Reading Comprehension · Social Science
PrepTest 149 · Section 2 · Passage 1
Questions 1–5
Before you start
Open PrepTest 149, Section 2 in your official copy from LSAC and read the passage for Questions 1–5, using the structure guide below. The passage is not reprinted here.
Structure guide
- P1: introduces a view held by some experts and lays out the two claims it rests on
- P2: tests the first claim, gives a couple of examples, and concludes the claim mostly fails
- P3: tests the second claim, calls it an oversimplification, and gives reasons it falls short
Step 2 · The kid passage
Is Elm Park Kickball Its Own Game?
Kickball comes in several old rule families, and a kid raised on one family often cannot follow a game played by another. Some coaches say the kids at Elm Park have invented a brand new game, Elm Park Kickball. They give two reasons. First, a visitor who knows the very same rule family would be lost at Elm Park. Second, any kid, whatever family they grew up with, can play at Elm Park as long as they learn the park's special words.
Take the first reason. Most of the special words are nicknames for park spots and gear. Some are borrowed-whole words, like "offside," lifted sound and meaning straight from the soccer kids on the next field. Others are mash-ups, like calling the muddy corner "the Swamp." But the core rules never changed. The new words were added on top; they did not replace anything. A visitor from the same family can join in easily, since a local word can be skipped, explained, or guessed from the play. So the supposed wall is mostly made up.
The second reason is too simple. Many Elm Park kids have picked up the most popular rule family by watching games, but knowing a second game is not the same as sharing one game. The families still differ in big ways, like how outs and runs work, and a handful of shared nicknames is a tiny, edge-of-the-game part of each one.
Step 4 · The courtroom tale
The Case of the Renamed Board Game
A toy maker sued, claiming its rival's board game was a brand new invention and not a copy of the old classic. "Your Honor," the toy maker's lawyer said, "old players cannot follow it, and anyone who learns its new words can play it." Mr. Whitfield snapped his suspenders. "Let us test both claims. The new words are just fresh names for squares and cards. The core moves are untouched, so old players catch on in minutes. As for the second claim, learning a few names does not make two different games into one game. The real rules still differ." The judge nodded. "Both legs of the argument wobble. The invention claim falls."