#19 - Concept Reference, Must Be True, Subject's Perspective

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (A).

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):


This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[reop6780]

Q: I was wondering if the question includes a key word such as "frost-damage," the correct answer should be found around "frost-damage" in the stimuli.

I chose answer D based upon the information given in the lines 15-17.

In my process of thinking, altered bacteria = pseudomonas fluorescens, and I remember description of it in lines of 15-17 eventually choosing the familiar answer D.

Is there anything wrong with D other than the information given is not found around "frost damage" ?

[Steve Stein]

Hi,

Take another look at the question--it's important to note that it asks for what proponents of gene-altered bacteria argue; their arguments don't begin until line 41. Lines 15 - 17 refer to pseudomonas flourescens, which is a bacterium, but apparently not an altered bacterium--those are discussed later in the passage.

I hope that's helpful! Please let me know whether this is clear--thanks!

~Steve

[reop6780]

Yes, it clarified for me!

Thank you !

[Coleman]

Hi, I have a question about the answer choice A.

(A) states "The altered bacteria had a genetic constitution differing from that of the normal strain only in that the altered variety had one less gene."

The possible evidence that could correspond the answer choice A is found in (line 39) "Proponents, on the other hand, argue that this particular strain is altered only by the removal of the gene responsible for the strain's propensity to cause frost damage, thereby rendering it safer than the phytopathogen from which it was derived."

However, (A) seems like a logical leap from the original passage. For example, what if the elimination of one particular gene automatically results in the disappearance of other genes? Then we can't assume the altered version will have ONLY ONE LESS gene, thus genetic constitution might become significantly different.

If this question appeared on LR section such as must be true or most strongly supported, it will be under more strict scrutiny. I don't understand why we should be more lenient in those questions in RC.

Could you add some explanation why A is a reasonable inference based on the passage?
Thanks in advance!

[Adam Tyson]

The support there is in the question stem itself, Coleman: it's asking for what the proponents argued. They argued that the difference is just the removal of one gene, the one that causes frost damage. Your analysis is about the possible effects of that gene being removed, but that is not what the proponents argued, and thus does not answer the question that was asked of test takers.

Narrow your focus here to just what the question asked,. Since it starts with "according to the passage," it is basically asking us to quote (or paraphrase) the passage, without bringing in any outside information. Cite the text, and only the text, for questions like this one.

[mab9178]

Hi

Can we infer from the information put forth by the opponents that E must be false?

E states that altered bacteria were released in numbers sufficient enough to validate the experimental results.

The opponents, however, object to the deliberate and large-scale release of the genetically altered bacteria on the grounds that it might have deleterious effects. Why would the opponents raise this objection if E was correct and the experiment were done in validation of the theory that the modified bacteria was successful?

In other words, the opponents' objection assumes that the experiment has not been done, because if it has, we would know if there were damaging impacts or not; as opposed to "it might result in deleterious effects."

E, however, is still tricky and misleading because lines 34 through 37 use the word experiment in the context of the changed bacteria. But that experiment supports the idea that releasing the altered bacteria would be beneficial; it is not the experimental release of the bacteria itself!

In retrospect, my question is: is my inference that E must be false are reach? Maybe E could be false (or is not necessarily true) hence its elimination to a question that is a "must be true, reference question"?

Thank You
Mazen

[Luke Haqq]

Hi Mazen!

Answer choice (E) states, "The altered bacteria were released into the environment in numbers sufficient to guarantee the validity of experimental results."

You're right to be looking to the second paragraph in considering this answer, the paragraph where frost damage is mentioned. For example, the final sentence states: "Proponents, on the other hand, argue that this particular strain is altered only by the removal of the gene responsible for the strain's propensity to cause frost damage, thereby rendering it safer than the phytopathogen from which it was derived" (lines 41-45). And, as you rightly note in looking a bit earlier in that paragraph, the experimental results start to be mentioned at line 34.

Answer choice (E) is getting at the reliability of the experiment mentioned in the second paragraph. To your specific question, we don't know that (E) must be false--we don't know whether or not the experiment is reliable. You ask, "Why would the opponents raise this objection [about deleterious effects] if E was correct and the experiment were done in validation of the theory that the modified bacteria was successful?" Even if this experiment were reliable, i.e. in demonstrating that the non-altered variety that causes frost damage could be "crowd[ed] out," there might be other reasons that opponents oppose this measure--such as possibly unmentioned or unknown side effects or long-term consequences. They might object to these reasons regardless of the success of the experiment.

In the end, though, we don't know if the experiment is reliable or not, which is sufficient reason to eliminate the answer choice for a must be true question.

[mab9178]

Thank you Luke for your explanation.

As I studied, hopefully correctly, all must be false (or cannot be true) choices are within the range of the not necessarily true (or could be false) spectrum; however, not other way around. And so I was digging deeper to prove whether E is simply not necessarily true or cannot be true.

However, I think I am not using my study-time efficiently; I am overthinking some , or a lot, of these answers. I took the recommendation "understand exactly why the wrong answer is wrong" a to an unnecessarily overly labored level, I feel.

This example is an illustration of this; even though the E is ruled out on the basis of it being not necessarily true because the question asks for what must be true, I was still trying to determine even after ruling it out whether it is more specifically a "cannot be true" answer which falls within the "not necessarily true" range.

I think I am wrong to think that if I dig further and deeper beyond a certain point into every answer and why specifically it is ruled out, I might get faster by gaining insight into the mind of the LSAT writers. It taking too much time, and I think this time is better spent doing more questions. (Truth be told, I am enjoying the LSAT very much, and a little more than I should at this point in time; my test is in less than two weeks, this coming November.)

So, instead of ruminating over every answer-choice, I am going to spend that time on doing more RC passages!

Writing my thought process is somewhat a torturous process; but it is highly rewarding, at least for me; it has helped me enormously (A very large number of posts, I ended up deleting before posting because as I was writing and thinking through them , I ended figuring out what was wrong with my analysis, and so I ended up never posting them).

Thank You PowerScore for giving us this opportunity to post.

You are greatly appreciated!
Mazen

[zoezoe6021]

Hi,

Could you please explain why C is incorrect?

The genetically altered version satisfies both "safer" and "more effective." In line 44, "thereby rendering it safer than phytopathogen from which it was derived." I assume the altered version is also more effective since it could avoid frost by crowding out the original phytopathogen (line 36).

Thank you.