LSAT 106 – Section 1 – Question 08

LSAT 106 - Section 1 - Question 08

June 1999

You need a full course to see this video. Enroll now and get started in less than a minute.

Target time: 1:17

This is question data from the 7Sage LSAT Scorer. You can score your LSATs, track your results, and analyze your performance with pretty charts and vital statistics - all with a Free Account ← sign up in less than 10 seconds

Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT106 S1 Q08
+LR
Resolve reconcile or explain +RRE
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
3%
159
B
2%
160
C
84%
168
D
10%
162
E
0%
141
151
160
 +Medium 152.148 +SubsectionHarder

Generally speaking, if the same crop is sown in a field for several successive years, growth in the later years is poorer than growth in the earlier years, since nitrogen in the soil becomes depleted. Even though alfalfa is a nitrogen-fixing plant and thus increases the amount of nitrogen in the soil, surprisingly, it too, if planted in the same field year after year, grows less well in the later years than it does in the earlier years.

"Surprising" Phenomenon
Alfalfa increases the nitrogen in the soil, yet it struggles when planted in the same field year after year.

Objective
A hypothesis explaining this similarity must imply that alfalfa will struggle when planted in successive years. This may be a consequence of increased nitrogen in the soil, or it may be unrelated to nitrogen.

A
Some kinds of plants grow more rapidly and are more productive when they are grown among other kinds of plants rather than being grown only among plants of their own kind.
It is not stated whether alfalfa is one such plant, nor is it stated whether alfalfa is typically mixed with other crops. This does not address the success of crops that are planted in the same field in successive years.
B
Alfalfa increases the amount of nitrogen in the soil by taking nitrogen from the air and releasing it in a form that is usable by most kinds of plants.
This simply describes the mechanism by which alfalfa increases nitrogen in the soil. It does not explain why alfalfa struggles when planted in successive years.
C
Certain types of plants, including alfalfa, produce substances that accumulate in the soil and that are toxic to the plants that produce those substances.
This explains why alfalfa struggles when planted in successive years. Though the soil accumulates nitrogen, it also accumulates toxic substances that are detrimental to alfalfa’s health.
D
Alfalfa increases nitrogen in the soil in which it grows only if a certain type of soil bacteria is present in the soil.
This does not state whether the required bacteria exists in alfalfa fields. It establishes a condition necessary for alfalfa to be nitrogen-fixing but takes no position on whether that condition is satisfied.
E
Alfalfa is very sensitive to juglone, a compound that is exuded from the leaves of black walnut trees.
This information is useless without more context. No given information suggests that black walnut leaves will more likely be present in fields where alfalfa is grown in successive years.

Take PrepTest

Review Results

LSAT PrepTest 106 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Reading Comprehension

Get full LSAT course

Leave a Reply