LSAT 125 – Section 4 – Question 11

LSAT 125 - Section 4 - Question 11

June 2008

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT125 S4 Q11
+LR
Main conclusion or main point +MC
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
8%
158
B
11%
158
C
68%
165
D
3%
155
E
9%
157
145
155
164
 +Harder 145.982 +SubsectionMedium

Australia has considerably fewer species of carnivorous mammals than any other continent does but about as many carnivorous reptile species as other continents do. This is probably a consequence of the unusual sparseness of Australia’s ecosystems. To survive, carnivorous mammals must eat much more than carnivorous reptiles need to; thus carnivorous mammals are at a disadvantage in ecosystems in which there is relatively little food.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author explains a phenomenon and supports that explanation. The unusual sparseness of Australia’s ecosystems explains why the continent has fewer species of carnivorous mammals but as many species of carnivorous reptiles. Carnivorous mammals are at a disadvantage in an ecosystem with little food because they need to eat much more than carnivorous reptiles do.

Identify Conclusion
The conclusion is an explanation for the carnivorous species imbalance: “This is probably a consequence of the unusual sparseness of Australia's ecosystems.”

A
Australia has considerably fewer species of carnivorous mammals than any other continent does but about as many carnivorous reptile species as other continents do.
This is a phenomenon that the argument attempts to explain. It is context that sets up the claim.
B
In ecosystems in which there is relatively little food carnivorous mammals are at a disadvantage relative to carnivorous reptiles.
This is support for why Australia’s sparse ecosystem explains the phenomenon.
C
The unusual sparseness of Australia’s ecosystems is probably the reason Australia has considerably fewer carnivorous mammal species than other continents do but about as many carnivorous reptile species.
This restates the author’s ultimate argument - the sparse ecosystem explains the species imbalance.
D
The reason that carnivorous mammals are at a disadvantage in ecosystems in which there is relatively little food is that they must eat much more in order to survive than carnivorous reptiles need to.
This is support for why Australia’s sparse ecosystem explains the phenomenon.
E
Because Australia’s ecosystems are unusually sparse, carnivorous mammals there are at a disadvantage relative to carnivorous reptiles.
The argument is not only saying that sparseness contributes to a disadvantage, but that the disadvantage then explains the difference in the number of species. This is a major premise, but not the ultimate conclusion.

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LSAT PrepTest 125 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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