LSAT 154 – Section 2 – Question 20

LSAT 154 - Section 2 - Question 20

September 2017

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT154 S2 Q20
+LR
Main conclusion or main point +MC
Link Assumption +LinkA
A
68%
164
B
14%
156
C
9%
156
D
7%
156
E
2%
151
145
154
163
 +Harder 144.659 +SubsectionEasier

The public’s welfare can be undermined by its own tastes. Journalists tend to focus on stories that will stimulate their readers’ interest. Because sensation and drama serve this purpose more successfully than do matter-of-fact descriptions of political or social developments of far-reaching importance, newspaper articles containing the latter are all too often displaced by those that highlight rumors and implausible conspiracies.

Summarize Argument
The author concludes that the public’s welfare can be undermined by its own tastes. As support, the author explains that journalists focus on stories that will stimulate their readers’ interest, which are often stories that involve rumors and implausible conspiracies. These stories displace stories that would be better for the public, such as those about important political and social developments.

Identify Conclusion
The conclusion is the author’s assessment of how the public can hurt itself through its own desires: “The public’s welfare can be undermined by its own tastes.”

A
The best interests of the public sometimes fail to be served because of the sorts of preferences that people have.
This is the closest paraphrase of the conclusion. “Best interests” is another way to describe “welfare.” “Preferences that people have” is another way to describe the public’s “own tastes.”
B
Journalists’ tendency to focus on sensational and dramatic stories rather than those of far-reaching importance is to the detriment of the public welfare.
This is an assumption of the author’s argument. But this assumption is just part of an explanation of how the public’s welfare can be undermined by its own tastes.
C
Newspaper articles that focus on rumors or speculate about conspiracies too often displace stories about important political or social developments.
This is part of the support. Because newspaper articles about important things are too often displaced, this shows how the public’s own interests can hurt the public.
D
The shortcomings of modern print-journalism can be attributed to the preferences of its readers.
This was not stated or implied by the author. “Shortcomings of modern print-journalism” is too broad.
E
Journalists should pay more attention to the public’s welfare than to its tastes when choosing which stories to focus on.
The conclusion is not a recommendation about what journalists should do.

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LSAT PrepTest 154 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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