LSAT 140 – Section 1 – Question 05

LSAT 140 - Section 1 - Question 05

December 2013

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT140 S1 Q05
+LR
Main conclusion or main point +MC
Math +Math
A
4%
163
B
10%
162
C
4%
156
D
7%
157
E
75%
166
138
151
163
 +Medium 148.137 +SubsectionMedium

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Essayist: If Earth’s population continues to grow geometrically, then in a few centuries there will be ten people for every square meter (approximately one person per square foot) of Earth’s surface. Some people have claimed that this will probably not be a problem, since humans will have learned by then how to colonize other planets. This would, however, be a temporary solution at best: if the population continues to double every 30 years, and if in the year 2500 half of Earth’s population emigrated to Mars, then by the year 2530 Earth would be just as crowded as it had been before the emigration.

Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The fact that, in a few centuries, there will be ten people for every square meter will only be temporarily solved by humans learning how to colonize other planets. Colonizing other planets will only temporarily solve Earth’s population crisis because if the population keeps doubling every 30 years, and half of Earth's population moves to Mars in 2500, Earth will be just as crowded as before by 2530.

Identify Conclusion
The conclusion is the essayist’s criticism of a potential solution to the fact that Earth’s population may soon grow to where there are ten people for every square meter of Earth’s surface. The essayist disputes the claim that colonizing other planets will be a solution for Earth’s overpopulation. The essayist’s conclusion is that this potential solution is flawed because colonizing other planets will only "be a temporary solution at best."

A
If Earth’s population continues to grow geometrically, then in a few centuries the population density of Earth’s surface will be ten people per square meter.
This is context. The essayist explains how Earth’s population is growing to introduce a possible solution—colonizing other planets. This context helps us understand the essayist’s main point: colonizing other planets won’t solve overpopulation in the long term, only temporarily.
B
Due to the continuing geometric growth of Earth’s population, the problem of overpopulation of Earth will probably persist.
The essayist doesn’t make this claim. The essayist argues that if Earth's population keeps growing, one proposed solution may not be enough. However, the essayist doesn’t say for sure that Earth's population will grow this way or that overpopulation will “probably” be a problem.
C
If Earth’s population continues to double every 30 years, and if at some point half of the population of Earth emigrated elsewhere, then after 30 years Earth would be just as crowded as it had been before the emigration.
This is a premise. The fact that Earth will be just as crowded again after half the population moves to another planet supports the main conclusion that colonizing other planets is only a temporary fix for overpopulation. It explains why this solution won’t help in the long term.
D
The population of Earth’s surface will probably continue to grow geometrically even if temporary solutions to population growth, such as colonizing other planets, are adopted.
This is an assumption the essayist makes. The essayist assumes that Earth's population will keep doubling, even after some people hypothetically move to Mars. If this assumption is true, the essayist argues that colonizing other planets will only temporarily fix overpopulation.
E
Learning how to colonize other planets would, at best, be a temporary solution to the overcrowding of Earth.
This accurately states the main conclusion. The essayist disagrees that colonizing other planets will solve Earth's future overpopulation, believing it would only be a temporary solution for such overcrowding because the growing population will eventually replace those who leave.

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LSAT PrepTest 140 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

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Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Reading Comprehension

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