Q25 - False chicory's taproot is always

[LSAT-Chang]

This was an interestingly complicated question. I correctly chose (E), but wanted to know how (C) cannot be proven from the statements. Is it because we know nothing about what happens to the plants who receive only the average amount of rainfall?? It could be possible for them to be of average height, right? We only know what happens if these plants receive GREATER than twice the average rainfall but nothing about when they receive average amount of rainfall.. is this why (C) is incorrecT?

[timmydoeslsat]

You are right! This is a must be true question.

If a false chicory receives average amount, then we do not know what happens! We know the more rain it receives---taller it tends to grow.

That does not help us prove that true.

We also know that if greater than 2X the amount of rain for the species habitat ---> Above average height


This is attempting to lure test takers into an illegal negation:

~Greater than 2X rain ---> ~Above average height


And we know that is not true necessarily.

Those are the only things we can use to prove that a statement must be true, and we have no such evidence to do so with C.

[marykatemoller]

Is (B) wrong because it is reversed logic?

[christine.defenbaugh]

Yes, marykatemoller, you could see (B) as reversed logic!

Let's walk through it from the top! Since this is a 'must be true' question, the stimulus is simply a list of facts we know.

FC's taproot length = 1/2 FC height
more rain FC get ~ taller FC tends to grow
If FC gets >2 X average-rainfall-for-habitat --> FC height above average

We also know that with this type of Inference question, the answer will be likely unpredictable, but fully supportable.

(E) rises to the occasion! If FC gets >2 X average-rainfall-for-habitat, then we the FC height must be above average. And since the height is always twice the taproot length, the taproot length must also be above average!


A quick tour of the unsupportable:
(A) Couldn't they both have received more than twice the average rainfall? Perhaps one received more than the other, but both received alot!
(B) Reversed logic! All we know about an FC with a longer-than-average taproot is that the plant's height must be greater than average as well.
(C) We don't know a thing about what happens when a plant receives the average rainfall! We're only told what happens when the plant receives more than twice the average.
(D) This compares two groups of trees by height - we know that the more rain an FC gets, the taller it tends to grow. But "tends" is not a guarantee, and we need guarantees for a 'must be true' question.

[asafezrati]

(D) This compares two groups of trees by height - we know that the more rain an FC gets, the taller it tends to grow. But "tends" is not a guarantee, and we need guarantees for a 'must be true' question.

I'm wondering what would this premise mean without the word "tends".

The more water the taller it grows.

Does that say that always if plant A received more water than B, A will be taller than B? Even if, say, B received nuclear radiation like godzilla?
Does the sentence nullify other factors?
Or is "taller" when it refers to the plant actually says that with more water the plant will be taller in relation to its hypothetical state without the additional water, thus enabling plants that received less water to be taller due to some other factor?

Your thoughts?

[tommywallach]

Hey Asa,

Just want to make sure you know that we instructor types only prioritize answering questions from people who've bought a book or a class from us (you can see those people by their names--which come through blue or green). I just don't want you to wonder why no answer is forthcoming. That said, hopefully other members of the community will chime in!

-t

[asafezrati]

Hey Asa,

Just want to make sure you know that we instructor types only prioritize answering questions from people who've bought a book or a class from us (you can see those people by their names--which come through blue or green). I just don't want you to wonder why no answer is forthcoming. That said, hopefully other members of the community will chime in!

-t

I was reborn with a blue name.
And its Asaf Ezrati.

[tommywallach]

Aha! Welcome back, Asaf!

-t

[greenmoon60]

Answer (B) used "likely", wouldn't it make this answer "must be true"?