LSAT Explanation PT 22, S2, Q8: The local agricultural official gave the
LSAT Question Stem
Each of the following, if true, weakens the official's argument EXCEPT:
Logical Reasoning Question Type
This is a Weaken question.
Correct Answer
The correct answer to this question is A.
LSAT Question Complete Explanation
The question type for this problem is Weaken, and we are asked to identify the answer choice that does NOT weaken the official's argument. The argument in the passage states that because a new pesticide has been applied, the proportion of pears lost to insects was significantly less than it had been during the previous period. The official concludes that the new pesticide was more effective than the old one, at least in the short term.
Let's analyze the answer choices:
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice. It states that the number of mature pear trees in District 10 has declined steadily over the past eight years, which affects the amount of fruit an orchard can potentially produce. However, this information does not weaken the official's argument because it does not contradict the fact that the proportion of pears lost to insects was significantly less due to the new pesticide.
Answer choice (B): This answer weakens the argument because it suggests that the implementation of various insect-abatement programs by the farmers of District 10 Farmers' Cooperative could be an alternate cause for the declining proportion of pears lost to insects, rather than the new pesticide.
Answer choice (C): This answer weakens the argument because it introduces another potential cause for the declining proportion of pears lost to insects: the shifting migratory patterns of birds that prey on insects that feed on pears. This alternative explanation casts doubt on the official's conclusion that the new pesticide was more effective.
Answer choice (D): This answer weakens the argument because it suggests that the shrinking reservoirs and marshlands in District 10, which serve as habitats for some of the insects that infest pear trees, could be an alternate cause for the declining proportion of pears lost to insects.
Answer choice (E): This answer weakens the argument because it introduces the possibility that the cumulative effects of the old pesticide could be responsible for the declining proportion of pears lost to insects, rather than the new pesticide being more effective.
In conclusion, answer choice (A) is the correct answer because it does not weaken the official's argument, while the other answer choices introduce alternate causes that could explain the declining proportion of pears lost to insects, casting doubt on the effectiveness of the new pesticide.