LSAT Test

LSAT Test practice questions, page 30 of 30, with answer review and explanations.

Question 146

The student body at this university takes courses in a wide range of disciplines. Miriam is a student at this university, so she takes courses in a wide range of disciplines. Which one of the following arguments exhibits flawed reasoning most similar to that exhibited by the argument above?

  1. The students at this school take mathematics. Miguel is a student at this school, so he takes mathematics.
  2. The editorial board of this law journal has written on many legal issues. Louise is on the editorial; board, so she has written on many legal issues.
  3. The component parts of bulldozers are heavy. This machine is a bulldozer, so it is heavy.
  4. All older automobiles need frequent oil changes. This car is new, so its oil need not be changed as frequently.
  5. The individual cells of the brain are incapable of thinking. Therefore, the brain as a whole is incapable of thinking.

Question 147

Opponent of offshore oil drilling: The projected benefits of drilling new oil wells in certain areas in the outer continental shelf are not worth the risk of environmental disaster. The oil already being extracted from these areas currently provides only 4 percent of our country's daily oil requirement, and the new wells would only add one-half of 1 percent. Proponent of offshore oil drilling: Don't be ridiculous! You might just as well argue that new farms should not be allowed, since no new farm could supply the total food needs of our country for more than a few minutes. The drilling proponent's reply to the drilling opponent proceeds by

  1. offering evidence in support of drilling that is more decisive than is the evidence offered by the drilling opponent
  2. claiming that the statistics cited as evidence by the drilling opponent are factually inaccurate
  3. pointing out that the drilling opponent's argument is a misapplication of a frequently legitimate way of arguing
  4. citing as parallel to the argument made by the drilling opponent an argument in which the conclusion is strikingly unsupported
  5. proposing a conclusion that is more strongly supported by the drilling opponent's evidence than is the conclusion offered by the drilling opponent

Question 148

Opponent of offshore oil drilling: The projected benefits of drilling new oil wells in certain areas in the outer continental shelf are not worth the risk of environmental disaster. The oil already being extracted from these areas currently provides only 4 percent of our country's daily oil requirement, and the new wells would only add one-half of 1 percent. Proponent of offshore oil drilling: Don't be ridiculous! You might just as well argue that new farms should not be allowed, since no new farm could supply the total food needs of our country for more than a few minutes. Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the drilling proponent's reply?

  1. New farms do not involve a risk analogous to that run by new offshore oil drilling.
  2. Many of the largest oil deposits are located under land that is Unsuitable for farming.
  3. Unlike oil, common agricultural products fulfill nutritional needs rather than fuel requirements.
  4. Legislation governing new oil drilling has been much more thoroughly articulated than has that governing new farms.
  5. The country under discussion imports a higher proportion of the farm products it needs than it does of the oil it needs.

Question 149

A running track with a hard surface makes for greater running speed than a soft one, at least under dry conditions, because even though step length is shorter on ' a hard surface, the time the runner's foot remains in contact with the running surface is less with a hard surface. Which one of the following, if true, is evidence that the explanation given above is only a partial one?

  1. Dry running conditions can be guaranteed for indoor track races only.
  2. In general, taller runners have greater average step length than shorter runners do.
  3. Hard tracks enhance a runner's speed by making it easier for the runner to maintain a posture that minimizes wind resistance.
  4. The tracks at which the world's fastest running times have been recorded are located well above sea level, where the air is relatively thin.
  5. To remain in top condition, a soft track surface requires different maintenance procedures than does a hard one.