Logical Reasoning · Principle

PrepTest 122 · Section 4 · Question 21

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

Step 1 · Pre-Question Guidance · read this first

Question type

Principle (Justify)

The one idea it tests

Find the rule that makes praise depend on beating a real temptation you could have acted on.

The basic logic

The speaker denies praise in two cases: when someone could not afford the thing, and when someone never wanted it (unless they trained themselves). The rule that covers both says praise needs a wish that was overcome and that could have been acted on.

Tiny words that decide it

“only if”
“unless”
“simply because”

Playground logic

Owen skips the trading-card machine because he has no allowance; Nadia skips it because she does not care about cards. Priya says neither earns a gold star (top bun), unless Nadia trained herself out of wanting them. The rule underneath: you earn praise for skipping only if you beat a real wish you could have paid for.

Step 2 · The kid story

No Gold Star for Owen

Ms. Rivera was handing out gold stars for 'not wasting money at the trading-card machine.' Owen raised his hand. "I never use it!" Priya sipped her juice box. "Owen, you have zero allowance. You skip it because you cannot pay. That is not a gold star." Nadia waved. "I never use it either. I just do not like cards." Priya shook her head. "No star for that either. Unless you used to love cards and spent months training yourself to stop." Marcus looked puzzled. "So who gets stars?" Priya smiled. "Someone who really wants the cards, has the money in their pocket, and still walks past. Beating a wish you could act on: that is the star." Lulu wrote it down.

Step 3 · Try the model question

Priya: Kids who skip the card machine only because they have no money should not get a gold star. Kids who skip it only because they do not like cards should not get one either, unless that dislike came from hard work training themselves.

Which principle, if true, best supports Priya's claims?

Step 4 · The courtroom tale

The Case of the Unclaimed Medal

Judge Ruiz read the petition. "The town wants to give a self-control medal to everyone who skipped the fireworks show." Mr. Whitfield stood. "Your Honor, some skipped because tickets sold out. Others skipped because they dislike loud noise. Neither group resisted anything." "And who deserves it?" "Only someone who wanted to go, had a ticket in hand, and stayed home anyway. Or someone who once loved fireworks and worked hard to stop." The judge nodded. "So the rule is: praise requires overcoming a desire you could have acted on. Medal denied for the rest."

Step 5 · Work the real question

Open PrepTest 122, Section 4, Question 21 in your official copy from LSAC (for example in LawHub) and read it there.

Your answer

How to apply it

List every case the speaker refuses to praise and note the exception. Ask what both refused cases lack: here, a real temptation the person could have acted on and resisted. Write that as an 'only if' rule. Check each choice against every case and the exception. Cross off rules about blame instead of praise, rules about outcomes or settings, and rules that rank people rather than set a requirement.