LSAT (Law School Admission Test)Reading ComprehensionEasy
Passage: "The 'Lamarckian inheritance' theory, proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, suggested that organisms could pass on traits acquired during their lifetime to their offspring. For example, Lamarck famously hypothesized that giraffes developed long necks because ancestral giraffes stretched their necks to reach higher leaves, and this acquired trait was then inherited by subsequent generations. This theory stood in contrast to Darwin's theory of natural selection, which posits that advantageous traits arising from random variation are selected for over generations. Modern genetics has largely discredited Lamarckian inheritance, demonstrating that acquired characteristics are not typically heritable, yet some epigenetic phenomena have shown limited instances of non-genetic inheritance." The author mentions Lamarck's hypothesis about giraffes primarily to:
- AArgue for a revival of Lamarckian evolutionary theory.
- BCriticize the scientific methods of early biologists.
- CCompare the intelligence of Lamarck and Darwin.
- DIllustrate a key tenet of Lamarckian inheritance.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Illustrate a key tenet of Lamarckian inheritance.
The passage introduces Lamarckian inheritance and then immediately follows with the giraffe example, explicitly stating 'For example,' indicating its purpose is to illustrate the theory.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The passage states modern genetics has 'largely discredited' Lamarckian inheritance, making a revival unlikely based on the text.
- B. The passage describes the theory, not critiques the scientific process of the time.
- C. The passage contrasts their theories, not their intelligence.
Illustrative Function
The illustrative function of a detail refers to how it serves to clarify, exemplify, or emphasize a point being made by the author.
- Serves to explain or clarify.
- Emphasizes a particular characteristic.
- Provides a concrete example of an abstract idea.
Memory trick: Examples are like 'Picture Windows' for abstract ideas.