PrepTest 116, Section 3, Question 26
In the aftermath of the Cold War, international(31 more words not shown)
The situation described above conforms(9 more words not shown)
- AInternational economic competition(11 more words not shown)
- BBonds between allies(19 more words not shown)
- CWhen there is(16 more words not shown)
- DEconomic matters are(9 more words not shown)
- EA common enemy(18 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
The end of the Cold War didn't make these alliances easier to manage. Relations became more difficult. I can see how countries might need a new approach when the situation that held them together had changed.
The economic tensions weren't necessarily new. They had previously been overlooked. Now leaders had to negotiate carefully to avoid stirring them up. That matters: we aren't told that the countries once agreed about everything or that money had never mattered to them.
What we’re looking for
The question asks which general proposition this situation fits most closely. My starting prediction is broad: formerly allied countries may have to adjust how they deal with one another when their circumstances change. Let's see which answer captures that relationship between the old alliance and the economic tensions that now require more care.
Working the answers
- A
We haven't compared how much tension economic competition causes with how much military competition causes. A pair of allies could begin addressing economic disputes after a war even if military conflict remained the greater source of tension overall. The changed attention doesn't establish A's ranking.
- B
This compares two sources of alliance: fear of an enemy and shared economic goals. The passage doesn't describe a second set of allies held together by common economic goals, or compare the strength of that bond with the Cold War alliances. B asks the example to settle a comparison it never makes.
- C
Overlooking an economic tension isn't the same as reaching fundamental agreement about it. Allies might leave a disagreement unresolved because maintaining their relationship matters more at the time. The passage describes tensions that later require careful handling, not an easier route to an underlying economic agreement.
- D
Something can matter and still be set aside while people focus on another concern. The allies' willingness to overlook economic tensions doesn't show that they considered economic matters unimportant. D also extends that claim to periods of actual or threatened war generally, beyond the particular change we're given.
- ECorrect
This supplies a more specific account of the change than my initial prediction. A shared enemy can strengthen an alliance enough that countries overlook economic tensions. Once that common concern recedes, the tensions can become harder to ignore and require tactful negotiations.
That fits the before-and-after pattern: former allies now have trouble with issues they previously overlooked. E doesn't require that they once agreed on those issues, or that economic concerns were unimportant. It says the stronger bond helped them live with tensions that would otherwise cause problems.
More Must Be True questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Must Be True questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.