PTA.S1.Q16 - Giordano Bruno, the Renaissance philosopher

attorneybae

PrepTest A - Section 1 - Question 16

For this one I was able to gather my information to see how I could even weaken this argument. Automatically Bruno was accused of being the spy. In my process of reading this question type, I was automatically thinking of an AC that would no longer make him the spy in question. AC A gave that set up exactly. Although I was able to figure this question type out, I am wondering if there is a quicker approach for weakening/strengthening question types that could help me. I felt like I could've answered this one quicker than I did, so anything helps!

Admin Note: Edited title. Please use the format: "PT#.S#.Q# - brief description of the question."

AlexLSAT.

I think predicting the answer choice here helps a lot.

We are told Bruno must have been the spy, for two reasons:
1. Spy is identified as the "only clergyman working at the French embassy."
2. Bruno was a clergy man awhile ago, and now works for the French embassy.

The flaw in the argument is that the author assumed that Bruno is still a clergyman because he was some time ago. With this being said, for a weakening AC, we can reasonably predict here that the correct answer will give us information that Bruno is not a clergyman at the same time as working for the French embassy.

AC A fits this prediction by outright telling us he isn't a clergyman anymore because he got excommunicated a long time before he started working for the embassy.

When doing the above method I believe it's reasonable to get the right AC and move on from this question in around 45 seconds. Once you start finding the flaw and predicting ACs you'll be able to increase your speed!