Nubians

bto · Guest Test Date: March

The ancient Nubians inhabited an area in which typhus occurs, yet surprisingly few of their skeletons show the usual
evidence of this disease. The skeletons do show deposits of tetracycline, an antibiotic produced by a bacterium common
in Nubian soil. This bacterium can flourish on the dried grain used for making two staples of the Nubian diet, beer and bread. Thus, tetracycline in their food probably explains the low incidence of typhus among ancient Nubians.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?

A. Infectious diseases other than typhus to which the ancient Nubians were exposed are unaffected by tetracycline.
B. Tetracycline is not rendered ineffective as an antibiotic by exposure to the processes involved in making bread and beer.
C. Typhus cannot be transmitted by ingesting bread or beer contaminated with the infectious agents of this disease.
D. Bread and beer were the only items in the diet of the ancient Nubians which could have contained tetracycline.
E. Typhus is generally fatal.

ri2007 · Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:03 am Post subject:

Ans should be

B.
Tetracycline is not rendered ineffective as an antibiotic by exposure to the processes involved in making bread and beer.

Here is my logic -

Fact - ancient Nubians inhabited an area in which typhus occurs, yet surprisingly few of their skeletons show the usual
evidence of this disease.

Reason for not finding the desease is assumed to be the deposits of tetracycline, an antibiotic.

it is assumed that tetracycline, was consumed thro bread and beer and it was effective in controlling the desease. So Tetracycline should remain effective evev after exposure to the processes involved in making bread and beer.

bto · Guest Test Date: March

Why not C

jan08 · Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:15 pm Post subject:

IMO D..coz the conclusion states: "tetracycline in their food probably explains the low incidence of typhus among ancient Nubian"

the only assumption here could be that the food comprises of beer and bread and nothing else....

OA please?

nauman · Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:27 pm Post subject:

IMO B is the answer. typhus is common in the area where Nubian lived, however they used the tetracycline in beer and bread which is not effective to control typhus.

santosh_ · Guest Test Date: March

The example is conclused as - "tetracycline in their food probably explains the low incidence of typhus among ancient Nubians."

It is also mentioned (before) that - "This bacterium can flourish on the dried grain used for making two staples of the Nubian diet, beer and bread."

Hence the correct option should be B as it assumes - Tetracycline is not rendered ineffective as an antibiotic by exposure to the processes involved in making bread and beer.
Idea

optimisticsam · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 4:40 pm Post subject:

Good explanation by Santosh.

B should be OA, I have seen this question elsewhere.

sibbineni · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:19 am Post subject:

I think nauman pointed the correct answer but wrong conclusion... that
tetracycline is not effective in controlling the typhus, if that the case the answer is not (B)

here is my explanation....

Conclusion:

tetracycline in their food was effective in controlling the typhus.

Premise:

It states that tetracycline flourish on the dried grain unites the beer and bread which is the nubian diet.

(B) indicates that tetracycline is effective as an antibiotic in controlling the typhus as it is contained in the nubian diet which is the bread and beer.

Stuart Kovinsky · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:58 am Post subject:

(B) is definitely the correct answer.

An assumption is something that the author is taking for granted as being true. In other words, an assumption is a missing but necessary link between the evidence and the conclusion.

Therefore, the correct answer to an assumption question is something that MUST BE TRUE in order for the argument to make sense.

To summarize the argument:

Evidence:

Nubians don't seem to have had typhus; and
The grain that Nubians used in their bread contains an antibiotic.

Conclusion:

The antibiotic is responsible for the lack of Typhus.

Let's look at (B):

"Tetracycline is not rendered ineffective as an antibiotic by exposure to the processes involved in making bread and beer."

Does this have to be true for the conclusion to make sense? Definitely!

A great way to check answer choices for assumption/strengthening/weakening questions is to use Kaplan's denial test. We look at the opposite of a choice and see what impact it has on the argument.

In this case, let's consider how persuasive the conclusion would be if (B) were NOT true:

"Tetracycline IS rendered ineffective as an antibiotic by exposure to the processes involved in making bread and beer."

Well, if the brewing/baking process renders Tetracycline ineffective, then how could it possibly have been keeping the Nubians typhus-free?

Since the denial of (B) renders the argument nonsensical, (B) itself must be true for the argument to make sense.