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Flashcards: Other Effects of New Information in Social Science Passages
Adapted from The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature by William James (1902)
Most books on the philosophy of religion try to begin with a precise definition of what its essence consists of. Some of these would-be definitions may possibly come before us in later portions of this course, and I shall not be pedantic enough to enumerate any of them to you now. Meanwhile the very fact that they are so many and so different from one another is enough to prove that the word "religion" cannot stand for any single principle or essence, but is rather a collective name. The theorizing mind tends always to the oversimplification of its materials. This is the root of all that absolutism and one-sided dogmatism by which both philosophy and religion have been infested.
Let us not fall immediately into a one-sided view of our subject, but let us rather admit freely at the outset that we may very likely find no one essence, but many characters which may alternately be equally important to religion. If we should inquire for the essence of "government," for example, one man might tell us it was authority, another submission, another police, another an army, another an assembly, another a system of laws; yet all the while it would be true that no concrete government can exist without all these things, one of which is more important at one moment and others at another. The man who knows governments most completely is he who troubles himself least about a definition that shall give their essence. Enjoying an intimate acquaintance with all their particularities in turn, he would naturally regard an abstract conception in which these were unified as a thing more misleading than enlightening. And why may not religion be a conception equally complex?
The author's most likely response to a government recognizing religion as any belief system with regular rituals would be which of the following?
The definition of religion should be simpler and more concrete than the government's definition.
Religion is not the kind of subject which a government should be defining in any way whatsoever.
Such a definition excludes many groups that could legitimately be called religions.
An official authority defining religion will do a great deal of good in advancing a clear definition.
The government must take such action to appropriately define religion.
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LSAT scores form the most important part of law school applications, and this weight can make preparing to face the exam a nerve-wracking experience. Many students choose to focus their review on the Logical Reasoning and Analytical Reasoning sections of the exam, as these sections most directly test analytical abilities in ways that may not have been covered directly in previous coursework. The test’s logic games are typically understood by applying logic to careful diagramming, whereas one’s ability to understand the nuts and bolts of a few sentences of logical argumentation requires similar skill with logical deductions. In the midst of the methodical logic that is at the heart of these sections, the Reading Comprehension section of the LSAT may seem like a less-imposing outlier. Previous success on the reading sections of other standardized exams may give test-takers false confidence that leaves them unprepared on test day and with a lower score than they otherwise could have achieved through more balanced preparation. The LSAT’s Reading Comprehension section determines a quarter of your overall score, so focusing your studies exclusively on other sections can be a recipe for disaster. While sharpening your logical acumen, you should not neglect brushing up on your ability to work through longer prose passages while picking up on all of their subtle details. Whether you need LSAT tutoring in Atlanta, LSAT tutoring in Houston, or LSAT tutoring in San Francisco, working one-on-one with an expert may be just the boost your studies need.
What makes the LSAT’s Reading Comprehension section so demanding? For one, the length and number of passages it includes present most test-takers with a challenge. LSAT Reading Comprehension passages are typically around five hundred words long, and five passages appear on each test, two of which are shorter and analyzed together. The section only lasts for thirty-five minutes, however, presenting readers with a need to balance care with speed. In addition, LSAT Reading Comprehension passages are drawn from a wide range of topics in the humanities, physical sciences, natural sciences, and law. Passages are typically written in a dense style about complex topics, arranging more obstacles between test-takers and correct answers. Finally, LSAT Reading Comprehension questions are themselves quite idiosyncratic. Whereas most reading tests include questions that are directly answered in the passage, the LSAT’s Reading Comprehension section asks you to not only locate relevant information, but make complex and subtle deductions based on it. You may be asked to surmise the effect new evidence has on an author’s argument, or consider what must or might be true based on what has been stated. In addition, each LSAT Reading Comprehension section includes the analysis of a pair of passages, setting the stage for questions that ask you to compare and contrast aspects of each argument on this part of the test. Varsity Tutors also offers resources like free LSAT Reading Diagnostic Tests to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider an LSAT Reading tutor.
How can one best prepare for all of these challenges? Practice, practice, practice. Only by working through a good deal of practice material of appropriate difficulty can you get a clear picture of your own abilities and calibrate your reading speed so that you can get through all of the passages without missing crucial details. Varsity Tutors’ free LSAT Reading Comprehension Flashcards can help you do just this by helping you get a better idea of your own particular skill set. Our LSAT Reading Comprehension Flashcards are each drawn from the various types of passages and questions used on the LSAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation of the reasoning used to arrive at the correct answer, and data about how long you took to answer each question is also included in the feedback you receive. Registering on our Learning Tools website allows you to save your results and track your progress. In addition to the LSAT Reading Flashcards and LSAT Reading tutoring, you may also want to consider taking some of our free LSAT Reading Practice Tests. By dedicating time to preparing yourself for the Reading Comprehension section as well as the other sections of the LSAT, you practice all of the skills you will need and be ready for whatever challenges your particular exam presents.
