Reading Comprehension

PT145 · S3 · P3 · Q14 Communication Systems

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Passage A One function of language is to influence others’ behavior by changing what they know, believe, or desire.

Topic

The differences and similarities between animal communication and human language, especially focusing on mental states, intention, and the possibility of purposeful communication.

Framework

Present Debate (particularly for Passage B); Highlight Noteworthy (for Passage A, which is more informative/comparative)

Main Point

**Passage A:** Animal vocalizations, unlike human language, generally lack intentional communication based on attributing mental states to others—even when they seem purposeful, they are likely automatic responses, not truly purposeful acts based on others' knowledge or needs. **Passage B:** The usual claim that animal communication differs fundamentally from human language due to a lack of conscious intention might be circular and oversimplified; recent research suggests the gap may not be as large or clear-cut as previously thought. - Most Valuable Sentence Passage A: Last line of the first paragraph: - Most Valuable Sentence Passage B: End of last paragraph:

P1: Passage A - Function of Language & Comparison to Animal Vocalizations

The author begins by reminding us that a key function of language is to get others to change what they think, know, or want. For humans, reading other people's minds (in a sense) and responding to perceived needs is a big part of conversation.

P2: Passage A - Differences Between Human and Animal Communication

The passage argues that animal vocalizations, although sometimes evolved to benefit the signaling animal, are unconscious and not guided by an understanding of other animals' mental states. Unlike people, animals (except perhaps chimps) don't seem to communicate based on what they think another animal knows or needs; experimental evidence from frogs, macaques, and chimps shows animal calls are not tailored to inform ignorant individuals.

P1: Passage B - The Conventional Distinction

The passage starts by highlighting a traditional scientific view: animal communication is rigid and reflexive, while human language is flexible and creative.

14.

Both passages are primarily concerned with addressing which one of the following questions?

Are animals capable of deliberately
No Support Passage A
Passage A never gets into whether animals can lie (prevaricate) in order to achieve certain things.
9% picked this
Correct
Are the communications of animals
Why this is right
Passage A never says the words "conscious intention", so it's a little frustrating to pick this answer. But what does conscious intention mean? LSAT will use a term that's only found in one passage if it means something equivalent to what's talked about in the other passage. When animals communicate, do they have conscious intent? Intent = A goal, trying to do something, a motive When animals communicate, do they have a goal? Are they trying to do something? Are they conscious of what they're trying to do? Passage A says things suggesting that animals are not consciously trying (intending) to make things happen with their communications. - they cannot attribute mental states to others - there's no evidence that frogs think other frogs can think, or believe that communicating with them will make them think thoughts that will alter their behavior. Most importantly, the final sentence, which is kind of serving as the big takeaway: you thought these animal vocalizations were goal-directed (intentional)? maaan, these aren't as purposeful (intentional) as they seem. Passage B starts off right away talking about communication that is an instinctive, automatic response to stimuli vs. human communication that is creative (conscious / goal-oriented). And, of course, the main Author Zone of Passage B is the second paragraph, starting with her "But" pivot. This whole paragraph is about whether we should give animals the benefit of the doubt as to whether they have something resembling the kind of "conscious" mental lives that we think we have.
Skill tested: Primary Purpose · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.
72% picked this
What kinds of stimuli are
Too Strong: most likely
Neither author was trying to do the countdown of the "Top 5 stimuli that are likely to produce animal vocalizations." We can find some stimuli in Passage A, just used as examples not singled out as special cases. But we would only find the example of the honeybee in Passage B, and it certainly doesn't play a big enough role to call the primary concern.
1% picked this
Are the communication systems of
Wrong Comparison
Wow, I thought for sure this would be correct. We would have definitely picked it had it said this: Are the communication systems of humans qualitatively different from those of all other animals?
3% picked this
Is there a scientific consensus
Out of Scope: scientific consensus
Although science experiments, scientists, and scientific topics are definitely discussed in both passages, neither passage is specifically posing the question "is there a scientific consensus?" I don't know how either passage would answer this question, because neither passage got specific about how the scientific community largely feels. The passages are asking "What differences, if any, are there between animal communication systems and human language?" But they're not asking "Have scientists come to a consensus about differences?"
14% picked this

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