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- Wed Mar 22, 2017 4:17 pm
#33631
Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=13789)
The correct answer choice is (B)
The main point of the passage is prephrased in the VIEWSTAMP analysis above.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice summarizes Speke’s position (lines 54-57), not the main point of the passage. This answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice: the scarcity of Calvaria major is probably due to factors other than the disappearance of the dodo bird. The main point is not explicitly stated until the fourth paragraph, which underscores the importance of actively engaging the passage until the very end.
Answer choice (C): This answer choice is incorrect, because Temple’s experimentation with Calvaria major pits did not solve the mystery of the tree’s decline.
Answer choice (D): The author does not leave open the possibility that Temple’s hypothesis may be correct. The last paragraph discredits much of the evidence Temple used in his defense. This answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (E): Given the author’s refusal to accept Temple’s hypothesis, she would probably agree that Calvaria major would still be scarce today even if the dodo had not become extinct. However, our job is to identify the main point of the passage, not a hypothetical implication of that point. This answer choice is incorrect.
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=13789)
The correct answer choice is (B)
The main point of the passage is prephrased in the VIEWSTAMP analysis above.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice summarizes Speke’s position (lines 54-57), not the main point of the passage. This answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice: the scarcity of Calvaria major is probably due to factors other than the disappearance of the dodo bird. The main point is not explicitly stated until the fourth paragraph, which underscores the importance of actively engaging the passage until the very end.
Answer choice (C): This answer choice is incorrect, because Temple’s experimentation with Calvaria major pits did not solve the mystery of the tree’s decline.
Answer choice (D): The author does not leave open the possibility that Temple’s hypothesis may be correct. The last paragraph discredits much of the evidence Temple used in his defense. This answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (E): Given the author’s refusal to accept Temple’s hypothesis, she would probably agree that Calvaria major would still be scarce today even if the dodo had not become extinct. However, our job is to identify the main point of the passage, not a hypothetical implication of that point. This answer choice is incorrect.