Beverage company representative: The plastic rings that hold six-packs of beverage cans together pose a threat to wild animals, which often become entangled in the discarded rings and suffocate as a result. Following our lead, all beverage companies will soon use only those rings consisting of a new plastic that disintegrates after only three days’ exposure to sunlight. Once we all complete the switchover from the old to the new plastic rings, therefore, the threat of suffocation that plastic rings pose to wild animals will be eliminated.
The argument depends on which one of the following assumptions?
Old plastic rings cause a great harm to wild animals since they get entangled and suffocate to death. Beverage companies, knowing that, have found a new plastic that will disintegrate just after three days of exposure to sunlight.
Author concludes that once this is done by a companies the problem of animals getting suffocated would be eliminated. Thus his/her argument bases the conclusion either on the fact that in three days no animals would get entangled in the new plastic rings or the switchover would happen instantly. Another possible assumption can be that the new plastic rings will cause minimal or no damage.
(A) None of the new plastic rings can disintegrate after only two days’ exposure to sunlight. - WRONG. Scope is already covered in argument.
(B) The switchover to the new plastic rings can be completed without causing significant financial hardship to the beverage companies. - WRONG. Even if we negate the option it does not impact the argument since financial hardship is not discussed in the argument.
(C) Wild animals will not become entangled in the new plastic rings before the rings have had sufficient exposure to sunlight to disintegrate. - CORRECT. If this is not true then wild animals would still get entangled within three days thus causing damage to wild animals. It then fails the argument.
(D) Use of the old plastic rings poses no substantial threat to wild animals other than that of suffocation. - WRONG. Other threats not discussed so not an assumption that can break the argument.
(E) Any wild animal that becomes entangled in the old plastic rings will suffocate as a result. - WRONG. Already covered in argument's scope.
IMO Answer C.
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