PrepTest 153

[lcid:3711] Prep Test 153 LSAT — Reading Comp — S4 Reading comp

Passage

Questions 8-13 This passage is based on an article published in 1996.  .       Of the 300 indigenous languages spoken when Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic: Humanities

Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • A problem is introduced, and several solutions that are already happening are noted
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Problem - Indigenous languages are disappearing, due to US policies that forced the teaching of English to Native Americans
    • Solutions - University courses, recordings of native speakers, radio stations
Paragraph 2
  • Paragraph note
    • More info on one of the solutions
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Radio stations are particularly good because of oral traditions
    • Spread language, inform listeners of local news, reengage older generations
Paragraph 3
  • Paragraph note
    • A problem/threat to the solution from the last paragraph is noted
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • The internet is driving the adoption of English, threatening the preservation of native languages
    • To combat this, radio programming must resonate with living oral traditions
Paragraph 4
  • Paragraph note
    • A distinction is made that leads to potential solutions to the secondary problem in the previous paragraph
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Distinction - English secondary, plenty of good radio programming; English primary, programming is mostly bad/instructional
    • Effective programming - recordings, games, speeches, songs; lessons in printed newspapers
Main Point:
The use of radio can be effective in preserving native languages, despite bad policy and the internet, with the right programming that reflects the oral tradition of these communities.

Key Lines:
Lines 1-5 - The statement of the problem
Lines 11-18 - Solutions
Lines 19-22 - The solution the Author is focusing on is clear
Lines 31-33 - A secondary problem with this solution is brought up
Lines 39-43 - How to address that secondary problem
Lines 52-55 - More details on addressing the problem

Meta-Structure:
Problem/Solution. In particular, this passage brings up a problem and several solutions before digging into one of those solutions. It also has a secondary problem noted with that solution, which itself has solutions proposed to address it.

Last Thoughts:
Since this passage has two "layers" of problems, we should be sure that we keep that straight in our minds. The overarching problem is the threat of losing native languages, and the secondary problem is with one of the ways in addressing that. Keeping these ideas distinct will be key to answering the big picture questions.

As to detail questions, knowing the role of each paragraph is going to be key. They all have distinct topics, so if we have a strong notation for each, we should be able to quickly home in on the right one for any specifics that a question might ask about.

Question prompt

The passage states that 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

Humanities

Answer choices

  1. A
    in spite of residual Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem
    Correct. Question Type:
    Must Be True

    Strategy Overview:
    Head back to the section that talked about the recent resurgence, and read the surrounding language

    Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
    This question asks a bit about the background leading into the rest of the passage, so it's likely that we'll find it in the first paragraph. On top of that, we just read this section for question 10! RC questions frequently build on each other, so don't forget about the important topics you read about to answer earlier questions.

    Heading to that section, we can see the "resurgence" is discussed in Lines 9-11. And there, it notes that this resurgence has happened "despite the residual effects of this effort." Heading back to the preceding sentence to see what "this effort" was, we can see it was the misguided US government policies.

    And then, reading the follow-up section, we can see that the resurgence is reflected in an increase in universities offering courses in native languages, and indigenous communities establishing radio stations in their native languages.

    Any of these details could be reflected in the correct answer, though the way it's phrased suggests that it's going to deal with the misguided US policy.

    Answer Explanation:
    (Lines 5-11) The passage noted that the resurgence is "despite the residual effects" of US government policies mandating the teaching of English to Native Americans. This answer is thus backed up by the passage, making it correct.

    Key Takeaway:
    RC questions will frequently ask about the same section of the passage more than once. This is because certain sections are more dense and include more relevant information! Don't view the questions as being one-offs—they all build off of the same passage, and they can all relate to each other.
  2. B
    because of a change Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 5-10; Lines 13-15) First, the stimulus never speaks to the attitudes of government and university officials—just their actions. Even ignoring that, the government policies changed in the Ô60s, but the "recent[]" resurgence is in the Ô90s, suggesting that it's not tied to any change in attitude that led to a policy change.
  3. C
    because of a growing Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 13-15) There's no discussion of the loss of these languages being a "great loss to scholarship," so this answer is out of scope.
  4. D
    because the use of Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 13-18; Lines 49-52) The stimulus notes that university courses are being offered and radio broadcasts are being established to preserve these languages. The stimulus doesn't tie the resurgence in interest to a "supplant[ing]" of the former by the latter. In fact, there's no sign that the university courses are a more traditional way to transmit language—maybe radio is more traditional, as it's closer to the oral tradition and teaching language by listening to it spoken natively! On top of all that, the stimulus discusses how radio broadcasts that take on an instructive nature aren't that successful in preserving languages. In short, there are a lot of problems with this answer!
  5. E
    in spite of a Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 13-15) The stimulus notes that the university courses are being "developed by Native American scholars," but it never cites a shortage of them.

What this tests

Discussion

  • confused on A 2 replies

    Started by annasc

  • Why not D? 1 reply

    Started by mfujii