LSAT－9－1－17/18

Questions 17-18

Jones: Prehistoric wooden tools found in South America have been dated to 13,000 years ago. Although scientists attribute these tools to peoples whose ancestors first crossed into the Americas from Siberia to Alaska, this cannot be correct. In order to have reached a site so far south, these peoples must have been migrating southward well before 13,000 years ago. However, no such tools dating to before 13,000 years ago have been found anywhere between Alaska and South America.

Smith: Your evidence is inconclusive. Those tools were found in peat bogs, which are rare in the Americas. Wooden tools in soils other than peat bogs usually decompose within only a few years.

17.   The point at issue between Jones and Smith is

(A) whether all prehistoric tools that are 13,000 years or older were made of wood

(B) whether the scientists’ attribution of tools could be correct in light of Jones’s evidence

(C) whether the dating of the wooden tools by the scientists could be correct

(D) how long ago the peoples who crossed into the American from Siberia to Alaska first did so（B）

(E) whether Smith’s evidence entails that the wooden tools have been dated correctly

18.   Smith responds to Jones by

(A) citing several studies that invalidate Jones’s conclusion

(B) accusing Jones of distorting the scientists’ position

(C) disputing the accuracy of the supporting evidence cited by Jones

(D) showing that Jones’s evidence actually supports the denial of Jones’s conclusion（E）

(E) challenging an implicit assumption in Jones’s argument

17 ,I choose E instead of B. I think they are talking about whether the evidence incited by Jones is inconclusive or not

18. I choose C, but the correct one is E. where is the "implicit assumption in Jones's argument"?

17T

Jones不同意把Tools归因于那些从Siberia通过Alaska到South America的人，因为在Alaska到South America的路上没有发现这些tools，暗含假设，tools可能是土生土长的south america人做的。

Smith不同意，认为Tools归因于那些从Siberia通过Alaska到South America的人，因为tools确实在peat bogs中发现，还有些留在土地上的只是decompose罢了。

所以答案是B，在争论tools是谁的，而不是E，tools的年代对不对。

18T

暗含假设，tools可能是土生土长的south america人做的。

Thanks a lot.

还是要加强阅读能力。不过大侠真的很厉害，如果我自己想，是怎么也想不出还有这么一层隐含的意思。