Q8

[boasfin]

For 8, what disqualifies letter D?

And could you please explain why C rather than E is correct for number 12? thank you much!

[kimyooji]

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[boasfin]

I think we might be discussing different questions. the questions i am referring to are Reading Comprehension Test 60, #s 8 & 12--the comparative passages dealing with honeybees. thank you.

[kitmitzi]

I'm equally confused about #8 but I can try to explain 12 (but forgive me if it doesn't make sense, I'm not a teacher or anything)

E. "Passage A provides a historical account of the origins of a phenomenon that is the primary concern of passage B."

The problem is that the phenomenon is NOT the primary concern of passage B which we determined in question 9. In question 9 the answer is "passage B is concerned with other forms of animal communication as well."

C is correct because passage A is only about honey bees while passage B discusses honey bees in the context of talking about symbolic animal communication.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT2]

For #8 --

(D) is incorrect because of the phrase "airing a scientific controversy" --

A "controversy" is something specific -- people disagreeing about an issue or questioning an idea --

We don't have that here --

Passage (A) discusses the process through which we learned more about how bees communicate, but I wouldn't argue that it has any controversy. They discuss questions that existed, and mistakes made, but that's not exactly the same as controversy.

Passage (B) is similar in that it is structured to discuss new findings, and ideas that turned out to be wrong, but, again, this doesn't necessarily equate to "controversy."

For #12, I think kitmitzi makes some nice points --

Both (C) and (E) include the discussion of a phenomenon, and it seems the phenomenon they are referring to is the dance of the bees.

(C) accurately reflects what role discussion of the dance places -- the first passage is entirely concerned with it, whereas the second passage uses it as part of a larger, more general discussion.

In light of what phenomenon specifically refers to, (E) makes less sense. Passage (A) does not provide a historical account of how bees started to dance, but rather of how we started figuring stuff out about the dance. Furthermore, the dance is not the primary concern of the second passage.

Hope that helps!

[boasfin]

yes, it helps. many thanks!

[AllyMaeBell]

8. (C)
Question Type: Synthesis (A: 7-11, 13-16; B: 39-48; 58-64)
This question asks for an aim of both passages. The answer to a synthesis question like this should be supported by multiple parts of each passage. Answer choice (C) is: both passages specifically outline multiple studies concerned with animal communication.

(A) Unsupported interpretation of the text. The text concerns animal communication, and symbolic communication in particular, but this is not equated to human-like intelligence.
(B) Out of scope for Passage A, which doesn’t address primates at all. Remember, the correct answer applies to BOTH passages.
(D) Out of scope. There is no disagreement over the "function" of the dance, which is to
transmit information about a food source, only over what how information is transmitted through the dance.
(E) Out of scope. Neither passage discusses what it takes for something to be "considered a language."