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?
I marked B, but the answer is D.Isnt D necessary to evaluate the argument?
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?
I marked B, but the answer is D.Isnt D necessary to evaluate the argument?
