PT92.S3.Q7 - Crop Geneticists

jacob.elser2jacob.elser2 Free Trial Member
edited October 2021 in Reading Comprehension 63 karma

I feel like there are a lot more recent-test RC questions that have me scratching my head. I understand the LSAT writers are extremely skilled and make their questions bulletproof from challenges/ambiguity, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how (A) is better than (D), or how (A) is supported in any way.

The notion of the crop geneticists being "too willing to further intense efforts to maximize the land's agricultural output" just makes no sense to me in the context of the passage. All the author basically says is they've tended to focus their research and thinking on the North American varieties, and then notes that the North American methods seek to "maximize the land's output for economic reasons." If there were an article about how some scientists have tended to focus their research and thinking around GMOs, could it be reasonably inferred that the author of such a passage would agree that the researchers are "too willing to further GMOs"? It makes absolutely no sense to me. (D) on the other hand, makes a lot of sense to me because it seems natural and supportable, based on the lines around "crop geneticists," that the author would agree that the reason the geneticists have taken an interest in the heirloom crops is the fact that they can maximize yield.

I love the old RC tests because I could get -0 relatively easily: just stay focused, understand the structure, know where the key info is located, and find the pertinent lines that support the correct answer for each question. On recent RCs I'm consistently getting -2 to -3 and I feel like there's something I'm just not getting but I don't know what that is.

Help?

Comments

  • cwlawlawcwlawlaw Member
    edited October 2021 29 karma

    I got this one wrong, so I might not be as much of a help here. :(

    I probably would've been much more critical of this if this question were #27 as opposed to #7. In any case, if I could approach this question differently, I would've placed more a larger emphasis on the author's view. The author takes a very clear stance on this issue: decreasing crop diversity is a major issue and must be addressed. If you read the first and last sentences of the passage, you'll get a clear sense of this. When I reconsider A now, I definitely see why the author would agree with this. I get a sense that the author would actually resent the geneticists for the work they've done to disrupt crop diversity in favor of maximizing output (strong The Lorax vibes). However, you have to see the 'bigger picture' here and not just within the few sentences in which the highlighted phrase was contained.

    For D, which I also chose originally, we have to make an assumption the geneticists' prior focus is now what is guiding their interests in heirloom crop varieties instead of something like an internal moral reckoning. However, I think the larger assumption comes with the fact that heirloom crops "help to maximize specific crop yields". If anything, the last sentence of the first paragraph seems to suggest that heirloom varieties and maximizing land output are opposed to each other.

    I think this test is always trying to find new ways to trip people up or disrupt old dogma for answering questions. Hopefully this (and your other author's view question that I answered) can give you a different approach, but perhaps not the only approach, to answering questions like these.

  • 279 karma

    I picked D and then changed it to A.

    There is 0 evidence that heirloom varieties can help maximize specific crop yields and that's why the crop geneticists are paying attention now.
    The geneticists tended to focus on imported agri techniques, which focus on maximizing yield for econ reasons. (last 2 sentences of paragraph 1). That is why they ignored heirlooms. To be precise, they are recognizing the value in "the store of agricultural knowledge associated with the cultivation of these varieties." It's the "agricultural researchers, development experts, and policy makers" that are looking at the heirloom genetic variety to help with the crisis. Further down in the text small farmers are choosing the commercial varieties over heirlooms too, so again, nothing that points to any heirloom variety being able to maximize any crop yields.

    Those last 2 sentences also directly support A. The overall tone of the Au implies a negative attitude towards their focus on yield maximization, hence the judgemental "been too willing."

  • leoxnardxleoxnardx Member
    82 karma

    I think the answer can be directly answered in the sentence right after the highlighted part. The passage states that the non-American methods have an intensity in pursuing maximizing economic benefits, making these methods unsuitable for preservation of crops.

    According to the highlighted sentence, the crop geneticists have been "(basing) their research and their thinking solely on agricultural methods brought to North America from else where." This means the non-American methods in the next sentence. What have they been doing, combining these two sentences? They have been focusing on the methods that are too intense in pursuing maximizing economic benefits, and these methods are not suitable for preservation. This fits perfectly into AC A. I hesitated when I saw "further intense methods," but it basically fits into the idea of "basing their research and their thinking solely on these methods...." part of the passage. To further a method means pursuing a method, and researching and thinking about the intense methods definitely fit in here. Second part of AC A is pretty obvious: these methods, as described after the highlighted part, have an intense focus on maximizing econ benefits.

  • user1234user1234 Core Member
    72 karma

    There's a PT92? I only see up to PT90 available on 7Sage Preptests

  • Cherry - Student ServiceCherry - Student Service Member Administrator Student Services
    1390 karma

    @user1234 said:
    There's a PT92? I only see up to PT90 available on 7Sage Preptests

    Hi there,

    Yes, you can access PT 91 and PT 92 in LawHub. They are not available in 7Sage yet. LSAC said that it will make these PTs available to its licensees (that includes 7Sage) “in the next few weeks.” We’re asking them to expedite the process. We’ll keep everyone posted once they are available in 7Sage.

  • Cherry - Student ServiceCherry - Student Service Member Administrator Student Services
    edited November 2021 1390 karma

    @user1234 said:
    There's a PT92? I only see up to PT90 available on 7Sage Preptests

    Hi there,

    Just letting you know that PT 91 and 92 are now available on the PrepTests page and can be taken on 7Sage. The experimental section was also added to PT 90.

    Note that the explanation videos for newly released PrepTests normally become available on our site within 30-60 days after receiving the PrepTest from LSAC.

    I hope this helps! Let us know if you have any questions.

  • user1234user1234 Core Member
    72 karma

    Thank you. I completed PT 91 and 92 on LawHub over the weekend.

Sign In or Register to comment.