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- Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:00 am
#36327
Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=7945)
The correct answer choice is (C)
Although we know from each passage that carbohydrate-rich foods tend to cause caries, this prephrase is quite obvious and unlikely to be particularly helpful in identifying the correct answer.prephrase is quite obvious and unlikely to be particularly helpful in identifying the correct answer.
Nevertheless, the answer to a Passage Commonality question must pass the Fact Test; both passages will provide sufficient information to prove only one of the statements regarding carbohydrate-rich foods.
Answer choice (A): If you found this answer choice attractive, you probably relied on outside information when answering a Must Be True question. Varieties of foods that are cultivated may indeed have a greater tendency to cause caries than varieties that grow wild. However, neither passage presents evidence to support this observation. On the contrary—the last paragraph of Passage A specifically refers to certain wild plants, such as pinyon nuts and wild tuber, that are highly cariogenic (lines 29-31).
Answer choice (B): Although it may be tempting to conclude that foods requiring substantial processing do not play a significant role in hunter-gatherer diets, recall that early nonagricultural populations in western North American consumed large amounts of highly processed stone-ground flour made from gathered acorns. Furthermore, Passage B never mentioned the topic of processed foods, making answer choice (B) easier to eliminate.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. The wild plants consumed by the Hopi, described in lines 29-31 of Passage A, suggest that some carbohydrate-rich foods have higher cariogenic potential than others. Similarly, at the very end of Passage B, the author describes a possible shift in the diet of the Late Ban Chiang period from sweeter carbohydrates toward less cariogenic carbohydrates (lines 66-68). These two observations imply that some carbohydrate-rich foods have a greater tendency to cause caries than others.
The fact that answer choice (C) can only be proven by facts presented at the very end of each passage is neither trivial nor accidental. Such information is often forgotten because the average student is eager to move on to the next passage or jump to the questions.
Answer choice (D): Although high fiber content may indeed increase tooth wear and reduce caries formation (lines 44-50), the effects of fiber and grit on dental health are discussed only in Passage B, not Passage A. This type of trap is common in Passage Commonality questions.
Answer choice (E): This answer choice is almost identical to answer choice (A). Neither passage provides evidence to support a correlation between the cultivation of a given variety of food and its cariogenic potential.
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=7945)
The correct answer choice is (C)
Although we know from each passage that carbohydrate-rich foods tend to cause caries, this prephrase is quite obvious and unlikely to be particularly helpful in identifying the correct answer.prephrase is quite obvious and unlikely to be particularly helpful in identifying the correct answer.
Nevertheless, the answer to a Passage Commonality question must pass the Fact Test; both passages will provide sufficient information to prove only one of the statements regarding carbohydrate-rich foods.
Answer choice (A): If you found this answer choice attractive, you probably relied on outside information when answering a Must Be True question. Varieties of foods that are cultivated may indeed have a greater tendency to cause caries than varieties that grow wild. However, neither passage presents evidence to support this observation. On the contrary—the last paragraph of Passage A specifically refers to certain wild plants, such as pinyon nuts and wild tuber, that are highly cariogenic (lines 29-31).
Answer choice (B): Although it may be tempting to conclude that foods requiring substantial processing do not play a significant role in hunter-gatherer diets, recall that early nonagricultural populations in western North American consumed large amounts of highly processed stone-ground flour made from gathered acorns. Furthermore, Passage B never mentioned the topic of processed foods, making answer choice (B) easier to eliminate.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. The wild plants consumed by the Hopi, described in lines 29-31 of Passage A, suggest that some carbohydrate-rich foods have higher cariogenic potential than others. Similarly, at the very end of Passage B, the author describes a possible shift in the diet of the Late Ban Chiang period from sweeter carbohydrates toward less cariogenic carbohydrates (lines 66-68). These two observations imply that some carbohydrate-rich foods have a greater tendency to cause caries than others.
The fact that answer choice (C) can only be proven by facts presented at the very end of each passage is neither trivial nor accidental. Such information is often forgotten because the average student is eager to move on to the next passage or jump to the questions.
Answer choice (D): Although high fiber content may indeed increase tooth wear and reduce caries formation (lines 44-50), the effects of fiber and grit on dental health are discussed only in Passage B, not Passage A. This type of trap is common in Passage Commonality questions.
Answer choice (E): This answer choice is almost identical to answer choice (A). Neither passage provides evidence to support a correlation between the cultivation of a given variety of food and its cariogenic potential.
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