Q20

[rishisb]

Good day, Atlas-LSAT

Could you please help me the following two Reading Comp questions from P59, section 4:

Q20 -- Can you please explain why E, rather than C is correct?

and Q24 -- Answer choice B was very attractive, but D was the correct answer. Could you please explain why B is NOT the answer (or: what is wrong with it)?

Thank you.

[bbirdwell]

Q20
Question 20 is a good inference question. Remember, the correct answer HAS to be true. You've got to read these carefully to get them right!

On first pass, I too eliminated all but (C) and (E). Nothing else is even close. Then I turned on the ole LSAT microscope-eyes for more thorough comprehension.

(C) is a pretty good choice until after the comma. It seems pretty reasonable that the sculpture appears to have no dimension or shape UNTIL something is reflected in it, just like calm water, blablabla.

However, once something is reflected in it, we can see its dimensions and shape. Note that this answer choice does not say this. It says that the sculpture appears to actually have the shape and dimensions OF the objects it reflects.

This is not true. Seeing a building reflected in the sculpture allows us to see the size and shape of the sculpture. It doesn't make us think the sculpture IS the size and shape of the building!

(E) sounds backwards at first glance, but upon a more careful read, it's spot on. It describes "negative light" sculptures, which is to say, regular sculptures. Yes, this is true. If the whole point about not "seeing" the sculpture until something is reflected in it is what makes "positive light" sculptures (Noguchi's) different from negative light sculptures, then this is an easy and valid inference to make.

See what I mean?

[bbirdwell]

Since Q 24 deals with another passage, I've started a new thread for it. Please find that to read my response and reply!

[pinkdatura]

Hello, guys. I have one more thing to ask about this question:
This question clearly deals with passage 4. I am wondering if anyone can explain to me the relationship between pilot landing vs portrait of fuller? Why brought up the pilot things? What's the common the between the pilot landing and portrait of fuller, I know it must have sth to do with positive light reflection, I am just literally having difficulty understanding why these two thing are related.

Also is D out because it brings up content in paragraph 2, oxidation material?

[tuh119]

Can someone please explain why the answer is (E) instead of (C)?

[peg_city]

X2

[rshapiro14]

Answer E is right for very subtle reasons that I believe really require you to understand the real meaning of what you're reading. Active reading is key in the passage because it's easy to go through quickly without really thinking about what you're reading. Especially since this is an art passage about certain innovative artistic properties, you can be sure that there will be questions talking about these properties.

The passage talks about Noguchi's sculptures as "purely reflective," and says that the invisible structure of them can be seen "only secondary" (key part here) (line 55). You really need to understand what this means to answer question 20. Noguchi uses chrome nickel steel. Think of the properties of chrome. Its very light and shiny. His sculptures have shape however it is seen only after the reflection of other objects. It's not that he creates objects using negative space (what answer choice C implies), it's that that reflection of other objects seen in his sculptures make the shape and dimensions of the sculpture clear.

Answer choice C says that his sculptures have no dimensions or shapes of their own, but is this true? No it's not. The passage says that the sculptures features can be seen through the reflection of other objects. The shape and dimensions of his sculptures are there, they just are seen secondary. This is in the fourth paragraph and C goes directly against it. If you had a hard time finding this, then it might be a good idea to label each paragraph: background info, early sculpture making, properties of positive light sculptures. Then you can quickly refer back.

Even though answer choice E isn't directly stated in the passage word for word, you can infer this without any leaps in logic. Noguchi created this innovative technique for sculpture making, using positive light reflections. If Answer choice E was negated, and said that negative light sculpture did depend on reflection of objects around it then Noguchi wouldn't have doing anything innovative. Also if you go down the list of choices all the other answers go against what was said in the passage, so even though it E might not seem perfect, A-D all contradict what the passage says or have no basis in the passage.

A) There is nothing to suggest that this answer is true. This would be a huge leap in logic
B) Again this choice can be found no where in the passage.
C) Goes against the information in passage 4 where the dimensions and shape are talked about as secondary but still there.
D) A direct contradiction if you think about it. If a positive light sculpture were covered in a metal that would get darker over time, the sculpture would just turn from a positive light sculpture to a negative light sculpture. It would still have a recognizable likeness but it would be because of negative light and shadow instead of getting its dimensions from reflections.

[t_wm]

What's problem with (B)?
I think the related information might be in L34-38.
Would it be correct if the "economically" replaces "commercially"?

[susanpelletier]

E seems to me to be directly contradictory to the passage.

E: EDITED BY MODERATOR TO REMOVE COPYRIGHTED ANSWER

Contradicts quite clearly with lines 50-55/

I would infer from that that the objects around being reflected constitute the first awareness that occurs, followed by the sculpture itself, which is exactly the opposite of answer E, and even works to support answer C.

Can someone explain what I'm missing?

[noah]

What's problem with (B)?
I think the related information might be in L34-38.
Would it be correct if the "economically" replaces "commercially"?

Something being commercially "available" is quite different from "viable."

"Available" means it's around, folks can get it.

"Viable" means something can work.

[noah]

Go back and take a look at whether Noguchi is making positive or negative light sculptures...

That clear it up?

[sge4]

The reason (E) is right hinges on the word "exclusively" in ln. 23. If past sculptors could rely exclusively upon negative light (i.e. shadows) then "reflection of objects" is not required. Only saw this on second time through. So sneaky.

[asafezrati]

The reason (E) is right hinges on the word "exclusively" in ln. 23. If past sculptors could rely exclusively upon negative light (i.e. shadows) then "reflection of objects" is not required. Only saw this on second time through. So sneaky.

Nope, it's not just that. The description of the positive light is described as something new that the artist has created and wasn't around before, and its due to the use of the new material. This is what I got when i
I read it.

[ganbayou]

I'm really confused...
E says "..does not depend on its reflection of objects from the environment around it" but in "..whose presence can be apprehended only when objects...are reflected in them."
Aren't they the same thing? Both reply on "reflection"?　（Or is this the difference between positive vs. negative light?）

Thanks,

[ohthatpatrick]

"negative light" is defined for us in line 24 as "shadows", and negative light sculptures rely exclusively on these shadows for conceptual communication.

Perceiving a negative light sculpture only depends on seeing shadows, so therefore it does not depend on reflection of objects around it.

The line you quoted in asking about (E) was from the 3rd paragraph, which is all about positive light sculptures. THOSE depend on reflections.

[maria487]

Could you rule out (C) because it does not explicate that the invisible sculptures have no shape or dimension of their own until second glance by the viewer (lines 53-55)? I ruled it out for this reason, because the answer choice did not make clear that eventually viewers see the sculptures' "presence and dimensional relationships" (54-55). Is that a valid reason for ruling it out?

[ohthatpatrick]

Yes, I agree. I don’t think it ever is saying that the positive light sculpture TAKES ON the shape of surrounding objects. The passage is saying, as you walk around a pos. light scalp., you don’t immediately perceive its shape. You come to understand its shape only because you notice that it’s distorting the shapes of surrounding objects.

(C) could probably be tweaked into something more correct by saying
“N’s invisible sculpture appears to have no shape or dimensions of its own UNTIL it visually interacts with surrounding objects”

[LolaC289]

What's problem with (B)?
I think the related information might be in L34-38.
Would it be correct if the "economically" replaces "commercially"?

I too, was tripped by this. But looking carefully back to ll.36-38, the thing that is finally "economically available" is "permanently reflective surface" which are used in Noguchi's sculptures. (C), however, says it's "sculptures" that is more "commercially viable". For one thing, we don't know if it is referring to positive light or negative light sculptures, if it is the latter, then it's definitely wrong; even if it referring to the positive light sculptures, it is still not right because the surface material is only one element in positive light sculptures' making; we don't know if the sculptures will become more available or not.

Personally I think the "economically available " & "commercially viable" has no big problem interchanging in this context.

[HadisA912]

Hi,

I think why (A) and (B), (D) are wrong is clear, so I proceed with the remaining:

(C) It does have shape and dimension, but it is only secondarily visible (to a viewer), see passage 54. It talks about the dimensional relationship of the sculpture

(E) That's exactly the difference between reflective and non reflective objects

No guarantees