PrepTest 130

[lcid:3617] Prep Test 130 LSAT — Reading Comp — S2 Reading comp

Passage

Questions 21-27 Passage A  .        In music, a certain complexity of sounds can be  . expected to have a Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage Summary

Topic: Humanities


Passage A

Paragraph 1

  • Paragraph note
    • What makes music enjoyable
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Not too simple, not too complex/disorganized
    • Moderate complexity with coherence

Paragraph 2

  • Paragraph note
    • Relate music and language
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Music and language need some combo/sequence/rhythm to convey meaning/be enjoyable
    • Music - This is melody

Paragraph 3

  • Paragraph note
    • Relaxing music, explanation
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Continuous/rhythmic music is relaxing
    • Why? Sudden unexpected sounds = danger in nature
    • Constant noise = peaceful

Passage B

Paragraph 1

  • Paragraph note
    • Music, expectation emotion - process/sequence
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Musical elements create expectation → Not resolved → Tension → Release
    • Emotion = Tension and release (scales up)

Paragraph 2

  • Paragraph note
    • Negative vs. Positive emotions
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Negative - Music diverges from expectations
    • Positive - Music meets expected course

Paragraph 3

  • Paragraph note
    • Factors in enjoyment
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Factors - Complexity and novelty
    • Enjoyment positively correlated with familiarity until totally known
    • Enjoyment from constant level of positive emotions
    • Complexity - Higher more enjoyable for experienced listener; Lower more enjoyable for “naive listener”

Main Points:

Passage A - Complexity and continuity both are key elements in music in determining what emotional impact that music will have.

Passage B - Musical elements factor into expectations in music, and how well that music matches expectations determines enjoyment.

Key Lines?

Passage A:

  • Lines 6-8 - What makes music enjoyable
  • Line 9 - An analogy is introduced
  • Line 18 - A phenomenon
  • Lines 21-22 - An explanation
  • Lines 28-29 - Another element of enjoyable music

Passage B:

  • Lines 35-38 - A phenomenon/relationship
  • Lines 46-49 - A causal relationship
  • Lines 50-52 - Factors in enjoyment
  • Lines 54-57 - Relationship between familiarity and enjoyment
  • Lines 60-63 - Relationship between complexity and enjoyment

Meta-Structure? Relationship Between Passages?

Both passages discuss elements of music that have an emotional impact. Passage A discusses how complexity and melody factor into enjoyment (Paragraphs 1 and 2), and how continuity factors into relaxation (Paragraph 3). Passage B talks about the connection between emotion and expectation (Paragraphs 1 and 2), and how other factors such as complexity and novelty factor into these expectations (Paragraph 3).

Phenomenon/Explanation (Both) - As we noted above, both passages describe a variety of effects that music has on people. Those effects can be seen as phenomena, and both passages provide some explanations for these phenomena. Passage A provides three general Explanations for emotional reactions to music - complexity, melody, and continuity. Passage B provides a few that can all be lumped under the same bucket - expectation. These explanations for phenomena tend to be the main point of a passage that falls into this Meta-Structure, as reflected in our statements of the main point above.

Last Thoughts?

These passages were very detail heavy. They do make points about the relationship between music and elements of music and emotion, but it’s not nearly as strong of an “argument” as we usually see. As such, let’s focus on those details as we work through the questions.

Question prompt

The passages most strongly 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

Humanities

Strategy Overview

Review the central topics and concerns in each passage, identify the overlap, and then find an answer reflecting it

Answer Anticipation

This is a tricky question! It sounds like it’s a Must be True question, but look at what the question stem says - the passages are both “targeting” an audience with a given interest. If you’re targeting an audience, then you’re going to focus on their interest as a central feature of your passage. As such, this is more of a Main Point question than a Must be True question.With that in mind, let’s review what we said about the relationship between the passages after reading them:Both passages discuss elements of music that have an emotional impact. Passage A discusses how complexity and melody factor into enjoyment (Paragraphs 1 and 2), and how continuity factors into relaxation (Paragraph 3). Passage B talks about the connection between emotion and expectation (Paragraphs 1 and 2), and how other factors such as complexity and novelty factor into enjoyment (Paragraph 3). They’re both a little scattershot, in that they introduce these ideas without a strong throughline or argument, so the questions will likely be more about the details included within each one than on the arguments made.Let’s find an answer reflecting the central shared topic - the connection between music and emotions.

Answer choices

  1. A
    the theoretical underpinnings of Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited

    (A) While the passages arguably both engage in theoretical discussions, they don’t focus on the composition of music, but rather how it’s received by the listener.

  2. B
    the nature of the Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited

    (B) (Lines 22-25) Passage A compares continuous and discontinuous sound, but it doesn’t say the former is music and the latter isn’t. This topic is also absent from Passage B.

  3. C
    the impact music can Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C matches the stem

    (C) Both passages connect music to emotion throughout, so this is the correct answer. Passage A says that music can have a “positive effect,” “excite human curiosity,” create an “emotional connection,” and have a “relaxing effect.” Passage B connects music to tension and emotion directly, both positive/preferable and negative emotions, and describes music as “pleasurable” and “uncomfortable.” Since this theme permeates the passages, this is the correct answer.

  4. D
    the most effective techniques Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited

    (D) (Lines 60-64) Passage B discusses the complexity that can be enjoyed by people at different levels of experience, but neither passage discusses the techniques used to teach music appreciation, let alone the “most effective” techniques.

  5. E
    the influence music has Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited

    (E) (Line 9) Passage A compares music and language, but it doesn’t talk about the influence music has had on language development. And this topic is wholly absent from Passage B!

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