StrengthenDiff: Hard
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: After switching to a new bug spray, pear farmers lost fewer crops to insects than they did before, leading an official to claim the new spray is superior.
Conclusion: The new pesticide is more effective than the old one at reducing fruit loss to insects in the short term.
Reasoning: Pears lost to insects decreased over a three-year period following the introduction of a new pesticide compared to the preceding three-year period.
Analysis: To bolster this argument, we need to rule out external factors that might have caused the improvement. If other trees in the same area that were not treated with the new spray did not see a reduction in insect damage, it suggests the improvement in the pear orchards was indeed due to the new pesticide rather than a general decline in the insect population. Look for a 'control group' that shows the problem persisted where the new pesticide wasn't used. This helps isolate the pesticide as the likely cause of the success by showing that the trend wasn't happening everywhere anyway.
Conclusion: The new pesticide is more effective than the old one at reducing fruit loss to insects in the short term.
Reasoning: Pears lost to insects decreased over a three-year period following the introduction of a new pesticide compared to the preceding three-year period.
Analysis: To bolster this argument, we need to rule out external factors that might have caused the improvement. If other trees in the same area that were not treated with the new spray did not see a reduction in insect damage, it suggests the improvement in the pear orchards was indeed due to the new pesticide rather than a general decline in the insect population. Look for a 'control group' that shows the problem persisted where the new pesticide wasn't used. This helps isolate the pesticide as the likely cause of the success by showing that the trend wasn't happening everywhere anyway.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage9.The official's conclusion is most strongly supported if which one of the following groups of trees did not show a reduction in losses of fruit to insects?
Correct Answer
C
C is best because it provides the needed control: pear trees in the same district that continued with the old pesticide did not see a reduction. This rules out region-wide changes and strongly supports that the new pesticide, not some other factor, caused the decline in losses.
Upgrade Your Prep
Ready to go beyond free explanations?
LSAT Perfection is the #1 modern LSAT prep platform, trusted by thousands of students for comprehensive test strategies, advanced drilling, and full analytics on every PrepTest.
Detailed explanations for 59 PrepTests
Advanced drillset builder
Personalized analytics
Built-in Wrong Answer Journal