LSAT 143 – Section 4 – Question 11

LSAT 143 - Section 4 - Question 11

June 2015

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT143 S4 Q11
+LR
+Exp
Flaw or descriptive weakening +Flaw
Conditional Reasoning +CondR
A
72%
166
B
6%
157
C
12%
157
D
5%
159
E
5%
162
144
154
164
 +Harder 146.108 +SubsectionMedium

A development company has proposed building an airport near the city of Dalton. If the majority of Dalton’s residents favor the proposal, the airport will be built. However, it is unlikely that a majority of Dalton’s residents would favor the proposal, for most of them believe that the airport would create noise problems. Thus, it is unlikely that the airport will be built.

Summarize Argument
The author concludes that it’s unlikely the airport will be built. This is based on the following:

If most of Dalton’s residents favor the proposal, the airport will be built.

It’s unlikely most of Dalton’s residents would favor the proposal. (This is a subsidiary conclusion based on the fact that most residents believe the airport would create noise problems.)

Identify and Describe Flaw
The author confuses a sufficient condition with a necessary condition. Although most of Dalton’s residents’ favoring the proposal is sufficient for the airport to be built, that doesn’t mean it’s necessary. It’s possible for the airport to be built even if most residents don’t favor the proposal.

A
treats a sufficient condition for the airport’s being built as a necessary condition
The author treats a sufficient condition for the airport’s being built (majority of Dalton’s residents favoring proposal) as a necessary condition. This overlooks that the airport can be built even if most Dalton residents don’t favor the proposal.
B
concludes that something must be true, because most people believe it to be true
Although the author does point out that most people believe the airport would create noise problems, the author does not conclude that the airport would create noise problems.
C
concludes, on the basis that a certain event is unlikely to occur, that the event will not occur
The author’s conclusion is that the airport is “unlikely” to be built. The conclusion does not assert that the airprot “will not” be built.
D
fails to consider whether people living near Dalton would favor building the airport
Whether people living near Dalton would favor building the airport doesn’t matter, because we care about the majority of Dalton residents. People living near Dalton are not residents of Dalton.
E
overlooks the possibility that a new airport could benefit the local economy
The author’s reasoning attempts to apply a conditional. Whether there could be benefits to the economy doesn’t relate to the author’s misinterpretation of the conditional. Also, the possibility of benefits doesn’t suggest Dalton’s residents would favor the proposal.

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LSAT PrepTest 143 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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