LSAT 146 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q20

LR Question 20 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Lyle: Admittedly, modernizing the language of premodern…

QUESTION TYPE: Point at Issue

ARGUMENTS: Lyle thinks we should modernize the language in old plays. This makes them uglier, but it allows more students to enjoy the plays. That therefore helps us teach history.

Carl thinks that if language is modernized, then students can’t fully understand what the plays communicated. So modernization doesn’t help teaching history, because students can’t get deep historical knowledge from them.

ANALYSIS: Modernizing the language of plays means changing words such as “forsooth” to their modern equivalents (e.g. “indeed”). Ever read Chaucer or Shakespeare? They can be quite difficult to follow, and student editions frequently translate words that are now uncommon.

In a point at issue question, you’re looking for something where:

1. Both authors have an opinion.
2. The opinion is different.

Here, the difference is whether modernizing plays is useful for the teaching of history. Lyle thinks modernization helps history, Carl thinks it hurts.

Whereas trap answers will generally bring up something that one author has no opinion about. Three of the answers mention aesthetics. But Carl has no opinion on aesthetics, so these answers are automatically wrong.

___________

1. Both authors agree that the pedagogical value will be different! Lyle thinks the pedagogical value will be different (and better). Carl thinks the pedagogical value will be different (and worse). 
2. A trap answer. Carl doesn’t mention aesthetics, so we have no idea what he thinks.
3. Carl doesn’t mention aesthetics, so we have no idea what he thinks. 
4. CORRECT. Lyle says yes. Carl says no.
5. Carl doesn’t mention aesthetics, so we have no idea what he thinks.