LSAC LSAT-TEST Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

LSAC LSAT-TEST Online Questions & Answers

• Question 461:

  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.

  Scientist have used ______________ water to wash away volcanic ash from the skeletons of victims.

  A. bottled
  B. volcanic
  C. purified
  D. sea
  E. fountain
  C. purified

• Question 462:

  Arguing for the acquittal of his client from the charge of murdering the client's wife, the attorney reasoned that since neither the garage nor the main door of the client's home was bolted on the night of the murder, a thief must have trespassed on the home to steal valuables, and upon an unexpected confrontation with the client's wife, murdered her.

  The flawed pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following?

  A. The city administration could not find a solution to either water shortage or waterlogging problems; thus, it had to eat a humble pie and publicly accept responsibility for its lackluster approach.
  B. Due to the work strike of railroads and the non-availability of sufficient buses during the rush hours ?the only two modes of transport used by John, he may have faced a hard time commuting during the rush hours.
  C. In the 100-meter race, Amy's co-participants won Silver and Bronze and she performed exceedingly well; it follows that Amy won Gold.
  D. The evidence collected reveals that the financial fraud was executed by neither one nor all the team members. Therefore, it can be concluded that it was executed by either some team members or a third party.
  E. In an annual test of Midland high school students, the average score of neither the boys nor the girls are more than 50; thus, the average score of the total students is not more than 50.
  C. In the 100-meter race, Amy's co-participants won Silver and Bronze and she performed exceedingly well; it follows that Amy won Gold.

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  Argument construction

  The argument is simple to understand. An attorney argues that since the garage and the main door of the client's house were not bolted on the murder-night, a thief must have intruded the home to steal valuables. The client's wife would have

  confronted him and this led the thief to murder her. This follows that his client who is accused of the murder must be acquitted.

  Flaw in the argument

  The attorney's argument, simply put, is:

  (Garage and main door were open) => (A Thief must have entered) => (Since a thief was present in the house that night, he must be the murderer) => (His client must be acquitted)

  What is the flaw in the argument?

  Only on the basis that the garage and the main door were not bolted on the murder-night, the attorney claims that the chance that a thief must have broken into the house is 100%. He does not consider that other explanations for the garage

  and main door not being bolted might be possible. For example, the client may have committed the murder and then himself opened the garage and the main door to make it look like the work of an outsider.

  Also, what are the chances that if an outsider did come in, that outsider was a thief? Was any theft noted or reported at the client's home that night? Was a thief noticed in the vicinity of the client's home that night? The attorney provides no

  evidence to substantiate his claim that a thief came into the client's house that night.

  Further, if a thief did come into the house and was indeed confronted by the client's wife, is there any proof of such a confrontation in the house that night? Further, is such a confrontation a sufficient reason to drive a thief to murder?

  Thus, the evidence that the garage and the main door were not bolted on the murder-night does not actually absolve the attorney's client. The client can still be the culprit. The flaw in the attorney's argument is that the attorney does not even

  consider that there might be other explanations for the open garage and main door and presents the explanation that best serves his and his client's interests as the only one possible.

  Predict a parallel argument

  Upon looking at the options, we find that the options are on varied topics. So, we need to read each of them one by one and select the best option. To find the parallel flaw argument, we first need to analyze the question argument.

  The evidence: The garage and the main door were not bolted on the murder-night.

  The argument: The evidence suggests that there is a very high probability that a thief must have intruded into the client's home; therefore, this thief must be the murderer too and the client should be absolved of the murder charge.

  The flaw: The evidence does not support the claim that there is no probability that the client committed the murder.

  The argument provides evidence and concludes (from that evidence) that there is only one possible outcome and other possibilities do not exist.

  We need to find an option argument that possesses the above elements.

  Answer choices Explanation:

  [The city administration could not find a solution …] This is incorrect. The element that is not parallel to the question argument is that the city administration itself takes the blame and does not transfer the blame to another entity.

  [Due to the work strike of railroads and the non-availability of sufficient buses …] This is incorrect. There is no flaw in the argument. A flawed judgment is not drawn. Since commuting by rail and bus are the only two options for John, he must

  have faced hard-time with commuting during the rush hours when the railroad was on strike and the number of buses was not sufficient during the rush hours.

  [In the 100-meter race, Amy's co-participants won Silver and Bronze …] This is correct. Though Amy is an excellent racer, it does not mean that other participants cannot beat her in the race. They all or at least three can beat Amy. If this is

  so, Amy does not have a chance to win Gold. This a perfect parallel flawed argument.

  [The evidence collected reveals that the financial fraud was executed …] This is incorrect. There is no flaw in the argument. The evidence suggests that either some team members or a third party may have executed the financial fraud, which

  is valid reasoning.

  [In an annual test of Midland high school students, the average score of neither…] This is incorrect. There is no flaw in the argument. This is a quantitative argument. It tests your concept on weighted average. Note that the weighted average

  of the two groups' averages can neither be greater than the greater of the two averages nor be smaller than the smaller of the two averages. For example, say the number of boys = 100 and their average score = 40; the number of girls = 50

  and their average score = 45. The combined average of 150 students would lie between 40 to 45, which is less than 50. Even if you swap the number of boys and the number of girls, the weighted average would still between 40 to 45 (value

  will not be the same), which is less than 50.

• Question 463:

  After the United Nations Security Council authorized military intervention by a coalition of armed forces intended to halt civil strife in a certain country, the parliament of one UN member nation passed a resolution condemning its own prime minister for promising to commit military personnel to the action. A parliamentary leader insisted that the overwhelming vote for the resolution did not imply the parliament's opposition to the anticipated intervention; on the contrary, most members of parliament supported the UN plan.

  Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy presented above?

  A. The UN Security Council cannot legally commit the military of a member nation to armed intervention in other countries.
  B. In the parliamentary leader's nation, it is the constitutional prerogative of the parliament, not of the prime minister, to initiate foreign military action.
  C. The parliament would be responsible for providing the funding necessary in order to contribute military personnel to the UN intervention.
  D. The public would not support the military action unless it was known that the parliament supported the action.
  E. Members of the parliament traditionally are more closely attuned to public sentiment, especially with regard to military action, than are prime ministers.
  B. In the parliamentary leader's nation, it is the constitutional prerogative of the parliament, not of the prime minister, to initiate foreign military action.

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  The paradox or "discrepancy" is that a country's parliament was all for the UN decision to send in an international peacekeeping force, yet censured its own prime minister for promising troops to that force. Option [In the parliamentary leader's nation...] resolves the dilemma by implying that it wasn't the promise of troops that irked the parliament, but rather the unconstitutional involvement of the prime minister in that promise. It's not at all paradoxical, in light of [In the parliamentary leader's nation...], for a parliament to say "We're in favor of sending troops, but we not you, prime minister, are supposed to make that judgment."

• Question 464:

  Medical researcher: As expected, records covering the last four years of ten major hospitals indicate that babies born prematurely were more likely to have low birth weights and to suffer from health problems than were babies not born prematurely. These records also indicate that mothers who had received adequate prenatal care were less likely to have low birth weight babies than were mothers who had received inadequate prenatal care. Adequate prenatal care, therefore, significantly decreases the risk of low birth weight babies.

  Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the medical researcher's argument?

  A. The hospital records indicate that many babies that are born with normal birth weights are born to mothers who had inadequate prenatal care.
  B. Mothers giving birth prematurely are routinely classified by hospitals as having received inadequate prenatal care when the record of that care is not available.
  C. The hospital records indicate that low birth weight babies were routinely classified as having been born prematurely.
  D. Some babies not born prematurely, whose mothers received adequate prenatal care, have low birth weights.
  E. Women who receive adequate prenatal care are less likely to give birth prematurely than are women who do not receive adequate prenatal care.
  B. Mothers giving birth prematurely are routinely classified by hospitals as having received inadequate prenatal care when the record of that care is not available.

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  We have to weaken the medical researcher's argument, so as usual we have to identify the components of the argument. The conclusion is that adequate prenatal care significantly decreases the risk of low birth weight babies. The evidence for this is that hospital records show that mothers who had received adequate prenatal care were less likely to have low birth weight babies. The medical researcher also tells us that records show that babies born prematurely were more likely to have low birth weights than on-time babies. This is a classic correlation = causation argument: the author cites a high correlation between inadequate prenatal care and low birth weight babies, and then concludes that one must have caused the other. In most cases the best way to weaken these arguments is to find an alternative explanation, or to find a situation where the two are not correlated (you see X, but you don't see Y).

• Question 465:

  In a business whose owners and employees all belong to one family, the employees can be paid exceptionally low wages. Hence, general operating expenses are much lower than they would be for other business ventures, making profits higher. So a family business is a family's surest road to financial prosperity.

  The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument

  A. ignores the fact that businesses that achieve high levels of customer satisfaction are often profitable even if they pay high wages
  B. presumes, without providing justification, that businesses that pay the lowest wages have the lowest general operating expenses and thus the highest profits
  C. ignores the fact that in a family business, paying family members low wages may itself reduce the family's prosperity
  D. presumes, without providing justification, that family members are willing to work for low wages in a family business because they believe that doing so promotes the family's prosperity
  E. presumes, without providing justification, that only businesses with low general operating expenses can succeed
  C. ignores the fact that in a family business, paying family members low wages may itself reduce the family's prosperity

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  The alleged chain of phenomena (low family wages lower operating expenses higher profits greater family prosperity) hits a snag early on. Since a reasonable definition of "a family's financial prosperity" would have to touch on, at least, how much money the members of the family possess, there is a strong likelihood that running a family business in the way the author suggests would weaken the family's prosperity.

• Question 466:

  A music store carries exactly ten types of CDs -- both new and used of each of jazz, opera, pop, rap, and soul. The store is having a sale on some of these types of CDs. The following conditions must apply:

  Used pop is on sale; new opera is not.

  If both types of pop are on sale, then all soul is.

  If both types of jazz are on sale, then no rap is. If neither type of jazz is on sale, then new pop is. If either type of rap is on sale, then no soul is.

  Which one of the following CANNOT be true?

  A. Neither type of opera and neither type of rap is on sale.
  B. Neither type of jazz and neither type of opera is on sale.
  C. Neither type of opera and neither type of soul is on sale.
  D. Neither type of jazz and neither type of soul is on sale.
  E. Neither type of jazz and neither type of rap is on sale
  D. Neither type of jazz and neither type of soul is on sale.

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  For most of us, this one is well worth skipping; unless you have an extraordinary command of the play of the rules, the prospect of trying out each of the choices -- laboriously and accurately -- may be a depressing one. And following this

  question come three with concrete information, which are much more tempting. Trial and error is what's called for. Since the right answer CANNOT be true, then all of the other choices can or must be.

  You must proceed into the choices confident that four of them will be workable.

• Question 467:

  More and more computer programs that provide solutions to mathematical problems in engineering are being produced, and it is thus increasingly unnecessary for practicing engineers to have a thorough understanding of fundamental mathematical principles. Consequently, in training engineers who will work in industry, less emphasis should be placed on mathematical principles, so that space in the engineering curriculum will be available for other important subjects.

  Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument given for the recommendation above?

  A. The effective use of computer programs that provide solutions to mathematical problems in engineering requires an understanding of mathematical principles.
  B. Many of the computer programs that provide solutions to mathematical problems in engineering are already in routine use.
  C. Development of composites and other such new materials has meant that the curriculum for engineers who will work in industry must allow time for teaching the properties of these materials.
  D. Most of the computer programs that provide solutions to mathematical problems in engineering can be run on the types of computers available to most engineering firms.
  E. The engineering curriculum already requires that engineering students be familiar with and able to use a variety of computer programs.
  A. The effective use of computer programs that provide solutions to mathematical problems in engineering requires an understanding of mathematical principles.

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  We're told in the stem that we need a choice that weakens a recommendation, so we should search for the recommendation while at the same time keeping our eye out for possible problems with it. According to the author, practicing engineers need not be math whizzes any longer due to the abundance of computer programs that solve engineering math problems. "Consequently. . ." (note the excellent conclusion Keyword), engineering programs "should" place less emphasis on math to free up time for other subjects. That, of course, is the recommendation we're looking to weaken. A good weakner would seek to demonstrate that math is not as superfluous as the author maintains, and Option [The effective use of computer programs that...] accomplishes this by forging a link between math skills and the operation of the programs that the author believes makes math skills unnecessary. If no special skills are required to utilize the programs, then the author may have a point. But if the programs themselves require a certain level of math proficiency to use effectively, the author's recommendation to deemphasize math in engineering training would seem ill-advised.

• Question 468:

  Is it necessary for defense lawyers to believe that the clients they defend are innocent of the charges against them? Some legal scholars hold that lawyers* sole obligation is to provide the best defense they are capable of, claiming that in democratic societies all people accused of crimes are entitled to the best possible legal representation. They argue that lawyers have no right to judge defendants because it is the job of the courts to determine guilt or innocence and the job of the lawyer to represent the defendant before the court. They believe that the lawyer's responsibility is to state those facts that will assist each client's case, construct sound arguments based on these facts, and identify flaws in the arguments of opposing counsel. According to these scholars, the lawyer's role is not to express or act on personal opinions but to act as an advocate, saying only what defendants would say if they possessed the proper training or resources with which to represent themselves.

  But such a position overlooks the fact that the defense lawyer's obligation is twofold: to the defendant, certainly, but no less so to the court and, by extension, to society. For this reason, lawyers, great as their obligation to defendants is, should not, as officers of the court, present to the court assertions that they know to be false. But by the same principle, lawyers who are convinced that their clients are guilty should not undertake to demonstrate their innocence. Guilty defendants should not be entitled to false or insincere representation. When lawyers know with certainty that a defendant is guilty, it is their duty not to deny this. Rather, they should appraise the case as much as possible in their client's favor, after giving due consideration to the facts on the other side, and then present any extenuating circumstances and argue for whatever degree of leniency in sentencing they sincerely believe is warranted. In cases where it is uncertain whether the client is guilty but the lawyer sincerely believes the client may well be innocent, the lawyer should of course try to prove that the client is innocent.

  The lawyer's obligation to the court and to society also ultimately benefits the defendant, because the "best defense" can only truly be provided by an advocate who, after a careful analysis of the facts, is convinced of the merits of the case. The fact that every client is entitled to a defense does not mean that defense lawyers should take every case they are offered. Lawyers should not be mere mouthpieces for a defendant but instead advocates for the rights of the defendant given the facts of the case.

  The primary purpose of the passage is to

  A. Show that ethical dilemmas in the legal profession can complicate the defense lawyer's role
  B. Argue that the defense lawyer's duty to the court and society complements effective legal representation for the client
  C. Explain why the actual guilt or innocence of a defendant is not an important issue to many defense attorneys
  D. Discuss some of the issues that a defense lawyer must resolve prior to accepting a case
  E. Reveal how the practice of law strengthens the values and principles of democratic societies
  B. Argue that the defense lawyer's duty to the court and society complements effective legal representation for the client

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  We've discussed the author's purpose innumerable times. The sheer repetition of "should" and "should not" reveals the advocacy at the heart of the passage. [Argue that the defense lawyer's duty to...] basically reasserts the "twofold obligation" in other, wordier terms.

• Question 469:

  Passenger volume in the airline industry has declined dramatically over the past two years, and thus fewer travelers and fewer planes are using airports. Since airport expansion can be warranted only by increases in air traffic volume, and since it will probably be at least five years before passenger volume returns to and then exceeds its previous level, it seems surprising that now is the time that airports are going ahead with plans to expand their passenger terminal facilities.

  Which one of the following, if true, provides the best reason in favor of the airports' timing of their planned expansions?

  A. It is generally more difficult to finance major construction projects when the economy is in a period of decline.
  B. Low volume in passenger air travel permits airport expansion with relatively little inconvenience to the public.
  C. A rise in fuel costs that is expected in the near future will drive up the cost of all forms of transportation, including airline travel.
  D. When passenger volume begins to grow again after a period of decline, most airlines can, initially, absorb the increase without adding new routes or new planes.
  E. A sustained decline in passenger travel could lead to the failure of many airlines and the absorption of their routes by those airlines that survive.
  B. Low volume in passenger air travel permits airport expansion with relatively little inconvenience to the public.

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  This question is basically a Paradox question in disguise. It's not obvious from the stem, but the author concludes that it is surprising that airports are expanding passenger terminals now, instead of five years from now when the number of passengers is expected to rise. The paradox arises because the author states that airport expansion is called for only when air traffic increases. But what if there is a valid reason to expand airport terminals when the number of passengers is low? That's the kind of alternative possibility we're looking for, and that choice B. provides: It's better to expand terminals when there are fewer people, because it will be less of an inconvenience to travelers. That's certainly a relevant consideration; the industry wouldn't want to aggravate people just as they're flocking back to airports. Beginning the construction now can be justified by the projection of increased passengers down the road coupled with the practical consideration presented in option [Low volume in passenger air travel permits...]

• Question 470:

  Jane works at a fashion design company, and is having problems getting dressed for work.

  She refuses to wear any color combination that does not go well together as many of her clients may look down upon this. She has two pairs of skirts, brown and blue; three blouses, white, sky blue, and gray; four pairs of stockings, red,

  black, brown, and blue; and two pairs of shoes, black and brown. The blue skirt cannot be worn with red or brown stockings. Gray does not go well with brown.

  Black does not go well with brown. Jane will never wear:

  A. blue and red together.
  B. white and red together.
  C. gray and blue together.
  D. white and black together.
  E. white and red together.
  A. blue and red together.

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  A blue skirt cannot be worn with red stockings.