LSAT 142 – Section 4 – Question 26

LSAT 142 - Section 4 - Question 26

December 2014

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT142 S4 Q26
+LR
Strengthen +Streng
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
1%
158
B
80%
165
C
15%
161
D
3%
157
E
2%
157
136
148
161
 +Medium 147.564 +SubsectionMedium

Bird watcher: The decrease in the mourning-dove population in this area is probably a result of the loss of nesting habitat. Many mourning doves had formerly nested in the nearby orchards, but after overhead sprinklers were installed in the orchards last year, the doves ceased building nests there.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author hypothesizes that the decrease in mourning-dove population is probably a result of the loss of nesting habitat. This is based on the fact that many doves had formerly nested in the nearby orchards, but the doves stopped building nests in the orchards after sprinklers were installed in the orchards.

Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that the doves’ stopping of nests in the orchards constitutes a loss of nesting habitat. The author also assumes that there aren’t enough other areas for doves to build nests that could make up for the loss of the orchards as a nest-building location. The author also assumes there’s no other explanation for the decrease in population aside from loss of nesting habitat.

A
Mourning doves were recently designated a migratory game species, meaning that they can be legally hunted.
If anything, this weakens the argument by providing a potential alternate explanation for the decrease in dove population (they began to be hunted).
B
The trees in the nearby orchards were the only type of trees in the area attractive to nesting mourning doves.
This strengthens by providing evidence that loss of the orchards as a nest-building location constitutes a loss of nesting habitat. If there had been other trees available that were attractive for nesting, then there wouldn’t necessarily be a loss of nesting habitat.
C
Blue jays that had nested in the orchards also ceased doing so after the sprinklers were installed.
This tells us another species stopped nesting in the orchards. But that doesn’t reveal whether the loss of the orchards was a loss of nesting habitat for mourning doves. We already know the doves stopped nesting in the orchards.
D
Many residents of the area fill their bird feeders with canola or wheat, which are appropriate seeds for attracting mourning doves.
This tells us that doves might feed at bird feeders. But it doesn’t have a clear impact on doves’ nesting options and whether their nesting habitat has decreased.
E
Mourning doves often nest in fruit trees.
Are fruit trees in orchards? Are they no longer available for nesting in the orchard? Are there fruit trees outside of the orchards? Without knowing the answers to these questions, (E) has no clear impact.

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LSAT PrepTest 142 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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