powerscore lsat course book lesson 4 p. 117 #7

[saranash1]

Why could answer choice E be correct?

[Steve Stein]

Hi saranash1,

Thanks for your message. Could you clarify the subject of the question that you are referring to? I wasn't sure which question, and any insight into how you broke it down would be helpful--thanks!

~Steve

[saranash1]

Passage 1 June 1995 Powerscore Online Class Course Book Lesson #7..is a weaken question

I eliminated a,c,&d but chose E. E seems to cast some doubt on the theory because it states that marine species are much more vulnerable to extinction when exposed to a dramatic and relatively sudden change in sea level, where these marine species were exposed to a gradual change in sea level.

[Steve Stein]

Hi saranash1,

Thanks for your response, and for the clarification. The problem with answer choice E is that marine species' varying vulnerability to extinction is not relevant to the theory under discussion; the fact is, as you pointed out, species went extinct--that is not in question, so answer choice E would cast no doubt on the argument.

I hope that's helpful! Please let me know whether this is clear--thanks!

~Steve

[saranash1]

That kind of makes sense. But it seems since marine organisms is an effect of the volcanic eruption theory, that if that effect is lessoned so is the theory?

[Steve Stein]

Hi saranash1,

I've been trying to locate this passage by the title of your post, and I can't seem to locate your edition of the course books-when did you take the course?

Let me know--thanks!

~Steve

[saranash1]

Took the course in January 2013. Its Passage #1 June 1995


I'm thinking maybe that answer choice is incorrect because E is a result/effect of the theory not part of the theory itself? So it doesn't weaken the theory just something that supposedly happened as a result of the theory?

[Adam Tyson]

Looks like you are working from the text that goes with our Weekend course. What threw us off was the reference to Lesson 4 - in most versions of the course book, it's not broken down into lessons in that way. I'm on the same page with you now, though (well, almost - in my edition of the book that question is actually on page 116 )

First, just to be clear, the correct answer to Question 7 for RC Passage 1 from June 1995, the passage about the various theories for the extinction of the dinosaurs, is B, not E. That answer is essentially a "cause without effect" answer. If the volcanic eruption theory is based partially on the idea that a diaper eruption would have released large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, causing climatic changes that lead to mass extinctions, then we would expect any such eruption to do the same thing. If B is true - most such eruptions did not lead to climatic changes - that would weaken the argument in favor of the volcanic eruption theory by showing that sometimes the alleged cause occurs and the supposed effect does not.

E is basically irrelevant - it doesn't matter that marine species are more vulnerable to sudden than to gradual changes. The facts are known - the sea level changed gradually, and the marine species went extinct over time. A sudden change might have been worse for them, but that doesn't mean a gradual change wasn't sufficient to do the job. Look at it this way - what if we said that dinosaurs would have been more vulnerable to a global nuclear attack by hostile aliens than to a volcanic eruption? Would that weaken the theory that volcanic eruption was the cause? Of course not - the known facts still fit the offered theory just fine, notwithstanding what might have been worse.

Hope that helps! Best of luck!

[saranash1]

Ok that makes sense. Thanks for your help!