Q23

[csunnerberg13]

Where does the author indicate guarded optimism? I thought Answer B - open pessimism - was better since he openly agrees they will have to do some specific things in order to overcome the challenges - he doesn't really seem to indicate a confidence in those things being accomplished though?

[topcow500]

Unfortunately I don't have that passage available to me, but maybe I can shed some light on the information you've provided.

If all he has admitted to is that "they will have to do some specific things in order to overcome the challenges," I wouldn't jump to assuming that as pessimism. If he said something like "they will have to do some specific things in order to overcome the challenges, but these things are nearly impossible to do and probably won't be for a long time," then "open pessimism" may have been the correct answer.

I can't speak as to why "guarded optimism" is correct exactly. You just have to keep the author's general attitude in mind when reading. Not indicating confidence is not the same as exhibiting pessimism.

I would recommend the PowerScore series. They clear up a lot of issues, but I'll give you a freebie right now. In the reading comprehension section they say to approach each sections with the VIEWSTAMP method. It's the five things you should look for and keep in mind with each passage you read:

VIEW - The different viewpoints (if there are more than one) presented in the passage (ex, author, scientist A, scientist B, etc.)
S - Structure, or layout as in "what information does the first paragraph present," "how does that relate to the second paragraph?," "third paragraph?," etc.
T - Tone, or "attitude" of the AUTHOR. With Q23, this would have helped you the most. Remember that there may be more than one speaker in the passage other than the author. Sometimes the author's viewpoint isn't even present! In that case, look for any perceived attitude of the individual or group he is presenting.
A - Different "arguments" presented in the passage.
MP - the "main point" of the passage. Very important as the first question after each passage is usually about this.

[ohthatpatrick]

Sorry for the delayed reply; this post fell through the cracks.

The previous poster did a great job of explaining that "open pessimism" is a rather strongly worded negative sentiment that something will NOT work.

Optimism, on the flipside, would be a confident expression that something WILL work.

Clearly, this author is in the middle, concerned that there are many difficult hurdles to overcome. That's where guarded optimism comes into play.

Honestly, had we been offered guarded optimism vs. guarded pessimism, I'm not sure we would have clear enough language to support one over the other.

If you think about a phrase such as the last sentence, "If ___ is to succeed, then ____ must occur", that it still allowing for the idea that something may succeed. If someone were openly pessimistic about success, he would probably not even bother to utter that sentence, or wouldn't word it in such a way that made success seem achievable.

Finally, when a author's tone is very subtle, sometimes you have to play the game of "who gets the last word?"

For instance, if you have a passage in which the middle paragraph is all about a common criticism of an artist and the LAST paragraph is the artist's response to the criticism, LSAT has called the author's tone "implicit agreement" / "tacit acceptance" of the artist's position. In a sense, we're supposed to see that because the author brings up the criticism first and then allows the artist's rejoinder to be the last word.

It's almost like when you structure a sentence like
"Although chocolate is fattening, it is delicious". We raise the objection first and then deliver our point of emphasis second.

In the 2nd paragraph we got
OBJECTION - lack of precedents makes task of determining constitution's meaning a bewildering one
ANSWER - look to other countries for guidance

OBJECTION - But some scholars warn that judges may misuse foreign law
ANSWER - Nonetheless, these scholars are hopeful that ...

Last paragraph,
OBJECTION - People are used to hating and distrusting government
ANSWER - the govt. will need to show citizens the legal system is no longer a tool of oppression

Does that make sense?

[csunnerberg13]

Yes, thank you. One clarifying question about "implicit agreement." Can I assume, in a passage where the author is not making their point explicitly clear, that where they end last is where they "implicitly agree" OR is it only applicable where a passage follows the sort of objection structure you've written out?

Thanks again