LSAT 132 | Section 1 | Reading Comprehension: Q21

RC Question 21 Explanation

DISCUSSION: The generalization in passage A is that more agriculture leads to more tooth decay, in general.

The Ban Chiang are a counterexample. The early, less agricultural Ban Chiang groups had more tooth decay (lines 58-60).

___________

1. No, see the explanation above.
2. No, see the explanation above.
3. The Ban Chiang are definitely relevant. The generalization is talking about all populations. The Ban Chiang increased their use of agriculture, so according to the generalization they should have had more tooth decay.
4. CORRECT. The Ban Chiang don’t fit with the generalization. They had less tooth decay as their agriculture increased.
5. You can’t disprove a generalization with a single example. A generalization is just a tendency. If I say “Americans tend to be nice”, you can only disprove that by showing “No, most americans are mean”. A single mean American doesn’t disprove the generalization.