Dairy farmer: On our farm, we have great concern for our cows’

Question

Dairy farmer: On our farm, we have great concern for our cows’ environmental conditions. We have recently made improvements that increase their comfort, such as providing them with special sleeping mattresses. These changes are intended to increase blood flow to the udder. This increased blood flow would boost milk output and thus increase profits.

Of the following propositions, which one is best illustrated by the dairy farmer’s statements?

(A) Dairy cows cannot have comfortable living conditions unless farmers have some knowledge about the physiology of milk production.
(B) Farming practices introduced for the sake of maximizing profits can improve the living conditions of farm animals.
(C) More than other farm animals, dairy cows respond favorably to improvements in their living environments.
(D) The productivity of dairy farms should be increased only if the quality of the product is not compromised.
(E) The key to maximizing profits on a dairy farm is having a concern for dairy cows’ environment.

svasan05 · Accepted Answer

(A) Dairy cows cannot have comfortable living conditions unless farmers have some knowledge about the physiology of milk production.  While the farmer has indeed introduced comfortable living conditions due to his/her knowledge of physiology, we do not know that such conditions cannot be introduced in the absence of such knowledge. Eliminate.

(B) Farming practices introduced for the sake of maximizing profits can improve the living conditions of farm animals.  Correct answer since it perfectly fits what is happening in the passage.

(C) More than other farm animals, dairy cows respond favorably to improvements in their living environments.  We do not know from the passage if the reaction to the comfortable living changes in dairy cows is more than in other farm animals. Eliminate.

(D) The productivity of dairy farms should be increased only if the quality of the product is not compromised.  Nothing in the passage about the quality of the product. Eliminate.

(E) The key to maximizing profits on a dairy farm is having a concern for dairy cows’ environment.  While concern for the cows' environment does indeed appear to increase profits, we do not know if this is the most important reason or avenue to increase profits. Eliminate.

Hope this helps.

bond001 · Answer

confused between B and E
(B) Farming practices introduced for the sake of maximizing profits can improve the living conditions of farm animals. 
(E)  The key to  maximizing profits on a dairy farm is having a concern for dairy cows’ environment.
i marked B because in E the key means this is the most important factor but in the passage, it is not said so

AMOGH1010 · Answer

Hear the farmer has introduced practices with the intention to better the cow's environmental conditions. Such a move has ultimately led to profits. The OA here suggests the other way around

Zapdos1404 · Answer

Confused between B and E. While in E, we cannot infer if it is the KEY Point, in B, generalising something applicable to dairy cows for the entire set of farm animals would be too much of a stretch. Overall, option B looks too generalised and broad , and E seems better compared to B, though not perfectly flawless.

TathagataC · Answer

@Veritasprep. Could you please help, confused between B & E.

svasan05 · Answer

Hi

Let me try to address your query.

The key word in option (B) is "Farming practices introduced for the sake of maximizing profits   can   improve the living conditions of farm animals".

Option (B) does not generalize the principle to the entire set of farm animals - it only states that something  can  happen. This is, of course, 100% true since the passage tells us that this does happen in the case of cows.

Option (E), on the other hand, does not allow for any probability at all - it specifically states that the  key  to something " is " something else. This is not borne out by the passage.

Hope this clarifies.

AkashM · Answer

E is a case of mistaken reversal. If A -> B, then its not necessary that B -> A.

CEdward · Answer

I can see why B > other choices, but it's a bit misleading: "for the sake of maximizing profits". The passage doesn't suggest that the farmers do so FOR THE SAKE OF maximizing profits. The way its written suggests profits are a fortunate by-product of their concern for the farm animals. Of course, in real life, we all know that profit is a key concern...I just have doubts considering how this was written.

svasan05 · Answer

Hi  CEdward

On the other hand, we can be reasonably certain that the changes made to the environment of the cows are  with the intention  of increasing profits. The passage states quite explicitly:

These changes  are intended to increase  blood flow to the udder.

Why do they want to increase blood flow to the udders? The answer comes in the next sentence:

This increased blood flow would boost milk output and thus increase profits.

Therefore, it is very much the intent to increase profits.

Hope this clarifies.

anish777 · Answer

Hello experts 
Providing special mattresses does not qualify as a farming practise. Option B does not clarify explicitly what it means by farming practises, and one gets the idea that it relates to some activity which is done in the farm.
This leaves us with E as the probable answer.
Can you clarify in detail ?

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Anish.

Although we may not have heard of providing mattresses to cows, in this case, providing mattresses is a practice in which the farmers engage in the process of milk production.

So, in this context, providing mattresses is a farming practice.

ChayanikaM · Answer

Confused between B and E. Chose B beacuse E mentions the key factor, the most important factor, we do not know if that is the case here.

KushagraKirtiman · Answer

Hi Marty,
How can B be correct. It talks about living condition of farm animals, while the passage talk only but cows and dairy industry. It might not be true that all or even some farm animals respond favourably to the changes in the environment. B is too wide to be true in this case. The option E is narrow and only talks about cows and dairy industry and that should be better answer.

The counter argument can be the option says 'can' but still its too general to infer that based on just one example. So, in short according to the answer we are saying that since Cows react positively to the chnages in the environment that might be true for other farm animals also, what sort of ludicrous argument is that!!!. Different animals behave differently so basing on your based on one experiment is a bit too much. Its like saying this, Since german people like beer then it might be possible that primates may also like beer. Here, I am comparing primates to humans just to highlight that the two groups compared are different. Even if we infer this from the passage that inference is very weak.

While E is straightforward just talks about profits, dairy industry and cows. Why are we desperatety looking for answers that make a question looking daunting ?

unraveled · Answer

Dairy farmer: On our farm, we have great concern for our cows’ environmental conditions. We have recently made improvements that increase their comfort, such as providing them with special sleeping mattresses. These changes are intended to increase blood flow to the udder. This increased blood flow would boost milk output and thus increase profits.

Of the following propositions, which one is best illustrated by the dairy farmer’s statements?

(A) Dairy cows  cannot have comfortable living conditions unless  farmers have some knowledge about the physiology of milk production. - WRONG. Ridiculously reverses the situation. In the passage it is A ----> B, here it is B -----> A.
(B) Farming practices introduced for the sake of maximizing profits  can improve the living conditions of farm animals . - CORRECT. Don't agree with maximising profits but the result seems to make sense here. Best among the lot.  
(C)  More than other farm animals , dairy cows  respond favorably  to improvements in their living environments. - WRONG. A comparison is not feasible here. 
(D) The productivity of dairy farms should be increased  only if  the  quality of the product  is not compromised. - WRONG. Extreme claim by saying "only if". Also, another factor "quality" is intoduced.
(E) The  key to  maximizing profits on a dairy farm is having a concern for dairy cows’ environment. - WRONG. Takes the situation and makes it wayward by making such claim.

Answer B.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Dairy farmer: On our farm, we have great concern for our cows’

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