Q1

[zhangstagangsta]

I actually don´t understand the difference between D and E. I am wondering if E is wrong because the author implies that if computer conferences attract a wider range than the self-selecting group of people, conferences can be more like communities.

If someone could clarify the differences between the two, and why E is wrong, that would be great.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

These answer choices are very similar, but the fundamental difference between them is that answer choice (D) is talking about something that is true. It says "that the lack of diversity among conference participants makes such conferences unlike actual communities."

Answer choice (E) talks about a hypothetical when it says, "even if access... is broad enough to attract a more diverse group..., such conferences will not be acceptable substitutes for actual communities."

The fundamental claim made in the passage is that these conferences lack diversity and so therefore cannot be viewed as communities. That's what answer choice (D) says. Answer choice (E) says that even if they get that diversity, they still won't be considered communities. But they may not be true. If they have the diversity, the criticism made in the passage will no longer be true, so maybe they will be communities.

If you're looking for the main point, don't play around with hypotheticals (like answer choice (E)) unless the passage is based on one.

[mornincounselor]

The phrase "certain interactions" confused me in (A). Everything before the comma contributed nicely to a summary of the central idea of the passage and this phrase meant to me that these online conferences could be an effective substitute for some aspects of a community (respect, group learning) but not others (because of their limitations). But I guess the main point is about how they are ineffective.

I was between (A) and (D). Gosh it's frustrating to miss the first question in a section.

[ohthatpatrick]

When I read an LSAT passage, I'm always looking for the Most Valuable Sentence (typically, the moment in the passage when I find out which side of the scale the author is on).

In this passage, it's line 42-44.

It's ridiculously common for the Most Valuable Sentence to occur after a "but/yet/however/recently". This is because most of these passages are structured by beginning with background info or OTHER people's ideas. So the "buy/yet/however/recently" is your big signpost that we're swinging around into the AUTHOR's actual points/focus.

We see the foreshadowing of our scale in this passage as soon as we see "advocates claim" in line 11.

Using words like "advocates, proponents, critics, opponents" before a point of view almost always indicates that you're hearing one side of the scale.

P2 is still under the umbrella of "what ADVOCATES claim".

P3 is the first time we're hearing the author's voice. So doing the Main Point question, I need to prioritize what I heard in P3.

(A) The main clause here is "conferences can substitute EFFECTIVELY for .... communities". Meanwhile, the main point, line 42-44, is that "conferences FALL SHORT of communities".

(B) The main clause here is "people are returning to traditional interactions". Say what? They are? Where did it say that?

(C) The main clause here is on the author's side of the scale, i.e. negative towards conferences. However, it's negative for the wrong reasons. The author says in line 42-44 that conferences ARE actually good in terms of being supportive and respectful.

(D) This is the closest summary of lines 42-44. Why does the author think conferences FALL SHORT of communities? Because communities are non-intentional, non-self-selecting, diverse groups.

(E) This deals with a hypothetical, which the author has not specifically discussed. The hypothetical also addresses the author's key objection to "conferences = communities", so the author might well believe that such conferences WOULD be acceptable substitutes for communities.

Hope this helps.

[YvonneS601]

I understand only (d) can be a correct answer, but I don't like the word 'significant' in (d).
Isn't it too drastic?
Even if it's too drastic, (d) should be an answer, because the others are way off for being correct answers?

[Misti Duvall]

I agree that "significant" is a pretty strong word, but sometimes that's ok, especially if the author has expressed a strong opinion.

And that's what makes the strong language in answer choice (D) ok here. The author makes several strong statements against computer conferences based on their self-selecting (and therefore necessarily less diverse) nature. For ex, "they nonetheless fall short," "this analogy simply does not work," and the whole sentence starting with "actual communities..."