Powerscore: LSAT reading Comprehension (2020)

Name: Powerscore: LSAT reading Comprehension (2020)
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Author: Victoria Lee

Ace your certification with Powerscore: LSAT reading Comprehension (2020), packed with essential study resources.

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in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Parts of this book
have been previously published in other PowerScore publications and on
the powerscore.com website.
All actual LSAT® content reproduced within this work is used with the
permission of Law School Admission Council, Inc., (LSAC) Box 40,
Newtown, PA 18940, the copyright owner. LSAC does not review or endorse
specific test-preparation materials, companies, or services, and inclusion of
licensed LSAT content within this work does not imply the review or
endorsement of LSAC. LSAT is a registered trademark of LSAC.
PowerScore® is a registered trademark. The Reading Comprehension
BibleTM, The Logic Games BibleTM, The Games BibleTM, The Logical
Reasoning BibleTM, VIEWSTAMPTM, The Conclusion Identification
MethodTM, The Fact TestTM, Traps of Similarities and DistinctionsTM, Trap
of SeparationTM, Trap of ProximityTM, Trap of Inserted Alternate
Viewpoint TM, Traps of ChronologyTM, Passage Topic TrapsTM, The
Location ElementTM, The Uniqueness Rule of Answer ChoicesTM, The
Agree/Disagree TestTM, Passage CommonalityTM, Passage ExclusivityTM,
Passage AggregateTM, and Plus 2 Timing FormulaTM are the exclusive
service marked property of PowerScore. Any use of these terms without the
express written consent of PowerScore is prohibited.
Published by
PowerScore Publishing
57 Hasell Street
Charleston, SC 29401

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Chapter One: Introduction
Introduction
How LSAT Studying is Different Than “Regular” Studying
A Note About Timing
Additional Resources
A Brief Overview of the LSAT
The Logical Reasoning Section
The Analytical Reasoning Section
The Reading Comprehension Section
The Experimental Section
LSAT Writing
The LSAT Scoring Scale
The LSAT Percentile Table
The Digital LSAT
Chapter Two: The Basics of Reading Comprehension
The Reading Comprehension Section
Why Reading Comprehension?
The Section Directions

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What’s Really Being Tested?
The Two Passage Types
Passage Topics
Passage Sources and Creation
Approaching the Passages
Basic Passage Strategy
Your Focus While Reading
Your Attitude While Reading
Understand the Type of Difficulty in the Reading Comprehension
Section
Reading Speed and Returning to the Passage
Unknowns and Uncertainty
Active Reading and Anticipation
Active Reading Drill
Active Reading Drill Answer Key
Decoding Text
Killer Sentences
Uncovering Meaning: Context, Simplification, and Rephrasing

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Chapter Three: What to Read For VIEWSTAMP
What to Read For
Reading The Tablet Screen
What is VIEWSTAMP?
Analyzing the Passage Using VIEWSTAMP
When To Apply VIEWSTAMP
How To Apply VIEWSTAMP
Read Directly
VIEWSTAMP Examined
1. Viewpoint Identification and Analysis
2. Tone/Attitude
Viewpoint and Attitude Identification Drill
Viewpoint and Attitude Identification Drill Answer Key
3. Passage Argumentation
Identifying Premises and Conclusions
One Confusing Sentence Form
Additional Premise Indicators
Counter-argument Indicators

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Recognizing Conclusions Without Indicators
Inferences and Assumptions
Complex Argumentation
Relationship Indicators
A Word About Indicator Words
4. The Main Point
5. Passage Structure
Basic Summary and Purpose Drill
Basic Summary and Purpose Drill Answer Key
A Sample Passage Analyzed
Chapter Four: Passage Elements and Formations
Chapter Preview
Sources of Difficulty: The Test Makers’ Arsenal
Passage Elements That Generate Questions
Viewpoint-specific Elements
Text-based Questions
Two Broad Reasoning Structures
Pitfalls to Avoid

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Final Chapter Note
Passage Elements and Formations Recognition Drill
Chapter Five: Tracking Information
Tracking Passage Information
What You Can Use to Diagram
How To Read and Notate
Marking the Passage Text
Passage Notes
What to Diagram—Reviewed by Diagram Element
Passage Diagramming and Summarization Examples
Passage Diagramming and Summarization: Heavy Underlining
Example
Passage Diagramming and Summarization: Minimal Diagramming
Example
Final Chapter Note
Chapter Six: The Questions and Answers
The Questions
Analyzing the Question Stem
The Location ElementTM

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Location Designation Drill
Main Reading Comprehension Question Types
Rephrasing Question Stems
Question Classification (Up to this point)
Identify the Question Stem Drill
Reading Comprehension Question Types Examined in Detail
Must Be True/Most Supported Questions
Attacking Must Be True Questions
Must Be True Question Subtypes
Correct Answers in Must Be True Questions
Incorrect Answers in Must Be True Questions
Non-Must Be True Question Types
Strengthen Questions
How to Strengthen an Argument
Three Incorrect Answer Traps
Weaken Questions
Parallel Reasoning Questions
Cannot Be True Questions

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Question Modifiers and Overlays
“Most” and “Best” in Question Stems
“Except” and “Least” in Question Stems
Except and Least Identify the Question Stem Mini-Drill
Principle Questions
Question Type Variety
Location, Type, and Sub-type Drill
Prephrasing Answers
The Answer Choices
Analyzing The Answer Choices
Tricks of the Trade
The Digital LSAT: Problem Flagging and Answer Marking
Flagging Questions vs Dwelling on Problems
Practicing with Time
Final Chapter Note
Chapter Seven: Putting It All Together
Chapter Preview
Reading Approach Review

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Chapter Three Review
Chapter Four Review
Mini-Passage Drill: The Elements of VIEWSTAMP
Mini-Passage Drill: The Elements of VIEWSTAMP Answer Key
Two Passages Analyzed
Practice Passage I—June 2006 Passage #1
Practice Passage II—December 2005 Passage #1
Chapter Eight: Comparative Reading Passages
Dual Passages
Similarities between Comparative Reading Passage Sets and Single
Passages
Differences between Comparative Reading Passage Sets and Single
Passages
Passage Diagramming
Where Comparative Reading Appears
One Special Dual Passage Strategy
Two Comparative Reading Question Types
Point at Issue Questions
Incorrect Answers in Point at Issue Questions

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The Agree/Disagree TestTM
Point of Agreement Questions
The Agree/Agree TestTM
A Final Tip: Explicit versus Implicit Beliefs
A Comparative Reading Passage Analyzed
Passage Analysis—December 2007 Passage #3
Two Comparative Reading Practice Passages
Practice Passage I—October 2008 Passage #2
Practice Passage II—September 2007 Passage #2
Chapter Nine: Common Passage Themes
Recurrent Themes
Diversity Passages
How Does Test Bias Play a Role in Test Content?
1. Affirming Underrepresented Groups
2. Undermining Overrepresented Groups
3. Mixed Group Passages
Common Diversity Passage Themes
1. The Blending of the Old and New

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2. Defiance of Classification
Final Note
Two Diversity Practice Passages
Diversity Practice Passage I—December 2007 Passage #1
Diversity Practice Passage II—October 2004 Passage #2
Law-Related Passages
Two Special Topics
A Law-Related Passage Analyzed
Law-Related Passage Analysis—October 2005 Passage #3
Two Law-Related Practice Passages
Law-Related Practice Passage I—September 2006 Passage #2
Law-Related Practice Passage II—December 2006 Passage #4
Science Passages
Types of Science Passages
Why You Should Not Fear Science Passages
Handling Scientific Elements
A Science Passage Analyzed
Science Passage Analysis December 2007 Passage #4

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Two Science Practice Passages
Science Practice Passage I—June 2005 Passage #3
Science Practice Passage II—October 2004 Passage #3
Chapter Ten: Section Strategy and Management
Approaching the Section Strategically
Section Structure
Time Management: The Nexus of Speed and Accuracy
Doing Fewer Passages
The “Plus 2” Timing Formula
Using a Timer
Pacing Guidelines
A Final Note on Speed: Comfort versus the Clock
Limited Time Strategies
The Answer Choices
Four in a row?
Guessing Strategy
Problem Diagnostics
Score Reports and Problem Logs

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Reading Comprehension Passage ReChallenge Set #2
Reading Comprehension Passage ReChallenge Set #3
Appendix
Consolidated Answer Key
Chapter-by-Chapter Answer Key
Test-by-Test Passage Use Tracker
Glossary
Glossary and Index
About PowerScore
PowerScore is one of the nation’s fastest growing test preparation
companies. Founded in 1997, PowerScore offers LSAT, GMAT, GRE, SAT,
and ACT preparation classes in over 150 locations in the U.S. and abroad.
Preparation options include In Person courses, Accelerated courses, Live
Online courses, On Demand courses, as well as both In Person and Live
Online private tutoring. For more information, please visit our website at
powerscore.com or call us at (800) 545-1750.
For supplemental information about this book, please visit the Reading
Comprehension Bible website at powerscore.com/rcbible.
About the Authors
Dave Killoran, a graduate of Duke University, is an expert in test
preparation with over 25 years of teaching experience and a 99th percentile
score on an LSAC-administered LSAT. In addition to having written

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PowerScore’s legendary LSAT Bible Series, and many other popular
publications, Dave has overseen the preparation of thousands of students
and founded two national LSAT preparation companies.
Jon Denning, a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, oversees
product creation and instructor training for all of the exam services
PowerScore offers. He is also a Senior Instructor with 99th percentile scores
on the LSAT, GMAT, GRE, SAT, and ACT, and for the past 15 years has
assisted thousands of students in the college, graduate, and law school
admissions processes.
Chapter One: Introduction
Introduction
How LSAT Studying is Different Than “Regular” Studying
A Note About Timing
Additional Resources
A Brief Overview of the LSAT
The Logical Reasoning Section
The Analytical Reasoning Section
The Reading Comprehension Section
The Experimental Section
LSAT Writing
The LSAT Scoring Scale
The LSAT Percentile Table

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The Digital LSAT
Introduction
Welcome to the PowerScore LSAT Reading Comprehension Bible! We
congratulate you on your savvy purchase—you now own the most advanced
book ever published for LSAT Reading Comprehension. The purpose of
this book is to provide you with a powerful and comprehensive system for
attacking the Reading Comprehension section of the Law School Admission
Test (LSAT). By carefully studying and correctly applying the techniques
we employ, we are certain that you will increase your Reading
Comprehension score.
If you are looking to further improve your LSAT score, we also recommend that
you pick up a copy of the renowned PowerScore LSAT Logical Reasoning Bible
and LSAT Logic Games Bible. The Logical Reasoning Bible contains our
system for attacking the Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT, and the Logic
Games Bible explains our methodology for attacking the Analytical Reasoning
section. Both books are available through our website at powerscore.com.
In an effort to clearly explain the fundamental principles of the Reading
Comprehension section, this book contains substantial discussions of how to
deconstruct the passages as you read, how to identify and attack the
questions, and how to successfully avoid the traps set by the test makers. In
doing so, we recommend techniques and approaches that have been tested
in our live LSAT preparation classes, through individual tutoring, and on
the LSAT itself. We feel the use of real Reading Comprehension passages is
essential to your success on the LSAT, and no LSAT passage in this book
has been modified from its original form.
In order to effectively and efficiently apply our methods, we strongly
recommend that you:

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Carefully read and re-read each of the concept discussions;
Look at the explanation for the correct answer choice as well as
the explanations for the incorrect answer choices once you have
finished each question or example;
Closely examine each problem and determine which elements led
to the correct answer, and then study the analyses provided in the
book and check them against your own work;
Track every question that you miss or that you struggle with, and
record each instance of difficulty in a performance tracker (see the
Study Plans referenced on page 6 for more information).
By doing so, you will greatly increase your chances of quickly recognizing
and reacting to key RC elements and ultimately maximizing your score.
This book also contains a variety of drills and exercises that supplement the
discussion of techniques and question analysis. The drills help strengthen
specific skills that are critical for LSAT excellence; for this reason they are
as important as the LSAT questions. In the answer keys to these drills we
will often introduce and discuss important LSAT points, so we strongly
advise you to read through all of the explanations.
The last chapter of this book is an extensive analysis of overall section
strategy and time management. The preceding chapters also address timing
and how to go faster, but if you struggle with time management you can
read the final chapter at any point in your studies (and if you cannot finish
the entire book prior to your test, be sure to at least read the last chapter
before the LSAT). That chapter also contains a number of targeted
exercises to help you identify and remedy any specific issues still giving you
trouble, so again feel free to refer to it as needed if difficulties arise.

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At the end of this book there is also a complete quick-reference answer key
for all of the questions, including a unique reverse lookup that lists all
passages and passage sets used in this book sorted by the LSAT
administration date and PrepTest number. This is helpful if you are trying
to schedule practice tests and wish to avoid any overlap.
How LSAT Studying is Different Than “Regular” Studying
Studying for the LSAT is different than studying for a history or chemistry
test. In those disciplines, when you learn a fact or formula there is often a
direct and immediate increase in your score on the exam. However, the
LSAT is not a fact-based test; it is a test of reasoning processes, so the
correlation between learning an idea and seeing an instantaneous score
improvement is not as strong.
In a sense, it is like learning to drive a car: even after you learn the rules of
the road and the mechanics of the vehicle, the first several times you
attempt to drive you are probably not a good driver at all. Nothing feels
familiar or comes easily, and you are more likely a menace on the road than
anything else (we certainly were!). But with time and proper practice—and
a healthy dose of patience—you eventually reach a state of comfort, possibly
even expertise, so that now getting behind the wheel is entirely natural and
intuitive. Learning to routinely beat the LSAT is no different!
Many of the tools we talk about in this book are fundamental to the LSAT,
but they take time to integrate into how you approach the test, so at first
they may seem slow and unwieldy. It will get better! For the time being,
focus more on learning the ideas, and less on how they impact your practice
tests results. Once you have completed most of the book, you should shift
into a practice testing mode that will allow you to work with the techniques
and to make them second nature. This practice will cement the ideas and

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provide the greatest scoring impact.
A Note About Timing
As will be discussed in more detail later, time pressure is one of the defining
challenges of taking the LSAT. Thus, when studying LSAT questions, there
can be an overwhelming urge to focus on the clock. But for now you must
resist that impulse. When you are first learning new concepts, take your
time to understand what is being said and focus on the mechanics of how to
apply the techniques presented. Don’t worry about your pace! Once you
have internalized the concepts and methodology, then you can start slowly
working on timing as an element of your approach. The old adage about
learning to walk before you can run applies perfectly to LSAT preparation,
so concentrate more on how key strategies and ideas work than on your
initial speed.
Additional Resources
Because new LSATs are administered regularly, and access to accurate and
up-to-date information and assistance is critical, there are also several other
free PowerScore LSAT preparation resources available to Reading
Comprehension Bible students:
1. The Reading Comprehension Bible book site. This free online
resource area offers:
Written supplements to the book
LSAT Bible study plans
Updates to the material
A book evaluation and comments form

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The exclusive LSAT Reading Comprehension Bible online area can be
accessed at:
powerscore.com/rcbible
2. Our comprehensive Self-Study site for students using our LSAT
Bibles as the basis of their preparation. The site includes:
LSAT Bible study plans based on how much time you have
available to prepare, and in conjunction with the other LSAT
Bibles
Free test scoring analytics, including a breakdown of each LSAT
by question type performance, areas of strength and weakness,
and historical performance
Free online test proctoring
The PowerScore LSAT Self-Study Site can be found here:
studentcenter.powerscore.com/self-study
Forum users ask
about all aspects of the LSAT, including test mentality, the best study plans, how
to solve certain
types of questions, and how to go faster
on the LSAT.
3. The PowerScore LSAT Discussion Forum, where you can talk to the
authors of the book and ask questions about the material:
forum.powerscore.com/lsat

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Staffed regularly by our LSAT instructors, the Forum offers thousands
of searchable answers to student inquiries, including many detailed
explanations of individual LSAT questions, and additional concept and
strategy discussions.
4. And please connect with us directly via Twitter and our PodCast:
@DaveKilloran
@JonMDenning
powerscore.com/lsat/podcast
We frequently post about the LSAT and developments with the test,
and provide breaking news on test days and score releases.
We are happy to assist you in your LSAT preparation in any way, and we
look forward to hearing from you!
A Brief Overview of the LSAT
The Law School Admission Test is administered multiple times each year.
This standardized test is often required for admission to American Bar
Association-approved law schools. According to LSAC, the producers of the
test, the LSAT is designed “to measure skills that are considered essential
for success in law school: the reading and comprehension of complex texts
with accuracy and insight; the organization and management of
information and the ability to draw reasonable inferences from it; the
ability to think critically; and the analysis and evaluation of the reasoning
and arguments of others.”
The LSAT consists of the following five sections:

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2 Sections of Logical
Reasoning short arguments, 24-26 total questions per section
1 Section of Reading
Comprehension
3 long reading passages, 2 short comparative
reading passages, 26-28 total questions
1 Section of Analytical
Reasoning 4 logic games, 22-24 total questions
1 Experimental
Section one of the above three section types
You are given 35 minutes to complete each section. The experimental
section is unscored and is not returned to the test taker. A break of 10 to 15
minutes is given between the 3rd and 4th sections.
The Logical Reasoning Section
Each Logical Reasoning Section is composed of approximately 24 to 26
short prompts. Every short argument is followed by a question such as:
“Which one of the following weakens the argument?” “Which one of the
following parallels the argument?” or “Which one of the following must be
true according to the argument?” The key to this section is time
management and an understanding of the reasoning types and question
types that frequently appear.
Since there are two scored Logical Reasoning sections on every LSAT, this
section accounts for approximately 50% of your score.
The Analytical Reasoning Section
This section, also known as Logic Games, is probably the most difficult for
students taking the LSAT for the first time. The section consists of four
games or puzzles, each followed by a series of five to eight questions. The
questions are designed to test your ability to evaluate a set of relationships

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and to make inferences about those relationships. To perform well on this
section you must understand the types of games that frequently appear and
develop the ability to properly diagram the rules and make inferences.
The Reading Comprehension Section
This section is composed of three long reading passages, each approximately
450 words in length, and two shorter comparative reading passages. The
passage topics are drawn from a variety of subjects, and each passage is
followed by a series of five to eight questions that ask you to determine
viewpoints in the passage, analyze organizational traits, evaluate specific
sections of the passage, or compare facets of two different passages.
The Experimental Section
Each LSAT contains one undesignated experimental section which does not
count towards your score. The experimental can be any of the three section
types previously described, and the purpose of the section is to test and
evaluate questions that will be used on future LSATs. By pretesting
questions before their use in a scored section, the experimental section helps
the makers of the test determine the test scale.
LSAT Writing
A 35-minute writing section is administered separately from the LSAT,
using secure online proctoring software. LSAT Writing is not scored, but
law schools will have access to a candidate’s three most recent samples.
For many years the Writing Sample was administered before the LSAT, and then
later after the LSAT. Now know as “LSAT Writing,” the section is administered
separately from the test.
In LSAT Writing, you are asked to write a short essay that defends one of

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