Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT145 S2 Q1 Explanation

An electric utility has determined

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

TopicsParadox

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Stimulus

An electric utility has determined that a new power plant is needed and has decided to build either a natural gas-fired plant or a waste-to-energy plant that would serve as both a trash incinerator and a power plant. Surprisingly, although the waste-to-energy plant would produce roughly three times environmentalists have come out in unanimous support of this option.

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
1.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to justify the

Answer choices

  1. Trap1% picked this

    Modern gas-fired power plants produce significantly less pollution than gas-fired power plants that were built

  2. Trap8% picked this

    In the area where the utility operates, both energy use and the volume of trash produced have increased substantially

  3. Correct89% picked this

    The waste-to-energy plant would replace an existing trash incinerator that produces much more air pollution than

    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. Trap0% picked this

    Most of the environmentalists believe that air pollution is the area’s most

  5. Trap1% picked this

    The vast majority of the air pollution in the area where the utility operates is produced

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