LSAT 122 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q16

LR Question 16 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: With decreased production this year in many rice-growing…

QUESTION TYPE: Weaken

PARADOX: Since little rice is being traded freely, even small changes in supply lead to large changes in price.

Little rice is traded freely because governments keep it off the world market, for local distribution.

ANALYSIS: It’s rare that the correct answer will directly challenge a premise, but it’s not impossible. C weakens the conclusion by showing a premise is false.

___________

1. This tells us how countries react to price increases, but not what caused them.
2. While this contradicts one of the premises (governments are storing rice, rather than distributing it), it doesn’t weaken the conclusion: increased storage reduces the amount of rice sold on world markets.
3. CORRECT. This modifies one of the premises supporting the conclusion. Rather than keep the rice for local uses, governments actually ship more to foreign markets.
4. This shows another way by which local distribution drives up prices. This strengthens the argument, if anything.
5. Like A, this shows how countries react to reduced harvests, but it doesn’t help us explain price increases.

Recap: The question begins with “With decreased production this year in many rice-growing”. It is a Weaken question. Learn more about LSAT Weaken questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.