PrepTest 149
[lcid:3693] Prep Test 149 LSAT — Reading Comp — S2
Reading comp
Passage
Questions 21-27 . The novelist and social theorist Charlotte Perkins . Gilman, whose writings were widely read and . discussed
Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic: Social Sciences
Paragraph 1
An activist view of Social Darwinism said that people can direct society's evolution, and one adherent of this view, Gilman, used her writing to promote a view that we have an ethical duty to do so in a way that breaks social norms, especially with respect to gender roles.
Key Lines:
Lines 9-14 - The first variation of Social Darwinism is discussed
Lines 14-20 - The second and more activist variation of Social Darwinism is discussed
Line 21 - Gilman is identified as being in the second camp
Lines 23-29 - The central thesis of that group is identified
Lines 31-38 - Gilman's specific view of this is noted
Lines 41-43 - How this translated to Gilman's work is described
Meta-Structure:
Theory/Specific implementation. The passage discusses an activist Social Darwinist theory and then explains how it was implemented by a specific adherent. This lines up with the Generalization/Application to a specific case argument in LR.
Last Thoughts:
The passage itself falls into a less common camp—one where the Author isn't present. There are no statements of opinion or reflection on the topic—just statements of what Gilman believed, argued for, and worked towards. As such, we should be wary of answers that reflect an active/opinionated Author.
The last paragraph has some unexpected aspects to it that might show up in detail questions For instance, Gilman's advocacy for gender equality might not be expected to line up with a view that gender inequality was necessary in the past, or that there are specifically male and female qualities. Such unexpected views tend to show up in questions since they cut against what we expect!
Paragraph 1
- Paragraph note
- A theory is introduced that has two variations, and a key person is said to be a supporter of one of them
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
- Theory - Social Darwinism - Survival of the fittest applies to social ideology
- Variation 1 - Completely determined by biology
- Variation 2 - Doesn't need to be competitive; can be directed by humans cooperatively
- Paragraph note
- Implications of the Variation 2 are discussed, and Gilman is aligned with it
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
- Gilman is in the second camp
- Central thesis - Humans have evolved to the point where they can consciously direct our social evolution
- Gilman - This means we have an ethical responsibility to contribute as best we can to society
- Paragraph note
- How Gilman contributed to society
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
- Through her writings, Gilman tried to break the molds that constrained people, especially women
- Belief - Gender roles were at one time important for evolution, but they're not anymore
An activist view of Social Darwinism said that people can direct society's evolution, and one adherent of this view, Gilman, used her writing to promote a view that we have an ethical duty to do so in a way that breaks social norms, especially with respect to gender roles.
Key Lines:
Lines 9-14 - The first variation of Social Darwinism is discussed
Lines 14-20 - The second and more activist variation of Social Darwinism is discussed
Line 21 - Gilman is identified as being in the second camp
Lines 23-29 - The central thesis of that group is identified
Lines 31-38 - Gilman's specific view of this is noted
Lines 41-43 - How this translated to Gilman's work is described
Meta-Structure:
Theory/Specific implementation. The passage discusses an activist Social Darwinist theory and then explains how it was implemented by a specific adherent. This lines up with the Generalization/Application to a specific case argument in LR.
Last Thoughts:
The passage itself falls into a less common camp—one where the Author isn't present. There are no statements of opinion or reflection on the topic—just statements of what Gilman believed, argued for, and worked towards. As such, we should be wary of answers that reflect an active/opinionated Author.
The last paragraph has some unexpected aspects to it that might show up in detail questions For instance, Gilman's advocacy for gender equality might not be expected to line up with a view that gender inequality was necessary in the past, or that there are specifically male and female qualities. Such unexpected views tend to show up in questions since they cut against what we expect!
Question prompt
The passage indicates that
Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right
Credited answer: D
The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.
Question Type
Social Science
Answer choices
-
Areclamation of ancient social Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice A is not credited
Incorrect. (Line 51) The closest Gilman gets to discussing ancient social theories is discussing gender roles. She may have believed that ""at one time"" such roles were necessary, but she doesn't believe that still applies, so this answer is wrong. -
Bcross-cultural communication
Why choice B is not credited
Incorrect. There's no mention of cross-cultural communication. -
Cgreater literacy
Why choice C is not credited
Incorrect. (Lines 43-45) While Gilman promoted her views in her writing, she never identifies literacy as a factor in society's evolution. Her work might imply that she felt literacy could help promote these views, but it's not indicated by the passage. -
Dskilled occupations
Why choice D matches the stem
Correct. Question Type:
Must Be True
Strategy Overview:
Review the factors that Gilman noted in her beliefs
Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
Gilman was an activist Social Darwinist, and Social Darwinists believed humans could direct the evolution of society, so human action is a potential answer.
Then, starting in Line 31, Gilman's specific views are noted. She believed that humans, in their work (crafts, trades, arts, or sciences), have an ethical duty to push society forward. Specifically, she used her work to fight for gender equality in work roles and hierarchical relationships.
So outside of human action, Gilman also believed that ethics, work, and social hierarchies can be a factor in society's evolution. Let's find one of those as an answer.
Answer Explanation:
(Lines 33-35) Gilman says that human work is a ""prime source of social evolution,"" and then she includes a list of skilled work such as crafts, trades, arts, and sciences. This answer shows up in the passage as a view Gilman held, so this is the correct answer.
Key Takeaway:
A question that asks for something the passage indicates needs to have that answer stated directly. The farthest they'll stray is in characterizing a list in a certain way—as we saw here with the answer characterizing work in the arts, trades, sciences, and crafts as ""skilled"" work. -
Efuture uses of dialectical Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice E is not credited
Incorrect. This answer is trying to get you to pick it because it sounds fancy. Don't. There's nothing in the passage backing this up.
What this tests
Discussion
No threads yet—be the first to ask a question or share an approach.