Exam LSAT Section 1 Logical Reasoning topic 1 question 50 discussion

Actual exam question from Test Prep's LSAT Section 1 Logical Reasoning

Question #: 50
Topic #: 1

[All LSAT Section 1 Logical Reasoning Questions]

These days, drug companies and health professionals alike are focusing their attention on cholesterol in the blood. The more cholesterol we have in our blood, the higher the risk that we shall die of a heart attack. The issue is pertinent since heart disease kills more North Americans every year than any other single cause. At least three factorssmoking, drinking, and exercise can each influence levels of cholesterol in the blood.
Which one of the following can be properly concluded from the passage?

A. If a person has low blood cholesterol, then that person's risk of fatal heart disease is low.
B. Smoking in moderation can entail as great a risk of fatal heart disease as does heavy smoking.
C. A high-cholesterol diet is the principal cause of death in North America.
D. The only way that smoking increases one's risk of fatal heart disease is by influencing the levels of cholesterol in the blood.
E. The risk of fatal heart disease can be altered by certain changes in lifestyle.

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: E 🗳️
Were looking for a proper conclusion, so it behooves us to read through the stimulus with an eye towards where its all heading. The topic is blood cholesterol, a relevant concern "these days." Sentence 2 offers what most would accept as conventional wisdom: the higher one’s cholesterol, the greater the risk of a heart attack. The following sentence tells us why this is important (heart disease is the number one killer in North America), and the passage ends with three factors that affect cholesterol. Not much of an argument; more like a collection of facts. But that makes sense, since it’s something that "can be properly concluded from the passage" that we’re after anyway. It’s hard to prephrase exactly what that conclusion might be, but you may have had a pretty good feeling that it would have something to do with the factors listed at the end. After all, the abrupt ending kind of begs the question "what about these factors? Why mention these?" Only B.,
D. and E. relate specifically to these factors, and the first two conclude more about smoking than we can infer from the passage (see below). But E. works: Blood cholesterol influences heart disease, and the factors that influence blood cholesterol are lifestyle choices. Put it together, and its proper to conclude that the risk of fatal heart disease can be influenced by changes in such choices.

by [deleted] at March 9, 2025, 1:21 p.m.

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