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Logical Reasoning · Principle

PrepTest 116 · Section 2 · Question 12

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

Step 1 · Pre-Question Guidance · read this first

Question type
Principle
The one idea it tests
When people are judged on how well they present, the smooth talker can get picked over the one who knows more.
The basic logic
Strip the passage to its skeleton: a role is filled by judging how well people perform the show, not the substance, so people with less real skill but more polish win out over people with more skill but less polish. Find the choice with the same skeleton, even if the topic is totally different.
Tiny words that decide it
  • “some”
  • “rather than”
  • “as a result”

Playground logic

The skeleton in our playground: the tour guide is picked by how smoothly kids talk, so Marcus, a smooth talker who barely knows the school, gets picked over Lulu, who knows every room but mumbles.

Step 2 · The kid story

The Open House Tour Guide

Every spring, Ms. Rivera picks one kid to lead the open house tour. Parents vote after a one-minute tryout speech. Marcus gave his speech with big arm waves and a booming voice. "Welcome, friends, to the finest school in the galaxy!" The parents clapped like crazy. Lulu went next. She knew where every room was, what year the gym was built, and which water fountain is coldest. But she spoke softly and looked at her shoes. Marcus won. On tour day, he led the parents into the janitor's closet. Twice. Priya shook her head. "They picked the best talker, not the best guide. When you judge the speech, the speech wins." Lulu just handed the lost parents a map.

Step 3 · Try the model question

The open house guide is chosen by parents who judge each kid's tryout speech. Parents score kids on how lively and sure of themselves they sound. So sometimes a kid who barely knows the school but talks smoothly is picked over a kid who knows the school well but speaks shyly.

Which situation best fits the principle shown above?

Choices

Step 4 · The courtroom tale

The Great Pie Judge

At a county fair, a baker sued the pie contest. "The judges picked the pie with the fanciest speech," she said. "The winner talked for five minutes about lattice crusts. His pie was raw inside." The fair's lawyer said, "Judges score each baker's presentation. That is the rule." Mr. Whitfield nodded slowly. "Exactly, Your Honor. When the scoring rewards the talk, the best talker can beat the best baker. My client does not say anyone cheated. She says the system picks polish over pie." The judge took a bite of the winning pie and winced. "Noted. The rule stays. But I am changing my lunch plans."

Step 5 · Work the real question

Open PrepTest 116, Section 2, Question 12 in your official copy from LSAC (for example in LawHub) and read it there.

Your answer

How to apply it

Boil the passage down to its principle: how the people are judged, and what that causes. Note the two kinds of people, one with more substance and less polish, one with the reverse, and who wins. Then check each choice for the full skeleton: a selection based on presentation that lets the less capable person beat the more capable one. Ignore topic matches; match the logic.