LSAT and Law School Admissions Forum

Get expert LSAT preparation and law school admissions advice from PowerScore Test Preparation.

 Administrator
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 8917
  • Joined: Feb 02, 2011
|
#26336
Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=10953)

The correct answer choice is (A)

This question asks us to examine the second paragraph for an assumption made by the New Urbanists. As with any inference, the assumption can be proven by direct reference to the text, but it will not be overtly stated in it.

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice. In the second paragraph, the New Urbanists lament the economic segregation of suburban subdivisions, resulting in socioeconomically uniform neighborhoods (lines 20-26). This assumes, of course that most suburban residents do not pay drastically less than they can afford. If they did, then the subdivision would not be as socioeconomically uniform as the New Urbanists proclaim. Since the logical opposite of answer choice (A) weakens the argument made in the second paragraph, answer choice (A) contains an assumption upon which this argument depends.

Answer choice (B): The New Urbanists never argue that zoning regulations directly affect a suburb’s economic diversity, let alone assume that such regulations often cause economically uniform suburbs to become economically diverse.

Answer choice (C): What attitude city dwellers have towards motorists is neither stated nor implied in the passage.

Answer choice (D): Whether suburban dwellers are aware of the potential benefits of walking cannot be determined from the information provided.

Answer choice (E): The fact that suburban houses tend to look alike does not mean that people generally prefer to live in such houses. In fact, the New Urbanists argue that people would be better off living in less uniform neighborhoods.
 Nina
  • Posts: 81
  • Joined: Sep 11, 2012
|
#5947
I'm not quite sure about the reason that answer A to be correct. Does A want to exclude the possibility that living in "sprawling suburbs" is actually due to an irrefutable economic factor? because in the whole passage the author didn't mention why would people ever choose to live there.

Thanks a lot!
 Steve Stein
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 1153
  • Joined: Apr 11, 2011
|
#5949
Hi Nina,

In that paragraph, the author points to the fact that houses within a subdivision can be identically priced, and concludes that this leads to economic segregation.

The question asks for the assumption that New Urbanists appear to make. Correct answer choice A provides that most residents in the suburbs can't afford much more. The New Urbanists must assume this, otherwise the similarly priced homes would not lead to de facto economic segregation.

I hope that's helpful--let me know whether it's clear--thanks!

~Steve
 Nina
  • Posts: 81
  • Joined: Sep 11, 2012
|
#5953
yeah, it's clear to me now. Thanks Steve!
 sarae
  • Posts: 80
  • Joined: Aug 10, 2013
|
#10784
I'm not sure where this assumption comes from. I don't see anything that says they should move to more expensive areas?
 David Boyle
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 836
  • Joined: Jun 07, 2013
|
#10789
sarae wrote:I'm not sure where this assumption comes from. I don't see anything that says they should move to more expensive areas?
Dear sarae:

Question 7 in what section?
Thanks,

David
 sarae
  • Posts: 80
  • Joined: Aug 10, 2013
|
#10799
Sorry, reading comprehension section, question 7
User avatar
 KelseyWoods
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 1079
  • Joined: Jun 26, 2013
|
#10852
Hi sara!

So in paragraph 2, the New Urbanists claim that suburban housing is identical in appearance and in price and that means there is no socioeconomic diversity. Answer choice A is the assumption they are making because if they are saying that there is no economic diversity, they are assuming that everyone who buys the houses at that particular price point makes roughly the same amount of money. Try the assumption negation technique--if we say that actually there are several people buying houses in the suburbs who could afford a much more expensive house, that would mean that you could have millionaires living next to middle class people and, therefore, you would have economic diversity. This would attack their argument that there is a lack of economic diversity in the suburbs.

Hope that helps!

Kelsey
 sarae
  • Posts: 80
  • Joined: Aug 10, 2013
|
#10856
oh ok thanks!
 lewisdu77
  • Posts: 2
  • Joined: May 16, 2020
|
#75489
Hello, just a simple question, if we replace “most” by some/several/many would answer A still be right?

Thank you, Lewis

Get the most out of your LSAT Prep Plus subscription.

Analyze and track your performance with our Testing and Analytics Package.