it mentions “hypocrisy”.

(E) The picaro suffers no consequences…

Liar! Right after the reference in the passage it says society “reacts by marginalizing him”. The test expects you to agree that’s definitely a “consequence”.

(D) is the correct answer.

9. Based on the author’s view in the passage, applying the term “trickster”…

Map the answers to the author’s conclusions.

(A) …when it is clear that person supports a centrist view

This is describing something like a mischaracterization. But the author doesn’t say it’s flat out wrong to call a picaro a trickster, just that it “obscures essential differences”. This doesn’t map to that idea at all.

(B) …based on superficial similarities when a deeper understanding…

This maps to the author’s conclusions perfectly. Plus “deeper understanding” sounds like the author saying “closer examination reveals”, and the whole first paragraph was background about “superficial similarities”.

(C) …a way of suggesting metaphorically…

Huh? The author doesn’t say anything that sounds close to this. And this doesn’t capture the “essential differences” thing at all.

(D) classifying a species of pine tree as an evergreen even though…

This sounds more like someone is getting something scientifically wrong, and not just missing “essential differences”. If its “needles turn brown” then it’s definitely not evergreen. This is more black-and-white than (B), so the wording in this one doesn’t map as closely to the wording of the passage.

(E) describing a common weed as aggressive…

This is about whether a thing fits a certain description. But it’s not about similarities between two things, like the picaro and the trickster.

(B) is the correct answer.

10. The author of the passage states that…

Map the answers to the author’s conclusions. The author was supporting their conclusion that the picaro and the trickster aren’t so similar.

(A) …with supernatural powers.

The author never said that. Even if they had, info about the trickster’s “flaws” wouldn’t really “demonstrate that” anyway.

(B) allude to the functional similarities between…

Nope, it’s exactly the opposite. See the author’s conclusions.

(C) contrast the role of the trickster with that of the picaro

Boom. That maps perfectly to the author’s conclusions.

(D) …how the trickster is used to engage in social commentary

Nope, this is exactly the difference the author is pointing out. This is the paragraph where the author argues that the trickster “does not serve a satiric function”. Satire is “social commentary”.

(E) emphasize the disruptive, anarchic character…

Nope, that’s how the author described the picaro, not the trickster.

(C) is the correct answer.

11. Based on the passage, the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following…

Map the answers to the author’s conclusions. The reference is part of the introductory background info, where the author is setting up their main point: that they’re going to disagree.

(A) It has systematically denigrated…

This sounds nothing like the author’s conclusions.

(B) …has nothing to do with…

Nope, the author lists similarities at the end of the first paragraph.

(C) …is at odds with its reading of…

The author’s argument doesn’t mention these critics contradicting themselves.

(D) …an attempt to be precise…

Not at all. The author is going to spend the whole passage saying “closer examination” shows it’s imprecise.

(E) It bases its analysis on an incomplete understanding of trickster stories.

This maps to that “closer examination” thing again, since the author thus implies the critics had “an incomplete understanding”. But even getting that detailed isn’t necessary, since this is the only answer that maps to the author’s conclusions well at all.

(E) is the correct answer.

12. In the context of the passage, which one of the following most accurately captures the meaning…

Map the answers to the reference in the prompt.

(A) conforming…

Stop. That would typically be the opposite of “authenticity”.

(B) having certain essential features…

I could see you not eliminating this right away. But it feels a little too general, even for a right answer on Reading Comp.

(C) behaving as others do

Like (A), this is the opposite of the “authenticity” the author is describing.

(D) inspiring absolute trust

This isn’t close to the meaning of “authenticity”, and the author never talked about “trust”.

(E) following one’s natural inclinations

This is pretty much the dictionary definition of “authenticity”.

(E) is the correct answer.

13. The author refers to the story concerning the coyote trickster and the star…

Map the answers to the reference in the prompt. The author used the story as an example to support that super wordy intermediate conclusion in the first sentence of the paragraph.

(A) …showing why coyotes make particularly poignant tricksters.

The author is only making a point about tricksters, not about coyotes specifically. So this smells pretty fishy. Still, you probably aren’t sure this is right until you eliminate the others.

(B) …the targets of trickster stories are human foibles.

This maps to the conclusion at the beginning of the paragraph. Now don’t forget the except in the prompt. We’re eliminating this.

(C) …tricksters are comic figures.

This maps perfectly to one of the author’s main conclusions. So it’s out too.

(D) …illustrates a way in which human listeners can identify…

This maps to the author saying “they recognize in themselves the trickster’s extravagant hopes.”

(E) …one typically human trait tricksters can have is extravagant desire.

This maps to the same statement as (D) about “extravagant hopes”.

(A) is the correct answer.