LSAT 128 | Section 4 | Reading Comprehension: Q15

RC Question 15 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The passage provides the strongest support for believing …

DISCUSSION: The 1920s is when Payne first argued her theory. We know from paragraph 1 that she encountered strong resistance.

Spectroscopic data is discussed in paragraph 3, and we know from the end that most dismissed her and some claimed she was examining the sun’s outer surface rather than its interior.

___________

1. Nothing suggests that the other scientists thought her methodology was outdated.
2. The scientists dismissed her, which is the opposite of thinking she’s remarkably accurate.
3. Again, they dismissed her findings, so they did not consider them promising.
4. CORRECT. The end of paragraph 3 shows that some astronomers accepted that she had found something, but they argued she only analyzed the sun’s outer surface, not its interior.
5. They didn’t only dismiss her work as insignificant, they actively resisted her claims.