PrepTest 123
[lcid:3591] Prep Test 123 LSAT — Reading Comp — S4
Reading comp
Passage
For decades, there has been a deep rift between poetry and fiction in the United States, especially in academic settings;
Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic: Humanities
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4
Main Point:
Despite a long-standing split between poets and fiction-writers, a fortunate recent trend to blending the genres is exemplified by the work of Rita Dove.
Key Lines:
Lines 1-3 - A split is established
Lines 15-17 - A potential reason for the split is suggested
Lines 21-24 - The Author says the split is fortunately ending
Lines 24-25 - The example explored through the rest of the passage is introduced
Meta-Structure:
Bringing the Sides Together - The Author starts by establishing a split between fiction and poetry in the US (Lines 1-3). After he explores the background of that split, he notes that it's "[f]ortunately" coming to an end (Lines 21-22), and he highlights Rita Dove as a prime example of this (Lines 24-25). Her writing is categorized by the Author as "lyric narrative" (Line 42), bringing together the characteristics that he previously attributed to each genre (Lines 8-11). When the Author brings two viewpoints together, that resolved viewpoint is almost always the main point of the passage, reflected in what we wrote above.
Question/Answer - (Lines 13-20) Paragraph 2 explores the background of the split in the US by asking a question and then providing a potential answer ("perhaps . . . "). This question and its answer don't dominate the passage, just one paragraph, so the Author's answer isn't the main point.
Generalization/Example - The Author's main point and clearest statement of opinion is a generalization in Lines 21-22. In order to back up this general claim about an erosion in the boundary between fiction and poetry, the Author cites "several recent writers," but he then dives into one as an "important example" (Line 24) - Rita Dove. Since she forms the basis for the rest of the passage, this extended example is a key element and should be reflected in the main point. We should also remember that she's there to back up a generalization—the passage uses Rita Dove as a premise supporting a more general conclusion, not as the conclusion itself.
Last Thoughts:
When the Author brings two sides together, we need to be clear on what he takes from both sides, and what characteristics/beliefs make up the combo. Here, the Author suggests that "lyric narrative" includes all of the cited elements of both poetry and fiction, but he goes into a few examples through Dove - what her poems sound like, and what her fiction sounds like. Let's keep these characteristics in mind as we work through the questions.
Paragraph 1
- Paragraph note
- A divide is explored
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
- Poetry vs. Fiction - Rift in US for decades
- Grad programs and professionals a part of it
- Conventional Wisdom - Poetry - Emo; Fiction - Character/story
Paragraph 2
- Paragraph note
- Author asks and answers question about background of split
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
- Why are they split?
- Potential answer - US Widespread View - Suspicion of generalist/dilettantes
Paragraph 3
- Paragraph note
- Signs split is diminishing, with a key example
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
- Author - Fortunate that split is eroding
- Example - Rita Dove (speech and background); Germany
Paragraph 4
- Paragraph note
- Dove, and how she brings the genres together
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
- Dove - Little sense to split poetry and fiction
- Combo = lyric narrative
- Dove poems - Lyrical, but have story
- Dove fiction - Prose, but has poetic rhythm
Main Point:
Despite a long-standing split between poets and fiction-writers, a fortunate recent trend to blending the genres is exemplified by the work of Rita Dove.
Key Lines:
Lines 1-3 - A split is established
Lines 15-17 - A potential reason for the split is suggested
Lines 21-24 - The Author says the split is fortunately ending
Lines 24-25 - The example explored through the rest of the passage is introduced
Meta-Structure:
Bringing the Sides Together - The Author starts by establishing a split between fiction and poetry in the US (Lines 1-3). After he explores the background of that split, he notes that it's "[f]ortunately" coming to an end (Lines 21-22), and he highlights Rita Dove as a prime example of this (Lines 24-25). Her writing is categorized by the Author as "lyric narrative" (Line 42), bringing together the characteristics that he previously attributed to each genre (Lines 8-11). When the Author brings two viewpoints together, that resolved viewpoint is almost always the main point of the passage, reflected in what we wrote above.
Question/Answer - (Lines 13-20) Paragraph 2 explores the background of the split in the US by asking a question and then providing a potential answer ("perhaps . . . "). This question and its answer don't dominate the passage, just one paragraph, so the Author's answer isn't the main point.
Generalization/Example - The Author's main point and clearest statement of opinion is a generalization in Lines 21-22. In order to back up this general claim about an erosion in the boundary between fiction and poetry, the Author cites "several recent writers," but he then dives into one as an "important example" (Line 24) - Rita Dove. Since she forms the basis for the rest of the passage, this extended example is a key element and should be reflected in the main point. We should also remember that she's there to back up a generalization—the passage uses Rita Dove as a premise supporting a more general conclusion, not as the conclusion itself.
Last Thoughts:
When the Author brings two sides together, we need to be clear on what he takes from both sides, and what characteristics/beliefs make up the combo. Here, the Author suggests that "lyric narrative" includes all of the cited elements of both poetry and fiction, but he goes into a few examples through Dove - what her poems sound like, and what her fiction sounds like. Let's keep these characteristics in mind as we work through the questions.
Question prompt
If this passage had
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
Strategy Overview
Review the Author's opinion on the subject, then apply that to a future trend that he'd be expected to believe
Answer Anticipation
This question seems like it's asking us to extrapolate from the text, and it is, but we're still dealing with the LSAT! The correct answer is going to follow directly from the language in the passage, and so we should still treat this as a Must be True question.
So what does the Author say that could help us infer what he believes will happen in the future? Well, he talks about a recent trend — "there are signs that the bias against writers who cross generic boundaries is diminishing" (Lines 21—22). If it's diminishing, then the Author believes it's an ongoing trend, and so he'd predict that it would continue into the future. Let's find an answer reflecting that.
Answer choices
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AThe number of writers Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice A matches the stem
Correct. (Lines 21—22) The Author mentions a recent trend away from a deep rift between poetry and fiction towards respect for writers who work in both genres. If this passage was an excerpt of a longer text, we'd expect the writer to predict that this trend would continue, thus leading to more writers working in both genres, as this answer choice states. -
BBecause of the increased Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice B is not credited
Incorrect. First, there's no indication that the market for lyric poetry is small. Second, the Author never says anything about trends in the marketplace, or what trends might soon develop. -
CNarrative poetry will probably Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice C is not credited
Incorrect. (Line 40) This answer is too fiction—heavy. The Author puts both genres — poetry and fiction — on equal footing throughout the passage, so it would be weird for him to predict that a certain type of poetry would become classified as fiction. This is especially true since he classifies Dove's poems with narrative elements as poems, and not as a sub—genre of fiction. -
DThere will probably be Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice D is not credited
Incorrect. (Lines 21—22; Lines 3—5) The Author notes that graduate writing programs train people in just poetry or just fiction, so there's a sign that they are already specialized. From this, the Author talks about a trend away from it, contradicting this answer. And we only need that reason to eliminate the answer if we didn't already because of the shift between the passage's discussion of graduate programs and this answer's discussion of all university programs! -
EWriters who continue to Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice E is not credited
Incorrect. (Lines 21—22) The Author praises the move away from a deep rift between poetry and fiction, but he never says that these genres by themselves aren't valuable or worthwhile — just that a combination of them is also worthwhile. As such, he doesn't necessarily believe that writers who work in just one of the genres will lose their audiences.
What this tests
Discussion
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I choose C 1 reply
Started by ca_teran1@yahoo.com