Unplugged Practice Test: Logical Reasoning Set 1, Question 23 (Strengthen)
Taking the test? Finish it first. This page shows the answer.
- Strengthen questions ask which new fact most supports the argument.
- Find the gap the argument leaves open, then look for the choice that closes it.
- Every question on this test is original, written to the same logical skeletons as real questions, and Steve checked every one himself before release.
The question
The chair line announced by Corliss Woodworks stands out for its range, running from stark unadorned frames to heavily carved pieces. Range like that is rare among small furniture makers, which normally settle on one style so as to build a recognizable look for a core set of buyers. Here, though, range is the smarter choice, since the people who buy chairs in Corliss's region vary widely in age and in taste.
23. Which one of the following, if true, adds the most support for the conclusion of the argument?
- (A)Lines built around a single style sometimes draw buyers well beyond the group the maker had in mind.
- (B)A recognizable look is essential to holding buyers' interest and to making a small maker better known.
- (C)Lines built around a single style often put off buyers whose taste falls outside that style.
- (D)Fewer people choose a chair on the strength of the maker's reputation than choose a rug that way.
- (E)Efforts to hold a core set of buyers come to nothing whenever the pieces offered to them are poorly built.
CWhy (C) is correct
The credited answer is (C). Corliss's range makes sense only if there's a reason the usual single-style approach would actually cost the maker here. If a single-style line often turns away buyers whose taste sits outside that style, then settling on one look would drive off much of a region full of buyers with widely different ages and tastes, so range is the smarter call for Corliss specifically.
Why the other answers are wrong
AWhy (A) is wrong
(A) cuts the other way: if single-style lines sometimes reach buyers beyond the intended group, that suggests one style can still work broadly, which favors sameness, not range.
BWhy (B) is wrong
(B) favors the very approach the argument rejects. Saying a recognizable look is essential to holding buyers argues for one style, not for range.
DWhy (D) is wrong
(D) compares chairs to rugs on a different basis, reputation, which says nothing about whether range beats one style for Corliss's varied buyers.
EWhy (E) is wrong
(E) is about build quality, not about matching a style choice to a region's mixed tastes, so it doesn't touch the argument's reasoning.
Common questions
What type of question is this?
Strengthen. Strengthen questions ask which new fact most supports the argument.
How do I get better at Strengthen questions?
Find the gap the argument leaves open, then look for the choice that closes it. The free LSAT cheat sheet lists the wrong-answer patterns to watch for on every type.
