Logical Reasoning · Role of a Statement
PrepTest 150 · Section 2 · Question 8
Phase 1 (your first ~400 questions): read the guidance, then answer. No clock.
Step 1 · Pre-Question Guidance · read this first
- “should not”
- “moreover”
- “rather”
- “much of”
Playground logic
Kevin says not to confuse loving the library with loving books, then gives two reasons. His first line is the top bun, and the rest are patties pointing back up at it. On the Job Board, that first line is the Boss.
Step 2 · The kid story
Kevin's Library Speech
Kevin stood up in class with a speech. "Do not mix up loving the library with loving books! Lots of what the library gives you is not books at all: the beanbags, the puppet show, the fish tank, the quiet corner where nobody asks about homework. Also, books themselves are not loved just for being books. We love them for the adventures, like riding a dinosaur across a volcano." He sat down. Ms. Rivera smiled. "Kevin, which part was your main point?" Marcus shouted, "The volcano!" Priya raised her hand. "The first sentence. Everything after it was a reason for it." Lulu drew arrows on her clipboard, and every arrow pointed up to line one.
Step 3 · Try the model question
Kevin: Do not confuse loving the library with loving books. Much of what the library offers, like beanbags, puppet shows and a quiet corner, is not books at all. Besides, books are seldom loved just for being books, but for the adventures they bring.
The statement that one should not confuse loving the library with loving books serves which purpose in Kevin's argument?
Step 4 · The courtroom tale
Whitfield's Opening Line
Mr. Whitfield opened his closing argument with a single sentence. "Your Honor, do not confuse wanting a big garden with wanting vegetables." Then he explained. "Most of what a big garden gives my client is shade, birds and a quiet place to read. And even the vegetables are wanted mostly for the family dinners they make possible." The opposing lawyer whispered, "Where is his conclusion?" The judge smiled. "He said it first. Everything after it holds it up. The opening line is the point; the rest is support." Mr. Whitfield bowed and sat down.
Step 5 · Work the real question
Open PrepTest 150, Section 2, Question 8 in your official copy from LSAC (for example in LawHub) and read it there.
Your answer
How to apply it
Locate the quoted claim in the argument. For every other sentence, ask whether it gives a reason for that claim. Then ask whether that claim gives a reason for anything else. If it is supported and supports nothing further, it is the Boss, the overall conclusion, wherever it sits. Use the Job Board to rule out Middle Manager, Background and Rival labels that do not fit.