Grasses and woody plants are planted on dirt embankments to keep the

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Grasses and woody plants are planted on dirt embankments to keep the embankments from eroding. The embankments are mowed to keep the grasses from growing too tall; as a result, clippings pile up. These piles of clippings smother the woody plants, causing their roots, which serve to keep the embankments from eroding, to rot; they also attract rodents that burrow into the dirt and damage the woody plant’s roots. Therefore, bringing in predators to eradicate the rodents will prevent erosion of the embankments.

Which one of the following is an error of reasoning in the argument?

(A) Two events that merely co-occur are treated as if one caused the other.

(B) A highly general proposal is based only on an unrepresentative set of facts.

(C) The conclusion is no more than a restatement of one of the pieces of evidence provided to support it.

(D) One possible solution to a problem is claimed to be the only possible solution to that problem.

(E) An action that would eliminate one cause of a problem is treated as if it would solve the entire problem.

fiftyoneverbal · Answer

The argument implies that the embankments will erode because:

(1) The clippings smother the woody plants causing their roots to rot

and (2) They attract rodents which damage the roots

To solve this, the argument proposes eradicating the rodents. However, this only eliminates cause (2). Cause (1) is still applicable even with the rodents dead.

(e) identifies this, and is the right answer.

natashacryers · Answer

I'm not sure but I would say 
(E) An action that would eliminate one cause of a problem is treated as if it would solve the entire problem.

chaitralirr · Answer

Grasses and woody plants are planted on dirt embankments to keep the embankments from eroding. The embankments are mowed to keep the grasses from growing too tall; as a result, clippings pile up. These piles of clippings smother the woody plants, causing their roots, which serve to keep the embankments from eroding, to rot; they also attract rodents that burrow into the dirt and damage the woody plant’s roots. Therefore, bringing in predators to eradicate the rodents will prevent erosion of the embankments.

Stimulus: grasses and woody plants are planted near the dirt embodiment to prevent eroding. The embankments are mowed to keep from grasses growing too tall which results in piling of the clipping. These clippings will smoother the woody plants roots which could cause decaying of roots which attracts rodents that burrow the roots and damage the plants. we see two problems

1) clipping
2) rodents

The author suggests that we should bring predators of rodents to eliminate them and save trees; however the problem of clipping still remains. IMO E

1) clipping
2) rodents

The author suggests that we should bring predators of rodents to eliminate them and save trees; however the problem of clipping still remains. IMO E

Which one of the following is an error of reasoning in the argument?

(A) Two events that merely co-occur are treated as if one caused the other.

(B) A highly general proposal is based only on an unrepresentative set of facts.

(C) The conclusion is no more than a restatement of one of the pieces of evidence provided to support it.

(D) One possible solution to a problem is claimed to be the only possible solution to that problem.

(E) An action that would eliminate one cause of a problem is treated as if it would solve the entire problem.

unraveled · Answer

Grasses and woody plants are planted on dirt embankments to keep the embankments from eroding. The embankments are mowed to keep the grasses from growing too tall; as a result, clippings pile up. These piles of clippings smother the woody plants, causing their roots, which serve to keep the embankments from eroding, to rot; they also attract rodents that burrow into the dirt and damage the woody plant’s roots. Therefore, bringing in predators to eradicate the rodents will prevent erosion of the embankments.

Which one of the following is an error of reasoning in the argument?

(A) Two events that merely co-occur are treated as if  one caused the other . - WRONG. Altogether wrong.

(B) A  highly general proposal  is based only on an  unrepresentative set of facts . - WRONG. Both highlighted text is wrong.

(C) The conclusion is  no more than a restatement of one of the pieces of evidence  provided to support it. - WRONG. It is not a reinstatement but a general flow with a possible solution.

(D) One possible solution to a problem is  claimed  to be the  only possible solution  to that problem. - WRONG. 2nd best for me. Spent a lot of time on this one. Neither it claimed in such a manner nor it is said that the solution is the only one.

(E) An action that would eliminate one cause of a problem is treated  as if it would solve the entire problem . - CORRECT. A possible solution is amplified to solve the entire problem.

Answer E.

SudhanshuC · Answer

Option E 
 
 Damaging of roots is the problem (If roots damage, grass tends to be loose and soil erodes).

Damaging of roots happens in 2 ways (2 causes) :

1 - Clipping of grasses causes smoothening of woody plants which causes the rotting (damage) of the roots. 
 2 - Rodents are attracted to the pile of clipped grasses and then rodents burrow into the dirt to damage the roots.

Author gives a solution for the 2nd cause (predators can remove rodents).

Author doesn’t claim that this is the only solution.   So option D is wrong  .

Author NEVER gives any solution to the 1st cause. So, the 1st cause / problem remains as it is and the problem is hence, NEVER solved.  
 So, the entire problem is NEVER solved.  
 Hence,    option E    is the right answer.

Grasses and woody plants are planted on dirt embankments to keep the

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Grasses and woody plants are planted on dirt embankments to keep the

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