PrepTest 107, Section 3, Question 2
Mayor of Outerville, a suburb of Center City:(82 more words not shown)
The argument leads to the(2 more words not shown)
- Athe town of(5 more words not shown)
- Bthe train station(5 more words not shown)
- Cresidents of Outerville(13 more words not shown)
- Dpeople who work(14 more words not shown)
- Epeople who want(13 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
How does a nicer train station bring people to Outerville? The town needs more residents, but that goal alone doesn't tell us how to attract them. Better schools, parks, or local jobs might also appeal to people.
The mayor does offer a reason to focus on trains. Jobs in Center City are increasing, more people want to live in suburbs, and driving into the city is getting expensive compared with taking the train. I can see the proposed connection: people could live in Outerville and commute to those jobs.
Still, would they choose the train? Driving might be quicker or more comfortable despite the tolls. People might carpool or take a bus. And even if a pleasant train station helps, we haven't compared it with the other ways to make the town attractive. Calling it the best strategy needs more support.
But we're identifying the mayor's conclusion, not deciding whether the plan deserves funding. The point is that Outerville should renovate its train station. The need for residents explains the goal; the claims about jobs, commuting costs, and people's preferences explain why the mayor favors this particular project.
What we’re looking for
Don't let the final “therefore” stop your reading. The claim that people want convenient train travel is itself supported by earlier information. It then helps support the larger recommendation: give prospective residents that convenience by renovating the station.
Working the answers
- A
The mayor says the town should attract residents, but presents that goal as something already agreed on. The argument goes on to recommend how to achieve it. A stops at the goal and leaves out the train-station proposal that the rest of the discussion supports.
- BCorrect
Renovate Outerville's train station. That's the practical recommendation the mayor is building toward. The anticipated demand for suburban homes and pleasant train travel is supposed to show why this project would attract residents.
- C
The mayor mentions jobs in Center City to explain why prospective residents might want a convenient commute. There is no recommendation that unemployed Outerville residents look for work there. C changes the audience and the action being recommended.
- D
Saying that people want a pleasant train commute is different from telling current commuters that they should take the train. The mayor wants the town to respond to a perceived preference by improving its station. D turns that town-planning argument into advice to individual travelers.
- E
This recommends Outerville to people who already want convenient train travel. But the mayor is proposing an improvement intended to make Outerville attractive to those people. We haven't established that the existing station already gives them what they want. The conclusion concerns what the town should do, not where those commuters should move.
More Role/Main Point questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Role/Main Point questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.