PrepTest 127

[lcid:3604] Prep Test 127 LSAT — Logical Reasoning — S1 Logical reasoning

Question prompt

Only a minority of Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: A

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Argument or Facts

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Flawed

Question Type

Flawed Parallel Reasoning Questions / Quantifiers Questions

Stimulus Summary

Engage in political action --most--> ~Motivated by sense of social justice
Therefore - Motivated by sense of social justice --some-- ~Engage in political action

Answer Anticipation

This argument presents two quantified statements, although it can be easy to view the first statement as conditional or as a some statement.
However, saying that “[o]nly a minority” of a group has a certain trait is saying that most of the group doesn’t have that trait - hence our diagram.
This argument completely messes up the valid inferences we can draw from a most statement - we can’t reverse or negate it, so the conclusion is right out. Since the flaw is related to those quantifiers, we should look for an answer that mirrors those elements:
A --most--> ~B
Therefore - B --some-- ~A

Answer choices

  1. A
    Most scholars are not Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem
    Scholar --most--> ~Motivated by desire to win prizes

    Therefore - Motivated by desire to win prizes --some-- ~Scholars

    This argument matches up with the one in the stimulus, so we have our answer already!
  2. B
    Only foolish politicians disregard Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    The opening line here is a conditional statement, so it doesn’t match up with the quantified statements of the stimulus.
  3. C
    Some corporations only feign Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    The premise here is a some statement and the conclusion is conditional, so we can eliminate this answer.
  4. D
    Some parents show no Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    The premise is a some statement, and the conclusion introduces a new term (decisions on curricula) when the stimulus doesn’t (it repeats concepts while negating them), so this answer isn’t parallel.
  5. E
    Only a small percentage Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    The conclusion here is a most statement (“usually”), so we can rule this answer out.

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