LSAT: Reading Comprehension

1. LSAT: Reading Comprehension Dr. Julian HermidaAlgoma University November 15, 2011

2. Agenda • Structure of the reading comprehension section. • Strategy. • Preparation. • Types of questions. • Actions and answers. • Comparative reading questions. • Sample passage. • Assignment. • Next session: Logical Reasoning with Dawnis Kennedy, Thurs, Nov. 24, 10:15-11:15 am, Room WW 102. • More information: www.julianhermida.com/lsat/lsat.htm

3. Reading Comprehension Structure • 35 minutes • 4 passages (about to 60 to 80 lines): • 3 single passages written by one author • 1 Comparative reading • 5-8 questions for each passage. • Topic: an academic, political, scientific, or artistic subject matter. • Approximately 28% of the score.

4. Strategy • Prepare • Analyze the questions • Act • Answer

5. Preparation • Preview questions • Annotation: • Claims • Logical structure • Main point

6. Types of questions • Big picture questions • Main point • Primary purpose • Author’s tone • Inference questions • Detail or fact • Purely inferential • Structure questions • Organization • Function • Reasoning questions • Application or comparison of new information. • Information that most strengthens or weakens a claim in the passage. • Information that is most similar or analogous to something in the passage.

7. Big-picture questions • Main point: • Summarize the author’s central point. • Which of the following statements best summarizes the passage? • What is the central idea of the passage? • The passage is primarily concerned with… • Primary purpose • What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage? • Author’s tone • Author’s attitude, tone.

8. Inference questions • Detail or fact questions • Phrased as “according to the passage …”. • The correct answer is a paraphrase of something directly stated in the passage. • Purely inferential questions • Use of equivocal language (not absolute, less certain terms) : “based on the passage,” “most likely,” or “probably.” • What can be inferred from the passage, or what the passage indicates, suggests, implies, predicts, or supports. • With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree? • The correct answer is the one best supported by information on the passage.

9. Structure questions • Organization • The correct answer will outline step by step what happens in each section of the passage. • Function • Questions about the purpose of a particular part of the passage. • What role is played by a specific statement of the author (according to)?

10. Reasoning questions • Application or comparison of new information. • Information that most strengthens or weakens a claim in the passage. • Information that is most similar or analogous to something in the passage. • Information that follows from the end of the passage.

11. Actions • Go back to the passage to locate the relevant information. • Paraphrase the relevant information. • Define what the correct answer needs to do (answer the question in your own words).

12. Answer • Process of elimination. • Partially wrong. • Too narrow or too broad. • Wrong part of the passage. • Correct information but about a different part of the passage. • Extreme language (absolute statements unsupported by the evidence). • Not supported by the passage (irrelevant information).

13. Comparative Reading Questions • Common issue/idea (similar to big picture question) • Which one of the following issues is central to both passages? • Agree/disagree (similar to inference questions). • It can be inferred from the passage that both authors … • Method of reasoning/style (similar to structure) • Which one of the following best describes the relationship/style of both passages? • Analogy (similar to reasoning questions) • The relationship between the passages is most similar to that of which of the following?

14. Tips • Don’t neglect the reading comprehension section. • Avoid feeling intimidated. • Read news articles (The Economist, Times, New York Times) and journal articles on a wide variety of academic topics. • Do a vocabulary list. • Cut off the connection between reading and speaking. Speed writing techniques do not help. • Read for the structure not the content. It is a mechanical process. It is like a fact-finding mission.

15. Sample passage • Analyze and annotate the passage. • Answer the questions. • Compare your answers with a colleague. • Whole group discussion.

16. Outline of passage • Introduction to the problem (depression) and solution generally followed (use of antidepressants). • Example of the generally followed solution (use of antidepressants) when used together with another –traditional- solution (therapy). • Generalization of importance of P2 example and reinforcement of proposed solution (use of antidepressants and therapy). • Evidence supporting generally followed solution. • Problem with generally followed solution (use of antidepressants alone and not therapy). • Consequence of generally followed solution (use of antidepressants): risk of violating theory (Kant’s formula of humanity).

17. Correct answers • Big picture: B. • Inference: B. • Big picture: D. • Inference (pure): A • Inference (pure): B. • Reasoning: D. • Structure: A. • Reasoning: C.

18. Assignment • Analyze and annotate the passage. • Answer the questions. • Email your work to julian.hermida@algomau.ca for feedback.