LSAT 132 – Section 4 – Question 21

LSAT 132 - Section 4 - Question 21

December 2010

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT132 S4 Q21
+LR
Method of reasoning or descriptive +Method
Conditional Reasoning +CondR
Eliminating Options +ElimOpt
A
94%
164
B
3%
152
C
1%
149
D
1%
150
E
1%
156
133
140
148
 +Easier 146.238 +SubsectionMedium

It is virtually certain that the government contract for building the new highway will be awarded to either Phoenix Contracting or Cartwright Company. I have just learned that the government has decided not to award the contract to Cartwright Company. It is therefore almost inevitable that Phoenix Contracting will be awarded the contract.

Summarize Argument

The author concludes that Phoenix Contracting will almost certainly get the government contract for the new highway. He supports this by noting that the contract was expected to go to either Phoenix Contracting or Cartwright Company, and the government has decided not to award it to Cartwright Company.

Describe Method of Reasoning

The author draws his conclusion that Phoenix Contracting will very likely get the government contract by using the process of elimination. He notes that the contract was likely going to go to either Phoenix Contracting or Cartwright Company. Then, by claiming that Cartwright Company has been ruled out as a possibility, the author concludes that Phoenix Contracting will almost certainly get the contract.

A
concluding that it is extremely likely that an event will occur by ruling out the only probable alternative

The author concludes that it is extremely like that an event (Phoenix Contracting getting the government contract) will occur by ruling out the only probable alternative (Cartwright Company getting the government contract).

B
inferring, from a claim that one of two possible events will occur, that the other event will not occur

Actually, the author infers, from a claim that one event will not occur, that another event will occur. His claim is about an event not occurring, while his conclusion is about an event occurring. (B) reverses these.

C
refuting a claim that a particular event is inevitable by establishing the possibility of an alternative event

The author doesn’t refute a claim that a particular event is inevitable. Rather, he concludes that a particular event is almost inevitable. Also, he eliminates, rather than establishes, the possibility of an alternative event.

D
predicting a future event on the basis of an established pattern of past events

The author does predict a future event, but he does so by ruling out the only probable alternative, not on the basis of an established pattern of events.

E
inferring a claim about the probability of a particular event from a general statistical statement

By concluding that Phoenix Contracting will almost inevitably get the government contract, the author does infer a claim about the probability of a particular event. But he does this by eliminating the only probable alternative, not based on a general statistical statement.

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LSAT PrepTest 132 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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