Role of a Detail
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LSAT Reading › Role of a Detail
In the passage, the statement that a meta-analysis found effort-correction models typically absorbed about 70 percent of the variance attributable to observer differences serves which one of the following functions?
It supports the claim that known biases in historical records can be modeled and mitigated, though not eliminated.
It defines the term "triangulation" as used in the following paragraph.
It restates the main conclusion that management targets should not be set by nostalgia.
It introduces a new type of data that the author prefers over diaries and logbooks.
It acknowledges that citizen science data are too biased to be used for baseline reconstruction.
Explanation
By quantifying how much variance can be absorbed, the statistic bolsters the feasibility of modeling biases rather than abandoning the data. The other choices misread it as a concession of futility, a definition, a shift in data preference, or a restatement of the main conclusion.
What is the primary function of the discussion of the Mount Pinatubo eruption in the second paragraph?
To demonstrate that volcanic eruptions dominate climate variability on centennial timescales.
To exemplify a natural experiment that helps calibrate model timescales and supports the argument for combining heterogeneous lines of evidence.
To undermine the credibility of climate models by showing they failed to predict a short‑term cooling event.
To introduce an analogy for anthropogenic aerosol forcing that the author ultimately rejects as misleading.
To identify the principal basis for the author's preferred estimate of climate sensitivity.
Explanation
Pinatubo is presented as a useful quasi-experiment for calibrating model responses, illustrating the value of converging evidence. It is not used to discredit models, serve as a rejected analogy, provide the sole basis of an estimate, or claim volcanic dominance.
The author mentions the 2019 study of Phoenix neighborhoods reporting fewer trees on blocks with more renters primarily to do which of the following?
Acknowledge a limitation of cool roof technologies by highlighting their uneven adoption.
Illustrate that Phoenix is an outlier and thus not instructive for other cities.
Argue that renters generally prefer not to have trees planted near their homes.
Define the heat island effect in technical terms to set up the discussion of mitigation.
Provide empirical support for the claim that tree canopy is unequally distributed along social lines.
Explanation
The study is cited as evidence that canopy correlates with social factors like renter share, supporting the equity argument. It does not define a term, critique cool roofs, infer renter preferences, or treat Phoenix as an outlier.
The quoted observation that the herd will not cross when the river's 'skin' is sick serves which one of the following functions?
To argue that metaphorical descriptions are unsuitable for scientific inquiry
To identify a limitation specific to satellite sensors' spatial resolution
To exemplify an indigenous insight that, once translated into measurable terms, enhances the scientific model
To concede that even improved models will remain imprecise in shoulder seasons
To summarize the main conclusion that integrative models outperform satellite-only approaches
Explanation
The remark exemplifies a local observation that, when operationalized, becomes a valuable predictor in the model. The other options either misstate the passage's thesis, introduce limitations not tied to the quote, or denigrate metaphor in a way the author does not.
In the passage, the statement that a 2019 municipal study found a 15 percent reduction in summer electricity use in neighborhoods with mature tree cover serves which one of the following functions?
It provides concrete empirical support for the claim that trees yield measurable cost savings.
It acknowledges a limitation of relying on anecdotal reports about neighborhood comfort.
It illustrates how utility companies calculate peak-demand charges during heat waves.
It defines what the author means by the term "green infrastructure."
It introduces a competing view that questions whether tree canopies actually reduce urban heat.
Explanation
The study is cited as specific evidence that canopy reduces electricity use, bolstering the author's cost-savings argument. The other choices either miscast it as a definition, concession, competing view, or a procedural description not at issue.
The statistic that a 2019 citywide survey found 62% of residents used a pocket park at least once a week serves which one of the following functions?
To present a counterexample showing that pocket parks typically sit empty
To introduce a definition of the term 'pocket park'
To provide empirical support for the passage's claim that proximity enables frequent, cumulative use of small parks
To concede that large parks remain essential for certain activities
To state the main conclusion that pocket parks should be prioritized across the entire city
Explanation
It supplies evidence that frequent use is a distinctive advantage of small nearby spaces. The other options misstate the main point, mischaracterize the statistic, or describe different portions of the passage.
In the second paragraph, the quotation from Justice Brandeis that "sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants" serves primarily to do which of the following?
Invoke a concise historical endorsement of transparency to bolster the claim that oversight practices can legitimate agency action.
State the passage's main conclusion that administrative agencies are always democratically legitimate.
Define the term progressive-era oversight so it can be applied in later examples.
Demonstrate that courts have consistently invalidated agency actions lacking disclosure rules.
Introduce a counterargument suggesting that transparency undermines effective governance.
Explanation
The quote lends rhetorical and historical support to the author's point that transparency-based tools can ground legitimacy. It neither states the main point, presents a counterargument, provides a definition, nor claims uniform judicial outcomes.
In the third paragraph, the author's observation that auction prices for quilts remain far below those of comparably sized canvases serves primarily to do which of the following?
Refute the claim that quilts enjoy greater cultural resonance than paintings among collectors.
Show that museums have already corrected past misclassifications over time.
Underscore the persistence of institutional undervaluation despite growing recognition of quilts' aesthetic innovations.
Suggest that art markets are largely indifferent to the medium or context of production.
Quantify the production costs that distinguish quilts from studio paintings.
Explanation
The price comparison highlights enduring undervaluation even as curatorial attitudes shift. It does not weigh cultural resonance, claim indifference to medium, show full correction, or address costs.
The passage's mention that Chile's 1980s unilateral tariff reductions did not suppress productivity growth serves which one of the following functions?
To introduce an objection that the author ultimately concedes as decisive
To counter an overgeneralization linking trade openness with stagnation by offering a counterexample
To provide the principal reason the author rejects infant-industry protection in all circumstances
To argue that tariff policy has no effect on productivity regardless of context
To define the author's term 'adaptive industrial policy' by specifying its essential features
Explanation
It offers a counterexample that undermines simplistic claims about a necessary link between openness and stagnation. The other choices overstate the author's stance, miscast the function as definition or concession, or claim a context-free irrelevance the passage explicitly rejects.
The passage's mention of a 2019 meta-analysis finding substantial phylogenetic signal in climatic niche parameters serves which one of the following functions?
To explain the methodological flaws in studies of island radiations
To supply empirical support for the claim that niche conservatism remains prevalent even when species' ranges shift rapidly
To define the term phylogenetic signal for readers unfamiliar with it
To introduce a competing model that the author ultimately rejects
To provide an exception that undermines the passage's broader thesis
Explanation
The meta-analysis is adduced as evidence that niche conservatism persists, bolstering the author's position. The other choices miscast it as a rejected model, a definition, a contrary exception, or a methodological critique.