LSAT 126 – Section 1 – Question 09

LSAT 126 - Section 1 - Question 09

October 2008

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT126 S1 Q09
+LR
Weaken +Weak
A
5%
155
B
2%
153
C
0%
154
D
91%
163
E
2%
156
128
138
148
 +Easier 146.126 +SubsectionMedium

Several major earthquakes have occurred in a certain region over the last ten years. But a new earthquake prediction method promises to aid local civil defense officials in deciding exactly when to evacuate various towns. Detected before each of these major quakes were certain changes in the electric current in the earth’s crust.

Summarize Argument
The author concludes that a new earthquake prediction system will help local officials decide which towns to evacuate during earthquakes. This is because electrical current changes were detected before each every earthquake in the region over the last decade.

Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that the new earthquake protection system can accurately gauge these electrical current changes, to the extent that such information can provide local officials with enough information to know which towns to evacuate. This means the author assumes the electrical currents themselves give hints as to which specific geographic areas will be significantly affected by the earthquakes.

A
Scientists do not fully understand what brought about the changes in the electric current in the earth’s crust that preceded each of the major quakes in the region over the last ten years.
Even if scientists don’t understand the natural mechanism behind these currents, they’re still able to detect changes in the currents with the new method. That’s all that matters for the sake of the argument.
B
Most other earthquake prediction methods have been based on a weaker correlation than that found between the changes in the electric current in the earth’s crust and the subsequent earthquakes.
If those methods are weaker than the detection method in question, then that suggests this new detection method may have an advantage over those. We’re trying to weaken the claim that this method will actually help local officials.
C
The frequency of major earthquakes in the region has increased over the last ten years.
It doesn’t matter how frequent earthquakes have been. We need to weaken the claim that the new detection method will help local officials.
D
There is considerable variation in the length of time between the changes in the electric current and the subsequent earthquakes.
The current changes vary from earthquake to earthquake. If those changes occur extremely shortly before an earthquake, this detection method would be of very little use helping local officials decide which towns to evacuate. There wouldn’t be enough time to evacuate.
E
There is presently only one station in the region that is capable of detecting the electric current in the earth’s crust.
Even if there’s only one station capable of using this method, the method could still be employed. Besides, we’re not interested in how hypothetically practical this method is—we care about whether or not it would really help local officials.

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LSAT PrepTest 126 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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