Evaluate the Argument Question Problem Set
1. Columnist: George Orwell’s book 1984 has
exercised much influence on a great number of
this newspaper’s readers. One thousand readers
were surveyed and asked to name the one book
that had the most influence on their lives. The
book chosen most often was the Bible; 1984
was second.
The answer to which one of the following questions
would most help in evaluating the columnist’s
argument?
(A) How many books had each person surveyed
read?
(B) How many people chose books other than
1984?
(C) How many people read the columnist’s
newspaper?
(D) How many books by George Orwell other than
1984 were chosen?
(E) How many of those surveyed had actually read
the books they chose?
2. Anders: The physical structure of the brain plays an
important role in thinking. So researchers
developing “thinking machines”—computers
that can make decisions based on both common
sense and factual knowledge—should closely
model those machines on the structure of the
brain.
Yang: Important does not mean essential. After all,
no flying machine closely modeled on birds
has worked; workable aircraft are structurally
very different from birds. So thinking machines
closely modeled on the brain are also likely to
fail. In developing a workable thinking
machine, researchers would therefore increase
their chances of success if they focus on the
brain’s function and simply ignore its physical
structure.
In evaluating Yang’s argument it would be most
helpful to know whether
(A) studies of the physical structure of birds
provided information crucial to the
development of workable aircraft
(B) researchers currently working on thinking
machines take all thinking to involve both
common sense and factual knowledge
(C) as much time has been spent trying to develop
a workable thinking machine as had been
spent in developing the first workable aircraft
(D) researchers who specialize in the structure of
the brain are among those who are trying to
develop thinking machines
(E) some flying machines that were not closely
modeled on birds failed to work
Answer Key
All answer keys in this book indicate the source of the question by giving the month and year the LSAT
was originally administered, the Logical Reasoning section number, and the question number within that
section. Each LSAT has two Logical Reasoning sections, and so the Section 1 and Section 2 designators
will refer to the first or second Logical Reasoning section in the test, not the physical section number of the
booklet.
Question #1. Evaluate. December 2001 LSAT, Section 1, #24. The correct answer choice is (B)
The conclusion of the argument is the first sentence: “George Orwell’s book 1984 has exercised much
influence on a great number of this newspaper’s readers.” The basis for this conclusion is that 1984 was
the second most named book in a survey about influential books. The argument contains a serious error:
just because 1984 came in second in the survey does not mean that “a great number” of readers selected it
as influential. To illustrate this proposition, consider the following example:
Number of people surveyed = 1000
Number of people naming the Bible as the most influential book = 999
Number of people naming 1984 as the most influential book = 1
In this example, 1984 has come in second, but no one would say this second place finish supports a
conclusion that “1984 has exercised much influence on a great number of this newspaper’s readers.” You
can expect the correct answer to address this issue.
Answer choice (A): The survey in the argument asks readers to name the one book with the most
influence in their lives; the number of books read does not affect this answer. To apply the Variance Test,
try opposite answers of “1” and a large number, say “10,000.” These numbers will not alter the evaluation
of the argument, and thus this answer is incorrect.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer, but it can be difficult since the wording is a bit unusual.
The question is intended to reveal how many people selected 1984 relative to the other choices, and this
addresses the issue raised in the analysis of the stimulus. Consider how the variance test works for this
answer choice:
First try the response, “999.” In this case, only one person selected 1984 as the most influential
book, and the argument is greatly weakened.
Next try the response, “501.” In this instance, 499 people selected 1984 as the most influential
book and the conclusion is strengthened (the other 501 people would have selected the Bible).
Note that you cannot try a number larger than 501 because that would mean that the Bible was not
named most often.
Because the varied responses produce different evaluations of the argument, this answer is correct.
Answer choice (C): This answer is not relevant to the columnist’s argument. Apply the Variance Test to
disprove this answer by using opposite answers of “0” and a very large number, such as “1 million.”
Answer choice (D): Because the argument is about Orwell’s 1984, other Orwell books chosen by the
readers have no impact on the argument. Apply the Variance Test, using opposite answers of “0” and a
small number such as “10” (Orwell wrote dozens of essays, but not dozens of books).
Answer choice (E): The survey in the argument addresses influence, not the actual reading of the book. A
person might be influenced by a book like the Bible through church teachings, etc. without actually having
read the book. To apply the Variance Test, try opposite answers of “0” and “1000.”
Question #2. Evaluate. October 2002 LSAT, Section 2, #19. The correct answer choice is (A)
Yang’s argument is as follows:
Premise: Important does not mean essential.
Premise: No flying machine closely modeled on birds has worked; workable aircraft are
structurally very different from birds.
Premise/ So thinking machines closely modeled on the brain are also likely to fail.
Subconclusion:
Conclusion: In developing a workable thinking machine, researchers would therefore increase their
chances of success if they focus on the brain’s function and simply ignore its physical
structure.”
Yang’s conclusion is very strong: “simply ignore the physical structure of the brain” when developing a
thinking machine. As you might expect, this extreme conclusion and the relatively weak supporting
evidence plays a role in the correct answer. Also note that the question stem uses the word “whether” to
turn each answer choice into a question.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer. The Variance Test proves the answer:
If the answer is “Yes, they did provide crucial information” then developers should not ignore the
physical structure of the brain because the reasoning used to make that judgment (via the flying
machine analogy) is faulty.
If the answer is “No, they did not provide crucial information” then the argument is strengthened
because the analogy suggests it would be acceptable to ignore the physical structure of the brain.
Because the varied responses produce different evaluations of the argument, this answer is correct.
Answer choice (B): The conclusion is about ignoring the physical structure of the brain, and information
about what constitutes thinking will not help evaluate the argument. Apply the Variance Test to disprove
this answer by using opposite answers of “Yes” and “No.”
Answer choice (C): The relative amount of time spent on each project is not an issue in the stimulus.
Apply the Variance Test to disprove this answer, using opposite answers of “Yes, as much time was spent”
and “No, not as much time was spent.”
Answer choice (D): The argument does not involve the background of the researchers and the projects
they work on, only what they should focus on when trying to succeed. Hence, this answer is incorrect.
Apply the Variance Test, using opposite answers of “Yes, they are among those trying to develop thinking
machines” and “No, they are not among those trying to develop thinking machines.”
Answer choice (E): The analogy in the argument is about flying machines thwate re modeled on birds. The
possibility that some flying machines failed that were not modeled on birds has no place in the argument.
Apply the Variance Test, using opposite answers of “Yes, some failed” and “No, none failed.”
1. Columnist: George Orwell’s book 1984 has
exercised much influence on a great number of
this newspaper’s readers. One thousand readers
were surveyed and asked to name the one book
that had the most influence on their lives. The
book chosen most often was the Bible; 1984
was second.
The answer to which one of the following questions
would most help in evaluating the columnist’s
argument?
(A) How many books had each person surveyed
read?
(B) How many people chose books other than
1984?
(C) How many people read the columnist’s
newspaper?
(D) How many books by George Orwell other than
1984 were chosen?
(E) How many of those surveyed had actually read
the books they chose?
2. Anders: The physical structure of the brain plays an
important role in thinking. So researchers
developing “thinking machines”—computers
that can make decisions based on both common
sense and factual knowledge—should closely
model those machines on the structure of the
brain.
Yang: Important does not mean essential. After all,
no flying machine closely modeled on birds
has worked; workable aircraft are structurally
very different from birds. So thinking machines
closely modeled on the brain are also likely to
fail. In developing a workable thinking
machine, researchers would therefore increase
their chances of success if they focus on the
brain’s function and simply ignore its physical
structure.
In evaluating Yang’s argument it would be most
helpful to know whether
(A) studies of the physical structure of birds
provided information crucial to the
development of workable aircraft
(B) researchers currently working on thinking
machines take all thinking to involve both
common sense and factual knowledge
(C) as much time has been spent trying to develop
a workable thinking machine as had been
spent in developing the first workable aircraft
(D) researchers who specialize in the structure of
the brain are among those who are trying to
develop thinking machines
(E) some flying machines that were not closely
modeled on birds failed to work
Answer Key
All answer keys in this book indicate the source of the question by giving the month and year the LSAT
was originally administered, the Logical Reasoning section number, and the question number within that
section. Each LSAT has two Logical Reasoning sections, and so the Section 1 and Section 2 designators
will refer to the first or second Logical Reasoning section in the test, not the physical section number of the
booklet.
Question #1. Evaluate. December 2001 LSAT, Section 1, #24. The correct answer choice is (B)
The conclusion of the argument is the first sentence: “George Orwell’s book 1984 has exercised much
influence on a great number of this newspaper’s readers.” The basis for this conclusion is that 1984 was
the second most named book in a survey about influential books. The argument contains a serious error:
just because 1984 came in second in the survey does not mean that “a great number” of readers selected it
as influential. To illustrate this proposition, consider the following example:
Number of people surveyed = 1000
Number of people naming the Bible as the most influential book = 999
Number of people naming 1984 as the most influential book = 1
In this example, 1984 has come in second, but no one would say this second place finish supports a
conclusion that “1984 has exercised much influence on a great number of this newspaper’s readers.” You
can expect the correct answer to address this issue.
Answer choice (A): The survey in the argument asks readers to name the one book with the most
influence in their lives; the number of books read does not affect this answer. To apply the Variance Test,
try opposite answers of “1” and a large number, say “10,000.” These numbers will not alter the evaluation
of the argument, and thus this answer is incorrect.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer, but it can be difficult since the wording is a bit unusual.
The question is intended to reveal how many people selected 1984 relative to the other choices, and this
addresses the issue raised in the analysis of the stimulus. Consider how the variance test works for this
answer choice:
First try the response, “999.” In this case, only one person selected 1984 as the most influential
book, and the argument is greatly weakened.
Next try the response, “501.” In this instance, 499 people selected 1984 as the most influential
book and the conclusion is strengthened (the other 501 people would have selected the Bible).
Note that you cannot try a number larger than 501 because that would mean that the Bible was not
named most often.
Because the varied responses produce different evaluations of the argument, this answer is correct.
Answer choice (C): This answer is not relevant to the columnist’s argument. Apply the Variance Test to
disprove this answer by using opposite answers of “0” and a very large number, such as “1 million.”
Answer choice (D): Because the argument is about Orwell’s 1984, other Orwell books chosen by the
readers have no impact on the argument. Apply the Variance Test, using opposite answers of “0” and a
small number such as “10” (Orwell wrote dozens of essays, but not dozens of books).
Answer choice (E): The survey in the argument addresses influence, not the actual reading of the book. A
person might be influenced by a book like the Bible through church teachings, etc. without actually having
read the book. To apply the Variance Test, try opposite answers of “0” and “1000.”
Question #2. Evaluate. October 2002 LSAT, Section 2, #19. The correct answer choice is (A)
Yang’s argument is as follows:
Premise: Important does not mean essential.
Premise: No flying machine closely modeled on birds has worked; workable aircraft are
structurally very different from birds.
Premise/ So thinking machines closely modeled on the brain are also likely to fail.
Subconclusion:
Conclusion: In developing a workable thinking machine, researchers would therefore increase their
chances of success if they focus on the brain’s function and simply ignore its physical
structure.”
Yang’s conclusion is very strong: “simply ignore the physical structure of the brain” when developing a
thinking machine. As you might expect, this extreme conclusion and the relatively weak supporting
evidence plays a role in the correct answer. Also note that the question stem uses the word “whether” to
turn each answer choice into a question.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer. The Variance Test proves the answer:
If the answer is “Yes, they did provide crucial information” then developers should not ignore the
physical structure of the brain because the reasoning used to make that judgment (via the flying
machine analogy) is faulty.
If the answer is “No, they did not provide crucial information” then the argument is strengthened
because the analogy suggests it would be acceptable to ignore the physical structure of the brain.
Because the varied responses produce different evaluations of the argument, this answer is correct.
Answer choice (B): The conclusion is about ignoring the physical structure of the brain, and information
about what constitutes thinking will not help evaluate the argument. Apply the Variance Test to disprove
this answer by using opposite answers of “Yes” and “No.”
Answer choice (C): The relative amount of time spent on each project is not an issue in the stimulus.
Apply the Variance Test to disprove this answer, using opposite answers of “Yes, as much time was spent”
and “No, not as much time was spent.”
Answer choice (D): The argument does not involve the background of the researchers and the projects
they work on, only what they should focus on when trying to succeed. Hence, this answer is incorrect.
Apply the Variance Test, using opposite answers of “Yes, they are among those trying to develop thinking
machines” and “No, they are not among those trying to develop thinking machines.”
Answer choice (E): The analogy in the argument is about flying machines thwate re modeled on birds. The
possibility that some flying machines failed that were not modeled on birds has no place in the argument.
Apply the Variance Test, using opposite answers of “Yes, some failed” and “No, none failed.”
No comments:
Post a Comment