Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT131 S1 Q3 Explanation

In some places, iceberg

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

TopicsParadox

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Stimulus

In some places, iceberg lilies are the mainstay of grizzly bears' summer diets. The bears forage meadows for the lilies, uprooting them and eating their bulbs. Although the bears annually destroy a large percentage of the lilies, scientists actually promote the survival of iceberg lilies.

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
3.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in

Answer choices

  1. Deepens the Paradox1% picked this

    When grizzly bears forage for iceberg lilies, they generally kill many more lilies

    This makes it less clear how grizzly bears promote the survival of iceberg lilies.

  2. Correct90% picked this

    Iceberg lilies produce so many offspring that, when undisturbed, they quickly deplete the resources necessary

    Why this is right

    This matches the prediction that grizzly bears help with population control in a way that benefits iceberg lilies.

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

  3. Deepens the Paradox5% picked this

    A significantly smaller number of iceberg lily flowers are produced in fields where grizzly bears forage than in

    This makes it less clear how grizzly bears promote the survival of iceberg lilies.

  4. Too Weak4% picked this

    The geographic regions in which iceberg lilies are most prevalent are those regions populated

    This could mean that grizzly bears somehow benefit iceberg lilies (though this doesn’t say how) or it could also be the case that grizzly bears simply are attracted to the abundance of iceberg lilies.

  5. Reversal1% picked this

    Iceberg lilies contain plentiful amounts of some nutrients that are necessary for

    This explains how iceberg lilies promote the survival of grizzly bears, but not the other way around.

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