Unplugged Practice Test: Logical Reasoning Set 2, Question 1 (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
Program director: Our collection logs run only through September, but I am already sure this will be a strong year for the town's curbside composting program. In each of the 4 preceding years, a typical month brought in fewer than 60 tons of food scraps. So far this year a typical month has brought in 74 tons.
1. Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the director's argument?
- (A)The crews who work the collection routes have long been regarded across the county as exceptionally efficient.
- (B)The director is judged on the program's yearly totals and so has reason to present the figures in a favorable light.
- (C)Several neighboring towns report that their composting programs are taking in more per month this year than in past years.
- (D)October, November, and December have long been the months in which this program takes in the most food scraps.
- (E)A free countertop pail the program began handing out in January has proved very popular during the months logged so far.
DWhy (D) is correct
The director already has 9 months of strong numbers, a typical month bringing in 74 tons against under 60 tons in each of the past 4 years, and projects a strong year from that trend. The risk sits in the 3 unlogged months, October through December: if those come in weak, they could drag the year back down. (D) protects exactly that stretch. If those 3 months have long been the program's biggest, then the months still uncounted should push the year higher, not lower, which locks in the director's confident forecast.
Why the other answers are wrong
AWhy (A) is wrong
(A) says the crews have long been regarded as efficient, a constant that doesn't explain why this year already beats the last 4.
BWhy (B) is wrong
(B) gives the director a motive to spin the numbers, which undercuts the forecast rather than backing it.
CWhy (C) is wrong
(C) reports other towns' composting gains, which don't speak to how this town's own final months will go.
EWhy (E) is wrong
(E) explains why the logged months ran high, a popular free pail, but says nothing about whether that boost carries into the unlogged months ahead.
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.
