June 2010 LSAT Section 5 Question 9
Which one of the following statements most accurately characterizes a difference between the two passages?
2 Replies
letishia on May 12, 2019
friendly reminder to answer my question
Victoria on May 12, 2019
Hi @idkwhatimdoingIn this example, the author is not making the argument that smoking in bed is the main cause of home fires. They are merely stating the fact that smoking in bed is the main cause of home fires. After presenting this fact, the author shares that, despite a decrease in cigarette smoking, there has been no comparable decline in the number of people killed in home fires.
The author does state that there has been no comparable decline in the number of people killed in home fires, but this is not the conclusion to an argument. If it were, then it would be drawn based on the premise that smoking in bed has long been the main cause of home fires. This premise does not lead to any conclusion nor is the lack of comparable decline in deaths supported by any information in the passage. The author is simply presenting facts in this passage. While the facts may appear to contradict one another, creating a potential research question, the author does not take a stance on this.
Hope this is helpful! Let us know if you have any further questions.