Logical Reasoning

PT151 · S3 · Q16 Wood that is waterlogged

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

Wood that is waterlogged or desiccated can be preserved for a significant period, but, under normal conditions, wood usually disintegrates within a century or two.

Statements

causal difference-maker: "for this reason" Because normal wood usually disintegrates within a century or two, archaeologists have been unable to find many remains of early wheeled vehicles.

possible inferences:

early wheeled vehicles were made of normal wood. early wheeled vehicles are from more than two centuries ago.

contrast/pivot: "However" They have found small ceramic models from the same era. They are less susceptible to disintegration.

possible inferences:

ceramics models are not made from wood (that's kind of obvious) ceramic disintegrates more slowly than wood there are ceramic things made more than two centuries ago

Goal

I wouldn't have a specific prediction here, but it's likely to involve the Causal connector "for this reason", or to involve the contrast-Pivot "however".

16.

Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above?

  1. Most of the small ceramic

    Too Specific: most / the individuals

    We don't have enough information to say that 51% or more of the ceramic models were made by the exact same people who went on to make the real vehicle.

    12% picked this

  2. Few, if any, small models

    Out of Scope

    Out of Scope: non-ceramic models Only One Mentioned ≠ Only One Just because the passage only mentions finding ceramic models doesn't mean that only ceramic models were created. There may very well have been wooden models as well, which we wouldn't be finding since we know that wood disintegrates.

    20% picked this

  3. The individuals who made the

    Out of Scope: aware

    We have no information about what the vehicle-makers were or weren't aware of, in regards to the deterioration rate of different materials.

    7% picked this

  4. An artifact will be more

    Unknown Comparison

    We don't have any information about "normal preservation methods" to make any comparison between those methods and an object being waterlogged/desiccated. It's unclear whether "preserved under more normal conditions" means that humans did something to preserve it or whether it means that nature preserved it in a way that's more typical than being waterlogged / desiccated. If it's the former, than we know nothing about it. If it's the latter, then we have counterevidence (desiccated / waterlogged wood is easier for archaeologists to find than normally preserved wood).

    5% picked this

  5. Correct

    Of the early wheeled vehicles

    Why this is right

    MAN, it is going to cause me an aneurysm to process what this sentence is saying. It's playing off the final line, that the main evidence regarding early wheeled vehicles comes from ceramic models as well as the idea that "because wood disintegrates within a couple centuries, we have been unable to find many remains". Pretend the opposite of this answer were true: of the early wheeled vehicles, a minority were made of wood and a majority were made of materials at least as resilient as ceramic. In that case, we'd be finding many remains of early wheeled vehicles (since we find many ceramic models, we should be able to find many actual vehicles, if they were made of something at least as sturdy as ceramic). Since we don't find many actual vehicles, but we do find many ceramic models, it stands to reason that "vehicles weren't frequently made of ceramic, or anything as resilient as ceramic". Ultimately, the answer is just saying that more of the lost vehicles were made of wood than of something as resilient as ceramic, which is supportable given that we know that wood deteriorates and doesn't get found, whereas ceramic lasts longer and apparently does get found.

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

    55% 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