Sometimes there is no more effective means of controlling an agricultural pest than giving free rein to its natural predators. █ ████ ██ █████ ██ ███ ████████ █████ █ ████ █████ ██████████ ███ ██ ███████████ ██████████ ██ █ █████████ ████ ██ ███ █████ █████████████ ███
Intro topic ·Controlling cyclamen mites using Typhlodromus mites
Reasons 3 and 4 ·Reproductive timing and alternative sources of food
Reason 3: Typhlodromus only reproduces when cyclamen prey is available.
Reason 4: Typhlodromus has other food sources, allowing it to survive when cyclamen mites are scarce.
Again, correlation between presence of Typhlodromus and lower cyclamen populations
Passage Style
Problem-analysis
Single position
24.
It can be inferred from ███ ███████ ████ ███ ██████ █████ ██ ████ ██████ ██ █████ ████ █████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ ██████████ █████ ███ ███ ██ █████████ ██ ███████ ████ ████████████
Question Type
Author’s perspective
Implied
It’s hard to predict a correct answer just based on the question stem, since the whole passage involves the use of predators to control pest populations. So let’s rely on process of elimination.
a
If the use ██ █████████ ██ ███████ ████████ ████ ███████████ ██████ ████ █████████ ██████ ██ ████ ██ ███████ █████ ████████████
We have no reason to think the author believes parathion should be used if predators don’t work. Parathion doesn’t kill C-mites; it kills T-mites.
Not supported, because we have no reason to think the author cares about the effects of predators on other kinds of insects. What matters is whether the predators can kill cyclamen mites.
Supported, because we know that parathion would do “far more harm than good.” So it would make sense to use it only if we can’t use Typhlodromus mites to control cyclamen mites. You might be uncomfortable with “only if” or the reference to “insecticides” instead of “parathion,” but there’s no better answer. No other answer has any amount of support.
Not supported, because we don’t know whether the author would prefer a pesticide that kills both pests and predators over use of predators. We know she’d prefer use of predators over a pesticide that kills only predators, but that doesn’t tell us about her preference concerning a pesticide that kills both predators and prey.
Not supported, because we don’t know whether predators generally don’t harm the crops that their prey feed on. The author never tells us whether they can harm the crops. In addition, even if you think there’s support for the claim that predators generally don’t harm the crops, this isn’t one of the things the author identifies as contributing to the effectiveness of T-mites in P2. So we have no reason to think the lack of harm to crops contributes to predators’ effectiveness.
Difficulty
65% of people who answer get this correct
This is a difficult question.
It is somewhat easier than other questions in this passage.
CURVE
Score of students with a 50% chance of getting this right
25%148
158
75%168
Analysis
Author’s perspective
Implied
Problem-analysis
Science
Single position
Answer Popularity
PopularityAvg. score
a
2%
160
b
5%
160
c
65%
166
d
3%
161
e
25%
160
Question history
You don't have any history with this question.. yet!
You've discovered a premium feature!
Subscribe to unlock everything that 7Sage has to offer.
Hold on there, stranger! You need a free account for that.
We love that you want to get going. Just create a free account below—it only takes a minute—and then you can continue!
Hold on there, stranger! You need a free account for that.
We love that you came here to read all the amazing posts from our 300,000+ members. They all have accounts too! Just create a free account below—it only takes a minute—and then you’re free to discuss anything!
Hold on there, stranger! You need a free account for that.
We love that you want to give us feedback! Just create a free account below—it only takes a minute—and then you’re free to vote on this!
Subscribers can learn all the LSAT secrets.
Happens all the time: now that you've had a taste of the lessons, you just can't stop -- and you don't have to! Click the button.