LSAT 159 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q11

LR Question 11 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The crocodiles of Lake Victoria, in East Africa, sometimes attack …

QUESTION TYPE: Paradox

PARADOX: The number of humans attacked by crocodiles has increased significantly, even though the number of crocodiles and food availability has stayed the same.

ANALYSIS: If there are no more crocodiles and no less natural food, then why are attacks on humans increasing? The only thing left to explain the rise in attacks must be greater human exposure. People are probably entering crocodile territory more often, so there are simply more chances to attack humans.

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1. That actually makes the increase even more confusing. If crocodiles who attack are removed, we’d expect to see less attacks, not more.
2. This is just a statistic about the location, not a reason for the increase. We know the number of crocodiles overall hasn’t changed, so this detail doesn’t explain anything new.
3. Sure. But we’re only concerned with Lake Victoria. There’s no comparison to anywhere else.
4. At first, this might sound like it could explain the increase in attacks. If crocodiles aren’t afraid, they might be more likely to approach or attack people. But this doesn’t tell us anything about change over time. If they’ve always been unafraid, it can’t explain why the number of attacks has gone up.
5. CORRECT. If more people are fishing in more areas, they’re encountering crocodiles more often. More encounters mean more opportunities for attacks, even if crocodile numbers and food sources stay the same.