PrepTest 124

[lcid:3595] Prep Test 124 LSAT — Reading Comp — S4 Reading comp

Passage

Questions 20-27  .        Sometimes there is no more effective means of  . controlling an agricultural pest than giving free Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage Summary

Topic: Science


Paragraph 1

  • Paragraph note
    • A generalization and an example
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Generalization - Sometimes, best pest control is using a predator
    • Example - Cyclamen (Cyc) (pest)/Typhlodromus (Typh) (predator mite)
    • Usual cycle - Cyc infest, get out of control year 2, Typh move in and control them

Paragraph 2

  • Paragraph note
    • Features of Typh that make them work
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Hungry
    • Reproduction - method and rate (Similar to Cyc)
    • Seasonal and population densities
    • Reproduce only when there’s cyc
    • Similar - Other predators that can control prey

Paragraph 3

  • Paragraph note
    • Study - Typh works
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Study - Greenhouse experiments - Strawberries (one with both, one with just Cyc and insecticide)
    • Results - Just Cyc = out of control; Both = Cyc under control

Paragraph 4

  • Paragraph note
    • Study backed up in real world
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • In study, insecticide more harm than good
    • Real-world studies show same thing
    • Average - Cyc population 25x with no predators

Main Point: In some cases, the most effective means of controlling an agricultural pest is by using its predator, as is exemplified by the Cyclamen/Typhlodromus relationship.

Key Lines?

Lines 1-3 - A generalization is presented

Lines 4-6 - A specific example is noted

Lines 15-16 - List of factors owing to effectiveness introduced

Lines 33-37 - Features generalized to other predators

Lines 37-40 - Studies verify generalization

Lines 52-54 - Studies backed up in real world

Meta-Structure?

Generalization/Example - This question is one of the best examples (pun intended) of the Generalization/Example Meta-Structures in the history of the exam. It starts out by making a very general - yet strong - statement about a particularly effective means of controlling a pest population. It then goes into “[a] case in point” that it spends the rest of the passage exploring. When this Meta-Structure is present, the main point is the generalization, and the correct answer to any main point question will generally reference the example, as well - though it sometimes doesn’t.

List - Paragraph 2 is a list of “several factors” that explain why Typh is such an effective predator and can keep Cyc in check. That paragraph even generalizes from Typh to other predators in the last sentence (Lines 33-37), which reinforces the Generalization/Example Meta-Structure above.

Similarities - Paragraph 2 has a lot of comparisons in its list of factors. There are similarities between Typh and Cyc that makes Typh such an effective predator, and similarities between Typh and other predators that show a pattern to what makes for an effective predator.

Last Thoughts?

Paragraph 2 is difficult. There are a lot of details in there, and so we should be sure to head back there for any question that talks about similarities, any of the individual points of comparison/factors, or anything that sounds sciency, as that paragraph is the scienciest paragraph in the passage (yes, we just made up those words).

Paragraph 4 is interesting - it takes the studies from Paragraph 3 and shows that they pan out in the real world. One inherent flaw in any study is that it doesn’t necessarily represent the real world, but this passage gets around that to an extent by showing that the results can be found outside of a lab setting.

Question prompt

Which one of the Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: C

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

Question Type

Science

Strategy Overview

Reiterate the main point as we stated it after reading the passage, then find the answer that most closely matches up with it

Answer Anticipation

This question falls into the Generalization/Example Meta-Structures. It starts out by making a very general - yet strong - statement about a particularly effective means of controlling a pest population. It then goes into “[a] case in point” that it spends the rest of the passage exploring. When this Meta-Structure is present, the main point is the generalization, and the correct answer to any main point question will generally reference the example, as well - though it sometimes doesn’t. Here, since the generalization was a single sentence and the example made up the rest of the passage, we should expect it to be brought up in the correct answer:In some cases, the most effective means of controlling an agricultural pest is by using its predator, as is exemplified by the Cyclamen/Typhlodromus relationship.

Answer choices

  1. A
    Control of agricultural pests Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited

    (A) (Lines 50-52) A few issues here. First, this answer makes the passage seem as if it’s about arguing against pesticides rather than arguing for the use of predators to keep pest populations in control. Second, this answer doesn’t reflect the scope of the generalization, which was about what is true sometimes, while this answer seems to suggest that pesticides are the wrong move in every case. Third, this answer reflects a smaller point made in the opening line of Paragraph 3.

  2. B
    Experimental verification is essential Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited

    (B) While the passage does bring up studies that support the generalization it makes, the point of the passage isn’t to argue that such experiments are a requirement to show something works.

  3. C
    The relationship between Typhlodromus Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C matches the stem

    (C) (Lines 1-6) This answer perfectly matches up with our Generalization/Example Meta-Structure. The passage opens with a generalization, and then it goes into a specific example that it says is a “case in point.” From there, it shows why this case is on point to demonstrate the generalization. This answer reflects that argument, so it’s the correct answer.

  4. D
    Predation by Typhlodromus is Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited

    (D) (Lines 1-3) This answer is all example, no generalization. We’d be okay with the opposite, but the failure to generalize makes this answer wrong. Additionally, the Author doesn’t argue that Typh is necessary to control Cyc populations - just that it’s the most effective means of doing so. And the passage really only compares it to using a pesticide.

  5. E
    Similarity in mode and Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited

    (E) (Lines 1-3) Similar to (D), this answer is all example, no generalization. The reproductive timing was also just one of several factors that explained Typh’s effectiveness.

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