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Zorluk: OrtaContextual Examples

Read the following passage excerpt:

In the early twentieth century, Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift, arguing that continents plow through the ocean floor like icebreakers. This hypothesis was initially rejected by the scientific establishment, not because the empirical evidence of matching coastlines between South America and Africa was unconvincing, but because Wegener lacked a physically viable mechanism for the movement. For example, geophysicist Harold Jeffreys demonstrated mathematically that the forces Wegener proposed—centrifugal force and tidal friction—were vastly insufficient to move massive landmasses and would instead halt the Earth's rotation within a few years if they were indeed strong enough to do so. It was not until the 1950s, with the mapping of the mid-ocean ridges and the discovery of seafloor spreading, that the modern theory of plate tectonics provided the necessary mechanism.

Evaluate the following statement based on the passage:
The author introduces Harold Jeffreys's mathematical demonstration primarily as an example of the scientific establishment's dogmatic refusal to objectively examine the empirical evidence supporting continental drift.

Cevap: Cevap

Cevap

The statement is false.
The statement is false. The passage introduces Jeffreys's mathematical demonstration not to show that the scientific establishment ignored evidence, but rather to provide a concrete example of why Wegener's proposed mechanism was physically impossible. The text specifically notes that the rejection was 'not because the empirical evidence... was unconvincing', directly contradicting the claim that Jeffreys's work illustrated a refusal to examine evidence.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Identify the specific example cited in the question stem.
The target is Harold Jeffreys's mathematical demonstration.
Locating the exact reference in the text is necessary to analyze its contextual function.
2
Examine the sentence immediately preceding the example to establish context.
The preceding text states the theory was rejected 'because Wegener lacked a physically viable mechanism for the movement', explicitly clarifying it was not because the evidence was unconvincing.
Contextual examples in LSAT passages typically serve to illustrate or substantiate the claim made immediately prior.
3
Compare the actual textual function of the example with the function claimed in the statement.
The passage uses Jeffreys to show the proposed mechanism was physically flawed, whereas the statement claims Jeffreys illustrates a dogmatic refusal to examine empirical evidence.
Identifying this direct contradiction confirms the statement is false.

Anahtar Kavram

Identifying the rhetorical and illustrative purpose of specific examples within a text.
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