studies, earlier research, and other paraphrased answers in RC

kraft.phillip

Hi everyone,

I posted a discussion earlier in my prep about PT 36 S2 Q16, which remarked on how the right answer inferred from the phrase "discussions of" and the fact that it is a passage regarding science that whatever they are discussing is earlier research. I don't agree with it, but that's the LSAT. And it was still the best answer because the other answers can be eliminated with the text.
http://7sage.com/forums/discussion/113/pt36-s2-q16#Item_3

I just did PT 54, on which I came across a related issue: S1 Q8.
The question says all of the answers are supported by the passage EXCEPT. I haven't graded it yet, but I picked C, which says "there has been some study of the environmental effects of drilling-mud discharges." But E also is not supported, and it is directly a S/N condition switch, which in my experience is frequently tested. (E) says "during the drilling of an oil well, drilling mud is continuously discharged into the sea" whereas the passage merely says that the only time the discharge happens is when an oil well is being drilled, not that drilling always means there's discharge. So that is clearly the right answer. But why is C incorrect? Is it for the same nebulous reason as PT36 S2 Q16? The passage is discussing a science related issue, and I know that hydraulic fracturing has been studied in the real world, and generally facts of the sort that the passage provides would be hard to generate without some sort of study, but specifically that the environmental effects? I'm really not so sure this has support. It's obviously an inferior answer to E, but I wouldn't say that it is "supported" by the passage. I'd say it has some support from the passage but certainly cannot be logically inferred. This is compounded by the fact that the other answer choices besides E can be logically inferred from the passage.
A-line 13
B-line 41
D-line 49

Actually, I just realized at line (23) it says "one problem with studying" which probably means there has been studies, maybe. Not sure. Any thoughts? That line could just as easily justify that no studies have been done since it is so difficult. Am I to assume that all difficult things have been done? Or perhaps that all things that are attempted qualify as have "some" done of it? Probably. This post seems to have sorted itself out, but you'll have another take on it. I'll post anyway.