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Evaluating the Argument dilemma !!

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by dhonu121 » Wed May 16, 2012 10:46 am
Plantings of cotton bioengineered to produce its own insecticide against bollworms, a major cause of crop failure, sustained little bollworm damage until this year. This year the plantings are being seriously damaged by bollworms. Bollworms, however, are not necessarily developing resistance to the cotton's insecticide. Bollworms breed on corn, and last year more corn than usual was planted throughout cotton-growing regions. So it is likely that the cotton is simply being overwhelmed by corn-bred bollworms.

In evaluating the argument, which of the following would it be most useful to establish?
A. Whether corn could be bioengineered to produce the insecticide
B. Whether plantings of cotton that does not produce the insecticide are suffering unusually extensive damage from bollworms this year
C. Whether other crops that have been bioengineered to produce their own insecticide successfully resist the pests against which the insecticide was to protect them
D. Whether plantings of bioengineered cotton are frequently damaged by insect pests other than bollworms
E. Whether there are insecticides that can be used against bollworms that have developed resistance to the insecticide produced by the bioengineered cotton

The OA to this question is B.However, I am unable to get out of the following confusion:
In such question types:which of the following would it be most useful to establish?
If I am right, we look for choices that either strengthens or weakens the argument.(?)
From that point of view,B and D are both relevent.
If the Answer to D is yes, then the argument weakens.if the answer is No,the argument is strengthened.
How do you make D irrelevent ?

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Source: — Critical Reasoning |

by joshmachine » Wed May 16, 2012 2:18 pm
bioengineered cotton plantation. Everything till last year worked fine. This year crop failure.
Two reasons 1: bollworns develop resistance (nullified in argument) 2: over-whelmed by corn-bred bollworms

To evaluate this argument you need something which can polar opposite answers to 2nd reason.
B: this year non-bioengineered plantation --> extensive damage --> bioengineered working fine
this year non-bioengineered plantation --> no extensive damage --> bioengineered not working fine
D: bioengineered cotton frequently damaged doesn't not tell anything about more damamge this year than previous years.

IMO: B
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by GmatKiss » Thu May 17, 2012 1:45 am
IMO: B from POE
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by Gaurav 2013-fall » Thu May 17, 2012 2:05 am
First chose B , then chose D.

Experts SOS please!
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by vikram4689 » Wed Sep 12, 2012 6:46 pm
dhonu121 wrote: If the Answer to D is yes, then the argument weakens.if the answer is No,the argument is strengthened.
How do you make D irrelevent ?
D is irrelevant because argument mentions that we are only concerned about the attack made by bollworms. even if other insects attack we do not care. post back if you have doubts
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