PrepTest 106

[lcid:3522] Prep Test 106 LSAT — Logical Reasoning — S3 Logical reasoning

Question prompt

Letter to the Editor: Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: C

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

Bizarro / Cannot Be True Questions

Stimulus Summary

Article - Vexone is effective against only the German cockroach (1 of 4,000+)
Letter - Roach Ender (with vexone) has been shown in studies to kill all roach species in North America, so vexone works against all roaches in North America

Answer Anticipation

A very rare question type indeed! This question stem tells us that four of the answers “conflict[]” with the information in the stimulus. When an answer conflicts/contradicts the stimulus, we’re dealing with a Cannot be True question. And since we’re looking for the answer that doesn’t conflict with the stimulus, we’re looking for an answer that could be true.
With that noted, let’s talk about what we should expect. First, the stimulus presents an argument - rare for a Cannot be True question! However, we should treat each statement as true, as the question stem directs us. Second, the stimulus features an opposing point (the article). We have to accept what the Letter Writer says the article argues, but we don’t have to accept it as true - especially since the Letter says that the article is wrong!
Now, what can we expect as far as answers are concerned? Normally, we want to identify strong statements that can be contradicted. Here, the Letter notes that studies on Roach Ender show that vexone is “effective[]” against all of the species of cockroach in North America. As such, any answer suggesting that there is a species of roach in North America that can’t be controlled with vexone is in conflict with this claim.
We’ll have to see if that’s enough to eliminate all four wrong answers, but there’s not much more to the stimulus, so let’s head to the answers.

Answer choices

  1. A
    Vexone is effective against Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    The Letter notes that there are 4,000+ species of cockroach in North America, and vexone is effective against all of them, so it must be effective against more than 2 (many more!).
  2. B
    Not all of the Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    The Letter notes that Roach Ender with vexone is effective against “all” North American roach species, and this answer conflicts with this in saying that it’s not effective against all of them.
  3. C
    Every species of cockroach Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C matches the stem
    This answer restates the claim made in the stimulus that vexone is effective against all species of roach in North America. Since it restates a claim made in the stimulus, it must be true and thus is the correct answer in this Bizarro Cannot be True question. (Note that an answer didn’t need to be a statement that must be true; it could have been a statement that could have been true.)
  4. D
    The cockroach infestations that Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    The Letter notes that vexone “has been utilized effectively” against all species of roach in North America, and this answer contradicts that.
  5. E
    Roach Ender was tested Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    The stimulus notes that tests with Roach Ender have proven that vexone is effective against all species of North American cockroach. Since there are “more than 4,000” species in North America, Roach Ender must have been tested against more than 4,000 species, contradicting this answer.

What this tests

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