Reading Comprehension: Humanities and Social Science Passages Flashcards

An LSAT linguistics passage examines how dialects form within a single language, arguing that 'geographic isolation is the most consistent factor in dialect formation.' In the passage's framework, which scenario would most likely produce a distinct dialect?

Answer: A mountain village cut off from surrounding communities for several generations

If geographic isolation is the most consistent factor, a mountain village cut off for generations exemplifies that condition most directly and would most likely produce a distinct dialect.

A social science LSAT passage argues that 'information campaigns alone are insufficient to change health behaviors because structural barriers often prevent individuals from acting on health knowledge.' The author would most likely recommend:

Answer: Pairing information campaigns with interventions that address environmental and economic barriers

If structural barriers prevent action even when knowledge exists, the solution implied by the author is to address both the information gap and the structural barriers simultaneously.

An LSAT passage on modernist literature states that modernist writers 'rejected the linear narratives of the Victorian novel in favor of fragmented, non-chronological structures.' This rejection was most likely motivated by a desire to:

Answer: Reflect the subjective, disjointed nature of human consciousness and inner experience

Fragmented, non-chronological structures mirror the subjective and disjointed way human consciousness actually experiences reality, which was a central preoccupation of modernist writers.

An LSAT passage features a historian arguing that the Industrial Revolution 'cannot be understood purely in economic terms, as its social and cultural transformations were equally profound.' The author's primary purpose is most likely to:

Answer: Expand the analytical framework for understanding the Industrial Revolution beyond economics alone

The author is not rejecting economics but arguing it is insufficient alone, seeking to broaden the framework to include social and cultural dimensions alongside economic analysis.

A social science LSAT passage presents a study showing communities with higher 'social capital' — defined as trust and civic participation — have lower crime rates, but cautions that 'the causal direction remains unclear.' This caution suggests:

Answer: It is uncertain whether social capital reduces crime or whether lower crime enables social capital

When the 'causal direction is unclear,' the author means it is uncertain which variable causes the other — social capital may reduce crime, or low crime may foster social capital.

An LSAT aesthetics passage discusses the Romantic concept of the 'sublime' — the feeling of awe mixed with terror when confronting something vast and powerful. Which of the following best exemplifies the Romantic sublime as described?

Answer: A landscape painting depicting a massive thunderstorm over a towering mountain range

A massive thunderstorm over a mountain range combines vast power with an element of terror, exemplifying the awe-mixed-with-terror definition of the Romantic sublime.

An LSAT social science passage discusses cultural relativism — the principle that 'cultural practices should be understood within their own context rather than judged by the standards of another culture.' A critic of this position would most likely argue that cultural relativism:

Answer: Prevents any cross-cultural ethical judgment, including condemnation of harmful practices

The strongest critique of cultural relativism is that it logically prevents cross-cultural moral evaluation, including judgment of practices widely considered harmful or unjust.