LSAT 6 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q15

LR Question 15 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Twenty years ago the Republic of Rosinia produced nearly…

QUESTION TYPE: Necessary Assumption

CONCLUSION: Scientists are to blame for the decrease in potato yields.

REASONING: Those lazy researchers should have developed new, higher-yielding strains of potatoes.

ANALYSIS: This argument needs more detail. Why are crop yields decreasing? New strains should increase potato production, sure. But yields dropped from 100 million to 60 million. We’re not told why this happened or why the drop should blamed on the lack of new varieties.

Did the old potatoes break? It seems strange that production dropped by 40%. It’s not clear why lack of new strains is to blame.

___________

1. It’s not necessary that current attempts are futile. It’s only necessary that past efforts were futile. The argument is assigning blame for past failures.
2. CORRECT. If common potato strains could have produced 100 million tons…well that sounds like someone other than the scientists is to blame. Scientists are not the ones who grow the potatoes.
3. This would support the scientists. This can’t be a necessary assumption since the stimulus is trying to blame the scientists.
4. This isn’t a necessary assumption for blaming the scientists. We could still blame them even if large swings are unusual.
5. Even if the grants are funded by the private sector we could still say the scientists are failing in their duty to the nation.

Recap: The question begins with “Twenty years ago the Republic of Rosinia produced nearly”. It is a Necessary Assumption question. Learn how to master LSAT Necessary questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.