PrepTest 154

[lcid:3714] Prep Test 154 LSAT — Reading Comp — S3 Reading comp

Passage

Passage A  The path a historical novelist has to tread is clearly beset by dangers. One cannot have medieval characters Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic: Humanities

Passage A
Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • A problem and paradoxical solution are introduced
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Problem - Historical novelist/biographers have to change things up and invent things to create good stories
    • Paradox - To tell a good narrative, a writer has to lie
Paragraph 2
  • Paragraph note
    • A distinction is made within the paradox
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Lies vs. Mistakes
    • Lies are intentional and purposeful, mistakes are accidental and unforgivable
    • Constructive lie (adds to story) = good; mistake (detracts from story) = bad
Paragraph 3
  • Paragraph note
    • A caveat is added
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Some lies go too far - alienating, obvious
    • But subtle, convincing lies necessary - e.g., Shakespeare
Passage B
Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • A question is posed based on a weird situation
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Situation - Autobiographer remembers false things more vividly, even when remembering the actual thing
    • Question - Which is the "truest" memory?
Paragraph 2
  • Paragraph note
    • A distinction is made
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Actual event vs. Emotional experience
    • When they align, great! When they don't, false memory tends to have emotional truth
Paragraph 3
  • Paragraph note
    • Another distinction is made
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Autobiography vs. Biography
    • Latter to get truth
    • Former to get experience, and an emotional false memory should be included
Paragraph 4
  • Paragraph note
    • A temper tantrum is thrown, and then a conclusion is drawn
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
    • Temper tantrum - My conclusion is illogical and unethical!
    • Conclusion - Autobiography is between fact and fiction, and each writer draws line in different places
Main Point:
Passage A - While some lies go too far, historical novels/biographies need to tell some intentional and purposeful lies to create a coherent story.

Passage B - Autobiography skirts the line between fact and fiction, and some false memories need to be included because they create a clearer story and provide emotional truth.

Key Lines:

Passage A:
Lines 8-9 - A paradoxical statement is made
Lines 17-18 - The paradox is clarified
Lines 19-20 - A caveat is added
Lines 22-24 - An example is given

Passage B:
Line 34 - A question is posed
Lines 39-40 - An unexpected answer is presented
Lines 41-43 - The thesis is stated
Lines 49-52 - The Author is mad at himself
Lines 56-58 - The main point is reiterated in fancy language

Meta-Structure - Relationship Between Passages:
Passage A - Paradox/Explanation/Caveat
Passage B - Question/Paradoxical Answer

Both passages deal with writing that is supposed to be factual, and they highlight how lies or false memories actually contribute to that form of writing. They both recognize the paradoxical nature of that, though the author of Passage B is a little more piqued by it than the author of Passage A.

There's one key difference. Passage B distinguishes between autobiography (read to experience what the author did) and biography (read to learn facts). Passage A's author says that in "depicting the lives of real individuals," it's acceptable to include purposeful lies that advance the narrative. So in biographical writing, Passage A argues lies are alright, but Passage B argues that that writing is read to "find a more objective view" (Line 45).

Last Thoughts:
Passage B is written in the first-person, and there's quite a bit of emotion shown there—especially in the last paragraph.

The two passages, though, largely align on their main point—that lies/false memories are acceptable in certain situations. However, there is some disagreement over what those situations are.

Question prompt

Which one of the 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

Humanities

Answer choices

  1. A
    Passage A describes an Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    Incorrect. (Line 17; Lines 45-48) Passage A recommends including effective lies in a story, and Passage B says that it's more misleading to leave out such lies than to include them, so B doesn't reject the recommendation of A.
  2. B
    Passage A outlines a Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 22-24) The only specific case we get is Shakespeare, which shows up in Passage A.
  3. C
    Passage A and passage Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    Incorrect. (Line 17; Lines 45-48) Both passages come to the conclusion that there are situations where a story based in truth to include falsehoods in order to advance the narrative or add depth, so they don't reach opposing conclusions.
  4. D
    Passage A and passage Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D matches the stem
    Correct. Question Type:
    Methods of Reasoning

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

    Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
    For Comparative RC, you should be anticipating this question. Even if it doesn't show up, thinking through how the passages relate will help you answer questions.

    When we thought through this, we said:
    Both passages deal with writing that is supposed to be factual, and they highlight how lies or false memories actually contribute to that form of writing. They both recognize the paradoxical nature of that, though the author of Passage B is a little more piqued by it than the author of Passage A.

    There's one key difference. Passage B distinguishes between autobiography (read to experience what the author did) and biography (read to learn facts). Passage A's author says that in ""depicting the lives of real individuals,"" it's acceptable to include purposeful lies that advance the narrative. So in biographical writing, Passage A argues lies are alright, but Passage B argues that that writing is read to ""find a more objective view"" (Line 45).

    So the passages have arguments that generally align, but they apply them to different types of writing. Let's find an answer reflecting that.

    Answer Explanation:
    (Line 1; Lines 4-5; Lines 17; Line 27; Lines 45-48) As we've noted before, the two passages both argue that effective writing—even when based in truth—sometimes involves falsehoods. Passage A applies this to historical novels and biography, whereas Passage B applies it to biography and autobiography. As such, they apply their conclusion to somewhat different contexts, making this the correct answer.

    Key Takeaway:
    Noting what is similar and different between the two passages in a comparative RC set will help you approach most of the questions. And, sometimes, there will be a question that directly asks for that information!
  5. E
    Passage A and passage Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Incorrect. (Line 17; Lines 45-48) While the interpretations of when to include falsehoods in fact-based narratives might not be identical between Passages A and B, there's no conflict between the two. This answer would require an explicit statement in B that contradicted something in A.

What this tests

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