#3 - Since 1989 the importation of ivory from African

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Must Be True. The correct answer choice is (D)

This stimulus is another fact set, but the facts may lead us to draw one clear inference. After the elephant ivory ban, the amount of “mammoth ivory” mysteriously increased during a time when the authorities couldn’t tell the difference. As soon as they came up with a way to verify mammoth ivory, those imports fell. Based on these facts, it seems quite likely that after the ban importers had been bringing in elephant ivory and calling it mammoth ivory.

Answer choice (A): There is no way to assess the accuracy of their techniques, since this was not mentioned in the stimulus. Regardless, apparently even the threat of an accurate test was enough to reduce attempts at deception.

Answer choice (B): Since mammoth and African elephant ivory are the only types discussed in the stimulus, this answer choice is not supported by the stimulus.

Answer choice (C): The stimulus offers no discussion about the population of African elephants, so this answer choice is incorrect.

Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice, as it restates the inference prephrased in our discussion above.

Answer choice (E): The author provides no information about the total amount of ivory, so this answer choice is incorrect.

[netherlands]

These (especially #7) were two questions that I had some real bones to pick with! Though from initial glancing I realized they're moth "most strongly supported" questions which makes me think I'm not recognizing a subtle difference between these types and must be true questions.

Then onto #36 - I first read this question and realized that "D" was taking place - people were bringing in Elephant ivory and claiming it was Mammoth. But again, this was suggested by the passage and hadn't been proven to be true. I went about the passage as if it were an MBT, and said to myself "even though I can assume D, I can't prove it", and so I selected E because it said there was a total amount of ivory increase and line 6 of the passage said there was a sharp increase. Looking back, I'm still a little iffy on the explanation of why that one got eliminated.

The passage says there was a "sharp increase" in mammoth ivory. The answer says there was a sharp increase in the "total amount" of "all" ivory presented. If there is an increase in one type of ivory - does that not mean that the total amount increased as a whole? Hm... technically the total amount could have been the same and the increase as "mammal" ivory means nothing more than a decrease in "african elephant" ivory because there was a name change. So ... I guess not a total amount increase - just a substitution (category wise).

But back to what I think my main question is - is there a real difference between MBT and Most Strongly Supported? And if so, is that difference that MBT is... well, what must be true, whereas MSS is asking what is most heavily suggested, and therefore what can we logically assume based on the information given?

Thank you in advance!

[Nikki Siclunov]

Netherlands,

The distinction you make between MBT and MSS is spot on: both questions require you to identify a response that can be proven using the information contained in the stimulus; however, MSS questions require you to identify an answer choice that is most likely to be true (typically, an answer choice with the most reasonable conclusion based on the facts described in the stimulus). So, in the ivory/mammoth question in your homework, the pattern described in the stimulus makes is extremely likely that the ivory imported immediately after the ban was actually elephant ivory. This is suggested both by the sharp increase of "mammoth" ivory immediately after the ban went into effect, and by the subsequent drop in such imports after a technique was invented that can distinguish between the two. Could there be some other reason for the fluctuation of these imports? Highly unlikely, but who knows? The point is, you want to present a reasonable conclusion based on the facts, and hopefully were able to prephrase the situation described in answer choice (D).

The reason why (E) is incorrect is that we cannot know if the total amount of all ivory also increased; it is possible (likely, even) that the sharp increase in the importation of "mammoth" ivory coincided with a sharp decrease in the outlawed elephant ivory. The total amount of ivory imported, therefore, could have remained the same.

Make sense? Let me know.

[netherlands]

Definitely makes sense. Thanks a lot! I realized that I'd posted a lot about MBT and MSS - but noticed that there was a pattern of my getting stuck between two answers on those types of questions and realized it had to be something subtle that I wasn't quite getting keeping me from making the leap for one answer choice over the other.

[elewis10]

When I was doing the question, D seemed 100% like it was the answer to me but I was reluctant to choose it (and picked E instead) because it seemed like it could be an assumption and it doesn't seem to me that it is explicitly backed up by the stimulus. can someone please help clarify this for me? I have trouble when answers seem "too good to be true". does anyone have any tips for that?

Thanks so much.

[Shannon Parker]

When I was doing the question, D seemed 100% like it was the answer to me but I was reluctant to choose it (and picked E instead) because it seemed like it could be an assumption and it doesn't seem to me that it is explicitly backed up by the stimulus. can someone please help clarify this for me? I have trouble when answers seem "too good to be true". does anyone have any tips for that?

Thanks so much.

Confidence. If you know an answer is correct, and know why it is correct, be confident in yourself. As you practice and become stronger and stronger on the techniques, a lot of these questions will seem easier, and more of the answers will begin to "seem to good to be true." Be confident in your abilities.

Shannon

[greg160]

Hi,

I eliminated D because I was thinking about other, alternative sources of ivory not mentioned in the stimulus. How can I move away from thinking like this?

[KelseyWoods]

Hi Greg!

With a Must Be True question like this, you are always just using the facts in the stimulus to prove a fact in the answer choice. You cannot bring in any outside information. If it wasn't mentioned in the stimulus, it can't be the correct answer.

Of course, as with everything on the LSAT, this is easier said than done. To improve and adjust your thinking takes time and conscientious practice. Remember that the LSAT is not like most other tests you have studied for--it's not about memorizing facts. It's about training your brain to think in a certain way. In that way, training for the LSAT is similar to learning how to play an instrument or learning a new language. You have to practice the strategies and techniques over and over again. You have to pay careful attention to what you're doing when you solve a question--go slow, really thinking through everything rather than speeding through and not applying the strategies. You'll make mistakes. It will sometimes feel tedious and frustrating. But slowly but surely you will train your brain to think in the way that the LSAT demands you think. So just keep practicing and analyzing questions to figure out where you went wrong, just as you did with this one!

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey