LSAT Explanation PT 42, S4, Q17: Curator: Our museum displays only twentieth-century

LSAT Question Stem

If the curator's statements are true, which one of the following must be true? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Must Be True question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze the passage and clarify any confusing parts. The curator mentions that the museum displays only twentieth-century works, which are either on loan from private collectors or in the museum's permanent collection. Additionally, prints of all the works in the museum's permanent collection are available in the museum store. The museum store also sells prints of some works that are not part of the museum's permanent collection, such as Hopper's Nighthawks.

Now, let's identify the question type and what it's asking us to do. This is a Must Be True (MBT) question, which means we need to find the answer choice that must be true based on the information provided in the passage.

Let's examine each answer choice:

a) Every print in the museum store is of a work that is either on loan to the museum from a private collector or part of the museum's permanent collection.

This answer choice is not necessarily true. While we know that the museum store sells prints of all works in the permanent collection and some works not in the collection, we don't know if all prints in the store are of works on display in the museum.

b) Every print that is sold in the museum store is a copy of a twentieth-century work.

This answer choice is also not necessarily true. While the museum only displays twentieth-century works, we have no information about the store selling prints of works from other centuries.

c) There are prints in the museum store of every work that is displayed in the museum and not on loan from a private collector.

This answer choice must be true. If a work is displayed in the museum and not on loan from a private collector, it must be part of the permanent collection. Since the passage states that prints of all works in the permanent collection are available in the museum store, this answer choice is correct.

d) Hopper's Nighthawks is both a twentieth-century work and a work on loan to the museum from a private collector.

This answer choice contains new information that we cannot confirm based on the passage. We know that Nighthawks is not part of the permanent collection, but we don't know if it's on loan from a private collector.

e) Hopper's Nighthawks is not displayed in the museum.

This answer choice also contains new information that we cannot confirm based on the passage. We know that Nighthawks is not part of the permanent collection, but we don't know if it's on display in the museum.

Based on our analysis, the correct answer is C.