PrepTest 112

[lcid:3547] Prep Test 112 LSAT — Logical Reasoning — S4 Logical reasoning

Question prompt

Telephone companies are promoting Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: D

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

Weaken Questions

Stimulus Summary

Voice mail is more convenient, flexible, and inexpensive than an answering machine
Prediction - Voice mail will make answers machines obsolete

Answer Anticipation

Hello? Oh, it’s you, ‘90s. You want your question back? Gotta love these outdated questions!
The telephone companies here make a prediction - voice mail is going to make answering machines obsolete. That’s a comparative conclusion - voice mail is so much better than answering machines that people will all want to use the former.
And that comparative conclusion is based on some comparisons - voice mail costs less, is more flexible, and is more convenient than answering machines. Those are all reasons that one might want to switch.
However, when reaching a comparative conclusion that one thing is better than another, we need those points of comparison, but we also need to know what features matter to customers - in other words, we need the criteria by which consumers will judge which is better.
Here, since we’re tasked with weakening the argument, we should look for any answer that suggests customers care about something other than these three features where voice mail is superior to answering machines, or any answer that brings up a relative benefit of answering machines over voice mail.

Answer choices

  1. A
    Unlike calls made to Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    This is a benefit of voice mail over answering machines, strengthening the argument.
  2. B
    The surge in sales Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    A surge of sales of one technology - especially in the past - doesn’t speak to which of two technologies is better.
  3. C
    Once a telephone customer Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    If anything, this is a benefit of voice mail, which would align with the argument.
  4. D
    Answering machines enable the Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D matches the stem
    This answer provides a benefit of answering machines over voice mail, calling into question the conclusion that the former will become obsolete due to the latter. This answer weakens the argument, so it’s correct.
  5. E
    The number of messages Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    This answer provides a downside of answering machines, though it doesn’t establish whether there’s a similar limitation on voice mail. As such, it’s either something that strengthens the argument or doesn’t affect it, but it definitely doesn’t weaken it.

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