In the third paragraph, the author mentions Yi-Fu Tuan's argument primarily in order to
Irene-Veraon July 4, 2019
Answer A v. answer D
Hi I narrowed it down to A & D. I believe maybe A is wrong because it's too strong? I can see that D is right based on the paragraphs that follow. When taking the LSAT how would I know how to narrow questions like these down? Also, if you could tell me how I would know for sure that A isn't the right answer besides what I believe I picked up from the choices? Thank you
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(A) says. "render doubtful the hypothesis about clearings that the author seeks to challenge"
(A) is close, as the author ultimately does want to render the hypothesis doubtful. However, the author attempts to render the hypothesis doubtful by developing her own hypothesis, which conflicts with the other one. Yi-Fu Tuan's ideas help the author by allowing her to develop her own explanation for her hypothesis; the ideas don't help her to cast doubt upon the commonly held hypothesis in a direct fashion. Thus, (A) is out.
(D) says, "lay the groundwork for the hypothesis about clearings that the author outlines"
The author mentions Yi-Fu Tuan's argument to help introduce the idea of the fear of the wilderness. This provides the background information and support that the author uses to eventually suggest that the woodland pathways were present because people were scared of the wilderness, thereby leading to the author's belief that there was a noneconomic reason for the clearings in the woodlands. Thus, the author's reference to Yi-Fu Tuan's argument helps to lay the foundation for the author's hypothesis about the clearings, so (D) is the correct answer choice.
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