LSAT-Section-1-Logical-Reasoning Section One : Logical Reasoning - Practice Questions

Question 325

Biologist: Humans have five fingers because we descended from a fish with five phalanges in its fins. Despite our prejudices to the contrary, our configuration of fingers is no more or less useful than several other possible configurations, e.g., six per hand. So, if humans had descended from a fish with six phalanges in its fins and had six fingers on each hand, then we would be just as content with that configuration.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the biologist's argument?

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Everyone is equally content with our present configuration of fingers.
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Humans are never equally content with two things of unequal usefulness.
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Humans are always equally content with two things of equal usefulness.
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The perceived usefulness of our configuration of fingers is an illusory result of our prejudices.
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At least one species of fish had six phalanges in its fins.

Reference / correct answer:

Humans are always equally content with two things of equal usefulness.

Another Strengthen the Argument question, so let’s try to spot an element that needs a bit of extra support. It’s a strange argument: The biologist asserts that having five fingers is merely a developmental coincidence, and that we’d have six fingers on each hand if our marine ancestor had six phalanges. Moreover, we’d be just as happy with six fingers as we are with five. This last part is based on the assertion that there’s no difference in usefulness between having six fingers and having five. That’s a connection that’s a bit tenuous, so chances are that our strengthener will relate to this in some way.

We may ask ourselves: “What if there are other differences that might affect our finger satisfaction?” After all, usefulness is only one possible criteria that might determine how happy we are with our finger configuration (perhaps there areaesthetic concerns as well). The author assumes this is not the case; that is, that no other considerations affect our perceptions in this matter, and that equal usefulness is enough to ensure equal contentedness.

Question 326

Surrealist: Many artists mistakenly think that models need be taken only from outside the psyche. Although human sensibility can confer beauty upon even the most vulgar external objects, using the power of artistic representation solely to preserve and reinforce objects that would exist even without artists is an ironic waste.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the surrealist's argument?

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An artist's work should not merely represent objects from outside the psyche.
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Artistic representation is used solely to preserve and reinforce objects.
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Artists should not base all their work on mere representation.
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Great art can confer beauty even upon very vulgar external objects.
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True works of art rarely represent objects from outside the psyche.

Question 327

Harrold Foods is attempting to dominate the soft-drink market by promoting "Hero," its most popular carbonated drink product, with a costly new advertising campaign. But survey results show that, in the opinion of 72 percent of all consumers, "Hero" already dominates the market. Since any product with more than 50 percent of the sales in a market is, by definition, dominant in that market, Harrold Foods dominates the market now and need only maintain its current market share in order to continue to do so.

The argument commits which one of the following errors in reasoning?

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failing to exclude the possibility that what appears to be the result of a given market condition may in fact be the cause of that condition
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mistaking a condition required if a certain result is to obtain for a condition that by itself is sufficient to guarantee that result
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treating the failure to establish that a certain claim is false as equivalent to a demonstration that that claim is true
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taking evidence that a claim is believed to be true to constitute evidence that the claim is in fact true
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describing survey results that were obtained in the past as if they are bound to obtain in the future as well

LSAT-Section-1-Logical-Reasoning – Section One : Logical Reasoning