PrepTest 113
[lcid:3550] Prep Test 113 LSAT — Logical Reasoning — S3
Logical reasoning
Question prompt
Some biologists believe that
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
NA
Question Type
Argument Structure Questions
Stimulus Summary
Phenomenon - Flight
Explanation 1 - It developed first in marine reptiles (scales clearly developed into feathers)
Conclusion - This explanation is wrong, since bats have no scales and nonmarine reptiles have scales
Explanation 2 - It developed first in land-dwelling reptiles
Explanation 3 - It developed first in tree-dwelling reptiles (their limbs developed wings to help jump from branch to branch
Answer Anticipation
What a stimulus! The topic is the development of flight, and we get three hypotheses for it. We should be tracking these different hypotheses generally, but we also can’t lose sight of the statement in question, as it’d be easier to get bogged down in this question and “work past” an anticipation.
The argument starts with a hypothesis about the origins of flight raised by some biologists - it developed from the scales of marine reptiles. However, the argument then pivots to what “[o]ther” biologists “rightly” think - that this explanation is wrong. Since the author weighs in to say that this view is right, it’s a conclusion of the argument. And the statement in question is one of the two reasons given for throwing out that opening hypothesis (it’s a counterexample to that hypothesis, of sorts).
The rest of the stimulus goes on to discuss other origins of flight, but the author doesn’t similarly weigh in on whether these hypotheses are correct. So we’re left with the statement in question being a counterexample/premise used to argue against one hypothesis (flight developed from marine reptiles), which serves as the main point of the argument (as it’s the only opinion we get from the author).
Answer choices
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AIt is cited as Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice A matches the stem
The statement in question supports (“pointing out that”) the view of the “[o]ther biologists” rejecting the hypothesis of the initial biologists that flight first developed in marine reptiles. This answer correctly describes the function of the statement in question, so it’s correct. -
BIt is cited as Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice B is not credited
The statement in question is evidence against a claim, but against the claim that flight first developed in marine reptiles, not land-dwelling animals. The evidence against that claim is that another explanation is more likely (it developed to help tree-dwelling reptiles jump between branches). -
CIt is cited as Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice C is not credited
The statement in question is evidence against a claim, but against the claim that flight first developed in marine reptiles, not tree-dwelling animals. In fact, there’s no evidence raised against that claim. -
DIt weakens the claim Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice D is not credited
Tree-dwelling reptiles would be nonmarine reptiles, so the statement in question doesn’t speak against that third hypothesis. -
EIt corroborates the observation Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice E is not credited
It adds to the observation about bats, but it doesn’t corroborate it - it would have to support that observation in some way, and since they’re on different subjects, that’s unlikely to be the case.