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- Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:37 pm
#38837
Taken from: lsat/viewtopic.php?f=579&t=11065
Weaken—CE. The correct answer choice is (B)
The stimulus in this Weaken question contains a clear causal argument about the relationship between scratches on sickle blades and whether or not the sickles were used to harvest grain. More specifically, we are told that sickle blades become scratched (effect) whenever sickles are used to harvest grain (cause). And since sickles found at the first site had scratched blades, the author concludes that these scratches must have resulted from using the sickles to harvest grain.
Because you are asked to weaken the argument in the stimulus, you should look for an answer choice that attacks the causal relationship given, and introduces the possibility that the scratches resulted from something other than harvesting grain.
Answer choice (A): This answer is about sickles that have not yet been found, so it does not address the argument about the sickles with the scratched blades.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. As discussed previously, this answer choice tells us that an alternate cause must have led to the scratches (not harvesting grain), so it strongly attacks the conclusion.
Answer choice (C): The ritual uses of the sickles do not matter to the argument. All that matters is whether the sickles at the first site were scratched from harvesting grain.
Answer choice (D): This answer choice actually strengthens the idea that sickles at the second site were not used for harvesting grain.
Answer choice (E): It does not matter who made the sickles. All that matters is how they were used.
Weaken—CE. The correct answer choice is (B)
The stimulus in this Weaken question contains a clear causal argument about the relationship between scratches on sickle blades and whether or not the sickles were used to harvest grain. More specifically, we are told that sickle blades become scratched (effect) whenever sickles are used to harvest grain (cause). And since sickles found at the first site had scratched blades, the author concludes that these scratches must have resulted from using the sickles to harvest grain.
Because you are asked to weaken the argument in the stimulus, you should look for an answer choice that attacks the causal relationship given, and introduces the possibility that the scratches resulted from something other than harvesting grain.
Answer choice (A): This answer is about sickles that have not yet been found, so it does not address the argument about the sickles with the scratched blades.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. As discussed previously, this answer choice tells us that an alternate cause must have led to the scratches (not harvesting grain), so it strongly attacks the conclusion.
Answer choice (C): The ritual uses of the sickles do not matter to the argument. All that matters is whether the sickles at the first site were scratched from harvesting grain.
Answer choice (D): This answer choice actually strengthens the idea that sickles at the second site were not used for harvesting grain.
Answer choice (E): It does not matter who made the sickles. All that matters is how they were used.
Jon Denning
PowerScore Test Preparation
Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jonmdenning
My LSAT Articles: http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/author/jon-denning
PowerScore Test Preparation
Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jonmdenning
My LSAT Articles: http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/author/jon-denning