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New Project RC Butler 2019 - Practice 2 RC Passages EverydayPassage # 228, Date : 25-Jul-2019
This post is a part of New Project RC Butler 2019.
Click here for Details In tracing the changing face of the Irish
landscape, scholars have traditionally relied primarily
on evidence from historical documents. However, such
documentary sources provide a fragmentary record at
(5) best. Reliable accounts are very scarce for many parts
of Ireland prior to the seventeenth century, and many
of the relevant documents from the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries focus selectively on matters
relating to military or commercial interests.
(10) Studies of fossilized pollen grains preserved in
peats and lake muds provide an additional means of
investigating vegetative landscape change. Details of
changes in vegetation resulting from both human
activities and natural events are reflected in the kinds
(15)and quantities of minute pollen grains that become
trapped in sediments. Analysis of samples can identify
which kinds of plants produced the preserved pollen
grains and when they were deposited, and in many
cases the findings can serve to supplement or correct
(20) the documentary record.
For example, analyses of samples from Long
Lough in County Down have revealed significant
patterns of cereal-grain pollen beginning by about 400
A.D. The substantial clay content of the soil in this part
(25) of Down makes cultivation by primitive tools difficult.
Historians thought that such soils were not tilled to
any significant extent until the introduction of the
moldboard plough to Ireland in the seventh century
A.D. Because cereal cultivation would have required
(30) tilling of the soil, the pollen evidence indicates that
these soils must indeed have been successfully tilled
before the introduction of the new plough.
Another example concerns flax cultivation in
County Down, one of the great linen-producing areas
(35) of Ireland during the eighteenth century. Some aspects
of linen production in Down are well documented, but
the documentary record tells little about the cultivation
of flax, the plant from which linen is made, in that
area. The record of eighteenth-century linen
(40) production in Down, together with the knowledge that
flax cultivation had been established in Ireland
centuries before that time, led some historians to
surmise that this plant was being cultivated in Down
before the eighteenth century. But pollen analyses
(45) indicate that this is not the case; flax pollen was found
only in deposits laid down since the eighteenth
century.
It must be stressed, though, that there are limits to
the ability of the pollen record to reflect the vegetative
(50) history of the landscape. For example, pollen analyses
cannot identify the species, but only the genus or
family, of some plants. Among these is madder, a
cultivated dye plant of historical importance in Ireland.
Madder belongs to a plant family that also comprises
(55) various native weeds, including goosegrass. If madder
pollen were present in a deposit it would be
indistinguishable from that of uncultivated native
species.
1. Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?(A) Analysis of fossilized pollen is a useful means of supplementing and in some cases correcting other sources of information regarding changes in the Irish landscape.
(B) Analyses of historical documents, together with pollen evidence, have led to the revision of some previously accepted hypotheses regarding changes in the Irish landscape.
(C) Analysis of fossilized pollen has proven to be a valuable tool in the identification of ancient plant species.
(D) Analysis of fossilized pollen has provided new evidence that the cultivation of such crops as cereal grains, flax, and madder had a significant impact on the landscape of Ireland.
(E) While pollen evidence can sometimes supplement other sources of historical information, its applicability is severely limited, since it cannot be used to identify plant species.
2. The passage indicates that pollen analyses have provided evidence against which one of the following views?(A) The moldboard plough was introduced into Ireland in the seventh century.
(B) In certain parts of County Down, cereal grains were not cultivated to any significant extent before the seventh century.
(C) In certain parts of Ireland, cereal grains have been cultivated continuously since the introduction of the moldboard plough.
(D) Cereal grain cultivation requires successful tilling of the soil.
(E) Cereal grain cultivation began in County Down around 400 A.D.
3. The phrase “documentary record” (lines 20 and 37) primarily refers to(A) documented results of analyses of fossilized pollen
(B) the kinds and quantities of fossilized pollen grains preserved in peats and lake muds
(C) written and pictorial descriptions by current historians of the events and landscapes of past centuries
(D) government and commercial records, maps, and similar documents produced in the past that recorded conditions and events of that time
(E) articles, books, and other documents by current historians listing and analyzing all the available evidence regarding a particular historical period
4. The passage indicates that prior to the use of pollen analysis in the study of the history of the Irish landscape, at least some historians believed which one
of the following?(A) The Irish landscape had experienced significant flooding during the seventeenth century.
(B) Cereal grain was not cultivated anywhere in Ireland until at least the seventh century.
(C) The history of the Irish landscape during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was well documented.
(D) Madder was not used as a dye plant in Ireland until after the eighteenth century.
(E) The beginning of flax cultivation in County Down may well have occurred before the eighteenth century.
5. Which one of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the second paragraph and the final paragraph?(A) The second paragraph proposes a hypothesis for which the final paragraph offers a supporting example.
(B) The final paragraph describes a problem that must be solved before the method advocated in the second paragraph can be considered viable.
(C) The final paragraph qualifies the claim made in the second paragraph.
(D) The second paragraph describes a view against which the author intends to argue, and the final paragraph states the author’s argument against that view.
(E) The final paragraph offers procedures to supplement the method described in the second paragraph.
Source: LSAT June 2007
1. Which one of the following most accurately expresses the “main point” of the passage?
(A) Analysis of fossilized pollen is a useful means of supplementing and in some cases correcting other sources of information regarding changes in the Irish landscape.
…correct
Just to consider the whole article, para2-4 all agree that pollen records are an useful to record changes in landscape except in para5 which clearly states that “in certain situation” pollen record will be limited
(B) Analyses of historical documents, together with pollen evidence, have led to the revision of some previously accepted hypotheses regarding changes in the Irish landscape.
…incorrect
….para1 is about historical documents, and para2-5 only concerns about pollen evidence, these two themes are separate rather than mix together
(C) Analysis of fossilized pollen has proven to be a valuable tool in the identification of ancient plant species.
…incorrect
…. ….only in para2-4 agree on this view, para5 clearly states that
“pollen analyses cannot identify the species, but only the genus or
family, of some plants. “, thus this answer choice is incorrect
(D) Analysis of fossilized pollen has provided new evidence that the cultivation of such crops as cereal grains, flax, and madder had a significant impact on the landscape of Ireland.
….incorrect
Studies of fossilized pollen grains preserved in
peats and lake muds provide an additional means of
investigating vegetative landscape change. ....para2
analyses of samples from Long
Lough in County Down have revealed significant
patterns of cereal-grain pollen ....para3
Another example concerns flax cultivation in
County Down, ....para4
to find the evidence is only that we want to investigate the change to the landscape
not to say that crops as cereal grains, flax, and madder had a significant impact on the landscape of Ireland, these three are all mediums
which can help us know the change to the landscape better
(E) While pollen evidence can sometimes supplement other sources of historical information, its applicability is severely limited, since it cannot be used to identify plant species.
…incorrect
……”is severely limited”, this is too strong for describing an exception in para5, which states that “in some cases” pollen record cannot be used to identify plant species
2. The passage indicates that pollen analyses have provided evidence “against” which one of the following views?
Para3
For example, analyses of samples from Long
Lough in County Down have revealed significant
patterns of “cereal-grain pollen beginning by about 400
A.D.”(E) The substantial clay content of the soil in this part
(25) of Down makes cultivation by primitive tools difficult.
Historians thought that such soils were not tilled to
any significant extent until the introduction of the
moldboard plough to Ireland in the seventh century
A.D.(B) “Because cereal cultivation would have required
(30) tilling of the soil”(D), the pollen evidence indicates that
these soils must indeed have been successfully tilled
before the introduction of the new plough.”
(A) The moldboard plough was introduced into Ireland in the seventh century.
….incorrect
…this is only a statement hold by historians, not enough to constitute a contender to the evidence
(B) In certain parts of County Down, cereal grains were not cultivated to any significant extent before the seventh century.
…..only partially correct
This is kind of a tricky option, I choose this option at first but later found it wrong
If you see only the later part of the whole sentence(cereal grains were not cultivated to any significant extent before the seventh century), it seems right intuitively and in line with sentence in para3(….such soils were not tilled to any significant extent until the introduction of the moldboard plough to Ireland in the seventh century A.D. Because cereal cultivation would have required
tilling of the soil….)
However, for the first half of the sentence(In certain parts of County Down), it is only part of the range to which the author mention (introduction of the moldboard plough to Ireland)
(C) In certain parts of Ireland, cereal grains have been cultivated continuously since the introduction of the moldboard plough.
….out of scope, we are not concern with cultivate continuously or not
(D) Cereal grain cultivation requires successful tilling of the soil.
….. incorrect
…this is a fact offer by the evidence, not against the evidence
(E) Cereal grain cultivation began in County Down around 400 A.D.
….. correct
refer to sentences below:
pollen evidence:
the pollen evidence indicates that these soils must indeed have been successfully tilled before the introduction of the new plough(7th century).
thus
analyses of samples from Long Lough in County Down have revealed significant patterns of cereal-grain pollen beginning by about 400 A.D. ….this is a statement against the later found pollen evidence
3. The phrase “documentary record” (lines 20 and 37) primarily refers to
Para1
In tracing the changing face of the Irish
landscape, scholars have traditionally relied primarily
on evidence from historical documents. However, such
documentary sources provide a fragmentary record at
(5) best. Reliable accounts are very scarce for many parts
of Ireland prior to the seventeenth century, and many
of the relevant documents from the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries focus selectively on matters
relating to military or commercial interests.
-----since in para1 mentions that document records can only apply to military or commercial related matters
-----thus para2 propose an alternative way, which is that—pollen record, to compensate the flaw in document record
-----para3&4 just offer two examples to this alternative method
Pre-thinking
The author mention the document record in para2&4, these are same as the document record in para1, also these document records are different from the alternative method in para2-4
(A) documented results of analyses of fossilized pollen
….. incorrect
…opposite, these documents focus on military or commercial
related things rather than fossilized pollen
(B) the kinds and quantities of fossilized pollen grains preserved in peats and lake muds
….. incorrect
…..this is an alternative to “document record”
Refer to the sentence in para2:
Studies of fossilized pollen grains preserved in peats and lake muds provide an additional means of investigating vegetative landscape change.
(C) written and pictorial descriptions by current historians of the events and landscapes of past centuries
…incorrect
I choose this option at first, but later found it wrong
There’re some flaws, though not very obvious, in this option’s statement
(1) written and pictorial descriptions:…we cannot infer from the passage, nowhere in the passage mention about this
(2) past centuries….this is too broad since we don’t know for sure where the base of the timing point is
1.para1 :16/17th century
…..seventeenth century, and many of the relevant documents from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries….
2.para3: 4 A.D./7th century
3.para4: 18th century
(D) government and commercial records, maps, and similar documents produced in the past that recorded conditions and events of that time
….correct
refer to sentence in para1:
and many of the relevant documents from the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries focus selectively on matters
relating to military or commercial interests.
----totally in line with the sentence in para1
(E) articles, books, and other documents by current historians listing and analyzing all the available evidence regarding a particular historical period
….out of scope,nowhere in the passage mention about this
4. The passage indicates that prior to the use of pollen analysis in the study of the history of the Irish landscape, at least “some historians” believed which one
of the following?
(A) The Irish landscape had experienced significant flooding during the seventeenth century.
….out of scope
(B) Cereal grain was not cultivated anywhere in Ireland until at least the seventh century.
….incorrect
This one is kind of a trap one:
Historians thought that ”such soils were not tilled to
any significant extent until the introduction of the moldboard plough to Ireland in the seventh century”A.D.
----make this sentence present in another way: before 7th century such soils has tilled to some extent---and if you say “was not cultivated anywhere before 7th century” will violate what the passage originally say
And the following sentence:
Because cereal cultivation would have required
(30) tilling of the soil, the pollen evidence indicates that
these soils must indeed have been successfully tilled
before the introduction of the new plough.
----thus if we change the statement of (B) to “Cereal grain was not cultivated to any significant extent in Ireland until at least the seventh century”, then it will be correct
(C) The history of the Irish landscape during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was well documented.
….incorrect
From sentences below we know that the record of the Irish landscape was not well documented
However, such
documentary sources provide a fragmentary record at
(5) best. Reliable accounts are very scarce for many parts
of Ireland prior to the seventeenth century, and many
of the relevant documents from the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries focus selectively on matters
relating to military or commercial interests.
(D) Madder was not used as a dye plant in Ireland until after the eighteenth century.
….out of scope
(E) The beginning of flax cultivation in County Down may well have occurred before the eighteenth century.
….correct
Refer to sentence below:
The record of eighteenth-century linen
(40) production in Down, together with the knowledge that
flax cultivation had been established in Ireland
centuries before that time, led some historians to
surmise that this plant was being cultivated in Down
before the eighteenth century.
5. Which one of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the second paragraph and the final paragraph?
(A) The second paragraph proposes a hypothesis for which the final paragraph offers a supporting example.
…incorrect
The second paragraph does not proposes a hypothesis
(B) The final paragraph describes a problem that must be solved before the method advocated in the second paragraph can be considered viable.
…incorrect
The final paragraph only put forward some limitation to pollen record, not to describe a problem
(C) The final paragraph qualifies the claim made in the second paragraph.
….correct
To qualify is to add limitations or conditions. In RC,if a claim is presented,the author of the passage(or another expert within the passage)can qualify the claim by showing that something else should be taken into consideration, or that the claim has some limitation
(D) The second paragraph describes a view against which the author intends to argue, and the final paragraph states the author’s argument against that view.
….incorrect
para2 does not describe a “view”, and in the whole article we found nowhere the author intend to argue anything, the author mostly agree that pollen para5
(E) The final paragraph offers procedures to supplement the method described in the second paragraph.
….out of scope