QUESTION TEXT: The passage is primarily concerned with…
DISCUSSION: The author is critically evaluating Steele’s theory, and discussing what sort of evidence might prove Steele correct.
The right answer here is tricky because it doesn’t mention criticism directly. It uses the word “describe”. But describing something can include criticizing it, so B fits (technically).
Whereas D, the trap answer, uses the wrong term. Lamarckism was an evolutionary theory. But Steele’s theory is not an evolutionary theory. Steele is merely proposing the existence of a certain evolutionary mechanism in the human body. That’s a much more limited theory, and that’s why D is wrong. An “evolutionary theory” has to be something that describes evolution as a whole.
___________
- The author isn’t giving the history of Steele’s theory. We have no idea when or why Steele proposed this theory.
- CORRECT. This is the best answer. It doesn’t mention that the author is skeptical of Steele, but that can be included under the word “describing”. Discussing the weaknesses of Steele’s theory fairly falls under describing it.
- Nonsense. The author only discusses the immune system in order to better evaluate Steele’s theory.
- The evolutionary theory that has been rejected by most biologists is Lamarckism. The author isn’t evaluating the overall merits of Lamarckism.
Steele’s theory is Lamarckian, but that doesn’t make it an evolutionary theory. Steele’s theory is much more limited in scope. Steele is merely suggesting that “a Lamarckian hereditary mechanism” exists. See line 15. An evolutionary theory is something that describes evolution as a whole. An evolutionary mechanism is something much more limited.
I’ll admit this is a tricky answer, but if you interpret “evolutionary theory” according to its normal meaning it’s pretty clear that Steele is not proposing such a theory. Don’t stretch words to make answers correct. - The author doesn’t philosophize about science as a whole.
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Angela says
I think too that B is the best answer, except that it has what i thought was a mistake – “biologist” should have been “(molecular) immunologist (see line 12).” We don’t refer immunologists as biologists, do we?
Tina says
I still dont understand why B is correct. Does the passage vindicate the theory? I think the author has some suspicious about the theory and some biologists also disagree with it.
TutorLucas (LSAT Hacks) says
You’re right that the author of the passage seems to be at least somewhat skeptical of the claims made by Steele. But, the answer choice just says that the passage describes the efforts of a modern biologist to vindicate Lamarck’s theory. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the passage itself vindicates the theory, or takes a position. The passage does, however, provide a short overview of Steele’s work on the subject. That’s why (B) is the correct answer.
Stephen says
Hi Graeme—
You said that we ought to toss out (D) is because what Steele presents isn’t an evolutionary theory, but the correct answer, (B), is concerned with Steele’s efforts to “vindicate” an *evolutionary theory* as well (Lamarckism), and the passage clearly states the “Steele is attempting to revive Lamarckism”, so I’m not sure focusing on that aspect part gets us very far. I got this one wrong, but looking back, it seems like it might be better to choose (B) because it actually puts some emphasis on Steele and what he does to support Lamarckian-style evolutionary theory. The passage itself really only focuses on the evidence/explanations Steele in particular brings forward, but we can imagine that there are other important merits of Lamarckism that don’t get brought up.
Best,
Stephen
TutorLucas (LSAT Hacks) says
There’s a distinction between putting forth an evolutionary theory (as Lamarck does), and attempting to vindicate that theory through one potential hereditary mechanism (as Steele does). That’s why the explanation suggests that (D) is incorrect. You could also argue that when this answer choice says the theory has been rejected by “modern biologists”, it’s making an implicit claim that the theory itself isn’t modern.
This passage doesn’t seem particularly invested in evaluating the overall merits of anything; it’s not making a case for and against claims in each paragraph, though the last paragraph does note one counter-claim to Steele. That’s why (B) and not (D) is the correct answer. The passage is providing a mostly detached overview of Steele’s work.