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25 Apr 2022, 08:30
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Difficulty:
75%
(hard)
Question Stats:
55% (02:00) correct
45%
(01:59)
wrong
based on 429
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A company recently stopped adding certain phosphates, including peroxyphosphates, to its laundry detergents after its CEO read reports that these compounds foster dangerous levels of marine plant growth and thus disrupt nearby marine ecosystems. As a result, the river near this company's factory will not display ecosystem damage caused by phosphates in the laundry detergents the company produces.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
(A) Apart from phosphates, there are no other compounds commonly present in laundry detergents that would disrupt marine ecosystems.
(B) Not all phosphates contribute to marine ecosystem damage.
(C) Phosphates in amounts large enough to disrupt marine ecosystems in the nearby river are not naturally present in the laundry detergents the company produces.
(D) This laundry detergent producing company has been able to duplicate the bleaching effect produced by peroxyphosphates through means that do not involve adding any environmentally damaging substances.
(E) Laundry detergents are the only products made by the company to which phosphates are added.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
(A) Apart from phosphates, there are no other compounds commonly present in laundry detergents that would disrupt marine ecosystems.
(B) Not all phosphates contribute to marine ecosystem damage.
(C) Phosphates in amounts large enough to disrupt marine ecosystems in the nearby river are not naturally present in the laundry detergents the company produces.
(D) This laundry detergent producing company has been able to duplicate the bleaching effect produced by peroxyphosphates through means that do not involve adding any environmentally damaging substances.
(E) Laundry detergents are the only products made by the company to which phosphates are added.
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25 Apr 2022, 23:03
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I believe the contention is between (A) and (C) here. And some might fall for (A) if they did not keep the conclusion in their head. Conclusion in its simplicity is- "No ecological damage due to phosphates in the laundry detergent company produces".
Per choice (A), there are no other compounds present inside the detergent that could damage the ecosystem. Does our author really need this? What if there were some compounds that caused damage to the ecosystem? Would that weaken our conclusion? No, still the company's point -- that there are no ecosystem damaging phosphates in their detergent and thus no damage due to phosphates would occur-- would hold.
Per (C) on the other hand, if there are phosphates naturally present inside the detergent that the company makes, then the claim that there will be no damage to the ecosystem due to phosphates in their detergent would FAIL.
So, the author does NEED (C) in order to state his conclusion. And that's what the meaning of an assumption is- the author absolutely needs it to be true else the argument won't hold.
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Per choice (A), there are no other compounds present inside the detergent that could damage the ecosystem. Does our author really need this? What if there were some compounds that caused damage to the ecosystem? Would that weaken our conclusion? No, still the company's point -- that there are no ecosystem damaging phosphates in their detergent and thus no damage due to phosphates would occur-- would hold.
Per (C) on the other hand, if there are phosphates naturally present inside the detergent that the company makes, then the claim that there will be no damage to the ecosystem due to phosphates in their detergent would FAIL.
So, the author does NEED (C) in order to state his conclusion. And that's what the meaning of an assumption is- the author absolutely needs it to be true else the argument won't hold.
Posted from my mobile device
