#4 -Specific Reference, Parallel

[Administrator]

Please post your questions below!

[EmonyR]

Answer Choice (E) seems like the most logical choice on the basis of being taught photosynthesis; however, I was little confused as to why answer choice (A) was incorrect. Please provide further understanding.

[willmcchez]

Answer Choice (E) seems like the most logical choice on the basis of being taught photosynthesis; however, I was little confused as to why answer choice (A) was incorrect. Please provide further understanding.

I'm also looking for clarity on this.

[James Finch]

Hi guys,

In order to choose the correct answer choice for this question, we need to be able to accurately parallel the situation described in the passage. That situation is one in which forests are a net-zero sum for oxygen: they produce oxygen when they are alive, but when they die and decompose, that same amount of oxygen is used up. So we're looking for a net-zero situation in the correct answer choice.

(A) has two problems with it--first it's not necessarily a net-zero situation ("partially eroded") and secondly there's a conditional statement in it, which we don't have in the relevant part of the passage. (E) works because it describes a net-zero (all evaporate from the ground eventually comes back down as precipitation) without any conditional statements or other logical differences.

Hope this clears things up!

[lsatstudying11]

Hi!

I picked D and I'm a little confused about why that is wrong. The way that I interpreted is that the increase in value of the shares of a company is counteracted by the fact that the value of its competitor companies are increase, therefore leading to a net 0. Is my error here the fact that I am assuming that these two instances of increases necessarily cancel each other out to achieve a net 0? Or is the problem that the counteracting forces are increasing, rather than it being the case that one increases while the other decreases? Thank you!

[KelseyWoods]

Hi lsatstudying11!

You are correct that an increase in the value of shares of one company leading to an increase in the value of shares of other companies in the same production sector does not lead to a net-zero. Other companies' share values increasing does not de-value your own company's shares.

Think more specifically about what it is you're trying to parallel. We're paralleling a situation in which trees produce oxygen and then consume oxygen so that no oxygen is actually produced or consumed. This is a cyclical situation in which something is taken, and then given back. It's a closed-system in which nothing new is added or taken away, just used and returned. Answer choice (D) does not match this same relationship.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey