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14 Aug 2023, 08:00
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Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
15%
(low)
Question Stats:
84% (01:31) correct
16%
(01:55)
wrong
based on 872
sessions
History
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Not Attempted Yet
Newspaper article from 2007: The use of ethanol as a fuel supplement is expected to increase sharply in the next few years. In the United States, ethanol is produced primarily from maize-the principal ingredient in most cattle feed. And the increased demand for maize will raise its price. So unless another crop becomes the primary source of ethanol, the cost of cattle feed may be expected to increase considerably.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the above argument?
A. The increased demand for ethanol will benefit disproportionately those regions of the United States where maize is grown.
B. The principal byproduct of ethanol production from maize is an excellent source of cattle feed.
C. Farmers could recover most of their increased feed costs by raising beef and milk prices.
D. Increased use of ethanol as a fuel supplement will reduce the overall demand for gasoline that is not supplemented with ethanol.
E. Farmers can shift to other areas of agriculture if the cost of raising cattle increases.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the above argument?
A. The increased demand for ethanol will benefit disproportionately those regions of the United States where maize is grown.
B. The principal byproduct of ethanol production from maize is an excellent source of cattle feed.
C. Farmers could recover most of their increased feed costs by raising beef and milk prices.
D. Increased use of ethanol as a fuel supplement will reduce the overall demand for gasoline that is not supplemented with ethanol.
E. Farmers can shift to other areas of agriculture if the cost of raising cattle increases.
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Updated on: 14 Aug 2023, 08:46
Originally posted by MartyMurray on 14 Aug 2023, 08:16.
Last edited by MartyMurray on 14 Aug 2023, 08:46, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by MartyMurray on 14 Aug 2023, 08:46, edited 1 time in total.
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The conclusion of the argument is the following:
unless another crop becomes the primary source of ethanol, the cost of cattle feed may be expected to increase considerably
The conclusion is supported by the following premises:
The use of ethanol as a fuel supplement is expected to increase sharply in the next few years.
In the United States, ethanol is produced primarily from maize-the principal ingredient in most cattle feed.
And the increased demand for maize will raise its price.
We see that the reasoning of the argument is that the chain of events involved in use of ethanol as a fuel supplement will result in an increase in demand for and thus an increase in the price of maize that will result in an increase in the cost of cattle feed.
The correct answer will weaken the argument. In other words, it will show that, even though the premises of the argument are true, the conclusion may not be valid.
A. The increased demand for ethanol will benefit disproportionately those regions of the United States where maize is grown.
This choice may follow from what the passage says. However, we aren't looking for a conclusion that follows from what the passage says. We're looking for a fact that weakens the argument.
So, this choice isn't what we need.
To avoid incorrectly choosing a choice like this one, we need to keep in mind what we're looking for.
Eliminate.
B. The principal byproduct of ethanol production from maize is an excellent source of cattle feed.
This choice provides a reason to doubt the conclusion. After all, if it's true that the principal byproduct of ethanol production from maize is an excellent source of cattle feed, then maybe even if a lot of maize is used for production of ethanol, farmers may be able to get cattle feed at a relatively low cost since they can purchase a byproduct of all that increased ethanol production process to use as cattle feed.
So, this choice does just what we need. It shows that, even though the premises of the argument are true, the conclusion may not be valid.
Keep.
C. Farmers could recover most of their increased feed costs by raising beef and milk prices.
This choice is a tempting trap.
If we aren't clear about the conclusion of the argument, we might choose this choice because it addresses an issue related to the conclusion. It indicates that, even if the conclusion is correct and the cost of cattle feed may be expected to increase, farmers may be OK because they can recover their costs.
All the same, since we don't need to weaken the conclusion that farmers will have problems because of the cost increase, this choice doesn't do what we need.
Eliminate.
D. Increased use of ethanol as a fuel supplement will reduce the overall demand for gasoline that is not supplemented with ethanol.
This choice tempts us by bringing up a reduction in demand. So, we could get the impression that what this choice says offsets what the premises of the argument say about an increase in demand and thus indicates that the conclusion may not be valid.
However, the truth is that a reduction in demand for gasoline will not somehow prevent an increase in demand for maize from causing an increase in the cost of cattle feed.
So, this choice has no effect on the support for the conclusion.
Eliminate.
E. Farmers can shift to other areas of agriculture if the cost of raising cattle increases.
This choice is similar to choice (C) in that this choice also is a trap because it addresses an issue related to the conclusion of the argument.
If we aren't clear about the conclusion of the argument, we might choose this choice because it indicates that, even if the cost of cattle feed may be expected to increase, farmers may be OK because they can shift to other areas of agriculture.
All the same, since we don't need to weaken the conclusion that farmers will have problems, go bankrupt, etc. because of the cost increase, this choice doesn't do what we need.
Eliminate.
The correct answer is (B).
unless another crop becomes the primary source of ethanol, the cost of cattle feed may be expected to increase considerably
The conclusion is supported by the following premises:
The use of ethanol as a fuel supplement is expected to increase sharply in the next few years.
In the United States, ethanol is produced primarily from maize-the principal ingredient in most cattle feed.
And the increased demand for maize will raise its price.
We see that the reasoning of the argument is that the chain of events involved in use of ethanol as a fuel supplement will result in an increase in demand for and thus an increase in the price of maize that will result in an increase in the cost of cattle feed.
The correct answer will weaken the argument. In other words, it will show that, even though the premises of the argument are true, the conclusion may not be valid.
A. The increased demand for ethanol will benefit disproportionately those regions of the United States where maize is grown.
This choice may follow from what the passage says. However, we aren't looking for a conclusion that follows from what the passage says. We're looking for a fact that weakens the argument.
So, this choice isn't what we need.
To avoid incorrectly choosing a choice like this one, we need to keep in mind what we're looking for.
Eliminate.
B. The principal byproduct of ethanol production from maize is an excellent source of cattle feed.
This choice provides a reason to doubt the conclusion. After all, if it's true that the principal byproduct of ethanol production from maize is an excellent source of cattle feed, then maybe even if a lot of maize is used for production of ethanol, farmers may be able to get cattle feed at a relatively low cost since they can purchase a byproduct of all that increased ethanol production process to use as cattle feed.
So, this choice does just what we need. It shows that, even though the premises of the argument are true, the conclusion may not be valid.
Keep.
C. Farmers could recover most of their increased feed costs by raising beef and milk prices.
This choice is a tempting trap.
If we aren't clear about the conclusion of the argument, we might choose this choice because it addresses an issue related to the conclusion. It indicates that, even if the conclusion is correct and the cost of cattle feed may be expected to increase, farmers may be OK because they can recover their costs.
All the same, since we don't need to weaken the conclusion that farmers will have problems because of the cost increase, this choice doesn't do what we need.
Eliminate.
D. Increased use of ethanol as a fuel supplement will reduce the overall demand for gasoline that is not supplemented with ethanol.
This choice tempts us by bringing up a reduction in demand. So, we could get the impression that what this choice says offsets what the premises of the argument say about an increase in demand and thus indicates that the conclusion may not be valid.
However, the truth is that a reduction in demand for gasoline will not somehow prevent an increase in demand for maize from causing an increase in the cost of cattle feed.
So, this choice has no effect on the support for the conclusion.
Eliminate.
E. Farmers can shift to other areas of agriculture if the cost of raising cattle increases.
This choice is similar to choice (C) in that this choice also is a trap because it addresses an issue related to the conclusion of the argument.
If we aren't clear about the conclusion of the argument, we might choose this choice because it indicates that, even if the cost of cattle feed may be expected to increase, farmers may be OK because they can shift to other areas of agriculture.
All the same, since we don't need to weaken the conclusion that farmers will have problems, go bankrupt, etc. because of the cost increase, this choice doesn't do what we need.
Eliminate.
The correct answer is (B).
General Discussion
14 Aug 2023, 08:42
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Bunuel
Conclusion of the argument : Unless another crop becomes the primary source of ethanol, the cost of cattle feed may be expected to increase considerably.
The Story: use of ethanol as a fuel supplement is expected to increase sharply in the next few years → ethanol is produced primarily from maize-the principal ingredient in most cattle feed → increased demand for maize will raise its price
So the author assumes that no other source will serve as cattle feed and substitute the increase in demand for maize.
We have to weaken the conclusion.
Answer choice elimination:
A. The increased demand for ethanol will benefit disproportionately those regions of the United States where maize is grown.
The conclusion is not about whether the increase in demand for ethanol will benefit the farmers. We have to weaken the conclusion that the increase in demand for ethanol will lead to an increase in the cost of cattle feed.
B. The principal byproduct of ethanol production from maize is an excellent source of cattle feed.
We can keep this option.
The option provides us with additional information that tells us that maize may not be the ONLY source of cattle feed. Hence, even if the demand for maize may sharply in the next few years, the byproduct of ethanol production from maize can serve as cattle feed. Hence, the price of maize might not increase as the author expects.
This information weakens the conclusion.
C. Farmers could recover most of their increased feed costs by raising beef and milk prices.
This option is a trap one. The conclusion is not that farmers will experience loss because of increased costs. The conclusion of the argument is that the farmers the cost of cattle feed may be expected to increase considerably. Hence, whether the farmers are able to compensate for the increase by other means is not relevant and doesn't weaken the conclusion. We can eliminate C.
D. Increased use of ethanol as a fuel supplement will reduce the overall demand for gasoline that is not supplemented with ethanol.
Doesn't impact the conclusion of the argument. The argument is primarily around the effect that the increase in demand for maize will have on the cost of cattle feed. We can eliminate this option.
E. Farmers can shift to other areas of agriculture if the cost of raising cattle increases.
Similar to option C. We can eliminate this option.
Option B
