LSAT 128 – Section 3 – Question 16

LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 16

December 2008

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT128 S3 Q16
+LR
Main conclusion or main point +MC
Conditional Reasoning +CondR
A
1%
158
B
5%
158
C
1%
161
D
93%
167
E
0%
154
131
141
150
 +Easier 145.461 +SubsectionMedium

Live Commentary

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The primary task of a university is to educate. But to teach well, professors must be informed about new developments in their disciplines, and that requires research. Yet many universities cannot afford to support faculty research adequately. So a lack of funds for research adversely affects the degree to which a university can fulfill its central mission.

Summarize Argument
A lack of funds for research hurts the ability of universities to fulfill their primary purpose. How? The university’s purpose is to educate. To be strong educators, professors must know about new developments, which requires research. However, many universities don’t have enough funds to properly support research. This, in turn, hurts universities ability to educate.

Identify Conclusion
The conclusion is the author’s claim about university education: “a lack of funds for research adversely affects the degree to which a university can fulfill its central mission.”

A
In order to be able to teach well, university professors must conduct research.
This is part of the reasoning that links a lack of funds to the inability of a university to fully complete its central mission of education.
B
Lack of financial support for faculty research is the root of ineffective teaching at universities.
This goes too far. The stimulus says that professors need research to teach well, but does not go so far as to say a lack of support for research is the ultimate cause of ineffective teaching.
C
Effective teaching is the primary mission of a university.
This is context that lets us know that the central mission discussed in the conclusion is to educate.
D
Lack of funds for research reduces the quality of education a university provides.
This accurately rephrases the conclusion. The argument is set up to show that a lack of funds hurt’s the university’s central mission: education.
E
New means of funding faculty research at universities are needed.
The conclusion is simply stating that a lack of funds has a certain negative effect. It does not go so far as to suggest a solution, as this answer choice does.

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LSAT PrepTest 128 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Reading Comprehension

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