Conform Questions
Conform questions state a principle and ask which answer best matches it. There are usually 1-2 per LSAT section.
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1. One should never rely on information that another person purportedly heard someone say without hearing that information from its source, unless there is sufficient reason to believe that the information is reliable.
This principle, if accepted, would justify which one of the following judgments?
(A) James read in his coin collectors’ magazine that silver was going to go up in price. However, because James did not have any reason to know that the estimate in the magazine was reliable, he refused to base any decisions about purchasing or selling his silver coins on it.
(B) While Caitlyn was going to bake a cake for Patty’s bridal shower, Suzie explained to Caitlyn that Patty had requested that no one bring cakes. However, because Caitlyn did not have any reason to believe Suzie, Caitlyn baked the cake anyway.
(C) While Rex told his wife Wanda that Rex’s doctor had advised him to get more exercise, Wanda decided she did not believe Rex, despite the fact that doctors are generally reliable.
(D) Miranda told both Jack and Gwen that she wouldn’t be coming to the board meeting this week because she was going to be out of town. Everyone at the board meeting properly believed this because both Jack and Gwen told the exact same story.
(E) Lindsay went to basketball practice anyway even though Elaine had told her it was canceled, and Lindsay had good reason to believe Elaine.
(B)
2. The waste management regulations in this county require all solid waste to be disposed of at the facility in Waverly. For some types of solid waste, it would be cheaper to take it to other dumps outside the county, but this lack of expense is outweighed by the need to mandate use of more efficient waste management sites like the one in question.
The situation described above most closely conforms to which one of the following principles?
(A) Public interest should always supersede economic efficiency.
(B) A particular need can justify government limitations that result in things becoming more expensive.
(C) No public policy decision will be consistent with the interests of everyone.
(D) Regulations should be structured to maximize environmental protection as well as efficiency.
(E) The most effective means of ensuring more efficient waste management is to mandate the use of more efficient dump sites.
(B)
3. A novel should both tell an entertaining story and provoke intelligent thought, unless such provocation would detract from the story. If and only if these conditions are met can a novel be considered great.
Which one of the following judgments most closely conforms to the principle described above?
(A) The novel Menagerie has a highly entertaining story about socialite life in the mid-20th century. In addition, its chronicle of this area has many unique opinions on this period. The novel is thus worthy of being considered great.
(B) While the novel Flying High has a story of early aviation that is very entertaining, it lacks anything which provokes intelligent though. Because the inclusion of things which would provoke intelligent thought would not detract from the novel’s story, the novel cannot be considered great.
(C) The novel In Pieces tells a love story that is not provocative of intelligent thought. However, this would have detracted from the plot of the novel. Therefore, the novel could be considered great, but need not be.
(D) Palisades, a novel which tells an entertaining story, provokes intelligent thought in a manner which, while it detracts from the plot, does not detract from the royal family narrative which is the theme of the novel. Therefore, Palisades is a great novel.
(E) The Day After Yesterday, unlike other many similar novels by its author, contains a narrative that is both provocative of intelligent thought and entertaining as a story. Therefore, The Day After Yesterday is better than most other novels by its author.
(B)