LSAT 128 – Section 2 – Question 25

LSAT 128 - Section 2 - Question 25

December 2008

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT128 S2 Q25
+LR
Flaw or descriptive weakening +Flaw
Conditional Reasoning +CondR
Kick It Up +KIU
Fact v. Belief v. Knowledge +FvBvK
A
3%
163
B
19%
162
C
7%
160
D
69%
169
E
2%
161
155
161
168
 +Hardest 146.836 +SubsectionMedium

Live Commentary

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Although Stillwater Pond has been polluted by farm runoff for years, several species of fish still live there. The local fishing guide says that “the most populous fish species in the pond is also the one that has adapted best to living in polluted water.” So if, as recent studies suggest, the most populous fish species in the pond is the bullhead catfish, then it must be that the local fishing guide believes that the species of fish in the pond that has adapted best to living in polluted water is the bullhead catfish.

Summarize Argument
The author concludes that if the most populous species in the pond is the bullhead catfish, then the fishing guide must believe that the species of fish in the pond that has adapted best to living in polluted water is the bullhead catfish. This is based on the fact that the fishing guide says that the most populous fish species in the pond is also the one that has adapted best to living in polluted water.

Identify and Describe Flaw
The author assumes that the fishing guide would be aware of the fact that the most populous fish species in the pond is the bullhead catfish, if that is indeed the most populous fish species in the pond. This overlooks the possibility that the fishing guide might have some other species in mind when he says that the most populous fish species is the one that has adapted best.

A
takes for granted that the local fishing guide believes that Stillwater Pond has been polluted by farm runoff for years
This is not an assumption, because the guide’s belief about how long the water has been polluted doesn’t affect the relationship between the most populous species and being the best adapted.
B
fails to take into account the possibility that the catfish in Stillwater Pond had to adapt very little to survive in polluted water
Whether the catfish had to adapt very little doesn’t affect the possibility that it’s still the most adapted. A fish can be the most adapted even if it hasn’t adapted much. Also, the argument only concerns belief about what’s most adapted, not what is actually the most adapted.
C
fails to take into account the possibility that the recent studies on fish populations in Stillwater Pond are inaccurate
The conclusion begins by saying “if” the studies are accurate. This conditions the rest of the conclusion on the hypothetical situation in which the studies are accurate. Whether they are actually accurate is irrelevant to this hypothetical situation.
D
fails to take into account the possibility that the local fishing guide mistakenly believes that some fish species other than the bullhead catfish is the most populous fish species in Stillwater Pond
If this possibility were true, then even if the catfish is the most populous species, the guide might not believe that the catfish is the most adapted. The guide might simply have a different species in mind, even if that species isn’t actually the most populous or most adapted.
E
takes for granted that Stillwater Pond has only one species of catfish living in it
The author doesn’t assume there’s only one species of catfish in the pond. The recent studies happen to identify the bullheat catfish as the most numerous species, but there can be other catfish species that are not as numerous.

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LSAT PrepTest 128 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Reading Comprehension

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