LSAC LSAC Certifications LSAT-TEST Questions & Answers

• Question 701:

  Read the following passage and answer the question below:

  Politician: The funding for the new nationwide health-awareness campaign should come from an increase

  in taxes on cigarettes. It is well established that cigarette smoking causes many serious health problems,

  and it is only reasonable that people whose unhealthful habits cause so many health problems should bear

  the costs of that campaign.

  Smoker: But it is equally well established that regularly eating high-fat, high-cholesterol foods causes as

  many serious health problems as does smoking, yet it would be manifestly unreasonable to force those

  who purchase such foods to bear the burden of financing this campaign.

  The smoker's response to the politician's argument

  A. offers a counterexample that calls into question the politician's reasoning

  B. presents an alternative solution to that proposed by the politician

  C. argues that the method proposed by the politician would be inadequate for its intended purpose

  D. questions the accuracy of the information cited by the politician in reaching a conclusion

  E. illustrates how the politician's proposal could aggravate the problem it is intended to solve

  Correct Answer: A

  We've done all the work already just ferreting out the point of contention above, so option [offers a counterexample that calls into...] should look good right away. We saw how the smoker implies, by means of his example, that smokers shouldn't bear the financial burden of the campaign. We saw also how the smoker never comes right out and says this, but it's pretty obvious thanks to his example what his position is. The other group of unhealthy folks (the bad eaters) is the counterexample, and they are presented to cast doubt on the politician's plan. Saying that it's "manifestly unreasonable" leaves little question that he feels that it would be just as unreasonable to impose the tax on smokers.

• Question 702:

  All Italian greyhounds are graceful and fast, but some are nervous. Graceful and fast greyhounds are slender, but nervous greyhounds are unpredictable. If the statements are true, all of the following must be true EXCEPT

  A. all Italian greyhounds are slender

  B. some greyhounds are nervous

  C. no Italian greyhounds are slow

  D. No Italian greyhounds are predictable

  E. all Italian greyhounds are graceful

  Correct Answer: D

  All Italian greyhounds are graceful and fast and graceful and fast greyhounds are slender, so all Italian greyhounds are slender. If some graceful and fast Italian greyhounds are nervous, then some greyhounds are nervous.

• Question 703:

  Read the following passage and answer the question below:

  Politician: The funding for the new nationwide health-awareness campaign should come from an increase

  in taxes on cigarettes. It is well established that cigarette smoking causes many serious health problems,

  and it is only reasonable that people whose unhealthful habits cause so many health problems should bear the costs of that campaign. Smoker: But it is equally well established that regularly eating high-fat, high-cholesterol foods causes as many serious health problems as does smoking, yet it would be manifestly unreasonable to force those who purchase such foods to bear the burden of financing this campaign.

  Which one of the following is the point at issue between the politician and the smoker?

  A. whether the politician's proposal for financing the health-awareness campaign is an unreasonable one

  B. whether smokers are more aware of the harmful effects of their habit than are people who regularly eat high-fat, high-cholesterol foods

  C. whether the effects of smoking constitute a greater health hazard than do the effects of regularly eating high-fat, high-cholesterol foods

  D. whether it is unreasonable to require people who do not benefit from certain governmental programs to share the costs of those programs

  E. whether the proposed increase on cigarette taxes is an efficient means of financing the health-awareness campaign

  Correct Answer: A

  The stem indicates a standard Point at Issue question, so expect the combatants to lock horns. The politician favors an increased tax on cigarettes to fund a new health-awareness campaign. Smokers are responsible for so many health problems, she argues--let them pay for the program. Notice that it's not a non-smoking campaign, however, but rather a general effort to make people more health conscious overall. And that seems to be what the smoker notices. He points out that others, by virtue of their habits, are also responsible for health problems, an example being consumers of high-fat, high-cholesterol foods. It would be unfair, he argues, to make that group pay for the campaign. Now, he doesn't come right out and say it, but hopefully you realized that by means of his example he's contesting the notion that smokers should pay for the campaign. He implies by way of analogy that forcing any one group with unhealthy habits to fund the campaign is unreasonable. The contested issue, therefore, is the basic one stated in the option [whether the politician's proposal for...]: The politician believes her proposal is a reasonable one, and the smoker simply does not.

• Question 704:

  If Jack were a first baseman for the New York Mets, he would be rich. He is not a first baseman, since he is not rich. The conclusion above is unsound because the author does not consider the possibility that Jack could be

  A. a rich third baseman.

  B. a first baseman for another team.

  C. rich for some other reason.

  D. a guard for the Boston Celtics.

  E. a second baseman for the New York Mets.

  Correct Answer: B

  The logical conclusion from the statements is that, since Jack is not rich, he is not a first baseman for the New York Mets, not that he is not a first baseman. He could be a first baseman for some other team and be rich.

• Question 705:

  You do not succeed unless you take a gamble. Gambling is foolish. Therefore, only fools succeed. Which one of the following would weaken the conclusion the most?

  A. Most fools gamble.

  B. Most fools do not succeed.

  C. Some succeed without gambling.

  D. Most successful gamblers are not foolish.

  E. A fool and his money are soon parted.

  Correct Answer: C

• Question 706:

  The politicians cannot be telling the truth about a reduction in taxes. This year my taxes must have been higher than ever, because I was able to save less money than last year or the year before. All of the following point to an error in reasoning in this passage EXCEPT

  A. taxes are not the year's only expense.

  B. this year's earnings may have been smaller than last year's.

  C. politicians are frequently guilty of exaggeration or equivocation.

  D. this year's tax deductions may have been smaller than last year's

  E. income from invested income may have declined this year due to lower interest rates.

  Correct Answer: C

  The speaker of this passage may have saved less money because his income was less [this year's earnings may have been...]. or [income from invested income may have...]., his tax deductions were smaller [this year's tax deductions may have been...]., or his expenses besides taxes were larger.

• Question 707:

  Mr. Miko is very good at the sport of Judo. Therefore, Mr. Miko is a good sport.

  The author of the argument above relies upon which one of the following to arrive at a conclusion?

  A. purposely overestimating Mr. Miko's ability in Jodo.

  B. generalizing from a particular example.

  C. establishing a specific case based upon a general occurrence.

  D. establishing a casual relationship.

  E. assuming a similarity of meaning between "good at a sport" and "good sport"

  Correct Answer: E

  The author of this argument does not see the difference between "good at a sport" and "good sport"

• Question 708:

  The rural community of Pottsville has a low crime rate. Urban Los Angeles has a high crime rate. Shady Junction, a small agricultural community, has a high rate of criminal activity. The city of Washington, D.C. has a low rate of criminal activity.

  Which one of the following most clearly expresses the main point in the passage above?

  A. Urban communities generally have higher crime rates.

  B. Crime is rampant in all communities.

  C. Rural communities generally have higher crime rates.

  D. Crime is not solely an urban or rural phenomenon.

  E. Urban crime is more violent than rural crime.

  Correct Answer: D

  The passage points out that crime rates can be high or low in rural or urban communities.

• Question 709:

  Landlord: When are you going to pay last month's rent?

  Renter: First, I've already paid it. Secondly, I don't owe you anything. Third, not until you fix the heater.

  The weakness in the renter's response is best expressed by which one of the following?

  A. He contradicts himself.

  B. He dislikes the landlord.

  C. He assumes the landlord has a poor memory.

  D. He repeats himself.

  E. He makes no sense.

  Correct Answer: A

  The renter's third statement contradicts his second statement.

• Question 710:

  All teachers like some of their students. No teacher likes all of his or her students. If the statements are true, then all of the following must be true EXCEPT

  A. some teachers like some of their students

  B. all teachers dislike some of their students

  C. no teacher dislikes all of his or her students

  D. most teachers like most of their students E. no teacher likes all of his or her students

  Correct Answer: D

  The passage makes no comments on the majority of a teacher's students.