LSAC LSAT-TEST Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

LSAC LSAT-TEST Online Questions & Answers

• Question 491:

  The autobiographical narrative Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself (1861), by Harriet A. Jacobs, a stave of African descent, not only recounts an individual life but also provides, implicitly and explicitly, a perspective on the larger United States culture from the viewpoint of one denied access to it. Jacobs, as a woman and a slave, faced the stigmas to which those statuses were subject. Jacobs crafted her narrative, in accordance with the mainstream literary genre of the sentimental domestic novel, as an embodiment of cherished cultural values such as the desirability of marriage and the sanctity of personal identity, home, and family. She did so because she was writing to the free women of her day ?the principal readers of domestic novels ?in the hopes that they would sympathize with and come to understand her unique predicament as a female slave. By applying these conventions of the genre to her situation, Jacobs demonstrates to her readers that family and domesticity are no less prized by those forced into slavery, thus leading her free readers to perceive those values within a broader social context.

  Some critics have argued that, by conforming to convention, Jacobs shortchanged her own experiences; one critic, for example, claims that in Jacobs's work the purposes of the domestic novel overshadow those of the typical slave narrative. But the relationship between the two genres is more complex: Jacobs's attempt to frame her story as a domestic novel creates a tension between the usual portrayal of women in this genre and her actual experience, often calling into question the applicability of the hierarchy of values espoused by the domestic novel to those who are in her situation. Unlike the traditional romantic episodes in domestic novels in which a man and woman meet, fall in love, encounter various obstacles but eventually marry, Jacobs's protagonist must send her lover, a slave, away in order to protect him from the wrath of her jealous master. In addition, by the end of the narrative, Jacobs's protagonist achieves her freedom by escaping to the north, but she does not achieve the domestic novel's ideal of a stable home complete with family, as the price she has had to pay for her freedom is separation from most of her family, including one of her own children. Jacobs points out that, slave women view certain events and actions from a perspective different from that of free women, and that they must make difficult choices that free women need not. Her narrative thus becomes an antidomestic novel, for Jacobs accepts readily the goals of the genre, but demonstrates that its hierarchy of values does not apply when examined from the perspective of a female slave, suggesting thereby that her experience, and that of any female slave, cannot be fully understood without shedding conventional perspectives.

  Which one of the following, if true, would most support the position of the critics mentioned in the first sentence of paragraph 2?

  A. Most readers of Jacobs's narrative when it was first published concluded that it was simply a domestic novel and were thus disinclined to see it as an attempt to provoke thought.
  B. Many reviewers of Jacobs's narrative included passionate statements in their reviews calling for the immediate abolition of slavery.
  C. Most scholars believe that Jacobs's narrative would not have been able to communicate its message effectively if it had not adopted the conventions of the domestic novel.
  D. Jacobs's narrative was modeled not only after domestic novels of the period but after realistic novels whose goal was to point out social injustices.
  E. Jacobs's goal in crafting her narrative was not only to preach against the injustices of slavery but also to tell a powerful story that would make those injustices vivid to readers.
  A. Most readers of Jacobs's narrative when it was first published concluded that it was simply a domestic novel and were thus disinclined to see it as an attempt to provoke thought.

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  Conveniently, we can move from an expression of the critics' view to a strengthening of same. We should expect to find in the right answer evidence of the watering-down or shortchanging of Jacobs's book, and we find it right away in option [Most readers of Jacobs's narrative when...]. If Jacobs's contemporary readers saw the book as nothing more than a domestic novel ?if, in other words, the domestic aspects "overshadowed" the slave narrative elements ?then the critics would be right, and Jacobs's efforts to "perceive [conventional] values within a broader social context" would have come to naught.

• Question 492:

  These days, drug companies and health professionals alike are focusing their attention on cholesterol in the blood. The more cholesterol we have in our blood, the higher the risk that we shall die of a heart attack. The issue is pertinent since heart disease kills more North Americans every year than any other single cause. At least three factors--smoking, drinking, and exercise-- can each influence levels of cholesterol in the blood.

  Which one of the following can be properly concluded from the passage?

  A. If a person has low blood cholesterol, then that person's risk of fatal heart disease is low.
  B. Smoking in moderation can entail as great a risk of fatal heart disease as does heavy smoking.
  C. A high-cholesterol diet is the principal cause of death in North America.
  D. The only way that smoking increases one's risk of fatal heart disease is by influencing the levels of cholesterol in the blood.
  E. The risk of fatal heart disease can be altered by certain changes in lifestyle.
  E. The risk of fatal heart disease can be altered by certain changes in lifestyle.

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  We're looking for a proper conclusion, so it behooves us to read through the stimulus with an eye towards where it's all heading. The topic is blood cholesterol, a relevant concern "these days." Sentence 2 offers what most would accept as conventional wisdom: the higher one's cholesterol, the greater the risk of a heart attack. The following sentence tells us why this is important (heart disease is the number one killer in North America), and the passage ends with three factors that affect cholesterol. Not much of an argument; more like a collection of facts. But that makes sense, since it's something that "can be properly concluded from the passage" that we're after anyway. It's hard to prephrase exactly what that conclusion might be, but you may have had a pretty good feeling that it would have something to do with the factors listed at the end. After all, the abrupt ending kind of begs the question "what about these factors? Why mention these?" Only options [Smoking in moderation can entail as...], [The only way that smoking increases one's...] and [The risk of fatal heart disease can be altered...] relate specifically to these factors, and the first two conclude more about smoking than we can infer from the passage (see below). But option [The risk of fatal heart disease can be altered...] works: Blood cholesterol influences heart disease, and the factors that influence blood cholesterol are lifestyle choices. Put it together, and it's proper to conclude that the risk of fatal heart disease can be influenced by changes in such choices.

• Question 493:

  Astragalus linifolius, a rare plant species that is found only in the Colorado region of the United States, reproduces when a pollinating agent like a fly or a bee carries the pollen grain from the male part of one plant to the female part of another plant of the same species. To maintain the population of this species, the use of pesticides that control grasshoppers should be banned in this region. These pesticides also often result in significant mortality among the Bombylius flies that are the most important pollinating agents of Astragalus linifolius. Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

  A. Astragalus linifolius has a short life-span.
  B. Astragalus linifolius is also pollinated, though to a much-lesser degree, by some local species of bees.
  C. The pesticides that control insect herbivores other than grasshoppers are even more toxic to Bombylius flies.
  D. Bombylius flies do not reproduce very fast and their populations do not recover for many years after one spraying of a pesticide that controls grasshoppers.
  E. The populations of some other plant species in the Colorado region have decreased to an even greater extent than the population of Astragalus linifolius since the spraying of pesticides that control grasshoppers first started in the region.
  D. Bombylius flies do not reproduce very fast and their populations do not recover for many years after one spraying of a pesticide that controls grasshoppers.

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  Argument construction

  The argument starts with a premise ?Premise 1: Astragalus linifolius (context-setting information: this is a rare plant species that is found only in the Colorado region of the United States) reproduces when a pollinating agent like a bee or a fly

  carries the pollen grain from the male part of a plant and deposits it onto the female part of another plant of the same species.

  From this premise, it becomes clear that pollinating agents like bees and flies are necessary for the reproduction of Astragalus linifolius to take place.

  Next comes the conclusion of the argument: To maintain the population of Astragalus linifolius (a rare legume species that is found only in the Colorado region of the United States), the use of pesticides that control grasshoppers should be

  banned in this region.

  This conclusion is followed by two more premises:

  Premise 2 - These pesticides result in significant mortality among the Bombylius flies.

  Premise 3 - Bombylius flies are the most important pollinating agents of Astragalus linifolius.

  Here is how these premises are used to draw the conclusion:

  From Premise 1, we know that Astragalus linifolius cannot reproduce without pollinating agents. From Premise 3, we know that Bombylius flies are the most important pollinating agents of Astragalus linifolius. By combining Premises 1 and 3,

  we can draw a subsidiary conclusion that to conserve Astragalus linifolius, it's probably important to conserve Bombylius flies too. A decline in the numbers of the latter is likely to result in a decline in the numbers of the former.

  When this subsidiary conclusion is combined with Premise 2, we draw the conclusion that to maintain the population of Astragalus linifolius, the use of pesticides that control grasshoppers should be banned in that region.

  We are looking for the answer choice that provides additional information which makes this conclusion stronger than when the above two premises are used alone. Let us analyze the options one by one.

  Answer choices explanation

  [Astragalus linifolius has a short life-span.] This option is incorrect. This argument is concerned with the maintenance of population of a particular species. The population of a species would be maintained if its death rate and birth rate remain

  in equilibrium. The life-span of a species is irrelevant to the maintenance of its population and, therefore, to this argument.

  [Astragalus linifolius is also pollinated, though to a much-lesser degree, by some local species of bees.] This option is incorrect. If there are other pollinating agents through which Astragalus linifolius can reproduce, then, assuming that these

  pollinating agents are not impacted by pesticides that control grasshoppers, this plant species might survive even if these pesticides are not banned. Therefore, this statement actually weakens the conclusion.

  [The pesticides that control insect herbivores other than grasshoppers are even more toxic to Bombylius flies.] This option is incorrect. There may be pesticides that are more toxic to the Bombylius flies than the pesticides mentioned in the

  argument, but this does not strengthen the argument that to save Astragalus linifolius, the pesticides that control grasshoppers should be banned. For example, consider the statement 'to get better health, you should eat less sugar.' This

  statement is of the same format as the conclusion drawn in this argument: To achieve Goal A, do Action X. Does a statement that eating oily foods is even worse for your health than eating sugar strengthen the above example statement? It

  does not.

  [Bombylius flies do not reproduce very fast and their populations ....] This option is correct. Suppose that Bombylius flies had been able to reproduce fast. Then, even if one spraying had significantly reduced the number of flies in a region

  from, say, 1000 to a mere 100, their fast breeding would have restored the population number to its pre-spraying level pretty soon and so there would probably not have been much adverse impact on the amount of pollination that these flies

  did for Astragalus linifolius and, therefore, in the population of this plant species. However, this statement tells us that the populations of Bombylius flies do not recover for many years post a pesticide spraying. In those years, therefore, the

  extent of reproduction of Astragalus linifolius is likely to decline, which in turn, is likely to decrease the population of this plant species.

  [The populations of some other plant species in the Colorado region have decreased ...] This option is incorrect. That other plant species have suffered greater declines than Astragalus linifolius since the spraying of pesticides that control

  grasshoppers started is irrelevant to the conclusion drawn for how the population of Astragalus linifolius may be maintained.

• Question 494:

  Marie Curie was one of the most accomplished scientists in history. Together with her husband, Pierre, she discovered radium, an element widely used for treating cancer, and studied uranium and other radioactive substances. Pierre and Marie's amicable collaboration later helped to unlock the secrets of the atom. Marie was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, where her father was a professor of physics. At the early age, she displayed a brilliant mind and a blithe personality. Her great exuberance for learning prompted her to continue with her studies after high school. She became disgruntled, however, when she learned that the university in Warsaw was closed to women. Determined to receive a higher education, she defiantly left Poland and in 1891 entered the Sorbonne, a French university, where she earned her master's degree and doctorate in physics. Marie was fortunate to have studied at the Sorbonne with some of the greatest scientists of her day, one of whom was Pierre Curie. Marie and Pierre were married in 1895 and spent many productive years working together in the physics laboratory. A short time after they discovered radium, Pierre was killed by a horse-drawn wagon in 1906. Marie was stunned by this horrible misfortune and endured heartbreaking anguish. Despondently she recalled their close relationship and the joy that they had shared in scientific research. The fact that she had two young daughters to raise by herself greatly increased her distress. Curie's feeling of desolation finally began to fade when she was asked to succeed her husband as a physics professor at the Sorbonne. She was the first woman to be given a professorship at the world-famous university. In 1911 she received the Nobel Prize in chemistry for isolating radium. Although Marie Curie eventually suffered a fatal illness from her long exposure to radium, she never became disillusioned about her work. Regardless of the consequences, she had dedicated herself to science and to revealing the mysteries of the physical world.

  ________________ she remembered their joy together.

  A. Dejectedly
  B. Worried
  C. Tearfully
  D. Happily
  E. Sorrowfully
  A. Dejectedly

• Question 495:

  A music store carries exactly ten types of CDs -- both new and used of each of jazz, opera, pop, rap, and soul. The store is having a sale on some of these types of CDs. The following conditions must apply:

  Used pop is on sale; new opera is not.

  If both types of pop are on sale, then all soul is.

  If both types of jazz are on sale, then no rap is.

  If neither type of jazz is on sale, then new pop is.

  If either type of rap is on sale, then no soul is.

  If new soul is the only type of new CD on sale, then which one of the following CANNOT be true?

  A. Used jazz is not on sale.
  B. Used opera is not on sale.
  C. Used rap is not on sale.
  D. Used soul is on sale.
  E. Used soul is not on sale.
  A. Used jazz is not on sale.

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  The "if" demands that we do two things: not just circle S on the sketch, but also cross out J, O, P, and R. That four letter word "only" has such power! Now: With S circled, Rule 5's contrapositive kicks in and forces us to cross out r as well (which means that C.is a true statement, though probably you wouldn't stop to notice that). Meanwhile, Rule 4's contrapositive requires that we circle at least one of the jazz CDs, and J is crossed out, so j must be circled.

• Question 496:

  Donna Haraway's Primate Visions is the most ambitious book on the history of science yet written from a feminist perspective, embracing not only the scientific construction of gender but also the interplay of race, class, and colonial and postcolonial culture with the "Western" construction of the very concept of nature itself. Primatology is a particularly apt vehicle for such themes because primates seem so much like ourselves that they provide ready material for scientists' conscious and unconscious projections of their beliefs about nature and culture.

  Haraway's most radical departure is to challenge the traditional disjunction between the active knower (scientist/historian) and the passive object (nature/history). In Haraway's view, the desire to understand nature, whether in order to tame it or to preserve it as a place of wild innocence, is based on a troublingly masculinist and colonialist view of nature as an entity distinct from us and subject to our control. She argues that it is a view that is no longer politically, ecologically, or even scientifically viable. She proposes an approach that not only recognizes diverse human actors (scientists, government officials, laborers, science fiction writers) as contributing to our knowledge of nature, but that also recognizes the creatures usually subsumed under nature (such as primates) as active participants in creating that knowledge as well. Finally, she insists that the perspectives afforded by these different agents cannot be reduced to a single, coherent reality ?there are necessarily only multiple, interlinked, partial realities.

  This iconoclastic view is reflected in Haraway's unorthodox writing style. Haraway does not weave the many different elements of her work into one unified, overarching Story of Primatology; they remain distinct voices that will not succumb to a master narrative. This fragmented approach to historiography is familiar enough in historiographical theorizing but has rarely been put into practice by historians of science. It presents a complex alternative to traditional history, whether strictly narrative or narrative with emphasis on a causal argument. Haraway is equally innovative in the way she incorporates broad cultural issues into her analysis. Despite decades of rhetoric from historians of science about the need to unite issues deemed "internal" to science (scientific theory and practice) and those considered "external" to it (social issues, structures, and beliefs), that dichotomy has proven difficult to set aside. Haraway simply ignores it. The many readers in whom this separation is deeply ingrained may find her discussions of such popular sources as science fiction, movies, and television distracting, and her statements concerning such issues as nuclear war bewildering and digressive. To accept her approach one must shed a great many assumptions about what properly belongs to the study of science.

  Which one of the following best describes the attitude of the author of the passage toward Primate Visions?

  A. The book is highly original and exciting, but will be difficult for many readers to accept.
  B. The book is admirable primarily because of the extensive research it reflects.
  C. Although far from ground breaking, the book is elegantly and coherently written.
  D. While commendably imaginative, the book is, in the end, less than convincing.
  E. The book's thesis is promising and provocative but half-heartedly argued.
  A. The book is highly original and exciting, but will be difficult for many readers to accept.

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  Another more or less Global question comes along ?Global in that it covers the overall passage, "more or less" because it's asking about the author's attitude, a rare issue in Reading Comprehension questions. When we see an author-attitude question we should ask ourselves, Is s/he positive or negative? And if so, to what degree? As we read the passage we said several times that the author falls short of signing on to Haraway's viewpoints, but does seem to admire the book and recognize that it's going to ruffle some feathers. That analysis alone should make option [The book is highly original and exciting...] jump out ?it's enthusiastic enough to stand for the passage's tone, and wary enough to pick up on the author's belief that Haraway is faraway from persuading everyone.

• Question 497:

  Nutritionist: Recent studies show that the height of the average American has increased 2 inches in the past 10 years, lending support to the view that modern foods stimulate growth. This argument would be weakened most by pointing out that

  A. statistics don't lie
  B. there are too many variables in this type of study
  C. the generic background of the subjects was not investigated
  D. the sample group used was small
  E. some people's height decreased
  B. there are too many variables in this type of study

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  Pointing out that "there are too many variables in this type of study" weakens the argument tremendously, because isolating the reason for the growth increase now becomes very difficult. Thus, we could not deduce that modern foods

  stimulate growth.

  Option [the sample group used was small] is close, as it also weakens the argument, but it isn't specific enough. If [the sample group used was small] were "too small," then it would be an excellent answer.

• Question 498:

  An English school teacher requested from her students that they try and write children's stories that are relevant to their everyday lives; the idea would be to give their stories a quality of "real-life". One of the students decided to base her story

  upon one of the fictional characters from her favorite novel.

  Of the following criteria listed below, which would make the most logical sense as criticism against the student's choice for her children's story?

  A. The writing techniques that are successful for one writer are frequently unsuccessful for another.
  B. A story based entirely on the writer's knowledge of characters from another novel is not likely to include the writer's personal feelings of real life.
  C. The author of her favorite novel would not allow the student permission to use their character.
  D. Children's story writing requires examination of the self, in order to develop innovative and original ideas.
  E. A writer should concentrate on developing themes of teaching and significance, instead of simply aiming for prominence.
  B. A story based entirely on the writer's knowledge of characters from another novel is not likely to include the writer's personal feelings of real life.

• Question 499:

  On the popular children's television show, there are four little animals that make up the "Creature Buddies" are digitally animate. Since that means that they can't make a live stage performance, while the Creature Buddies are on tour, each is

  represented by a puppet that is operated by a chief and an assistant puppeteer.

  The Creature Buddies are a: Dragon, Gorilla, Kangaroo, and Tiger.

  The Creature's Names are: Audrey, Hamish, Melville, Rex

  The Chief Puppeteers are: Ben, Jill, Paul and Sue

  The Assistant Puppeteers are: Dave, Gale, Pam and Tom

  Melville isn't the puppet who is operated by Sue and her assistant Pam.

  Hamish's chief puppeteer (who is not Jill) is assisted by Tom.

  Ben is in charge of the dragon, but Jill doesn't have anything to do with the kangaroo.

  Dave is the assistant puppeteer for the tiger.

  Rex, whose chief is Paul, isn't the gorilla (who's name is not Melville).

  Which chief puppeteer works with Tom?

  A. Ben
  B. Jill
  C. Paul
  D. Sue
  E. Rex
  A. Ben

• Question 500:

  Leatherbacks, the largest of the sea turtles, when subjected to the conditions of captivity, are susceptible to a wide variety of fatal diseases with which they would never come in contact if they lived in the wild. It is surprising; therefore, that the likelihood that a leatherback will reach its theoretical maximum life expectancy is about the same whether that animal is living in captivity or in the wild.

  Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy?

  A. Fewer diseases attack leatherbacks than attack other large aquatic reptiles.
  B. The average life expectancy of sea turtles in general is longer than that of almost all other marine animals.
  C. Most leatherbacks that perish in the wild are killed by predators.
  D. Few zoologists have sufficient knowledge to establish an artificial environment that is conducive to the well-being of captive leatherbacks.
  E. The size of a leatherback is an untrustworthy indicator of its age.
  C. Most leatherbacks that perish in the wild are killed by predators.

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  "Resolve the discrepancy" means Paradox, so let's scope out the mystery and think about what might resolve it. Paraphrase: Leatherbacks in captivity are prone to deadly diseases that they would never get out in the wild. Considering this, the author finds it odd that leatherbacks in the wild don't seem to have a greater chance of reaching maximum life expectancy. But just because one aspect of captivity is more life-threatening for leatherbacks doesn't mean there aren't other factors that make captivity actually safer for them. So we should look for a choice that, if true, would balance out the equation. C. provides an obvious solution. Predators would presumably not be a problem for turtles in captivity,but they're a huge source of danger for those in the wild. So while certain diseases may kill only the captive leatherbacks, predators even the score out in the wild. If option [Most leatherbacks that perish in...] is true, then the similarity in the likelihood of reaching the maximum life expectancy between leatherbacks cooped up and those swimming free seems more understandable.