#1 - Must Be True, Author's Perspective

[Adam Tyson]

Implicit acceptance doesn't have to mean that the author had a preconceived notion. Rather, it means that the author appears to accept the idea but he never actually says so aloud. His acceptance is implied in the way that he talks about the idea. So, when he says the images were "probably intended to make these animals vulnerable", he is treating the hypothesis with a positive outlook. He goes on to say that the explanation advanced by the anthropologists is supported by the content of the images, and also by the physical evidence found on the cave floors. All of this adds up to an author who thinks this is a pretty good hypothesis, one that he leans towards pretty strongly. Nothing hesitant about it here, but also nothing explicit, so that's why we go with implicit acceptance.

So what would hesitant agreement look like? Maybe "this theory has some merit, and perhaps explains things better than the other theory did, although more study might be a good idea. For now, we can go with it, at least until something better comes along." Did this passage sound like that to you?

Let me know if that clarifies things for you!

[avengingangel]

Thanks so much, Adam.

Yeah, I didn't really like 'hesitant' (but mainly because of the negative connotation more so than the meaning), but I reeallyy didn't like 'implicit.' After revisiting this passage and reading thru this thread, I see why A is the answer. I think it really comes down to a different understanding of meaning of words between myself and the writers of the LSAT, which seems to be the case pretty often :-/ I would take 'implicit acceptance' to mean 'inherent acceptance' before 'implied acceptance' here (although, I would understand it as 'implied' too, but in a different context/scenario than what was presented in the passage). Understanding it as 'implied' makes 100% sense why A would be the obvious, superior choice. I just hope my brain will be able to know that on test day...Oh well.

[leslie7]

Hi,

Timed, I selected the correct answer - A. During Blind Review, I selected C.

I think when I read it "deeper" the second time, I was drawn in by the word "Curiously" in the second paragraph and then after looking more closely at answer choice C I thought (oh maybe curiosity is more close to the author's tone). In that line of thinking I then thought that the second paragraph was laying the "groundwork" for the author's viewpoint in the third paragraph.

I did read and understand all the points on the "the images were probably" (but in closer relation to my specific question ... how does this sentence offset the word curiously to the point that it makes AC A correct? If that makes any sense?)

Can someone help me understand or explain what the function of "curiously" has here in the second paragraph, its relation to the third paragraph, and why I might have misinterpreted it during Br?

[Adam Tyson]

"Curiously" at the beginning of the second paragraph sets up a question that needs to be answered, leslie7. The author is suggesting that an explanation is needed, because something odd happened. Paragraph 3 attempt to answer that question.

The author isn't curious "regarding the claims attributed to anthropologists", which is what the question asked us about. The author is curious about why the paintings were found in place that was hard to get to and without light. But he accepts the explanation given by the anthropologists as being a reasonable one.

Also, you have to read the entire answer. It's not just "curiosity", but "noncommittal curiosity." Is this author noncommittal? Or are they somewhat committed to accepting the hypothesis?

Focus on what the question asked about, and be sure to consider the entire answer rather than just a portion of it. One wrong word can kill an answer that otherwise looks good! For example, imagine another answer choice that said "explicit agreement." You might say that "agreement" sounds right, but since that agreement is not "explicit," that would be a bad answer choice.