- Mon Sep 21, 2020 7:22 pm
#79147
Hi ndumay,
Focus heavily on two things: first, trying to extract the author's main point from each of the passages (you should practice prephrasing this after each short passage you read: sum up the main point in one sentence). To extract the main point, ask yourself, "What is the author trying to sell me (i.e. what does the author want me to believe?" Second, focus on the relationship between the two passages: is the first passage a theory (or theories), and the second passage an application of the theory (or theories)? Is the first passage an argument for, and the second passage an argument against, something? Is the first passage presenting a problem, and the second problem presenting a solution to that problem? Knowing the relationship between the passages will help tremendously with the many questions that are asking about similarities and differences between the passages. It will also help with viewpoint-oriented questions about what the authors would agree/disagree with.
When it comes to VIEWSTAMP, if you see a viewpoint beyond the author's in the passage, of course you should take note of it. But the bulk of the questions tend to focus on the viewpoints of each author (rather than multiple viewpoints other than the author's within the passage). So just make sure you're really capturing the essence of each author's viewpoint through your prephrase of the main point. Also, just an observation that because these passages are shorter, the "S" element ("structure") is often not as prominent.
For word/phrase questions, you should make sure you utilize the search function (ctrl-f, or command-f) that the Flex format of the test allows for. This makes it easier to find terms or parts of terms within the passages.
I'm okay with a quick reread of a passage sometimes. But you should make it a goal to try to prephrase main points, and determine passage relationships, without rereading. This might be ambitious on some of the more-technical passages. But make it a goal when you're practicing.
I hope this helps!
Jeremy Press
LSAT Instructor and law school admissions consultant
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https://twitter.com/JeremyLSAT