Pedigreed Dogs - Boldface Question

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Pedigreed Dogs - Boldface Question

by goelmohit2002 » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:16 am
Hi All,

In the following question, the OA is "B". I was able to narrow down to "B" and "E". Can somebody please help me understand why "B" is preferred over "E" ?

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Pedigreed dogs, including those officially classified as working dogs, must conform to standards set by organizations that issue pedigrees. Those standards generally specify the physical appearance necessary for a dog to be recognized as belonging to a breed but stipulate nothing about other genetic traits, such as those that enable breeds originally developed as working dogs to perform the work for which they were developed. Since dog breeders try to maintain only those traits specified by pedigree organizations, and traits that breeders do not try to maintain risk being lost, certain traits like herding ability risk being lost among pedigreed dogs. Therefore, pedigree organizations should set standards requiring working ability in pedigreed dogs classified as working dogs. The boldface portion plays which one of the following roles in the argument?
(A) It is a claim on which the argument depends but for which no support is given.
(B) It is a subsidiary conclusion used in support of the main conclusion.
(C) It acknowledges a possible objection to the proposal put forth in the argument.
(D) It summarizes the position that the argument as a whole is directed toward discrediting.
(E) It provides evidence necessary to support a claim stated earlier in the argument.

Thanks
Mohit
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by S0laris » Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:08 am
IMO:
Obviously E may be true, but it covers only half of the overall passage. Whereas B option considers the text as whole. In addition, bolded phrase seems like a conclusion bcoz sentence to which it belongs starts with word "Since", and as I remember "since" indicates that conclusion is about to appear among clauses.
Anyway, me is not sure ).
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by goelmohit2002 » Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:39 am
"E" says that "It provides evidence necessary to support a claim stated earlier in the argument. "

Isn't "Since dog breeders try to maintain only those traits specified by pedigree organizations, and traits that breeders do not try to maintain risk being lost, " a claim ?

But the answer is "B".

Please tell what I am missing here ?

Thanks
Mohit

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by S0laris » Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:25 am
I think you are missing exactly what the question is asking for - the bolded phrase.
The introduction word is - "Since....."
1-st clause is - "dog breeders try to maintain only those traits specified by pedigree"
2-nd clause is - "traits that breeders do not try to maintain risk being lost"
Summary of 1-st and 2-nd = they are both related to the text mentioned previously, and seem like premises,
But question is not asking to define relation of this two unbolded clauses, rather the bolded one "certain traits like herding ability risk being lost among pedigreed dogs."
And bolded phrase obviously related to the main conclusion - "Therefore, pedigree organizations should set standards requiring working ability in pedigreed dogs classified as working dogs."
Bolded acts like a "Subtotal" and the last one like a "Total".
Sometimes 1 premise may perform both actions - conclusion for subordinate premises and premise for main conclusion. 2 in 1
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by goelmohit2002 » Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:06 pm
Got it. Thanks Solaris.

Basically by saying "certain traits like herding ability risk being lost among pedigreed dogs."

Author mean to say "Therefore certain traits like herding ability risk being lost among pedigreed dogs."

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by nicolette » Sun May 15, 2016 8:33 am
Option B looks good than other answers