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21 Sep 2026, 07:43
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A scientific team compared gold samples from several ancient artifacts with gold samples from an ancient mine in western Asia. The ratios of the trace elements in these samples were all very similar, and they were unlike the trace-element ratios from any other known mine. It is therefore likely that the gold in the artifacts was dug from the ancient mine.
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?
(A) The ancient mine tapped into a large underground deposit that also supplied nearby riverbeds with significant quantities of gold.
(B) The ancient mine may have at one time been operated by the same civilization that was responsible for most of the ancient artifacts.
(C) The ancient mine was first operated many centuries before the artifacts were constructed.
(D) Ancient gold artifacts were often constructed from gold taken from earlier artifacts.
(E) Much of the gold dug from the ancient mine in western Asia was transported to faraway destinations.
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?
(A) The ancient mine tapped into a large underground deposit that also supplied nearby riverbeds with significant quantities of gold.
(B) The ancient mine may have at one time been operated by the same civilization that was responsible for most of the ancient artifacts.
(C) The ancient mine was first operated many centuries before the artifacts were constructed.
(D) Ancient gold artifacts were often constructed from gold taken from earlier artifacts.
(E) Much of the gold dug from the ancient mine in western Asia was transported to faraway destinations.
21 Sep 2026, 13:45
Kudos
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A scientific team compared gold samples from several ancient artifacts with gold samples from an ancient mine in western Asia. The ratios of the trace elements in these samples were all very similar, and they were unlike the trace-element ratios from any other known mine. It is therefore likely that the gold in the artifacts was dug from the ancient mine.
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?
The argument assumes that the distinctive trace-element pattern identifies the mine itself as the source. The strongest weakener should provide another source of gold with the same trace-element pattern.
(A) The ancient mine tapped into a large underground deposit that also supplied nearby riverbeds with significant quantities of gold.
Correct. If the same underground deposit also supplied gold to nearby riverbeds, the artifacts could have been made from river gold rather than gold dug from the mine. The matching trace elements would then identify the deposit, not necessarily the mine.
(B) The ancient mine may have at one time been operated by the same civilization that was responsible for most of the ancient artifacts.
Incorrect. This makes it more plausible that the civilization obtained its gold from the mine.
(C) The ancient mine was first operated many centuries before the artifacts were constructed.
Incorrect. The mine could have remained in use or gold extracted earlier could have been stored and used later.
(D) Ancient gold artifacts were often constructed from gold taken from earlier artifacts.
Incorrect. Recycling does not tell us where the gold originally came from. The original gold could still have been dug from the ancient mine.
(E) Much of the gold dug from the ancient mine in western Asia was transported to faraway destinations.
Incorrect. This shows that gold from the mine was widely distributed, which does not weaken the proposed connection.
Answer: (A)
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?
The argument assumes that the distinctive trace-element pattern identifies the mine itself as the source. The strongest weakener should provide another source of gold with the same trace-element pattern.
(A) The ancient mine tapped into a large underground deposit that also supplied nearby riverbeds with significant quantities of gold.
Correct. If the same underground deposit also supplied gold to nearby riverbeds, the artifacts could have been made from river gold rather than gold dug from the mine. The matching trace elements would then identify the deposit, not necessarily the mine.
(B) The ancient mine may have at one time been operated by the same civilization that was responsible for most of the ancient artifacts.
Incorrect. This makes it more plausible that the civilization obtained its gold from the mine.
(C) The ancient mine was first operated many centuries before the artifacts were constructed.
Incorrect. The mine could have remained in use or gold extracted earlier could have been stored and used later.
(D) Ancient gold artifacts were often constructed from gold taken from earlier artifacts.
Incorrect. Recycling does not tell us where the gold originally came from. The original gold could still have been dug from the ancient mine.
(E) Much of the gold dug from the ancient mine in western Asia was transported to faraway destinations.
Incorrect. This shows that gold from the mine was widely distributed, which does not weaken the proposed connection.
Answer: (A)
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