LSAT 8 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q16

LR Question 16 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Although all birds have feathers and all birds have wings…

QUESTION TYPE: Parallel Reasoning

CONCLUSION: Not all birds fly (even though all birds have feathers and wings.)

REASONING: The argument gives the examples of ostriches and penguins (which do not fly.)

ANALYSIS: The key to paralleling this argument is recognizing that people tend to assume things with wings fly, or that all birds fly. And things with wings do usually fly.

But not all birds do. The ostriches and penguins are given as counterexamples.

So we are looking for an argument that uses rare exceptions to a general rule.

___________

1. This just tells us stuff about philosophers and biologists and what they study. It has nothing about exceptions to a rule.
2. CORRECT. Yes. Most people associate chairs with sitting. But the argument gives two types of chair that are not used for sitting despite the fact that they have a seat and some support.
3. This just tells us how to classify violins and violas.
4. This is a bad argument because it doesn’t tell us why solar powered cars are less efficient.
5. This just describes a difference between sailing ships and steam ships. Neither of them are an exception to any rule.

Recap: The question begins with “Although all birds have feathers and all birds have wings”. It is a Parallel Reasoning question. Learn more about LSAT Parallel questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.