Question

Read the following passage on the purpose of a college education written by theologian John Henry
Newman, and then answer the question.
It is the education which gives a man a clear conscious view of his own opinions and judgments, a
truth in developing them, an eloquence in expressing them, and a force in urging them. It teaches
him to see things as they are, to go right to the point, to disentangle a skein of thought, to detect
what is sophistical, and to discard what is irrelevant (Newman 178).
Which of the following is the best paraphrase of this passage?
1. For John Henry Newman, the purpose of a college education is cultivated critical thinking,
clear expression, and thoughtful, rigorous habits of mind.
2. When Newman writes about college and critical thinking, his views seem surprisingly modern and relevant. More than ever, people need to be thoughtful, skeptical, articulate, and
intellectually engaged.
3. John Henry Newman says of a university education: “It is the education which gives a man
a clear conscious view of his own opinions and judgments, a truth in developing them, an
eloquence in expressing them, and a force in urging them. It teaches him to see things as
they are, to go right to the point, to disentangle a skein of thought, to detect what is sophistical, and to discard what is irrelevant” (Newman 178).
4. For Newman, a good college education teaches students to know why they think what they
think. It shows them how to think critically and form opinions in a logical, evidence-based
way. Moreover, college students must learn to be articulate and persuasive. In the process,
they should discover how to face facts, separate the essential from the secondary or irrelevant, and know when they are being deceived or manipulated by the rhetoric or others
(Newman 178)

Answer 1

4

Option 4 most accurately and fully restates Newman's points — the development of clear, critical thinking; the ability to form and express opinions persuasively; and the skills of seeing facts, focusing on essentials, and spotting sophistry. The others either quote directly (3), add unrelated commentary (2), or are too general (1).