LSAT 107 – Section 1 – Question 24

LSAT 107 - Section 1 - Question 24

October 1999

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT107 S1 Q24
+LR
Weaken +Weak
A
1%
154
B
5%
156
C
90%
166
D
2%
157
E
2%
151
141
148
155
 +Medium 147.515 +SubsectionMedium

Automobile-emission standards are enforced through annual inspection. At those inspections cars are tested while idling; that is, standing still with their engines running. Testing devices measure the levels of various pollutants as exhaust gases leave the tail pipe.

Summarize Argument
The stimulus itself doesn’t provide an argument, but the question stem asks us why current automobile-emission enforcement may not be effective in controlling pollution. In other words, we need to weaken the conclusion that current enforcement is effective. The method of enforcement (i.e. the support for that conclusion) is that pollutant levels in exhaust are measured while a car is idling.

Notable Assumptions
The conclusion we’re weakening assumes that cars emit similar or higher levels of pollutants while they’re idling than while they’re in motion. In other words, it assumes that a test while a car is idling will not find a significantly lower pollutant level than the car emits while being driven.

A
As an emission-control technology approaches its limits, any additional gains in effectiveness become progressively more expensive.
This does not undermine the effectiveness of current enforcement, because the expense of continuing to improve emission-control technology has nothing to do with how reliable emission-control testing is. This is just irrelevant to the conclusion we’re weakening.
B
The testing devices used must be recalibrated frequently to measure pollutant levels with acceptable accuracy.
This does not undermine the effectiveness of current enforcement, because we can’t assume that the testing devices are not frequently recalibrated. It’s equally possible that they are frequently recalibrated, in which case current enforcement seems fine.
C
The adjustments needed to make a car idle cleanly make it likely that the car will emit high levels of pollutants when moving at highway speeds.
This undermines the effectiveness of current enforcement by rebutting the assumption that emissions are similar when idling and when in motion. If passing the test by idling cleanly then leads to higher highway pollution, that’s not an effective enforcement method.
D
Most car owners ask their mechanics to make sure that their cars are in compliance with emission standards.
This does not undermine the effectiveness of current enforcement. All this tells us is that most people want to pass the control test, not whether or not the test actually works. This is irrelevant to whether or not current enforcement is effective.
E
When emission standards are set, no allowances are made for older cars.
This does not undermine the effectiveness of current enforcement. Just knowing that older cars don’t get a free pass doesn’t help us figure out whether current emissions testing is doing its job. This is irrelevant.

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LSAT PrepTest 107 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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