LSAT 158 | Section 1 | Reading Comprehension: Q19

RC Question 19 Explanation

DISCUSSION: Rosenthal shows up in passage A. She is the opposing view to the author, who thinks she has bad opinions. The question is in the first paragraph:

“is there a difference between plagiarism, imitation…and originality”.

The author, Ricks, goes on to say that this question “has a required postmodern answer”, that there’s no difference between any of those things. The “required answer” is basically that plagiarism isn’t bad. This question is really just asking if you read and understand the second half of the first paragraph.

The wrong answers tend to be nonsensical if you view them as answers to this question: “What is the difference between plagiarism and imitation?”

___________

1. If you picked this, maybe you were thinking of the second paragraph in passage A. There, we do see that Rosenthal thinks we shouldn’t use morality to assess politics. But while Rosenthal may agree with this answer, that doesn’t make it the answer to the question she asked! Think about it: “What is the difference between plagiarism and imitation? The difference is don’t use morality in history!”
2. CORRECT. The question is “What is the difference between plagiarism and imitation and adoption”. The next sentence answers the question and says that the postmodern answer makes no distinction between these things.
3. The author says that moral conventions are worthy of respect in the third paragraph. So this is Ricks’ answer to Rosenthal! We’re instead looking for Rosenthal’s answer to her own question.
    
   Consider the question and then read this answer as the response to the question and you’ll see this isn’t it: “What is the difference between plagiarism and imitation? The difference is that moral conventions are worthy of respect!” ….what?
4. Fluidity in applying the plagiarism charge is brought up in Passage B, not Passage A. (First paragraph passage B). However, of the wrong answers, this is the only one that could even possibly answer the question “What is the difference between plagiarism and imitation” so I can see how this was tempting.
5. This is also a point brought up in Passage B and doesn’t answer the question brought up by Rosenthal in Passage A.