LSAC LSAC Certifications LSAT-TEST Questions & Answers

• Question 531:

  For the last three years, entomologists have been searching for a parasite to help control a whitefly that has recently become a serious crop pest. Believing this new pest to be a variety of sweet-potato whitefly, the entomologists confined their search to parasites of the sweet-potato whitefly. Genetic research now shows the new pest to be a distinct species, the silver leaf whitefly. Therefore, the search for a parasite has so far been wasted effort.

  Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?

  A. All varieties of the sweet-potato whitefly are serious crop pests.

  B. If a crop pest has a parasite, that parasite can always be used to control that pest.

  C. The chances of successfully identifying a useful parasite of the new pest have increased since the proper identification of the pest.

  D. No parasite of the sweet-potato whitefly is also a parasite of the silver leaf whitefly.

  E. In the last three years, the entomologists found no parasites of the sweet-potato whitefly.

  Correct Answer: D

  The conclusion, signaled by "therefore" in the final sentence, is that the search for a parasite has been a wasted effort. Entomologists were searching for a parasite to the sweet-potato whitefly, believing that species to be a serious crop pest, but the culprit turned out to be the silver leaf whitefly instead. It is because of this error that the author concludes that the search has so far been a waste. Perhaps you were able to prephrase an alternative to this scenario: What if a parasite that would control the sweet-potato fly would also be effective against the silver leaf? Then it would be a bit rash to say that the effort thus far has been totally in vain, no? In order for the conclusion to stand, therefore, it must be assumed that no sweet-potato whitefly parasite is also a parasite of the silver leaf whitefly. If there is a parasite common to both the denial of option [No parasite of the sweet-potato whitefly is] -- then arguing that the search has been a total waste would be premature since it's possible they'd be able to use what they found against the silver leaf species anyway.

• Question 532:

  Moralist: TV talk shows are contributing to the moral decline in our country. By constantly being shown the least moral people in our society, viewers begin to think that such people are the norm, and that there is something wrong with being morally upright. TV talk show host: Well, if there is such a decline, it's not because of TV talk shows: we simply show people what they want to see. What can be wrong with letting the viewers decide? Furthermore, if restrictions were put on my show, that would amount to censorship, which is wrong.

  The moralist's and the TV talk show host's statements provide the most support for holding that they disagree about whether

  A. TV talk shows should be censored

  B. people's moral standards have changed

  C. TV talk shows influence people's conception of what is the norm

  D. TV talk shows, by presenting immoral guests, are causing a moral decline

  E. it is wrong not to let the viewers decide what they want to see

  Correct Answer: D

  First up is a Point-At-Issue question, so we need to read carefully to figure out what these two are arguing about. The moralist believes that TV talk shows are the cause of moral decline in our country -- they broadcast the least moral people, thus causing viewers to question the legitimacy of higher moral standards. The talk show host's first sentence gets right to the heart of the debate: If there is a moral decline, it's not caused by TV talk shows. Her support for this position is interesting (she argues that talk shows represent an effect, not a cause, of immorality), but is not as central to her opposition as her blunt first statement. Comparing the first sentence of each argument brings to light the issue captured in option [TV talk shows, by presenting...], namely: Does presenting immoral guests on talk shows cause a moral decline? The moralist says "yup"; the host says "no way."

• Question 533:

  A crew of up to five workers is to install a partition in at most three days. The crew completes five tasks in

  this order: framing, wallboarding, taping, sanding, priming. The crew is selected from the following list,

  which specifies exactly the tasks each person can do:

  George: taping

  Helena: sanding, priming

  Inga: framing, priming

  Kelly: framing, sanding

  Leanda: wallboarding, taping

  Maricita: sanding

  Olaf: wallboarding, priming

  The following conditions must apply:

  At least one task is done each day.

  Taping and priming are done on different days.

  Each crew member does at least one task during the installation, but no more than one task a day.

  Each task is done by exactly one worker, completed the day it is started and before the next task begins.

  Which one of the following could be a pair of members of the crew both of whom work on the same days

  as each other and each of whom perform two tasks?

  A. George and Maricita

  B. Helena and Kelly

  C. Inga and Leanda

  D. Kelly and Leanda

  E. Leanda and Olaf

  Correct Answer: D

  This last question is more of a Reading Comprehension puzzler than anything else. Once you unpack the stem, the solution is rather simple. The stem is asking for a pair of people who can share two traits: working two tasks each, and working the same two days. The first trait is the more concrete: While it's ambiguous which workers work on which days, we do know who can do each task, so let's focus on that aspect first. Two people performing two tasks each means we need a pair that can handle four of the five tasks between them, and options [George and Maricita], [Helena and Kelly], and [Leanda and Olaf] fall on this count alone

• Question 534:

  A crew of up to five workers is to install a partition in at most three days. The crew completes five tasks in

  this order: framing, wallboarding, taping, sanding, priming. The crew is selected from the following list,

  which specifies exactly the tasks each person can do:

  George: taping

  Helena: sanding, priming

  Inga: framing, priming

  Kelly: framing, sanding

  Leanda: wallboarding, taping

  Maricita: sanding

  Olaf: wallboarding, priming

  The following conditions must apply:

  At least one task is done each day.

  Taping and priming are done on different days.

  Each crew member does at least one task during the installation, but no more than one task a day.

  Each task is done by exactly one worker, completed the day it is started and before the next task begins.

  If the installation takes three days, and if the sanding is done on the third day, then which one of the

  following could be a list of all the crew members who work on the second day?

  A. Inga

  B. Kelly

  C. Olaf

  D. George and Helena

  E. Leanda and Olaf

  Correct Answer: E

  Time for a new sketch. It's a three-day job, so we can set up three columns; and sanding (task #4) is on day 3, and task#5, priming, must be as well. Task #3, taping, must be on day 2 (Rules 1 and 2). And day 1, of course, begins with framing. So in terms of the assignment of tasks to days, the only open question is whether wallboarding, task #2, will be on day 1 or day 2.The focus of the question is on day 2: A complete list of workers for that day is sought. And our sketch should reveal that the tasks for day 2 are "wallboarding + taping," or "taping only." As your final step, you can come up on your own with workers who fit those assignments, or simply check the choices against the list. "George only" or "Leanda only" would fit the bill -- either of them could work on a taping-only day 2. But neither of those appears, so we need to look to a day 2 involving wallboarding plus taping. On day 2, Olaf could wallboard and then Leanda could tape. (Note that "George + Olaf" or "George + Leanda" could also serve as the right answer here.)

• Question 535:

  A crew of up to five workers is to install a partition in at most three days. The crew completes five tasks in this order: framing, wallboarding, taping, sanding, priming. The crew is selected from the following list, which specifies exactly the tasks each person can do:

  George: taping Helena: sanding, priming Inga: framing, priming Kelly: framing, sanding Leanda: wallboarding, taping Maricita: sanding Olaf: wallboarding, priming

  The following conditions must apply:

  At least one task is done each day.

  Taping and priming are done on different days.

  Each crew member does at least one task during the installation, but no more than one task a day.

  Each task is done by exactly one worker, completed the day it is started and before the next task begins.

  Each of the following could be a complete and accurate list of the members of the crew EXCEPT:

  A. Helena, Inga, Kelly, Maricita

  B. Inga, Kelly, Leanda, Olaf

  C. George, Helena, Inga, Leanda

  D. Inga, Leanda, Maricita, Olaf

  E. Kelly, Leanda, Maricita, Olaf

  Correct Answer: A

  Here, four of the choices are acceptable crews; what makes this one tougher is that we don't know, in advance, which one of the conditions is going to render the right answer unacceptable. No reason to change our methodology, however. Put each of the tasks against the answer choices, and look for the one and only choice that leaves one or more tasks undone. We don't have to search for long. All five lists present at least one worker to handle task #1, framing; but option [Helena, Inga, Kelly, Maricita]'s list includes no one to handle the wallboarding, which is the sole province of Leanda and Olaf. Without one of them on the crew, the five tasks ain't gonna get done. So option [Helena, Inga, Kelly, Maricita] is, as quickly as that, the one we want. Sight unseen, the other four choices must involve an acceptable assortment of workers.

• Question 536:

  A crew of up to five workers is to install a partition in at most three days. The crew completes five tasks in

  this order: framing, wallboarding, taping, sanding, priming. The crew is selected from the following list,

  which specifies exactly the tasks each person can do:

  George: taping

  Helena: sanding, priming

  Inga: framing, priming

  Kelly: framing, sanding

  Leanda: wallboarding, taping

  Maricita: sanding

  Olaf: wallboarding, priming

  The following conditions must apply:

  At least one task is done each day.

  Taping and priming are done on different days.

  Each crew member does at least one task during the installation, but no more than one task a day.

  Each task is done by exactly one worker, completed the day it is started and before the next task begins.

  If the installation takes three days, and if the same two crew members work on the first and third days,

  then which one of the following could be the pair of crew members who work on those two days?

  A. Helena and Inga

  B. Inga and Kelly

  C. Inga and Leanda

  D. Kelly and Olaf

  E. Leanda and Olaf

  Correct Answer: D

  This one gives us a very solid foundation. It's a three-day job -- so framing will start off day 1, and priming will end day3. Exactly how tasks #2, 3, and 4 are distributed we don't know, but let's read on... We're told that a particular pair of workers do all the tasks on day 1 and day 3. Since each task is solo, it must mean that day 1 involves two tasks, and so does day 3. 2/1/2, that's the breakdown -- which means we're looking at this scenario: Day 1Day 2Day 3 fram/walltapsand/prim

  So, the eligible pair we seek must be able to hack the framing and wallboarding chores on day 1, and sanding and priming on day 3.

• Question 537:

  A crew of up to five workers is to install a partition in at most three days. The crew completes five tasks in

  this order: framing, wallboarding, taping, sanding, priming. The crew is selected from the following list,

  which specifies exactly the tasks each person can do:

  George: taping

  Helena: sanding, priming

  Inga: framing, priming

  Kelly: framing, sanding

  Leanda: wallboarding, taping

  Maricita: sanding

  Olaf: wallboarding, priming

  The following conditions must apply:

  At least one task is done each day.

  Taping and priming are done on different days.

  Each crew member does at least one task during the installation, but no more than one task a day.

  Each task is done by exactly one worker, completed the day it is started and before the next task begins.

  Which one of the following could be a complete and accurate list of the members of the crew?

  A. George, Helena, Inga, Kelly

  B. George, Helena, Kelly, Leanda

  C. Helena, Inga, Kelly, Olaf

  D. Helena, Inga, Maricita, Olaf

  E. George, Helena, Leanda, Maricita, Olaf

  Correct Answer: B

  Our list of the tasks in order, plus the eligible workers, is the key here. Start with fundamentals. Someone's got to do framing, right? And the only possible framers are Inga and Kelly, right? So at rock bottom, any "complete and accurate" crew list must include either Inga or Kelly to do the framing. Which means that E. can be rejected. If E. is the crew, framing doesn't happen. Next, wallboarding. Any crew must include either Leanda or Olaf to do that task. No one will wallboard if option [George, Helena, Inga, Kelly] is the crew, which makes that option impossible. And task #3, taping, needs George or Leanda, which means we need to throw out both options [Helena, Inga, Kelly, Olaf] and [Helena, Inga, Maricita, Olaf], each of which mentions neither of those workers. We're left with one choice, [George, Helena, Kelly, Leanda], which must work. And maybe we can use B. to check our overall understanding of the game, what do you say? Given option [George, Helena, Kelly, Leanda]'s crew, we can see that at least one member is present for each of the tasks, and there are several possibilities, as for instance this two-day job: Day 1, Kelly framing, Leanda wallboarding, and George taping; day 2, Kelly sanding and Helena priming.

• Question 538:

  During a single week, from Monday through Friday, tours will be conducted of a company's three divisions -- Operations, Production, Sales. Exactly five tours will be conducted that week, one each day. The schedule of tours for the week must conform to the following restrictions:

  Each division is toured at least once.

  The Operations division is not toured on Monday.

  The Production division is not toured on Wednesday.

  The Sales division is toured on two consecutive days, and on no other days.

  If the Operations division is toured on Thursday, then the Production division is toured on Friday.

  If in the week's tour schedule the division that is toured on Tuesday is also toured on Wednesday, then

  which one of the following must be true of the week's tour schedule?

  A. The Production division is toured on Monday.

  B. The Operations division is toured on Tuesday.

  C. The Sales division is toured on Wednesday.

  D. The Sales division is toured on Thursday.

  E. The Production division is toured on Friday.

  Correct Answer: A

  This question returns us to the familiar topic of identical days. So Tuesday and Wednesday are the same, eh? Well, which division(s) are we talking about? Surely not Production, which never takes a Wednesday slot.

• Question 539:

  During a single week, from Monday through Friday, tours will be conducted of a company's three divisions

  -- Operations, Production, Sales. Exactly five tours will be conducted that week, one each day. The

  schedule of tours for the week must conform to the following restrictions:

  Each division is toured at least once.

  The Operations division is not toured on Monday.

  The Production division is not toured on Wednesday.

  The Sales division is toured on two consecutive days, and on no other days.

  If the Operations division is toured on Thursday, then the Production division is toured on Friday.

  If in the week's tour schedule the division that is toured on Monday is not the division that is toured on

  Tuesday, then which one of the following could be true of the week's schedule?

  A. A tour of the Sales division is scheduled for someday earlier in the week than is any tour of the Production division.

  B. A tour of the Operations division is scheduled for some day earlier in the week than is any tour of the Production division.

  C. The Sales division is toured on Monday.

  D. The Production division is toured on Tuesday.

  E. The Operations division is toured on Wednesday.

  Correct Answer: E

  After several questions about days that include the same entity, we have one about days with different entities. That's a little tougher but still manageable. Monday and Tuesday are different. Well, Monday is never an O day, so Monday will be either P or S. Yet our two S's are consecutive, so the latter option is out.

• Question 540:

  During a single week, from Monday through Friday, tours will be conducted of a company's three divisions -- Operations, Production, Sales. Exactly five tours will be conducted that week, one each day. The schedule of tours for the week must conform to the following restrictions:

  Each division is toured at least once.

  The Operations division is not toured on Monday.

  The Production division is not toured on Wednesday.

  The Sales division is toured on two consecutive days, and on no other days.

  If the Operations division is toured on Thursday, then the Production division is toured on Friday.

  If in the week's tour schedule the division that is toured on Tuesday is also toured on Friday, then for which

  one of the following days must a tour of the Production division be scheduled?

  A. Monday

  B. Tuesday

  C. Wednesday

  D. Thursday

  E. Friday

  Correct Answer: A

  We're told, in the abstract, that the same division is toured on Tuesday and Friday. Well, don't be satisfied with that. Make it concrete. Which division is it? Can't be S, since the consecutive "SS" is all we're allowed. Can't be P either, because " PS S P" would leave O for Monday, a violation of Rule 2. No, the division the question is talking about must be O, and the insertion of "SS" yields "_ O S S O." Production's day is therefore Monday.