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14 May 2026, 07:55
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E
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Question Stats:
27% (01:34) correct
73%
(01:42)
wrong
based on 11
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Scientist: There is little doubt that the ice ages were caused by the unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide. Since vegetation converts carbon dioxide into oxygen, excessive vegetation would have depleted the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide helps the atmosphere retain the sun's heat. Thus, if this carbon dioxide is depleted, the earth cools significantly, thereby causing an ice age.
Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the scientist's argument?
(A) Excessive growth of vegetation worldwide could have caused one or more ice ages by depleting the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
(B) If the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is depleted, the earth cools significantly, thereby causing an ice age.
(C) An excessive growth of vegetation causes the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to be depleted.
(D) If unusually rich growth of vegetation caused the ice ages, it undoubtedly did so by depleting the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
(E) Unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide was almost certainly the cause of the ice ages.
Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the scientist's argument?
(A) Excessive growth of vegetation worldwide could have caused one or more ice ages by depleting the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
(B) If the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is depleted, the earth cools significantly, thereby causing an ice age.
(C) An excessive growth of vegetation causes the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to be depleted.
(D) If unusually rich growth of vegetation caused the ice ages, it undoubtedly did so by depleting the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
(E) Unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide was almost certainly the cause of the ice ages.
ankushsambare
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14 May 2026, 09:16
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The main conclusion is the statement the scientist is trying to prove.
First sentence:
“There is little doubt that the ice ages were caused by the unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide.”
Everything after that explains why this is true.
Premises:
Unusually rich vegetation growth caused the ice ages.
Check choices:
(A) says “could have caused” → too weak. The author is much more certain.
(B) is only a supporting premise about carbon dioxide causing cooling.
(C) is another supporting premise about vegetation reducing carbon dioxide.
(D) talks only about the mechanism, not the main point.
(E) matches exactly:
“Unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide was almost certainly the cause of the ice ages.”
Answer: (E)
First sentence:
“There is little doubt that the ice ages were caused by the unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide.”
Everything after that explains why this is true.
Premises:
- Vegetation converts carbon dioxide into oxygen.
- Excessive vegetation reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
- Carbon dioxide helps retain heat.
- Less carbon dioxide makes Earth cooler and can cause an ice age.
Unusually rich vegetation growth caused the ice ages.
Check choices:
(A) says “could have caused” → too weak. The author is much more certain.
(B) is only a supporting premise about carbon dioxide causing cooling.
(C) is another supporting premise about vegetation reducing carbon dioxide.
(D) talks only about the mechanism, not the main point.
(E) matches exactly:
“Unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide was almost certainly the cause of the ice ages.”
Answer: (E)
14 May 2026, 14:00
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Scientist: There is little doubt that the ice ages were caused by the unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide. Since vegetation converts carbon dioxide into oxygen, excessive vegetation would have depleted the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide helps the atmosphere retain the sun's heat. Thus, if this carbon dioxide is depleted, the earth cools significantly, thereby causing an ice age.
Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the scientist's argument?
The scientist’s main conclusion is stated at the beginning: unusually rich worldwide vegetation caused the ice ages. The rest of the argument explains the mechanism: vegetation depleted carbon dioxide, less carbon dioxide reduced heat retention, and the earth cooled. So the conclusion is the causal claim, not one of the supporting steps in the explanation.
(A) Excessive growth of vegetation worldwide could have caused one or more ice ages by depleting the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Wrong. This is too weak. The scientist is not saying this merely could have happened; the scientist says there is little doubt that it did happen.
(B) If the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is depleted, the earth cools significantly, thereby causing an ice age.
Wrong. This is a supporting principle in the argument, not the main conclusion.
(C) An excessive growth of vegetation causes the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to be depleted.
Wrong. This is another supporting step. It helps explain how vegetation could cause an ice age.
(D) If unusually rich growth of vegetation caused the ice ages, it undoubtedly did so by depleting the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Wrong. This is about the mechanism, but the scientist’s main point is that vegetation actually caused the ice ages.
(E) Unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide was almost certainly the cause of the ice ages.
Correct. This matches the first sentence and captures the main conclusion: the ice ages were caused by unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide.
Answer: (E)
Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the scientist's argument?
The scientist’s main conclusion is stated at the beginning: unusually rich worldwide vegetation caused the ice ages. The rest of the argument explains the mechanism: vegetation depleted carbon dioxide, less carbon dioxide reduced heat retention, and the earth cooled. So the conclusion is the causal claim, not one of the supporting steps in the explanation.
(A) Excessive growth of vegetation worldwide could have caused one or more ice ages by depleting the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Wrong. This is too weak. The scientist is not saying this merely could have happened; the scientist says there is little doubt that it did happen.
(B) If the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is depleted, the earth cools significantly, thereby causing an ice age.
Wrong. This is a supporting principle in the argument, not the main conclusion.
(C) An excessive growth of vegetation causes the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to be depleted.
Wrong. This is another supporting step. It helps explain how vegetation could cause an ice age.
(D) If unusually rich growth of vegetation caused the ice ages, it undoubtedly did so by depleting the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Wrong. This is about the mechanism, but the scientist’s main point is that vegetation actually caused the ice ages.
(E) Unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide was almost certainly the cause of the ice ages.
Correct. This matches the first sentence and captures the main conclusion: the ice ages were caused by unusually rich growth of vegetation worldwide.
Answer: (E)
