Q7

[c.s.sun5]

Can someone explain to me why the answer is A and not any of the other answers? I really don't know how to go about answering these questions asking me which statement would "continue the discussion"...?

I couldn't completely eliminate any of the answers for sure.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT2]

These types of questions can be tough, and I think it's important to cast a wide net in terms of the types of answers that might be correct. In general, these questions are testing your understanding of the overall structure of the argument, so let's briefly summarize that here:

P1: Set-up of labor force doesn't consider family responsibilities

P2: Mostly this impacts mothers

P3: Many mothers have to pick part time work

P4: Many mothers have to pick lower level jobs.

The author sums it all up in a concluding sentence -- As long as conditions mentioned continue, women will be seriously disadvantaged.

The first answers to get rid of are those are not relevant to the subjects discussed in the text, or go too far beyond the text.

We can get rid of (B) because whether husbands are willing or unwilling to do something is not discussed.

We can get rid of (C) because it discusses a particular subset of situations which is only indirectly connected to the argument.

We can get rid of (D) because men with primary child-rearing responsibilities, who also go into the workplace, are not compared to their female counterparts, directly or indirectly.

That leaves us with (A) and (E). (E) is attractive, but goes too far. Certainly we can say that our current labor force is unfair to women, but we can't equate this with specific institutions favoring men to women. Furthermore, the discussion has been about the gap remaining in existence, not widening.

That leaves us with (A). Notice that (A) is
1) relevant to the discussion
2) pretty much provable based on the text already given just before it &
3) fits into the natural structure of the discussion.

Again, an overall structural understanding of the argument is key for questions like this. Wrong answers will use words from the text but in incorrect ways -- if you understand the author's plan, these answers are far less attractive.

[alirehman2210]

Hello,
I needed help with Question 7. I don't understand how Choice A is relevant. Maybe i'm not analyzing it correctly. Answer Choice A talks about how most men will remain better able to enjoy the career and salary opportunities offered by the labor market. No where in the passage does it state anything about men's career and how their salary will remain better. This would be an assumption we are making not one that is directly stated in the passage.

Is my analyzing of this question correct?

In addition, P4 is talking about how many women choose jobs that are on a lower level such as being secretaries.

[EmilyL849]

Hi, teachers

While I am looking at the RC book, I have a question.

The passage talks about how labor market does not recognize familial responsibilities, causing difficulties for parents.
It goes on and narrow the scope to how one side of parents (women) is relatively at disadvantage due to greater parental responsibilities assigned to them. This relative difficulties is compared to men who are also parents (single dads and two parents dads)

So, I don't get how (A) which talks about men in general at relative advantage can be an answer.
First of all, men in general (with or without children) was not mentioned in the passage.
And also, if the comparisons were done men vs. women regardless of having children, why aren't women without children suffering ever talked about?

This type of questions really gives me hard time... any tips would be highly appreciated!

Thank you always!

[ohthatpatrick]

I think we all hate these because the standard for right/wrong seems pretty loose.

Mainly, AVOID answers with any of these qualities:
- it goes against something the author has said
- it waters down or retracts from her main point
- it feels like it's opening up a new topic for the NEXT paragraph

(A) seems consistent with the passage and has an obvious connection to the current last sentence.

As long as the labor market sucks for parents, and as long as family roles are gender based and put more child-rearing responsibility on the plates of women, women will be disadvantaged, while most men will be relatively better off to take advantage of opportunities that would be complicated by child-rearing responsibilities.

The reason it's saying "most men" is that the passage acknowledges that there is a growing but small number of men who have primary child-rearing responsibilities.

Hence, most men do not have primary child-rearing responsibilities. (lines 16-20)
Thus, it's supportable to say most men will be better able to enjoy the possibilities of the labor market than will those who have primary child-rearing responsibilities.


(B) "unwilling to do anything" is too new. The accusatory tone doesn't match up with anything else.

(C) retracts from her main point .... don't end with "On the other hand ....", unless it's reinforcing your main point. (Like, "on the other hand, most men are still free to capitalize on opportunities")

(D) goes against the passage. We know that whichever parent has significant child-rearing duties will be hamstrung in the labor market.

(E) "continue to WIDEN the gap" is too new. The dismal forecasting doesn't match up with anything else.

Hope this helps