Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT12 S1 Q15 Explanation

Salmonella is a food‐borne microorganism

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

TopicsStrengthen

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Stimulus

Salmonella is a food‐borne microorganism that can cause intestinal illness. The illness is sometimes fatal, especially if not identified quickly and treated. Conventional Salmonella tests on food samples are slow and can miss unusual strains of the microorganism. A new test identifies the presence or absence of Salmonella by the one piece well advised to replace the previous Salmonella tests with the new test.

What this question is testing

Strengthen

Your task

Find the choice that makes the argument's conclusion more likely to be true.

Common trap

Answers that are consistent with the argument but add no real support, or that strengthen a claim the argument doesn't make.

Winning move

Locate the gap between evidence and conclusion, then pick the choice that closes it.

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

The question
15.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens

Answer choices

  1. Opposite Impact2% picked this

    The level of skill required for laboratory technicians to perform the new test is higher than that required to

    This says the new test is harder to administer, which is a downside, the opposite of what we're looking for.

  2. Correct91% picked this

    The new test returns results very soon after food samples are

    Why this is right

    The new test's ability to return results very soon after food samples are submitted is a good thing. And we know it's an advantage over the current test, because they told us the current test is "slow". This helps us argue in favor of the new test.

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

  3. Irrelevant Comparison6% picked this

    A proposed new treatment for Salmonella poisoning would take effect faster than

    This answer is comparing two different treatments for Salmonella, whereas we're trying to have conversation about two different tests for Salmonella. This doesn't give us any info about either type of test.

  4. No Impact0% picked this

    Salmonella poisoning is becoming less frequent in the

    The frequency of Salmonella poisoning changing in the general population is irrelevant to the argument about whether the new test should replace the old one. The argument is more concerned with testing accuracy and speed than current infection rates.

  5. Irrelevant Quality1% picked this

    Some remedies for Salmonella poisoning also cure intestinal disorders caused by

    The fact that some remedies for Salmonella also cure other intestinal disorders is unrelated to our conversation, which is about picking which test we should use to see if someone has Salmonella.

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