LSAT 8 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q15

LR Question 15 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Under the current absence of…

QUESTION TYPE: Point at Issue

ARGUMENTS: The consumer advocate claims that manufacturers are deceiving consumers. They give as an example the use of the word fresh: it is misleading if it is used to describe a product made from water, concentrate and flavor enhancers.

The manufacturer counters that fresh could also mean never frozen. Manufacturers cannot be faulted for failing to comply with standards since there are no standards.

ANALYSIS: The advocate believes that it is misleading to use a word in a way that goes against how people commonly understand it. The manufacturer does not believe his practice is deceptive.

___________

1. CORRECT. Yes. Arbiter means judge or referee. There are no regulations. Given that, the consumer advocate thinks that it is misleading to use words in a way that people will misunderstand. The manufacturer thinks it is fine as long as the words are technically accurate.
2. Neither of them gives an opinion on whether a truthful standard is possible.
3. The manufacturer doesn’t disagree that this is how the word is commonly understood. He just thinks its fine to use the word in a different way as long as it is technically accurate.
4. The consumer advocate might believe that some terms can be truthfully applied to both foods. Such as: gluten-free, non-toxic, alcoholic, etc.
5. Neither of them expresses an opinion on whether government standards would allow for truth.

Recap: The question begins with “Under the current absence of”. It is a Point at Issue question. Learn how to master LSAT Point at Issue questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.