LSAT® Comparative Reading Sample Questions

Read the two passages below and answer the questions associated.

Passage A

It goes without saying that it is the content of art that constitutes its value, and the form is merely
the means of expression of whatever message, representation, analogy or other content the artist
wishes to bring before the viewer. Although much attention has been given in recent years to the
artistic form, and arguments have been advanced that aesthetics are at least as important as
content, the truth is that a painting or other work of art that fails to say something to the viewer
can hardly be classified a work of art at all.

What remains to be determined is the correct approach to the assessment of the meaning and
resulting value of a work of art. Plato would have had us believe that art was of little or no value
at all—objects themselves, in his view, were only imitations, and thus an artistic representation
of an object one step further removed from the truth. Most who retain an interest in the issue in
modern times agree that art, or at least some art, has value, but the standard for determining that
value, and for assessing the meaning conveyed by the creator, remains a point of contention.

Certainly, when one critic interprets a work as a literal representation, another as a religious
allegory, and still a third as a psychological expression of the artist's own issues and experiences,
only one can be correct: the mere fact that they arrive at opposing conclusions illustrates that.
However, as yet a clear standard has not emerged for determining which the artist actually
intended, and so in those cases where the artist has not explicitly shared that information, there
will always be contention about the true meaning and value of an individual work.

Passage B

Susan Sontag summed up everything important about artistic interpretation when she said, "To
interpret is to impoverish, to deplete the world in order to set up a shadow world of 'meanings'."
For particular types of criticism, she had even stronger language, and rightly so. For instance, she
suggested that Freudian symbolic interpretation necessarily reflected dissatisfaction with the
work, a desire to substitute for it. After all, if the viewer-critic had responded deeply to the actual
work of art, then he or she would have had no need to create some alternate meaning or
interpretation to impose value upon it.

Such dissatisfaction, however, isn’t necessarily indicative of a flaw in the work. The flaw, if
there is one, may be in the viewer, or rather in the urge to interpret and the preconceived form of
interpretation that makes it impossible for the viewer to experience the work fresh and
unfettered. Thus, it seems that the very standards and analysis that we apply in an effort to
determine the meaning and value of a work of art may become the screen that clouds the true
meaning and value, making an accurate assessment of the worth of a work impossible.
Question 1

Which of the following assumptions is common to both passages?

1. Freudian interpretation does not yield an accurate view of the meaning and value of a work of
art
2. There is an objective answer to the question as to whether or not a work of art has value
3. Interpretation is a negative approach to art that does not help to determine the meaning or
value of a particular work
4. The artist's intention is key to the valid interpretation of a work of art
5. Plato was incorrect in viewing art as an imitation of an imitation

Question 2

Which of the following is mentioned by the author of Passage A, but not by the author of
Passage B, as a problem with the current state of artistic interpretation?

1. Interpretation is destructive to the original work, in that it seeks to replace it with something
outside the work
2. Interpretation obscures the true meaning of a work
3. Too much emphasis is placed on what the artist intended and not enough on what the work
actually conveys
4. There is no clear standard for assessing the value and meaning of a work of art
5. Modern interpretation seeks to project value onto works of art, which are inherently limited in
value because they are simply imitative

Question 3

The authors of the two passages would be most likely to disagree over:

1. The best formula for interpreting the meaning of a work of art accurately
2. The validity of Freudian interpretation as a means of deriving important information about the
meaning of a work of art
3. Plato's assessment of the value of art overall
4. The importance of the artist's intentions in assessing the value of a work of art
5. Whether or not there is a "correct" system of artistic interpretation

Question 4

The attitude of the author of Passage B toward artistic interpretation can best be described as:

1. conflicted
2. cautiously optimistic
3. unfavorable
4. inconsistent
5. dismissive
Question 5

The author of Passage B would be most likely to make which of the following criticisms about
the analysis contained in the last paragraph of Passage A?

1. It places an unwarranted value on the intention of the artist

2. It assumes that there is a form of artistic interpretation that will yield valuable and accurate
information about a work of art
3. It underestimates the role of literal representation in most artwork
4. It lists only a small fraction of the possible methods of interpretation
5. It misstates the relationship between content and form in a work of art

Question 6

The relationship between Passage A and Passage B is most analogous to the relationship between
the documents described in which of the following?

1. A position paper that encourages the creation of an accepted set of standards for remodeling
an existing structure and one offering the opinion that remodeling would not be beneficial at all

2. An article supporting a new school of thought about educational processes, and an article
arguing that the current processes are superior to the proposed changes

3. An article describing three conflicting schools of thought regarding musical interpretation and
an article advancing one of those three schools as clearly superior to the others

4. An article describing the sociological impact of art on early cultures and an article detailing
the timeline and technical aspects of early art

5. A criticism of avant-garde fiction as a genre and a criticism of conventional fiction as outdated

and stale

Question 7

Which of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the argument in
Passage A and the argument in Passage B?

1. Passage A makes vague claims without providing supporting evidence, while the conclusions
in Passage B are based strictly on specific illustrations

2. Passage A and Passage B come to the same conclusion, but arrive at it through very different
analyses

3. Passage A warns about the dangers and weaknesses of a much broader spectrum of approaches
than Passage B, which is more limited in scope
4. Passage A seeks a workable set of standards to apply to a process that Passage B suggests
cannot be addressed productively regardless of the standards applied

5. Passage A provides examples that are used by the author of Passage B to prove a very
different point

ANSWER: 2, 4, 5, 3,2,1,4

LSAT® Logic Games Practice Questions

Try Kaplan's LSAT practice questions and find out what you will face on this section of the exam.

An athlete has six trophies to place on an empty three-shelf display case. The six trophies are
bowling trophies F, G, and H and tennis trophies J, K, and L. The three shelves of the display
case are labelled 1 to 3 from top to bottom. Any of the shelves can remain empty. The athlete's
placement of trophies must conform to the following conditions:

 J and L cannot be on the same shelf

 F must be on the shelf immediately above the shelf that L is on.
 No single shelf can hold all three bowling trophies
 K cannot be on Shelf 2

Question 1

If G and H are on Shelf 2, which of the following must be true?

1. K is on Shelf 1
2. L is on Shelf 2
3. J is on Shelf 3
4. G and J are on the same shelf
5. F and K are on the same shelf

Question 2

If no tennis trophies are on Shelf 3, which pair of trophies must be on the same shelf?

1. F and G
2. L and H
3. L and G
4. K and J
5. G and H

Question 3

If J is on shelf 2, which of the following must also be on Shelf 2?

1. K
2. G
3. F
4. L
5. H

Question 4

If Shelf 1 remains empty, which of the following must be FALSE?

1. H and F are on the same shelf

2. There are exactly three trophies on Shelf 2
3. G and H are on the same shelf
4. There are exactly two trophies on Shelf 3
5. G and K are on the same shelf

Question 5

If L and G are on the same shelf, and if one of the shelves remains empty, which of the following
must be true?

1. If H is on Shelf 3, then J is on Shelf 2.

2. K and L are on the same shelf.
3. If H is on Shelf 2, then J is on Shelf 3.
4. F and K are on the same shelf.
5. If J is on Shelf 2, then H is on Shelf 1.

ANSWER KEY: 2.4.3.4.1

LSAT® Logical Reasoning Practice Questions

Try out these Logical Reasoning sample questions and then click to see the answers.
Question 1

If all beaches were publicly owned, we would have to rely on government funds to maintain
them. It is true that more people would have access to the ocean and beaches, but at what cost? If
the beaches are not cared for adequately, soon there will be nothing left worth having access to.
We should consider carefully before nationalizing more coastal property.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above?

1. The public does not want additional access to beaches.

2. The government is currently responsible for the maintenance of all public and private
beaches.
3. The public already has some access to many beaches.
4. Other property has been nationalized in the past with no complaints from the original
owners of the property.
5. Some privately owned beaches are not well maintained.

Question 2

A recent university study indicates that students who receive full scholarships tend to maintain
higher grade point averages than do students who must take out loans or work to finance school.
The survey concluded that scholarships enable students to achieve high grade point averages by
alleviating the stress related to financial concerns and freeing up students' time to study more.

The conclusion drawn in the argument above follows logically if which one of the following is
assumed?

1. Students who take out loans maintain higher grade point averages than those who work
to finance school.

2. Finance-related stress affects student performance in a manner similar to that of

restricted study time.

3. Students who must work to pay for their studies cannot maintain high grade point
averages.

4. High grade point averages were not the primary criterion upon which the scholarship
awards were based.

5. Controlling stress level is less important to student performance than is intensive

studying.

Question 3

Plant Y thrives in environments of great sunlight and very little moisture. Desert X is an
environment with constant, powerful sunlight, and next to no moisture. Although Plant Y thrives
in the areas surrounding Desert X, it does not exist naturally in the desert, nor does it survive
long when introduced there.

Which of the following would be most useful in explaining the apparent discrepancy above?

1. Desert X's climate is far too harsh for the animals that normally feed on Plant Y.

2. For one week in the fall, Desert X gets consistent rainfall.

3. The environment around Desert X is ideally suited to the needs of Plant Y.

4. Due to the lack of sufficient moisture, Desert X can support almost no plant life.

5. Plant Y cannot survive in temperatures as high as those normally found in Desert X.

Question 4

Opening a plant in war-torn Country X is not inadvisable, despite what critics of the plan may
say. Ten years ago we opened our plant in Country Y in the middle of a revolution; that plant has
been generating successful profits ever since.

Which of the following is the author of the argument above most reasonably intending the reader
to conclude?

1. Wars are profitable for the author's particular business.

2. Country X is a more stable nation than Country Y.
3. Critics of the proposed plant in Country Y are likely to be biased.
4. The proposed plant in Country X will generate profits, despite war.
5. The proposed plant in Country X will be more successful than in Country Y.

Question 5

The cost of living in a given area is directly proportional to the wages paid by the dominant
industry in that area. In Moomba, the dominant industry is farming. However, in Sepra, the
dominant industry is auto manufacturing. Thus, it is fair to conclude that the cost of living must
be higher in Sepra than in Moomba.

The argument above assumes that

1. the quality of life in Sepra is higher than the quality of life in Moomba.

2. the number of people manufacturing autos in Moomba is higher than the number of
people manufacturing autos in Sepra.

3. the cost of living in Sepra is higher than the cost of living in any other area.
4. wages paid by the auto manufacturing industry are higher than those of the farming
industry.

5. automobile workers in Sepra are likely to leave Sepra and move to areas with a lower
cost of living.

ANSWER KEY: 2.4.5.4.4

LSAT® Reading Comprehension Practice Questions

Read the passage below and answer the related questions.

Passage

In recent years biology has undergone a revolution that has attracted wide attention. Controversy
centered initially on whether genetic cloning techniques could create new, possibly dangerous
forms of life. Attention next focused on the power of genetic engineering to produce valuable
new medical and agricultural products. Largely overlooked, however are developments that will
ultimately have far greater social impact: the ability to analyze genetic information will allow the
prediction of human traits.

While some fear that by analyzing the entire library of human gene sequences we will discover
the essence of humanity, this is unlikely. Our bodies are complex networks of interacting
components, influenced by a variable environment. Nevertheless, genes do help determine
aspects of human form and function. Herein lie the seeds of future problems.

By about the year 2010, barring unforeseen technical obstacles, scientists will have fully mapped
the complex human genetic terrain. Before this, however, new information will make possible
techniques that will engender a host of ethical issues. Imagine that investors could predict with
some accuracy such aspectso f human behavior or functioning as intelligence, shyness,
aggressiveness, or heat tolerance. Consider the power this would give to some – and the
vulnerable position in which it would put others.

Even if society can anticipate and control most misuse of genetic data, we face a more insidious
problem: a rising ethic of genetic determinism. For the past century, ideological currents have
closely affected the nature versus nurture debate. Widespread rejection of social Darwinism and
institutionalized racism has buoyed the strong nurturist sentiments of the past half century, but a
growing proportion of the public, impressed by the successes of genetics, is likely to come to
view genes as determinants of the human condition. Such an uncritical embrace of genetics is
likely to come to view genes as determinants of the human condition. Such an uncritical embrace
of genetics will not be deterred by scientists’ reminders that the powers of genetic predictions are
limited. Environmental variations can cause genetically similar individuals to develop in
dramatically different ways, and genetics will at best suggest only a probability of development
for complex traits, such as those involved in behavior and cognition. Those overlooking this will
disastrously misjudge individual ability.

What a tragedy this would be. We Americans have viewed our roots as interesting historical
relics, hardly as rigid molds dictating all that we are and will be. Moreover, a belief that each of
us is responsible for our own behavior has woven our social fabric. Yet in coming years we will
hear increasingly from those attributing ―bad‖ behavior to inexorable biological forces. As a
biologists, I find this a bitter prospect. The biological revolution of the past decades will spawn
enormous benefit, but we will pay a price unless we craft an ethic that cherishes our spontaneity,
unpredictability, and individual uniqueness.

Question 1

The author suggests that an “uncritical embrace” (line 42) of advances in genetics will tend to

A. Obscure the degree of complexity of many human traits

B. Diminish the public’s ability to halt illicit use of genetic data
C. Further the chance that genetic cloning may lead to hazardous life forms
D. Enlarge the magnitude of technical problems occurring in genetic studies
E. Increase the potential for negligence on the part of genetics

Question 2

Which one of the following predictions about the biological revolution discussed in the passage
would the author be most likely to agree?

A. The revolution will lead to gross injustices in society

B. The revolution will bring greater good than harm to society
C. The revolution will not be as far-reaching as some believe
D. The revolution will lead to needless anxiety on the part of the public
E. The revolution will be problematic as well as beneficial

Question 3

The author mentions the nature versus nurture debate primarily in order to

A. Demonstrate the difficultly of predicting and preventing misuse of scientific data

B. Supply a point of reference for an assessment of the validity of recent advances in

genetics

C. Cast doubt on the moral integrity of society

D. Illustrate that political interests have largely determined public interpretations of

scientific issues
E. Point out a distinction between scientific conclusions based on facts and those based on
assumptions

ANSWER KEY: A.E.D

_______________________________________________________________________

Logical Reasoning

When pregnant lab rats are given caffeine equivalent to the amount a human would consume by
drinking six cups of coffee per day, an increase in the incidence of birth defects results. When
asked if the government would require warning labels on products containing caffeine, a
spokesperson stated that it would not because the government would lose credibility if the
finding of these studies were to be refuted in the future.

1. Which of the following is most strongly suggested by the government’s statement above?

(A) A warning that applies to a small population is inappropriate.

(B) Very few people drink as many as six cups of coffee a day.
(C) There are doubts about the conclusive nature of studies on animals.
(D) Studies on rats provide little data about human birth defects.
(E) The seriousness of birth defects involving caffeine is not clear.

Analytical Reasoning

1. Buses 1, 2, and 3 make one trip each day, and they are the only ones that riders A, B, C, D, E,
F, and G take to work.

Neither E nor G takes bus 1 on a day when B does.

G does not take bus 2 on a day when D does.
When A and F take the same bus, it is always bus 3.
C always takes bus 3.

Traveling together to work, B, C, and G could take which of the same buses on a given day?

(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) 3 only
(D) 2 and 3 only
(E) 1, 2, and 3

Reading Comprehension
Many, perhaps most, well-disposed, practical people would, if they had to designate a
philosophy that comes closest to expressing their unstated principles, pick utilitarianism. The
philosophy that proclaims as its sovereign criterion the procuring of the greatest good of the
greatest number has indeed served as a powerful engine of legal reform and rationalization. And
it is a crucial feature of utilitarianism that it is consequences that count. Now it is interesting that
some judgments that are actually made in the law and elsewhere do not appear to accord with
this thoroughgoing consequentialism. For instance, both in law and morals there are many
instances of a distinction being made between direct and indirect intention — i.e., the distinction
between on the one hand the doing of evil as an end in itself or on the other hand bringing about
the same evil result as a consequence of one’s direct ends or means. So also the distinction is
drawn between the consequences that we bring about by our actions and consequences that come
about through our failures to act. Also, when bad consequences ensue from our actions and what
was done was in the exercise of a right or privilege, the law is less likely to lay those bad
consequences at our doorstep. And, finally, if the only way to prevent some great harm would be
by inflicting a lesser harm on yourself or on others, then too the law is inclined to absolve us of
responsibility for that avoidable greater harm. It is as if the net value of the consequences were
not crucial, at least where net benefit is procured by the intentional infliction of harm.

Not only are these distinctions drawn in some moral systems, but there are numerous places in
the law where they are made regularly. Since in utilitarianism and consequentialism in general
the ultimate questions must always be whether and to what extent the valued end-state (be it
happiness or possession of true knowledge) obtains at a particular moment, it is inevitable that
the judgments on the human agencies that may affect this end-state must be wholly instrumental:
human actions can be judged only by their tendency to produce the relevant end-states.

Indeed it may well be that even the point and contents of normative judgments — whether legal
or moral — are concerned not just with particular end-states of the world but also with how end-
states are brought about. These kinds of substantive judgments take the form: there are some
things one should just never do — kill an innocent person, falsely accuse a defendant in a
criminal proceeding, engage in sex for pay. These are to be contrasted to judgments that this or
that is an unfortunate, perhaps terrible, result that (other things being equal) one would want to
avoid. The former are — very generally — judgments of right and wrong. It is wrong to do this
or that, even if the balance of advantages favors it; a person is right to do some particular thing
(help a friend, protect his client’s interests) even though more good will come if he does not.

1. The author’s point in the passage is primarily that:

(A) law and utilitarianism are not always compatible.

(B) utilitarianism is the operating philosophy of most people.
(C) consequentialism is the basis for legal reform.
(D) direct and indirect intentions lead to different end-states.
(E) judgments about human actions can be made only by the resulting end-states.

2. Which of the following is NOT a feature of utilitarianism?

(A) Results are considered important.
(B) Consequences are considered important.
(C) The valued end-state is considered important.
(D) The means of achieving results are considered important.
(E) The net value of consequences is considered important.

Writing Sample (sample only)

Alice Anderson is a senior at John Paul Jones University. She has been offered two positions as a
result of her outstanding record in her major, Television and Radio Broadcasting. As her
counselor, you are to write an argument favoring one of the two offers. Two considerations guide
your decision:

* Alice has a large student loan debt that she has to begin to repay immediately upon graduation.
* Alice has as her career goal a position as a network news anchorperson.

WAND is the only television station serving a large area located some 250 miles north of the
capital of the state. The station has offered Alice a job as a reporter whose principal assignments
would be to cover the activities of local governments, politics, and business. In addition to her
assigned stories, Alice would have the opportunity to independently prepare stories for possible
broadcast. Because the station is small, has a very stable staff, and has limited growth prospects,
Alice’s chances for advancement are not good. WAND’s owner is a former network executive
who purchased the station in order to get away from the pressures of broadcasting in major
markets. Alice would get only a modest salary at WAND, and she would have to supplement her
income with outside work.

KBSC is one of three television stations located in the state capital. The station has offered Alice
a job as a production assistant in the news department. She would primarily do background
research and check facts and sources for the producers and reporters. Production assistants who
work hard are promoted to positions as special assignment reporters in about two years. There
are many special assignment reporters competing for assignments, most of which involve
covering minor events such as political dinners, award ceremonies, and concerts and writing
human-interest stories. Most special assignment reporters spend at least five years covering
minor events before moving into a position as a general report-anchorperson. KBSC would pay
Alice a salary in excess of the amount she would need to live comfortably in the city.

LSAT Answers

Logical Reasoning

1. The correct answer is (C). If the government acts before the study can be proven conclusively,
it will lose credibility.

Analytical Reasoning

1. The correct answer is (C).

Bus 1: If B, then no E or G
Bus 2: If D, then no G
Bus 3: C always
Bus 3: When A and F take the same bus.

Reading Comprehension

1. The correct answer is (A). The passage goes into great detail on how different types of
―normative‖ law, laws based on the righteousness of action, are in contrast to utilitarianism,
where it is only the net value of the consequences that are important.

2. The correct answer is (D). Choices (A), (B), and (C) all say approximately the same thing
about utilitarianism: it is the results, the consequences, the ―end-states‖ that are important when
taking action. Choice (E) can be inferred from the last sentence in the first paragraph, where the
author states the lack of emphasis on the net value of consequences as a weakness of the non-
utilitarian laws and judgments being described. Choice (D) is the correct answer — in
utilitarianism, ―procuring the greatest good of the greatest number‖ is important. The author goes
to great lengths to contrast this idea with laws and judgments in which human actions, and not
the results of those actions, are judged.