LSAT 135 – Section 4 – Question 19

LSAT 135 - Section 4 - Question 19

December 2011

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT135 S4 Q19
+LR
Except +Exc
Weaken +Weak
Causal Reasoning +CausR
Net Effect +NetEff
A
5%
157
B
80%
166
C
4%
155
D
6%
158
E
4%
157
145
152
160
 +Medium 147.853 +SubsectionMedium

Consumer advocate: In some countries, certain produce is routinely irradiated with gamma rays in order to extend shelf life. There are, however, good reasons to avoid irradiated foods. First, they are exposed to the radioactive substances that produce the gamma rays. Second, irradiation can reduce the vitamin content of fresh foods, leaving behind harmful chemical residues. Third, irradiation spawns unique radiolytic products that cause serious health problems, including cancer.

Summarize Argument

The consumer advocate concludes that irradiated foods should be avoided, based on three points: (1) irradiated foods are exposed to radioactive substances, (2) irradiation can reduce vitamins and leave harmful chemical residues, and (3) irradiation creates unique radiolytic products that may cause serious health issues, including cancer.

Notable Assumptions

The consumer advocate makes the following assumptions:

Irradiating foods causes unique radiolytic products to be in the produce itself.

Just because irradiation can reduce vitamins in produce, it does reduce vitamins in produce.

The amount of harmful chemical residue left after irradiation is more than the amount left without it.

Because irradiation creates unique radiolytic products and these products cause cancer, irradiated foods cause cancer.

A
Unique radiolytic products have seldom been found in any irradiated food.

The consumer advocate assumes that irradiation, which creates unique radiolytic products, causes those unique radiolytic products to be present in the produce itself. (A) weakens the argument by showing that this assumption is false.

B
Cancer and other serious health problems have many causes that are unrelated to radioactive substances and gamma rays.

This doesn't weaken the argument. The fact that cancer and other health problems have other causes doesn't mean that radioactive substances and gamma rays don't also cause these issues and need to be avoided.

C
A study showed that irradiation leaves the vitamin content of virtually all fruits and vegetables unchanged.

The consumer advocate assumes that, just because irradiation can reduce the vitamins in produce, it actually does reduce the vitamins in produce. (C) weakens the argument by showing that this assumption is false.

D
The amount of harmful chemicals found in irradiated foods is less than the amount that occurs naturally in most kinds of foods.

The consumer advocate assumes that the amount of harmful chemical residues left after irradiation is more than the amount of harmful chemical residues left without irradiation. (D) weakens the argument by showing that this assumption is false.

E
A study showed that the cancer rate is no higher among people who eat irradiated food than among those who do not.

The consumer advocate assumes that, because irradiation creates unique radiolytic products and these products cause cancer, irradiated foods cause cancer. (E) undermines this link by showing that cancer rates are not actually higher among people who eat irradiated food.

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LSAT PrepTest 135 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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