LNAT Reading Comprehension 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage argues that mandatory minimum sentences reduce judicial discretion and lead to unjust outcomes. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this argument?
- Studies show judges given discretion impose harsher sentences on average than mandatory minimums require.
- Data reveals that mandatory minimums result in longer sentences for low-level offenders than for violent repeat criminals. (Correct answer)
- Mandatory minimum laws were originally introduced to combat rising crime rates in the 1980s.
- Some jurisdictions have voluntarily adopted mandatory sentencing guidelines without legislative mandate.
Correct answer: Data reveals that mandatory minimums result in longer sentences for low-level offenders than for violent repeat criminals.
Evidence that low-level offenders receive longer sentences than violent repeat criminals directly supports the claim that mandatory minimums produce unjust outcomes.
Question 2: In a passage discussing freedom of the press, the author states: 'A democracy cannot function if its citizens cannot access accurate information.' What is the author most likely assuming?
- Democracies have historically performed poorly compared to other systems of government.
- Accurate information is exclusively provided by government institutions.
- Citizens in a democracy rely on information to make informed political decisions. (Correct answer)
- Freedom of the press is a modern concept with no historical precedent.
Correct answer: Citizens in a democracy rely on information to make informed political decisions.
The argument presupposes that democratic participation depends on informed citizens, making access to accurate information foundational.
Question 3: A passage contrasts two theories of contract law: the 'will theory' (contracts bind because parties consented) and the 'reliance theory' (contracts bind because one party relied on the promise). The author concludes the reliance theory is superior. Which response would best challenge this conclusion?
- The reliance theory is more commonly taught in law schools across Europe.
- The will theory better explains why contracts signed under duress are considered void. (Correct answer)
- Reliance theory is difficult to apply in purely commercial contexts.
- Both theories were developed in the nineteenth century.
Correct answer: The will theory better explains why contracts signed under duress are considered void.
If the will theory explains a key legal doctrine (duress voidance) better than reliance theory, this directly challenges the claim of reliance theory's superiority.
Question 4: A text claims: 'Rising university tuition fees disproportionately harm students from low-income backgrounds.' Which of the following is the most accurate description of this claim?
- It is an empirical claim that requires evidence about income distribution and fee impacts. (Correct answer)
- It is a normative claim about what universities ought to charge.
- It is a definitional claim about the meaning of 'disproportionate.'
- It is a prediction about future student enrollment trends.
Correct answer: It is an empirical claim that requires evidence about income distribution and fee impacts.
The claim makes a factual assertion about real-world effects on different income groups, making it empirical and verifiable.
Question 5: Read: 'The law must balance the rights of the individual against the needs of the collective. When these conflict, neither can be automatically prioritized.' What does this passage most directly imply?
- Individual rights should always yield to collective welfare in a democratic society.
- Legal conflicts between individual and collective interests must be resolved case by case. (Correct answer)
- There is no meaningful distinction between individual rights and collective needs.
- Collective needs are generally more important but harder to quantify than individual rights.
Correct answer: Legal conflicts between individual and collective interests must be resolved case by case.
The statement that neither can be 'automatically prioritized' implies that each conflict requires its own contextual resolution rather than a fixed rule.
Question 6: A passage uses the phrase 'paper tiger' to describe international human rights treaties. What does this metaphor most likely convey?
- The treaties are physically printed on paper and lack digital enforcement mechanisms.
- The treaties appear powerful but lack effective enforcement. (Correct answer)
- The treaties are temporary agreements that expire after a fixed period.
- The treaties originate from East Asian diplomatic traditions.
Correct answer: The treaties appear powerful but lack effective enforcement.
'Paper tiger' is an idiom meaning something that appears threatening or powerful but is actually ineffectual — applied here to unenforceable treaties.
Question 7: An author argues that civil disobedience is justified when legal channels have been exhausted and the law being protested is clearly unjust. A critic responds: 'Who decides what counts as clearly unjust?' This objection most directly challenges which aspect of the argument?
- The requirement that legal channels must be exhausted first.
- The claim that civil disobedience is ever morally permissible.
- The criterion of injustice, which lacks an objective or agreed standard. (Correct answer)
- The historical effectiveness of civil disobedience as a tactic.
Correct answer: The criterion of injustice, which lacks an objective or agreed standard.
The critic targets the vagueness of 'clearly unjust,' questioning how this threshold can be defined or agreed upon without a neutral arbiter.
LNAT Reading Comprehension 2
A passage argues that mandatory minimum sentences reduce judicial discretion and lead to unjust outcomes.
Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this argument?