It is now clear that the ancient Egyptians were the first society to

Question

It is now clear that the ancient Egyptians were the first society to produce alcoholic beverages. It had been thought that the ancient Babylonians were the first; they had mastered the process of fermentation for making wine as early as 1500 B.C. However, archaeologists have discovered an Egyptian cup dating from 2000 B.C. whose sides depict what appears to be an Egyptian brewery, and whose chemical residue reveals that it contained a form of alcoholic beer.

The reasoning above is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds?

(A) It makes a generalization about Egyptian society based on a sample so small that it is likely to be unrepresentative.

(B) It uses the term “alcoholic beverage” in a different sense in the premises than in the conclusion.

(C) It presumes, without providing justification, that because one society developed a technology before another, the development in the latter was dependent on the development in the former.

(D) It ignores the possibility that the first known instance of a kind is not the first instance of that kind.

(E) It provides no evidence for the claim that the Babylonians produced wine as early as 1500 B.C.

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

EXPLANATION FROM Fox LSAT

If there’s one word on the LSAT that pisses me off (to my own great benefit) it’s probably the word “clear” or “clearly.” This is a word that is almost never used on the test except in cases that are anything but clear. Words like “obviously,” and “definitely,” and “of course” do also raise my hackles, but nobody is bullshitting you like someone who claims that his case is “clear.”

So this question pisses me off just four words in.  No, it is not **** “clear” that the ancient Egyptians were the first to booze it. I haven’t even seen your evidence yet, but I’m unhappy that you are trying to jam this conclusion down my throat.

Ahem. I apologize for all my shouting. Anyway, the evidence is this: 1) The Babylonians were previously thought to have been first. 2) The Babylonians  did  master fermentation for wine as early as 1500 B.C. 3) There’s an Egyptian cup from 2000 B.C. with “apparent” pictures of a brewery on it. 4) The cup contains the residue of alcoholic beer.

My immediate response is something like 1) The cup might have “depicted an apparent brewery” long before the Egyptians had actually mastered fermentation, much like da Vinci made pictures of flight long before the Wright brothers actually sorted it out, and 2) the beer in the cup could have been made long after the cup was made, so maybe the Egyptians invented beer in 1400 B.C., well after the Babylonians were already wasted on wine, and 3) anyway, just because you are able to find evidence of something happening a long time ago, that doesn’t mean somebody  else  didn’t do it way before that. It’s actually impossible to  prove  that the Egyptians were first. They can only be “first known,” which is not the same thing. There are probably other objections as well, but armed with a few attacks, let’s go ahead and venture into the answer choice jungle.

We’re asked to find a flaw in the argument, so our three attacks above might be right on target. Let’s see.

A) This is nonsensical in this context. If the archeologists can find  one  proven sample of Egyptian beer before the Babylonian wine, then that would be enough to call the Egyptians “first known.” Small sample can’t be the issue here.

B) No, it simply doesn’t do this. This might be the answer if the argument had gone something like, “It’s hazardous to your health to drink five double Wild Turkey 101 shots in a half hour, therefore it’s hazardous to have a glass of wine."

C) This would be the answer if it said, “Because the Egyptians invented booze first, the Babylonians must have learned to develop booze from the Egyptians.”

D) Yeah, I think this relates to our third objection above. It’s the difference between  absolute clear first  and “first currently known.” I like this answer.

E) Well, the conclusion is about the Egyptians. So I doubt that lack of evidence about the Babylonians could be the answer here. And I like D.

So our answer is D. Clearly.

winterschool · Answer

It is now clear that the ancient Egyptians were the first society to produce alcoholic beverages. It had been thought that the ancient Babylonians were the first; they had mastered the process of fermentation for making wine as early as 1500 B.C. However, archaeologists have discovered an Egyptian cup dating from 2000 B.C. whose sides depict what appears to be an Egyptian brewery, and whose chemical residue reveals that it contained a form of alcoholic beer.

The reasoning above is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds?

(A) It makes a generalization about Egyptian society based on a sample so small that it is likely to be unrepresentative.  Incorrect

but argument has evidence

(B) It uses the term “alcoholic beverage” in a different sense in the premises than in the conclusion.  Incorrect

not true, alcoholic beer is a kind of alcoholic beverage

(C) It presumes, without providing justification, that because one society developed a technology before another, the development in the latter was dependent on the development in the former.  Incorrect

not true 
 
(D)  It ignores the possibility that the first known instance of a kind is not the first instance of that kind .  Correct

argument confuses between wine and alcoholic beer, both are alcoholic beverages but argument ignores the fact that wine could not be the first produced alcoholic beverages. Babylonians could be produced another beverages before wine

possible answer

(E) It provides no evidence for the claim that the Babylonians produced wine as early as 1500 B.C.  Incorrect

contradict with argument

100mitra · Answer

Correct option D

Argument : 
the ancient Egyptians were the first society to produce alcoholic beverages.

Counter to Argument  : (Premise 1)
The ancient Babylonians were the first
- they had mastered the process of fermentation for making wine as early as 1500 B.C.
 Support to argument : 
- archaeologists have discovered an Egyptian cup dating from 2000 B.C. 
- whose sides depict what appears to be an Egyptian brewery, and 
- whose chemical residue reveals that it contained a form of alcoholic beer.

The reasoning above is  most vulnerable to criticism  on which one of the following grounds?

(A) It makes a generalization about Egyptian society based on a sample so small that it is likely to be unrepresentative.
 Wrong : Generalization cannot be claim, which will support argument.
"Argument" stands strong with "support to argument" will not lead to criticism, a sample is one evidence, based on eveidance things can be proven.

(B) It uses the term “alcoholic beverage” in a different sense in the premises than in the conclusion.
 Wrong  : irrelevant, "alcoholic beverage" is defined in passage last line "whose chemical residue reveals that it contained a form of alcoholic beer" now there is no point in any further assumption, no invite to criticism.

(C) It presumes, without providing justification, that because one society developed a technology before another, the development in the latter was dependent on the development in the former.
 Wrong  : Simple eliminate, as there is no infer information about development and dependent on development by former or latter, or any justification

(D) It ignores the possibility that the first known instance of a kind is not the first instance of that kind.
 Correct : 
First know instance of kind: Babylonians were the first "Wine", it can be before ,or after, or during, but we have only eveidance of Egyptian not Babylonians.
Not the First know instance of that: "alcoholic beverages" or "alcoholic beer"

(E) It provides no evidence for the claim that the Babylonians produced wine as early as 1500 B.C.
 Wrong  passage is about beer, and the Egypt, not about wine and the Babylonians, anyways if eveidance was provided, it would led to another argument and demean the intended meaning, on the other side, the Babylonians details are for premise, and any information supporting premise is another premise not conclusion

Posted from my mobile device

sivatx2 · Answer

Conclusion: Egyptians first produced alcoholic beverages. 
Premise 1: Thought Babylonians were the first who made wine in 1500 B.C. 
Premise 2: Egyptian cup, dating from 2000 B.C., contained a form of alcoholic beer.

To weaken the most, it is required to prove that Egyptians did not produce the first alcholic beverages in the answer choice.
 
 (A) It makes a generalization about Egyptian society based on a sample so small that it is likely to be unrepresentative. 
 This may or may not be true and hence does not weakens the most. Eliminate

(B) It uses the term “alcoholic beverage” in a different sense in the premises than in the conclusion. 
 This is false the core meaning remains same and does not weaken the argument. Eliminate

(C) It presumes, without providing justification, that because one society developed a technology before another, the development in the latter was dependent on the development in the former. 
 This may or may not be true and does not weaken the argument. Eliminate

(D) It ignores the possibility that the first known instance of a kind is not the first instance of that kind. 
 Yes, this information truly weakens the most. Hence the answer choice is D.

(E) It provides no evidence for the claim that the Babylonians produced wine as early as 1500 B.C. 
 This is irrelevant to the argument. Eliminate.

VerbalBot · Answer

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It is now clear that the ancient Egyptians were the first society to

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It is now clear that the ancient Egyptians were the first society to

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