Logical Reasoning

PT3 · S2 · Q3 In Europe, schoolchildren devote time

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In Europe, schoolchildren devote time during each school day to calisthenics.

Conclusion (We must conclude that)

North American children can be made physically fit only if they participate in school calisthenics on a daily basis.

Evidence

In Europe, schoolchildren devote time during each school day to calisthenics.

North American schools rarely offer a daily calisthenics program.

Tests prove that North American children are weaker, slower, and shorter-winded than European children.

Evaluate

This argument gives us two differences between European school children and American school children and draws a conclusion that seems to imply that one difference (school calisthenics) is the cause of the other (better performance on fitness tests). But the conclusion isn't framed as a causal explanation. Instead, it's framed as a conditional: the only way to achieve physical fitness is school calisthenics. Any time an argument concludes that something is necessary to achieve a result, we should be thinking about alternative ways to achieve the result.

Goal

Look for an answer that rules out an alternative way of achieving physical fitness without calisthenics, or otherwise establishes calisthenics as necessary. Typically, in Necessary Assumption questions, we want to be wary of strong answers. But because we're trying to support a conditional conclusion in this argument, a correct answer might use strong conditional language.

3.

Which one of the following is assumed in the passage?

  1. All children can be made

    Reversal

    We need to establish calisthenics as necessary. This answer tells us calisthenics is sufficient.

    21% picked this

  2. All children can be made

    Out of Scope: equally

    Like A, this answer reverses the role of calisthenics in our conditional, presenting it as sufficient, not necessary. Furthermore, this answer introduces the idea of making children equally fit. We don't need to assume anything about equality in order to conclude calisthenics are necessary to physical fitness.

    4% picked this

  3. Superior physical fitness produces superior

    Out of Scope: superior health

    We're trying to establish that calisthenics are required for fitness. Even though, in real life, health and fitness are closely related, don't be fooled! On the LSAT, it's common for wrong answers to drift away from specific concepts like fitness or weight into general health. That sort of drift is not allowed in Necessary Assumption questions.

    1% picked this

  4. Correct

    School calisthenics are an indispensable

    Why this is right

    This establishes that the school calisthenics is the causal difference maker. Confirm with the negation test: if school calisthenics are NOT an indispensable factor in the Eurpoean children's superior physical fitness, then why on earth would we be able to make American children fit only if we introduced daily calisthenics in school?

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

    74% picked this

  5. North American children can learn

    Weakener

    This answer raises alternative paths to fitness. A correct answer would rule them out.

    1% picked this

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