Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT130 S1 Q8 Explanation

Working residents of Springfield

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

TopicsParadox

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Stimulus

Working residents of Springfield live, on average, farther from their workplaces than do working residents of Rorchester. Thus, one would expect that the demand for public transportation would be greater in Springfield than in as many bus routes as Rorchester.

What this question is testing

Paradox

Your task

Break the argument into its conclusion and evidence, then do exactly what the question stem asks with that structure.

Common trap

Answers that sound relevant to the topic but don't connect to the argument's actual reasoning.

Winning move

Predict what a right answer must do, then test each choice against the conclusion-evidence gap.

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

The question
8.

Each of the following, if true, contributes to a resolution of the apparent discrepancy

Answer choices

  1. Possible Explanation3% picked this

    Three-fourths of the Springfield workforce is employed at the same factory outside

    This reduces the need to for number of bus routes, because everyone is going to the same place.

  2. Possible Explanation3% picked this

    The average number of cars per household is higher in Springfield

    This reduces the need for public transportation overall in Springfield.

  3. Possible Explanation8% picked this

    Rorchester has fewer railway lines than

    This provides another form of public transportation, thereby reducing Springfield's need for buses.

  4. Possible Explanation3% picked this

    Buses in Springfield run more frequently and on longer routes than

    This reduces the need for the number of bus routes, because the bus routes they do have run more frequently and cover more of the city.

  5. Correct83% picked this

    Springfield has a larger population than

    Why this is right

    This deepens the apparent paradox because this would increase the expected demand of public transportation in Springfield.

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

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