LSAT 15 – Section 2 – Question 15

LSAT 15 - Section 2 - Question 15

June 1995

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT15 S2 Q15
+LR
Most strongly supported +MSS
A
3%
154
B
3%
155
C
89%
165
D
1%
154
E
3%
158
138
145
153
 +Medium 144.118 +SubsectionEasier

This is a most strongly supported question, as the question stem asks: The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following conclusions?

Our stimulus begins with a description of rheumatoid arthritis, specifically the mechanism by which it occurs. Immune system misfunction leads to attacks on joint cells which causes the release of a hormone which in turn causes pain and swelling. So far all we have is a causal chain; immune misfunction > join cells attacked > hormone released > pain and swelling. The next sentence gives us a bit more information on this hormone; it is normally only triggered by injury and infection. Since we know the hormone causes pain and swelling, what we should infer from this is that injury or infection can also lead to the same pain and swelling as rheumatoid arthritis. Finally, we are told about a new medication that includes a protein that blocks the pain and swelling hormone. Let’s see what the correct answer infers from this:

Answer Choice A We are only told that the medication “contains” a hormone-inhibiting protein for a hormone that specifically causes pain and swelling; nothing in the stimulus mentions or suggests that it also repairs cells. This answer is consistent with the stimulus, but completely unsupported.

Answer Choice B This is consistent with what we know but not something any of the information we have been given would support. We are told nothing about how the medications benefits compares to any possible harmful side effects.

Correct Answer Choice (C) This is where the inference we made from the second sentence comes in handy. We know that the hormone can be caused by injury and we know that it causes pain; if the medication stops this pain that would result from an injury, then we have reason to believe that at least some of the pain that results from a join injury wouldn’t occur because of the medication. C is the only answer that has any significant support in the stimulus.

Answer Choice (D) We have been told nothing about the mechanisms by which other immune system disorders cause pain. We are not entitled to make the assumption that they are similar enough to rheumatoid arthritis that the medication could be adapted, and therefore this answer has little support.

Answer Choice (E) Similar to D, we have been given no information about other joint diseases. Maybe they do all involve the same hormone.

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LSAT PrepTest 15 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logic Games

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