How to identify ‘Detail of the Passage’ questions: The question will use complex language to ask, “What does the author say?”
- Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
- Which of the following is stated by the author?
- What does the author say about . . .?
How to tackle them: Learn the skill of paraphrasing. You’ll have to refer to the passage and find the answer that says the same thing in different words. These questions only ask you to find information that is contained within the passage. All you need to do is match what you read with an answer choice that has a similar meaning.
The avian wildlife of the Nehru Valley has attracted little scientific attention.
Ways to phrase this ‘in other words’ could possibly be:
No one has studied the birds of the Nehru Valley.
Interest in studying birds of the Nehru Valley is low.
Cut through the wordiness of the passage and translate the details into simple language. This will help you match the passage to an answer choice.
HOW TO HANDLE MICRO QUESTIONS
These techniques are effective for answering micro questions, as they enable you to focus on the essay’s details.
1) Find the section of the passage that is relevant to the question.
2) Use information in the relevant section to select the correct answer choice.
Watch for Synonyms
Usually, in micro questions, the correct answer choice will paraphrase or rephrase the supporting text. For example, consider this excerpt:
. . . My parakeets, Herman, Herman II, and Herman III, were an important part of my childhood. Their deaths taught me that life was fragile—and precious. . .
Rarely will you see questions like this:
Question: What did the author’s parakeets teach him about life?
Correct Answer Choice: They taught him that life was fragile—and precious.
The LSAT will usually not repeat text verbatim; rather, the answer will rephrase the supporting text.
Question: What did the author’s parakeets teach him about life?
Correct Answer Choice: They showed the author that life was delicate and something to be valued highly.
The correct answer choice should rephrase the relevant part of the passage.
Next LSAT: Sep 08/ Sep 09
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Next LSAT: Sep 08/ Sep 09
