Logical Reasoning

PT111 · S1 · Q1 Some critics argue that an

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

  • Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Start practicing free

Some critics argue that an opera’s stage directions are never reflected in its music.

Conclusion (implied)

An opera's stage directions are sometimes reflected in its music.

Intermediate Conclusion (Hence)

A change of scenery, which is a basic stage direction, can be reflected in the music, so other operatic stage directions can also be reflected.

Evidence

In some of Mozart's funny operas, there are squeaky violin noises that Mozart clearly meant to echo the sounds that are made while scenery is changing (set pieces are often on rolling wooden frames, so they might squeak ... big backdrops are lowered or raised from the rafters via rope and pully).

Evaluate / Goal

They're asking us about the Mozart premise, and asking what claim it was offered in support of. We could say that it was directly supporting the intermediate conclusion that , or that it was ultimately supporting the author's rebuttal to the position in the first sentence; our author is saying .

1.

In the argument, the statement that many comic scenes in Mozart's operas open with violin phrases that sound like the squeaking of changing scenery is offered in support of the claim that

  1. a change of scenery is

    Too Strong: most frequently

    The author never claimed that change of scenery is the most frequent way in with an opera's music reflects a stage direction. She's only claiming it's a way, "which means that other directions can be reflected as well". She hasn't ever singled out any one type of stage direction as the type that most frequently gets reflected by the music.

    8% picked this

  2. an opera’s stage directions are

    Opposite

    This is the critics' position, which the author is refuting.

    2% picked this

  3. an opera’s music can have

    Effect vs. Reflected

    The author wasn't ever saying that the opera's music has an effect on the stage directions, just that the music reflects the stage directions. We might say that how we drive reflects how we saw our parents drive, but that wouldn't mean that how we drive has/had an effect on how our parents drive.

    13% picked this

  4. Correct

    a variety of stage directions

    Why this is right

    The author's main conclusion is rebutting the original position, so she is trying to argue that "an opera's stage directions are sometimes reflected in the music". In her final sentence, she makes two claims. Because of the example of Mozart using violin phrases to reflect the changing of scenery, we get to the idea that a change of scenery can be reflected in the music, which gets us to the idea that "other operatic stage directions can be as well". It's important that this answer says "can", not "are". The author hasn't argued that a variety of stage directions are reflected in an opera's music, but she does explicitly say that other stage directions (in addition to change of scenery) can be reflected.

    Skill tested: Role · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    73% picked this

  5. the most frequent relation between

    Too Strong: most frequent

    Just like (A), the author never claimed that the Mozart example has any qualities that are true most frequently. In the Mozart example, the music imitates the sounds of a stage direction being carried out, but she never suggests that this is the most frequent way that an opera's music would reflect its stage directions. LSAT constantly tries to bait us into thinking that the only thing mentioned is therefore "the only thing to which this applies / the most important thing to which this applies".

    4% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill
LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free