LSAT 151 – Section 2 – Question 18

LSAT 151 - Section 2 - Question 18

September 2018

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Question QuickView	Type	Tags	Answer Choices	Curve	Question Difficulty	Psg/Game/S Difficulty	Explanation
PT151 S2 Q18	+LR	Strengthen +Streng Causal Reasoning +CausR	A 45% 163 B 11% 159 C 3% 156 D 6% 157 E 35% 158	151 163 175	+Hardest	147.144 +SubsectionMedium

In grasslands near the Namib Desert there are “fairy circles”—large, circular patches that are entirely devoid of vegetation. Since sand termite colonies were found in every fairy circle they investigated, scientists hypothesize that it is the burrowing activities of these termites that cause the circles to form.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis

The author hypothesizes that fairy circles are created by the burrowing activities of termites. This is based on the fact that sand termite colonires are found in every fairy circle that scientists have investigated.

Notable Assumptions

The author assumes that there’s no other explanation for the formation of fairy circles. For example, maybe fairy circles are produced by animals who eat the grass in a circular fashion? Or by other kinds of animals that burrow underground?

Dying grass plants within newly forming fairy circles are damaged only at the roots.

This strengthens by eliminating the possibility that fairy circles are formed by above-ground animals eating the grass. If the dying plants are damaged only at the roots, the cause is likely something underground.

The grasses that grow around fairy circles are able to survive even the harshest and most prolonged droughts in the region.

But why would circular patches without grass form? (B) doesn’t help establish that the cause is likely underground. It also doesn’t eliminate drought as an explanation for the circles, because drought isn’t something that would have created circles in the first place.

The soil in fairy circles typically has higher water content than the soil in areas immediately outside the circles.

If anything, this might weaken the argument by providing an alternate explanation for the formation of fairy circles — maybe it has something to do with the higher water content of the soil.

Fairy circles tend to form in areas that already have numerous other fairy circles.

This gives us information on where fairy circles tend to form. But this doesn’t suggest anything about the cause of fairy circles. Are they due to termites? Or something else?

Species of animals that feed on sand termites are often found living near fairy circles.

We already know from the premises that sand termites are found in every fairy circle investigated. We don’t need additional support for the presence of the termites near fairy circles. The issue is whether the termites that we know are there are the cause of fairy circles.

LSAT 151 – Section 2 – Question 18

LSAT 151 - Section 2 - Question 18

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LSAT PrepTest 151 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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