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- Sat Jul 01, 2017 11:07 am
#36721
Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=14608)
The correct answer choice is (B)
Answer choice (A): This answer choice is drawn from lines 40-43, but is not offered as evidence that
code-switching cannot be entirely explained by situational factors. Look at the results of the study a
little more closely: If student A says that a conversation between a priest and a parishioner on the beach
would take place entirely in Spanish and student B says that conversation would take place in half-
Spanish and half-English, does that mean that the code-switching is unexplained by situational factors?
No, because the students provided both the third situational factor and the language mix. When the third
factor is unknown and the given factors are incongruent, it is not surprising that students fail to agree
about the predicted effect of those situational factors. It may still be possible to explain code-switching
here through situational factors even when the students are in disagreement.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. Answer choice B is drawn from lines 45-46
of the passage. In this instance, all of the situational factors are known, but the actual mix of languages
occurring is different from the predicted mix. Since our knowledge of the situation is complete and the
prediction is wrong, it follows that situational factors cannot entirely explain code-switching. This is not
analogous to answer choice (A), where we see multiple predictions based on incomplete knowledge.
Answer choice (C): Some sets of situational factors would lead us to expect bilingual people to switch
smoothly between two languages within a single conversation. This answer choice does nothing more
than describe what code-switching is and is not used by the passage in the manner indicated.
Answer choice (D): This is a Shell Game answer where the test makers have added incorrect elements
to an otherwise correct answer choice. The test makers have created a situation very similar but not
identical to the situation which is offered in the passage as evidence that not all code-switching can be
explained by situational factors. Here is a version of this answer choice that would be correct: “Puerto
Rican Americans sometimes use Spanish only sparingly and for rhetorical effect in the presence of
situational factors that would lead on to expect English to be the only language.”
Answer choice (E): This answer choice is not supported by the passage and seems to contradict the
results of the high-school study. The passage does indicate that speakers are sometimes unaware of the
code-switching itself (lines 49-50), but does not suggest that speakers are often unaware of the setting,
topics, or participants.
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=14608)
The correct answer choice is (B)
Answer choice (A): This answer choice is drawn from lines 40-43, but is not offered as evidence that
code-switching cannot be entirely explained by situational factors. Look at the results of the study a
little more closely: If student A says that a conversation between a priest and a parishioner on the beach
would take place entirely in Spanish and student B says that conversation would take place in half-
Spanish and half-English, does that mean that the code-switching is unexplained by situational factors?
No, because the students provided both the third situational factor and the language mix. When the third
factor is unknown and the given factors are incongruent, it is not surprising that students fail to agree
about the predicted effect of those situational factors. It may still be possible to explain code-switching
here through situational factors even when the students are in disagreement.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. Answer choice B is drawn from lines 45-46
of the passage. In this instance, all of the situational factors are known, but the actual mix of languages
occurring is different from the predicted mix. Since our knowledge of the situation is complete and the
prediction is wrong, it follows that situational factors cannot entirely explain code-switching. This is not
analogous to answer choice (A), where we see multiple predictions based on incomplete knowledge.
Answer choice (C): Some sets of situational factors would lead us to expect bilingual people to switch
smoothly between two languages within a single conversation. This answer choice does nothing more
than describe what code-switching is and is not used by the passage in the manner indicated.
Answer choice (D): This is a Shell Game answer where the test makers have added incorrect elements
to an otherwise correct answer choice. The test makers have created a situation very similar but not
identical to the situation which is offered in the passage as evidence that not all code-switching can be
explained by situational factors. Here is a version of this answer choice that would be correct: “Puerto
Rican Americans sometimes use Spanish only sparingly and for rhetorical effect in the presence of
situational factors that would lead on to expect English to be the only language.”
Answer choice (E): This answer choice is not supported by the passage and seems to contradict the
results of the high-school study. The passage does indicate that speakers are sometimes unaware of the
code-switching itself (lines 49-50), but does not suggest that speakers are often unaware of the setting,
topics, or participants.