Critical Reasoning

In the past 50 years, the population of honeybees in the United States has been cut in half. The decline is due primarily to the increasing use of pesticides in the United States, as well as to the introduction of two types of mites that weaken and kill the bees. Honeybees are the primary pollinators for a variety of important fruit crops, including oranges, apples, grapes, peaches, cranberries and watermelons. Therefore, if the honey bee population continues this drastic decline, then most fruits will no longer be available to consumers.

In evaluating the conclusion, which of the following questions would be LEAST useful to answer?

A Are there other insect pollinators that could pollinate these fruit crops instead of the honeybee?
B Are honeybee populations declining in other important fruit-producing regions, like Chile and New Zealand?
C Is it feasible for humans to hand-pollinate the fruits that have been pollinated by bees?
D Will reducing the use of pesticides in the United States reverse the decline in honeybee populations?
E Is it possible to genetically engineer fruit-producing plants so that they no longer require pollination?

Conclusion: If honey bee population continues this drastic decline, then most fruits will no longer be available to consumers.

In evaluating the conclusion, which of the following questions would be LEAST useful to answer?
In other words, if honey bee population declines, is there a way the consumers can still get fruits?
Which of the questions tells you of an alternative way to get fruits if the honeybee population declines?

A Are there other insect pollinators that could pollinate these fruit crops instead of the honeybee?
If there are other pollinators then decline in honeybee population will produce fruits for consumer. Not the answer.

B Are honeybee populations declining in other important fruit-producing regions, like Chile and New Zealand?
If population is not declining in other important fruit-producing regions, decline in population in the US can still produce fruits because we could import the fruits from Chile. Not the answer.

C Is it feasible for humans to hand-pollinate the fruits that have been pollinated by bees?
If human hand-pollinate the fruits, decline in honeybee population will produce fruits because of the alternative pollination by humans. Not the answer.

D Will reducing the use of pesticides in the United States reverse the decline in honeybee populations?
There are two ways to kill the bees: pesticides and the two types of mites. If we reduce pesticides, we are not guaranteed that the bees will live because we haven't erradicate the two types of mites. Therefore, if we reduce pesticides, the honey bee population may or may not decline, and consumers may or may not get fruits. Since we aren't sure of the answer, this is the least useful question. Correct answer.

E Is it possible to genetically engineer fruit-producing plants so that they no longer require pollination?
If it is possible to genetically engineer fruit-producing plants, then decline in honeybee population will still produce fruits because now we don't need the honeybees. Not the answer.

My answer is B

Prachi has mentioned the right conclusion. premise is the pesticide and mites part.


Assumption -Honey bee population decline will effect fruit crop production in USA.


The argument creates a relation b/w honeybees and fruit crops.


all options talk within this scope of relation .Except B which brings in an outside indicator . Why will the bee population in other countries effect the production in USA?Hence, this is the answer.


Please let us know the OA and the reason.

Assumption -Honey bee population decline will effect fruit crop production in USA.

Are you sure this is an assumption and not the conclusion?

Why will the bee population in other countries effect the production in USA?

The argument is that a decline in bee population leads to no fruits being available. If bee population in other countries are not declining, then the other countries will be producing fruits which can be supplied to the US if the US bees population declines. Therefore this question is valid.

Key questions that will help you answer the main question:
If honey bee population declines, is there a way the consumers can still get fruits?
Which of the questions tells you of an alternative way to get fruits if the honeybee population declines?

OA is D

Well B seems also a good candidate of answer.
It says import fruit producing countries but it is not given that production of fruits is decreasing with reduction in honey bee.


Answer may not be D as it didn't take about mites. reducing use of pesticides may not impact honeybees enough.
If reducing the use of pesticides in the United States reverse the decline in honeybee populations then pollination will increase.

my answer is B as decling honeybee population in other nations will not impact fruit production in US.