Logical Reasoning · Inference

PrepTest 113 · Section 2 · Question 9

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

Step 1 · Pre-Question Guidance · read this first

Question type

Inference (Complete the Passage)

The one idea it tests

Once you know two causes both matter, the next good question is how much each one matters.

The basic logic

The speaker settles that one cause alone is not enough and a second cause also plays a part. So the open question cannot be whether the second cause matters (already settled) or whether one cause alone does it (already ruled out). The sensible blank asks which of the two plays the bigger part.

Tiny words that decide it

“solely”
“also”
“so”
“most reasonable”

Playground logic

Priya shows that tomato plants need both sunshine and good soil, so neither does it alone. The next smart question is not 'does soil matter?' (already answered) but 'which matters more, sunshine or soil?'

Step 2 · The kid story

The Tomato Question

Ms. Rivera's class grew tomato plants on the windowsill. Marcus declared, 'Sunshine does everything! That's the whole secret.' Priya pointed to two plants. 'Both got the same sunshine. But the one in good soil grew twice as tall. So sunshine isn't the only thing. Soil matters too.' Marcus grumbled. 'Fine. So what do we study next? Whether soil matters?' Lulu checked her clipboard. 'We just showed it does. That's done.' Nadia said, 'Whether soil does it all by itself?' 'Nope,' said Priya. 'The sunshine plants grew too. We know both help.' Kevin raised his hand. 'Then the real question is which helps more, sunshine or soil!' Everyone stared. Kevin had made sense for once. He celebrated by describing a triceratops garden.

Step 3 · Try the model question

Priya: Our experiments show that sunshine helps tomato plants grow, but plainly sunshine alone does not explain their growth: good soil also plays a part. So the most sensible thing to study next is whether ______.

Which choice best fills in the blank?

Step 4 · The courtroom tale

The Case of the Winning Team

Judge Lou Park reviewed the soccer evidence. 'We've heard that practice drills helped the Hornets win. We've also heard that good coaching helped. Neither alone explains it.' Mr. Whitfield stood, thumbs in suspenders. 'Then let us ask, Your Honor, whether coaching matters at all!' The judge sighed. 'Counselor, we just agreed it does.' The other lawyer raised a hand. 'Then perhaps the question is whether drills alone did it?' 'Also settled. They didn't.' A small voice from the gallery said, 'So which helped more, drills or coaching?' The judge pointed his gavel. 'Now that is a question worth studying.'

Step 5 · Work the real question

Open PrepTest 113, Section 2, Question 9 in your official copy from LSAC (for example in LawHub) and read it there.

Your answer

How to apply it

Read what the speaker has already settled: one cause is not the whole story, and a second cause also plays a part. Cross out any blank-filler that asks something already answered, either way. Cross out fillers that drift to a new topic or to one cause as the whole story. The best filler builds on both settled facts and asks the next natural question, about how the two causes compare.