Words that you can't define on RC Forum

[FayRays]

Hey
I was wondering if I am the only one who encounter words that I don't understand on RC
and what you do when you encounter such things. I haven't started the RC section on the LSAT Trainer yet, but I like to do some of the RC from other standardized tests on the side, and I encounter some words I have never seen before.

[proteinshake]

happens to me all the time even on LR. just try to get some kind of sense about what it means using context clues, and if you can't, just move on -- it probably won't matter when it comes to the questions, but if it does, just refer back to it, no point in wasting time while reading the passage on something that might not even get tested on. one word won't prevent you from understanding the passage and its structure either.

[FayRays]

happens to me all the time even on LR. just try to get some kind of sense about what it means using context clues, and if you can't, just move on -- it probably won't matter when it comes to the questions, but if it does, just refer back to it, no point in wasting time while reading the passage on something that might not even get tested on. one word won't prevent you from understanding the passage and its structure either.

It's reassuring to learn that you are not the only one
I guess I really need to focus on the big picture, I can't know every words out there.

[Shemp]

The LSAT doesn't expect or require you to have any specialized knowledge, so if there are any technical or scientific terms or jargon they will often be defined in the text. For example, in the last RC passage of the June 2007 test, one of the hardest words is parthenogenesis. They don't expect you to know anything about parthenogenesis but they tell you right there that it is "a mode of reproduction in which unfertilized eggs develop into fertile females." Ok, so they've just told you everything you need to know about parthenogenesis, but for the next eight minutes you are now expected to know it. You need to recognize that if they spring a word like that on you, part of your job is to learn what it means, but the definition will be there and there's not that much room for them to hide it from you.

Other times the most difficult words in the text are really just proper nouns that you need to keep track of different subjects. As an example from the same passage on the June 2007 test, I couldn't pronounce Typhlodromus out loud if you paid me a dollar, but all I really need to know is that C mites eat strawberries and T mites eat C mites.

[proteinshake]

The LSAT doesn't expect or require you to have any specialized knowledge, so if there are any technical or scientific terms or jargon they will often be defined in the text. For example, in the last RC passage of the June 2007 test, one of the hardest words is parthenogenesis. They don't expect you to know anything about parthenogenesis but they tell you right there that it is "a mode of reproduction in which unfertilized eggs develop into fertile females." Ok, so they've just told you everything you need to know about parthenogenesis, but for the next eight minutes you are now expected to know it. You need to recognize that if they spring a word like that on you, part of your job is to learn what it means, but the definition will be there and there's not that much room for them to hide it from you.

Other times the most difficult words in the text are really just proper nouns that you need to keep track of different subjects. As an example from the same passage on the June 2007 test, I couldn't pronounce Typhlodromus out loud if you paid me a dollar, but all I really need to know is that C mites eat strawberries and T mites eat C mites.

there are some words like "equivocate" that won't be defined since it's common enough to not have to be but uncommon enough that a lot of people aren't going to know what it means. I think this is what OP is talking about.

[Shemp]

there are some words like "equivocate" that won't be defined since it's common enough to not have to be but uncommon enough that a lot of people aren't going to know what it means. I think this is what OP is talking about.

Yeah, those things can be a bear. A lot of those kind of words you may have even read or heard once every couple months for the past ten years and just never really learned what they mean. I had an English professor back in the mid-90s who insisted that we read all the assigned readings with a dictionary at hand and look up every single word that we didn't know. Which I never did, and I remember getting savaged in class because I didn't know what a chancery was. But really, you can figure out from context what a scrivener is, but you won't really understand Bartleby unless you look up what a chancery is. So if I had used that professor's method for the past 20 years and spent a lot of time reading the Economist then I would probably be in better shape.

[Mikey]

Just try to get a feel with the sentence it's in, before and after of what that word could mean. If you don't know it beforehand, that's all you can really do. Like protein said, chances are you won't even get a question about 1 word.

During prep, you should be googling those words during your review period. Some of the words that they throw at you can and probably will be used again in another passage.

[RamTitan]

This is not always the case, but I have noticed that highfalutin words indicate that the answer choice is incorrect.

[FayRays]

The LSAT doesn't expect or require you to have any specialized knowledge, so if there are any technical or scientific terms or jargon they will often be defined in the text. For example, in the last RC passage of the June 2007 test, one of the hardest words is parthenogenesis. They don't expect you to know anything about parthenogenesis but they tell you right there that it is "a mode of reproduction in which unfertilized eggs develop into fertile females." Ok, so they've just told you everything you need to know about parthenogenesis, but for the next eight minutes you are now expected to know it. You need to recognize that if they spring a word like that on you, part of your job is to learn what it means, but the definition will be there and there's not that much room for them to hide it from you.

Other times the most difficult words in the text are really just proper nouns that you need to keep track of different subjects. As an example from the same passage on the June 2007 test, I couldn't pronounce Typhlodromus out loud if you paid me a dollar, but all I really need to know is that C mites eat strawberries and T mites eat C mites.

Yeah, I am kinda impressed that you memorize the terms they used on that test. Back to what you were saying, yes they define them but then again we have to some how memorize them for some time to answer the question if they are related in any how.

[FayRays]

The LSAT doesn't expect or require you to have any specialized knowledge, so if there are any technical or scientific terms or jargon they will often be defined in the text. For example, in the last RC passage of the June 2007 test, one of the hardest words is parthenogenesis. They don't expect you to know anything about parthenogenesis but they tell you right there that it is "a mode of reproduction in which unfertilized eggs develop into fertile females." Ok, so they've just told you everything you need to know about parthenogenesis, but for the next eight minutes you are now expected to know it. You need to recognize that if they spring a word like that on you, part of your job is to learn what it means, but the definition will be there and there's not that much room for them to hide it from you.

Other times the most difficult words in the text are really just proper nouns that you need to keep track of different subjects. As an example from the same passage on the June 2007 test, I couldn't pronounce Typhlodromus out loud if you paid me a dollar, but all I really need to know is that C mites eat strawberries and T mites eat C mites.

there are some words like "equivocate" that won't be defined since it's common enough to not have to be but uncommon enough that a lot of people aren't going to know what it means. I think this is what OP is talking about.

Yeah, I was talking about these words, and I notice I can't fully understand the stimulus when they speak in philosophical way. I guess I need to read more literature and philosohy. If only have time.

Googline Equivocate as we speak
əˈkwivəˌkāt/
verb
use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.
"“Not that we are aware of,” she equivocated"

[FayRays]

there are some words like "equivocate" that won't be defined since it's common enough to not have to be but uncommon enough that a lot of people aren't going to know what it means. I think this is what OP is talking about.

Yeah, those things can be a bear. A lot of those kind of words you may have even read or heard once every couple months for the past ten years and just never really learned what they mean. I had an English professor back in the mid-90s who insisted that we read all the assigned readings with a dictionary at hand and look up every single word that we didn't know. Which I never did, and I remember getting savaged in class because I didn't know what a chancery was. But really, you can figure out from context what a scrivener is, but you won't really understand Bartleby unless you look up what a chancery is. So if I had used that professor's method for the past 20 years and spent a lot of time reading the Economist then I would probably be in better shape.

I had the same advice from my teacher, and I do translate every word that I can't understand, but what I usually read is fantasy and sci-fi novels, they have many new words, but at the same time they are different from the LSAT. I was advised to read the Economist and I am reading an article every now and then, but these days my left eyes is twitching, I don't know what's wrong with it, so I can't read as much as I really want.

[FayRays]

Just try to get a feel with the sentence it's in, before and after of what that word could mean. If you don't know it beforehand, that's all you can really do. Like protein said, chances are you won't even get a question about 1 word.

During prep, you should be googling those words during your review period. Some of the words that they throw at you can and probably will be used again in another passage.

That's what I am doing right now, I finish reading the whole paragraph while trying to understand the big picture, and after I finish the section I am doing, I go back and google the word that I found new, but I was trying to see if I have a problem or others encounter such words as well.

[FayRays]

This is not always the case, but I have noticed that highfalutin words indicate that the answer choice is incorrect.

well, I'll keep that in mind next time I check the answer choice

[34iplaw]

Equivocate is a word you should know for the LSAT or that you should learn while prepping.

Testmasters has a definition quiz for some of these words that are either unusual words or words that have non common sense meaning on the LSAT. I'm sure that there are other sources for such information.

Important words come to mind include some of the sufficient and necessary indicators and number words (i.e. some can mean all on the LSAT.)

Some words that have unusual /non common sensical LSAT meanings would include...

phenomenon (boo doo tah tu do mehna mehna bonus points if you get that reference) which just literally means thing for the LSAT. You can get tripped up by this.

entail (not a Testmasters one and I need to double check but I think entail implies order on the LSAT)

And then there are your words that may be unusual for most people to know what they actually mean cold...

I think if you don't know a word on the LSAT during prep that isn't a really technical term (i.e. obviously related to the subject in the stimulus), you should make an effort to learn the definition but also check forums to see if it has an LSAT specific meaning.