Q5 - As the current information explosion forces

[ohthatpatrick]

Question Type:
ID the Conclusion

Stimulus Breakdown:
Conclusion: We're increasingly bombarded with inaccurate and trivial information.
Evidence: Print, TV, and Internet media are competing for attention and for subscriber dollars, lowering journalistic standards.

Answer Anticipation:
We just need a paraphrase of the last sentence.

Correct Answer:
B

Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) Never said

(B) YES, this matches the meaning of the last sentence.

(C) Premise (maybe one could argue Intermediate Conclusion, but who cares)

(D) Premise

(E) Never said

Takeaway/Pattern: LSAT seems to enjoy trolling test prep companies' advice. For many years, on ID the Conclusion questions, LSAT wouldn't put the conclusion as the very last idea or preface it with an obvious conclusion word. But on some recent tests, they have had a couple examples that really are that simple. So we should not be shocked to see, or stubbornly refuse to accept, this gift. Since there are only two claims in this paragraph, you're essentially asking yourself whether it's "Premise. Consequently, Conclusion." or "Conclusion. Consequently, Premise." The keyword "consequently" tells us that the 2nd idea is a consequence of the 1st.

#officialexplanation

[RogerD345]

Hi. Pat Long time.

In this case, Pat's explanation was not adequate for me. This is why:

the Intermediate conclusion (IC), Journalistic standards are lowered.

The Main conclusion (MC): Consequently, we are increasingly bombarded with inaccurate and trivial information. --

But in this Case, IC is also adequately supported by REAL MC as in IC can be a good final conclusion in non-awkward and persuasive manner that is supported by Real MC.

As in...MY Scenario::: " Because we are increasingly bombarded with inaccurate and trivial information (Real MC work as IC); consequence of the information forces compete for one another (paraphrase of one Premise we have) . Therefore, Journalistic Standards are Lowered " (my question / MC)

The second Scenario (My question-Scenario) also follows well enough to be non-awkward and even though the it is labelled as IC, it can work well as a MC in replacement of real MC.

So I have a difficult time deciding between B and C as the correct answer. "

[EmanuelC479]

Is it because the conclusion is a consequence that it should be more evident to us that this is a conclusion?

[Laura Damone]

Hey everyone!

Actually, Patrick's argument breakdown was right on the nose. There is no intermediate conclusion in this argument. The entire first sentence is a premise. I think what's tripping people up is that it is a correlation relationship: As X happens, Y happens. That's easily confused with an evidence and conclusion relationship: Because we know X is happening, we can infer that Y is, too.

And yes, Emmanuel: the fact that the last sentence begins with "Consequently" indicates that it is the conclusion of the argument.