After the recent court rulings, commercial shark fishing and shark hunting will resume in Diamond Bay. Many citizens of the communities around the bay have hailed this move, believing that a decrease in sharks will lead to an increase in all smaller fish, including the endangered Green-Gilled Silverfish, whose only ecosystem is within Diamond Bay. Ecologists, though, disagree, pointing out that a decrease in sharks will lead to a surge in Sea Lions, which are the principal predator of the Green-Gilled Silverfish.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?


A) The first provides support for conclusion of the argument; the second states that conclusion.

B) The first describes evidence that has been taken as supporting a conclusion; the second states a contrary conclusion that is the main conclusion of the argument.

C) The first is an opinion that the argument opposes; the second is evidence inconsistent with the conclusion of the argument.

D) The first describes the circumstances that the argument as a whole seeks to explain; the second gives the explanation that the argument seeks to establish

E) The first describes the circumstances that the argument as a whole seeks to explain; the second provides evidence in support of the explanation that the argument seeks to establish.

OA B

Source: Magoosh