Reading Comprehension

PT155 · S3 · P1 · Q4 Screening Nonfiction Films

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Reading Comprehension question.

  • Save & drill this skill build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

The following passage is adapted from a 2001 article by a film historian.

Topic

Retrospectives for early nonfiction films

Framework

Challenge a Position, Problem / Solution

Main Point

Early nonfiction films shouldn't be shown together in retrospectives since it will not cast them in their best light and grouping them together creates an exhibition that is inauthentic compared to how they were viewed in their day.

Summary

P1 - Background Info Leading into the Problem

This paragraph discusses the goal of art exhibitions to "collect the similar" and explains how in film that manifests as 'a retrospective'. It ends with one of our big 4 Pivot words (but, yet, however, recently) suggesting that notable retrospectives on early nonfiction films will be our primary topic.

P2 - Description of the Problem

The author begins with another big 4 Pivot word, "But", and he even uses the first-person pronoun "I". This first sentence of the 2nd paragraph appears to be our thesis: collecting the similar is not a great idea for early nonfiction films. He explains why doing so will result in a boring event that doesn't resemble the way these films would have been presented in their time.

P3 - Author's Criticizes the Irony of the Problem

This paragraph establishes that the people responsible for the problem are deeply concerned with authenticity when it comes to restoring the films themselves, but should be more concerned with authenticity when it comes to putting on retrospectives that better resemble the carefully curated night of mixed programming, of which these early nonfiction films would have been a part.

4.

The passage contains information sufficient to answer which one of the following questions?

  1. How many nonfiction films were

    Trap

    1% picked this

  2. Did directors of early nonfiction

    Trap

    3% picked this

  3. Correct

    How long were most films

    Why this is right

    Answer C is correct.

    Skill tested: Five Questions · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

    81% picked this

  4. Out of what historical tradition

    Trap

    12% picked this

  5. How popular were early travelogues

    Trap

    2% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free