Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT14 S2 Q19 Explanation

A report on the likely effects

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

TopicsMain Conclusion

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Full official LSAT questions are available through LawHub. This page provides LSAT Lab's explanation, strategy, and review tools without republishing the full official question.

Stimulus

A report on the likely effects of current levels of air pollution on forest growth in North America concluded that, since nitrogen is a necessary nutrient for optimal plant growth, the nitrogen deposited on forest soil as a result of air pollution probably benefits eastern forests. However, European soil scientists have found forests everywhere, large areas of eastern forests of North America are, undoubtedly, already being affected adversely.

What this question is testing

Main Conclusion

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
19.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of

Answer choices

  1. Trap3% picked this

    The implication of the report cited is that the amount of nitrogen reaching eastern forests by way of polluted air is approximately what

  2. Trap4% picked this

    If large areas of eastern forests were increasingly saturated with sulfate and nitrate, the capacity of those forest systems for

  3. Trap4% picked this

    The type of analysis used by European soil scientists does not necessarily apply to eastern

  4. Trap2% picked this

    The eastern forests are the only forests of North America currently affected

  5. Correct87% picked this

    Contrary to the report cited, the nitrogen pollution now in the air is more likely to cause trees to die in eastern

    Why this is right

    Answer E is correct.

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

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