LSAT Explanation PT 20, S1, Q1: French divers recently found a large

LSAT Question Stem

The information above most strongly supports which one of the following? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Most Strongly supported question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

This LSAT problem is a Most Strongly Supported (MSS) question, which means we need to find the answer choice that is most strongly supported by the information provided in the passage.

The passage tells us about a cave recently discovered by French divers. The cave is accessible only through an underwater tunnel, and its interior is filled with seawater and contains numerous large stalagmites. Stalagmites are stony pillars that form when drops of water fall repeatedly on a single spot on a cave floor, leaving behind mineral deposits that accumulate over time.

To simplify this information, let's consider a parallel example: Imagine a room that is only accessible through a small door and is filled with balloons. The balloons are created by blowing air into them. If the room is completely filled with balloons, it would be difficult for new balloons to be created inside the room. This suggests that the conditions inside the room must have been different when the balloons were being created.

Now, let's analyze the answer choices:

a) The Mediterranean Sea was at a higher level in the past than it is now.

This answer choice is not supported by the information in the passage. We can only infer something about the water level within the cave, not the entire Mediterranean Sea. Also, the information suggests that the water level is higher now than it was in the past, not lower as this answer implies.

b) The water level within the cave is higher now than it once was.

This is the correct answer choice. For the stalagmites to form, water drops must have been able to fall to the cave floor. To allow for this to happen, the water level in the cave must have been lower than its current level, at which it is "completely filled."

c) The French divers were the first people who knew that the tunnel leading to the cave existed.

There is no indication that this is true. Just because they "found" the tunnel does not mean that no one else could have "found" it before them.

d) There was once an entrance to the cave besides the underwater tunnel.

There is no evidence of this in the passage. There is no reason given that the cave must have been accessible without using the underwater tunnel.

e) Seawater in the Mediterranean has a lower mineral content now than it had when the stalagmites were being formed.

There is nothing in the passage to support this. If stalagmites are no longer forming, the passage suggests that it is because water drops can no longer fall to the floor because the cave is flooded.

In conclusion, the correct answer is choice (b), which is most strongly supported by the information in the passage.