Reading Comprehension
Clarifying meaning- types
1- Finding a synonym With these questions, you're essentially looking for a synonymous word or phrase. 2- Finding what is being referred to 3- Interpret the meaning
Comprised of
1-2 passages: Total length of the text will be about 50-60 lines. The topics are diverse, and many may be unfamiliar to you. Questions: You'll be asked several questions about the text. Some of the questions can be answered with information explicitly stated in the passage, but many questions ask about what can be inferred. Choices: You'll be presented with five choices. Only one of them is correct. You'll see us refer to the correct choice as the "answer" throughout your practice sessions.
Inferences about information- example
According to facts presented in the passage, which of the following would be the most likely outcome of a territorial dispute between a blue jay and a red squirrel? Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information in the passage? The passage suggests that which one of the following is most likely to have been true of medieval guilds? Comparative Reading variations: Each passage gives information suggesting that which one of the following statements is true? Which one of the following can be inferred from the two passages taken together? "The passage provides the most support for which one of the following statements?" "The passage most strongly supports which one of the following statements regarding _____?" "The passage implies that _____ is..."
Applying to a new context- comparative
Applying to new context questions on comparative reading sets often ask you to apply the perspectives of one or both authors to an example: "It can be inferred that both authors would be most likely to regard which one of the following as exemplifying Baldwin's narrative technique?" This kind of question presumes common ground between the authors, so it does some of the heavy lifting for you! In the example above, you already know that the authors must at least generally agree about the characteristics of Baldwin's narrative technique. Your task is to identify what that shared agreement consists of, and then apply it just like you would for a single-passage question of this type.
Inferences about attitudes- what
Authors write things for a variety of reasons. To report facts (without bias or opinion) To report facts reported by someone else in a study (without bias or opinion) To persuade the reader of the merits of some position (positive attitude) To disprove or attack a position (negative attitude) You will encounter questions that ask directly about the author's attitude, or about the attitudes of people or groups that are mentioned. While not explicitly stated, these attitudes can be discovered from both the language and content of the passage.
Clarifying meaning- wrong choices
Be wary of "obvious" meanings. These questions often ask about a word that is being used in an uncommon way—a word that, in context, is actually being used for its secondary or tertiary meaning, not its most common meaning. Remember: just because a choice offers a definition that works in general doesn't mean it's the definition that works within the context of the passage.
Main point- how to II
Check the bones of the passage Many passages on the LSAT feature structural characteristics that are common in expository writing: The first paragraph introduces the main point The last paragraph sums up the main point The first sentence of each paragraph makes a claim The rest of the paragraph supports the claim made in the first sentence Because of this, a quick glance over the first and last sentences of each paragraph can sometimes help to confirm what the overall structure of the passage is, and what the main point is. Note: This strategy is by no means a substitute for a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown of main claims; the main points of many LSAT passages are introduced in the second, third, fourth, or even later paragraphs!
Organizing information- comparative questions
Comparative reading sets may have their own organizing information questions. Usually, you'll have to identify a specific strategy used by both passages. Here's an example: "Which one of the following is an approach used in both passages to help make a point about _____?" Since the right answer will be an approach utilized by both passages, you know that you can eliminate a choice as soon as you see that at least one passage doesn't use the strategy the choice describes. You might also be asked to pick a choice that sums up the relationship between the passages: Which one of the following most accurately describes a relationship between the two passages? Unlike single-passage variants, this type of organizing information question asks you to understand and identify how the passages relate to one another. Is one narrower in focus than the other? Does one make a recommendation or argument, while the other simply sums up background information? Try to come up with a general answer like this in your own words first, then head to the choices and see if one matches your prediction.
Do Part II
Do honor the precision of language: If the author writes, "This explanation isn't well-supported, however", an inference question might ask you what the author's attitude towards the explanation is. A wrong choice would be something like, "vehement skepticism", whereas the answer might be, "cautious doubt." Many students are too approximate in their reading and it hurts their score on the LSAT; in other words, they see some degree of disagreement and they believe that any choice that expresses disagreement will be correct. They may see the word "most" in the passage and equate it to "all" by mistake.
Do
Do read with your pencil: Reading actively is helpful to understanding reading comprehension passages and not "zoning out" while you read. Many students like to underline or circle keywords, such as "however", "therefore", "argues that", "first/second", and many others that you'll learn throughout your studies with us. If you're reading with your pencil, you're much less likely to wonder what you just read in the last minute, and you can focus on the structure and shifts in the action. Do be nimble: You don't have to do the passages and questions in order, or even to do a given question at all. Many students find success maximizing their score by skipping a select handful of questions entirely, either because they know a question will take too long to solve, or because they just don't know how to solve it. Do learn about all of the question types: An effective approach to a main point question is very different than an effective approach to an inference question, even though the passage is the same. Do spend time on the fundamentals: Effective reading strategies take time to learn and implement consistently. For example, understand how to identify important keywords (and why they're important) before practicing many passages in a row. The hints and explanations in the system will help with this—a lot! Other key skills include characterizing the relationships between various points of view and identifying the purpose of a paragraph. Be patient with yourself!
Purpose of reference- steps
Don't overthink it! Unless the reference left you puzzled, you probably already understood the author's purpose as you made your way through the passage. Put another way, the purpose that you automatically supplied in the process of reading is probably the correct one. So try to come up with the answer in your own words first, and then select the choice that best matches your prediction. Read around the reference If the reference did leave you puzzled or if you need a refresher, then go back and reread the immediate context around the lines. The author often will supply all the cues you need to understand the purpose of any part of the text right around that text. If that doesn't quite work, move to the next strategy! Review the first sentence of the paragraph The reference may well operate as support for a claim made in the first sentence of the paragraph. It's unlikely that there will be hints as to the purpose of a particular reference two or three paragraphs away. If it's still not clicking, review the last sentence of the paragraph, and the last sentence of the preceding paragraph. Make sure you understand the overall point the author is making The reference may well have been included by the author in order to directly support the main argument. Top Tip: Most of the time, these references are to studies or other forms of evidence, and they function simply to support a claim or position that the author makes/takes in the passage. Again, this position may or may not be explicit, but the chances are good that you've absorbed it during your first active reading of the passage.
Do Not
Don't try to read faster: LSAT Reading Comprehension isn't about speed and memorization. Students who consider themselves slower readers can be very successful on the test, by learning active reading strategies to identify the most important information. Some parts are okay to read less carefully, for example, because they contain details supporting a larger claim or point. Don't add your own soundtrack: The LSAT doesn't require any outside expertise in the many topics it presents to you. All of the information that you need will be presented in the passage. When you bring your own experience, knowledge and opinions about a topic into the mix, you may add your own unwarranted assumptions which will lead you to wrong choices. Strong critical readers avoid this common LSAT pitfall! Don't time yourself too early on: Accuracy, then speed! When learning a new skill, it's better to leave timing considerations to the side until you've increased your skill level enough to warrant timing. If you were learning piano, you wouldn't play a piece at full-speed before you'd practiced the passages very slowly, and then less slowly, and then less slowly still.
Basic Information
Duration: 35 minutes Length: 26-28 passage-based questions (divided into four reading passages). Subject matter: Four passages are drawn from four areas: Law, Social Science, Science, and Humanities. Three of the passages will ask you questions about a single text. One of the passages, known sometimes as the "Comparative Reading set", will feature two texts, and the questions will focus on how they relate to each other.
Recognition- steps I
First pass: eliminate what you can After reading the passage, a good first step is to go through the choices one by one, and see if you can cross out the ones that were not present in the passage. Second pass: Try a keyword search Some choices will feature unusual terminology. When you see such terminology, underline or circle it in the choice, and then skim the passage to find a match. If you can't find it, then cross out the choice. Checks (✔'s), X's and O's Some students like using ✔'s, X's and O's to mark the choices on these questions. ✔ = Choices that contain info that is present in the passage. X = Choices that contain info that is not present in the passage. O = You're not sure yet - go back to the passage to see if it deserves a ✔ or an X. Only one choice should have a ✔! It's the answer. Note: You can't use this strategy in our system, but it's a good one to try when you're taking a test on paper! Use active reading strategies to track the passage's structure If you have underlined or circled the key claims (often found in the first and last sentences of paragraphs), then you'll have a basic understanding of the structure of the passage and what role each paragraph is playing within the greater main point. Use that knowledge of the passage's outline to guide your search for the answer.
Inferences about information- comparative
Inference about information questions don't often come up on paired passages, but when they do, they often ask you to find an inference that is supported by both passages: "Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by both passages?" The same strategies apply here, with the added requirement that both passages must support the choice. Remember: in such cases, even if the two passages have contrasting conclusions, theses, or recommended plans-of-action, there will be some basic common ground that both passages acknowledge.
Applying to a new context- wrong choices
Matching worlds, wrong ideas It is common to see incorrect choices that are drawn from a realm that is similar to that of the passage, but that don't match the specific idea as it is presented in the passage. For example, a question about a passage about copyright infringement in music publishing might feature wrong choices drawn from the worlds of music or publishing. Opposites Be careful—choices that are clearly opposite from what you're looking for can be strangely appealing! Sounds good, just wrong Many choices are written in very impressive prose, but they just don't represent a correct application of the principle discussed in the passage. Note: For the "EXCEPT" examples above, wrong choices WILL be accurate applications of concepts from the passage. Be careful on these! We recommend underlining or circling the EXCEPT so you don't accidentally ignore or forget about it!
Additional evidence- variant
New evidence can affect claims in a variety of ways. Sometimes, a claim in the passage will depend on a certain supposition being true, and the additional evidence in the correct choice will undermine (or strengthen) that supposition, and thus undermine the whole argument. In other questions that ask about what would weaken or strengthen something in the passage, the additional information given in the correct choice might be related to the passage in other ways. Strengthen variant: The additional info might suggest that something is true that would have been predicted given what the passage says, and thereby strengthen the case made in the passage. Weaken variants: The additional info might suggest that something that would have been predicted - according to claims or principles or info in the passage - in fact doesn't or isn't likely to happen. The additional info might suggest that a generalization that the passage relied on does not hold up in the particular case mentioned in the choice. The additional info might suggest that a claim made in the passage is unlikely to be true.
Inferences about attitudes- comparative
Occasionally, you will encounter an inference about attitude question on a Comparative Reading set. Sometimes, they will ask you about a shared attitude between the two passages: "The authors' attitudes toward _____ can most accurately be described in which one of the following ways?" Here, you know from the way the question is worded that the authors share the same attitude toward the topic at hand. So you already know that there's an implicit or explicit point of agreement; your task is to pick the choice that best reflects what that is. You may also see a variant that asks you to compare contrasting attitudes: "Which of the following best describes the difference between the authors' attitudes towards _____?"
Principle & analogies- comparative
On paired passages, you'll sometimes encounter a discovering principles and analogies question that asks you to identify a pair of passages with a relationship that is analogous to the relationship between passage A and B: The relationship between passage A and passage B is most analogous to the relationship between the two television programs described in which one of the following? On analogy questions such as this, it can be helpful to describe the original situation in general terms before considering the choices. What is the essential nature of the relationship between the passages? For example, let's say passage A contrasts Eudora Welty's life and her writing, while Passage B discusses Welty's photography, especially as it relates to her writing. More generally, we might say that one passage compares an artist's life with their approach to an artform, and the other discusses the artist's approach to a second artform, especially as it relates to the first. Use this simplified, more general version to find the most analogous pair from the choices.
Principle & analogies- what
One way to demonstrate an understanding of an argument presented in a passage is by recognizing another argument as structurally similar. We call questions that test this ability discovering principles and analogies questions. These questions will direct you to something specific in the text and ask you to find something similar to it among the choices. Variants The two subtypes of this question type are principles and analogies. Analogy questions ask you to identify a situation that is analogous to the one described in the passage. Principle questions ask you to identify the principle that is at work.
Organizing information- what
Organizing information questions ask you to understand and analyze how a passage works to make an argument:
Inferences about information- wrong choices
Out of scope Sometimes a choice will bring up a topic that is related or tangential to the topics in the passage. These choices can be quite glittery—they are especially attractive because they sound like they're in the same ballpark as the point the author is making. However, they go beyond what can reasonably be inferred from the statements in the passage itself. Too strong or extreme Some incorrect choices will reflect the basic idea of the correct response, but take it further than what can be supported by the passage. Be wary of "extreme," all-encompassing words like always, all, every or never. Authors of passages on the LSAT usually don't make broad, general points like this, since they don't want to claim something they can't support!
Clarifying meaning- steps
Predict, predict, predict! When you go back to the passage, and work out your own predicted answer before you look at the choices, you will save time and increase your accuracy on most clarifying meaning questions. You won't waste time thinking through each choice and whether it might work, because you'll already know what you're looking for! Cover and predict! Some students find it helpful to place a finger over the word or phrase and come up with their own synonym before even looking at the choices. Once you're sure you understand the general meaning, then head to the choices and find the one that matches what you came up with. Plug in the choices. Another option is to reread the sentence with each choice in place of the word or phrase, to see if it fits. This can also be a good way to double-check the choice you picked or to narrow down options.
Main Point- how to I
Prediction When you say something in your own words, you gain control of the content and prove to yourself that you understand what's going on. With that in mind, it can be helpful to come up with the main point in your own words before heading to the choices. Then, see which choice most closely matches your prediction. Of course, there is more than one way to express the main idea of any passage, so you may not find an option that matches your phrasing exactly. But if you have a good grasp of the passage, the correct choice should come closer to the way you would put it than the other choices do. Active reading strategies We review active reading strategies in other parts of Official LSAT Practice on Khan Academy, but here is a short list: Underline or circle important claims Identify the point of view of the author, and note how it differs from other views presented (the perspectives of other individuals or groups) Take special note of contrast language. e.g.: yet, but, although, however Jot quick notes to yourself in the margins After every paragraph, check your comprehension by saying the main point of the paragraph back to yourself in your own words
Primary purpose- what
Primary purpose questions ask us to identify why the author may have written the passage. As you read through the passage the first time, it's a good idea to always be asking yourself: "So what?" "What's the point?"
Purpose of reference- what
Purpose of reference questions ask you to identify why the author referred to something in a certain part of the text. In other words, what was the point of including the reference?
Additional evidence- steps
Put it in your own words: It can be helpful to sum up in your own words the idea that you're trying to strengthen or weaken before considering the choices. It's not enough to be about the same topic: Keep in mind that what you're looking for is information that has an impact on the plausibility of the position, explanation, claim or evidence that the question is asking about. It isn't enough that a piece of information in a choice is about something that the passage is concerned with—or even about the particular thing that the question is about. The correct choice has to have a real impact on the strength of the thing being asked about. Proof isn't required: The answers to these questions usually don't have to conclusively establish or definitively refute the claim, position (or other thing) being asked about. It's enough for the correct choice to increase (for strengthen questions) or decrease (for weaken questions) the likelihood that the claim or position in question is right.
Principle & analogies- steps
Put it in your own words: It's important to sum up the plan, idea, argument or principle in question in simple, broad terms before you try to find an analogous example. Disprove the choices: Once you feel like you have a good handle on the idea itself, then head to the choices. It's always easier to disprove wrong choices one-by-one than to search for the correct one, and that's especially true for principles and analogies questions. For each choice, ask yourself: why isn't this analogous? Or, why doesn't this match the principle from the passage? Does it make a logical leap that isn't found in the passage? Do the mechanics of the argument work differently? The correct choice will be the one you can't disprove.
Applying to a new context- steps
Rephrase the plan, thesis, or concept: Before you try to pick out a choice that exemplifies a concept from the passage, make sure you understand the concept itself. Get control of these questions by putting the relevant concept, principle or plan from the passage into your own words before considering the choices. If possible, simplify it. Look for matches: Go through the choices one-by-one. For each one, ask yourself—does this choice match the concept, plan, or thesis that I'm looking for? If you took the time to say the idea in your own words first, it's time to trust yourself!
Inferences about information- what
Some questions in the Reading Comprehension section will ask you to make an inference about information in the passage. The answer may not be explicitly stated in the passage, but it will be supported by the content of the passage. In other words, you're being tested on your ability to 'connect the dots' or 'read between the lines' and determine what is implied.
Inferences about views- what
Some questions in the Reading Comprehension section will ask you to make an inference about the views of the author or of people or groups mentioned in the passage. "Inference" simply means that the views may not be explicitly stated in the passage (very rarely do authors of LSAT passages write "I believe that _____"), but the correct choice will be a viewpoint that is supported or justified by something that is explicitly stated in the passage. In other words, you have to "connect the dots" yourself, but the dots will be right there for you in the passage! There are two main variants of inference about views questions: "agree" and "disagree" questions. The approach and strategies are virtually the same for both.
Inferences about views- steps
Spotting inferences High-level reading requires us to understand—and make use of—the ways in which written texts communicate lots of information implicitly. The more you practice analyzing passages and questions in detail, the better you will become at quickly spotting the support for the right answers when you're faced with harder, more subtle questions. Strategies Use process of elimination to get rid of inferences that can't be supported, until you find one that is. Don't get thrown by the word "inference" On many more basic inference questions, you'll find all the support you need for the answer in one part of the passage. The correct option might not go much farther than simply restating an idea that is made explicit in the passage—the implication is often just under the surface. The answer is always the choice that has the most support in the passage; it won't be a choice that requires you to make a creative leap of interpretation. On more challenging inference questions, you may have to pull together information from various parts of the passage to identify the answer. The last sample question above—the one about Justin—is more advanced: you have to 1) identify the author's opinion2) identify the admirers' opinion 3) compare both opinions
Recognition Strategies II
Strategies for Recognition EXCEPT questions As a first step, go through the choices one by one, and see if you can cross out ones that you remember being mentioned in the passage. Use the "✔'s and X's strategy" mentioned above Only one choice should have an X (it's not in the passage)! It's the answer! Additional strategies Read the question carefully It is also a good idea to pay close attention when you see words like NOT and EXCEPT in the question itself, so you don't accidentally select a choice that doesn't answer the question being asked. On a paper test, it's a good idea to underline or circle these words.
Additional evidence- wrong choices
Supports rather than weakens, or vice versa: Make sure to pay attention to whether the question is asking for strengthening or weakening evidence. There's almost always a wrong choice that does the opposite of what you're being asked to do! Too weak: Sometimes a single word—"some," "might," "may," "can," etc.—can make a choice too weak to have a significant impact on the author's argument. You're always looking for the choice that would most undermine or strengthen the argument. No impact: Most other wrong choices will either be unrelated to the claim (and thus have no impact), or they'll be on the same topic but still don't affect the strength of the claim in any way. Remember: no matter what, the new evidence has to have a clear effect—and the right effect—on the strength of the claim.
Purpose of reference- wrong choice
Tempting wrong choices might take the form of statements that accurately reflect the content of the passage, but don't address the purpose of including the reference. In other words, just because a choice is true to the content of the passage doesn't necessarily mean that it answers the question.
Purpose of reference- example
The primary purpose of the first sentence of the fourth paragraph is to Which of the following is the most likely reason the author mentions cupcakes in the second paragraph? The author quotes the biologist Stephen Jay Gould in the second paragraph primarily in order to do which one of the following? Comparative Reading variations: Both passages mention propaganda primarily in order to The discussion of photosynthesis in passage A differs from that in passage B in which one of the following ways?
Primary purpose- example
The primary purpose of the passage is to In the passage, the author's primary concern is to Comparative Reading variations: Both passages are primarily concerned with Which one of the following is a central purpose common to both passages? "The passage is primarily concerned with..." "The primary purpose of the passage is to..." "The author's primary purpose in writing the passage is to..."
Organizing information- example
The primary purpose of the third paragraph is to Which one of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the final paragraph and the first paragraph? Which one of the following most accurately describes the organization of the passage? Comparative Reading variations: Which one of the following most accurately characterizes the relationship between the two passages? Passage A, unlike passage B, seeks to advance its arguments by What is the progression of ideas in the passage? or What is the purpose of a specific paragraph? Examples "Which one of the following most accurately describes the organization of the last paragraph in the passage?" "Which one of the following most accurately describes the organization of the passage?"
Inferences about attitudes- wrong choices
The wrong choices for this kind of question are usually just choices that are too positive, too neutral, or too negative to accurately reflect the author's tone. However, while these questions usually ask about the author's attitude, sometimes they can ask about someone other than the author described in the passage. Make sure to note this before you answer the question—there will likely be a tempting wrong choice reflecting the author's attitude thrown into the mix!
Additional evidence- what
There are two kinds of additional evidence questions: strengthening evidence and weakening evidence. Strengthen questions ask you to select the choice that provides the best additional evidence to support a given claim. Your task is to evaluate the new information provided in each choice and pick the one that, if it were true, would strengthen a particular argument made in the passage. Weaken questions also give you a claim or position from the passage, but this time you have to pick the choice that, if true, would weaken that claim.
Recognition- what
These questions ask you to recognize things that are explicitly stated in the passage. Some of them ask you to select the only choice that contains info stated the passage, and some of them ask you to select the only choice that contains info that is NOT stated in the passage.
Main point- What
These questions ask you to sum up the content of the passage or pair of passages, to identify the central idea, or to identify the main point that the author or authors are making. You might also be asked to identify the most appropriate title for a passage.
Applying to a new context- what
This type of question asks you to apply a principle or idea presented in the passage to a new context presented in the choices. These questions assess how well you understand a concept by testing your ability to bring it to bear on a situation that didn't come up in the passage. Sometimes these questions ask about conditional scenarios—you have to assess, for example, what WOULD occur if a recommended plan in the passage were put into action. Other times, you have to pick out illustrations or examples of a concept presented in the passage.
Primary purpose- wrong choices
Too narrow: A choice that accurately reflects the purpose of a sentence or a paragraph in the passage, but is too narrow to be the primary purpose of the entire passage. Too strong: Be wary of extreme words like always and never. Authors rarely make points that are totally unqualified or all-encompassing. Mischaracterizations: Sometimes a single word will mischaracterize the author's intention with the passage. Not directly answering the question: Again, enticing wrong choices may contain information that is true to the content of the passage, but doesn't answer the fundamental question of purpose ("Why?").
Main point- wrong choices
Too narrow: One important thing to know about main point questions is that an option that captures something that is true about the passage, or something that is present in the passage is not necessarily the answer. Choices that are too narrow will accurately describe a part of the passage, but they'll exclude the broader point. Too strong or extreme: Some distractors will draw upon a point that is made in the passage, but then take it further than can be directly supported. Be wary of "blanket" words like "always" "any" "all" "ever" and "never." Beyond the scope: These wrong options bring in content that, while adjacently related, is ultimately outside of the scope of the passage. These choices feature ideas or information that you might reasonably expect to find in a larger excerpt from the same source document that the passage was taken from, but the statement simply can't be supported by info that is present in the text in front of you. Conflicts and contradictions: Some options contain language that is in direct conflict with information presented in the passage. These wrong choices can be the easiest to rule out, but many students find themselves drawn to strong statements on the opposing sides of arguments. It may be human nature that we sometimes find opposites attractive, but consider yourself warned — avoid these tempting distractors!
Inferences about attitudes- steps
Top tip: Charge it! Is the attitude or tone charged positively ( + ) or negatively ( - )? Pay attention to whether authors, by employing a certain tone or by choosing to use certain words, betray any attitude other than neutrality toward the material they are presenting. Similarly, it's a good idea to pay attention to whether any of the people mentioned in the passage are portrayed as having a positive or negative attitude towards the ideas presented. Use + and - to quickly note your impressions as you read. When you get to the question, ask yourself: "on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the most negative and 5 being the most positive, where does the author's attitude fall?" Beware! Tone can change: Sometimes an initially positive tone is tempered later by an expression of reservations, or an initially dismissive tone might be moderated later by a grudging admission of something worthwhile. The most accurate description of the author's overall attitude will reflect this, and you should choose among the options accordingly.
Primary purpose- steps
Turn that verb into an infinitive, and use Prediction: Try rephrasing the question into "The purpose of the passage is TO __." Fill in the blank yourself before looking at the choices, and then see if there's a choice that matches.
Inferences about information- steps
Use process of elimination to get rid of inferences that can't be supported, until you find one that is. Don't get thrown by the word "inference." On many more basic inference questions, you'll find all the support you need for the answer in one part of the passage. The correct option might not do much more than simply restate an idea that is made fairly explicitly in the passage—the implication is often just under the surface. The answer is always the choice that has the most support in the passage; it won't be a choice that requires you to use your imagination. On more challenging inference questions, you may have to pull together information from various parts of the passage to identify the answer.
Organizing information- how to
When Organizing Information questions ask about the entire passage, it can be helpful to read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. Paragraph breaks are natural indicators of a shift in the discussion, so this strategy can help you review how the discussion progresses from one claim or supporting point to the next. Top Tip: Think about how the author builds the argument—within each paragraph and from paragraph to paragraph. Does the author: state a thesis, give evidence, and then address an opposing position? Or does the author: present a contradictory or paradoxical situation, then give examples for how it manifests, then discuss a potential solution? Or does the author: present one side of a debate, then another, then argue for a one side or introduce a third point of view? This kind of "ordering" is what you will see in the choices. Note that the options for these questions won't track every twist and turn of the author's development of the main point. They will instead be very broad characterizations of the way the main point is developed. So don't be concerned if the choice you like best seems to contain very little detail. The incorrect choices will be at a similar level of generality but will clearly fail to capture how the passage as a whole is organized.
Inferences about attitudes- examples
Which of the following best describes the author's attitude towards graphic novels? The author's stance toward the arguments of the strict constructionist Darwinians can most accurately be described as one of The author's view of Mace Windoo's character is most accurately reflected in the author's use of which one of the following words? Comparative Reading variations: Passage B differs from passage A in that passage B displays an attitude toward the ideas it discusses that is more It can be inferred that the author of passage B regards the approach of the author of passage A as Given the style and tone of each passage, which one of the following is most likely to correctly describe the expected audience of each passage? "Which one of the following most accurately identifies the attitude shown by the author in the passage toward _____" "The authors' attitudes toward _____ can most accurately be described in which one of the following ways?" "The author would be most likely to characterize _____ as..." "The attitude of the author of passage A toward _____ differs from that of the author of passage B in that author A is more" Another variation of this question type may ask you to consider words or phrases that appear in the passage and to identify those that indicate the attitude of the author—or of people or groups mentioned in the passage—toward some specific thing: "The author's attitude toward the 'thesis' mentioned in line 56 is revealed in which one of the following pairs of words?"
Main point- examples
Which of the following describes the central idea of the passage? Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage? Which one of the following most accurately expresses the central idea of the passage? Comparative Reading variations: Which one of the following is a topic that is central to both passages? Both passages seek an answer to which one of the following questions? Which one of the following most accurately describes the central point of contention between the passages?
Recognition- examples
Which of the following does the passage list as a reason to go sky-diving? The passage includes all of the following explanations for our fascination with light sabres EXCEPT The passage provides information sufficient to answer which one of the following questions? Comparative Reading variations: Both passages refer to which one of the following? Which one of the following is discussed in passage A but not in passage B? "Which one of the following does the author explicitly identify as a characteristic of Adam Sandler movies?"* "The author says which one of the following about My Little Pony?" "The passage asserts which one of the following regarding college students?" "According to the passage, what is true about fantasy baseball leagues?" Except "The passage provides information that explains the perspectives of all of the following groups EXCEPT" "Which of the following mining techniques is NOT mentioned in the passage as being detrimental to the environment?"
Applying to a new context- example
Which of the following experiments is most likely to produce data that would be most relevant to the study described in the third paragraph? Which of the following is most clearly an example of an application of the principle "look before you leap" as it is discussed in the passage? Comparative Reading variations: Which one of the following conforms to the policy advocated by the author of passage A but not advocated by the author of passage B? It can be inferred that both authors would be most likely to regard which one of the following as exemplifying Cather's narrative technique? Based on what can be inferred from the passages, which one of the following acts would have been illegal under Roman law, but would not be illegal under Canadian and U.S. common law? "The passage most strongly suggests that which one of the following would occur if pandas were to become extinct?" "Each of the following conforms to the kinds of results that the author would expect from the course of action proposed in the passage EXCEPT..." "Which one of the following would the author be most likely to characterize as an example of schadenfreude?" "According to the description in the passage, each of the following illustrates the concept of millennial angst EXCEPT..."
Principle & analogies- examples
Which of the following situations is most analogous to that of the Old Lady Who Swallowed the Fly as she is described in the passage? Which one of the following is most analogous to the relationship of a television viewer to the television industry, as that relationship is described in lines ____? As described in the last paragraph of the passage, the cosmologists' approach to solving the dark matter problem is most analogous to which one of the following? Which one of the following principles is operative in the author's argument? Which one of the following principles most likely governs the author's evaluation of Rosie's narrative? Comparative Reading variations: Based on what can be inferred from their titles, the relationship between the documents in which one of the following is most analogous to the relationship between passage A and passage B? Which one of the following plays a role in passage B that is most analogous to the role played in passage A by the mention of Anju's motorcycle? Which one of the following principles underlies the argument in passage A, but not that in passage B? Which one of the following principles is most likely to be endorsed by the authors of both passages? "Which one of the following situations is most analogous to the one introduced in the second sentence of the passage?" "Which one of the following hypothetical situations is most analogous to the description in the passage of _____?" "The rationale for _____ as it is described in the passage is most consistent with which one of the following principles?"
Inferences about views- examples
Which of the following views about social media apps would be most likely to be endorsed by the Teachers' Association? The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements? It can be inferred from the passage that legal theorists who recommend the use of civil sanctions to combat corporate wrongdoing believe that Comparative Reading variations: The authors of the passages would be most likely to agree that The authors would be most likely to disagree over whether The author of passage B would be most likely to give which one of the following answers to the question posed at the end of the first paragraph of passage A? The author of passage A would be most likely to raise which one of the following as an objection to the overall argument in passage B? "It can most reasonably be inferred that the researchers mentioned in paragraph 4 would agree with which one of the following statements?" "It can be inferred from the passage that the author most clearly holds which one of the following views?" "It can be inferred from the passage that Ellison most clearly holds which one of the following views regarding _____?" "It can be inferred from the passage that the author's view of Justin's work differs most significantly from that of most Justin admirers in which one of the following ways?" Or, for the "disagree" variants: "Given the information in the passage, the author is LEAST likely to believe which one of the following?" "If the author of passage A were to read passage B, he or she would be most likely to agree with which one of the following?"
Additional evidence- example
Which of the following, if discovered, would serve to strengthen the paleontologists' theory about the social grooming of velociraptors most? Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously challenge the climatologist's claim about the implications of ocean acidification? Which one of the following would, if true, most increase the likelihood that the author's recommendations for aiding New Zealand's wool industry will be successful? Comparative Reading variations: Which one of the following, if true, would cast doubt on the argument in passage A and support the argument in passage B? Which one of the following most accurately describes how the research results presented passage B bear on the claims made in passage A? "Which one of the following would, if true, most weaken the author's argument as expressed in the passage?" "Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously undermine the explanation proposed by the author in lines _____?" "Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author's contention that _____?" "Which one of the following, if true, would bolster the claim that _____?"
Clarifying meaning- example
Which one of the following comes closest to capturing what the term "rule" means in line ___? The words "that kind of finesse" (line ___ ) refer primarily to Comparative Reading variations: The role of the word "selectively" in passage B (line ___) is most closely related to the role of which one of the following words in passage A? In passage B, which one of the following is an example of "inputs" as that term is used in the second paragraph of passage A? "Which one of the following phrases, if substituted for the word '_____' in line ____, would LEAST change the meaning of the sentence?"* "If substituted for the word "___" in line ___, which one of the following words would convey the same meaning in the context of the passage?"* "The phrase "____" (lines ____) can best be interpreted as referring to which one of the following?"* "In writing '____' (lines ____) the author of passage B most likely means that..."* "The author of passage A uses the phrase 'X' to refer to which one of the following ideas/concepts mentioned in passage B?"
Primary purpose- variants
While paired passages will never have the same main point, they can have a shared purpose, so you may encounter comparative reading questions that ask you to identify it: "A central purpose of each passage is to..." Ask yourself: What are both authors attempting to do with their passages? What is the shared why? Perhaps both passages are primarily concerned with describing an artist's influences, or identifying distinctive features of a literary movement, or examining the impact that a specific scholar had on their field, or critiquing the applications of a specific statute. Remember: When you get this kind of a question, even though the two authors' arguments will likely differ from one another, the "why" (or "what's the general goal") may still be the same. That's the question you're answering.
Principle & analogies- wrong choices
Wrong choices for this question type don't really fall into buckets—they simply won't be analogous or won't reflect the principle at work in the passage.
Organizing information- wrong choices
Wrong order Tempting wrong choices for organizing information questions might include the right elements of the passage, but in the wrong order. For example, a wrong choice could say that the author's point of view was stated at the beginning of the passage when it was actually stated at the end. Not quite! Other wrong choices might mischaracterize the role a particular paragraph plays in the passage. Sounds clever, but just wrong Some choices, while temptingly written, simply don't reflect the way the author structures/organizes/builds their argument.
Inferences about views- wrong choices
Wrong viewpoint Many tempting choices in these questions reflect viewpoints that are present in the passage, but they just aren't the viewpoint the question is asking about! For example, the above question about Ellison's viewpoint (if the author isn't Ellison) would likely include a wrong choice that reflects the author's viewpoint instead. (Authors don't always agree with the experts they mention.) Too strong or extreme Some incorrect choices will reflect the basic idea of the correct viewpoint, but take it further than what can be supported by the passage. Be wary of "extreme," all-encompassing words like "always," "all," "never". Authors of passages on the LSAT generally don't make broad, unilateral points like this, since they don't want to claim something they can't support!
Inferences about views- comparative choices
You will often encounter questions on comparative reading sets that ask you to draw an inference about views. Sometimes these questions will ask you to determine what the author of one passage would think about a point made in the other passage: Here, the strategy is the same as for a single-passage inference about views question, with the added task of having to ""compare the two authors' views** on the given topic. You'll also frequently encounter questions that ask you what the two authors would agree or disagree on: It is most likely that the authors of the two passages would both agree with which one of the following statements? Your task is to find the common ground in their viewpoints. Remember, passages in comparative reading sets are always paired for a reason—they deal with the same or closely related topics, and the authors usually have dissimilar viewpoints. Sometimes their viewpoints will be in direct opposition, but usually the relationship between the viewpoints is more nuanced than that. The authors often agree on some basic points while disagreeing on others. Sometimes they draw different conclusions from the same facts, or recommend different plans-of-action. Sometimes one argues in favor of a conventional theory, while the other advocates a newer alternative. Whatever the relationship is, it's important to understand the nuances of the two authors' respective viewpoints before answering these questions.
General Steps to Success I
✓ Evaluate the choices: Once you set yourself up for success, either by making a prediction or by gaining control of your task by clarifying it in your own words, it's time to evaluate the choices. Ask, for example, "Does this choice match my prediction?" or, "Does this choice accurately restate a detail I just located?" All Reading Comprehension questions are not created equal! You are likely to find some passages more challenging than others, due to the density of the text, your familiarity or comfort level with the topic, or the complexity of the questions. Be prepared for a diverse array of challenges, and remember that it's completely acceptable to skip a few questions in order to make sure you have the time to consider all four passages. ✓ Take time to think: For some question types, it helps to try to predict what the answer is likely to be before looking at the choices—this can help you locate the answer quickly. For other question types, it's not as easy to make a prediction, but you should still stop to think about the task. If you don't take the time to think and prepare, it's all too easy to get lost in the choices. Students who find themselves reading and re-reading without a clear purpose are more easily distracted by wrong choices.
General Steps to Success II
✓ The first read—focus more on the main claims than the details: The overall point of a passage is much more important than the details the author uses to support that point. High scorers read critically, identifying the purpose of each paragraph as they go along. In fact, it's often the case that the longer someone spends reading and re-reading for details, the worse they perform on Test Day. ✓ Pay attention to structure: Instead of focusing too much on what is being said ("What is it about?"), focus on why it's being said ("What is the point?"). Ask yourself questions as you go along: Why did the passage's author include this quote? Was it supporting a claim? Why did the author include this example? What role does each claim, each paragraph play in the text's overall argument? Strong critical readers ask themselves how—and why—the argument is being built. What is the author doing? ✓ Pay attention to opinions: As a law student and as a lawyer, you'll need to be able to keep track of assenting and dissenting voices. Where do they overlap? Where do they diverge? If you see an author's (or critics' or anyone's) point of view expressed in the passage, take note! You will almost certainly see questions about the different perspectives. ✓ Understand the task: Different questions require different kinds of work. For example, recognition questions that ask you to recognize details from the passage call for a close re-reading of the relevant part of the passage. In contrast, main point questions are best answered without close re-reading. We recommend different approaches for different question types—find out more in the practice area of our system.
