LSAT 140 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q8

LR Question 8 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Mark: The decongestant drug Zokaz was discontinued by…

QUESTION TYPE: Method of Reasoning

CONCLUSION: Kathy says that the two drugs probably have different side effects.

REASONING: Kathy says that the two drugs are chemically different, even though the drugs achieve their effects through the same physiological mechanisms.

ANALYSIS: Kathy doesn’t disagree with Mark’s facts. Instead, she points out a relevant fact that Mark ignored, and uses this to disagree with Mark’s conclusion.

___________

1. Kathy didn’t mention any drug’s safety record. This answer simply didn’t happen.
2. This answer describes an argument by analogy, where you talk about something else in order to prove a point. But Kathy made no analogy – she just talked about the drugs themselves.
3. Kathy didn’t mention any studies. How could this possibly be the right answer?
4. Which fundamental principles of medicine? Kathy didn’t mention any.
5. CORRECT. Here we go. Mark made an analogy between Zokaz and Qualzan in order to prove that Qualzan is risky. Kathy points out that Zokaz and Qualzan are chemically different. This breaks the analogy.