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Lourdes: Dietary fiber is an important part of a healthful diet. Experts recommend that adults consume 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day.

Kyra: But a daily intake of fiber that is significantly above that recommended level interferes with mineral absorption, especially the absorption of calcium. The public should be told to cut back on fiber intake

Which one of the following, if true, most undermines Kyra’s recommendation?


Weaken question

Pre-thinking

Clearly, Kyra is assuming that people are already exceeding the recommended dose of fibers

POE:

(A) Among adults, the average consumption of dietary fiber is at present approximately 10 grams a day.
In line with pre-thinking

(B) The more a food is processed, the more the fiber is broken down and the lower the fiber content.
Irrelevant

(C) Many foodstuffs that are excellent sources of fiber are economical and readily available.
Irrelevant

(D) Adequate calcium intake helps prevent the decrease in bone mass known as osteoporosis.
Irrelevant

(E) Many foodstuffs that are excellent sources of fiber are popular with consumers.
Irrelevant
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nightblade354 eakabuah VeritasKarishma MentorTutoring

Quote:
Lourdes: Dietary fiber is an important part of a healthful diet. Experts recommend that adults consume 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day.

Kyra: But a daily intake of fiber that is significantly above that recommended level interferes with mineral absorption, especially the absorption of calcium. The public should be told to cut back on fiber intake

Which one of the following, if true, most undermines Kyra’s recommendation?

(B) The more a food is processed, the more the fiber is broken down and the lower the fiber content.
Why is (B) incorrect? Is it because we are talking about general food and not Dietary fiber ?
Kyra's recommendation:The public should be told to cut back on fiber intake
Premise: They are consuming more than required fiber, which is unhealthy for the body.

Quote:
(A) Among adults, the average consumption of dietary fiber is at present approximately 10 grams a day.
I ignored (A) as I thought we are dealing with malnourished people, which is outside scope of argument.

I am usually unable to get correct 2-person argument questions correct. What change in strategy would you advise?
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I wanted to choose option B,
since more fibre intake = more food intake too.
But option A directly undermines the argument
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adkikani, for two person arguments, read each arguments separately. Start with the first and then eliminate any answer choice that is not in the first. Read the second statement and do the same. Whichever answer choice that is left is the answer.
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adkikani
nightblade354 eakabuah VeritasKarishma MentorTutoring

Quote:
Lourdes: Dietary fiber is an important part of a healthful diet. Experts recommend that adults consume 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day.

Kyra: But a daily intake of fiber that is significantly above that recommended level interferes with mineral absorption, especially the absorption of calcium. The public should be told to cut back on fiber intake

Which one of the following, if true, most undermines Kyra’s recommendation?

(B) The more a food is processed, the more the fiber is broken down and the lower the fiber content.
Why is (B) incorrect? Is it because we are talking about general food and not Dietary fiber ?
Kyra's recommendation:The public should be told to cut back on fiber intake
Premise: They are consuming more than required fiber, which is unhealthy for the body.

Quote:
(A) Among adults, the average consumption of dietary fiber is at present approximately 10 grams a day.
I ignored (A) as I thought we are dealing with malnourished people, which is outside scope of argument.

I am usually unable to get correct 2-person argument questions correct. What change in strategy would you advise?
Hello again, adkikani. In terms of a general strategy, I think your approach is fine. However, in this particular question, you overlooked the obvious: if, as choice (A) states, the average consumption of dietary fiber is at present approximately 10 grams a day, then these people are not even consuming the expert-recommended amounts of 20-35 grams a day. Notice that Kyra does not dispute the recommendation. It is only a daily intake of fiber that is significantly above that recommended level that she finds objectionable. Thus, the fiber-deficient public, the one that is currently taking in about half to less than a third of the recommended daily amount of fiber, should not be told to cut back on fiber intake for any reason presented in the passage, and Kyra's recommendation is definitively undermined.

I hope that helps. Thank you for tagging me, and good luck with your studies.

- Andrew
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Bunuel
Lourdes: Dietary fiber is an important part of a healthful diet. Experts recommend that adults consume 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day.

Kyra: But a daily intake of fiber that is significantly above that recommended level interferes with mineral absorption, especially the absorption of calcium. The public should be told to cut back on fiber intake

Which one of the following, if true, most undermines Kyra’s recommendation?


(A) Among adults, the average consumption of dietary fiber is at present approximately 10 grams a day.

(B) The more a food is processed, the more the fiber is broken down and the lower the fiber content.

(C) Many foodstuffs that are excellent sources of fiber are economical and readily available.

(D) Adequate calcium intake helps prevent the decrease in bone mass known as osteoporosis.

(E) Many foodstuffs that are excellent sources of fiber are popular with consumers.

Kyra's recommendation: The public should be told to cut back on fiber intake.

Whether the public should cut back or increase its fibre consumption, depends on how much fibre they are consuming right now. Experts recommend 20-35 gms and much more than that interferes with mineral absorption. Say if the public is consuming more than 45 gms, then they may need to cut down. If the public is consuming only 15 gms, they may need to increase their intake.

So whether Kyra's recommendation is acceptable or not depends on current intake.

(A) Among adults, the average consumption of dietary fiber is at present approximately 10 grams a day.

It undermines Kyra's recommendation. Public should not cut back, instead should increase intake.

(B) The more a food is processed, the more the fiber is broken down and the lower the fiber content.

Irrelevant.

(C) Many foodstuffs that are excellent sources of fiber are economical and readily available.

Irrelevant

(D) Adequate calcium intake helps prevent the decrease in bone mass known as osteoporosis.

Irrelevant to the argument but if at all, adds some merit to Kyra's recommendation.

(E) Many foodstuffs that are excellent sources of fiber are popular with consumers.

Irrelevant

Answer (A)
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adkikani
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Quote:
Lourdes: Dietary fiber is an important part of a healthful diet. Experts recommend that adults consume 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day.

Kyra: But a daily intake of fiber that is significantly above that recommended level interferes with mineral absorption, especially the absorption of calcium. The public should be told to cut back on fiber intake

Which one of the following, if true, most undermines Kyra’s recommendation?

(B) The more a food is processed, the more the fiber is broken down and the lower the fiber content.
Why is (B) incorrect? Is it because we are talking about general food and not Dietary fiber ?
Kyra's recommendation:The public should be told to cut back on fiber intake
Premise: They are consuming more than required fiber, which is unhealthy for the body.

Quote:
(A) Among adults, the average consumption of dietary fiber is at present approximately 10 grams a day.
I ignored (A) as I thought we are dealing with malnourished people, which is outside scope of argument.

I am usually unable to get correct 2-person argument questions correct. What change in strategy would you advise?

Note that the premise is not that they are consuming more than required fibre. No one says that. Kyra says that "if" they consume more than recommended, problems occur. We should take that to be true.
Also, focus on what the question is asking - what will weaken Kyra's recommendation? Find out exactly what her recommendation is and what will weaken that.
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Bunuel
Lourdes: Dietary fiber is an important part of a healthful diet. Experts recommend that adults consume 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day.

Kyra: But a daily intake of fiber that is significantly above that recommended level interferes with mineral absorption, especially the absorption of calcium. The public should be told to cut back on fiber intake

Which one of the following, if true, most undermines Kyra’s recommendation?


(A) Among adults, the average consumption of dietary fiber is at present approximately 10 grams a day.

(B) The more a food is processed, the more the fiber is broken down and the lower the fiber content.

(C) Many foodstuffs that are excellent sources of fiber are economical and readily available.

(D) Adequate calcium intake helps prevent the decrease in bone mass known as osteoporosis.

(E) Many foodstuffs that are excellent sources of fiber are popular with consumers.
I thought even if average intake is 10g/day for adults, if they eat more than 20-35 grams a day Kyra's claim still holds for the simple reason that the higher intake level would interfere with mineral absorption. The argument of compensating 10 grams is fine but what if people take more than recommended level not getting affected as claim by Kyra's.

The passage is dubious for me.
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nightblade354
adkikani, for two person arguments, read each arguments separately. Start with the first and then eliminate any answer choice that is not in the first. Read the second statement and do the same. Whichever answer choice that is left is the answer.


Hello nightblade354 - I have not heard this method of elimination you mention for such questions.. Could you please help elaborate? Also does this work on all such questions?
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