Reading comp PrepTest 156 · Section 1 · Question 4

Passage

 Because most agricultural practices in North America produce row after row of only a few, genetically identical, varieties of crops, Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage Summary

Topic:
Science/Social Science

Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • Problem/Solution and Old Approach/New Approach
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Problem: North American agri practices are eroding the genetic base of crops, making them less durable (pests/disease)
    • Solution/New Approach: Look into indigenous farmers (practices, heirloom varieties of crops)
    • Old Approach: Focus on agricultural methods brought to North America from elsewhere


Paragraph 2

  • Paragraph note
    • Study/Examples of better practices by indigenous farmers
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Study: Indigenous farmers used genetics to make varieties
    • Example: Hybridization — Lots of varieties of (list of crops) that resisted disease/pests
    • Example: Make crops for local environments, less dependent on irrigation


Paragraph 3

  • Paragraph note
    • Process of maintenance; new wrinkle on problem
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Process: Regional exchange networks for seeds; oral tradition for methods
    • Problem: World market economy leading to these practices and varieties being lost, so need to protect ASAP


Main Point:

Because mass farming practices have harmed crop durability, it's important to turn to indigenous farmers' practices to protect the genetic base of crops, especially as the world market is starting to cause these practices to be lost.

Key Lines (P(aragraph)#, S(entence)#)?

P1, S1 - The problem
P1, S2 - One solution
P1, S3 - The Old and New Approaches
P2, S2 - An example is introduced
P2, S4 - Another example
P3, S1 - Processes by which the solution has worked
P3, S2 - A new wrinkle to the problem
Meta-Structure?



Problem/Solution: The opening sentence here introduces what is clearly a problem: the increasing susceptibility of food crops to pests and disease due to current agricultural processes. From this, we should expect the author to bring up a solution, or a variety of solutions. The author does so explicitly in the second sentence — looking to the "store of agricultural knowledge" held by indigenous farmers and the heirloom crops they work with. While the author calls this only a "possible" solution, the rest of the passage describes why this knowledge and these crop varieties can solve the problem, which suggests the author has at least some faith in the solution. In a Problem/Solution passage where the author supports a particular solution, the solution is the main point, reflected in our summary above.

Old Approach/New Approach: In Paragraph 1, Sentence 3, the author brings up Old and New Approaches used by crop geneticists to preserve the genetic base of crops. The Old Approach focused on studying "solely" agricultural methods brought to North America from elsewhere. These approaches aren't mentioned again. The New Approach is to study the methods and varieties of crops produced by indigenous farmers, which is the solution/main point. So this Meta-Structure informs the main point, but it isn't the central Meta-Structure that defines the passage. Expect a question or two on this Meta-Structure, but we shouldn't eliminate main point answer choices simply because they don't reference the old approach.

Last Thoughts?

This is a fairly straightforward passage as far as information, structure, and Meta-Structures are concerned, so let's head to the questions!

Question prompt

The author's main purpose Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: E

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Question Type

Science

Answer choices

  1. A
    criticize current efforts to Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    This answer reflects a Problem/Solution passage, but not the one we just read! The author largely sides with those who are arguing for, at the very least, investigating indigenous farming practices and crop varieties as a solution to the eroding genetic base of North American crops. The author doesn't criticize those efforts.
  2. B
    contrast two approaches to Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    (P1, S3) Another answer that reflects a Problem/Solution passage! The author does contrast the crop geneticists who focus on agricultural practices brought to North America from elsewhere with the indigenous farming practices. However, this contrast is not between two proposed solutions to a problem. The crop geneticists' practices were brought up to describe what led to the problem of the eroding genetic base. Those practices are not an approach to solving that problem. And even ignoring that, the point of the passage is to discuss the use of indigenous knowledge systems to solve the problem. If this answer choice were correct, the passage would have needed to go a lot more into the comparisons between the two approaches.
  3. C
    propose a novel solution Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    (P1, S2) This is definitely an attractive answer choice! However, the author notes that agricultural researchers, development experts, and policymakers have proposed the possible solution. So the author is not proposing a novel solution to a problem, as a "novel" solution would require the idea to be the author's original idea.
  4. D
    praise a definitive solution Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    (P1, S2) This answer choice is too strong. The author refers to the solution as a "possible" one, not "definitive."
  5. E
    support a promising approach Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E matches the stem

    Question Type:
    Main Point/Methods of Reasoning

    Strategy Overview:
    Review the main point and any primary Meta-Structures, then find an answer that best captures the latter with the details from the former

    Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
    A question about the passage's "primary purpose" asks us to select the answer choice that describes why the author wrote the passage. The correct answer will describe an action: what the author hoped to do in the passage, and how the author accomplished that.

    Now, in a broad sense, every author hopes to convince us that the main point is true. However, different authors employ different means to convince us of that main point. That's why the passage's Meta-Structure can be revealing: it helps us predetermine how this specific author was attempting to convey the main point.

    In this case, the central Meta-Structure we identified was the Problem/Solution Meta-Structure. The author kicks off the passage by noting that the genetic base of crops in North America is eroding, leading to problems with pests and disease. The author then proposes a potential solution: using indigenous farming practices and heirloom crop varieties. The rest of the passage then discusses why this can solve the problem (Paragraph 2) and the urgency to adopt the solution (second half of Paragraph 3).

    So the author's primary purpose in writing this passage is to explore and advocate for a solution to a problem.

    Answer Choice Explanation:
    (P1, S2) Contrast this answer choice with (D). This answer choice reflects the solution that the author raises, but it doesn't oversell how certain she is that it will work! It's a "possible" solution, which lines up with "promising" in this answer. It is therefore correct.

    Key Takeaway:
    How cheeky of the LSAT to have all answer choices reference the central Meta-Structure of the passage! A set of answer choices like this isn't common, as the LSAT will usually present a few options that don't reflect that Meta-Structure. However, when it happens, focus on the details and strength of the answer choices, as we did here.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 4%
  2. B 2%
  3. C 14%
  4. D 7%
  5. E Credited 72%

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