Logical Reasoning · Point at Issue
PrepTest 152 · Section 2 · Question 2
Phase 1 (your first ~400 questions): read the guidance, then answer. No clock.
Step 1 · Pre-Question Guidance · read this first
- “since”
- “regardless”
- “that's like”
- “shouldn't”
Playground logic
Frankie says the art corner gets messy no matter what, so nobody should bother tidying it (top bun). Sharon answers with a twin argument that sounds silly. Sharon is not denying the mess comes back; she is denying that this means we should stop caring.
Step 2 · The kid story
The Glitter Wars
The art corner in Ms. Rivera's room is a glitter disaster by Friday every week. Frankie flopped onto a beanbag. 'Look, it always gets messy again. Every single week. Since the mess comes back no matter what we do, we should not bother tidying it.' Sharon put down her glue stick. 'That is like saying we should not bother feeding Mr. Whiskers, since he will just get hungry again tomorrow. But obviously feeding him is a good idea.' Frankie opened his mouth. Then he closed it. Lulu wrote on her clipboard: 'Frankie: mess returns, so do not fight it. Sharon: things returning does not mean you stop.' Priya peeked over. 'Notice Sharon never says the mess stays away. She agrees it comes back. Their fight is about whether to keep cleaning.'
Step 3 · Try the model question
Frankie: The art corner always gets messy again, so we should not bother tidying it. Sharon: That is like saying we should not bother feeding the cat because he will get hungry again. But feeding the cat is clearly worth doing.
Frankie and Sharon are committed to disagreeing about which of the following?
Step 4 · The courtroom tale
The Case of the Sandcastle Rules
Lawyer Dot Kimble argued for the beach town. 'Your Honor, the tide knocks down every sandcastle eventually. Since they fall regardless, the town should stop fining people who build in the no-dig zone.' Mr. Whitfield rose, suspenders snapping. 'That is like saying we should stop mopping the courthouse floor, since people will track mud in again tomorrow. Yet we mop every night, and the floor is better for it.' The judge raised an eyebrow. 'Mr. Whitfield, do you deny the tide knocks castles down?' 'Not at all, Your Honor. I deny that this means we should stop caring about the rule.' The judge wrote one line: 'Dispute: should the rule still be enforced?'
Step 5 · Work the real question
Open PrepTest 152, Section 2, Question 2 in your official copy from LSAC (for example in LawHub) and read it there.
Your answer
How to apply it
Write speaker one's conclusion on one clipboard. Notice the second speaker answers with a comparison that ends in an obviously bad result. That move means speaker two rejects speaker one's conclusion, while often accepting the background facts. Pick the choice that matches speaker one's conclusion, the one where the two clipboards split. Cross off choices both would accept and choices only one speaker talks about.