LSAT 123 – Section 2 – Question 11

LSAT 123 - Section 2 - Question 11

June 2007

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT123 S2 Q11
+LR
Argument part +AP
Causal Reasoning +CausR
Analogy +An
A
4%
139
B
4%
145
C
68%
152
D
19%
149
E
5%
145
124
140
155
 +Easier 143.659 +SubsectionEasier

It is now a common complaint that the electronic media have corroded the intellectual skills required and fostered by the literary media. But several centuries ago the complaint was that certain intellectual skills, such as the powerful memory and extemporaneous eloquence that were intrinsic to oral culture, were being destroyed by the spread of literacy. So, what awaits us is probably a mere alteration of the human mind rather than its devolution.

Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The argument refutes the complaint that electronic media are hurting intellectual skills. The author claims the mind is likely just changing instead of weakening. She uses an analogous situation - literary media was once feared to destroy the skills involved in oral tradition - to support her point.

Identify Argument Part
This is an analogy to the situation at hand that is used to support the conclusion. It is implied that because this media change ended up being embraced, then this change to electronic media will be fine as well.

A
evidence supporting the claim that the intellectual skills fostered by the literary media are being destroyed by the electronic media
This evidence is being used to refute that claim, not support it. The author is claiming that the transition to electronic media will not weaken the mind.
B
an illustration of the general hypothesis being advanced that intellectual abilities are inseparable from the means by which people communicate
The author is not advancing the claim that means and intellectual abilities are inseparable. Instead, she is claiming that intellectual abilities can remain strong, even if the means of communication change.
C
an example of a cultural change that did not necessarily have a detrimental effect on the human mind overall
This is descriptively accurate. The situation is used as an analogy - another situation that ended up ok, even though the media form changed. This shows that the current media transition will also be ok.
D
evidence that the claim that the intellectual skills required and fostered by the literary media are being lost is unwarranted
The author is refuting this claim, but there is no evidence that the author is trying to show it to be unwarranted. The author just claims that a different outcome is more likely.
E
possible evidence, mentioned and then dismissed, that might be cited by supporters of the hypothesis being criticized
This evidence supports the author’s hypothesis that the mind will not be weakened, not the opposition.

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LSAT PrepTest 123 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Reading Comprehension

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