LSAT 104 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q13

LR Question 13 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Problems caused by the leaching of pollutants from dumps and…

QUESTION TYPE: Necessary Assumption

CONCLUSION: Country X will probably have fewer leaching problems in the next few years.

REASONING: Country X has a per capita income of $5,000. Leaching problems are worst in countries with incomes between $4000-5000. Past $5000, countries have enough industrial development to afford to clean up the problems.

ANALYSIS: The argument says that you start non-industrial and non-polluted. Then you become industrial and polluted. Then you get rich enough from industrialization to clean up the pollution.

The argument is assuming that country X will keep getting richer and more industrialized. Otherwise country X may not be able to clean up the pollution.

___________

1. We don’t know why leaching problems disappear above $5000. We just know they do disappear, for some reason.
2. This sounds tempting. Other countries can pollute country X. But think about it: suppose those countries keep polluting, but country X pollutes less. There will still be pollution in country X, but there will be less.
3. CORRECT. If this isn’t true, then country X may not have the resources to clean up pollution.
    
   (If this sounds abstract, think of it this way: the argument assumes that country X will get richer in the next few years.)
4. Country X already began industrializing: that’s why it’s polluted. Countries that are poor and haven’t industrialized are less polluted.
5. What does it matter if other countries are as polluted as country X? We don’t care about them. We only care about what happens to country X.

Recap: The question begins with “Problems caused by the leaching of pollutants from dumps and”. It is a Necessary Assumption question. Learn how to master LSAT Necessary questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.