Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT14 S4 Q3 Explanation

The government recently released a study

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

TopicsParadox

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Stimulus

The government recently released a study of drinking water, in which it was reported that consumers who bought bottled water were in many cases getting water that was less safe than what they could obtain much more cheaply from the public water supply. In received, sales of bottled water have continued to rise.

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, is most helpful in resolving

Answer choices

  1. Trap1% picked this

    Bottled water might contain levels of potentially harmful contaminants that are not allowed

  2. Trap1% picked this

    Most consumers who habitually drink the bottled water discussed in the study cannot differentiate between the taste of their usual brand of bottled water

  3. Correct93% picked this

    Increased consumption of the five best-selling brands of bottled water, which the report said were safer than both public water and most other brands

    Why this is right

    Answer C is correct.

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

  4. Trap1% picked this

    The rate of increase in the sales of bottled water has slowed since the publication

  5. Trap4% picked this

    Government health warnings concerning food have become so frequent that consumers have begun to doubt the safety

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