I know that this question is supposed to be pretty straightforward but I found this passage pretty difficult and this question really stumped me.
Can someone please explain to me how I should have read it to get to E? Is it just because the passage talks about pressure a lot?
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- ILikeKneadedErasers
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Vinny Gambini
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- menon92
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Vinny Gambini
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Re: Q4
You're absolutely right. This passage was certainly difficult. If I could offer one tip, however, it would be to read for structure. The passage is dense with detail, but understanding the argument chain and the role each paragraph plays can definitely help. As you read the passage, it helps some people to make a very brief outline of the purpose of each paragraph.
Question 4 specifically, however, is a detail question. The passage actually touches on each of these answer choices (perhaps with the exception of explicitly stating D). The prompt directs you specifically to line 47. My first step would have been to read the sentence which features the word "head" and perhaps one sentence before or after. The reason this question is a bit more challenging, is because it can be difficult to infer the answer choice when looking directly at or near line 47.
My second step would have been to consider whether the word was mentioned anywhere else in the passage as a whole. Luckily, the word "head" is set apart in line 26 and is followed immediately by a definition of the word (pressure inside a pump).
A quick word of caution. Sometimes a prompt may concern a word that has been featured on multiple occasions throughout the passage, but the word itself might take on a different meaning in different instances. So in order to double check your answer, refer back to line 47 and see if the definition you found above makes sense in context.
Question 4 specifically, however, is a detail question. The passage actually touches on each of these answer choices (perhaps with the exception of explicitly stating D). The prompt directs you specifically to line 47. My first step would have been to read the sentence which features the word "head" and perhaps one sentence before or after. The reason this question is a bit more challenging, is because it can be difficult to infer the answer choice when looking directly at or near line 47.
My second step would have been to consider whether the word was mentioned anywhere else in the passage as a whole. Luckily, the word "head" is set apart in line 26 and is followed immediately by a definition of the word (pressure inside a pump).
A quick word of caution. Sometimes a prompt may concern a word that has been featured on multiple occasions throughout the passage, but the word itself might take on a different meaning in different instances. So in order to double check your answer, refer back to line 47 and see if the definition you found above makes sense in context.
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- christine.defenbaugh
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Atticus Finch
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Re: Q4
Brilliant explanation, menon92!
You're absolutely right that the first stop should be to read the relevant sentence and capture any contextual clues there as to the true meaning of the word. In many questions of this type, the full meaning of the word can be understood from the sentence itself, just by looking at how it's really being used - this is common for words with a variety of connotations that could have potentially been used in a number of different ways (such as "reflective", "restrained", or "suspicious"). The question is demanding, in those cases, that you identify the specific connotations in this particular context.
This question, though, is a little different. The meaning of "head" here is not something that would be immediately apparent. This is not a standard definition, or connotation, of that word in normal, common usage. Instead, this is an instance of jargon, or technical terminology relating to a specific activity or context. The author (and the LSAT) does not expect you to have any idea what "head" means, just by reading the context surrounding the word, so we might have anticipated that this word would actually be technically defined elsewhere in the passage. Generally, jargon like this is defined the first time the term appears in the passage.
On that note, whenever jargon DOES appear (and gets defined!), it's a good idea to at least make a mental note of that, as the definition will surely be important later. Even if there isn't a specific question like this one, knowing the definition of "head" is necessary to actually understand any later sentence in the passage that uses that word!
Keep up all the great work!
You're absolutely right that the first stop should be to read the relevant sentence and capture any contextual clues there as to the true meaning of the word. In many questions of this type, the full meaning of the word can be understood from the sentence itself, just by looking at how it's really being used - this is common for words with a variety of connotations that could have potentially been used in a number of different ways (such as "reflective", "restrained", or "suspicious"). The question is demanding, in those cases, that you identify the specific connotations in this particular context.
This question, though, is a little different. The meaning of "head" here is not something that would be immediately apparent. This is not a standard definition, or connotation, of that word in normal, common usage. Instead, this is an instance of jargon, or technical terminology relating to a specific activity or context. The author (and the LSAT) does not expect you to have any idea what "head" means, just by reading the context surrounding the word, so we might have anticipated that this word would actually be technically defined elsewhere in the passage. Generally, jargon like this is defined the first time the term appears in the passage.
On that note, whenever jargon DOES appear (and gets defined!), it's a good idea to at least make a mental note of that, as the definition will surely be important later. Even if there isn't a specific question like this one, knowing the definition of "head" is necessary to actually understand any later sentence in the passage that uses that word!
Keep up all the great work!
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