PrepTest 123

[lcid:3590] Prep Test 123 LSAT — Logical Reasoning — S3 Logical reasoning

Question prompt

Antonio:  One can live a Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: B

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

Argument or Facts

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Valid

Question Type

Point at Issue Questions

Stimulus Summary

A: You can live a life of moderation by always taking the middle road, but you'll miss the highs of taking risks and going too far.
M: Someone who always takes the middle road isn't living a life of moderation since they're not moderating their moderation.

Answer Anticipation

M focuses her argument on those who are living that life of never deviating from the middle road, not those who take risks, so that's the overlap in the two speakers. When discussing those who are living a life of "moderation," A states that they have to stick to that middle path, whereas M says that moderation requires being moderate in everything, including in taking that middle path. They disagree over what it means to live a life of moderation—A saying it's always being moderate, and M saying it involves sometimes not being moderate.

Answer choices

  1. A
    whether it is desirable Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    Incorrect. While A describes taking chances as a joy and would thus agree with this answer choice, M doesn't similarly discuss her opinion on taking chances, so this answer choice is wrong.
  2. B
    what a life of Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B matches the stem
    Correct. M defines a life of moderation as requiring one to be moderate in their moderation—i.e., not always living in moderation. On the other hand, A says moderation requires never deviating from that middle course. They disagree over what a life of moderation is, so this answer choice is correct.
  3. C
    whether it is possible Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    Incorrect. This answer choice is too broad. While A might suggest that there are some virtues that don't align with moderation, that's a far cry from discussing all other virtues. And M doesn't weigh in on this at all.
  4. D
    how often a person Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    Incorrect. If anything, they both believe that people should deviate at least sometimes in their life. That said, neither explicitly states this, so this answer can be ruled out for either being out of scope or for the two speakers agreeing.
  5. E
    whether it is desirable Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Incorrect. While M would agree that someone who wants to live a life of moderation should moderate their spontaneity, she doesn't talk about whether living a life of moderation is desirable. And A doesn't discuss limits on spontaneity, so neither speaker has an opinion on this answer.

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