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 Sammiewhammie
  • Posts: 11
  • Joined: Jul 22, 2022
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#96979
Hi,

I feel like understood the function of the paragraph but I keep getting the answer wrong. I selected C first then I came back to the reading and ended up picking A. It seemed like it’s function had something to do with supporting the theory.

However, I do not fully understand how E is correct in regards to the function “testing the validity of a theory…”

I feel like I keep having a hard time understanding what is really happening within a passage or a particular paragraph. I’d appreciate any help that could help me foster the ability to comprehend the structure of these passages.

Thanks,
Sam
 Luke Haqq
PowerScore Staff
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  • Posts: 739
  • Joined: Apr 26, 2012
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#97028
Hi Sammiewhammie!

Happy to address this question.

At the outset in terms of recommending strategies, one thing that is important is going back to the text to verify the answer that you've chosen. This might be too time consuming if applied to all five answer choices, but can be especially helpful for confirming the best answer once you have it narrowed down to contenders.

Using that strategy, let's look at answer choice (C). The question asks us about the function of the third paragraph. Answer choice (C) states, "It describes an experiment that provides support for the theory described in the preceding paragraph." The preceding paragraph talks about evolutionary game theory. However, the third paragraph seems to fall short of "describ[ing] an experiment that provides support for the theory." The third paragraph mentions what Riechert "predicts" will happen, but it does not go on to discuss an experiment actually being conducted, much less results from an experiment that could provide support. I think that answer choice (C) would be correct if it referred to "an experiment that [may end up providing] support for the theory." But as it is phrased, it doesn't correctly describe the third paragraph.

Moving to your next choice, (A), that answer choice states, "It develops a comparison of the two theories that were introduced in the preceding paragraph." This one seems off because of the reference to "two theories." There were two theories introduced in the preceding paragraph--evolutionary game theory and classical game theory, but the third paragraph doesn't go on to compare these two. The answer choice isn't referring to evolutionary game theory versus the species-specific model either, since the latter of these was introduced in the first paragraph, not the second.

In contrast to these, the correct answer choice, (E), states, "It describes predictions that can be used to test the validity of a theory described in a preceding paragraph." This seems pretty much the same as the way I suggested answer choice (C) could have been reworded to be correct. The final paragraph is about predictions about what might happen, not the results of an experiment that has already been conducted.

To your question about how to develop your abilities in reading comprehension more generally, there are a variety of tools and techniques that PowerScore suggests can be helpful in understanding the structure of reading comprehension passages. For example, a paragraph starting off with a word like "however" usually will provide a contrast from the paragraph that came before it. In an example like that, you might draw something such as a negative sign next to the transition between these two paragraphs to give you a visualization of that contrast. Or if the passage includes a list, you might notate 1, 2, 3... in the margins. If a question asks about the listed items, you'll know immediately where to find them in the passage. At the same time that you are making such notations, you don't want to overdo it--too many notations can be unwieldy and lose their usefulness, much like over-highlighting can do. And while the limited time is an important factor, it can also help to take a moment after you've read a passage to reflect--this can help you understand a passage better, which in the end can save time by helping you be more prepared to tackle the questions.

Finally, you might consider looking at some of PowerScore's blog posts on reading comprehension available here: https://www.powerscore.com/lsat/reading-comprehension.
User avatar
 Sammiewhammie
  • Posts: 11
  • Joined: Jul 22, 2022
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#97048
Thanks Luke! :-D

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