Page 1 of 1

Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:35 pm
by gambelda
I am drilling RC passages to try and improve. Was doing preptest 22's RC section untimed to see how long it takes me to actually get into the -0 to -2 or -3 range.

I read this passage. Stared at it for a minute. Said F this and threw away the copy of the test I had made for myself. There is no reason that passage should have ever been written. I dont care for what it was written or to whom it was written, that was the most incoherent babbling and poorly communicated English I have ever read.

Is this the most difficult passage ever or are there worse? Because I'll be honest. I'm extremely unconfident in my RC abilities and reading that passage almost made me kill myself.

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:43 pm
by cubswin
Can you clue those of us that don't have PT22 handy in on the subject to see if it evokes any memories?

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:47 pm
by gambelda
What it means to "explain" something in science often comes down to the appliation of mathematics. It discusses the relationship of language to science and mathematics and two theories detailing these relationships. etc.

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:55 pm
by pattymac
I'm shitty at the LSAT and I nailed this RC. This isn't to disparage you but the fact that you threw it away doesn't help; the questions weren't that bad.

Sometimes the most convoluted stims have the easiest questions, so never be intimidated.

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:59 pm
by incompetentia
People have different RC strengths and weaknesses. As a sciences/arts major I usually nail those categories, but the sort of psychological ones I absolutely die on. Hated hated HATED kinship, whereas fractals and Noguchi and similar ones were simple for me.

If you recognize what your strengths/weaknesses are, though, you'll know to compensate for those things.

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 9:05 pm
by gambelda
My weakness is 1500 prepositional phrases. I inevitably end up calling the author a dumbass for using too much complex language when he could have just been much more direct and less complicated in his writing style. I can't follow strings of long or convulted sentences without reading them 2-3 times. My grasp of the English language is subpar at best thanks to never reading more than the Harry Potter series throughout high school and college. F you spark notes!!!

For those of you who will point out that complex writing is all I will read in law school, I already understand this and fully realize it will bother me. The difference is I think everyone is generally pissed off and/or frustrated in law school. I mean come on.....it's hell.

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:34 pm
by The Truth
gambelda wrote:I am drilling RC passages to try and improve. Was doing preptest 22's RC section untimed to see how long it takes me to actually get into the -0 to -2 or -3 range.

I read this passage. Stared at it for a minute. Said F this and threw away the copy of the test I had made for myself. There is no reason that passage should have ever been written. I dont care for what it was written or to whom it was written, that was the most incoherent babbling and poorly communicated English I have ever read.

Is this the most difficult passage ever or are there worse? Because I'll be honest. I'm extremely unconfident in my RC abilities and reading that passage almost made me kill myself.

Riddled basins was far and away the hardest I've ever encountered, imo.

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:44 pm
by JazzOne
gambelda wrote:My weakness is 1500 prepositional phrases. I inevitably end up calling the author a dumbass for using too much complex language when he could have just been much more direct and less complicated in his writing style. I can't follow strings of long or convulted sentences without reading them 2-3 times. My grasp of the English language is subpar at best thanks to never reading more than the Harry Potter series throughout high school and college. F you spark notes!!!

For those of you who will point out that complex writing is all I will read in law school, I already understand this and fully realize it will bother me. The difference is I think everyone is generally pissed off and/or frustrated in law school. I mean come on.....it's hell.
I have a trick for convoluted sentences. It's not much of a trick, but it helps me a lot. If I encounter a very complicated sentence, I skip the dependent clauses and read the subject and predicate in isolation. Once I know what the sentence is saying, then I fill in the details. That explanation is not exactly how I approach it. I actually read the whole sentence, but mentally I focus on the independent clause, and I sort of skim the subordinate clauses.

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 3:04 pm
by cubswin
gambelda wrote:My weakness is 1500 prepositional phrases. I inevitably end up calling the author a dumbass for using too much complex language when he could have just been much more direct and less complicated in his writing style. I can't follow strings of long or convulted sentences without reading them 2-3 times. My grasp of the English language is subpar at best thanks to never reading more than the Harry Potter series throughout high school and college. F you spark notes!!!

For those of you who will point out that complex writing is all I will read in law school, I already understand this and fully realize it will bother me. The difference is I think everyone is generally pissed off and/or frustrated in law school. I mean come on.....it's hell.
Hahaha I am glad you can admit this stuff. Business major, perhaps?

All things considered, you are probably not the best authority to determine the hardest passage ever. And yes, I realize you were probably just venting.

Best of luck.

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 3:06 pm
by SupraVln180
The Truth wrote:
gambelda wrote:I am drilling RC passages to try and improve. Was doing preptest 22's RC section untimed to see how long it takes me to actually get into the -0 to -2 or -3 range.

I read this passage. Stared at it for a minute. Said F this and threw away the copy of the test I had made for myself. There is no reason that passage should have ever been written. I dont care for what it was written or to whom it was written, that was the most incoherent babbling and poorly communicated English I have ever read.

Is this the most difficult passage ever or are there worse? Because I'll be honest. I'm extremely unconfident in my RC abilities and reading that passage almost made me kill myself.

Riddled basins was far and away the hardest I've ever encountered, imo.
+1

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 3:13 pm
by albusdumbledore
Just did this one last week. The questions weren't too hard. The passage was a little difficult, but it seemed pretty standard to me. It's more of a philosophy of language passage then a science passage though.

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 3:22 pm
by bartleby
Anything that mentions common law or legal cases (without Indians or Civil Rights) and I get pwned.

Re: Preptest 22 RC passage #4 - hardest RC passage ever?

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 3:38 pm
by KevinP
The Truth wrote:
gambelda wrote:I am drilling RC passages to try and improve. Was doing preptest 22's RC section untimed to see how long it takes me to actually get into the -0 to -2 or -3 range.

I read this passage. Stared at it for a minute. Said F this and threw away the copy of the test I had made for myself. There is no reason that passage should have ever been written. I dont care for what it was written or to whom it was written, that was the most incoherent babbling and poorly communicated English I have ever read.

Is this the most difficult passage ever or are there worse? Because I'll be honest. I'm extremely unconfident in my RC abilities and reading that passage almost made me kill myself.

Riddled basins was far and away the hardest I've ever encountered, imo.
I found that to be pretty darn easy. My science background probably helped me out on this because I found it really interesting and knew most of the terminology beforehand. I've recently started mass reading PTs on art, law etc. and the RC sections is becoming pretty easy now... never thought I'd say that.