LSAT 130 – Section 1 – Question 05

LSAT 130 - Section 1 - Question 05

September 2009

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT130 S1 Q05
+LR
Weaken +Weak
Value Judgment +ValJudg
A
60%
166
B
7%
155
C
22%
162
D
3%
158
E
8%
159
148
159
170
 +Harder 147.03 +SubsectionMedium

J.Y.’s explanation

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Doctor: While a few alternative medicines have dangerous side effects, some, such as many herbs, have been proven safe to consume. Thus, though there is little firm evidence of medicinal effect, advocates of these herbs as remedies for serious illnesses should always be allowed to prescribe them, since their patients will not be harmed, and might be helped, by the use of these products.

Summarize Argument
The doctor concludes that advocates of alternative medicine should be allowed to prescribe certain herbs as remedies for serious illnesses. This is because these herbs cause no harm and have the possibility of helping patients.

Notable Assumptions
The doctor assumes that the herbs should be prescribed strictly on the grounds that they cause no harm and may be beneficial. This means she assumes that it’s acceptable to prescribe a medicine with uncertain benefits, regardless of how that effects the patient’s treatment more generally (i.e. drug interactions, herbs being taken in place of a more effective remedy).

A
Many practitioners and patients neglect more effective conventional medicines in favor of herbal remedies.
Herbal remedies might not directly harm patients. However, they often take the place of effective remedies, which does indeed harm patients seeking relief.
B
Many herbal remedies are marketed with claims of proven effectiveness when in fact their effectiveness is unproven.
The doctor agrees that herbal remedies aren’t proven to be effective. We don’t care how other people choose to market those remedies.
C
Some patients may have allergic reactions to certain medicines that have been tolerated by other patients.
We have no idea if those medicines are herbal medicines. Besides, those allergic patients could simply choose not to use the herbal medicines.
D
The vast majority of purveyors of alternative medicines are driven as much by the profit motive as by a regard for their patients’ health.
We don’t care about the motives behind the herbal industry.
E
Any pain relief or other benefits of many herbs have been proven to derive entirely from patients’ belief in the remedy, rather than from its biochemical properties.
Even if herbs are a placebo, they still provide relief. Thus, herbs can help patients as the doctor claims.

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LSAT PrepTest 130 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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