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

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Showing 274–276 of 430 questions

Question 274

To accommodate the personal automobile, houses are built on widely scattered lots far from places of work and shopping malls are equipped with immense parking lots that leave little room for wooded areas. Hence, had people generally not used personal automobiles, the result would have to have been a geography of modern cities quite different from the one we have now.

The argument's reasoning is questionable because the argument

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infers from the idea that the current geography of modern cities resulted from a particular cause that it could only have resulted from that cause
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infers from the idea that the current geography of modern cities resulted from a particular cause that other facets of modern life resulted from that cause
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overlooks the fact that many technological innovations other than the personal automobile have had some effect on the way people live
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takes for granted that shopping malls do not need large parking lots even given the use of the personal automobile
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takes for granted that people ultimately want to live without personal automobiles

Reference / correct answer:

infers from the idea that the current geography of modern cities resulted from a particular cause that it could only have resulted from that cause

What’s the flaw? Let’s check it out. To make room for cars, housing developments and shopping mall developed in a certain way. The author concludes (note the Keyword “Hence”) that had cars not been so popular, modern cities would be much different than they are now. This boils down to a simple argument of causation: Cars cause a certain geography; take away the cause, and the result will change. But who’s to say that the same geography would not have resulted anyway?

What if a different popular form of transportation that emerged instead of cars had the same effect? Cars may have been sufficient to bring about the geography described, but nowhere does it say they’re necessary – that is, that something else couldn’t bring about the same living and shopping environments described in the argument. It’s invalid to argue that without cars, cities would be different, because while the automobile did bring about the world described, it need not be the only thing that could have created that environment.

Question 275

Many of the presidents and prime ministers who have had the most successful foreign policies had no prior experience in foreign affairs when they assumed office. Although scholars and diplomats in the sacrosanct inner circle of international affairs would have us think otherwise, anyone with an acute political sense, a disciplined temperament, and a highly developed ability to absorb and retain information can quickly learn to conduct a successful foreign policy. In fact, prior experience alone will be of little value to a foreign policymaker who lacks all three of these traits.

If all of the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true?

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Scholars and diplomats have more experience in foreign affairs than most presidents and prime ministers bring to office.
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Prior experience in foreign affairs is neither a sufficient nor a necessary condition for a president or prime minister to have a successful foreign policy.
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Prior experience in foreign affairs is a necessary but not sufficient condition for a president or prime minister to have a successful foreign policy.
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An acute political sense, a disciplined temperament, and a highly developed ability to absorb and retain information are each necessary conditions for a president or prime minister to have a successful foreign policy.
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A president or prime minister with years of experience in foreign affairs will have a more successful foreign policy than one who does not have experience in foreign affairs.

Question 276

Navigation in animals is defined as the animal's ability to find its way from unfamiliar territory to points familiar to the animal but beyond the immediate range of the animal's senses. Some naturalists claim that polar bears can navigate over considerable distances. As evidence, they cite an instance of a polar bear that returned to its home territory after being released over 500 kilometers (300 miles) away.

Which one of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the validity of the evidence offered in support of the naturalists' claim?

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The polar bear stopped and changed course several times as it moved toward its home territory.
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The site at which the polar bear was released was on the bear's annual migration route.
speaks to the former, making it seem likely that the bear knew the route all along. That would strongly suggest that this particular account is not credible support for the naturalists’ claim.
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The route along which the polar bear traveled consisted primarily of snow and drifting ice.
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Polar bears are only one of many species of mammal whose members have been known to find their way home from considerable distances.
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Polar bears often rely on their extreme sensitivity to smell in order to scent out familiar territory.

Reference / correct answer:

The site at which the polar bear was released was on the bear's annual migration route.
speaks to the former, making it seem likely that the bear knew the route all along. That would strongly suggest that this particular account is not credible support for the naturalists’ claim.

The stem points us right to the part of the argument we need to focus on: the evidence supporting the naturalists’ claim. Our job is to find the choice that weakens its validity. First we get a definition of navigation, followed by the claim and evidence referred to in the stem. Some naturalists think polar bears can navigate over long distances because a polar be aronce journeyed 300 miles to reach home. The naturalists seem enthused about this account, evidently believing it to bean instance of navigation. But the definition of navigation is an animal’s ability to find its way home from unfamiliar territory that’s beyond their senses, neither of which we hear anything about in the case of the wayward bear. The evidence given here would mean squat if the bear’s journey was through familiar territory or if the 300 miles was not out of range of the bear’s senses.

B. speaks to the former, making it seem likely that the bear knew the route all along. That would strongly suggest that this particular account is not credible support for the naturalists’ claim.

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