Logical Reasoning

PT148 · S3 · Q7 Expert: Some people claim

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

  • Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Start practicing free

Expert: Some people claim that, since food production has thus far increased faster than population has, there is no need to be concerned about widespread food shortages.

Conclusion (thus)

Widespread food shortages are inevitable.

Evidence

The planet’s resources will only allow for production to increase up to a certain limit, beyond which it cannot grow.

Evaluate

This is a "Strengthen" question where the task is to support the argument that widespread food shortages will occur. To strengthen the conclusion, we need to ensure that the demand (population) will eventually exceed the supply (food production), potentially by highlighting ongoing or future increases in population.

Goal

Identify an answer choice that suggests the population will continue to increase beyond the planet's food production capacity, making shortages more likely.

7.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the expert's reasoning?

  1. The world's resources, though limited,

    Opposite (if anything)

    This discusses renewable resources, which does not support the notion of inevitable food shortages. In fact, it suggests that food production could persist, not diminishing the perceived supply issues.

    1% picked this

  2. Food resources from the world's

    Weaker Impact

    This states that food from the ocean will be fully utilized, which definitely helps one to argue that food shortages will happen. But the central doubt in the argument is that the Earth can produce a few times what it currently does, and we don't know whether Earth's population will reach that level of demand. It's possible that we would exhaust the food in the ocean but still have enough food from land.

    9% picked this

  3. The world's population has recently

    Weakens

    Indicating that the population has recently remained stable undermines the argument for future shortages, as a stable population implies the current food supply may suffice, countering the prediction of shortages.

    1% picked this

  4. Periodic regional food shortages have

    No Impact

    This recounts historical periodic regional food shortages. It does not directly impact the argument about future widespread shortages, since isolated past events may not point to global future trends, and since a regional shortage is not nearly as dire as a widespread shortage.

    7% picked this

  5. Correct

    Population will continue to grow

    Why this is right

    This explicitly states that the population will continue to grow even after food production reaches its maximum level. It directly strengthens the argument by foreseeing a future mismatch where demand from population growth will surpass food supply, leading to shortages.

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

    82% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill
LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free