Sign up to star your favorites LSAT 65 - Section 4 - Question 17
May 13, 2012Sign up to star your favorites LSAT 135 - Section 4 - Question 17
May 13, 2012Sign up to star your favorites LSAT 65 - Section 1 - Question 17
May 13, 2012Sign up to star your favorites LSAT 135 - Section 1 - Question 17
May 13, 2012
Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
Some people argue that negative news reports on the economy can hurt the economy, because those reports hurt people’s confidence in the economy, which can affect their spending.
The author concludes that negative news reports on the economy don’t hurt the economy, because spending trends correlate closely with people’s confidence in their own economic situations.
Identify and Describe Flaw
The author overlooks the possibility that negative news reports on the economy can decrease people’s confidence in their own economic situations; if this occurs, the reports can still lead to lower spending and damage to the economy.
A
one’s level of confidence in one’s own economic situation affects how one perceives reports about the overall state of the economy
This possibility doesn’t indicate how negative news reports can lead to lower spending. With (A), we have no reason to think that the reports affect confidence in one’s own economic situation.
B
news reports about the state of the economy are not always accurate
The accuracy of reports is irrelevant, because we’re concerned with the effects that reports have on confidence levels in the economy. Reports can affect confidence without being accurate.
C
people who pay no attention to economic reports in the media always judge accurately whether their own economic situation is likely to deteriorate or improve
The argument concerns how news reports can affect people generally. There might be some people who don’t pay any attention to reports in the media; news reports may or may not have effects on people overall, regardless of the existence of people who don’t pay attention to media.
D
people who have little confidence in the overall economy generally take a pessimistic view concerning their own immediate economic situations
(D) points out how news reports might still harm the economy by decreasing people’s confidence in their own economic situations through decreasing confidence in the overall economy.
E
an economic slowdown usually has a greater impact on the economic situations of individuals if it takes people by surprise than if people are forewarned
The comparative effects of a surprise slowdown vs. an expected slowdown has no impact on whether news reports can affect the economy.
Sign up to star your favorites LSAT 64 - Section 3 - Question 17
May 13, 2012Sign up to star your favorites LSAT 134 - Section 3 - Question 17
May 13, 2012
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that the deterioriation of mental faculties associated with Alzheimer’s is caused by microglia. This is based on the fact that this deterioriation can be slowed by acetylsalicylic acid. In addition, microglia attack certain protein deposits that build up in people with Alzheimer’s, and in the process the microglia damage healthy brain cells.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that acetylsalyclic acid’s slowing of deterioration involves slowing or otherwise affecting the activity of microglia.
A
The inability of Alzheimer’s patients to eliminate the protein BA from the brain is due to a deficiency in the brain’s immune system.
We already know that microglia attacks the protein BA, which hurts healthy brain cells. The origin of protein BA doesn’t add any relevant information, since we already have enough in the premises to understand the relationship between microglia and the protein BA.
B
Acetylsalicylic acid reduces the production of immune cells in the brain.
This strengthens by connecting the premise about acid to the conclusion. We know that microglia are the brain’s immune cells. If the acid can slow deterioriation, and it also reduces microglia, that suggests microglia might have a role to play in causing deterioration.
C
The activity of microglia results in a decrease in the buildup of protein deposits in the brain.
Even if microglia decreases the buildup of protein deposits, we already know how the microglia hurts healthy brain cells by attacking the protein BA. The missing part of the argument concerns the acetylsalylicic acid.
D
The protein BA directly interferes with the cognitive functions of the brain.
We know the microglia attack the protein BA. (D) therefore suggests microglia might have some protective effect on cognitive functions, which doesn’t strengthen the argument that microglia cause deterioration of those functions.
E
Immune reactions by microglia occur in certain diseases of the brain other than Alzheimer’s.
It’s not clear what “immune reactions by microglia” are or how they relate to damage to cognitive faculties.