LSAT PrepTest 43 Section 1 Question 12 Explanation | Reading Comprehension

I didn't write the following blog post. It was already on the blog when I took over the URL. The following blog post may contain mistakes. -Steve

***


Here a Reading Comprehension question from the June 2004 LSAT.

Let's jump right into the choices. Since this is an evidence question, we'll return to the passage. There are too many potential pre-phrasings, so we won't use that technique.

A) Out of scope. This part of the passage proves that people sometimes disagree about situational factors. It doesn't prove that situational factors aren't always the cause of code-switching.

B) Correct. In the first sentence of the last paragraph, it says that code-switching happens even when the situational factors ("domain") wouldn't predict it. This suggests that something else is at work. The fact that this evidence came immediately after the claim that situational factors aren't always the cause of code-switching supports this choice.

C) The opposite of what we want because the passage contradicts this. The passage (in the last paragraph) says bilingual people only occasionally, or "sparingly," switch into Spanish, not often.

D) Out of scope because the passage never says that situational factors predict that Spanish is the primary language in this family. The passage only says that Spanish is used sparingly.

E) Out of scope. Simply because they don't know the situational factors doesn't mean they aren't the cause.

Remember:

1) Return to the passage on evidence questions.

2) Eliminate choices that are out of scope or the opposite of what we want (contradicted by the passage).