Self-study
P1
In The Dynamics of Apocalypse, John Lowe attempts to solve the mystery of the collapse of the Classic Mayan civilization. ███
Phenomenon ·
Collapse of Classic Mayan civilization
Lowe's methodology ·
Uses monument construction dates to estimate when Mayan sites were abandoned
Evidence ·
Monument dates show that Mayan expansion stopped, followed by political troubles
Evidence ·
Death rate outstripped birth rate
Evidence ·
Monument construction stopped, followed by Mayan collapse
P2
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Hypothesis ·
Population growth caused agricultural decline and Mayan collapse
Growth put stress on farmland while diverting labor away from farming; resulting food scarcity caused conflict
P3
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Criticism ·
Evidence for hypothesis may be unreliable or incomplete
Hypothetical example ·
of further evidence that would weaken hypothesis
Passage Style
Critique or debate
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
24.
Which one of the following ██ ████ ███████ █████████ ██ ███ ██████████ ████ █████ █████ ███ ████████████ ███████ ████████ ████████████ ███ ███████ █████ ███████
Question Type
Analogy (RC)
The author describes Lowe’s assumption in P1: “Lowe relies on dated monuments to construct a step-by-step account of the actual collapse. Using the erection of new monuments as a means to determine a site's occupation span, Lowe assumes that once new monuments ceased to be built, a site had been abandoned.” To Lowe, monument construction is evidence of the existence of the city. Lowe assumes the stopping of new construction is evidence that the city was abandoned. Let’s look for an answer that involves the absence of X (monument construction) constituting evidence of the absence of Y (thriving city).
a
A person assumes ████ ███ ████████ ██ █████ ███████ ██ ███ ███████ ██ █ ███████ █████ ██ ███ ██ ███ ███████ ██ ████ ███████ ██████████ ██████ ███ ███████ ███████
This isn’t analogous, because the shortage of fresh produce isn’t being used as evidence of the absence of something else. Rather, (A) involves a causal explanation for the absence of fresh produce. But Lowe’s assumption as described in P1 doesn’t involve a causal explanation for the absence of monument construction.
b
A person assumes ████ █ █████ ███████ ████ █████ ███████ █████ ███████ ███ ██████ ██ ███ █████ █████ █████ ███ ███ ████████ ██ ███ ███████
This doesn’t involve the absence of something indicating the absence of another thing.
c
A person assumes ████ █ ██████████ ██ █████ ███ █████████ ███████ ███ ████████████ ████ ███ ███████ ███████████ █████ ███ ████ ████ ███ ██████ ███ ██████
This doesn’t involve the absence of one thing indicating the absence of another thing. A change in the menu isn’t the absence of a menu.
d
A person assumes ████ █ ███████████ ███ ████ ████ ███████ █████ ██ █ ███ ████ ███ ███ ███████████ ██ ███ ████ ███████ ███ ████████ █████ ███ ███████ ██ ████████
This doesn’t involve the absence of one thing indicating absence of another thing. The changing of a name isn’t the absence of a name.
e
A person assumes █ ██████ ███ ████ ███ █████ ██████████ ███████ ███ ██████ ███ ███████ ██████████ ███ ███████
This is most analogous, because it most clearly involves the absence of one thing (purchasing new stamps) as evidence for the absence of another thing (the stamp collection).