LSAT 158 | Section 1 | Reading Comprehension: Q18

RC Question 18 Explanation

DISCUSSION: The author of passage A is Ricks. Kewes, the author of passage B, is commenting on Ricks’ essay. To figure out Kewes’ attitude, you should look for opinion words. Here are all of them (If you missed any, you should practice spotting these):

• To him: implies Kewes’ opinion differs. First sentence paragraph 2.
• But: expresses skepticism of Ricks. Last sentence paragraph 2.
• Rightly: agreement with Ricks. First sentence paragraph 3.
• It is also true: further agreement with Ricks. Second sentence paragraph 3.
• Yet: Skepticism of Ricks. Third sentence paragraph 3.

So, the author has a nuanced opinion of Ricks. They broadly agree with Ricks on some points, but express doubts elsewhere. So, any answer that is entirely positive or negative is wrong.

As for the substance of Kewes’ arguments: she argues history is complex and we can’t apply our own moral condemnation of plagiarism uniformly to the past. Ricks thinks plagiarism is evil (second paragraph), but those who came before us did not always agree with us (final paragraph).

___________

1. Way too negative. Kewes says Ricks is rightly dismissive of Rosenthal. So Kewes at least somewhat agrees with Ricks. Irresponsible is also a fairly specific critique, you’d need to point to Ricks doing something the author thinks is negligent, as opposed to merely incorrect.
2. Kewes clearly understands what Ricks is saying. How else could she write a whole passage about him?
3. This is strongly negative, whereas the author praised Ricks twice. And deceit is a specific criticism, we have no indication that Ricks lied.
4. CORRECT. Kewes thinks that Ricks’ ideas are a bit simple in that while he has valid concerns, he hasn’t grasped the complexity of the historical approach (which the author says is not all that bad). See the end of the analysis above for more commentary.
    
   You could have picked this answer merely on the basis in that it is the most neutral of the answers. “Simplistic” is negative, but it doesn’t mean you disagree. For instance, if someone says “The LSAT is the only thing that matters for law school and everyone should do well!” I would call this simplistic, but it wouldn’t mean I disagree that someone should do well on the LSAT. So this is the only answer that allows for Kewes’ mix of positive and negative opinions about Ricks.
5. Kewes disagrees with Ricks’ opinion, but she only thinks that he’s misguided. She doesn’t have such a strongly negative opinion that mean she think Ricks’ views are “reprehensible”. To call a historian reprehensible they’d have had to write something truly awful, not merely something wrong.