LSAT-TEST Online Practice Questions and Answers

A chess tournament is occurring in the local community school, and the players at all four of the tables are

engaged in their fourth game against their prospective opponents.

The players with white pieces are: David, Gerry, Lenny and Terry

The players with black pieces are: Don, Mike, Richie and Stephen

The scores are 3:0, 2.5:0.5, 2:1, 1.5:1.5

[note: tied games result in a score of 0.5 points for each player]

Lenny is playing at the table to the right of Stephen, who has lost all of his games until now.

Gerry is playing against Mike.

At least one game at table 1 has resulted in a tie.

Richie, who is not in the lead over his opponent, has not been in a tied game.

The player who is using the white pieces at table 4 is Terry, however, the current score at table 4 is not

2:1.

Don is leading his match after his last three games.

Whose score is highest?

A. Mike

B. Stephen

C. Richie

D. David

E. Lenny

The politicians cannot be telling the truth about a reduction in taxes. This year my taxes must have been higher than ever, because I was able to save less money than last year or the year before. All of the following point to an error in reasoning in this passage EXCEPT

A. taxes are not the year's only expense.

B. this year's earnings may have been smaller than last year's.

C. politicians are frequently guilty of exaggeration or equivocation.

D. this year's tax deductions may have been smaller than last year's

E. income from invested income may have declined this year due to lower interest rates.

Ordinary mountain sickness, a common condition among mountain climbers, and one from which most people can recover, is caused by the characteristic shortage of oxygen in the atmosphere at high altitudes. Cerebral edema, a rarer disruption of blood circulation in the brain that quickly becomes life-threatening if not correctly treated from its onset, can also be caused by a shortage of oxygen. Since the symptoms of cerebral edema resemble those of ordinary mountain sickness, cerebral edema is especially dangerous at high altitudes.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

A. The treatment for ordinary mountain sickness differs from the treatment for cerebral edema.

B. Cerebral edema can cause those who suffer from it to slip into a coma within a few hours.

C. Unlike cerebral edema, ordinary mountain sickness involves no disruption of blood circulation in the brain.

D. Shortage of oxygen at extremely high altitudes is likely to affect thinking processes and cause errors of judgment.

E. Most people who suffer from ordinary mountain sickness recover without any special treatment.

Two mannequins -- 1 and 2 -- will be dressed for display in outfits chosen from ten articles of clothing.

Each article is in exactly one of three colors: navy, red, or yellow. There are three hats -- one in each color;

three jackets -- one in each color; three skirts -- one in each color; and one red tie. Each mannequin wears

exactly one of the hats, one of the jackets, and one of the skirts. Furthermore, their outfits must meet the

following restrictions:

Neither mannequin wears all three colors.

Each mannequin wears a hat in a different color from the jacket it wears.

Mannequin 2 wears the navy skirt.

Mannequin 1 wears the tie.

If mannequin 1 wears the skirt that is the same color as the jacket that mannequin 2 wears, which one of

the following must be true?

A. Mannequin 1 wears the yellow hat.

B. Mannequin 1 wears the yellow jacket.

C. Mannequin 2 wears the navy hat.

D. Mannequin 2 wears the red hat.

E. Mannequin 2 wears the red jacket.

A college dean will present seven awards for outstanding language research. The awards -- one for

French, one for German, one for Hebrew, one for Japanese, one for Korean, one for Latin, and one for

Swahili -- must be presented consecutively, one at a time, in conformity with the following constraints:

The German award is not presented first.

The Hebrew award is presented at some time before the Korean award is presented.

The Latin award is presented at some time before the Japanese award is presented.

The French award is presented either immediately before or immediately after the Hebrew award is

presented.

The Korean award is presented either immediately before or immediately after the Latin award is

presented.

Which one of the following must be true?

A. The French award is presented at some time before the Japanese award is presented.

B. The French award is presented at some time before the Swahili award is presented.

C. The German award is presented at some time before the Korean award is presented.

D. The German award is presented at some time before the Swahili award is presented.

E. The Swahili award is presented at some time before the Hebrew award is presented

Cigarette companies claim that manufacturing both low-and high-nicotine cigarettes allows smokers to choose how much nicotine they want. However, a recent study has shown that the levels of nicotine found in the blood of smokers who smoke one pack of cigarettes per day are identical at the end of a day's worth of smoking, whatever the level of nicotine in the cigarettes they smoke.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the finding of the nicotine study?

A. Blood cannot absorb more nicotine per day than that found in the smoke from a package of the lowest-nicotine cigarettes available.

B. Smokers of the lowest-nicotine cigarettes available generally smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of high-nicotine cigarettes.

C. Most nicotine is absorbed into the blood of a smoker even if it is delivered in smaller quantities.

D. The level of tarin cigarettes is higher in lownicotine cigarettes than it is in some high-nicotine cigarettes.

E. When taking in nicotine by smoking cigarettes is discontinued, the level of nicotine in the blood decreases steadily.

Dietician: "The French Paradox" refers to the unusual concurrence in the population of France of a low incidence of heart disease and a diet high in fat. The most likely explanation is that the French consume a high quantity of red wine, which mitigates the ill effects of the fat they eat. So North Americans, with nearly the highest rate of heart disease in the world, should take a cue from the French: if you want to be healthier without cutting fat intake, drink more red wine.

Which one of the following statements, if true, most seriously undermines the conclusion of the dietician's argument?

A. French men consume as much red wine as French women do, yet French men have a higher rate of heart disease than do French women.

B. A greater intake of red wine among North Americans would likely lead to a higher incidence of liver problems and other illnesses.

C. Not all French people have a diet that includes large amounts of fat and a high quantity of red wine.

D. All evidence suggests that the healthiest way to decrease the chance of heart disease is to exercise and keep a diet low in fat.

E. Many other regions have much lower rates of heart disease than France, though their populations consume even less red wine than do North Americans.

Mount Vesuvius, a volcano located between the ancient Italian cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, has received much attention because of its frequent and destructive eruptions. The most famous of these eruptions occurred in A. D. 79. The volcano had been inactive for centuries. There was little warning of the coming eruption, although one account unearthed by archaeologists says that a hard rain and a strong wind had disturbed the celestial calm during the preceding night. Early the next morning, the volcano poured a huge river of molten rock down upon Herculaneum, completely burying the city and filling in the harbor with coagulated lava. Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain, cinders, stone and ash rained down on Pompeii. Sparks from the burning ash ignited the combustible rooftops quickly. Large portions of the city were destroyed in the conflagration. Fire, however, was not the only cause of destruction. Poisonous sulphuric gases saturated the air. These heavy gases were not buoyant in the atmosphere and therefore sank toward the earth and suffocated people. Over the years, excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum have revealed a great deal about the behavior of the volcano. By analyzing data, much as a zoologist dissects a specimen animal, scientist have concluded that the eruption changed large portions of the area's geography. For instance, it turned the Sarno River from its course and raised the level of the beach along the Bay of Naples. Meteorologists studying these events have also concluded that Vesuvius caused a huge tidal wave that affected the world's climate. In addition to making these investigations, archaeologists have been able to study the skeletons of victims by using distilled water to wash away the volcanic ash. By strengthening the brittle bones with acrylic paint, scientists have been able to examine the skeletons and draw conclusions about the diet and habits of the residents. Finally, the excavations at both Pompeii and Herculaneum have yielded many examples of classical art, such as jewelry made of bronze, which is an alloy of copper and tin. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius and its tragic consequences have provided us with a wealth of data about the effects that volcanoes can have on the surrounding area. Today volcanologists can locate and predict eruptions, saving lives and preventing the destruction of cities and cultures.

_____________ have concluded that the volcanic eruption caused a tidal wave.

A. Scientist who study oceans

B. Scientist who study atmospheric conditions

C. Scientist who study ash

D. Scientist who study animal behavior

E. Answer not available in article

Many great inventions are greeted with ridicule and disbelief. The invention of the airplane was no exception. Although many people who heard about the first powered flight on December 17, 1903, were excited and impressed, others reacted with peals of laughter. The idea of flying an aircraft was repulsive to some people. Such people called Wilbur and Orville Wright, the inventors of the first flying machine, impulsive fools. Negative reactions, however, did not stop the Wrights. Impelled by their desire to succeed, they continued their experiments in aviation. Orville and Wilbur Wright had always had a compelling interest in aeronautics and mechanics. As young boys they earned money by making and selling kites and mechanical toys. Later, they designed a newspaper-folding machine, built a printing press, and operated a bicycle-repair shop. In 1896, when they read about the death of Otto Lilienthal, the brother's interest in flight grew into a compulsion. Lilienthal, a pioneer in hang-gliding, had controlled his gliders by shifting his body in the desired direction. This idea was repellent to the Wright brothers, however, and they searched for more efficient methods to control the balance of airborne vehicles. In 1900 and 1901, the Wrights tested numerous gliders and developed control techniques. The brothers' inability to obtain enough lift power for the gliders almost led them to abandon their efforts. After further study, the Wright brothers concluded that the published tables of air pressure on curved surfaces must be wrong. They set up a wind tunnel and began a series of experiments with model wings. Because of their efforts, the old tables were repealed in time and replaced by the first reliable figures for air pressure on curved surfaces. This work, in turn, made it possible for them to design a machine that would fly. In 1903 the Wrights built their first airplane, which cost less than one thousand dollars. They even designed and built their own source of propulsion- a lightweight gasoline engine. When they started the engine on December 17, the airplane puffed wildly before taking off. The plane managed to stay aloft for twelve seconds, however, and it flew one hundred twenty feet. By 1905 the Wrights had perfected the first airplane that could turn, circle, and remain airborne for half an hour at a time. Others had flown in balloons or in hang gliders, but the Wright brothers were the first to build a full-size machine that could fly under its own power. As the contributors of one of the most outstanding engineering achievements in history, the Wright brothers are accurately called the fathers of aviation.

People thought that the Wright brothers had ____.

A. acted without thinking

B. been negatively influenced

C. been too cautious

D. had not given enough thought

E. acted in a negative way

Philosopher Denise Meyerson views the Critical Legal Studies (CLS) movement as seeking to debunk orthodox legal theory by exposing its contradictions. However, Meyerson argues that CLS proponents tend to see contradictions where none exist, and that CLS overrates the threat that conflict poses to orthodox legal theory.

According to Meyerson, CLS proponents hold that the existence of conflicting values in the law implies the absence of any uniquely right solution to legal cases. CLS argues that these conflicting values generate equally plausible but opposing answers to any given legal question, and, consequently, that the choice between the conflicting answers must necessarily be arbitrary or irrational. Meyerson denies that the existence of conflicting values makes a case irresolvable, and asserts that at least some such cases can be resolved by ranking the conflicting values. For example, a lawyer's obligation to preserve a client's confidences may entail harming other parties, thus violating moral principle. This conflict can be resolved if it can be shown that in certain cases the professional obligation overrides ordinary moral obligations.

In addition, says Meyerson, even when the two solutions are equally compelling, it does not follow that the choice between them must be irrational. On the contrary, a solution that is not rationally required need not be unreasonable. Meyerson concurs with another critic that instead of concentrating on the choice between two compelling alternatives, we should rather reflect on the difference between both of these answers on the one hand, and some utterly unreasonable answer on the other ?such as deciding a property dispute on the basis of which claimant is louder. The acknowledgment that conflicting values can exist, then, does not have the far-reaching implications imputed by CLS; even if some answer to a problem is not the only answer, opting for it can still be reasonable.

Last, Meyerson takes issue with the CLS charge that legal formalism, the belief that there is a quasi-deductive method capable of giving solutions to problems of legal choice, requires objectivism, the belief that the legal process has moral authority. Meyerson claims that showing the law to be unambiguous does not demonstrate its legitimacy: consider a game in which participants compete to steal the item of highest value from a shop; while a person may easily identify the winner in terms of the rules, it does not follow that the person endorses the rules of the game. A CLS scholar might object that legal cases are unlike games, in that one cannot merely apply the rules without appealing to, and therefore endorsing, external considerations of purpose, policy, and value. But Meyerson replies that such considerations may be viewed as part of, not separate from, the rules of the game.

Which one of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

A. The arguments of the Critical Legal Studies movement are under attack not only by legal theorists, but also by thinkers in related areas such as philosophy.

B. In critiquing the Critical Legal Studies movement, Meyerson charges that the positions articulated by the movement's proponents overlook the complexity of actual legal dilemmas.

C. Meyerson objects to the propositions of the Critical Legal Studies movement because she views them as being self-contradictory.

D. Meyerson poses several objections to the tenets of the Critical Legal Studies movement, but her most important argument involves constructing a hierarchy of conflicting values.

E. Meyerson seeks to counter the claims that are made by proponents of the Critical Legal Studies movement in their effort to challenge conventional legal theory.

While historians once propagated the myth that Africans who were brought to the New World as slaves contributed little of value but their labor, a recent study by Amelia Wallace Vernon helps to dispel this notion by showing that Africans introduced rice and the methods of cultivating it into what is now the United States in the early eighteenth century. She uncovered, for example, an 1876 document that details that in 1718 starving French settlers instructed the captain of a slave ship bound for Africa to trade for 400 Africans including some "who know how to cultivate rice." This discovery is especially compelling because the introduction of rice into what is now the United States had previously been attributed to French Acadians, who did not arrive until the 1760s.

Vernon interviewed elderly African Americans who helped her discover the locations where until about 1920 their forebears had cultivated rice. At the heart of Vernon's research is the question of why, in an economy dedicated to maximizing cotton production, African Americans grew rice. She proposes two intriguing answers, depending on whether the time is before or after the end of slavery. During the period of slavery, plantation owners also ate rice and therefore tolerated or demanded its "after-hours" cultivation on patches of land not suited to cotton. In addition, growing the rice gave the slaves some relief from a system of regimented labor under a field supervisor, in that they were left alone to work independently. After the abolition of slavery, however, rice cultivation is more difficult to explain: African Americans had acquired a preference for eating corn, there was no market for the small amounts of rice they produced, and under the tenant system ?in which farmers surrendered a portion of their crops to the owners of the land they farmed ?owners wanted only cotton as payment. The labor required to transform unused land to productive ground would thus seem completely out of proportion to the reward ?except that, according to Vernon, the transforming of the land itself was the point.

Vernon suggests that these African Americans did not transform the land as a means to an end, but rather as an end in itself. In other words, they did not transform the land in order to grow rice ?for the resulting rice was scarcely worth the effort required to clear the land ?but instead transformed the land because they viewed land as an extension of self and home and so wished to nurture it and make it their own. In addition to this cultural explanation, Vernon speculates that rice cultivation might also have been a political act, a next step after the emancipation of the slaves: the symbolic claiming of plantation land that the U.S. government had promised but failed to parcel off and deed to newly freed African Americans.

Which one of the following most completely and accurately describes the organization of the passage?

A. A historical phenomenon is presented, several competing theories about the phenomenon are described, and one theory having the most support is settled upon.

B. A historical discovery is presented, the method leading to the discovery is provided, and two questions left unanswered by the discovery are identified.

C. A historical fact is presented, a question raised by the fact is described, and two answers to the question are given.

D. A historical question is raised, possible answers to the question are speculated upon, and two reasons for difficulty in answering the question are given.

E. A historical question is raised, a study is described that answers the question, and a number of issues surrounding the study are discussed.

In studying the autobiographies of Native Americans, most scholars have focused on as-told-to life histories that were solicited, translated, recorded, and edited by non-Native American collaborators ?that emerged from";bicultural composite authorship." Limiting their studies to such written documents, these scholars have overlooked traditional, preliterate modes of communicating personal history. In addition, they have failed to address the cultural constructs of the highly diverse Native American peoples, who prior to contact with non indigenous cultures did not share with Europeans the same assumptions about self, life, and writing that underlie the concept of an autobiography ?that indeed constitute the English word's root meaning.

The idea of self was, in a number of pre-contact Native American cultures, markedly inclusive: identity was not merely individual, but also relational to a society, a specific landscape, and the cosmos. Within these cultures, the expression of life experiences tended to be oriented toward current events: with the participation of fellow tribal members, an individual person would articulate, reenact, or record important experiences as the person lived them, a mode of autobiography seemingly more fragmented than the European custom of writing down the recollections of a lifetime. Moreover, expression itself was not a matter of writing but of language, which can include speech and signs. Oral autobiography comprised songs, chants, stories, and even the process whereby one repeatedly took on new names to reflect important events and deeds in one's life. Dance and drama could convey personal history; for example, the advent of a vision to one person might require the enactment of that vision in the form of a tribal pageant. One can view as autobiographical the elaborate tattoos that symbolized a warrior's valorous deeds, and such artifacts as a decorated shield that communicated the accomplishments and aspirations of its maker, or a robe that was emblazoned with the pictographic history of the wearer's battles and was sometimes used in reenactments. Also autobiographical, and indicative of high status within the tribe, would have been a tepee painted with symbolic designs to record the achievements and display the dreams or visions of its owner, who was often assisted in the painting by other tribal members.

A tribe would, then, have contributed to the individual's narrative not merely passively, by its social codes and expectations, but actively by joining in the expression of that narrative. Such intracultural collaboration may seem alien to the European style of autobiography, yet any autobiography is shaped by its creator's ideas about the audience for which it is intended; in this sense, autobiography is justly called a simultaneous individual story and cultural narrative. Autobiographical expressions by early Native Americans may additionally have been shaped by the cultural perspectives of the people who transmitted them.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the passage?

A. Scholars have tended to overlook the nuances of concepts about identity that existed in some of the early Native American cultures.

B. As demonstrated by early Native Americans, autobiography can exist in a variety of media other than written documents.

C. The Native American life histories collected and recorded by non-Native American writers differ from European-style autobiographies in their depictions of an individual's relation to society.

D. Early Native Americans created autobiographies with forms and underlying assumptions that frequently differ from those of European-style autobiographies.

E. The autobiographical forms traditionally used by Native Americans are more fragmented than European forms and thus less easily recognizable as personal history.

Passage

(1)

[1] The September 1906 edition of Cosmopolitan magazine recounts a story once told of an old Native American chieftain. [2] The chieftain was given a tour of the modern city of New York. [3] On this excursion, he saw the soaring heights of the grand skyscrapers and the majesty of the Brooklyn Bridge. [4] He observed the comfortable masses gathered in amusement at the circus and the poor huddled in tenements. [5] Upon the completion of the chieftain's journey, several Christian men asked him, "What is the most surprising thing you have seen?" The chieftain replied slowly with three words: "little children working." (2)

[6] Although the widespread presence of laboring children may have surprised the chieftain at the turn of the 20th century, this sight was common in the United States at the time. [7] From the Industrial Revolution through the 1930s was a period in which children worked in a wide variety of occupations. [8] Now, nearly 110 years after the story of the chieftain was told, the overt presence of widespread child labor in New York or any other American city no longer exists. [9] The move away from engaging children in economically productive labor occurred within the last 100 years. [10] As numerous authors on the subject have remarked, "Children have always worked." [11] In the 18th century, the arrival of a newborn to a rural family was viewed by the parents as a future beneficial laborer and an insurance policy for old age. [12] At an age as young as 5, a child was expected to help with farm work and other household chores. [13] The agrarian lifestyle common in America required large quantities of hard work, whether it was planting crops, feeding chickens, or mending fences. [14] Large families with less work than children would often send children to another household that could employ them as a maid, servant, or plowboy. [15] Most families simply could not afford the costs of raising a child from birth to adulthood without some compensating labor.

(3)

[16] One of the authors who noted that "children have always worked" is Walter Trattner. [17] During early human history when tribes wandered the land, children participated in the hunting and fishing. [18] When these groups separated into families, children continued to work by caring for livestock and crops. [19] The medieval guild system introduced children to the trades. [20] The subsequent advance of capitalism created new social pressures. [21] For example, in 1575, England provided for the use of public money to employ children in order to "accustom them to labor" and "afford a prophylactic against vagabonds and paupers." [22] An Englishman stated, with regret, that "a quarter of the mass of mankind are children, males and females under seven years old, from whom little labor is to be expected." [23] This statement was consistent with the Puritan belief that put work at the center of a moral life. [24] This belief shaped a citizenry that grew to praise work and scorn idleness. [25] The growth of the Industrial Revolution and manufacturing, however, provided the greatest opportunity for society to avoid the perceived problem of the idle child. [26] Now that more work was less complex because of the introduction of machines, children had more potential job opportunities. [27] For example, one industrialist in 1790 proposed building textile factories around London to employ children to "prevent the habitual idleness and degeneracy" that were destroying the community. [28] With the advances in machinery, not only could society avoid the issue of unproductive children, but also the children themselves could easily create productive output with only their rudimentary skills.

(4)

[29] Similarly, in America, productive outlets were sought for children. [30] Colonial laws modeled after British laws sought to prevent children from becoming a burden on society. [31] At the age of 13, orphan boys were sent to apprentice in a trade while orphan girls were sent into domestic work. [32] Generally, children, except those of Northern merchants and Southern plantation owners, were expected to be prepared for gainful employment. [33] In other locations, the primary motivation in employing children was not about preventing their idleness but rather about satisfying commercial interests and the desire to settle the vast American continent. [34] Regardless of the motivation, a successful childhood was seen as one that developed the child's financially productive capacity.

Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the puritan belief mentioned in sentence 23?

A. The concept of leisure is not conducive to an ethical and honorable life.

B. Wealth and money are of secondary importance and life with family and companionship is of primary importance.

C. A moral life is characterized by adherence to tenets of integrity and incorruptibility.

D. Children must be encouraged to enjoy idleness and must be tutored to enjoy their childhood.

E. The complexity of work must determine the type of work that adults and children must pursue.

While traveling to Japan, a low-ranking US ambassador asked a Japanese official why Japanese people were so inscrutable. The official looked calm and friendly, responding in a gentle voice that he much preferred to think upon his race as inscrutable than of his race as wanting in perspicacity such as in Americans.

Of the following statements, which best describes the Japanese official's comment?

A. All people are inscrutable, not just the Japanese

B. Most Americans don't understand Japanese culture

C. What a person lacks in perception may be a result of the carelessness of the observer, instead of the obscurity within the object being observed.

D. The Japanese distrust American ambassadors

E. If the East and West are ever to understand one another, there will need to be a much better cultural understanding

Five racing drivers, Alan, Bob, Chris, Don, and Eugene, enter into a contest that consists of 6 races. The

results of all six races are listed below: Bob always finishes ahead of Chris. Alan finishes either first or last.

Eugene finishes either first or last. There are no ties in any race.

Every driver finishes each race. In each race, two points are awarded for a fifth place finish, four points for

fourth, six points for third, eight points for second, and ten points for first.

If Alan finishes first only once, and Don finishes second exactly twice, the lowest total number of points

that Bob can earn in the race is:

A. 32 points.

B. 38 points.

C. 40 points.

D. 44 points.

E. 48 points.