LSAT 23 | Section 4 | Reading Comprehension: Q12

RC Question 12 Explanation

DISCUSSION: The legal mechanism was called a “dower” in England. This implies that dowers existed in other countries, but had other names.

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1. CORRECT. A dower was a grant of land received by the wife.
    
   Since the author had to specify that dower was the name for such a grant in England, then presumably dowers existed in other countries, under a different name.
2. This strings together terms from the passage to form nonsense. “In England” doesn’t refer to any specific code of law. (The Magna Carta affected dowers, but didn’t create them).
3. We’re not told where dowers had the most importance. Saying “in England” just implies that dowers did exist in other countries.
4. Not necessarily. “In England” implies that women in other European countries also had access to dowers, under another name. Women in those countries may have had even more power than in England.
5. I see. So…when did “dower” enter the language? The passage never says.