LR Question 15 Explanation
QUESTION TEXT: Greatly exceeding the recommended daily intake of…
QUESTION TYPE: Most Strongly Supported
FACTS:
- You should not greatly exceed the recommended daily intake (RDA) of vitamins A and D – they are toxic.
- Some vitamin fortified foods have 100% of the daily intake of those vitamins per serving.
- Many people eat 2-3x the standard servings of some vitamin fortified foods.
ANALYSIS: We know “some” vitamin fortified cereals have 100% of the RDA. It’s a warranted assumption that other vitamin fortified cereals have a significant percent of the RDA, say 30-50%.
We know some people eat 2-3x the recommended serving. And it’s a warranted assumption that people get vitamin A and D from other food sources – everyone knows that.
This is just a most strongly supported question. It’s probable, though not certain, that at least one person, somewhere in the world, has exceeded the RDA by eating lots of vitamin fortified cereal.
___________
- We don’t know why people overeat cereal. Maybe they are aware of the RDA, and their mistake is simply about serving size.
- CORRECT. At least some vitamin fortified foods have 100% of the daily intake. Presumably other such foods at least have high quantities of vitamins. Since “many” people eat large servings, and since they likely get some vitamin A and D from the rest of their diet, it’s likely at least some people exceed the daily intake.
- The only mistaken belief in the stimulus is how big a serving is. But people may pour cereal because they want to eat enough food – they may not be considering vitamin intake.
- People may be deficient in certain vitamins even if they eat vitamin fortified foods. People might want to supplement those vitamins.
- Manufacturers might not realize how people eat! Also, we only know vitamins A and D are toxic in extremely high doses. It’s possible 2-3x the RDA is not a concern, and thus manufacturers don’t need to worry about overeating.
Recap: The question begins with “Greatly exceeding the recommended daily intake of”. It is a Most Strongly Supported question. To practice more Most Strongly Supported questions, have a look at the LSAT Questions by Type page.
More Resources for Most Strongly Supported Questions
- Intro Course lesson: This intro course lesson covers Most Strongly Supported questions.
- Mastery Seminar lesson: This LR Mastery seminar lesson covers most strongly supported questions.
Hi Jen,
Most strongly supported questions aren’t asking for a ‘must be true’ answer, they are essentially asking for what is most likely to be true based on the information in the stimulus. The key here is to eliminate the wrong answers – in this case (B) is the ONLY answer choice that is supported by the passage.
To answer your question yes, in MSS questions, there is room for a lack of certainty. If you’re ever stuck with two could be true answers, however, go back and read the stimulus carefully — there’s always a clear correct answer.
Hope that helps!
I chose (B) then went over the other answer choices twice just to make sure because I thought “some” / “some” inferences are invalid as in they are could be true but not must be true. Is it safe to assume that most strongly support questions leave some room for could be trues being the correct answer choice?