Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT159 S1 Q14 ExplanationEnvironmentalist: The adoption of genetically engineered

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

TopicsPrinciple-Strengthen

Keep going in LSAT Lab

  • 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

Free to start

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

Environmentalist: The adoption of genetically engineered crops in agriculture is moving so rapidly and is monitored so loosely that it poses a significant risk of damaging sensitive ecosystems. One such crop had already been widely planted when a study found that it could threaten monarch butterflies. Therefore, before agricultural production, rigorous testing of its safety should be required.

What this question is testing

Principle-Strengthen

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
14.

Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify

Answer choices, explained

  1. Trap23% picked this

    A genetically engineered crop should not be put into agricultural production if rigorous testing has shown

  2. Trap2% picked this

    If a crop has no potential for posing environmental risks, it may be put into agricultural production without

  3. Correct64% picked this

    No crop that might present risks to the environment should be allowed into agricultural production unless its safety

    Why this is right

    Answer C is correct.

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

  4. Trap9% picked this

    If rigorous testing of any genetically engineered crop that is in agricultural production shows that that crop poses environmental risks, production of

  5. Trap2% picked this

    If rigorous studies do not find evidence that a crop would present risks if it is brought into agricultural production, no further testing

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