LSAT 102 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q25

LR Question 25 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The dwarf masked owl, a rare migratory bird of prey…

QUESTION TYPE: Necessary Assumption

CONCLUSION: The owl won’t nest on the Baja peninsula unless we grow more cacti.

REASONING: The cacti were destroyed, and there are no other suitable nesting spots on the Baja peninsula.

ANALYSIS: This is a bad argument. The owl might nest in unsuitable spots.

The wrong answers on this questions are particularly irrelevant. It’s worth studying them to see how none of them have the slightest thing to do with the argument.

Most wrong LSAT answers have nothing to do with the argument, but these answers are more openly irrelevant.

___________

1. We don’t care about other birds of prey. And since there are no spiny cactus left, this isn’t an issue.
2. The Baja Peninsula doesn’t have any more spiny cacti, so this seems irrelevant. And the argument only said that the owl “normally” goes to the Baja peninsula.
3. If this were false and the owl always wintered near its route, how would that help prove the owl wouldn’t nest on the Baja peninsula?
4. This is backwards. There argument isn’t hurt if there are other reasons why the owl might not nest on the peninsula, apart from a lack of spiny cacti. Maybe hunters will drive them off.
5. CORRECT. If this isn’t true, then the owls may nest in unsuitable sites on the Baja peninsula, even if there are no cacti.

Recap: The question begins with “The dwarf masked owl, a rare migratory bird of prey”. It is a Necessary Assumption question. Learn how to master LSAT Necessary questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.