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

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Showing 112–114 of 430 questions

Question 112

Amphibian populations are declining in numbers worldwide. Not coincidentally, the earth's ozone layer has been continuously depleted throughout the last 50 years. Atmospheric ozone blocks UV-B, a type of ultraviolet radiation that is continuously produced by the sun, and which can damage genes. Because amphibians lack hair, hide, or feathers to shield them, they are particularly vulnerable to UV-B radiation. In addition, their gelatinous eggs lack the protection of leathery or hard shells. Thus, the primary cause of the declining amphibian population is the depletion of the ozone layer.

Each of the following, if true, would strengthen the argument EXCEPT:

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Of the various types of radiation blocked by atmospheric ozone, UV-B is the only type that can damage genes.
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Amphibian populations are declining far more rapidly than are the populations of non-amphibian species whose tissues and eggs have more natural protection from UV-
B.
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Atmospheric ozone has been significantly depleted above all the areas of the world in which amphibian populations are declining.
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The natural habitat of amphibians has not become smaller over the past century.
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Amphibian populations have declined continuously for the last 50 years.

Reference / correct answer:

Of the various types of radiation blocked by atmospheric ozone, UV-B is the only type that can damage genes.

The question stem says that all of the answer choices would strengthen the argument EXCEPT the correct one. Therefore, the correct answer choice will either weaken the argument or have no effect at all. The conclusion of this argument is helpfully introduced by the Keyword “Thus”: the primary cause of the declining amphibian population is the depletion of the ozone layer. The evidence is that populations have been declining at the same time the ozone layer has been depleted. Additionally, the ozone protects against UVB radiation, which can damage the genes of amphibians, who have no natural shields against the radiation. Option [Of the various types of radiation blocked by…], which suggests that no other type of ozone-blocked radiation damages genes, would strengthen the notion that UV-B is the primary cause of the declining amphibian population. After all, it rules out other causes. But that isn’t the conclusion here. The author’s conclusion is that ozone depletion is the primary cause of the declining amphibian population. That conclusion is unaffected by option [Of the various types of radiation blocked by…]. Whether the ozone caused damage to amphibian genes comes from one type of radiation or many doesn’t matter to the author. He’s only trying to show that it’s ozone depletion and not something else.

Question 113

All too many weaklings are also cowards, and few cowards fail to be fools. Thus there must be at least one person who is both a weakling and a fool.

The flawed pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following?

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All weasels are carnivores and no carnivores fail to be non-herbivores, so some weasels are non-herbivores.
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Few moralists have the courage to act according to the principles they profess, and few saints have the ability to articulate the principles by which they live, so it follows that few people can both act like saints and speak like moralists.
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Some painters are dancers, since some painters are musicians, and some musicians are dancers.
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If an act is virtuous, then it is autonomous, for acts are not virtuous unless they are free, and acts are not free unless they are autonomous.
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A majority of the voting population favors a total ban, but no one who favors a total ban is opposed to stiffer tariffs, so at least one voter is not opposed to stiffer tariffs.

Reference / correct answer:

Some painters are dancers, since some painters are musicians, and some musicians are dancers.

The “All too many” is just literary, not logical, in nature. The first clause simply means Many or Some weaklings are cowards. The second clause can be read as Many or Most or Some cowards are fools. (Why are we seemingly being so loose in our translations? Because the choices are. Because whichever one of these turns out to be correct, it represents a significant verbal variation on the original. None of the choices reads “All too many X,” or “few Y are not Z.” So we have to stay a little flexible here.) With that in mind, a loose translation of the first clause would be: Some (or Most) of A are B, and the second as Some (or Most) B are C.

When we turn to the conclusion, however, we can feel confident that it can be solidly translated. We know from our formal logic training that the phrase “At least one” means precisely one thing: SOME. So the conclusion is: Some weaklings are fools. Now, given that conclusion, we ought probably to be drawn first to options [All weasels are carnivores and no…], [Some painters are dancers, since…] and [A majority of the…], each of whose conclusions uses the word “Some” or the phrase “At least one.” Let’s start with those three.

Question 114

Critic: Most chorale preludes were written for the organ, and the greatest chorale preludes written for the organ were written by J. S. Bach. One of Bach's chorale preludes dramatizes one hymn's perspective on the year's end. This prelude is agonizing and fixed on the passing of the old year, with its dashed hopes and lost opportunities. It does not necessarily reveal Bach's own attitude toward the change of the year, but does reflect the tone of the hymn's text. People often think that artists create in order to express their own feelings. Some artists do. Master artists never do, and Bach was a master artist.

If the critic's statements are true, then on the basis of them which one of the following CANNOT be true?

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Bach believed that the close of the year was not a time for optimism and joyous celebration.
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In composing music about a particular subject, Bach did not write the music in order to express his own attitude toward the subject.
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In compositions other than chorale preludes, Bach wrote music in order to express his feelings toward various subjects.
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Most of Bach's chorale preludes were written for instruments other than the organ.
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Most of the great chorale preludes were written for instruments other than the organ.

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