LR Conditional Reasoning Question #3 - Remain Leading Nation

[Jon Denning]

Taken from: lsat/viewtopic.php?f=701&t=11026

Must Be True—SN. The correct answer choice is (A)

Here we have a set of conditional statements which leads nicely into a chain relationship.

Statement 1: If a country is to remain a leader during this era, then the citizens need to better understand international affairs:

• remain leader need better understanding

Statement 2: If there is such a need (for better understanding among the citizenry), then teachers much be prepared to teach with international focus:

• need better understanding teachers w/ international focus

We can link these two statements together to get the following chain relationship:

• remain leader need better understanding teachers w/ international focus

Answer choice (A) is correct, as its inference is confirmed by the chain relationship provided in the stimulus: if a country is to remain a leader, its teacher must be prepared to teach with an international focus.

Answer choice (B) represents a Mistaken Reversal of the previous chain:

• teachers w/ international focus remain leader

Answer choice (C) is also incorrect; the stimulus discusses the need for better citizen understanding. The sufficient condition in this incorrect answer choice is the presence of better understanding—not the need. And if this answer choice discussed the need for better understanding, this would be a mistaken reversal of Statement 1.

Answer choice (D): This incorrect answer choice says the exact opposite of Statement 1.

Answer choice (E): While various reports have stressed the need for better understanding among citizens, it is the author who links this need to internationally oriented teachers, not the referenced reports, so this answer choice is incorrect.