Critical Reasoning

can someone tell me why d is right? i was going to pick it but i found the word jeopardized too strong.

Since applied scientific research is required for technological advancement, many have rightly urged an increased emphasis in universities on applied research. But we must not give too little attention to basic research, even though it may have no foreseeable application, for tomorrow’s applied research will depend on the basic research of today.
If the statements above are true, which of the following can be most reliably inferred?
(A) If future technological advancement is desired, basic research should receive greater emphasis than applied research.
(B) If basic research is valued in universities, applied research should be given less emphasis than it currently has.
(C) If future technological advancement is desired, research should be limited to that with some foreseeable application.
(D) If too little attention is given to basic research today, future technological advancement will be jeopardized.
(E) If technological advancement is given insufficient emphasis, basic research will also receive too little attention.

OAd

I would do this through POE.


(A) If future technological advancement is desired, basic research should receive greater emphasis than applied research.

The statement says nothing about which should receive a greater emphasis, just that we should be wary of giving too little attention to basic research. Eliminate.

(B) If basic research is valued in universities, applied research should be given less emphasis than it currently has.

The statement doesn't claim that basic research is valued, it claims basic research is undervalued. Additionally, the statement doesn't argue that universities should place less emphasis on applied research because they value basic research, rather that they should because the basic research of today will lead to the applied research of tomorrow. Eliminate.

(C) If future technological advancement is desired, research should be limited to that with some foreseeable application.

No, the statement directly contradicts this. Eliminate.

(D) If too little attention is given to basic research today, future technological advancement will be jeopardized.

Yes. The statement says that, "We must not give too little attention to basic research ... for tomorrow’s applied research will depend on the basic research of today." I agree that if there were a less strongly worded answer choice that implied this, it would be correct, but in this question, this is the only one.

(E) If technological advancement is given insufficient emphasis, basic research will also receive too little attention.

There is nothing in the statement about this. Eliminate.

My intuition whispers that it is D