ajaym28 wrote:
An ingredient in coffee, known as RTC, has been found to inactivate common cold viruses in experiments. In previous experiments, researchers found that inactivated common cold viruses can convert healthy cells into cancer cells. It can be concluded that the use of coffee can cause cancer.
Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A) Several teams of scientists performed the various experiments, and all of the teams had similar results.
B) The carcinogenic effect of RTC could be neutralized by the other ingredients found in coffee.
C) When RTC kills common cold viruses it weakens the immune system, and it might thus diminish the body's ability to fight other viruses, including viruses linked to cancers.
D) If chemists modify the structure of RTC, RTC can be safely incorporated into medications to prevent the common cold.
E) To lessen the undesirable side effects of chemotherapy, the use of coffee has been recommended for cancer patients who are free of the common cold virus.
The conclusion is "use of coffee can cause cancer"
There is a cause and effect in conclusion which shows the flaw in the reasoning. We need to weaken the conclusion so we have to prove that the reasoning of coffee might not be the cause of cancer.
A) Several teams of scientists performed the various experiments, and all of the teams had similar results.
If the results are same i.e. if its showing coffee causes cancer then its strengthening the conclusion.
B) The carcinogenic effect of RTC could be neutralized by the other ingredients found in coffee.
This says if one ingredient of coffee is inactivating the RTC there are other ingredients which neutralize that effect which will eventually not cause cancer. So this is a correct answer choice. This is saying exactly what we need.
C) When RTC kills common cold viruses it weakens the immune system, and it might thus diminish the body's ability to fight other viruses, including viruses linked to cancers.
We are searching that coffee does not cause cancer and this option doesnt give that information. So we can eliminate it.
D) If chemists modify the structure of RTC, RTC can be safely incorporated into medications to prevent the common cold.
Same as C. This is not talking about why coffee has no effect on cancer.
E) To lessen the undesirable side effects of chemotherapy, the use of coffee has been recommended for cancer patients who are free of the common cold virus.
This is a general statement. Even if we can think this might be the correct answer because if anyone is recommending having coffee for cancer patients so we can conclude that it must not be causing cancer. But this statement is very general. It does not have any proof or scientifically proved. So this answer choice is not correct.
I hope my reasoning is correct.