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

Information in the passage Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: A

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

Question Type

Science

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

This question stem provides no indication as to the topic of the correct answer or where it’ll show up 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
    Strawberry crops can support Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem

    (A) (Lines 1-3; Lines 10-14) This answer is definitely in alignment with the Author’s main point. She uses the Typh/Cyc relationship to show that there are situations where the most effective means of controlling an agricultural pest is to allow the natural predator to control it. If the natural predator harms the same crops as the pest, then it wouldn’t be a very effective solution! She also specifically applies this to the example when she says that the Typh population keeps the Cyc from reaching significantly damaging levels - that would be a weird thing to say if the Typh themselves were destroying the strawberries.

  2. B
    For control of cyclamen Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited

    (B) (Lines 18-20; Lines 33-37) In the example from the passage, both species of mite reproduce by parthenogenesis, but that’s never said to be a requirement for effective control by predation. While the end of that paragraph does say that such factors listed in the paragraph are common, that’s not the same as saying that they’re required or present in all examples.

  3. C
    Factors that make Typhlodromus Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited

    (C) There’s no discussion of any pests other than Cyc in the passage, so this can’t be inferred.

  4. D
    When Typhlodromus is relied Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited

    (D) (Lines 10-12; Lines 6-10) The passage does state that Typh doesn’t move in until the second year, but it also notes that Cyc populations don’t hit damaging levels during that first year - so pesticides wouldn’t be necessary before Typh move in.

  5. E
    Strawberry growers have unintentionally Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited

    (E) This answer comes out of nowhere! There’s no indication that strawberry growers are indiscriminately using parathion, or that this was the cause of Cyc mites becoming a serious crop pest - or even that they are a serious pest!

What this tests

Discussion

  • Why not D? 3 replies

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