PrepTest 152, Section 4, Question 1
Researcher: It is widely believed that, given its(70 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(10 more words not shown)
- AIt is widely(12 more words not shown)
- BThe belief that(12 more words not shown)
- CIt is true(9 more words not shown)
- DIn the Pacific(13 more words not shown)
- ENorth America's west(8 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Warm water could help explain mild winters. I might initially wonder whether the water would cool during such a long trip, but the researcher grants that the Gulf Stream brings tropical water to England. We should accept that fact and focus on what the researcher disputes: whether this must explain England's mild winters.
The Pacific comparison gives us a reason to question that explanation. The Kuroshio Current carries tropical water only as far north as Oregon, yet places farther north still have mild winters. Apparently, mild winters can occur beyond the point reached by that tropical water. Perhaps some other coastal or geographical feature matters.
What we’re looking for
Does that settle what happens in England? I'd still ask whether the two situations differ in a way that matters. An explanation that doesn't account for one region might still help explain another. But this question asks for the researcher's conclusion, so we don't have to resolve that objection. The Pacific example supports the claim that the familiar explanation of England's winters is mistaken. That is the point to find.
Working the answers
- A
This reports the belief the researcher challenges. People widely believing something explains why the issue comes up; it doesn't make that belief the researcher's own conclusion. The next sentence explicitly rejects it.
- BCorrect
The researcher concludes that the belief that England's mild winters must be due to the Gulf Stream is mistaken. The Pacific comparison is offered to support that rejection. We can identify this as the conclusion without deciding whether the comparison proves it. Also, rejecting the claim that the Gulf Stream must explain the winters doesn't require proving that the current has no effect at all.
- C
The researcher accepts this fact, even though it might initially seem to favor the familiar explanation. The argument then uses another region to question what follows from it. This is a concession, not the claim the researcher is trying to establish.
- D
This tells us how far north the comparable Pacific current brings tropical water. It sets up the comparison with the mild winters beyond that point. It is evidence for the conclusion about England, not that conclusion itself.
- E
This completes the supporting comparison: mild winters occur north of the reach described in D. The researcher uses that fact to challenge the explanation of England's winters. Stopping here leaves out the point the comparison is supposed to establish.
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.