Past LSAT Explained/PrepTest 46

June 2005 Form 6LSN68

Section I Reading Comprehension

This section is more difficult than the other recent exams. many said the humanities and law passages had the most difficult questions. They rated the section as more difficult than those on other recent exams. The first passage had seven questions and critiqued economists’ definitions of prosperity. The second passage had eight questions, and it analyzed the structure and symbols in a book about the Japanese Canadian's experience during World War II. The third passage had six questions, and it dealt with the evolutionary factors that may explain why modern pronghorns can run extremely fast, even though they don’t need great speed to elude predators. Six questions accompanied the last passage, which dealt with legal theory regarding whether punishments for criminals were just.

Passage 1 Social Science Critique of Economists' definitions of prosperity

• ozone layer
• prosperity
• timber industry

Question 01

Main Idea

Question 04

Method of Argument

Question 05

Primary Purpose

Question 07

Primary Purpose Passage 2 Humanity (difficult) analyzed the structure and symbols in a book about the Japanese Canadian's experience during World War II

• Joy Kogawa
• Obasan
• Japanese American
• Japanese Internment
• rite of passage
• Christianity

Question 15

Passage 3 Natural Science Evolutionary factors that may explain why modern pronghorns can run extremely fast, even though they don't need great speed to elude predators

• pronghorn
• antelope
• relict behavior
• herd
• cheetah
• hyenas

Question 21

Passage 4 Law (Difficult) Legal theory regarding whether punishments for criminals were just

• burglary
• assault
• legal theory
• anabolic steroid

Section II Logical Reasoning

Question 01

• inflammation

Question 02

William Shakespeare Francis Bacon

Must be True Question

Must be true questions require that the test taker select an answer choice that is proven by the information presented in the stimulus.

The stimulus to this question does not contain a conclusion, it is fact set. Most question that contain only fact sets are Must be True question stems or Resolve the Paradox question stems.

The correct answer to this question is answer choice (C): Shakespeare wrote neither the love poetry nor the dramas attributed to him.

Many test takers select answer choice (E): Shakespeare may have written the love poetry but did not write the dramas attributed to him.

This answer choice is incorrect because it is not a logical consequence of the facts presented. At no point in the argument did the Literary historian discuss weather the works were written by various artist. Remember in Must Be True questions all the information necessary to answer the question resides in the stimulus and the details are what the test makers aim to test. Test takers can not generalize or go beyond the scope of the information presented in the stimulus.

List of Modifier words in play: could have, but, could only, did not, much

Question 03

genetic test

Question 05

Art Patrons

Strengthen Question

Strengthen questions ask you to support the argument in any way possible. This type of answer has great range, the answer choice that strengthens the argument weather it be by 1% or 100% is correct.

The use of the words "most support" and the sufficient indicator word "if" allow test takers to correctly identify this question as a Strengthen question.

Strengthen question are considered amongst the most difficult questions types because of their great range of answer choices.

The stimuli for strengthen and weaken questions tend to be similar, both often contain faulty reasoning.

Conclusion of the argument: art in the next century will rarely express social and political doctrines that are perceived to be subversive of that social order. Premise: Artist in the next century will be supported largely by private patrons. Premise: These patrons will be supporters of social order - whatever it may be at the time-

Correct Answer choice (A): Art Patrons tend not to support artists whose art expresses social and political views that are in opposition to their own.

In strengthen questions it is important to focus on the conclusion. Strengthen question will always contain an argument.

Answer choice (A) is correct because it eliminates a possible problem with the facts presented. If Patrons did tend to support artist whose art expresses social and political views in opposition of their own then there would be a problem in the reasoning of the argument and would thus weaken instead of strengthen the argument.

Incorrect Answer choice (D): Artist ten to become more critical of contemporary social and political arrangements after they are freed of their dependency on private patrons.

Incorrect Answer choice (D) is incorrect because it is out of the scope of the argument. This answer choice supports an issue that is tangential to the argument

Question 06

Artificial Turf/Natural Grass

Resolve the Paradox Question

Resolve the Paradox questions: Resolve the paradox questions do not typically contain a conclusion or an argument. The correct answer will address both sides of the paradox. The correct answer will either explain how both sides came into being or provide new information that allows both occurrences to coexist. The stimulus contains a contradiction by the use of the following words:

However, nevertheless, but, in contrast, yet, although, paradoxically, surprisingly...

Answer choice (B) is the correct answer.

Question 10

Air Traffic Nuclear Power and Physicians

Assumption question:

An assumption is an unstated premise. It is a piece of information that the conclusion rest upon. Conclusion Valid --> Assumption true. For many students assumptions questions are the most difficult Logical reasoning question type? The correct answer in an assumption question is a statement the author must believe in order for the argument to be correct.

Answer choice (A) is correct: There is no indispensable aspect of residency training that requires resident physicians to work exceptionally long hours.

Note an assumption can be consider a minimalistic answer and assumption question can not contain extraneous information. Answer choice (A) is a defender answer choice. The defender role protects the argument by ruling out other scenarios that weaken the argument.

Answer choice (C) is incorrect: The more hours one works in a week, the less satisfactorily one performs one's work. This answer choice is incorrect because it is out of the scope of the argument. The argument states that air traffic controllers and nuclear power plant operators are not allowed to work exceptionally long hours. No where does it state the relationship between work hours and performance.

Question 11

Self-deprecating humor

Weaken Question

Weaken question and strengthen question tend to have holes in the argument. In weaken question the stimulus is suspect and the answer choices are taken as fact.

The correct answer is (A): bases a conclusion about how one group will respond to self-deprecation on information about how a different group responds to it.

This argument contains an improper comparison. The first sentence states career advice for employees and the last sentence describes a study of employers who use self deprecating humor in front of their employees. The comparison is not valid.

Question 12

Researcher: Inducing Deep Sleep

Strengthen question

Focus on the conclusion, similar to weaken question. Cause and effect principals.

Correct answer choice is (E): Raising body temperature slightly by taking a warm bath just before bedtime will likely result in increased deep-sleep

Strengthen questions can either strengthen the argument by 1% to 100%. Answer choice (E) is correct because it strengthens the conclusion of the argument. Remember all strengthen questions will contain a conclusion. The conclusion to this argument is in the final sentence. Exercising in the afternoon tends to raise body temperature slightly until after bedtime, and this extra heat induces deeper sleep.

Answer choice (E) shows that when the cause occurs the effect occurs, when body temperature increases before bedtime (cause) individuals get experience deeper sleep (the effect).

Answer choice (C) is incorrect because it is out of the scope of the argument. In no place of the argument did the Researcher discuss which are the best methods of inducing deep sleep. Note that reading this answer choice quickly and not reading all the answer choices can cause test takers to incorrectly select (C) as the correct answer choice.

Question 14

Roger Bacon vs Authorities

Flaw in the reasoning

The information in the stimulus is regarded as fact and the answer choices are under suspicion. Good test takers should be able to find the flaw in the reasoning before reading the answer choices.

The correct answer choice is (E): Criticizes Bacon's character in order to question his scientific findings

This is a source argument question, the argument attacks the person or source or source instead of the argument they advance.

Question 16

Visually impaired computers

strengthen question:

Focus on the conclusion. What ever strengthens the argument by 1 to 100% is correct. Beware of shell game, opposite, out of scope or strengthening a sub conclusion answers.

The correct answer is (B): Relatively easy-to-use computer systems that can read information aloud, display it in large type, or produce a braille version of it are widely available.

The conclusion of the argument is in the last sentence: Thus, visually impaired people can now access information from computers more easily than they can from most traditional sources.

The correct answer choice (B) proves that the information presented in the argument is correct and accurate.

Question 17

Legislator vs Analyst

Method of reasoning question

Stimulus is fact, answers choices are under suspicion. Method of reasoning questions are simply abstract must be true questions. It is important to read closely in these questions, generalization can be very harmful. The details are all the test taker have to test.

Correct answer (E) implying that the legislator has drawn a conclusion about cause and effect without considering how often the alleged effect has occurred in the absence of the alleged cause.

The terms clearly shows introduced the cause and effect relationship.

The correct answer showed that although the effects occurred the cause did not, this disproves the causal conclusion.

Question 18

Quantum mechanics may complete physical theory

Parallel Reasoning Questions:

Parallel reasoning questions have been known to be quite time consuming. If a parallel reasoning question contains flawed reasoning it will be stated in the question stem, if the question stems does not discuss flawed reasoning then the stimulus does not contain flaws.

Parallel reasoning questions are the most abstract type of question on the LSAT.

Correct answer choice is (C): Your sister is a very good chess player but she has never won a chess tournament; therefore, she will not win this chess tournament.

Question 19

Musical Intervals with 6 month old babies

Strengthen Question

An effective method of attacking a strengthen question is to look for weaknesses in the argument. Address a weakness in an argument will strengthen that argument.

Remember to focus on the conclusion and to stay within the scope of the argument.

The correct answer is (B): None of the babies in the experiment had previous exposure to music from any culture.

Answer choice (A) is incorrect because it is out of the scope of the argument.

Section III Analytical Reasoning

Section IV Logical Reasoning

Question 26

the experimental section appeared in Section 2. Ratings of this administration placed its difficulty on par with other recent exams.

Princeton Review students rated the difficulty of this section as similar to games sections that have appeared on exams within the past year.

The first game involved determining the order in which six animals appeared on six signposts.

In the second game, four cassette tapes each held songs on their front and back sides. There were four types of songs that could appear.

The third game involved determining in which order five cities experienced storms and what type of precipitation fell on each city.

In the last game, six committee members had to be assigned to three subcommittees with three members each.

Test takers rated the first and third games as easier and the second and fourth games as harder. Our students found that their familiarity with the games and experience with making deductions helped them set up the games and work the questions efficiently.

• Cheng Lok Chua, “Witnessing the Japanese Canadian Experience inWorldWar II: Processual Structure,
• Symbolism, and Irony in Joy Kogawa’s Obasan.” ©1992 by Temple University.

Joel Feinberg, The Moral Limits of the Criminal Law. ©1988 by Oxford University Press.

• Myrna I. Lewis, “What’s So Bad about Feeling Good? How Psychotherapy Can HelpYou Find Peace of Mind.” ©1993 by the American Association of Retired Persons.
• William Bryant Logan, “What Is Prosperity?” ©1995 by POINT.
• James Shreeve, “Music of the Hemispheres.” © October 1996 by Discover.
• Carol Kaesuk Yoon, “Pronghorn’s Speed May Be Legacy of Past Predators.” ©1996 by The New York

Times.