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#27388
Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=50)

The correct answer choice is (C)

This question stem asks for the answer choice that would be supported by all the theoretical approaches to LHB. This is similar to a Resolve the Paradox question from Logical Reasoning. The correct answer choice will provide a premise that is consistent with (that is, does not disagree with) all of the LHB theories, discussed in paragraph two of the passage.

Answer choice (A): Although the third group discussed in the passage apparently perceives the LHB as “brief,” this is somewhat vague. Besides, the other two theories don’t make any claims regarding how long the LHB lasted, so there is no way to know whether all theories are in agreement regarding its duration.

Answer choice (B): This answer choice is incorrect, because the third theory asserts that the debris came from within the Earth-Moon system, while the other two theories hold that it could have been an asteroid or comet.

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice, since this assertion is consistent with the beliefs of all three groups of theorists discussed in the passage. All three theories hold that the Late Heavy Bombardment included heavy bombardment, and that the barrage decreased after the LHB, allowing life on Earth to flourish.

Answer choice (D): While all of the theories would agree that life could not have survived the LHB, there is nothing in the passage that suggests that any life existed on Earth to be destroyed by the LHB, so this answer choice is incorrect.

Answer choice (E): Since the author doesn’t discuss the amount of debris hypothesized by the various theories, there is no way to know, based on the passage, whether all three theories would agree on this issue, so this answer choice is incorrect.
 Sdaoud17
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#9102
How come C is the answer and Not b ? can you tell me where in the passage that is supporting C not B ?
 Steve Stein
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#9115
In the second paragraph, the author discusses various theories about the LHB. All of the theories agree that the bombardment decreased significantly at some point--the theories don't all agree about the origin of the debris--some claim it was a large asteroid or comet orbiting the sun (line 19), and others disagree, saying it had been ongoing, continuous bombardment, with the more recent pieces having obliterated the previously produced ones (line29-31). Still others believe it was something within the earth-moon system (Line 37).

I hope that's helpful!

~Steve
 Sdaoud17
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#9118
I am sorry but I dont see that Paragraph 2 is talking about the Decreasing significantly after LHB.

Can you explain more ?

Thank you
 Steve Stein
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#9136
The passage is about the Late Heavy Bombardment--a vigorous bombardment, which, scientists discovered, created he major craters on the moon about 4 billion years ago.

In the second paragraph, the first theory hypothesizes a large body breaking apart and peppering the inner solar system with debris.

The second theory says that current evidence merely provides a view of the period "concluding billions of years of a continuous, declining heavy bombardment."

A third group contends that the LHB was a "sharply defined cataclysmic cratering period...(of) ...relatively brief duration."

I hope that's helpful!

~Steve
 Sdaoud17
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#9143
Great thank you
 lilmissunshine
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#47084
Hello,

Sorry I'm still very confused about why (C) is the correct answer. Could you tell where I can find supporting evidence in the passage? Thanks a lot!
 Malila Robinson
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#47153
Hi lilmissunshine,
The LHB (Late Heavy Bombardment) is what caused the cratering. All 3 theories have a general end point for the LHB (see Steves explanation above), so once the LHB ended or died down the cratering that it directly caused would also decrease.
Hope that helps!
-Malila

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