Q5

[joyce.hau]

Try as I might, I could not find the portion in the passage the supports (C), "They [Aurignacians] had established some highly specialized social roles." Didn't that opinion belong to the anthropologists that the author refutes in the 2nd para?

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

When you read a question stem in Reading Comprehension that says that "the passage suggests..." give the answer choice a little more wiggle room. If you read a question stem that says "which one of the following can be inferred?" then treat it with a more critical eye.

However, "specialized roles" can be supported when the passage suggests that there were artisans producing art who were supported by other members of their community. Lines 18-22.

That's where the test writer would point to in the passage that supports answer choice (C).

I hope this helps! Let me know if you see it differently...

[mrudula_2005]

Why is A wrong? Both were "pretechnological societies" (line 38) so none could hae been technologically more or less adanced than the other, no?

thanks!

[rmoncel]

I also had my doubts about whether the author subscribed to the anthropologists' beliefs outlined in para 1. (I did not pick answer C for this reason). But after a re-read of the passage, the author's issue with their argument is with the PURPOSE of the art rather than whether the art was generated by specialized artists. So we could assume that the author agrees that there were specialized artists among the Aurignacians.

Also, the author makes a reference to another specialized role later in the passage: the shamans (or religious leaders) (line 55).

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Why is A wrong? Both were "pretechnological societies" (line 38) so none could hae been technologically more or less adanced than the other, no?

thanks!

I see the logic embodied in your reasoning but I don't see the comparison made between the level of technology for the Aurignacians and the Neaderthals.

It does seem logical to say that since they were both pretechnological societies that they both would have no technology, but from a quick read of the passage we can tell that such would be an oversimplification. Nowhere does the passage suggest that neither society had technology. In fact the Aurignacians had hunting weapons - which is definitely a form of technology.

I think you took too strict a reading with that claim. Does that clear it up?

[kdeclark]

C also seems correct because the author seems to believe (lines 53-57) that some of the cave pictures are of shamans and religious leaders in fantastic costumes. A shaman must be a specialized role, no?

[LSAT-Chang]

I had a similar but opposite question. Before I was aware of line reference 18-22 suggesting (C), I looked at the end of the paragraph about shamans as well, but I thought we couldn't infer that there really were shamans because it is just paintings that depict these and although we know that the Aurignacians depicted paintings of animals to gain power over it, we have no evidence suggesting that these shamans were drawn because there were actual shamans -- it could have just been a random drawing but that appears to look like a shaman.. is (C) provable from the shaman evidence?

[alovitt]

I understand now why C is right, but did not feel confident enough to eliminate E. Was it wrong for me to think that "suggests" here means new info could be brought in pertaining to what the author would agree with? I know the author never speaks of carving images on weapons, but since the author does agree that the Aurignacians believed paintings provided magical powers to improve hunting efficacy, then I inferred that the author would probably agree with E.

Is E wrong because it is treating that claim as a fact about something the Aurignacians actually DID, rather than saying something like "Aurignacians would BELIEVE that carving images of their prey on their weapons would improve their weapons' efficacy."?? Would someone please elaborate on why E is wrong?

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Is E wrong because it is treating that claim as a fact about something the Aurignacians actually DID, rather than saying something like "Aurignacians would BELIEVE that carving images of their prey on their weapons would improve their weapons' efficacy."?? Would someone please elaborate on why E is wrong?

The issue with answer choice (E) is that we have no information that the author believes Aurignacians carved images of their intended prey on their weapons. So if we knew that they had in fact done this, the claim that they did this to increase the weapon's efficacy would seem reasonable. But we don't have evidence that the Aurignacians did this, so why would the author agree with this?

Does that answer your question? I think you already had a sense of this

I know the author never speaks of carving images on weapons , but since the author does agree that the Aurignacians believed paintings provided magical powers to improve hunting efficacy, then I inferred that the author would probably agree with E.

Only if we knew that they actually carved images of animals on their weapons.

Hope that helps!

[hyewonkim89]

Hi Matt,

Thank you so much for your explanation on why (C) is correct. I can see it now.

But why is (D) wrong? I thought the Aurignacians did occupy a less hostile environment because they produced art.

Is a "more secure" life different from a "less hostile" environment?

Thanks in advance!

[wesleybuirkle]

Hi Matt,

Thank you so much for your explanation on why (C) is correct. I can see it now.

But why is (D) wrong? I thought the Aurignacians did occupy a less hostile environment because they produced art.

Is a "more secure" life different from a "less hostile" environment?

Thanks in advance!

Hello,

I was frustrated to find that I was also incorrect in choosing (D). I was torn between [D] and [C]. Upon closer inspection I found that "SOME ANTHROPOLOGISTS see these paintings as evidence that the Aurignacians had a more secure life than the Neanderthals", while on the other hand the author him/herself officers the suggestion that Aurignacian artists were specialized. I hope this explanation was correct and/or helpful as I am new to this site.

[maryadkins]

To sum up and add to an explanation of this whole question:

"Specialized roles" in (C) can be supported where the passage suggests that there were artisans producing art who were supported by other members of their community in lines 18-22.

As for the incorrect answers:

(A) Nowhere does the passage suggest that the Aurignacians were no more advanced than Neanderthals.

(B) is also not supported"”the "first" to have worn costumes.

(D) tries to equate "more secure" and the fact that some anthropologists think this with the author thinking their life was less hostile. That's two jumps. Secure doesn't mean less hostile, and some people thinking it doesn't mean the author does, too.

(E) We have no information that the author believes Aurignacians carved images of their intended prey on their weapons.

[xjiang.xj]

I chose E. I thought "arrow-shaped lines" in line 48 indicated their weapons because they were "tracing paths to vital organs".

Any further explanation for this would be appreciated. Thanks.

[ohthatpatrick]

The only images being discussed in the passage are on the walls of caves.

They drew paintings, on the wall of caves, that showed arrow-shaped lines going to vital organs.

(E) is saying they drew these paintings on their actual weapons. We can't get that anywhere in the passage.

[xjiang.xj]

Thanks for pointing it out. I thought E is saying that they drew images of prey killed by weapons. I didn't noticed that it's saying they carved images on their actual weapons.

[Heart Shaped Box]

The only images being discussed in the passage are on the walls of caves.

They drew paintings, on the wall of caves, that showed arrow-shaped lines going to vital organs.

(E) is saying they drew these paintings on their actual weapons. We can't get that anywhere in the passage.

Hey Patrick, I understand that we can't find it anywhere in the passage about painting on weapons, however, the Q stem reads which one of the followings the author would "agree" based on the passage, you don't think the author would "agree" with E based what those A ppl did on the wall? (same purpose -- power over animals for hunting, same philosophy/method -- superstition ) It's more like an inference question as opposed to one where there needs to be direct support coming from the passage, in which case I'd agree with your assessment that we can't get that anywhere in the passage.

I know I probably won't get a rely for this but E really bothers me and I feel like I would choose it again in situations like this in the future.

[SarahA11]

I have no idea if this is right but I was stuck between C and D and ended up choosing C for two reasons. One, D seemed to be a comparison trap and usually we're told to avoid those or at least be aware of them. And two, within that comparison it says that they occupied a less hostile environment than the Neanderthals but the passage states that the Aurignacians were theorized to have a more secure life because "no one under the constant threat of starvation could afford time for luxuries such as art." I was originally going to pick D but then I thought that an environment in which you are under the constant threat of starvation is not necessarily a hostile environment. The threat of starvation implies to me a lack of food sources or prey whereas a hostile environment implies more so the presence of predators or circumstances that are actively hostile to your presence. Again, this thought process could be totally wrong but that's just how I got there.