Environmentalist: The complex ecosystem of the North American prairie

Question

Environmentalist: The complex ecosystem of the North American prairie has largely been destroyed to produce cattle feed. But the prairie ecosystem once supported 30 to 70 million bison, whereas North American agriculture now supports about 50 million cattle. Since bison yield as much meat as cattle, and the natural prairie required neither pesticides, machinery, nor government subsidies, returning as much land as possible to an uncultivated state could restore biodiversity without a major decease in meat production.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the environmentalist’s main conclusion?

(A) If earlier North American agricultural techniques were reintroduced, meat production would decrease only slightly.
(B) Protecting the habitat of wild animals so that we can utilize these animals as a food source is more cost effective than raising domesticated animals.
(C) The biodiversity of the North American prairie ecosystem should not be restored if doing so will have intolerable economic consequences.
(D) Preservation of the remaining North American bison would be a sensible policy.
(E) The devastation of the North American prairie ecosystem could be largely reversed without significantly decreasing meat production.

sampriya · Answer

Since its a conclusion inference question the answer options need to be within the scope of the argument

(A) If  earlier North American agricultural techniques  were reintroduced, meat production would decrease only slightly.
earlier North American agricultural techniques are out of scope. It is nowhere mentioned in the passage about earlier techniques

(B) Protecting the habitat of wild animals so that we can utilize these animals as a food source is more cost effective than raising domesticated animals.
I initially went for this option however we don't actually know how much it costs to really raise domesticated animals as a group in general.

(C) The biodiversity of the North American prairie ecosystem should  not be restored  if doing so will have intolerable economic consequences.
this option states the exact opposite . of what the argument is trying to say,  we want to restore  the biodiversity

(D) Preservation of the  remaining North American bison  would be a sensible policy.
we are concerned with the restoration of the biodiversity and not the remaining Bison, this option is completely out of focus

(E) The devastation of the North American prairie ecosystem could be  largely reversed  without significantly decreasing
meat production.

This is the correct option

Environmentalist: The complex ecosystem of the North American prairie

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Environmentalist: The complex ecosystem of the North American prairie

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615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

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