LSAT 114 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q15

LR Question 15 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Mystery stories often feature a brilliant detective…

QUESTION TYPE: Most Strongly Supported

FACTS:

1. Mystery stories tend to have a smart detective and a dumb companion.
2. They use the same clues, but only the detective can figure things out.
3. Including the dumb companion lets readers try to solve the mystery.

ANALYSIS: We don’t know how many mystery stories are like this, we only know that it happens “often.” We also don’t know if readers usually do solve these mysteries. They might fail most of the time.

But since readers had a “chance” to solve the mystery then there must have been enough clues for the readers to solve the mystery.

___________

1. We only know that mystery stories “often” feature a brilliant detective. That isn’t necessarily most of the time.
2. We know that mystery readers are given “a chance” to solve the mystery. That doesn’t mean they will “often” solve the mystery. 
3. CORRECT. Those mystery stories that feature a dull companion will often have enough clues. If readers have a “chance” to figure out the story then there were enough clues to do so. 
4. We have no idea. The brilliant detective is likely interesting and may divert us now and again. The point was that the dull companion diverts us from the solution to the mystery. No one cares about the dull companion’s actions apart
   from that.
5. We’re not told who uncovers the clues.