LSAT 6 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q16

LR Question 16 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The ancient Romans understood the principles of water power…

QUESTION TYPE: Paradox

FACTS: Romans made excellent use of water power yet they did not use it in their largest cities.

ANALYSIS: Water power is only useful in certain locations. It’s possible that the big cities were all located in areas without a good source of water power.

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1. This may sound tempting, but drinking water is different from water power (e.g. A windmill, electricity from a waterfall in modern areas, etc.)
2. This isn’t useful unless we also knew whether areas with water power also had substantial river flow with seasonal variation.
3. This introduces and eliminates one reason water power might be vulnerable in urban areas.
4. This tells us that areas without water power still had some sort of energy. But it doesn’t say why they didn’t use water power.
5. CORRECT. This explains the lack of water power. It would have brought benefits but also caused social unrest.

Recap: The question begins with “The ancient Romans understood the principles of water power”. It is a Paradox question. Learn more about LSAT Paradox questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.