LSAC LSAT-TEST Exam Questions & Answers

Doctor: The practice of using this therapy to treat the illness cannot be adequately supported by the claim that any therapy for treating the illness is more effective than no therapy at all. What must also be taken into account is that this therapy is expensive and complicated.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the doctor's argument?

A. The therapy is more effective than no treatment at all for the illness.

B. The therapy is more effective than other forms of treatment for the illness.

C. The therapy is more expensive and complicated than other forms of treatment for the illness.

D. The therapy should not be used to treat the illness unless it is either effective or inexpensive.

E. The therapy's possible effectiveness in treating the illness is not sufficient justification for using it.

Reviewer: Although finalism -- the view that there are purposes in nature -- has been universally rejected, this book launches another attack on that view. Its arguments are based on a complete misunderstanding of the operation of pure chance in nature and so it fails as a critique of finalism. Finalism, therefore, is clearly more plausible than people have thought.

Which one of the following is most closely parallel in its flawed reasoning to the flawed reasoning in the reviewer's argument?

A. No literary historian still believes the claim that a single author wrote every word of this collection of works. Evidence on which that claim is based can be shown to be false by manuscript dating techniques, but these dating results have not been cited before. Therefore, it is quite likely that a single author did write every word of this collection of works.

B. Few botanists deny that a recently discovered fernis the same species represented in ancient fossils. The botanists who first discovered this specimen deny that it is the same species as the ancient one, but they have spent little time studying the specimen. Therefore, the specimen is likely to be the same

species represented in the ancient fossils.

C. Bicycle engineers no longer believe that aluminum is as good a frame material as titanium. An engineer at Ace Bicycles has argued that aluminum is not as good as titanium because it breaks under pressure. But he is confused about the kind of pressure exerted on bicycles. Therefore, the claim that aluminum is as good a frame material as titanium makes more sense than bicycle engineers believe.

D. Experts agree that red wines from France's Bordeaux region are the best in the world, and five are on this year's list of the world's top ten red wines. However, the best currently available Bordeaux wines are more than one year old, whereas other countries' best are not. Therefore, it is false that Bordeaux red wines are the best in the world this year.

E. Sociologists agree that the psychological development of children may be impaired by watching too much television, though researchers argued recently that the quality of the parent-child relationship is more developmentally significant than television viewing. These researchers did not consider the longterm impact of television on children, so it is quite likely that the psychological development of children is impaired by watching too much television.

Mount Vesuvius, a volcano located between the ancient Italian cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, has received much attention because of its frequent and destructive eruptions. The most famous of these eruptions occurred in A. D. 79. The volcano had been inactive for centuries. There was little warning of the coming eruption, although one account unearthed by archaeologists says that a hard rain and a strong wind had disturbed the celestial calm during the preceding night. Early the next morning, the volcano poured a huge river of molten rock down upon Herculaneum, completely burying the city and filling in the harbor with coagulated lava. Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain, cinders, stone and ash rained down on Pompeii. Sparks from the burning ash ignited the combustible rooftops quickly. Large portions of the city were destroyed in the conflagration. Fire, however, was not the only cause of destruction. Poisonous sulphuric gases saturated the air. These heavy gases were not buoyant in the atmosphere and therefore sank toward the earth and suffocated people. Over the years, excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum have revealed a great deal about the behavior of the volcano. By analyzing data, much as a zoologist dissects a specimen animal, scientist have concluded that the eruption changed large portions of the area's geography. For instance, it turned the Sarno River from its course and raised the level of the beach along the Bay of Naples. Meteorologists studying these events have also concluded that Vesuvius caused a huge tidal wave that affected the world's climate. In addition to making these investigations, archaeologists have been able to study the skeletons of victims by using distilled water to wash away the volcanic ash. By strengthening the brittle bones with acrylic paint, scientists have been able to examine the skeletons and draw conclusions about the diet and habits of the residents. Finally, the excavations at both Pompeii and Herculaneum have yielded many examples of classical art, such as jewelry made of bronze, which is an alloy of copper and tin. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius and its tragic consequences have provided us with a wealth of data about the effects that volcanoes can have on the surrounding area. Today volcanologists can locate and predict eruptions, saving lives and preventing the destruction of cities and cultures.

Scientists analyzed data about Vesuvius in the same way that a zoologist _____________ a specimen.

A. describes in detail

B. studies by cutting apart

C. photographs

D. chart

E. answer not available