LSAT Explanation PT 38, S1, Q10: Bernard: For which language, and thus
LSAT Question Stem
Which one of the following, if true, could be used by Cora to counter Bernard's rejection of her explanation?
Logical Reasoning Question Type
This is a Weaken question.
Correct Answer
The correct answer to this question is A.
LSAT Question Complete Explanation
In this LSAT problem, we have a conversation between Bernard and Cora discussing the design of the standard typewriter keyboard. Let's analyze the argument in the passage:
Bernard asks a question about the language and frequency distribution of letters on a standard typewriter keyboard. Cora responds by saying that Bernard is making a mistaken assumption that typing speed was to be maximized. She explains that the real danger with early typewriters was that operators would hit successive keys too quickly, causing typebars to crash into each other and bend connecting wires. The idea was to slow the operator down by making the most common letter sequences awkward to type. Bernard disagrees with Cora's explanation, saying that the technological limitations have long since vanished, yet the keyboard is still as it was then.
The question type is Weaken, and we are asked to find an answer that could be used by Cora to counter Bernard's rejection of her explanation.
Now let's discuss the answer choices:
a) Typewriters and word-processing equipment are typically sold to people who have learned to use the standard keyboard and who, therefore, demand it in equipment they buy.
Answer choice A is the correct answer. It provides a reason why the standard keyboard layout is still used today, despite the technological limitations having vanished. People who have learned to use the standard keyboard demand it in the equipment they buy, which explains why the keyboard layout has not changed.
b) Typewriters have been superseded in most offices by word-processing equipment, which has inherited the standard keyboard from typewriters.
Answer choice B is incorrect because it only explains that word-processing equipment inherited the standard keyboard from typewriters, but it does not explain why the keyboard layout persists despite the absence of the technological limitations that Cora mentioned.
c) The standard keyboard allows skilled operators to achieve considerable typing speeds, though it makes acquiring such skills relatively difficult.
Answer choice C is incorrect because it does not address Bernard's objection to Cora's explanation. It only states that skilled operators can achieve considerable typing speeds with the standard keyboard, but it does not explain why the keyboard layout has not changed.
d) A person who has learned one keyboard layout can readily learn to use a second one in place of the first, but only with difficulty learn to use a second one alongside the first.
Answer choice D is incorrect because it does not counter Bernard's rejection of Cora's explanation. It only states that a person can learn a second keyboard layout, but it does not explain why the standard keyboard layout persists.
e) It is now possible to construct typewriters and word-processing equipment in which a single keyboard can accommodate two or even more different keyboard layouts, each accessible to the operator at will.
Answer choice E is incorrect because it does not address Bernard's objection to Cora's explanation. It only states that it is possible to construct equipment with multiple keyboard layouts, but it does not explain why the standard keyboard layout has not changed.
An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Are there any other reasons, besides the technological limitations mentioned by Cora, that could explain why the standard keyboard layout has not changed?"
In conclusion, the correct answer to this Weaken question is A, as it provides a reason why the standard keyboard layout is still used today, despite the technological limitations having vanished. This explanation counters Bernard's rejection of Cora's explanation and supports her argument.