#10 - Must Be True, Author's Perspective

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=14208)

The correct answer choice is (A)

This is a Global Reference question, which can make the answer more difficult to prephrase, but the
correct answer choice will reflect the attitude of the author.

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice. In the closing sentence of the second
paragraph, the author states “even as some archivists are reluctant to become dependent on everchanging
computer technology, they are also quickly running out of time.” Given the amount of
information currently stored, and its quick deterioration, the suggestion is that archivists don’t have
any choice but to rely on computer technology, despite its prospect for obsolescence and its rapid
rate of deterioration.

Answer choice (B): The author, who makes the point that archivists don’t have the time they need to
distinguish what is important from what is dispensable, would not agree that archivists should wait
for more durable storage.

Answer choice (C): The author believes that information storage will continue to present challenges;
nothing in the passage suggests that the author would agree with this answer choice.

Answer choice (D): The author does not compare the difficulty of storing various types of
information, so there is nothing in the passage to support this answer.

Answer choice (E): The passage does deal with the issue of increasing information production and
decreasing storage durability, but the author does not deal with the specific correlation presented in
this choice.

[CCLSAT1995]

Hello,

I am having trouble understanding why A is the correct answer. The passage only states that some archivists are reluctant to become dependant on computer technology. Why does it follow that all archivists have little choice but to become dependant on technology?

Thanks in advance.

[Luke Haqq]

Hi CCLSAT 1995!

Happy to try to help clarifying this one. For me, the crux seems to lie around lines 15 to 24: "Black-and-white photographs will last for a couple of centuries, but most color photographs become unstable within 40 years, and videotapes last only about 20 years. Computer technology would seem to offer archivists an answer, as maps, photographs, films, videotapes, and all forms of printed material may now be transferred to and stored electronically on computer disks or tape"

On this type of question (must be true), we can infer that it must be the case that "Archivists have little choice but to become dependent on computer technology to store information" (answer (A)), because the author is situating the present moment for archivists as one involving computer technology--"all forms of printed material may now be transferred..." In other words, the author of the passage is saying a problem is that old materials are continuing to deteriorate--which is why time is running out--and computers seem to offer the answer. Thus all archivists in the present moment (whether or not they are reluctant to be dependent) "have little choice" but to turn to computers, because sources are rapidly deteriorating.

Hope that helps!

[morri3mg]

For this question, I was between 'A' and 'E.' Originally I had picked 'A,' then later switched it because I believed I had found supporting evidence in lines 6-8: "One archivist notes that while the quantity of material being saved has increased exponentially, the durability of recording media has decreased almost as rapidly." This is almost exactly what answer choice 'E' describes, so I was confident that it was the correct answer. Aside from having evidence to support answer choice 'A', why is 'E' wrong? Does the perspective described in 'E' represent the opinion of the archivists and not the author?
I often find myself down to two answer choices, and can often find evidence within the passage to support both. How can I see more clearly what the answer is in this case? While I understand that I need evidence that "most strongly supports" the author's perspective, this explanation has never been very helpful to me. Is there a specific strategy or perspective you can provide insight on that will help me moving forward? Thanks in advance!

[Luke Haqq]

Hi morri3mg!

The lines you quoted indicate that as the quantity of materials has gone up, the durability of materials has gone down. Notably, this isn't necessarily a causal claim being made--it's not saying that the quantity of materials somehow causes them to be less durable.

By contrast, answer choice (E) is making a claim about change with respect to what's contained in a given amount of space--"the more information one attempts to store in a given amount of space, the less durable the storage of that information will be." This is different from the claim made around lines 6 to 8.

So those lines don't support answer choice (E). But you are also right to note another problem--namely, this question asks about the author's view, whereas the line you referenced are the views of "one archivist."