LSAT For Dummies (with Free Online Practice Tests), 2nd Edition
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon

The LSAT contains a section you will need to prepare for called logical reasoning. The questions in the section present you with a passage and answer choices. After reading the passage, you will choose the option that best answers the question.

Logical reasoning sample questions

  1. Software engineers know that a poorly written application can consume more memory than it should and that running out of memory can cause an application to crash. However, if a crashing application causes the whole operating system to crash, the fault lies with the operating system.

    Which one of the following, if true, is least helpful in establishing that this conclusion is properly drawn?

    • (A) Operating systems with generous amounts of memory are less susceptible to crashing, even when applications are poorly written.

    • (B) Operating systems can isolate the memory used by individual applications, even when an application uses a large amount of memory.

    • (C) An operating system can monitor an application's consumption of memory and take action when that gets too high.

    • (D) Techniques for programming operating systems to catch and handle memory errors are well-defined and well-known among programmers.

    • (E) Because many applications can run simultaneously under a single operating system, the operating system should have a well-defined method of managing memory consumption.

  2. Curator: This museum does not grant people the right to use images of items in its collection in online publications. We are obliged to do everything in our power to ensure the continued appeal of visiting our collection in person.

    The curator's argument depends on assuming which one of the following?

    • (A) Taking photographs of art objects, especially using a flash, can damage the objects by accelerating the fading of paint.

    • (B) The museum sells pictures of its collection in its gift shop, which is an important source of income for the museum.

    • (C) Images placed online are easily copied and reused by other people.

    • (D) The quality of most electronic images, especially those online, falls short of the professional standards of the museum.

    • (E) If people see online images of items in the museum's collection, they will no longer be interested in seeing the collection with their own eyes.

  3. Career counselor: Many large international companies have changed their practices regarding international assignments. They are placing much more emphasis on helping spouses of expatriate employees to adjust to the foreign environment. This has reduced premature returns by 67 percent.

    Which one of the following is an assumption upon which the career counselor's argument depends?

    • (A) Spousal and marital difficulties were formerly responsible for a large number of premature returns from foreign assignments.

    • (B) When an employee is placed in a foreign assignment for a year or less, his or her family sees the assignment as an adventure.

    • (C) Expatriate employees work long hours and travel a great deal, and their children make new friends at school, but spouses often have no friends and no work to support them while they're abroad.

    • (D) The majority of international assignments today last for less than a year, but ten years ago, 70 percent of them lasted much longer than one year.

    • (E) Many companies now offer expatriate spouses language training, career guidance, and assistance in finding homes and schools.

  4. Traveler: When I flew to Boston on Tuesday, I checked my suitcase but carried my computer on the plane. When I arrived at Logan Airport, none of the checked bags from the flight had arrived. The baggage office clerk was very helpful with my polite questions but punished the other passengers who were so rude by making them wait for her assistance.

    Which one of the following principles is best illustrated by the traveler's reasoning?

    • (A) A stitch in time saves nine.

    • (B) Do not price an unborn calf.

    • (C) Do not put all your eggs in one basket.

    • (D) Neither a borrower nor a lender be.

    • (E) You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.

Answers

  1. A. Operating systems with generous amounts of memory are less susceptible to crashing, even when applications are poorly written.

  2. E. If people see online images of items in the museum's collection, they will no longer be interested in seeing the collection with their own eyes.

  3. A. Spousal and marital difficulties were formerly responsible for a large number of premature returns from foreign assignments.

  4. E. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

Lisa Zimmer Hatch and Scott A. Hatch have prepared students for standardized testing from more than 300 universities. Amy Hackney Blackwell is a former attorney who received her JD from the University of Virginia School of Law.

This article can be found in the category: