Week 2: Locate Details (RC) Flashcards
Locate Detail Questions
questions that test our ability to find details in the passage.
Locate Detail Questions: Language Cues
“_____________ to passage…”
“In the passage the author _____________…”
“Each of the two passages _____________…”
“The passage ____________…”
“According to the ____________…”
“The author __________…”
“The author asserts…”
According
conjectures
mentions
offers
author
states
Locate detail questions (especially when look at their wording), are all asking about information directly ______________ in the passage. It’s not about what’s implied by what the author said. Locate detail question directly address something the author _____________.
stated; said
Before you begin the RC section, LSAC provides a disclaimer to test takers, telling you upfront that you’re supposed to answer questions based on what’s ______________ or __________. Even LSAC acknowledges that there’s a difference.
STATED; IMPLIED
When encountering questions asking for details that were stated or implied by the passage, we have to see whether the question passes the ___________ test, or the ___________ test.
concrete; squishy
Concrete Test
if a question uses any of the aforementioned language cues, then the question passes the concrete test, and you’re being asked about information that was directly stated in the passage.
[“According to passage…”
“In the passage the author conjectures…”
“Each of the two passages mentions…”
“The passage offers…”
“According to the author…”
“The author states…”
“The author asserts…“]
Some questions that pass the concrete test come in the form Five-Question Questions.
What are they?
Five-Q Questions basically asks ‘Which one of the questions does the passage suffice to provide information for…”
You’ll receive 5 questions as your answer choices.
The correct answer is the question where the answer to that questions references something specifically stated in the passage.
Trap Answer Patterns for Locate Detail Questions
- Nearby Wording (Buzzword Bait)
- wrong AC’s will use words / details near the portion of the text being cited in the question, to have you think about an idea that the question isn’t talking about.
- Inference Bait
- AC that tracks with the passage, presenting info that could be reasonably inferred based on your reading. But it’s WRONG, because it is not stating anything directly from the passage.
- Too Strong
- answer choices that commit to an idea that’s stronger than what’s stated in the passage, even if it’s just one word.
- there could be just one wrong word in the answer choice that completely invalidates it. E.g., if the passage says, “Once the panda fell asleep, Frida left,” you can’t pick an answer choice that says, “Frida left the zoo.”
Correct Answer Choice
Complicated answer choice.
Correct answer choices usually operate by replacing words in the stimulus with synonym language (e.g. stop = cessation), and converting certain phrases into code language (taking pictures during lunch = an activity that accompanied lunch).
The test takers are going to make the right answer so unattractive, and so unappealing, while making the 4 wrong AC’s simple/concise.
You have to Prephrase what the right answer looks like, and stick to it. Be stubborn in looking for your answer choices. And read the complicated answer choice carefully to make sure every part matches the facts of the stimulus.
Think of your locate detail questions in 3 frameworks…
Defined Target
Semi-Defined Target
Undefined Target
Defined Target
References words / details used in 1-2 sentences in the passage.
Semi-Defined Target
References words / details used in multiple (3+) sentences.
testing your understanding of an entire paragraph
Commonly found in EXCEPT questions.
3 or more eligible answer choices.
Undefined Target
No keywords.
No details.
Word referenced in question can be found everywhere in passage.
To know whether you’re dealing with a defined, semi-defined, or undefined target, use _____________ to search the passage.
Ctrl F
(you ARE allowed to use it on the exam).
When using Ctrl F type in the keyword/detail (and the word before it) from the question stem, see how many results you get.
By typing in the keyword alone, you may yield several results.
By typing in the keyword, and the word right before, you might narrow your results.
When you find the paragraph(s) that mention the word/detail, read above and below to find information to answer the question. This is called your support window.
When you have multiple (2 or 3) paragraphs, look for a common denominator idea, a word (idea) that each of these paragraphs have in common.
Once you find this common denominator, SCAN your answer choices (don’t READ them), for that idea, and choose your answer.
