Logical Reasoning · Strengthen

PrepTest 101 · Section 2 · Question 4

Phase 1 (your first ~400 questions): read the guidance, then answer. No clock.

Step 1 · Pre-Question Guidance · read this first

Question type

Strengthen EXCEPT

The one idea it tests

Four answers help the claim that adding one new ingredient is the key; the odd one out talks about a group the argument never discusses.

The basic logic

Know the conclusion and the two problems it says make success hard. Helpers show the new ingredient fixes one of those problems, make the study more trustworthy, or show the result lasts. The correct EXCEPT answer misses the target, often by changing who is being described.

Tiny words that decide it

“EXCEPT”
“because”
“may be”
“main point”

Playground logic

Grandpa says seedlings struggle after moving because of shock and bugs, and that planting marigolds beside them may be the key. His test bed with marigolds did much better. Helpers show marigolds beat shock or bugs, or that the test was fair or lasting; a fact about beds that never had bugs helps nothing.

Step 2 · The kid story

Grandpa's Marigold Test

Every spring, Grandpa's tomato seedlings droop after he moves them outside. 'Moving is a shock,' he says, 'and the bugs show up right away.' This year Tommy and Lulu helped him test an idea. Half the rows got normal care. The other half got normal care plus a marigold planted beside each seedling. After a month, not one normal row looked healthy, but almost half the marigold seedlings were thriving. 'Maybe the secret is a good neighbor,' Grandpa said. Lulu listed what would back him up: 'If marigolds chase bugs away, that helps. If the rows were picked by coin flip, that helps. If the marigold plants were still fine at the end of summer, that helps.' Marcus raised his hand. 'Gardens that never had bugs don't get bugs when you pull up their marigolds!' Lulu blinked. 'That's about different gardens, Marcus.'

Step 3 · Try the model question

Tomato seedlings often fail after being moved outdoors because of transplant shock and bugs. The key to success may be planting a marigold beside each seedling. In Grandpa's test, none of the rows with normal care did well after a month, while almost half of the seedlings with marigolds thrived.

Each choice below, if true, supports the argument EXCEPT:

Step 4 · The courtroom tale

The Sand Layer Patent

An inventor sued to protect his patent. 'Clay pots crack in the kiln because of trapped water and uneven heat,' his lawyer said. 'His sand layer is the key.' In the test, no pots fired the usual way came out whole, but forty percent of the sand-layer pots did. Mr. Whitfield, for the inventor, asked the expert four questions. 'Does sand soak up trapped water?' 'Yes.' 'Were the kilns picked by lottery?' 'Yes.' 'Did the sand-layer pots survive a second firing?' 'Mostly, yes.' Then he tried one more. 'Do pots that never cracked start cracking when the sand is removed?' 'No.' The judge raised an eyebrow. 'Counsel, that last answer was about pots that never had the problem. It neither helps nor hurts your client.'

Step 5 · Work the real question

Open PrepTest 101, Section 2, Question 4 in your official copy from LSAC (for example in LawHub) and read it there.

Your answer

How to apply it

EXCEPT means four choices help. Find the top bun and the two problems the bottom bun says make success hard. Then for each choice ask: does it show the new ingredient fixes one of those problems, make the study fairer or bigger, or show the result lasting? Those are helpers. The answer is the choice that fails all three tests, often by quietly describing a different group. Beware of a choice that shares the topic but not the target (Matching Costume).