LSAT 106 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q18

LR Question 18 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Essayist: The way science is conducted and regulated…

QUESTION TYPE: Identify the Conclusion

CONCLUSION: Before we change science, we should examine the costs.

REASONING: The essayist points out that many changes are possible, but that they also have downsides.

ANALYSIS: The second sentence is the conclusion. The rest of the passage provides examples to prove the point.

It’s a good argument. We shouldn’t make a change without considering the positive and negative effects.

___________

1. The essayist didn’t say changes are bad. They said changes have downsides. Some changes might still be worth it, even considering the downsides.
2. This is a premise. If we make changes, we’ll affect science. So therefore we need to consider the consequences of any changes we make.
3. This is a premise. Changes are possible. But that doesn’t always mean we should make them.
4. This is a premise. There are costs to change. This means that we should consider changes carefully.
5. CORRECT. This is it. We have to consider the downsides before making changes. It might still be worth it to change things, but we can’t ignore the negative effects.