It is probably within the reach

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

TopicsMain Conclusion

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Stimulus

It is probably within the reach of human technology to make the climate of Mars inhabitable. It might be several centuries before people could live there, even with breathing apparatuses, but some of the world’s great temples and cathedrals took centuries to build. Research efforts now are justified if there is even could help in understanding atmospheric changes inadvertently triggered by human activity on Earth.

What this question is testing

Main Conclusion

The Argument

Read the passage and ask: what is the author trying to convince us of? Everything points the same direction — keep doing this research. The claim that research is justified is the destination. The other facts (it is technologically reachable, takes centuries, helps Earth) are reasons offered along the way.

Goal

The trap on Main Conclusion questions is that supporting reasons sound like good takeaways too. Test each candidate by asking: The reason that everything else points to is the conclusion.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question

The main point of the argument

Answer choices

Premise33% picked this
it is probably technologically possible for humankind to alter the climate
"It is probably technologically possible" is a premise — it is offered to support the conclusion that research is justified. The author uses it to argue that the research has a real chance of paying off. It is not the main point itself.
33%
Premise2% picked this
it would take several centuries to make Mars even
"Several centuries" is mentioned as a premise — the author is acknowledging the long timeline so that the cathedral comparison can address it. It supports the conclusion that the research is still justified despite the wait. It is not the main point itself.
2%
Premise1% picked this
making Mars inhabitable is an effort comparable to building a great
The cathedral comparison is just an analogy used to support the main claim — it shows that long timelines do not disqualify a project. It is supporting evidence, not the main conclusion. The argument is not really about cathedrals at all.
1%
Correct59% picked this
research efforts aimed at discovering how to change the climate of
Why this is right
"Research efforts aimed at discovering how to change the climate of Mars are justified" is the main conclusion — the load-bearing claim everything else points toward. The technological possibility, the centuries timeline, the cathedral analogy, and the Earth-atmosphere benefit are all reasons offered to support this very claim. It is the destination of the argument.
Skill tested: Main Conclusion · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
59%
Premise4% picked this
efforts to change the climate of Mars could facilitate understanding of
The Earth-atmosphere connection is offered as a "besides" — an additional reason to support the conclusion that the research is justified. It is a premise, not the main point. The author mentions it to bolster the case, not to make it the centerpiece of the argument.
4%

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