Lobsters and other crustaceans eaten by humans are more likely to contract gill diseases when sewage contaminates their water. Under a recent proposal, millions of gallons of local sewage each day would be rerouted many kilometers offshore. Although this would substantially reduce the amount of sewage in the harbor where lobsters are caught, the proposal is pointless, because hardly any lobsters live long enough to be harmed by those diseases.

Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

(A) Contaminants in the harbor other than sewage are equally harmful to lobsters.
(B) Lobsters, like other crustaceans, live longer in the open ocean than in industrial harbors.
(C) Lobsters breed as readily in sewage- contaminated water as in unpolluted water.
(D) Gill diseases cannot be detected by examining the surface of the lobster.
(E) Humans often become ill as a result of eating lobsters with gill diseases.
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First Attempt 710 - first-attempt-141273.html

+1 E

It is a “weaken” type question

Premise - Lobsters and other crustaceans eaten by humans are more likely to contract gill diseases when sewage contaminates their water. Under a recent proposal, millions of gallons of local sewage each day would be rerouted many kilometers offshore

Conclusion - hardly any lobsters live long enough to be harmed by those diseases.

Anything which weakens the conclusion is our answer

(A) Contaminants in the harbor other than sewage are equally harmful to lobsters. (Not related to the conclusion, eliminate)
(B) Lobsters, like other crustaceans, live longer in the open ocean than in industrial harbors. (It does not solve our purpose in that it does not prove that lobsters live long enough to be harmed by gill disease)
(C) Lobsters breed as readily in sewage- contaminated water as in unpolluted water. (Premise is not related to breeding, eliminate)
(D) Gill diseases cannot be detected by examining the surface of the lobster. (Irrelevant)
(E) Humans often become ill as a result of eating lobsters with gill diseases. (This is the correct answer, it shows that lobsters do get harmed by gill diseases, thus weakening the conclusion that they do not live long enough to get harmed)


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First Attempt 710 - first-attempt-141273.html