LSAT 138 – Section 3 – Question 08

LSAT 138 - Section 3 - Question 08

December 2012

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT138 S3 Q08
+LR
Main conclusion or main point +MC
Analogy +An
A
0%
151
B
91%
165
C
7%
157
D
0%
150
E
1%
153
134
143
151
 +Medium 147.528 +SubsectionMedium

Some claim that migratory birds have an innate homing sense that allows them to return to the same areas year after year. However, there is little evidence to support this belief, since the studies testing whether the accuracy of birds’ migratory patterns is due to such an innate ability are inconclusive. After all, birds may simply navigate using landmarks, just as humans do, and we do not say that humans have an innate sense of direction simply because they find their way home time after time.

Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The author concludes that there’s not much evidence to support the belief that migratory birds have an innate homing sense that allows them to return to the same places each year. The author supports her conclusion by pointing out that the studies exploring whether birds have an innate homing sense don’t rule out other potential explanations for how the birds might navigate. Because these studies are inconclusive, there’s not much evidence for the belief.

Identify Conclusion
The conclusion is the author’s assertion that there’s not much evidence to support the belief that migratory birds have an innate homing sense: “there is little evidence to support this belief.”

A
Neither migratory birds nor humans have an innate homing sense.
This goes too far. The author never asserted that birds don’t have an innate homing sense. Only that there’s not much evidence for it.
B
There is as yet little reason to accept that birds have an innate homing sense.
This is a paraphrase of the main conclusion that there’s not much evidence to support a belief in migratory birds’ innate homing sense.
C
Studies testing whether the accuracy of birds’ migratory patterns is due to an innate homing sense are inconclusive.
This is support for the author’s conclusion. The author uses the fact that the studies are inconclusive to argue that there’s little evidence to support a belief in migratory birds’ innate homing sense.
D
The ability to use landmarks to find one’s way home is probably not an innate ability in birds.
The author never stated or implied this, so it can’t be the conclusion. The author uses the possibility of navigation by landmarks to explain how the studies are inconclusive, which in turn supports the conclusion.
E
It is as false to claim that humans have an innate sense of direction as it is to claim that birds have an innate homing sense.
This goes too far. The author never suggests that it’s false to think birds have an innate homing sense. She concludes only that there’s not much evidence for this belief.

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LSAT PrepTest 138 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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