LSAT 41, Logical Reasoning II, Q8, LSATHacks

LR Question 8 Explanation, by LSATHacks

QUESTION TEXT: Travel writer: A vacationer should choose an airline that has…

QUESTION TYPE: Parallel Reasoning

CONCLUSION: We should choose airlines that have lots of accidents.

REASONING: Airlines have one accident every five years on average. So if they already have had one, they are less likely to have another.

ANALYSIS: The writer makes a classic mistake about averages. An airline can have more than one crash every five years, and can go more than five years without a crash.

A long period without crashes may mean either that a crash is due or that the airline has gotten safer.

___________

1. This is a good argument. It’s possible for a coin to flip heads 100 times in a row, but it’s so improbable that another explanation is more likely. A coin is different from an airline.
2. CORRECT. Yes. Averages don’t guarantee an individual gorilla will gain power every ten years. In fact, such a long period without dominance may indicate the gorilla will never gain power. What a loser.
3. Since we know nothing about Marty, this is a decent argument.
4. This is a good argument. Adolescents make less than adults, and part time adolescents make less than both.
5. That’s a bad argument. Strategy can depend on our opponent.

Recap: The question begins with “Travel writer: A vacationer should choose an airline that has”. It is a Parallel Reasoning question. Learn more about LSAT Parallel questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.

Hi, I'm Graeme Blake

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