Well, I brought my LSAT prep book and Logic Games book to Chile with me in the hopes that in some free moments I would start studying. As you can probably guess, I am having trouble finding the time to do that between studying for my other classes, traveling, and going out with friends, but I have found some time.
I am enjoying the logic games, but I am pretty scared in general for this test. I can do everything in this book very well, the only problem is time. I hope that I can study for this test enough so that by the time I take it, I have become so fast with the logic games --- etc. that I just can wiz through them... but I don't know if that will happen.
I have also decided to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) which if I decide to drop the law school thing (not planning on doing that now mom), but if I do, I can use my GRE score for the Graduate School applications.
Actually the logic games are kind of fun and I wish that I would have played them when I was younger... something I plan on telling my kids to do when they are growing up. Its a lot about organizing information and short term memory.
Here is an example... (this is a great time for you to take an extra break at work and see if you can get the problem done in the 9 minutes allowed per set of questions.
An amusement park roller coaster includes five cars, numbered 1 through 5 from front to back. Each car accommodates up to two riders, seated side by side. Six people—Tom, Gwen, Laurie, Mark, Paul and Jack—are riding the coaster at the same time.
* Laurie is sharing a car.
* Mark is not sharing a car and is seated immediately behind an empty car.
* Tom is not sharing a car with either Gwen or Paul.
* Gwen is riding in either the third or fourth car.
Which of the following groups of riders could occupy the second car?
(A) Laurie only
(B) Tom and Gwen
(C) Laurie and Mark
(D) Jack and Tom
(E) Jack, Gwen, and Paul
If Gwen is riding immediately behind Laurie's car and immediately ahead of Tom's car, all of the following must be true EXCEPT:
(A) Gwen is riding in the fourth car.
(B) Paul is riding in the third car.
(C) Tom is riding in the fifth car.
(D) Laurie is riding in the third car.
(E) The first car is empty.
Which one of the following statements CANNOT be true?
(A) Neither Tom nor Gwen is sharing a car with another rider
(B) Neither Mark nor Jack is sharing a car with another rider.
(C) Tom is sharing a car, and Jack is sharing a car.
(D) Gwen is sharing a car, and Paul is sharing a car.
(E) Tom is sharing a car, and Gwen is sharing a car.
If Paul is riding in the second car, how many different combinations of riders are possible for the third car?
(A) one
(B) two
(C) three
(D) four
(E) five
Assume that a seventh rider is riding with Jack in the first car, but that all other rules remain unchanged. Which of the following is a complete and accurate list of the riders who might be riding in the fifth car?
(A) Mark
(B) Gwen, Paul
(C) Tom, Laurie, Paul
(D) Tom, Laurie, Mark
(E) Tom, Paul, Laurie, Mark
3 comments:
ANSWERS
Question 1:
The correct response to Question 1 is (D). As is typical for the first question in a game, you don't need a diagram to handle this one. Each answer choice other than (D) violates the premise or one of the rules. (A) violates the rule that Laurie is sharing a car. (B) violates the rule that Gwen is riding in either the third or fourth car; (B) also violates the rule that Tom is not sharing a car with Gwen (although either rule violation suffices to eliminate this answer choice). (C) violates the rule that Mark is not sharing a car. (E) violates the premise that each car can accommodate up to two riders.
Question 2:
The correct response to Question 2 is (B). Consider the question stem in light of our two templates (see, Help setting up this game). You can eliminate scenario #1. Why? In scenario #1, Laurie, Gwen, and Tom would occupy the second, third, and fourth cars, respectively. But this arrangement would not accommodate Mark seated alone immediately behind an empty car (as required by one of the game's rules). So scenario #2 is the only one that applies to this question. Given the additional information in the question stem, Laurie must occupy the third car while Tom occupies the fifth car. Accordingly, Mark must occupy the second car, and the first car must be empty:
Scenario #2
(only the left-hand [green] sequence applies)
1 X
2 [M] X
3 [L _] [M]
4 G G T ¬ P/G
5 T
However, Paul may occupy either the third or fourth car. Thus, statement (B) is not necessarily true.
Question 3:
The correct response to Question 3 is (A). This question focuses on the additional information inferable from the conditions. So if you've done Step 4 (see, Help setting up this game), you've already done the work needed to answer this question, and you won't need your diagram to handle it. Only Mark and one other rider are each seated alone. (Otherwise, given one empty seat and a per-seat capacity of two riders, the coaster could not accommodate all six riders.) Thus, Tom and Gwen cannot both be seated alone.
Question 4:
The correct response to Question 4 is (C). Question 4, like Question 2, provides additional information that allows you to eliminate one of the two templates (see, (Help setting up this game). In Question 4, however, it's scenario #2 that you can eliminate. If Paul and Gwen were to occupy the second and fourth cars, respectively, Mark could not sit alone immediately behind an empty car (as required by one of the game's rules). Focusing, then, on scenario #1 (Gwen occupies the third car), given that Paul occupies the second car, Mark must occupy the fifth car, and the fourth car must be empty:
Scenario #1
(only the right-hand [red] sequence applies)
1 X
2 [M] P
3 G G
4 X
5 [M]
Considering the four remaining riders, the rules expressly prohibit Tom from riding with Gwen (in the third car). Accordingly, Gwen must occupy the third car either alone or with Laurie or Jack. Thus, one of exactly three combinations of riders could be riding in the third car: Gwen only, Gwen and Laurie, or Gwen and Jack.
Question 5:
The correct response to Question 5 is (D). Notice that Question 5 alters the original premise slightly. (This is unusual; you might see two or three questions like this on the entire exam—at the most.) Consider our two basic alternative scenarios (see, (Help setting up this game). In scenario #1 (Gwen in the third car), given that Jack and the seventh rider (indicated by # below) occupy the first car, Mark must occupy the fifth car alone:
Scenario #1
(only the right-hand sequence applies)
1 X [J #]
2 [M]
3 G G
4 X
5 [M]
Next, consider scenario #2 (Gwen in the fourth car). Given that Jack and the seventh rider (indicated by # below) occupy the first car, Mark must occupy the third car (while the second car is empty). Since Tom cannot share a car with Gwen, Tom must occupy the fifth car. Since Tom cannot share a car with Paul, Paul must share the fourth car with Gwen. Accordingly, Laurie must share the fifth car with Tom.
Scenario #2:
(only the right-hand sequence applies)
1 X [J #]
2 [M] X
3 [M]
4 G G P
5 T L
If you did bad, don't worry. I got only 1 right when I tried it. Hopefully I get better! :)
I gave up on the first one! I have a headache...please do not tax my brain this way! LOL
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