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 1
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.
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 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 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
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 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 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 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
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: E
The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.
Question Type
Humanities
Answer choices
-
AIn autobiographical writing, is Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice A is not credited
Incorrect. (Line 40) Trying to determine which memory is the truest suggests that there is a sense of truth, even if it doesn't line up with the normal use of the word. And we see at the end of Paragraph 2 that the Author does argue that there's some sense of truth—emotional truth—in autobiography. -
BGiven the unreliable nature Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice B is not credited
Incorrect. (Lines 29-30) The Author brings up situations where he is sure which memory is true and which is false. Additionally, the question doesn't make sense (""than the actual one"") if it's impossible to know which memory is the actual memory. -
CIf there are gaps Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice C is not credited
Incorrect. Passage B doesn't discuss gaps in the memory—it discusses ""false"" memories. In the former, no memory exists; in the latter, there's a memory but it doesn't accurately represent events. -
DShould autobiographical authors concern Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice D is not credited
Incorrect. (Line 34) In asking which memory is ""truest,"" the Author is implying that truth does matter—just not necessarily in the normally understood sense of the word. -
EDoes truth in autobiographical Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice E matches the stem
Correct. Question Type:
Meaning in Context
Strategy Overview:
Head to the statement in question, read it and the surrounding lines, and define it within that context and the context of the passage as a whole
Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
Heading back to Paragraph 1, we can see that the Author brings up a situation where he remembers a vivid and emotionally significant false memory, and a real memory. The question is—which one is the ""truest memory""? Since this poses a question, we should check to see if there's an answer—as that answer could shed light on what he means by the question!
Looking at Paragraph 2, we can see that he argues that ""there must be a subjective"" or emotional truth to the false memory. This is in the context of a passage where he argues that, despite the logical and ethical implications of it, he believes such falsehoods should be included in autobiography.
So when he asks about the truest memory, he's asking about whether an autobiographer should include a true memory, or an emotionally significant and vivid false memory, eventually siding with the latter. Let's find an answer reflecting that question/answer.
Answer Explanation:
(Lines 31-34; Lines 39-40) The Author asks which of a real memory and an emotionally vivid one is truer, eventually answering that the emotionally vivid one has a subjective truth to it. In arguing for that, and the eventual conclusion that it's acceptable to include these in an autobiography, the Author is asking here (and then answering) whether an autobiographer must stick to the actual facts or present a subjective narrative that resonates with readers (and sides with the latter). This answer gets at that, so it's correct.
Key Takeaway:
When a Meaning in Context question asks about a question in the passage, use the Author's answer to help you interpret what she means by the question!
What this tests
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