Section Types Logical Reasoning

Eating garlic reduces the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood and so helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Evidence that eating garlic reduces these levels is that a group of patients taking a garlic tablet each day for four months showed a 12 percent reduction in cholesterol and a 17 percent reduction in triglycerides; over the same period, a group of similar patients taking a medically inert tablet showed only a 2 percent reduction in triglycerides and a 3 percent reduction in cholesterol.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis

The author hypothesizes that eating garlic reduces cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. As evidence, she cites a study showing that people who took a garlic tablet had a larger reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides than people who took a medically inert tablet.

Notable Assumptions

The author assumes that cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the blood are causally related to the risk of cardiovascular disease. She also assumes that the people who took the garlic tablet derived some benefit from the garlic rather than from the fact they knew they were taking a medication, which itself relies on the assumption the other group knew they were taking a medically inert tablet. Finally, the author assumes garlic and not some third factor caused the reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides levels.

A

whether the garlic tablets are readily available to the public

We don’t care if most people are able to easily access garlic tablets. We care about the link between garlic and a reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the blood.

B

what the diets of the two groups were during the period

If the two groups ate similar diets, that would strengthen the author’s argument by ruling out a possible cause of the reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides levels. If not, then perhaps the garlic-tablet group was eating something that lowered those levels.

C

what effect taking the garlic tablets each day for a period of less than four months had on the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides

Even if the effects of garlic don’t kick in until four months, those effects still exist and can contribute to a reduction in the risk of heart disease. The author never claims those effects have to be immediate.

D

whether large amounts of garlic are well tolerated by all patients

The author isn’t recommending garlic for all patients. She’s simply claiming a causal connection between garlic and lower cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the blood.

E

whether the manufacturer of the garlic tablets cites the study in its advertising

Irrelevant. Even if they cite the study, that study may still be accurate.

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LSAT 122 - Section 4 - Question 03

April 21, 2012

Educator: If there is a crisis in education today, it is one of maintaining quality. People love to reduce serious learning to degrees and certificates. But one also can obtain these credentials by plodding through courses without ever learning much of value. When that happens, the credentials one receives are almost meaningless.

Summary

Crisis in education today→ crisis of maintaining quality

People love to reduce serious learning to degrees and certificates

It is possible to obtain degrees and certificates without learning much of value.

Earned certificates or degrees by plodding through courses without learning→ those credentials or degrees are almost meaningless.

Notable Valid Inferences

It is possible to obtain degrees and certificates without learning much of value.

A

Increasingly, institutions are granting meaningless degrees and certificates.

This could be false. We are given criteria to describe meaningless credentials; we don’t know how many meaningless credentials are granted or if the rate of granting meaningless credentials is increasing.

B

It has become easier for students to complete their coursework without learning anything of importance.

This could be false. It is possible that plodding through courses is difficult––the stimulus gives no information on how easy something is.

C

Educational institutions should cease to grant degrees and certificates.

This could be false. The stimulus does not contain any recommendation for the actions that educational institutions should take.

D

Degrees and certificates do not guarantee that a person has acquired much worthwhile knowledge.

This must be true. From the stimulus, we know that it is possible to obtain degrees and certificates without learning much of value.

E

A person benefits from an education only to the extent that he or she invests effort in it.

This could be false. The stimulus does not specify under what conditions one benefits from an education.

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