PT65.S3.Q27 (P4) - as part of an international measure

dantlee14

Holy smokes, did I get rekt on this RC. I normally average between -1 to -4 on RC sections, but this one was -7 and by far my worst PT in over a month. I did fine on blind review for the other sections, but I really struggled with time on this last passage and would love some help on the last question in particular.

27: Which one of the following is most analogous to the process, described in the last paragraph, by which the spread of thistles can be curtailed?

On the actual run-through, I was scrambling for time and guessed E - I eliminated C fairly quickly because none of the methods for combating thistle growth in the passage seemed remotely analogous to voter suppression. I eliminated D because similarly, I didn't see any part of the restoration method as similar to attacking the things supporting thistle growth (which I interpreted as, for example, heavy use of fertilizers). I didn't have time to work through the other choices, so I went with E because the two factions sounded somewhat similar to the two kinds of organisms mentioned in the last paragraph.

On blind review, I figured that while the researchers did conclude a diversity of both kinds of organisms was effective in restoring the native species (and thereby curtailing the spread of thistles), a diversity of disease organisms and beneficial organisms did not necessarily indicate an antagonistic relationship - in fact, it seemed to be the opposite upon closer examination of the text. I eliminated E as well.

At this point, I was trying to decide between A and B, and went with A because thought the last sentence of the passage, specifically "...if beneficial microorganisms are "sown" systematically into the soil along with a wide variety of native plant seeds" was somewhat analogous to tipping the balance of organisms from mostly "bad" to a perhaps more even balance of "good" organisms.

Obviously, this was still incorrect. I think I'm probably misinterpreting which specific parts of the last paragraph are analogous to the voter scenarios mentioned, but I'm having a hard time reasoning out what the "candidates" are supposed to be vs. the "journalists."

All in all, this just seemed like a really strange question, and I couldn't really remember seeing one like it in any prior PTs.

As a side note, I think this might be my inaugural post, but I've been lurking on these forums for a bit over a month and a half (I'm taking the December exam) and have found everyone to be tremendously helpful and kind. Cheers!

https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-65-section-3-passage-4-passage/
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-65-section-3-passage-4-questions/

Rigid Designator

The question asks us to focus on the process described in the last paragraph by which the spread of thistles can be curtailed.

If we recall line 8-12 we will remember that thistles are a weed, i.e. not a native or natural plant for the fields. We then look at the final paragraph referenced in the prompt.

The final paragraph talks about a process through which we can restore natural plant diversity to the fields. This is key. Since we know from the first paragraph (8-12) that thistles spread and take the place of natural plants in over-farmed fields we know that the restoration of natural plant diversity references in lines 50-52 involves a curtailing of the spread of these thistles. Thus we know know that the process that the prompt is asking us to consider is the process described in 50-52 designed to restore natural plant diversity (in other words, the process designed to curtail the spread of thistles, amongst other things). This then makes me try and pin down what this "process" actually is.

The process described is "restoring natural balance ... in the soil". At this point I recall the detailed discussion in the last paragraph about beneficial fungi and other stuff which help strengthen native plant species from the attacks of diseases. I go back and re-read this part of the final paragraph. It tells me that in over-farmed fields where thistles spread beneficial fungi etc. are lacking. So it's telling me we need these beneficial fungi back in order to promote the native flora and thus curtail the spread of thistles.

At this point I feel I have a decent grasp of what the prompt is pointing me towards. The process described to curtail the spread of thistles is a process of restoring natural flora to the fields by promoting something in the soil (fungi etc.) which benefits them and thus precludes the spread of the alternative - thistles.

I now go to the answer choices. I first read A and I notice the first part of it - 'A newspaper works to prevent party A'. Immediately alarm bells ring. This sounds like party A is going to be analogous to the thistles. I quickly scan the other answer choices and this seems like a good estimation in the heat of an exam. Back to option A.

Someone (a newspaper) tries to stop party A winning by doing something (publishing editorials). The editorials, we are told, are designed to get party A's supporters to switch to a rival party. Slotting the role these editorials play in to our thistle analogy these editorial seems to be the process by which the newspaper tries to prevent party A winning, or, analogously, from spreading.

So now I ask myself, 'is this process similar to the process by which we curtailed the thistles?'

Well, I remember that we curtailed the thistles by promoting the growth of some plants who's presence in the field would preclude the growth and spread of thistles. Is the newspaper's process analogously similar to this process? No, I think to myself. In option A the newspaper is trying to get party A's supporters to switch to a rival party. In the context of thistles and fields an analogy to this strategy would be something like curtailing the spread of thistles by asking the thistles to switch fields or by doing something active with the thistles (like pulling them out of the field perhaps). But that's not like the process described in the final paragraph. The process in the final paragraph seeks to prevent the thistles spreading by promoting some other native plants, plants which simply fill up the space of the field and thus leave no space for the thistles. In this process (the process in the final paragraph) we don't really do anything to the thistles. We just promote the alternative. This makes me think A is not right.

I then move on to B. With that analysis of A just done I already have in mind what a correct answer will look like. Analogously the newspaper is going to try and prevent party A winning by doing something which promotes an alternative. I then read B.

B seems exactly the same to A except for the difference in the process by which the paper tries to prevent party A winning. So I focus in on the process. The process in B is that the paper tries to prevent A winning by defending a rival party's candidates from attacks by journalists. Hm. This sounds about right already. The newspaper is trying to prevent A winning (analogously 'spreading') by indirectly promoting an alternative - another party and their candidates. Already I'm loving B and in a test I'd probably pick it and be happy.

For the BR though we can go deeper.

Recall the process described in the final paragraph. We promoted the growth of native plants by promoting fungi etc. What did those fungi do? They prevented the native plants from getting diseased. Ah. Now I really love B. This is just the same (analogously) as what the newspaper in B is doing. The newspaper in B is promoting the alternative to party A by defending it from attacks by broadcast journalists. The broadcast journalists are the diseases (haha! Some subtle political commentary there from the LSAT writers). When the newspaper defends the alternative party from these journalists it's the same as the fungi defending the native plants from aggressive diseases. By preventing the alternative party from these attacks we indirectly are promoting that party. By indirectly promoting that party we are encouraging it to win over party A and beating party A is analogous to preventing the spread of the thistles.

At this point I feel pretty confident that B is correct.

Hope this helps.