Question #1005

Reasoning Behind the Answer

Started by MBehrens0117 · started 2021-06-02 16:53 · last activity 2022-01-13 07:47 · 2 replies

So, I chose B, but I was not that confident in it and clearly see why it is incorrect. I chose B over C though because it seemed as if C was a trick question since it mentioned the affect on larger sea animals. In the passage, larger sea animals are not mentioned, only fish and sea bird populations. I also took note of the affect on the rest of the food chain near the end of the passage, but I still thought that C was being too specific/out-of-scope. I guess my question is, what are some tips to help one discern between language that is too extreme and language that is relative to the passage?

Replies

  1. siena · 2022-01-12 23:53

    This is what I wondered as well. It said, "larger sea animals" which yes fish are but birds are not, and no other animals were mentioned. I figured that meant that it was all animals but I guess not

  2. jakennedy · 2022-01-13 07:47

    Great question. "Larger sea animals” is relative to the plankton that they mentioned in the final sentence. While fish are not necessarily large relative to the full population of sea animals, they are certainly large in comparison to plankton. As for the birds, it specifically mentioned seabirds, not all birds in general. Seabirds, like fish, are significantly larger than plankton. Determining whether a statement is too extreme more generally requires careful reading and attention to detail. The details that individuals overlook will vary from person to person, so I recommend tracking each question that gives you trouble in this way and comparing it to other similar questions. Ask yourself what is common about the answer choices and why you believed them to be too specific. You will likely find common takeaways that you can apply to future questions. This strategy applies to anything on the LSAT that consistently gives you problems. The more you take the time to ask why your understanding of the question was off and how that compares to other questions that you have done, the more you will improve.

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