LSAT官网完整试题

1 PREPARING FOR THE LSAT Most law school applicants familiarize themselves with test di­ rections and question types, practice on sample tests, and study the information available on test-taking techniques and strategies. Although it is difficult to say when you are suffi­ ciently prepared for the LSAT, very few people achieve their full potential without some preparation. You should be so fa­ miliar with the instructions and question types that nothing you see on the test can delay or distract you from thinking about how to answer a question. At a minimum, you should review the descriptions of the question types (below) and sim­ ulate the day of the test by taking, under actual time constraints, a practice test that includes a writing sample. Tak­ ing a practice test under timed conditions helps you to estimate the amount of time you can afford to spend on each question in a section and to determine the question types for which you may need additional practice. The five multiple-choice sections of the test contain three dif­ ferent question types. The following pages present a general discussion of the nature of each question type and some strate­ gies that can be used in answering them. Directions for each question type, sample questions, and a discussion of the an­ swers are also included. When possible, explanations of the sample questions indicate their comparative level of difficulty. Next, the writing sample is described, including directions and example prompts. The following descriptive materials reflect the general na­ ture of the test. It is not possible or practical to cover the full range of variation that may be found in questions on the LSAT. Be aware that material may appear in the test that is not de­ scribed in the discussion of question types found here. For additional practice, you can purchase any of the many LSAT preparation books listed in the ad in this book. THE THREE LSAT MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTION TYPES READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS Both law school and the practice of law revolve around extensive reading of highly varied, dense, argumentative, and expository texts (for example, cases, codes, contracts, briefs, decisions, evi­ dence). This reading must be exacting, distinguishing precisely what is said from what is not said. It involves comparison, analy­ sis, synthesis, and application (for example, of principles and rules). It involves drawing appropriate inferences and applying ideas and arguments to new contexts. Law school reading also requires the ability to grasp unfamiliar subject matter and the ability to penetrate difficult and challenging material. The purpose of LSAT Reading Comprehension questions is to measure the ability to read, with understanding and insight, examples of lengthy and complex materials similar to those commonly encountered in law school. The Reading Comprehen­ sion section of the LSAT contains four sets of reading questions, each set consisting of a selection of reading material followed by five to eight questions. The reading selection in three of the four sets consists of a single reading passage; the other set contains two related shorter passages. Sets with two passages are a variant of Reading Comprehension called Comparative Reading, which was introduced in June 2007. Comparative Reading questions concern the relationships between the two passages, such as those of generalization/ instance, principle/application, or point/counterpoint. Law school work often requires reading two or more texts in conjunction with each other and understanding their relation­ ships. For example, a law student may read a trial court decision together with an appellate court decision that over­ turns it, or identify the fact pattern from a hypothetical suit together with the potentially controlling case law. Reading selections for LSAT Reading Comprehension questions are drawn from a wide range of subjects in the humanities, the so­ cial sciences, the biological and physical sciences, and areas related to the law. Generally, the selections are densely written, use high-level vocabulary, and contain sophisticated argument or complex rhetorical structure (for example, multiple points of view). Reading Comprehension questions require you to read carefully and accurately, to determine the relationships among the various parts of the reading selection, and to draw reasonable inferences from the material in the selection. The questions may ask about the following characteristics of a passage or pair of passages: ● The main idea or primary purpose ● Information that is explicitly stated ● Information or ideas that can be inferred ● The meaning or purpose of words or phrases as used in context ● The organization or structure ● The application of information in the selection to a new context ● Principles that function in the selection ● Analogies to claims or arguments in the selection ● An author’s attitude as revealed in the tone of a passage or the language used ● The impact of new information on claims or arguments in the selection 2 Suggested Approach Since reading selections are drawn from many different disci­ plines and sources, you should not be discouraged if you encounter material with which you are not familiar. It is impor­ tant to remember that questions are to be answered exclusively on the basis of the information provided in the se­ lection. There is no particular knowledge that you are expected to bring to the test, and you should not make infer­ ences based on any prior knowledge of a subject that you may have. You may, however, wish to defer working on a set of questions that seems particularly difficult or unfamiliar until af­ ter you have dealt with sets you find easier. Strategies. One question that often arises in connection with Reading Comprehension has to do with the most effec­ tive and efficient order in which to read the selections and questions. Possible approaches include: • reading the selection very closely and then answering the questions; • reading the questions first, reading the selection closely, and then returning to the questions; or • skimming the selection and questions very quickly, then re­ reading the selection closely and answering the questions. Test takers are different, and the best strategy for one might not be the best strategy for another. In preparing for the test, therefore, you might want to experiment with the different strategies and decide what works most effectively for you. Remember that your strategy must be effective under timed conditions. For this reason, the first strategy—reading the se­ lection very closely and then answering the questions—may be the most effective for you. Nonetheless, if you believe that one of the other strategies might be more effective for you, you should try it out and assess your performance using it. Reading the selection. Whatever strategy you choose, you should give the passage or pair of passages at least one care­ ful reading before answering the questions. Try to distinguish main ideas from supporting ideas, and opinions or attitudes from factual, objective information. Note transitions from one idea to the next and identify the relationships among the dif­ ferent ideas or parts of a passage, or between the two passages in Comparative Reading sets. Consider how and why an author makes points and draws conclusions. Be sensi­ tive to implications of what the passages say. You may find it helpful to mark key parts of passages. For example, you might underline main ideas or important argu­ ments, and you might circle transitional words—“although,” “nevertheless,” “correspondingly,” and the like—that will help you map the structure of a passage. Also, you might note descriptive words that will help you identify an author’s attitude toward a particular idea or person. Answering the Questions • Always read all the answer choices before selecting the best answer. The best answer choice is the one that most accu­ rately and completely answers the question being posed. • Respond to the specific question being asked. Do not pick an answer choice simply because it is a true statement. For example, picking a true statement might yield an incorrect answer to a question in which you are asked to identify an author’s position on an issue, since you are not being asked to evaluate the truth of the author’s position but only to correctly identify what that position is. • Answer the questions only on the basis of the information provided in the selection. Your own views, interpretations, or opinions, and those you have heard from others, may sometimes conflict with those expressed in a reading selec­ tion; however, you are expected to work within the context provided by the reading selection. You should not expect to agree with everything you encounter in reading compre­ hension passages. 3 Fourteen Sample Reading Comprehension Questions and Explanations The sample questions on the following pages are typical of the Reading Comprehension questions you will find on the LSAT. Three single-passage Reading Comprehension passages are included, but they are followed by only two or three sample ques­ tions each, whereas each passage in the actual LSAT is followed by five to eight questions. However, the Comparative Reading set below includes seven questions and explanations for test preparation purposes. Directions: Each set of questions in this section is based on a single passage or a pair of passages. The questions are to be answered on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage or pair of passages. For some of the questions, more than one of the choices could conceivably answer the question. However, you are to choose the best answer; that is, the response that most accurately and completely answers the question, and blacken the corresponding space on your answer sheet. Passage for Questions 1, 2, and 3 The painter Roy Lichtenstein helped to define pop art—the movement that incorporated commonplace objects and commercial-art techniques into paintings— by paraphrasing the style of comic books in his work. (5) His merger of a popular genre with the forms and intentions of fine art generated a complex result: while poking fun at the pretensions of the art world, Lichtenstein’s work also managed to convey a seriousness of theme that enabled it to transcend mere (10) parody. That Lichtenstein’s images were fine art was at first difficult to see, because, with their word balloons and highly stylized figures, they looked like nothing more than the comic book panels from which they were (15) copied. Standard art history holds that pop art emerged as an impersonal alternative to the histrionics of abstract expressionism, a movement in which painters conveyed their private attitudes and emotions using nonrepresentational techniques. The truth is that by the (20) time pop art first appeared in the early 1960s, abstract expressionism had already lost much of its force. Pop art painters weren’t quarreling with the powerful early abstract expressionist work of the late 1940s but with a second generation of abstract expressionists whose (25) work seemed airy, high-minded, and overly lyrical. Pop art paintings were full of simple black lines and large areas of primary color. Lichtenstein’s work was part of a general rebellion against the fading emotional power of abstract expressionism, rather than an aloof (30) attempt to ignore it. But if rebellion against previous art by means of the careful imitation of a popular genre were all that characterized Lichtenstein’s work, it would possess only the reflective power that parodies have in relation (35) to their subjects. Beneath its cartoonish methods, his work displayed an impulse toward realism, an urge to say that what was missing from contemporary painting was the depiction of contemporary life. The stilted romances and war stories portrayed in the comic books (40) on which he based his canvases, the stylized automobiles, hot dogs, and table lamps that appeared in his pictures, were reflections of the culture Lichtenstein inhabited. But, in contrast to some pop art, Lichtenstein’s work exuded not a jaded cynicism about (45) consumer culture, but a kind of deliberate naivete, intended as a response to the excess of sophistication he observed not only in the later abstract expressionists but in some other pop artists. With the comics— typically the domain of youth and innocence—as his (50) reference point, a nostalgia fills his paintings that gives them, for all their surface bravado, an inner sweetness. His persistent use of comic-art conventions demonstrates a faith in reconciliation, not only between cartoons and fine art, but between parody and true (55) feeling. Question 1 Which one of the following best captures the author’s attitude toward Lichtenstein’s work? (A) enthusiasm for its more rebellious aspects (B) respect for its successful parody of youth and innocence (C) pleasure in its blatant rejection of abstract expressionism (D) admiration for its subtle critique of contemporary culture (E) appreciation for its ability to incorporate both realism and naivete Explanation for Question 1 This question requires the test taker to understand the attitude the author of the passage displays toward Lichtenstein’s work. The correct response is (E). Response (E) most accurately and completely captures the author’s attitude. First, the author’s appreciation for Lichtenstein’s art is indicated by way of con­ trast with the way in which the author describes what Lichtenstein’s art is not. For example, the author asserts that Lichtenstein’s work “transcended mere parody,“ and that unlike other pop art, it did not display a “jaded cynicism.“ Similarly, the author holds that there is more to Lichtenstein’s work than “the reflective power that parodies possess in relation to their subjects.“ Moreover, the author’s appreciation is reflected in several positive statements regarding Lichtenstein’s work. The author’s appreciation for Lichtenstein’s realism is indicated by the author’s statement that “Beneath its cartoonish methods, his work displayed an impulse toward realism, an urge to say that what was missing from contemporary painting was the de­ 4 piction of contemporary life.“ That the author also appreciates Lichtenstein’s naivete is demonstrated in this sentence: “Lichtenstein’s work exuded not a jaded cynicism about con­ sumer culture, but a kind of deliberate naivete....“ This idea is further expanded in the next sentence, which says that “for all their surface bravado,“ Lichtenstein’s paintings possess “an in­ ner sweetness.“ It is important to note that these evaluations appear in the last paragraph and form part of the author's con­ clusion about the importance of Lichtenstein’s art. Response (A) is incorrect because, although in the last sentence of paragraph two the author notes Lichtenstein’s connection to a general rebellion against abstract expression­ ism, the author also states quite pointedly in the first sentence of paragraph three: “But if rebellion . . . were all that charac­ terized Lichtenstein’s work, it would possess only the reflective power that parodies have....“ Response (B) is incorrect because, as noted in the first para­ graph of the passage, the author believes Lichtenstein’s work transcended “mere parody.“ Moreover, the author states in the last paragraph that comics, “typically the domain of youth and innocence,“ were Lichtenstein’s “reference point“ and filled his painting with “nostalgia“ and an “inner sweetness.“ Response (C) is incorrect because, as mentioned above, the author believes Lichtenstein’s rebellion against abstract ex­ pressionism was not the most important aspect of his work. Indeed, if it had been, Lichtenstein’s work would have been reduced to having “only the reflective power that parodies have in relation to their subjects,“ where here the “subject“ refers to abstract expressionism. Response (D) is incorrect because the author very clearly says that Lichtenstein embraced contemporary culture. In the last paragraph, the author writes, “But, in contrast to some pop art, Lichtenstein’s work exuded not a jaded cynicism about consumer culture, but a kind of deliberate naivete....“ Based on the number of test takers who answered this question correctly when it appeared on the LSAT, this was a middle difficulty question. Question 2 The author most likely lists some of the themes and objects influencing and appearing in Lichtenstein’s paintings (lines 38-43) primarily to (A) show that the paintings depict aspects of contemporary life (B) support the claim that Lichtenstein’s work was parodic in intent (C) contrast Lichtenstein’s approach to art with that of abstract expressionism (D) suggest the emotions that lie at the heart of Lichtenstein’s work (E) endorse Lichtenstein’s attitude toward consumer culture Explanation for Question 2 This question requires the test taker to identify from the con­ text what the author is trying to accomplish by listing some of the themes and objects that influenced and appeared in Lichtenstein’s paintings. The correct response is (A). First, as the author notes in the same sentence, the listed themes and objects “were reflec­ tions of the culture Lichtenstein inhabited.“ Moreover, as the author argues in the sentence that precedes the list, Lichtenstein’s work displayed “an impulse toward realism, an urge to say that what was missing from contemporary paint­ ing was the depiction of contemporary life.“ Response (B) is incorrect because the author does not claim that Lichtenstein’s work was parodic in intent. On the con­ trary, the author states in the opening paragraph that Lichtenstein’s work transcended “mere parody.“ Response (C) is incorrect because the author’s comparison between Lichtenstein’s approach to art and that of the ab­ stract expressionists—which is located in paragraph two—concentrates on the difference between Lichtenstein’s and other pop artists’ use of “simple black lines and large areas of primary color“ and the expressionists “airy“ and “overly lyrical“ work. This comparison does not involve the list of themes and objects mentioned in question 2. The list is offered instead as part of the author’s argument in paragraph three that there is more to Lichtenstein’s work than its rebel­ lion against abstract expressionism. Response (D) is incorrect because, although the listed themes and objects “were reflections of the culture Lichtenstein inhabited,“ the list by itself does not suggest anything about the emotions that lie at the heart of Lichtenstein’s work. The emotions in Lichtenstein’s work were revealed in Lichtenstein’s treatment of those themes and objects, which “exuded not a jaded cynicism about consumer culture, but a kind of deliberate naivete …“ The author goes on to assert that it is Lichtenstein’s use of conventions of comic art that gives his art its “inner sweetness“ and demon­ strates his faith in the possibility of reconciliation between “parody and true feeling.“ Response (E) is incorrect because the list of themes and ob­ jects does not in itself explain Lichtenstein’s attitude toward consumer culture. Instead, it is how he dealt with these ob­ jects and themes that shows, according to the author, that Lichtenstein did not exude the “jaded cynicism“ of other pop artists. Based on the number of test takers who answered this question correctly when it appeared on the LSAT, this was an easy question.