LR Question 22 Explanation
QUESTION TEXT: Letter to the editor: After Baerton’s factory closed…
QUESTION TYPE: Weaken – Exception
CONCLUSION: Many people who filed injury claims just wanted money to support themselves, since they had lost their jobs.
REASONING: Many claims were filed soon after the factory closed and the men lost their jobs.
ANALYSIS: This conclusion is possible. But it’s also possible that the injured men worried there’d be no money left if they didn’t file claims right away, since the factory had closed.
That’s just one possible reason. The wrong answers points out several others.
___________
- This shows that many workers only became eligible to file claims once the factory closed.
- This shows that many injured workers feared getting fired if they filed a claim. But now that they’ve lost their jobs, they’ve got nothing left to lose if they file a claim.
- CORRECT. This supports the argument. If most workers file the day they’re injured, then why did many workers file after the factory closed? They weren’t getting injured that day – the factory had shut down.
- This is similar to B. Before, the workers would have lost money and their jobs by filing. Now, the workers have nothing to lose by filing a claim.
- This would mean that many workers injured themselves in the weeks before the plant closed. They were depressed that they would lose their jobs, and got clumsy.
Recap: The question begins with “Letter to the editor: After Baerton’s factory closed”. It is a Weaken question. Learn more about LSAT Weaken questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.
More Resources for Weaken Questions
- Intro Course lesson: This intro course lesson covers Weaken questions.
- Mastery Seminar lesson: This LR Mastery seminar lesson covers weaken questions.
Don’t you have to assume that the workers were aware that the factory would close for option E? It doesn’t say in the stimulus that they knew the factory would close.
The LSAT instructions tell you not to make unreasonable assumptions. If a factory closes, it is reasonable to think there will be a notice period for workers and there will be some work to be done in shutting down the factory.
What you wrote requires assuming that the factory just instantly closed, with workers instantly laid off. That is an assumption. Workers either get notice or don’t, and whichever way you interpret it you’re assuming something. You should choose the more reasonable assumption and give the answer a more sensible meaning. Hope that helps!