Weakening Argument

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Weakening Argument

by fc135 » Sat May 14, 2011 9:18 pm
Hello, Pls help me with the below argument

Question

Ever since the iron smelting plant moved in next to the Willowfield river, the fish population has declined precipitously. Environmental advocates claim that the decrease in the fish population is due to iron smelting byproducts that have been released into the river.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the environmental advocates' argument?

(A)The population of fish in the nearby Yellowstone river has seen a rise in its fish population over the same period.
(B)The majority of iron smelting byproducts are relased into the air.
(C)The fish population had declined in the year before the iron smelting plant arrived.
(D)Iron smelting byproducts have been found to be harmless to many living creatures.
(E)An invasive fish-eating species of turtle was introduced into the Willowfield river around the time the iron smelting plant moved in.

Thanks
Manju
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by HSPA » Sat May 14, 2011 11:10 pm
C it is.

C > B > D
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by mundasingh123 » Sun May 15, 2011 12:02 am
Ill go for E
Cant be C cos C says that the population had declined but no where is anything mentioned in C that provides an alternate explanation for the decline . E is the alternate explanation that draws attention away from the iron smelting by-products
I Seek Explanations Not Answers

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by HSPA » Sun May 15, 2011 12:30 am
mundasingh123 wrote:Ill go for E
Cant be C cos C says that the population had declined but no where is anything mentioned in C that provides an alternate explanation for the decline . E is the alternate explanation that draws attention away from the iron smelting by-products
Wow nice go munda.. I totally missed "ever since"
Missed the basic causal question.
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