PrepTest 144

[lcid:3672] Prep Test 144 LSAT — Reading Comp — S1 Reading comp

Passage

 . The following passage was adapted from a law journal  . article published in 1998.  .  .       Industries that use Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic: Legal Studies

Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • Two groups that agree are introduced; a question is presented
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Biotech business and academics think commercial research should be patentable
    • Question - Are these patents hindering research?
    • Patents facing scrutiny (scientists and policy makers)
Paragraph 2
  • Paragraph note
    • The threat to research is outlined
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Enforcement - A patent holder stops others from using basic research materials
    • Contracts - A patent holder requires someone to pay a lot to use research materials
    • Example - Patent holder asks for money to get research costs back
    • Academics - Fear corporations will charge too much
Paragraph 3
  • Paragraph note
    • The Author pivots to a defense of patents
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Concession - Used to be communal, but not all information was shared
    • Wrong assumption of scientists against patents - Patents allow people to prevent others from using stuff
    • Why wrong - Not applied to noncommercial research for 2 reasons
    • 1 - It's expensive to litigate
    • 2 - Judges don't enforce against academic research
    • Other patent pro - Incentive to research to make money
Main Point:
While researchers fear that biotechnology patents will impede scientific research, their arguments rely on mistaken assumptions, and patents might actually provide an incentive to do research.

Key Lines:
Lines 8-10 - A question/problem is presented
Lines 14-17 - The problem is highlighted
Lines 17-19 - Two specific sources of the problem are noted
Lines 40-44 - The Author points out a mistaken assumption of those who fear patents
Line 47 - The Author introduces one reason they're mistaken
Line 51 - The Author introduces a second reason they're mistaken
Line 54 - The Author brings up a positive of patents

Meta-Structure:
Question/Answer - The passage starts with a question over whether biotech patents are hurting research. The answers make up the debate, with some scientists saying they do and others, along with the Author, saying they don't necessarily and might actually spur research. Since this debate dominates the passage and the Author takes a side, the Author's answer to the question is the main point.

Last Thoughts:
There's an interesting symmetry to the structure of the two arguments—both get explicitly broken into two parts. In Paragraph 2, those who fear patents fear exclusion and contracts. In Paragraph 3, the Author argues that they're wrong for two reasons. Knowing what each of these pairs is supporting, what they say, and where to find them in the passage will likely be key to answering the questions efficiently.

Question prompt

The author refers to 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

Answer choices

  1. A
    furnish a brief account Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    Incorrect. (Line 35; Line 37) The "While"/"it is also undoubtedly true" structure shows that there's an argument being made in this statement, and so it's not meant just to give background information.
  2. B
    establish that present competitive Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B matches the stem
    Correct. Question Type:
    Argument Structure

    Strategy Overview:
    Check the purpose of the paragraph the line in question is in, then define the purpose of that section with respect to the immediate context, the role of the paragraph it's included in, and the passage as a whole

    Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
    Line 38 shows up in Paragraph 3, and that's where the Author is arguing that those who oppose patents are confused and mistaken.

    Line 38 is a part of a sentence that starts in Line 35, and the "While" there highlights the opening clause here as being a concession that the Author is making to the viewpoint she just finished discussing. So she starts this paragraph by conceding to those who oppose patents that the research community used to have a more communal air. However, as with almost all concessions, she pivots away from this ("it is also undoubtedly true") to talk about the early days of biotechnology, where some researchers hid their research from others.

    So the reference to the early days is meant to undermine a potential objection raised by the other side. While the Author admits there was a more communal air that we've shifted away from, and some might say that we should go back to that, it actually wasn't as communal as they argue. Some researchers, even under that system, hid their research from others.

    Let's find an answer reflecting that role.

    Answer Explanation:
    (Lines 35-40) The "While" tells us that the Author is bringing up an opposing point that has merit, but also that she'll pivot away from it to undercut it. That point is that biotech research has shifted from a communal model to a competitive/market-based one. But, as the Author states, even when it was more communal, some researchers still kept their work to themselves, and so the current practices of using patents to exclude others from using their work isn't a new phenomenon. This answer reflects that reasoning, so it's the correct answer.

    Key Takeaway:
    Know what your structural words mean! Knowing that "While" is usually used to introduce a concession that the Author will then pivot away from and undercut was key to tackling this question quickly.
  3. C
    express nostalgia for a Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 38-40) The Author brings up the early days, when researchers were keeping their research secret from one another. Hardly a time period to be nostalgic for!
  4. D
    argue that biotechnology research Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 35-40) Nothing in the sentence starting Paragraph 3 suggests anything about the level of sophistication of the research.
  5. E
    provide a historical justification Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 56-59) The Author isn't against biotechnology patents, and this paragraph is where she makes that case, so this answer doesn't line up with the passage overall. The first half of the opening line of this sentence might serve this purpose, but that's before the Author pivots from it to talk about the early days of biotechnology, and that pivot statement is what the question is asking about.

What this tests

Discussion

No threads yet—be the first to ask a question or share an approach.

View all discussions Start a discussion