LSAT 129 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q10

LR Question 10 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Dairy farmer: On our farm, we have great concern for

QUESTION TYPE: Principle

FACTS: The farmer says that changes on the farm have led to the following sequence:

Sleeping mattresses → Cow comfort → more blood flow to udder → more milk → more profits

ANALYSIS: The farmer has made changes to the cows’ environment. These changes make the cows more comfortable and ultimately increase profits.

We’re looking for a general principle that matches these claims. I couldn’t prephrase anything. On this sort of question just make sure you’re clear on the facts and keep an open mind when reading the answers.

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1. Ridiculous. The argument didn’t say this. Knowing about milk physiology may have helped the farmer in this case, but it’s not the only way to make cows comfortable.
   Farmers could, for example, watch their cows and see when they seem happy or distressed, and then change conditions accordingly, even if they had no knowledge of cow physiology.
2. CORRECT. This matches the situation. The farmer maximized profits but also made the cows comfortable.
3. We have no evidence for this. The farmer didn’t talk about other animals.
4. The farmer didn’t address quality vs. productivity, so we don’t know what they think. Maybe a 0.1% decrease in productivity would be acceptable if output increased 1000%.
5. The farmer didn’t say this. In one specific case, concern for the cow’s environment increased profits. But I doubt it’s the only concern.
   For example, if you had comfortable cows but no system for storing milk, I doubt you’d make any profits.