LSAT 112 – Section 4 – Question 24

LSAT 112 - Section 4 - Question 24

December 2001

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT112 S4 Q24
+LR
+Exp
Weaken +Weak
Net Effect +NetEff
A
2%
159
B
3%
158
C
1%
160
D
93%
167
E
1%
154
139
146
154
 +Medium 142.561 +SubsectionEasier

Telephone companies are promoting “voice mail” as an alternative to the answering machine. By recording messages from callers when a subscriber does not have access to his or her telephone, voice mail provides a service similar to that of an answering machine. The companies promoting this service argue that it will soon make answering machines obsolete, since it is much more convenient, more flexible, and less expensive than an answering machine.

Summarize Argument
The telephone companies promoting voicemail conclude that voicemail will soon make answering machines obsolete. This prediction is supported by the observation that voicemail is more convenient, more flexible, and less expensive than answering machines.

Notable Assumptions
The telephone companies are assuming that there are not reasons other than convenience, flexibility, and cost that determine whether consumers use voicemail or answering machines. It could be true that voicemail is superior in convenience, flexibility, and cost, but users still prefer answering machines for some other reason. This would weaken the support for the conclusion that answering machines will soon be obsolete.

A
Unlike calls made to owners of answering machines, all telephone calls made to voice-mail subscribers are completed, even if the line called is in use at the time of the call.
This actually marginally strengthens the argument. (A) gives a reason why voicemail may be superior to answering machines.
B
The surge in sales of answering machines occurred shortly after they were first introduced to the electronics market.
This information about a past sales surge for answering machines has no impact on the prediction that answering machines will soon become obsolete. This claim is not relevant to the strength of support for the conclusion.
C
Once a telephone customer decides to subscribe to voice mail, that customer can cancel the service at any time.
This does not weaken the argument. This flexibility in subscription to voicemail gives another possible benefit to voicemail, and it does not weaken the argument that answering machines will soon be obsolete.
D
Answering machines enable the customer to hear who is calling before the customer decides whether to answer the telephone, a service voice mail does not provide.
This information weakens the argument because it provides a new reason that one may prefer answering machines over voicemail. Because of this benefit that voicemail does not have, there is less support for the prediction that answering machines will soon be obsolete.
E
The number of messages a telephone answering machine can record is limited by the length of the magnetic tape on which calls are recorded.
This information provides a downside to using answering machines. This does not weaken the argument that answering machines will soon be obsolete.

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LSAT PrepTest 112 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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