LSAT Logical Reasoning : LSAT Logical Reasoning
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for LSAT Logical Reasoning
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Example Questions
Example Question #22 : Main Point / Main Conclusion
Consultant: While most businesspeople are concerned about customers taking off with their merchandise or suppliers overcharging them, the actions of their employees often go overlooked. Yet because an employee can bilk small amounts from a company with little notice, a persitent thieving employee can amass a large amount of stolen money simply by being able to do it over a long period of time.
Which of the following best summarizes the consultant's main point?
Theft from small business owners is much easier than theft from large corporations due to lax standards.
Many suppliers cheat and swindle small business owners without the owner catching on to the deception.
Theft by customers and overcharging by suppliers is not a significant problem for small business owners.
The biggest threat to small business owners is theft by their own employees.
Most small business owners are incredibly vigilant about customers taking off with their merchandise or suppliers overcharging them.
The biggest threat to small business owners is theft by their own employees.
The argument centers on the issue of theft from small businesses by employees. It is important that this issue is compared to the typically thought of ways people steal from small businesses and that theft by employees is much more prominent and problematic than theft by customers and cheating by suppliers.
Example Question #121 : Lsat Logical Reasoning
In medieval times, kings put great trust in the church. Not only would the church often support their efforts, but the legal actions that church leaders could take often outstripped the rights of the crown. If a subject was causing some problem, a king was quite likely to ask the church to bring the troublemaker forward on charges of heresy.
Which of the following statements best summarizes the passage main argument?
Kings used religion as an extra mechanism of power in medieval times.
A king had absolute power over all of his subjects in medieval times.
The combination of church and state in legal matters is always dangerous.
The role of religion in medieval government was rarely clear.
Religion had special legal powers in medieval times.
Kings used religion as an extra mechanism of power in medieval times.
While this passage is about religion and politics, there is a clear through line to the passage's main argument. Kings had power, but not the same power as the church, which allowed kings to use that religious power to their advantage. This notion of an extra mechanism of power is the best statement of the passage's argument.
Example Question #23 : Main Point / Main Conclusion
A local politician, while being questioned by local media, is asked whether or not she had destroyed the only copy of a recent private interview where an embarrassing fact about the politician’s history had been the topic of conversation. The politician, after declining to answer, stated that no such video existed.
Which is the most accurate evaluation of the politician’s reply?
It does not even answer the question posed by local media.
It never answers whether or not the interview had even taken place.
It is not an accurate representation of an accurate answer.
It never answers whether or not she had destroyed the video.
It shows how grudgingly the politician answered the question.
It never answers whether or not she had destroyed the video.
The politician’s answer does not deny that a video had at one point existed. In fact, the politician’s answer is perfectly consistent with a scenario where she had destroyed the video because after she destroyed it, there would be no video in existence.
Example Question #24 : Main Point / Main Conclusion
Very few people are able to understand the full nuances of the complete tax code. This confusion can allow many people to trust a financial professional completely and totally. Such trust needs to be placed carefully, however, as it can open up many people to unscrupulous business practices and financial losses from less than honest financial planners.
What best states the main conclusion of the above passage?
People should not trust other people to prepare their taxes for them.
The business of tax preparation is full of professionals who are willing to defraud customers.
Tax preparers are more likely to cheat customers than people in other professions.
The lack of knowledge about tax preparation can lead to people being mistreated.
The tax code is too complicated and should be revised to be simpler.
The lack of knowledge about tax preparation can lead to people being mistreated.
The passage emphasizes that the complexity of the tax code can easily make people be defrauded by unscrupulous tax preparers. The passage does not, however, state that all tax preparers are unscrupulous or that people should not trust tax preparers. Instead, the main conclusion is that people can be mistreated because the tax code is so complex.
Example Question #122 : Lsat Logical Reasoning
Every class in Sally's Dance studio has one or more students. None of the students in Sally's Dance Studio who are taking jazz classes are taking hip hop classes, but most of the students taking hip hop classes are taking ballet classes. Additionally, none of the students taking modern dance classes are taking hip hop classes.
Which of the following statements follows logically from the statements above?
None of the students taking modern are taking jazz.
There are students who are taking both ballet and jazz.
There are students who are taking modern but not jazz.
There are students who are taking ballet but not jazz.
None of the students taking jazz are taking ballet.
There are students who are taking ballet but not jazz.
If most of the students taking hip hop are also taking ballet, but none of those hip hop students are also taking jazz, it follows logically that there are students taking ballet who are not taking jazz. Note: "Most" on the LSAT implies that more than half of the students taking hip hop are also taking ballet.
Example Question #123 : Lsat Logical Reasoning
Most business executives believe that corporate taxes should never be raised. Our mayor, who is running for reelection, has suggested raising the corporate income tax by fifteen percent next year. He argues that the increase will help balance the municipal budget. Clearly, though, he will lose the election, and the proposal will ultimately be discarded.
Which of the following best expresses the main conclusion in the passage above?
The mayor's proposal to raise corporate taxes will be discarded.
Most business executives believe that corporate taxes should never be raised.
The proposed tax increase will help balance the municipal budget.
The mayor will raise the corporate income tax rate.
Business leaders will prevent the mayor from being reelected.
The mayor's proposal to raise corporate taxes will be discarded.
It is essential to identify which components of the paragraph provide background information, and which are directly relevant to the argument being advanced. In this question, most of the initial sentences outline context. In the last sentence, a conclusion is drawn, making it the easily recognizable main conclusion of the argument.
Example Question #124 : Lsat Logical Reasoning
Despite the discoloration present on the patient's legs, there is no reason to suspect that she has poor circulation. Many individuals have unique skin pigmentation on their lower extremities. In fact, it is likely that this discoloration has been present since birth.
Which of the following best expresses the main conclusion of the above passage?
There is reason to believe that the patient has poor circulation.
The patient's discoloration has been present since birth.
Many individuals have unique pigmentation on their lower extremities.
The patient is suffering from discoloration on the legs.
There is no reason to believe that the patient has poor circulation.
There is no reason to believe that the patient has poor circulation.
The conclusion is quickly drawn in the opening sentence. The succeeding discussion simply explains the reasoning behind the conclusion, and is therefore not relevant to the answer.
Example Question #125 : Lsat Logical Reasoning
No two snowflakes can be exactly the same. Last week, a famous chemist examined fifty different snowflakes under a powerful microscope. After careful examination, he concluded that two of the specimens were structurally and aesthetically identical. Clearly, though, his conclusion must be mistaken.
Which of the following best characterizes the main conclusion of the above passage?
Two of the snowflakes were identical.
No two snowflakes can be exactly the same.
A famous chemist examined fifty snowflakes under a powerful microscope.
The snowflakes cannot be structurally and aesthetically identical.
The famous chemist misled the public with his conclusions.
The snowflakes cannot be structurally and aesthetically identical.
The last sentence forms a concrete opinion on the fact presented earlier in the passage, by rejecting the conclusion reached by the famed chemist.
Example Question #126 : Lsat Logical Reasoning
80% of families own a pet of some variety. The Jones family has three cats and two dogs, but none of them are technically pets. All of their animals live outside, and no true pet sleeps outdoors.
Which of the following best expresses the main conclusion of the above passage?
No true pet sleeps outdoors.
The Jones family does not have pets.
The Jones family does not allow animals inside their home.
The Jones family has three cats and two dogs.
80% of families own a pet of some variety.
The Jones family does not have pets.
The first sentence is merely background information. Sentence two offers the main conclusions of the passage, as supported by the premises given in sentence three.
Example Question #127 : Lsat Logical Reasoning
The prime minister should support the ban on chemical weapons. All chemical weapons can cause significant numbers of civilian casualties, which is a breach of international law. No political figure may ever violate international laws or treaties, even when it serves their strategic interests.
Which of the following best characterizes the main conclusion of the above argument?
All chemical weapons cause significant numbers of civilian casualties.
The ban on chemical weapons does not serve the prime minister's strategic interests.
Chemical weapons are a violation of international law.
The prime minister should support the ban on chemical weapons.
The prime minister is a political figure.
The prime minister should support the ban on chemical weapons.
In this passage, the conclusion is drawn immediately. The rest of the passage is devoted to offering premises in support of that position.
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