PrepTest 146

[lcid:3681] Prep Test 146 LSAT — Logical Reasoning — S2 Logical reasoning

Question prompt

Naturalist: Different nonhuman primate 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.

Question Type

Must Be True Questions

Answer choices

  1. A
    Orangutans are the most Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    Incorrect. While the orangutans demonstrate intelligence in the stimulus, at best you could say they're smarter than chimps (though even that would be a jump), not all other nonhuman primates.
  2. B
    Orangutans have better memories Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    Incorrect. The situations described don't allow a comparison to be drawn about memory. The chimps don't necessarily forget about the screwdrivers (they could just find it boring), and the orangutans might not be relying on memory (since they can presumably see the screwdriver in their cage).
  3. C
    Some nonhuman primates are Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C matches the stem
    Correct. Argument or Facts:
    Argument

    Valid or Flawed:
    Flawed

    Question Type:
    Must Be True

    Stimulus Summary:
    Chimps play with screwdrivers for a while and then get bored. Orangutans ignore it while zookeepers are looking, then try to take their cages apart when they're not. These examples show that primates behave differently.

    Answer Anticipation:
    There's not a lot of overlap between the statements here, so the correct answer is more likely to generalize from one of the examples than anything else. The argument is based on comparing chimps and orangutans, but that comparison isn't direct—it just shows different reactions to a single stimulus. One interesting choice of words is that orangutans "pretend" to ignore the screwdriver—that's a premise establishing their subjective reaction, which is more than we usually get! Let's head into the answer choices with a bit of flexibility and look for an answer that reflects one of the examples.

    Answer Explanation:
    One example of a nonhuman primate showing deception would justify this answer, and we have that in the stimulus. It's specifically noted that orangutans "pretend" to ignore the screwdriver—which we noted as it's rare to get a subjective view like that, especially for animals. Pretending to do something suggests deception, so this answer is supported by the example of the orangutans.

    Key Takeaway:
    Some Must Be True questions don't throw conditionals or premises with overlapping terms at you—they just establish some facts that are a bit disjointed. When that happens, first, avoid falling for answer choices that connect ideas that aren't connected. And, second, look for concepts in the stimulus that are frequently relevant in other question types—for example, subjective views as we got here through the establishment of the orangutans "pretend[ing]" to ignore something.
  4. D
    Orangutans dislike being caged Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    Incorrect. While the orangutans seem to take actions to get out of their cages into their own hands with the screwdrivers and chimps don't, that's not enough to support the idea that they dislike the cage more. It could just be that chimps aren't smart enough to figure out that screwdrivers could help them escape!
  5. E
    Not all nonhuman primates Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Incorrect. A single example of a nonhuman primate that doesn't understand tool use would be enough to justify this answer. However, we don't have that here. The orangutan uses the tool in an attempt to dismantle it's cage—clearly showing some understanding of tool use. Even the chimps use the tool to entertain themselves, which is a use for a tool even if it's not the intended use. That said, even if the chimps playing with the screwdriver doesn't count as using it, their failure to use one tool wouldn't show that they don't generally understand how to use tools.

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