LSAT 122 – Section 2 – Question 11

LSAT 122 - Section 2 - Question 11

June 2006

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT122 S2 Q11
+LR
Except +Exc
Strengthen +Streng
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
3%
156
B
5%
159
C
85%
164
D
3%
154
E
4%
156
136
146
156
 +Medium 146.896 +SubsectionMedium

Cookie Cutter Review
Causation
(A) direct cause
(B) alternate cause
(D) direct cause
(E) corroborating data

Cholesterol, which is a known factor in coronary heart disease and stroke, needs a carrier, known as a lipoprotein, to transport it through the bloodstream. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) increase the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, but we can tentatively conclude that high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) help prevent coronary heart disease and stroke. First, aerobic exercise increases one’s level of HDLs. Second, HDL levels are higher in women than in men. And both aerobic exercise and being female are positively correlated with lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author hypothesizes that HDLs prevent heart disease and stroke. This is based on a few phenomena: cardio increases HDL levels, women have higher HDL levels, and both cardio and being female are correlated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.

Notable Assumptions
The author assumes causation from correlation. There could be a number of other factors that explain the phenomena described. For example, maybe exercise just improves overall health, and maybe women tend to exercise more than men, which is why exercise and being female are correlated with fewer heart issues.

A
HDLs, unlike LDLs, help the body excrete cholesterol.
This strengthens the argument. (A) says HDLs, unlike LDLs, help the body get rid of something that is known to contribute to heart disease and stroke: cholesterol.
B
Persons who are overweight tend to have a higher risk of early death due to coronary heart disease and stroke, and tend to have low levels of HDLs.
This strengthens the argument by offering a correlation between low HDL levels and higher risk of fatal heart disease and stroke. This reinforces the correlation described in the stimulus (that higher HDL levels are correlated with lower risk of these conditions).
C
HDLs are less easily removed from the bloodstream than are LDLs.
This does not affect the argument. While we know that LDLs increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, we don’t know anything about how them being more easily removed from the bloodstream affects one’s likeliness to have these conditions.
D
A high level of HDLs mitigates the increased health risks associated with LDLs.
This strengthens the argument. We know that LDLs increase the risk of heart disease and stroke—the idea that HDLs mitigate this risk suggests that they have the opposite impact on one’s risk of heart disease and stroke.
E
Men whose level of HDLs is equal to the average level for women have been found to have a lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke than that of most men.
This strengthens the argument. (E) says men with above-average HDL levels (relative to other men) have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke than men with average HDL levels. (E) offers another correlation between high HDL levels and low risk of the conditions.

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LSAT PrepTest 122 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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