LSAT 143 – Section 3 – Question 20

LSAT 143 - Section 3 - Question 20

June 2015

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT143 S3 Q20
+LR
Argument part +AP
Causal Reasoning +CausR
Net Effect +NetEff
Analogy +An
A
18%
162
B
4%
160
C
3%
155
D
64%
165
E
12%
162
139
155
171
 +Harder 147.721 +SubsectionMedium

Engineer: Semiplaning monohulls are a new kind of ship that can attain twice the speed of conventional ships. Due to increased fuel needs, transportation will be much more expensive on semiplaning monohulls than on conventional ships. Similarly, travel on jet airplanes was more expensive than travel on other planes at first, but jet airplanes still attracted enough passengers to be profitable, because they offered greater speed and reliability. Semiplaning monohulls offer the same advantages over traditional ships. Thus they will probably be profitable as well.

Summarize Argument
The author concludes that semiplaning monohulls will probably be profitable. This is supported by an analogy to jet airplanes, which were profitable despite their increased cost to consumers, because the planes were faster and more reliable than other kinds of planes. Semiplaning monohulls, although more expensive than other ships, are faster. Thus, in the same way that jet airplanes were profitable, the author thinks semiplaning monohulls will be profitable, too.

Identify Argument Part
The referenced text is a concession that the author believes will not stop semiplaning monohulls from being profitable.

A
It serves as one of two analogies drawn between semiplaning monohulls and jet airplanes, which function together to support the argument’s main conclusion.
The point about increased expense of semiplaning monohulls doesn’t support the conclusion. It’s a concession. Despite the increased expense, semiplaning monohulls will still be profitable.
B
It draws an analogy between semiplaning monohulls and conventional ships that constitutes an objection to the argument’s main conclusion, one that is subsequently rejected by appeal to another analogy.
The argument doesn’t involve two separate analogies. There’s one analogy to jet airplanes.
C
It draws a distinction between characteristics of semiplaning monohulls and characteristics of conventional ships that independently provides support for the argument’s main conclusion.
The point about increased expense does not support the conclusion. It’s a concession. Despite the increase expense, semiplaning monohulls will still be profitable.
D
It constitutes a potential objection to the argument’s main conclusion, but is subsequently countered by an analogy drawn between ships and airplanes.
This accurately describes the role of the referenced text. Despite the increased expense, semiplaning monohulls will still be profitable, just as jet airplanes were profitable.
E
It draws a distinction between characteristics of semiplaning monohulls and characteristics of conventional ships that the argument’s main conclusion compares to a distinction between types of airplanes.
The main conclusion is that semiplaning monohulls will be profitable. Although the reasoning that supports the conclusion compares monohulls to jet airplanes, the conclusion itself does not make a comparison.

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LSAT PrepTest 143 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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