PrepTest 122

[lcid:3586] Prep Test 122 LSAT — Reading Comp — S3 Reading comp

Passage

Questions 1-6  .        The use of computer–generated visual displays in  . courtrooms is growing as awareness of their ability Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage Summary

Topic: Legal Studies


Paragraph 1

  • Paragraph note
    • Trend and benefits of it
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Trend - Computer-generated visual aids in trials
    • Benefits:
      • Show different vantages
      • Highlight specifics
      • More impact on jury (better retention/stats)
      • Help with technical info
      • Seamless

Paragraph 2

  • Paragraph note
    • Critics - List of downsides
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Downsides - Abuse and misuse
      • Manipulate impression of event
      • Undermine critical faculties
      • Bias to one side if only one can afford them
      • Can incorporate evidence otherwise inadmissible

Paragraph 3

  • Paragraph note
    • Author - Steps to avoid misuse
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Steps to avoid misuse:
      • Counsel alert to misuse, data analyzed, judges vigilant
      • Judges forewarn juries
      • If one side uses, ensure other side can, too (financial aid)

Main Point: There are both pros and cons to the use of computer-generated visual displays in courtrooms, so practical steps must be taken to allow their use while avoiding their downsides.

Key Lines?

Lines 1-3 - A new trend

Line 15 - Pros are introduced

Lines 26-28 - Cons are introduced

Lines 46-47 - The Author weighs in and introduces a list of safeguards

Meta-Structure?

Resolving Debate by looking at Pros/Cons - The Author here presents the advantages of computer-generated visual displays in courtrooms (starting in Line 15, though a few are noted before then), and the disadvantages of that technology as brought up by some critics (Paragraph 2). When an Author presents the pros and cons of something, representing two sides of a debate, her opinion on the balance of those tends to be the main point - in other words, is the underlying idea a good one? Here, the Author splits the difference. She accepts both the advantages and disadvantages - the advantages explicitly by being the one to present them in Paragraph 1, and the disadvantages implicitly by recommending in Paragraph 3 safeguards to address them. Since the Author is recommending that the technology have safeguards put in place, that’s the main point, as summarized above.

Recommendation - The Author presents a series of practical steps that should be taken in order to prevent the abuse and misuse of computer-generated visuals in the courtroom. This serves as a recommendation that highlights her views on the pros and cons of the technology, which reinforces that as the main point, as summarized above.

Lists - Each of the paragraphs includes a list. Paragraph 1 has a list of advantages of computer-generated visual displays. Paragraph 2 has a list of disadvantages. Paragraph 3 has a recommended list of practical steps so that computer-generated visual displays can be used in courtrooms without being misused. The elements on these lists are going to be important in the questions, so we should be sure to have noted in some way the elements on each list. This can be with full notes in the margins, or with numbers inside the text to highlight where each starts. Develop your own method for doing so, but be sure to develop some method!

Last Thoughts?

These questions are likely going to be an exercise in time management because of how many elements were included across three lists, so let’s head to them ASAP!

Question prompt

Based on the passage, Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: B

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

Question Type

Legal

Strategy Overview

Remind ourselves of the main point of the passage, then head to the answers, focusing on those that line up with the main point and then using our notes/the passage to find the correct answer

Answer Anticipation

The topic that this question stem asks about is the central topic of the passage. On top of that, the Author agrees with both the advantages and disadvantages of computer-generated visual displays, arguing that they can be used with safeguards to protect against the downsides. So the answer for this answer could show up essentially anywhere in the passage.As such, we’ll need to rely on our big-picture understanding of the passage to answer this question. We should start by reminding ourselves of the main point (either by reviewing what we said after reading the passage or by rereading our answer to the main point question). From there, we can head to the answers, deferring on those that don’t line up with the main point. For those that do, we’ll use our notes and the passage to see if it’s correct.

Answer choices

  1. A
    The courts should suspend Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited

    (A) (Lines 56-61) This answer talks about what “should” be done, so the information supporting it would be in Paragraph 3. There, however, we can see that one element on the Author’s list of recommendations is financial aid if only one side can afford computer-generated visual displays. In cases where they both can afford them, the Author doesn’t have a problem with their use, so she wouldn’t agree that these types of visual displays should face a blanket ban.

  2. B
    Computer–generated evidence should be Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B matches the stem

    (B) (Lines 47-54) This answer also talks about what “should” be done, so we should check the Author’s recommendations in Paragraph 3. There, we see that the first one is that the data serving as the basis of the computer displays should be scrutinized by both counsel and the judge, ensuring that it doesn’t prejudice one side. That supports this answer, making it correct.

  3. C
    Actual static photographs of Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited

    (C) (Lines 7-11) Paragraph 1 was all about how much more effective computer-generated visual displays are at getting complex ideas across and swaying the minds of potential jurors, so this answer cuts against the Author’s statements in that paragraph.

  4. D
    Verbal accounts by eyewitnesses Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited

    (D) This answer also talks about what “should” be done, so we should check the Author’s recommendations in Paragraph 3. There, however, the Author never brings up any other type of evidence that should play a more vital role than computer displays, so this answer features an unsupported comparison.

  5. E
    Computer displays based on Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited

    (E) (Lines 47-54) One of the safeguards the Author recommends putting in place is having counsel and judges regularly review the underlying data to make sure that the computer displays don’t bias the juries. If a computer display that was based on bad or incomplete data wasn’t convincing, then there’d be no need to put in place this safeguard. If anything, this answer thus represents something the Author would disagree with.

What this tests

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