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705-805 Level|   Assumption|         
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RaviChandra
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Caffeine can kill or inhibit the growth of the larvae of several speci 12 Oct 2015, 09:03
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E
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54% (02:16) correct 46% (02:24) wrong based on 893 sessions

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Caffeine can kill or inhibit the growth of the larvae of several species of insects. One recent experiment showed that tobacco hornworm larvae die when they ingest a preparation that consists in part of finely powdered tea leaves which contain caffeine. This result is evidence for the hypothesis that the presence of non-negligible quantities of caffeine in various parts of many diverse species of plants is not accidental but evolved as a defense for those plants.

The argument assumes that


(A) caffeine-producing plants are an important raw material in the manufacture of commercial insecticides

(B) caffeine is stored in leaves and other parts of caffeine-producing plants in concentrations roughly equal to the caffeine concentration of the preparation fed to the tobacco hornworm larvae

(C) caffeine-producing plants grow wherever insect larvae pose a major threat to indigenous plants or once posed a major threat to the ancestors of those plants

(D) the tobacco plant is among the plant species that produce caffeine for their own defense

(E) caffeine-producing plants or their ancestors have at some time been subject to being fed upon by creatures sensitive to caffeine
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E
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tuanquang269
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Caffeine can kill or inhibit the growth of the larvae of several speci 12 Oct 2015, 11:09
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The argument:
Caffeine (C) can kill or inhibit the growth of larvae of SEVERAL species of insect
Experiment: Tobacoo Hornworm larvae (THL) die when THL ingest C in even small quantities of tea leaves power (C)
Conclusion: Quantities of C in various plant is not accidental but evolved as a defense for those plant
Gap: From Tea Leave to Various C plants evolved as a defense
RaviChandra
Caffeine can kill or inhibit the growth of the larvae of several species of insects. One recent experiment showed that tobacco hornworm larvae die when they ingest a preparation that consists in part of finely powdered tea leaves which contain caffeine. This result is evidence for the hypothesis that the presence of non-negligible quantities of caffeine in various parts of many diverse species of plants is not accidental but evolved as a defense for those plants.

The argument assumes that

(A) caffeine-producing plants are an important raw material in the manufacture of commercial insecticides => irrelevant

(B) caffeine is stored in leaves and other parts of caffeine-producing plants in concentrations roughly equal to the caffeine concentration of the preparation fed to the tobacco hornworm larvae => Roughly equal, not creditable bridge to the GAP above

(C) caffeine-producing plants grow wherever insect larvae pose a major threat to indigenous plants or once posed a major threat to the ancestors of those plants => Irrelevant, the argument does not talk about whether indigenous or ancestor of those plant grow or not in accordance to the existence of lavae

(D) the tobacco plant is among the plant species that produce caffeine for their own defense => Irrelevant

(E) caffeine-producing plants or their ancestors have at some time been subject to being fed upon by creatures sensitive to caffeine
=> This is the correct answer. If not in which the C plants never interact with insect senstive to caffeine, these plants will not evolved a defense
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dominicraj
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Caffeine can kill or inhibit the growth of the larvae of several speci 13 Oct 2015, 09:45
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I would go with E since only if the plants were fed once upon, they would start producing caffeine as a defence mechanism. If we negate E, the argument falls apart.

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Dom.
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abhishekdadarwal2009
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Caffeine can kill or inhibit the growth of the larvae of several speci 23 Sep 2018, 09:39
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RaviChandra
Caffeine can kill or inhibit the growth of the larvae of several species of insects. One recent experiment showed that tobacco hornworm larvae die when they ingest a preparation that consists in part of finely powdered tea leaves which contain caffeine. This result is evidence for the hypothesis that the presence of non-negligible quantities of caffeine in various parts of many diverse species of plants is not accidental but evolved as a defense for those plants.

The argument assumes that
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(A) caffeine-producing plants are an important raw material in the manufacture of commercial insecticides so what this does not give any correlation between the premise and the conclusion. imagine that plants want to add caffeine in themselves to make commercial insecticides..lol.

(B) caffeine is stored in leaves and other parts of caffeine-producing plants in concentrations roughly equal to the caffeine concentration of the preparation fed to the tobacco hornworm larvae the argument mentions negligible quantities. so option is out.

(C) caffeine-producing plants grow wherever insect larvae pose a major threat to indigenous plants or once posed a major threat to the ancestors of those plants caffeine producing plants are not like captain planet against insects or something that they will grow more in insect prone areas..

(D) the tobacco plant is among the plant species that produce caffeine for their own defense
ok.. and so is tea...but so what there are many more plants that produce caffeine..out of scope.

(E) caffeine-producing plants or their ancestors have at some time been subject to being fed upon by creatures sensitive to caffeine
 correct choice that explains what led the plants to produce caffeine in the first place..
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Caffeine can kill or inhibit the growth of the larvae of several speci 03 Jan 2022, 06:23
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Caffeine can kill or inhibit the growth of the larvae of several species of insects. One recent experiment showed that tobacco hornworm larvae die when they ingest a preparation that consists in part of finely powdered tea leaves which contain caffeine. This result is evidence for the hypothesis that the presence of non-negligible quantities of caffeine in various parts of many diverse species of plants is not accidental but evolved as a defense for those plants.

The argument assumes that

Highlighted text is the conclusion of the argument. Two things that matter here are:
1. That preparation consisting of powdered tea leaves that contain caffeine as it is non-negligible.
2. Non-negligible quantities of caffeine in various parts of many diverse species of plants being an EVOLVED defense for those plants.

(A) caffeine-producing plants are an important raw material in the manufacture of commercial insecticides - WRONG. Irrelevant.

(B) caffeine is stored in leaves and other parts of caffeine-producing plants in concentrations roughly equal to the caffeine concentration of the preparation fed to the tobacco hornworm larvae - WRONG. Big trap and its worth it. May be true but it is not related to evolution part that conclusion makes.

(C) caffeine-producing plants grow wherever insect larvae pose a major threat to indigenous plants or once posed a major threat to the ancestors of those plants - WRONG. Worst possible choice.

(D) the tobacco plant is among the plant species that produce caffeine for their own defense - WRONG. This is a nice inference but not an assumption. Also, conclusion is not ONLY about tobacco plants.

(E) caffeine-producing plants or their ancestors have at some time been subject to being fed upon by creatures sensitive to caffeine - CORRECT. The word 'evolved' is the keyword here. Only if their ancestors were subjected to being fed up, evolution happened.

Answer E.
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Caffeine can kill or inhibit the growth of the larvae of several speci 10 Jun 2023, 23:11
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