LSAT 133 – Section 3 – Question 03

LSAT 133 - Section 3 - Question 03

June 2011

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT133 S3 Q03
+LR
Most strongly supported +MSS
Principle +Princ
Causal Reasoning +CausR
Rule-Application +RuleApp
A
1%
149
B
1%
152
C
3%
155
D
2%
157
E
93%
163
128
138
147
 +Easier 147.69 +SubsectionMedium

The qwerty keyboard became the standard keyboard with the invention of the typewriter and remains the standard for typing devices today. If an alternative known as the Dvorak keyboard were today’s standard, typists would type significantly faster. Nevertheless, it is not practical to switch to the Dvorak keyboard because the cost to society of switching, in terms of time, money, and frustration, would be greater than the benefits that would be ultimately gained from faster typing.

Summary
The qwerty keyboard is the standard for typing devices today. Another keyboard, the Dvorak, would allow people to type faster. But it’s not practical to switch to the Dvorak because the societal costs of switching (time, money, having to learn how to type on a new keyboard) outweigh the benefits gained from faster typing.

Strongly Supported Conclusions
People aren’t typing as fast they could be typing.
Sometimes it’s more practical to keep something that’s the societal standard even if a change could have some benefits.

A
Often it is not worthwhile to move to a process that improves speed if it comes at the expense of accuracy.
Unsupported. There’s no suggestion that the Dvorak keyboard is less accurate. Although there are cost associated with frustration of switching to the Dvorak, that doesn’t imply that anyone would be less accurate.
B
People usually settle on a standard because that standard is more efficient than any alternatives.
Unsupported. We don’t know why qwerty became the standard. There’s no suggestion it was the most efficient at the time it was adopted.
C
People often remain with an entrenched standard rather than move to a more efficient alternative simply because they dislike change.
Unsupported. That doesn’t imply people don’t want to switch from qwerty merely because they don’t like change. They might like change, but weigh the costs and benefits of a particular change.
D
The emotional cost associated with change is a factor that sometimes outweighs financial considerations.
Unsupported. The stimulus cites to frustration as one of the costs of switching to Dvorak. That doesn’t imply that the emotional cost of switching by itself outweighs the benefits of faster typing. It’s also not clear that faster typing is a financial consideration.
E
The fact that a standard is already in wide use can be a crucial factor in making it a more practical choice than an alternative.
Strongly supported. Qwerty is the standard. The fact it’s standard increases the costs of switching, because it takes more time and money to switch every keyboard, and people need to learn Dvorak. These costs are an important reason keeping qwerty is more practical.

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LSAT PrepTest 133 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Reading Comprehension

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