LSAT MISSED QUESTION REVIEW Flashcards
David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest is the holy grail of modern literature. It will stand the test of time in its relevance. Every single person who starts reading Infinite Jest cannot physically put down the book until completing it.
Which of the following is the main point of the passage?
A. David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest is the holy grail of modern literature.
B. Infinite Jest is a page-turner.
C. David Foster Wallace wrote Infinite Jest.
D. Infinite Jest will stand the test of time.
E. Infinite Jest is a modern classic for good reason, and everybody should read it.
E: Choice A restates the author’s conclusion. The correct answer to main point questions will often be closely related to the conclusion.
Ronan rarely attended class during his first semester at law school. Some of his professors didn’t know he was in the class until the final exam. Ronan finished the year in the top 10 percent of his class and earned a spot on the school’s prestigious law review.
Which of the following, if true, would explain the apparent paradox?
A. Ronan is lazy.
B. Ronan learns better through reading than listening, and he read the most relevant treatise on every class.
C. Class attendance is optional in law school.
D. Ronan is smart.
E. Ronan’s professors were unqualified to teach the law.
Choice B is the answer. It helps explain how Ronan succeeded in law school without attending class. Choice B states that Ronan learns better through reading, and he read relevant treatises. It expresses how Ronan finished in the top 10 percent of his class without attending school.
Leslie lost her job as a cashier at Locally Sourced Food Market because the store went out of business. Two days later, Randy’s Ammunition Warehouse closed down for good in the same shopping center. Therefore, the Locally Sourced Food Market’s closing clearly caused Randy’s to close.
The flawed reasoning in which of the following arguments most mirrors the flawed reasoning presented in the argument above:
A. The United States fought two wars while cutting taxes. The budget deficit continued to increase during that time, which increased national debt. Therefore, fighting two wars and cutting taxes clearly caused an increase in national debt.
B. Tito’s Taco Shop recently closed down due to lack of foot traffic. Nearby Bubba’s Burrito Bowls also closed down later that month for the same reason. Therefore, a lack of foot traffic caused both businesses to close.
C. Angela recently ran into some rotten luck. Last week she fell off her skateboard, and two days later, she crashed her car. Therefore, Angela needs to recover from her injuries.
D. Theresa lost her job on Monday, but she received an unsolicited offer to consult for a hedge fund that same day. Therefore, losing one job led to another one.
E. Tammy overslept and missed her early class. That same day, she experienced car trouble and missed her night class. Therefore, Tammy did not go to school today.
Choice D looks promising. The answer choice claims that losing her job caused her to receive another job offer on the same day. This mixes causation with correlation. The argument claims that Locally Sourced Food Market’s caused Randy’s Ammunition Warehouse to close without offering any evidence aside from time and location. Both share the same flaw—confusing correlation and causation—so it is the correct answer.
Dana Gioia argues in his article that poetry is dying, now little more than a limited art form confined to academic and college settings. Of course poetry remains healthy in the academic setting, but the idea of poetry being limited to this academic subculture is a stretch. New technology and social networking alone have contributed to poets and other writers’ work being shared across the world. YouTube has emerged to be a major asset to poets, allowing live performances to be streamed to billions of users. Even now, poetry continues to grow and voice topics that are relevant to the culture of our time. Poetry is not in the spotlight as it may have been in earlier times, but it’s still a relevant art form that continues to expand in scope and appeal.
Furthermore, Gioia’s argument does not account for live performances of poetry. Not everyone has taken a poetry class or enrolled in university—but most everyone is online. The Internet is a perfect launching point to get all creative work out there. An example of this was the performance of Buddy Wakefield’s Hurling Crowbirds at Mockingbars. Wakefield is a well-known poet who has published several collections of contemporary poetry. One of my favorite works by Wakefield is Crowbirds, specifically his performance at New York University in 2009. Although his reading was a campus event, views of his performance online number in the thousands. His poetry attracted people outside of the university setting.
Naturally, the poem’s popularity can be attributed both to Wakefield’s performance and the quality of his writing. Crowbirds touches on themes of core human concepts such as faith, personal loss, and growth. These are not ideas that only poets or students of literature understand, but all human beings: “You acted like I was hurling crowbirds at mockingbars / and abandoned me for not making sense. / Evidently, I don’t experience things as rationally as you do” (Wakefield 15-17). Wakefield weaves together a complex description of the perplexed and hurt emotions of the speaker undergoing a separation from a romantic interest. The line “You acted like I was hurling crowbirds at mockingbars” conjures up an image of someone confused, seemingly out of their mind . . . or in the case of the speaker, passionately trying to grasp at a relationship that is fading. The speaker is looking back and finding the words that described how he wasn’t making sense. This poem is particularly human and gripping in its message, but the entire effect of the poem is enhanced through the physical performance.
At its core, poetry is about addressing issues/ideas in the world. Part of this is also addressing the perspectives that are exiguously considered. Although the platform may look different, poetry continues to have a steady audience due to the emotional connection the poet shares with the audience.
Which of the following is most closely analogous to the author’s opinion of Buddy Wakefield’s performance in relation to modern poetry?
A. Someone’s refusal to accept that the Higgs Boson will validate the Standard Model.
B. An individual’s belief that soccer will lose popularity within the next fifty years.
C. A professor’s opinion that poetry contains the language of the heart, while fiction contains the language of the mind.
D. An individual’s assertion that video game violence was the cause of the Columbine shootings.
E. A student’s insistence that psychoanalysis is a subset of modern psychology.
E: The author of the passage tries to insist that performance poetry is a subset of modern poetry, and therefore prove that modern poetry is not “dying,” but thriving on social media for the masses
Kimmy is a world-famous actress. Millions of people downloaded her leaked movie co-starring her previous boyfriend. Kimmy earns millions through her television show and marketing appearances. There’s little wonder that paparazzi track her every move.
What is the argument’s primary purpose?
A. Kimmy does not deserve her fame.
B. Kimmy starred in an extremely popular movie.
C. Kimmy earns millions of dollars through her television show and marketing appearances.
D. Kimmy is a highly compensated and extremely popular television and movie actress.
E. The paparazzi track Kimmy’s every move for good reason.
Explanation:
D: Choice A is irrelevant. The argument does not address whether Kimmy deserves her fame. Eliminate this choice.
Choice B restates a premise. Kimmy starring in an extremely popular movie is only one piece of the argument. It is not the main purpose. Eliminate this choice.
Choice C also restates a premise, and it is incorrect for the same reasons as Choice B. Eliminate this choice.
Choice D accurately expresses the argument’s conclusion, and it best describes the argument’s primary purpose. The argument concludes that Kimmy is a world-famous actress. Choice D is the best expression of the argument’s purpose.
Choice E is yet another restatement of a premise. Don’t be fooled by the three answer choices that restate premises. They are all equally incorrect since a single premise will almost never be the primary purpose.
Therefore, Choice D is the correct answer.
Julian plays the lottery every day. Julian always manages to buy his daily ticket, but he often struggles to pay his rent. Despite the billion-to-one odds, Julian is always close to hitting the power ball. The Local Lottery Commission’s commercials state that the more lottery tickets an individual purchases, the better his or her chances are at winning. Thus, Julian wisely spends his money and will likely win the lottery in the near future.
What is the flaw in the argument’s reasoning?
A. The argument justifies its conclusion based on a hasty generalization.
B. The argument’s extreme language detracts from its logical coherence.
C. The argument makes several logical leaps and assumptions.
D. The argument confuses correlation with causation.
E. The argument relies on an inappropriate expert.
A: Choice A looks like a strong answer choice. A hasty generalization relies on insufficient data or makes an unreasonable generalization. In this case, the conclusion is based on the advertisement’s claims that the more one plays, the better his or her chances are at winning. However, this is clearly erroneous. The argument states that the odds are a billion-to-one. Technically, Julian is more likely to win the lottery if he buys seven tickets per week instead of zero, but it is unreasonable to claim that Julian will likely win the lottery in the near future. This is very likely the answer, but examine the other options first.
Choice B is incorrect. The argument does not rely on any extreme language. Eliminate this choice.
Choice C is also incorrect. The argument does not make multiple logical leaps and assumptions. The claim that Julian is more likely to win the lottery in the near future could be considered a logical leap, but the answer choice mentions multiple leaps and assumptions. Choice A remains the stronger choice.
Choice D is clearly incorrect since there’s no mention of a causal relationship anywhere in the argument. Eliminate this choice.
Choice E is also clearly incorrect. The argument does not rely on any expert. Even if the Local Lottery Commission is considered an expert, Choice A is still the better choice.
Therefore, Choice A is the correct answer.
Mouth guards are increasingly becoming required equipment for contact sports. Besides the obvious benefit of protecting an athlete’s teeth, mouth guards also prevent concussions. Youth league referees should penalize teams with players participating without a sanctioned mouth guard.
Which of the following most accurately expresses the argument’s main conclusion?
A. Mouth guards protect teeth and prevent concussions.
B. Youth leagues should make mouth guards mandatory.
C. Mouth guards save lives.
D. It is generally preferable to wear mouth guards while playing contact sports.
E. Mouth guards should always be worn during contact sports.
E: Choice A looks promising, but fails to express the argument’s main conclusion. This choice merely states reasons why mouth guards provide important protection during contact sports. Eliminate this choice.
Choice B is a strong answer choice. The author clearly believes this to be true since the argument’s last sentence advocates the enforcement of penalties for players who don’t wear a mouth guard. However, this is not the main conclusion. Eliminate this choice.
Choice C is too extreme. The argument clearly supports the use of mouth guards, but the argument does not support the notion that mouth guards save lives. Eliminate this choice.
Choice D is incorrect since it uses weak language. The argument does not think that mouth guards are merely preferable. Rather, it advocates the enforcement of penalties for failing to wear mouth guards. The main conclusion must match the argument’s tone and force. Eliminate this choice.
Choice E looks extremely promising. It encompasses the argument’s relevant information—mouth guards protect teeth and prevent concussions—and matches the argument’s tone, which advocates penalties for non-compliance.
Therefore, Choice E is the correct answer.
Law student: Law students cannot have a social life if they have any hope of succeeding academically. The daily reading and never-ending exam preparation frustrate all aspects of friendships. My friends sometimes invite me to watch a movie or go to a baseball game, but I can’t go. Our professors warned us of the workload and its effect on free time at the start of the semester. It’s completely impossible to budget fun into my busy schedule. I don’t know any law students who have any fun whatsoever.
The reasoning in the law student’s argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument:
A. Improperly relies on a personal anecdote.
B. Improperly relies on an inappropriate authority.
C. Improperly draws a hasty generalization.
D. Improperly uses extreme language.
E. Dismisses all evidence that contradicts the law student’s argument.
D: Choice A is incorrect. Even though the law student does in fact rely on personal anecdotes, the anecdotes are relevant. The law student is a member of the class that she describes. This is not the part of the argument most vulnerable to criticism. Eliminate this choice.
Choice B is incorrect. The law student’s reference to an authority, the law school professor, is relevant to the argument. The professor is charged with assisting law students in balancing schoolwork and their lives. It is not the biggest source of criticism. Eliminate this choice.
Choice C looks promising. The argument does draw hasty generalizations by applying the law student and classmates’ experience as a blanket characterization. Keep this choice.
Choice D also looks extremely promising. The law student definitely uses extreme language. Look at how these phrases are used in the argument: any hope, all aspects, and completely impossible. Additionally, the final sentence is the epitome of extreme language. Although the law student makes a hasty generalization, the extreme language is much more vulnerable to criticism.
Choice E is clearly incorrect. At no point does the law student address and then dismiss contradicting arguments. Eliminate this choice.
Therefore, Choice D is the correct answer.
Bobo the clown books more shows and makes more money than Gob the magician. Despite rampant coulrophobia—an irrational fear of clowns—Bobo still books more parties and receives higher rates of compensation per show. Gob’s magic shows are no worse than Bobo’s clown performances.
Which of the following statements, if true, best explains the apparent paradox?
A. Bobo is an experienced clown.
B. Despite rampant coulrophobia, statistical data shows that people generally prefer clowns to magicians for children’s birthday parties.
C. Bobo goes out of his way to appear non-threatening.
D. Gob is a below average magician.
E. Bobo works in a densely populated city, while Gob works in a rural town.
E: Choice A is irrelevant since the argument states that Gob and Bobo are equally talented. Therefore, it does not matter if Bobo is an experienced clown since both Bobo and Gob are equally talented. Eliminate this choice.
Choice B looks promising. This choice offers a reason why Bobo is more successful than Gob, even though they’re equally talented. It explains the paradox by showing that people still generally prefer clowns despite rampant coulrophobia.
Choice C is a strong answer choice. This answer choice attempts to explain how Bobo is more successful despite rampant coulrophobia by claiming that Bobo is non-threatening. However, Choice B is the better explanation since it’s more specific.
Choice D is irrelevant for the same reason as Choice A, which is that the argument claims that Bobo and Gob are equally talented. If Gob is a below average magician, Bobo is a below average clown. This does not explain the paradox.
Choice E is a third strong answer choice. It resolves the paradox by explaining that the two equally talented performers work in areas with different population densities. This is the best answer. Choice B only mentions preferences to children’s birthday parties, and Choice C is too general.
Therefore, Choice E is the correct answer.
