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Certain types of finished wood are coated in toxic termite repellent.

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Bunuel
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Certain types of finished wood are coated in toxic termite repellent. [#permalink] New post   01 Mar 2024, 02:30
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74% (01:42) correct 26% (01:55) wrong based on 218 sessions
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­Certain types of finished wood are coated in toxic termite repellent. Some types of termite, however, have developed a resistance to the toxin, and they retain the toxin in their bodies after ingesting the wood. When certain birds, such as sparrows, ingest the toxified termites, they die. Thus, by using toxic termite repellent, a homeowner puts the entire neighborhood sparrow population at risk.

Which of the following would be most useful to determine in order to evaluate the argument?

A. Whether the toxic wood finish is more effective than other types of termite repellent.

B. Whether toxified termites remain toxic regardless of how long they have been removed from the toxic wood source.

C. Whether sparrows are actively feeding on the household termites that have fed on toxic wood finish.

D. Whether resistant termites suffer any averse effects in the long term from consuming toxic wood finish.

E. Whether there are other insects that suffer as a consequence of the use of toxic wood finish.


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jack5397
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Certain types of finished wood are coated in toxic termite repellent. [#permalink] New post   Updated on: 02 Mar 2024, 04:40
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IMO - B

In order to answer evaluate type question find the conclusion first in order to strengthen or weaken conclusion.­

Conclusion - Thus, by using toxic termite repellent, a homeowner puts the entire neighborhood sparrow population at risk.


A) Whether the toxic wood finish is more effective than other types of termite repellent. // Here toxic wood finish is more effective is other types of termite repellent is irrelevant and not going to answer the question. - Eliminate

B) Whether toxified termites remain toxic regardless of how long they have been removed from the toxic wood source. - Eliminate

C) Whether sparrows are actively feeding on the household termites that have fed on toxic wood finish.  - Correct
Yes,sparrows are actively feeding on the household termites that have fed on toxic wood finish. - Supports the conclusion
No,sparrows are actively feeding on the household termites that have fed on toxic wood finish. - Weakens the conclusion

D) Whether resistant termites suffer any averse effects in the long term from consuming toxic wood finish. // We are not concerned with the averse effects on termites- Eliminate

E) Whether there are other insects that suffer as a consequence of the use of toxic wood finish. // other insects are out of scope. - Eliminate


 ­

Originally posted by jack5397 on 01 Mar 2024, 04:48.
Last edited by jack5397 on 02 Mar 2024, 04:40, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Certain types of finished wood are coated in toxic termite repellent. [#permalink] New post   02 Mar 2024, 01:07
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IMO C

The argument states that using toxic termite repellent puts the entire neighborhood sparrow population at risk. To evaluate this argument, we need to determine whether the use of toxic termite repellent actually poses a significant risk to the sparrow population. The most useful question to ask would be:

C. Whether sparrows are actively feeding on the household termites that have fed on toxic wood finish.

Explanation: If sparrows are not actively feeding on the household termites that have fed on toxic wood finish, then the use of toxic termite repellent may not pose a significant risk to the sparrow population. However, if sparrows are actively feeding on the household termites that have fed on toxic wood finish, then the use of toxic termite repellent may indeed pose a significant risk to the sparrow population. Therefore, determining whether sparrows are actively feeding on the household termites that have fed on toxic wood finish would be the most useful question to ask in order to evaluate the argument.
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Re: Certain types of finished wood are coated in toxic termite repellent. [#permalink] New post   06 Apr 2024, 01:15
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION


The argument presented here is that homeowners endanger sparrows when they use termite repellent. This is because termites absorb the toxin in the repellent, becoming poisonous to any sparrow that may prey on them. It would be useful to know whether sparrows are actually eating these termites before we conclude that homeowners "put sparrows at risk" just by using termite repellent.


Choice (A) may be useful to a homeowner trying to get rid of termites, but the performance of "other types of termite repellent" does not relate to the effects of this type of repellent on the sparrow population.

Choice (B) may be tempting, but even if termites lose their toxicity eventually, it doesn't change the fact that the sparrow may still be in danger if it eats the toxic termites now.

Choice (C) fits that prediction. If sparrows favor other sources of food, it's hard to claim that "the entire sparrow population" is in danger because a homeowner used this termite repellent. So, it would be useful to know whether these toxic termites are in fact their main source of food.

Choice (D) is irrelevant; we're interested in the sparrows' health here, not the termites'. Similarly, were not interested in the health of the "other insects" mentioned in (E).

The correct answer is Choice (C). ­
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Re: Certain types of finished wood are coated in toxic termite repellent. [#permalink]
06 Apr 2024, 01:15
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