LSAC LSAT-TEST Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

LSAC LSAT-TEST Online Questions & Answers

• Question 731:

  Sometimes when their trainer gives the hand signal for "Do something creative together," two dolphins circle a pool in tandem and then leap through the air simultaneously. On other occasions the same signal elicits synchronized backward swims or tail-waving. These behaviors are not simply learned responses to a given stimulus. Rather, dolphins are capable of higher cognitive functions that may include the use of language and forethought.

  Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

  A. Mammals have some resemblance to one another with respect to bodily function and brain structure.
  B. The dolphins often exhibit complex new responses to the hand signal.
  C. The dolphins are given food incentives as part of their training.
  D. Dolphins do not interact with humans the way they interact with one another.
  E. Some of the behaviors mentioned are exhibited by dolphins in their natural habitat.
  B. The dolphins often exhibit complex new responses to the hand signal.

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  This is a Strengthen question so you have to shore up the author's argument. The author concludes that dolphins are capable of higher cognitive functions that may include the use of language and forethought. The evidence for this is that in response to a hand signal for doing something together, sometimes the dolphins do a leap together, and sometimes they swim backwards, and sometimes they wave their tails. The author also asserts that these are not simply learned responses. So the author is assuming that they are coming up with these behaviors on their own. Choice [The dolphins often exhibit complex...] helps the author because if the dolphins exhibit new responses to the hand signal, that supports the assumption that the dolphins are coming up with this on their own, and are not simply repeating learned responses. Think about it: if the behaviors observed were sometimes completely new, they couldn't possibly be learned responses. This strengthens the argument that dolphins are capable of higher cognitive functions and in fact use them when responding to the command "does something creative together."

• Question 732:

  Five racing drivers, Alan, Bob, Chris, Don, and Eugene, enter into a contest that consists of 6 races. The results of all six races are listed below: Bob always finishes ahead of Chris. Alan finishes either first or last. Eugene finishes either first

  or last. There are no ties in any race.

  Every driver finishes each race. In each race, two points are awarded for a fifth place finish, four points for fourth, six points for third, eight points for second, and ten points for first.

  If Eugene's total for the six races is 36 points, which of the following must be true?

  A. Bob's total is more than 36 points.
  B. Chris's total is more than 36 points.
  C. Alan's total is 36 points.
  D. Don's total is less than 36 points.
  E. Don's total is 36 points.
  C. Alan's total is 36 points.

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  If Eugene has 36 points, then he must have 3 first place finishes and 3 last place finishes, because he finishes first or last in every race. Therefore, Alan must also have 3 first place finishes and 3 last place finishes for a total of 36 points. Some of the other options may be true, but none of them are required.

• Question 733:

  Tragic dramas written in Greece during the fifth century B.C. engender considerable scholarly debate over the relative influence of individual autonomy and the power of the gods on the drama's action. One early scholar, B. Snell, argues that Aeschylus, for example, develops in his tragedies a concept of the autonomy of the individual. In these dramas, the protagonists invariably confront a situation that paralyzes them, so that their prior notions about how to behave or think are dissolved. Faced with a decision on which their fate depends, they must reexamine their deepest motives, and then act with determination. They are given only two alternatives, each with grave consequences, and they make their decision only after a tortured internal debate. According to Snell, this decision is "free" and "personal" and such personal autonomy constitutes the central theme in Aeschylean drama, as if the plays were devised to isolate an abstract model of human action. Drawing psychological conclusions from this interpretation, another scholar, Z. Barbu, suggests that "[Aeschylean] drama is proof of the emergence within ancient Greek civilization of the individual as a free agent." To A. Rivier, Snell's emphasis on the decision made by the protagonist, with its implicit notions of autonomy and responsibility, misrepresents the role of the superhuman forces at work, forces that give the dramas their truly tragic dimension. These forces are not only external to the protagonist; they are also experienced by the protagonist as an internal compulsion, subjecting him or her to constraint, even in what are claimed to be his or her "choices." Hence all that the deliberation does is to make the protagonist aware of the impasse, rather than motivating one choice over another. It is finally a necessity imposed by the deities that generates the decision, so that at a particular moment in the drama necessity dictates a path. Thus, the protagonist does not so much "choose" between two possibilities as "recognize" that there is only one real option. Lesky, in his discussion of Aeschylus' play Agamemnon, disputes both views. Agamemnon, ruler of Argos, must decide whether to brutally sacrifice his own daughter. A message from the deity Artemis has told him that only the sacrifice will bring a wind to blow his ships to an important battle. Agamemnon is indeed constrained by a divine necessity. But he also deeply desires a victorious battle: "If this sacrifice will lose the winds, it is permitted to desire it fervently," he says. The violence of his passion suggests that Agamemnon chooses a path ?chosen by the gods for their own reasons ?on the basis of desires that must be condemned by us, because they are his own. In Lesky's view, tragic action is bound by the constant tension between a self and superhuman forces.

  Which one of the following paraphrases most accurately restates the quotation "If this sacrifice will lose the winds, it is permitted to desire it fervently"?

  A. If the goddess has ordained that the only way I can evade battle is by performing this sacrifice, then it is perfectly appropriate for me to deeply desire this sacrifice.
  B. If the goddess has ordained that the only way I can get a wind to move my ships to battle is by performing this sacrifice, then it is perfectly appropriate for me to deeply desire victory in battle.
  C. If the goddess has ordained that the only way I can get a wind to move my ships to battle is by performing this sacrifice, then it is perfectly appropriate for me to deeply desire this sacrifice.
  D. As I alone have determined that only this sacrifice will give me victory in battle, I will perform it, without reservations.
  E. As I have determined that only deeply desiring victory in battle will guarantee the success of the sacrifice, I will perform it, as ordained by the goddess.
  C. If the goddess has ordained that the only way I can get a wind to move my ships to battle is by performing this sacrifice, then it is perfectly appropriate for me to deeply desire this sacrifice.

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  Let's explore the context of the quotation from Agamemnon starting at line 44. The king learns of a necessary condition for wind ?the sacrifice of his child. (There's ordinarily a lot of wind in Greek tragedies, but not in this one.). That's the "divine necessity" mentioned in the passage. Then it goes on to say that the king "deeply desires a victorious battle," COLON: That colon indicates that the desire for the battle leads directly to what follows the colon which, as we know, is the quotation in question. What does all this amount to? The quotation must mean: if the gods decree that this sacrifice is a necessary condition for me, then I'm allowed ("it is permitted") to want it. Note that this is absolutely in keeping with the overall Lesky motif, that a human will feel a want that was put there by divine intervention.

• Question 734:

  An air traveler in Beijing cannot fly to Lhasa without first flying to Chengdu. Unfortunately, an air traveler in Beijing must fly to Xian before flying to Chengdu. Any air traveler who flies from Beijing to Lhasa, therefore, cannot avoid flying to Xian.

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

  A. A doctor cannot prescribe porozine for a patient without first prescribing anthroxine for that patient. Unfortunately, anthroxine makes most patients who take it feel either extremely drowsy or else extremely nervous. It is likely, therefore, that a patient who has taken porozine has felt extremely nervous.
  B. An ice-sculpture artist cannot reach the yellow level of achievement without first achieving the green level. The green level is impossible to achieve unless the white level has already been achieved. Therefore, an ice-sculpture artist who has reached the yellow level must have previously achieved the white level.
  C. One cannot properly identify a mushroom without first examining its spores. A powerful microscope can be used to examine the spores of a mushroom. A powerful microscope, therefore, is necessary for anyone wishing to identify mushrooms properly.
  D. It is impossible to be fluent in a language without knowing its grammatical rules. A person who knows the grammatical rules of a language has learned them by means of exhaustive and difficult study or else by growing up in an environment in which the language is spoken. There are two major ways, therefore, for a person to become fluent in a language.
  E. In the City Ballet Company any dancer who has danced in Giselle has also danced in Sleeping Beauty, and some dancers who have danced in Sleeping Beauty have also danced in Swan Lake. Therefore, some dancers in the City Ballet Company who have danced in Giselle have also danced in Swan Lake.
  B. An ice-sculpture artist cannot reach the yellow level of achievement without first achieving the green level. The green level is impossible to achieve unless the white level has already been achieved. Therefore, an ice-sculpture artist who has reached the yellow level must have previously achieved the white level.

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  The plethora of proper names needn't obscure the essential logic. The conclusion simply asserts that a certain activity (the BeijingLhasa flight) requires a certain necessary condition. Only options [An ice-sculpture artist cannot reach...] and [One cannot properly identify...] have conclusions in that form. Option [A doctor cannot prescribe porozine for...] is an assertion of likelihood; [It is impossible to be fluent in...] asserts two conditions each of which is sufficient to bring about a result; and [In the City Ballet Company any...] is in the algebraic form Some X are Y.

• Question 735:

  Nutritionist: Many people claim that simple carbohydrates are a reasonable caloric replacement for the fatty foods forbidden to those on low-fat diets. This is now in doubt. New studies show that, for many people, a high intake of simple carbohydrates stimulates an overproduction of insulin, a hormone that is involved in processing sugars and starches to create energy when the body requires energy, or, when energy is not required, to store the resulting by-products as fat.

  Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the nutritionist's statements?

  A. People on low-fat diets should avoid consumption of simple carbohydrates if they wish to maintain the energy that their bodies require.
  B. People who produce enough insulin to process their intake of simple carbohydrates should not feel compelled to adopt low-fat diets.
  C. People who consume simple carbohydrates should limit their intake of foods high in fat.
  D. People who wish to avoid gaining body fat should limit their intake of foods high in simple carbohydrates.
  E. People who do not produce an excessive amount of insulin when they consume foods high in simple carbohydrates will not lose weight if they restrict only their intake of these foods.
  D. People who wish to avoid gaining body fat should limit their intake of foods high in simple carbohydrates.

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  Our task is to find the statement that's most strongly supported, so it's reasonable to expect that prephrasing an answer may not be possible. The plan is therefore to gather up the facts, understand them in your own words, and move on to the choices. The nutritionist describes a claim that's subsequently disputed by "new studies": Replacing fatty foods with carbohydrates may not work for those on low-fat diets, as once believed, because eating a lot of carbs produces extra insulin, which in turn acts on sugars and starches to provide energy and, more importantly, produce fat when energy levels are sufficient. There's one key element here that we overlook at our own risk: It is a "high-intake" of carbs that triggers this result.

• Question 736:

  A new bank has decided to stay open only on weekends - all day Saturday and Sunday - and no other days. The bank has hired two managers (U and V), Four tellers (W,X,Y, and Z), and two operation officers (S and T), for a total of exactly

  eight full-time employees.

  No part-time employees are hired.

  Each employee works a complete day when working.

  A manager must be on duty each day.

  The managers cannot work on the same day.

  At least two tellers must be working on the same day.

  W and X will not work on the same day.

  S and Z will only work on Saturday.

  No employee can work on consecutive days, but each employee must work on Saturday or Sunday.

  Which one of the following is an acceptable group of employees that could work on Saturday?

  A. ZWYST
  B. UVWYZS
  C. VWXST
  D. UZST
  E. VWZS
  E. VWZS

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  V,W,Z,S can work on Saturday without breaking any of the conditions given. Choice [ZWYST] is missing a manager. Choice [UVWYZS] has two managers working on the same day. Choices [VWXST] and [UZST] have W and X working on the same day.

• Question 737:

  There are no edible fish in the streams of this county because there are no pesticide controls. Which one of the following assumptions must be made before the conclusion above can be reached?

  A. Edible fish cannot be found in areas where there are no pesticide controls.
  B. If there are pesticide controls, there will be many edible fish.
  C. Without adequate pesticide controls, the fish population will rapidly decline.
  D. If there are pesticide controls, there will be some edible fish.
  E. With pesticide controls, the fish population will rapidly increase.
  A. Edible fish cannot be found in areas where there are no pesticide controls.

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  The assumption is that where there are no pesticide controls, no edible fish can be found, not the reverse as in options [If there are pesticide controls, there will be there will be many edible fish], [If there are pesticide controls, there will be some edible fish.] and [With pesticide controls, the fish...]

• Question 738:

  Journalist: One reason many people believe in extrasensory perception (ESP) is that they have heard of controlled experiments in which ESP is purportedly demonstrated. However, ESP is a myth and the public is deluded by these experiments, for a prominent researcher has admitted to falsifying data on psychic phenomena in order to obtain additional grants.

  The reasoning in the journalist's argument is flawed because this argument

  A. uses an irrelevant personal attack on the integrity of someone
  B. infers that something must be a myth from the fact that the general public believes it
  C. presupposes that, in general, only evidence from experiments can support beliefs
  D. implies that all scientists who depend on grants to support their research are unreliable
  E. overgeneralizes from the example of one deceptive researcher
  E. overgeneralizes from the example of one deceptive researcher

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  This next LR section begins with a Logical Flaw question, so it pays to keep our eyes and ears peeled for the Classic flaws that appear perennially on the test. And we're not disappointed: According to the argument, many people hear about research into ESP, and are thus convinced that ESP is real. The author, however, concludes that ESP is a myth, and that those people have been fooled, all based on evidence that one renowned researcher cheated on his or her experiments. In other words, the author attempts to debunk an entire field with evidence concerning only one specific case. In LSATlingo, we call this a "non-representative sample," and it's a faulty form of reasoning that's not uncommon on the test. One simply can't hold forth on the general state of ESP research on the basis of one specific example. "Overgeneralizes" is a perfect way to describe this flaw.

• Question 739:

  It is well known that many species adapt to their environment, but it is usually assumed that only the most highly evolved species alter their environment in ways that aid their own survival. However, this characteristic is actually quite common. Certain species of plankton, for example, generate a gas that is converted in the atmosphere into particles of sulfate. These particles cause water vapor to condense, thus forming clouds. Indeed, the formation of clouds over the ocean largely depends on the presence of these particles. More cloud cover means more sunlight is reflected, and so the Earth absorbs less heat. Thus plankton cause the surface of the Earth to be cooler and this benefits the plankton.

  Which one of the following accurately describes the argumentative strategy employed?

  A. A general principle is used to justify a claim made about a particular case to which that principle has been shown to apply.
  B. An explanation of how a controversial phenomenon could have come about is given in order to support the claim that this phenomenon did in fact come about.
  C. A generalization about the conditions under which a certain process can occur is advanced on the basis of an examination of certain cases in which that process did occur.
  D. A counterexample to a position being challenged is presented in order to show that this position is incorrect.
  E. A detailed example is used to illustrate the advantage of one strategy over another.
  D. A counterexample to a position being challenged is presented in order to show that this position is incorrect.

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  The words from "However" to "for example" virtually scream out that plankton is being presented here as a counterexample. The "position being challenged" is that laid out in the beginning--the common assumption that only highly evolved species proactively alter their environments for survival purposes. And the only possible reason for presenting such a "counterexample" is to show that this belief is wrong. Option [A counterexample to a position being]. has it all.

• Question 740:

  The Trojan War is one of the most famous wars in history. It is well known for the ten year duration, for the heroism of a number of legendary characters, and for the Trojan horse. What may not be familiar, however, is the story of how the war

  began. According to Greek myth, the strife between the Trojans and the Greeks started at the wedding of Peleus, King of Thessaly, and Thetis, a sea nymph. All of the gods and goddesses had been invited to the wedding celebration in Troy

  except Eris, goddesses of discord. She had been omitted from the guest list because her presence always embroiled mortals and immortals alike in conflict. To take revenge on those who had slighted her, Eris decided to cause a skirmish.

  Into the middle of the banquet hall, she threw a golden apple marked "for the most beautiful." All of the goddesses began to haggle over who should possess it. The gods and goddesses reached a stalemate when the choice was narrowed to

  Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Someone was needed to settle the controversy by picking a winner. The job eventually fell to Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, who was said to be a good judge of beauty.

  Paris did not have an easy job. Each goddess, eager to win the golden apple, tried aggressively to bribe him. "I'll grant you vast kingdoms to rule, "promised Hera. "Vast kingdoms are nothing in comparison with my gift," contradicted Athena.

  "Choose me and I'll see that you win victory and fame in war." Aphrodite outdid her adversaries, however. She won the golden apple by offering Helen, Zeus' daughter and the most beautiful mortal, to Paris. Paris, anxious to claim Helen, set

  off for Sparta in Greece. Although Paris learned that Helen was married, he accepted the hospitality of her husband, King Menelasu of Sparta, anyway. Therefore, Menelaus was outraged for a number of reasons when Paris departed, taking

  Helen and much of the king's wealth back to Troy.

  Menelaus collected his loyal forces and set sail for Troy to begin the war to reclaim Helen.

  Each goddess tried ___________ to bribe Paris.

  A. boldly
  B. effectively
  C. secretly
  D. carefully
  E. answer not stated
  A. boldly