PrepTest 153

[lcid:3708] Prep Test 153 LSAT — Reading Comp — S1 Reading comp

Passage

 A recent worldwide decline of ocean fishery stocks has stimulated rapid growth in cultivated production of fish and shellfish, usually Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic: Science

Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • Background/stats are given, a view is put forward, and the Author disagrees with that view while introducing a paradox
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • (Stats) - We tag this so that we head back to this section for any question that deals with stats
    • Some experts - Fish farming will restore wild fish populations
    • Author - There's no evidence of that
    • Paradox - Fish farming could solve or make worse declining ocean fishery populations
Paragraph 2
  • Paragraph note
    • First way that fish farming can threaten ocean fishery stock
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • High-volume fish farming causes pollution, ecological disruption, and disease
Paragraph 3
  • Paragraph note
    • Second (and more important) way that fish farming can threaten ocean fishery stock
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • More important - Fish farming requires a lot of fish meal/oil, to the point where more fish are required for farming that you get out
Paragraph 4
  • Paragraph note
    • First way that fish farming can help ocean fishery stock
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Reduce pressure by decreasing profitability or offering alternatives
    • Examples - Salmon; tilapia/channel catfish/cod/haddock
    • BUT! - Niche markets may undercut these benefits
Main Point:
Fish farming is paradoxical, in that there are ways it can cause both the decline and protection of ocean fishery stock.

Key Lines:
Lines 11-14 - An opposing point is introduced and the Author rebuts it
Lines 15-18 - The Author puts forward a paradox that she explores through the rest of the passage
Lines 19-23 - One side of the paradox is examined (negative side)
Lines 32-33 - Another part of the same side of the paradox is examined
Lines 48-55 - The other side of the paradox is examined (positive side)
Lines 55-57 - A factor that may counteract the positive side of the paradox is discussed

Meta-Structure:
Examination of a paradox. All paradoxes have two sides that seem to contradict each other.

When an RC passage introduces a paradox, it's generally the case that at least one paragraph will be dedicated to each side of the paradox, and then there's generally a concluding paragraph that either resolves the paradox or concludes that one side of it is wrong. Here, we get two paragraphs dedicated to one side of the paradox, one paragraph to the other, and no resolution of it. While the Author does discuss something that may counteract the "positive" side of the paradox, she doesn't state that the positive won't come to pass (wild fish stock won't rebound), or that the negative is destined to happen (wild fish stock decline).

So this passage is about the paradox—introducing and exploring it—instead of resolving the paradox. As such, we should make sure that we pick answers that reflect the uncertainty of the outcome, in the Author's opinion.

Last Thoughts:
Everything we said in the Meta-Structure section is true, but the Author here does spend more time on the downsides (Paragraphs 2 and 3, as opposed to half of Paragraph 4), introduces the paradox by stating that there's no evidence that fish farming will help with wild fish stock (Lines 13-14), and introduces something that will potentially counteract the positive effect of fish farming on the wild stock (Lines 55-57). So we should be willing to pick answers that, while reflecting uncertainty, are a little pessimistic towards how fish farming will affect wild fish stock populations.

Question prompt

Which one of the 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

Science

Answer choices

  1. A
    The recent decline of Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 1-3) The passage starts by noting that a decline in ocean fishery stocks has led to a growth in fish farming, so it would be hard for the fish farming to have caused that decline! This answer reverses the timeline/causality in the passage, so it can't be correct.
  2. B
    Fish farming has some Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B matches the stem
    Correct. Question Type:
    Main Point

    Strategy Overview:
    Reiterate the main point as we defined it after reading the passage

    Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
    There are certain types of ideas that an Author can bring up in a passage that do a lot to define the structure and main point of the passage. A paradox is one of them. While passages will occasionally bring up a paradox as just one facet of an overall argument, they will more frequently control the entire passage.

    Here, the latter happens. The Author notes a paradox explicitly (Lines 14-18) and then spends the rest of the passage talking about the two ""sides"" of the paradox. And while she does introduce something that ""may"" (Line 55) affect one side, she never fully resolves it by showing how the two sides can both happen or why one side is wrong. As such, the point of the passage is to explore this paradox—that fish farming could both increase and decrease ocean fish stock. Let's find an answer reflecting that.

    Answer Explanation:
    (Lines 15-18) The Author introduces a paradox in the first paragraph that the rest of the passage explores without resolving—that fish farming is a possible solution but also a possible cause of the continued decline of ocean fisher stocks. This answer reflects that paradox, making it the correct answer.

    Key Takeaway:
    The exploration of a paradox is one potential passage structure in RC. When a passage is dominated by exploring a paradox, note what the paradox is, what the two sides are, and whether (and how) the Author resolves that paradox. These elements are going to determine the main point of the passage (and frequently the structure, as well).
  3. C
    Fish farming is destined Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 5-9) The passage notes that fish farming will ""probably"" become more important in providing human protein needs. That falls short of saying that it's ""destined"" to supply ""ever-larger"" percentages of that protein. And even without those shifts, this answer would highlight only one point in the background—the passage goes on to explore a paradox resulting from this increase in fish farming.
  4. D
    The high catch rates Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 55-59) The passage ends by talking about the catch rates of several wild-caught fish. However, this was a point meant to balance out one side of the paradox, so it can't serve as the main point! The main point has to encompass the paradox in its entirety.
  5. E
    Because of their diet, Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 43-47) You could argue that the passage implies this to be the case from the end of Paragraph 3, but that was a small point in exploring one facet of one side of the paradox and, as in (D), the correct answer has to encompass the entire paradox.

What this tests

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