Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT124 S1 Q3 Explanation

Science columnist: It is clear

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

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Stimulus

Science columnist: It is clear why humans have so many diseases in common with cats. Many human diseases are genetically based, and cats are genetically closer to humans than are any other mammals except nonhuman primates. Each cats has an exact counterpart in humans.

What this question is testing

Weaken

Your task

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

Common trap

Answers that look negative but attack a claim the argument never relied on.

Winning move

Find the assumption the argument depends on, then pick the choice that undermines 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
3.

Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the science columnist's explanation for the claim that humans have so many diseases

Answer choices

  1. Too Weak2% picked this

    Cats have built up resistance to many of the diseases they have in

    This doesn’t change the fact that cats still have these diseases in common with humans. Furthermore, this ignores whether these disease have a genetic, bacterial, or viral basis.

  2. Correct90% picked this

    Most diseases that humans have in common with cats have no

    Why this is right

    This makes it much less likely that the reason that humans and cats have so many diseases in common is genetically based.

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

  3. Too Weak3% picked this

    Cats have more diseases in common with nonhuman primates than

    This requires a further assumption about the genetic similarity of cats and humans and of cats and nonhuman primates. We know that humans are closer to nonhuman primates than to cats, but we do not know whether cats are closer to humans or to nonhuman primates.

  4. Premise Support2% picked this

    Many of the diseases humans have in common with cats are mild and

    This increases the number of diseases common to both humans and cats, but doesn’t offer any suggestion for the basis of those diseases.

  5. Premise Support3% picked this

    Humans have more genes in common with nonhuman primates than

    This supports the second premise comparing the genetic similarity between humans and cats with the similarity between humans and nonhuman primates.

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