The Official September 2014 Study Group Forum

[P.J.Fry]

PT 54
RC-2
LR-0
LG-1
LR-5

172. Fuck the 2nd LR

Good job. Damn tho you were killin it Til that last section. Fatigue you think or just a tricky section?

no idea. it always seems like there is one LR section 2x harder than the other to me

Out of curiosity, I went back and looked at my LR's on that test. -3 on the first and -1 on the second.

I would say this implies the first section was 3x harder than the second.

[ghostofdreams]

Got to PT23 S3 Q10 in my Cambridge LR Difficulty packet today. It's the nonmoving cars one that I've read about so often on here, so I knew what the answer was. But sitting there I just couldn't justify B (the nonmoving running vehiciles answer) to myself. Any help? I selected E after eliminated all except for B, which I would have eliminated without knowing it was the answer.

ETA: Nevermind, found a good answer through the search function. Definitely makes sense, but I wouldn't have made the logical connection during a real test.

Sure, so it's a strengthen question. The prompt tells us that if a person decides to walk instead of driving there is "one less vehicle emitting pollution." It concludes that if people were to walk whenever it was feasible for them to do so then "pollution [would] be greatly reduced."

Sometimes with LR I like to start reading choices from the bottom.

(E) This weakens the argument.

(D) Who Cares? This is irrelevant to the conclusion.

(C ) Okay? This certainly doesn't strengthen the argument.

(B) Hmmm. So cars in gridlock produce less emissions than cars free to move quickly done the highway (that makes sense) but the more cars there are on the road the greater the congestion there is. So the more cars on the road the more pollution caused. This falls in nicely to our argument. For if many of those people walked instead of drove ---> less cars on the road --> less congestion ---> less pollution.

This strengthens the argument.

(A) this weakens the argument.

I'll do something similar, except I start at (A) then go to (E), then (B) to (D), then finally (C). I don't do it all the time. Maybe I should start from the middle at (C) and go out from there. I just get tired sometimes of going A thru E, and boom, it's (E).

[BJS]

I have been really struggling with Parallel Reasoning questions recently, particularly in the Cambridge Difficulty Packet. I've done the chapter on them in MLSAT and didn't have any difficulty, but they're always one of my hardest question types in PTs and drilling. Any suggestions?

[Colonel_funkadunk]

I have been really struggling with Parallel Reasoning questions recently, particularly in the Cambridge Difficulty Packet. I've done the chapter on them in MLSAT and didn't have any difficulty, but they're always one of my hardest question types in PTs and drilling. Any suggestions?

I would say just keep drilling as much as possible. I'm probably not the best person to help w them tho, I don't really have a set mental calculus of how I work them out. I just read the stim then the answer choices and choose what matches. I never really diagram them or anything

[bound]

Thanks guys. I'm gonna do a couple Mcgraw Hill tests just for more difficulty before returning to regular PT's 62-72 for the final 17-20 days

your avatar gives me epilepsy.

[schmelling]

I have been really struggling with Parallel Reasoning questions recently, particularly in the Cambridge Difficulty Packet. I've done the chapter on them in MLSAT and didn't have any difficulty, but they're always one of my hardest question types in PTs and drilling. Any suggestions?

I'm having some trouble too- they take me forever. I'm just drilling away until I get 'em. One good thing to do is determine if you're trying to parallel a good or bad argument (they USUALLY tell you if its flawed in the stimulus, though sometimes they wont and it still may be flawed.) then go through the answer choices and eliminate anything that doesnt match up, (I.E. a good argument cannot parallel a bad one) that will usually eliminate one or two options of the bat.

[Colonel_funkadunk]

I have been really struggling with Parallel Reasoning questions recently, particularly in the Cambridge Difficulty Packet. I've done the chapter on them in MLSAT and didn't have any difficulty, but they're always one of my hardest question types in PTs and drilling. Any suggestions?

I'm having some trouble too- they take me forever. I'm just drilling away until I get 'em. One good thing to do is determine if you're trying to parallel a good or bad argument (they USUALLY tell you if its flawed in the stimulus, though sometimes they wont and it still may be flawed.) then go through the answer choices and eliminate anything that doesnt match up, (I.E. a good argument cannot parallel a bad one) that will usually eliminate one or two options of the bat.

Kind of a side note but this is the reason I read question before stimulus. If you read that it's a flawed argument it helps to frame your thinking for that stim

[schmelling]

Post removed.

[Gray]

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[GreenTee]

I read it first and I can always tell whether it's flaw or not. There is almost always a flaw Q near the end of the section

They're still awful. Especially if it's like the second last question of the second LR section, I'm frequently 98% checked out. I look at at and my brain is just like NOPE NOPE NOPE DON'T CARE.

My brain feels like this every time I start an RC section.

In fact, lately, my brain feels like this always.

[cavalier2015]

last few weeks focus on lsats 52+ or try to get LSATS 39-52 done too?

[GreenTee]

last few weeks focus on lsats 52+ or try to get LSATS 39-52 done too?

I'd say focus on taking 52+ if you haven't done them already. These should be more than enough to keep you busy for the rest of the month.

[Gray]

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[Colonel_funkadunk]

I read it first and I can always tell whether it's flaw or not. There is almost always a flaw Q near the end of the section

They're still awful. Especially if it's like the second last question of the second LR section, I'm frequently 98% checked out. I look at at and my brain is just like NOPE NOPE NOPE DON'T CARE.

Yea it's always like 23 or 24, and usually I have an extra minute or so to spend on those before the section ends.

[Toby Ziegler]

That's exactly why I don't read it first, anyone who wants a top score should be able to discern whether it is a flawed argument or not without taking that step, and having one more thing to keep track of in my head distracts me from reading the argument carefully.

Ehh. For me it's a mental thing. I read the question stem first and I feel better prepared, mentally, to attack the question. I agree that a top scorer should be able to recognize a flaw without knowing he or she is looking for a flaw, but you have to do what makes you feel the most comfortable.

[Gray]

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[Colonel_funkadunk]

I read everything in order. I hate skipping questions and going back. It drives me crazy.

PS. I am sleepy AF today, you guys. I just really want to nap.

Yea I hate skipping questions, rarely do I have one I'm
Really stumped on- usually just two attractive answers. And idk I was just told early in my prep to read the question first, and it just stuck. I guess it's a matter of preference. I don't have a lot of LR issues

[Colonel_funkadunk]

PT 54
RC-2
LR-0
LG-1
LR-5

172. Fuck the 2nd LR

Good job. Damn tho you were killin it Til that last section. Fatigue you think or just a tricky section?

no idea. it always seems like there is one LR section 2x harder than the other to me

Out of curiosity, I went back and looked at my LR's on that test. -3 on the first and -1 on the second.

I would say this implies the first section was 3x harder than the second.

Lol solid analysis

[boris09]

I read everything in order. I hate skipping questions and going back. It drives me crazy.

PS. I am sleepy AF today, you guys. I just really want to nap.

I finally woke up today at 8 for the first time (with a solid 7.5 hours of sleep) in hopes of creating a good sleeping schedule, and i've had a headache ever since. I just want to sleep till tomorrow

[Gray]

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[boris09]

What time did you usually get up?? I hate early.

I'm definitely not an early riser (sleep-wise), waking up anywhere from 12-2 at the earliest. The later i can sleep, the happier i am when i wake up

[BillPackets]

good morning every1 had some employee orientation this morning so it took some time away from my desk but turns out i get pretty awesome benefits to compensate for lack of pay also i missed bfast so im craisins and drinking the little elementary style milk cartons hope every1 is having a great day

[bound]

What time did you usually get up?? I hate early.

I'm definitely not an early riser (sleep-wise), waking up anywhere from 12-2 at the earliest. The later i can sleep, the happier i am when i wake up

I can't even fathom sleeping that much of my day away. Even on a day where I can sleep in, my body won't allow me to sleep past 8am. The latest I have slept in EVER is probably 10am.

[Gray]

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[Gray]

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