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#36435
Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=14496)

The correct answer choice is (D)

You must select a choice that conforms, largely, to lines 54-59 of the passage.

Answer choice (A): This was the most popular incorrect answer choice. This response claims that
the passage argues for a “most useful response,” but the author only discussed a “more effective”
response (line 31). You should not assume that the improvement is complete. Furthermore, the
author discussed a “dialogue” (line 55) between donors and victims, and never suggested that the
victims should “dictate” the relief response. “Dictate” actually rules out the possibility of meaningful
dialogue, so in that respect this response is contrary to the passage. In addition, the author suggested
that both immediate and long-term aid would be improved, so the statement that immediate aid
would cease is contrary to the passage.

As with any Main Point question, the correct answer must pass the Fact Test, and thus cannot contain
any details that confl ict with the passage.

Answer choice (B): This statement is basically true given the passage; however, this statement is not
a good expression of the main point. The author spent a signifi cant amount of time explaining the
potential of the new plan, so a response that focuses only on the traditional plan cannot express the
main point.

Answer choice (C): Although the author might have intimated that long-term relief is a diffi cult
task, the author certainly did not make that view the focus of the passage. Furthermore, there is no
information in the passage that suggests that relief agencies should be responsible for constructing a
dialogue among the various groups involved in the disaster relief effort. In fact, the passage implies
that the communities themselves are responsible for spearheading dialogue (lines 33-36).

Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. The author spends the fi rst two paragraphs
outlining the inadequacies of the traditional response to disasters, and spends the fi nal two
paragraphs explaining how the new approach might improve both immediate and long-term relief
efforts.

Answer choice (E): This is a classic Half Right, Half Wrong answer choice. The fi rst half of this
answer accurately captures a statement made by the author, However, the second half of the answer
is completely wrong because the passage never suggested that relief agencies had any role as
mediators, this response is entirely unsupported, and incorrect.

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