PrepTest 138, Section 2, Question 17
Brianna: It would have been better to buy(59 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(10 more words not shown)
- AIt would have(12 more words not shown)
- BThe tree purchased(9 more words not shown)
- CIf a tree(15 more words not shown)
- DA tree purchased(6 more words not shown)
- ETrees with established(5 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Why would last summer have been better? The rest of Brianna's argument answers that question.
This summer's tree is struggling in a drought. A tree bought last summer would have had normal rainfall to help it establish roots, and established roots make a tree better able to withstand drought. That gives Brianna a reason to prefer the earlier purchase: the tree would have been better prepared for this summer's conditions.
We might object that nobody knew a year in advance what the weather would be. But Brianna hasn't accused anyone of ignoring a predictable drought. She's saying that, looking at how things turned out, last summer would have been the better time to buy.
What we’re looking for
The overall-conclusion question asks for that point. Follow the reasons about rain and roots all the way to what they're meant to establish: buying last summer would have been better than buying this summer.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
This is the claim the rest of the argument supports. The current tree's struggle, last year's rainfall, and the benefit of established roots all explain why the earlier purchase would have been better.
- B
The current tree's difficulty is a reason Brianna regrets the timing. It describes the problem with this summer's purchase; it isn't the overall comparison between buying this summer and buying last summer.
- C
This is an important supporting conclusion. The facts about last year's rain and established roots support the idea that an earlier tree could better survive the drought. Brianna then uses that advantage to reach the larger point that buying last summer would have been better.
- D
Established roots explain why a tree bought last summer would be better prepared for the drought. That is one step in the reasoning. The argument still goes on to use that benefit to support the judgment about when to buy.
- E
This general fact explains why established roots matter. Without it, we wouldn't yet know why earlier root development helps. It supports the survival advantage, which in turn supports Brianna's overall conclusion about the better purchase time.
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.