LSAT 131 – Section 3 – Question 02

LSAT 131 - Section 3 - Question 02

December 2009

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT131 S3 Q02
+LR
Weaken +Weak
A
97%
164
B
0%
157
C
0%
147
D
2%
155
E
1%
147
126
134
142
 +Easiest 146.026 +SubsectionMedium

A university psychology department received a large donation from a textbook company after agreeing to use one of the company’s books for a large introductory course. The department chair admitted that the department would not have received the donation if it used another company’s textbook, but insisted that the book was chosen solely for academic reasons. As proof, she noted that the department’s textbook committee had given that textbook its highest rating.

Summarize Argument
The department chair claims that the psychology textbook was chosen for purely academic reasons despite the associated donation. Her evidence is that the department’s textbook committee gave the textbook the highest-possible rating.

Notable Assumptions
The department chair assumes that the department’s textbook committee wasn’t affected by the donation. Thus, any connection between the donation and the committee would compromise her claim. She also assumes that either no other relevant textbook also received the highest rating, or else she would have to explain why this particular textbook was chosen for “purely academic reasons” over another textbook of comparable merit.

A
The members of the textbook committee were favorably influenced toward the textbook by the prospect of their department receiving a large donation.
The textbook committee were influenced by the donation. Thus, the fact the textbook received a high rating doesn’t signal “purely academic reasons.”
B
The department has a long-standing policy of using only textbooks that receive the committee’s highest rating.
We don’t care about tradition. We care about how the donation influenced the decision to use the textbook.
C
In the previous year, a different textbook from the same company was used in the introductory course.
We don’t care about previous years. We care about how the donation influenced the decision to use the textbook.
D
The department chair is one of the members of the textbook committee.
Even if this was true, she may have been able to give an unbiased opinion of the textbook as a committee member. And if she didn’t, the other members might’ve outvoted her.
E
The textbook company does not routinely make donations to academic departments that use its books.
They made a donation in this case.

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LSAT PrepTest 131 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Reading Comprehension

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