LSAT 123 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q5

LR Question 5 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Atrens: An early entomologist observed ants carrying…

QUESTION TYPE: Sufficient Assumption

CONCLUSION: The early entomologist was wrong to say that the ants were bringing food to their neighbors.

REASONING: It turns out the ants were emptying their own dumping site.

ANALYSIS: Atrens ignores an obvious possibility: the dumping site contained food which the ants brought to their neighbors.

To prove the argument correct, we can show the dumping site didn’t contain food. Then there’s no way the particles were food for the neighbors.

___________

1. So? Ant-human similarities have nothing to do with whether the ants were bringing food particles from their dumping site.
2. The stimulus actually doesn’t mention gifts. It doesn’t say why the early entomologist thought the ants were bringing food. i.e. maybe he thought they were trading food for something else.
3. CORRECT. If this is true, then the particles from the dumping site can’t be food brought to the other nest.
4. This is a trap answer. You might think “ah, the particles weren’t useful food, because the other ants didn’t use the particles”. But, maybe the particles were food, and the ants ate them outside the nest. Or maybe they rejected the food. Who knows? This answer doesn’t eliminate all alternatives.
5. The entomologist’s belief isn’t relevant. We care about facts. It’s possible the retraction was a mistake. (Ever said “oh, I guess I was wrong”, and it later turned out you were right?)