I have so much more trouble with RC than LR, the wording can be so confusing between the passages and implied answer choices that I waste so much time just trying to understand the passage. But im getting there!

makes two of us lol

You're right to notice that the premise doesn't support the conclusion very it because it relies on a lot of assumptions. It's clearly indicated as a conclusions with "hence", but I don't think it would be a conclusion without some indication of an inference.

So, for this argument, yes, slapping either a conclusion indicator or a premise indicator (like "since" or "because") is kinda the only thing making this an argument. Otherwise it would just seem like two facts

From my understanding yeah, the only exception are assumptions when you get to assumption type questions. But for most of the LSAT, it's designed in a way that lets anyone be able to answer any question even if they knew nothing about the subject matter