Reading Comprehension · Law
PrepTest 109 · Section 2 · Passage 4
Questions 23–28
Before you start
Open PrepTest 109, Section 2 in your official copy from LSAC and read the passage for Questions 23–28, using the structure guide below. The passage is not reprinted here.
Structure guide
- P1: gives historical background on a system and highlights one strange old rule as an example
- P2: says that strange rule was typical in kind and describes a broader pattern, with an example of it applied mechanically
- P3: describes the costs of the old system, why reform was blocked, and a reformer's sweeping proposal with narrow exceptions
- P4: raises two objections to the reformer's proposal, including a modern example and a pointed question
- P5: concludes that a softened version of the reform won out, weighing its reach against its limits
Step 2 · The kid passage
Aunt Rosa and the League Rules
When Aunt Rosa took an interest in the neighborhood soccer league, most of its rulebook already existed. Some old rules look silly. One, long since dropped, said the captain's own brothers and sisters could never play, even when short-handed.
That rule was extreme yet typical. Most rules benched willing kids, usually for a sensible reason. Kids without shin guards sat out, since they might get hurt. Yet it was applied blindly, even to kids in tall boots that guarded their shins just as well.
These rules often left teams too small for a fair game. Change was slow because referees liked their power and loved the old ways. Rosa's bold idea: nearly every kid who wants to play should play. She allowed a few small exceptions, such as kids with a doctor's note.
Her idea had problems. Some kids really are unsafe. Rosa said the coach should judge each player; otherwise the league was choosing empty benches over full fields. Yet some players do more harm than good: today, a kid ejected twice for fighting sits out. And by excusing kids with doctor's notes, Rosa admitted other values can matter more than a full roster. Then why not excuse kids in big test weeks?
Soon after Rosa moved away, the league adopted her spirit anyway: any kid may play unless there is a clear reason not to. That allows more exceptions than Rosa wanted, but its heart is her idea, turned from a strict rule into a starting assumption.
Step 4 · The courtroom tale
The Case of the Big Dogs
A town park once banned every dog over thirty pounds, even calm old ones. Mr. Whitfield represented a reformer who wanted nearly all dogs allowed, with tiny exceptions. The park's lawyer stood up. "Your Honor, some dogs really are dangerous. And the reformer exempts dogs in heat. If one exception, why not others, like dogs during the toddler hour?" Mr. Whitfield tugged his suspenders. "Fair points. But the old rule kept out a sleepy beagle-sized giant for no reason at all." The judge ruled: "Dogs are welcome unless there is a clear reason to bar them. That is more exceptions than the reformer wanted, but the heart of it is his." Mr. Whitfield smiled. Imperfect, he thought, but a big step forward.