LSATs 128

LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 25

June 15, 2016

LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 24

June 15, 2016

Historian: The revolutionary party has been accused of having many overambitious goals and of having caused great suffering. However, most of the party’s goals were quickly achieved and the party did not have enough power to cause the suffering the critics claim it caused. So it is clear that the party was not overambitious and caused no suffering.

Summarize Argument

The author concludes that the revolutionary party was not overambitious and caused NO suffering. This is based on the fact that most of the party’s goals were achieved quickly and that the party didn’t have enough power to cause GREAT suffering.

Identify and Describe Flaw

There are two key assumptions. First, the author assumes that achieving most goals quickly implies that there weren’t many overambitious goals. This overlooks the possibility that there were a lot of goals that the party still didn’t achieve. Second, the author assumes that not being able to cause GREAT suffering implies that the party caused NO suffering. This overlooks the possibility that the party still caused some suffering, even if it wasn’t great.

A

gives mutually inconsistent responses to the two criticisms

There’s nothing contradictory about claiming that the party achieved most goals and that it didn’t have enough power to cause great suffering. Both can be true.

B

fails to establish that the revolutionary party caused no suffering

The author’s premises establish that the party didn’t cause GREAT suffering. But this doesn’t establish what the conclusion asserts — that the party caused NO suffering.

C

fails to establish that any of the revolutionary party’s critics underestimated the party’s power

The argument didn’t need to establish anything about the critics of the revolutionary party. The critics’ claims are mentioned purely as context in the first sentence; the argument’s reasoning doesn’t rely on critics’ perceptions of the party.

D

provides no evidence that the revolutionary party’s goals were not overambitious

The author does provide some evidence that the goals were not overambitious — the party achievedmost of its goals quickly. This evidence doesn’t prove that the party was not overambitious, but it does constitute at least some evidence it wasn’t ambitious.

E

fails to consider other major criticisms of the revolutionary party

The argument didn’t need to consider other major criticisms. It focusd on two particular criticisms about being overambitious and causing great suffering and tried to rebut those points. But the argument doesn’t take a position on any other issues.

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LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 23

June 15, 2016

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LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 22

June 15, 2016

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LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 21

June 15, 2016

Musicologist: Ludwig van Beethoven began losing his hearing when he was 30. This loss continued gradually, but was not complete until late in his life. While it may seem that complete hearing loss would be a severe liability for a composer, in Beethoven’s case it gave his later music a wonderfully introspective quality that his earlier music lacked.

Summary

Beethoven gradually lost his hearing beginning at age 30. Late in his life, he completely lost his hearing. This complete hearing loss gave Beethoven’s later music a positive introspective quality that was not present in his earlier music.

Strongly Supported Conclusions

Loss of hearing can influence the nature of music one composes.

At least one aspect of Beethoven’s music changed as a result of his loss of hearing.

A

It was more difficult for Beethoven to compose his later works than his earlier ones.

Unsupported. We don’t know how difficult it was for Beethoven to compose his music at any point during his life. We’re not told loss of hearing made composing more or less difficult.

B

Had he not lost his hearing, Beethoven’s later music would have been of poorer quality than it is.

Unsupported. Although his later music probably wouldn’t have been as introspective had he not lost his hearing, that doesn’t imply it would have been worse. His music could have gained other positive qualities that would have made up for the loss of the introspective quality.

C

Had he not lost his hearing, Beethoven would have been less introspective than he was.

Unsupported. Although his later music probably wouldn’t have been as introspective had he not lost his hearing, that doesn’t imply anything about the introspection of Beethoven himself. There’s a difference between the person and his music.

D

Beethoven’s music became gradually more introspective as he grew older.

Unsupported. We don’t know whether the increased introspective quality in Beethoven’s music came gradually or suddenly. We’re told complete hearing loss gave the music an introspective quality; this doesn’t imply that partial hearing loss lead to a partial introspective quality.

E

Had he not lost his hearing, Beethoven’s later music would probably have been different than it is.

Strongly supported. We’re told that the cause of the introspective quality in his later music was complete hearing loss. This is evidence that if he hadn’t lost his hearing, his music probably wouldn’t have been as introspective.

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LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 20

June 15, 2016

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LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 19

June 15, 2016

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LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 18

June 15, 2016

Education critics’ contention that the use of calculators in mathematics classes will undermine students’ knowledge of the rationale underlying calculational procedures is clearly false. Every new information-handling technology has produced virtually the same accusation. Some Greek philosophers, for example, believed that the advent of written language would erode people’s capacity to remember information and speak extemporaneously.

Summarize Argument: Counter-Position

The author concludes that the use of calculators in math classes will not undermine students’ knowledge of the rationale underlying calculational procedures. This is based on the assertion that every new information technology has received the same kind of criticism. One example is certain criticism of written language. Some Greek philosophers thought written language would destroy people’s memory and ability to speak extemporaneously.

Identify and Describe Flaw

What do the complaints about other technologies have to do with whether calculators in math classes will undermine students knowledge of the rationale underlying calculations? Nothing. The author assumes that because similar complaints have been raised about other technologies, this somehow shows one particular complaint about calculators is wrong.

A

presents only evidence whose relevancy to the issue raised by the opponents has not been established

The author fails to show that complaints about other technologies is relevant to the impact of calculators in math classes.

B

draws a conclusion based on an ambiguous notion of knowledge

There’s nothing ambiguous about the concept “knowledge” in this argument. It takes on its ordinary dictionary definition.

C

takes for granted that the advantages offered by new information-handling technologies always outweigh the disadvantages

The author never expresses an opinion on whether using calculators in the classroom is good or bad; the conclusion is simply that calculators won’t have a particular effect. So the author doesn’t engage in weighing advantages/disadvantages of calculators or any other technology.

D

takes a condition that suffices to prove its conclusion to be a condition necessary for the truth of that conclusion

There’s no confusing of any sufficient or necessary conditions. The argument is not based on conditional logic and doesn’t assert that anything is sufficient or necessary.

E

concludes that a hypothesis is false simply because it contradicts other beliefs held by the advocates of that hypothesis

The author doesn’t bring up the education critics’ other beliefs. The author does cite to complaints about other technologies; but the author doesn’t say that the education critics are wrong because of the education critics’ own other beliefs.

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LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 17

June 15, 2016

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LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 16

June 15, 2016

The primary task of a university is to educate. But to teach well, professors must be informed about new developments in their disciplines, and that requires research. Yet many universities cannot afford to support faculty research adequately. So a lack of funds for research adversely affects the degree to which a university can fulfill its central mission.

Summarize Argument

A lack of funds for research hurts the ability of universities to fulfill their primary purpose. How? The university’s purpose is to educate. To be strong educators, professors must know about new developments, which requires research. However, many universities don’t have enough funds to properly support research. This, in turn, hurts universities ability to educate.

Identify Conclusion

The conclusion is the author’s claim about university education: “a lack of funds for research adversely affects the degree to which a university can fulfill its central mission.”

A

In order to be able to teach well, university professors must conduct research.

This is part of the reasoning that links a lack of funds to the inability of a university to fully complete its central mission of education.

B

Lack of financial support for faculty research is the root of ineffective teaching at universities.

This goes too far. The stimulus says that professors need research to teach well, but does not go so far as to say a lack of support for research is the ultimate cause of ineffective teaching.

C

Effective teaching is the primary mission of a university.

This is context that lets us know that the central mission discussed in the conclusion is to educate.

D

Lack of funds for research reduces the quality of education a university provides.

This accurately rephrases the conclusion. The argument is set up to show that a lack of funds hurt’s the university’s central mission: education.

E

New means of funding faculty research at universities are needed.

The conclusion is simply stating that a lack of funds has a certain negative effect. It does not go so far as to suggest a solution, as this answer choice does.

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