Logical Reasoning · Strengthen
PrepTest 116 · Section 2 · Question 7
Phase 1 (your first ~400 questions): read the guidance, then answer. No clock.
Step 1 · Pre-Question Guidance · read this first
- “since”
- “not significantly”
- “themselves”
- “despite”
Playground logic
Aunt Rosa's top bun: adding apple slices to the snack stand will not cut candy eating much. Her patty: kids pick their own snacks with their own coins. The secret sauce is that the kids would not choose apples anyway, so the strongest helper shows kids already know apples are there and pick candy on purpose.
Step 2 · The kid story
Aunt Rosa and the Apple Plan
The parents at the school fair had an idea. "Kids are eating too much candy at the snack stand. Let's ask Aunt Rosa to add apple slices!" Aunt Rosa laughed. "Sure, I can sell apple slices. But it won't make much difference. The kids buy their own snacks with their own coins." Owen frowned. "Why would that matter?" Priya explained. "Aunt Rosa is betting the kids won't pick apples. If they would happily switch, her prediction is wrong." Nadia added, "And if kids already know apples are healthier and still choose candy every time, her prediction looks really strong." Lulu wrote: Plan offers a choice. Choosers decide. Will choosers pick it? Tommy peeked out from behind the candy jar. "No comment."
Step 3 · Try the model question
Parents have asked the school fair's snack stand to start selling apple slices, hoping this will cut down on how much candy students eat. But adding apple slices will not much reduce students' candy eating, since students buy their own snacks with their own money.
Suppose each choice below is accurate. Which one gives the argument the most help?
Step 4 · The courtroom tale
The Case of the Unused Bike Lane
A town council was sued for refusing to paint a new bike lane. Residents wanted it so fewer cyclists would ride on the busy sidewalk. Mr. Whitfield, for the council, argued: "Your Honor, the lane won't help much. Cyclists choose their own routes." Judge Haddad frowned. "That alone is thin, Counselor. Maybe they would gladly use a lane." Mr. Whitfield called a traffic officer. "Your Honor, there is already a bike lane one block over. The sidewalk riders know about it and say they prefer the sidewalk anyway." The judge nodded. "Now your argument stands on firmer ground. If riders already skip a nearby lane by choice, a new one may not change much."
Step 5 · Work the real question
Open PrepTest 116, Section 2, Question 7 in your official copy from LSAC (for example in LawHub) and read it there.
Your answer
How to apply it
Find the top bun: a proposed change will not help much. Find the patty: the people involved make their own choices. Spot the gap: the argument needs those people to not choose the better option. Look for a choice showing they already pick the risky path knowingly or on purpose. Reject choices about other causes, the habits of different people, or facts that would make the proposal work better.