LSAT 138 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q4

LR Question 4 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Ecologist: Landfills are generally designed to hold ten…

QUESTION TYPE: Role in Argument

CONCLUSION: It’s incorrect to say that there will be a crisis of landfill availability.

REASONING: Landfills close after ten years. But new ones will probably open up, so this will be offset.

ANALYSIS: On role in argument questions, your job is not to criticize. So thoughts like “what if there’s no land for new landfills?” are not relevant. You only have to figure out what the author was trying to say.

The idea that there will be a crisis is the opposing idea that the author disagrees with.

___________

1. Nonsense. The author disagrees with those who say there will be a crisis, so the opposing claim doesn’t “follow” from the argument.
2. The main conclusion is that this claim is wrong. See the last three words of the argument.
3. The argument’s conclusion is that there will be no crisis!
4. CORRECT. This is worded strangely, but it’s right. This answer would be clearer if it had said: “The argument is designed to prove that this claim is wrong.”
5. The author disagrees that there will be a crisis, so the statement in question isn’t any sort of conclusion.