LSAT 127 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q20

LR Question 20 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: A recent study suggests that consuming three glasses of wine…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: Drinking three glasses of wine would not benefit health overall.

ANALYSIS: The critics seem unusually defensive. Rather than discuss the effects of three glasses of wine, they throw in some largely irrelevant information about binge drinkers. The latter have an elevated risk of heart attacks, but they also tend to drink many more than three drinks. The relevance of this is questionable.

The critics use this information about binge drinkers to suggest that those who drink only three glasses of wine would also be at increased risk of a heart attack. This conclusion is unfounded.

___________

1. CORRECT. Yup. The evidence about binge drinking has no place in the discussion of the health effects of three glasses of wine.
2. They’re pretty clear that the risk is separate from other risks, such as stroke.
3. They did not make that claim; they simply said that the people most likely to drink three glasses of wine would be binge drinkers. Their health claims are confined to this group.
4. They addressed it specifically, but claimed it was outweighed by the increased risk of heart attack.
5. Neither group talked about this. While it’s certainly relevant, it’s not really something you could use to criticize the critics.

Recap: The question begins with “A recent study suggests that consuming three glasses of wine”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. Learn more about LSAT Flaw questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.