Evaluating the Argument

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Evaluating the Argument

by raptor1985 » Fri Mar 16, 2012 4:53 pm
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

OA : B
Source : OG Verbal Review

Pls. explain the rationale behind correct OA.
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by sam2304 » Fri Mar 16, 2012 11:19 pm
Bio engineered cotton => fight against bollworm
Till last year => Less crops were damaged.
This year more damage. Why ?

Bollworms breed on corn, cotton growing regions were planted with more corn than usual
Conc: So cotton is overwhelmed by corn-bred bollworms.

It shouldn't be affected as they are bio engineered.

We are asked to find what additional information would help to evaluate the argument.

Other than B nothing helps to understand what caused the damage.

B gives us a reason that if more cotton have been planted which are non bio engineered then it supports the conclusion as they give chance to bollworms to affect the cotton and 'No' weakens the argument.

A - Bio engineering corn would by no means help us understand why there was more damage with cotton.
C - Other crops are irrelevant
D - the argument is about cotton affected by bollworms not by other pests hence Irrelevant
E - This contradicts what is stated in the argument. It has been already stated that 'Bollworms, however, are not necessarily developing resistance to the cotton's insecticide'.
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by raptor1985 » Sat Mar 17, 2012 3:18 am
sam2304 wrote:Bio engineered cotton => fight against bollworm
Till last year => Less crops were damaged.
This year more damage. Why ?

Bollworms breed on corn, cotton growing regions were planted with more corn than usual
Conc: So cotton is overwhelmed by corn-bred bollworms.

It shouldn't be affected as they are bio engineered.

We are asked to find what additional information would help to evaluate the argument.

Other than B nothing helps to understand what caused the damage.

B gives us a reason that if more cotton have been planted which are non bio engineered then it supports the conclusion as they give chance to bollworms to affect the cotton and 'No' weakens the argument.

A - Bio engineering corn would by no means help us understand why there was more damage with cotton.
C - Other crops are irrelevant
D - the argument is about cotton affected by bollworms not by other pests hence Irrelevant
E - This contradicts what is stated in the argument. It has been already stated that 'Bollworms, however, are not necessarily developing resistance to the cotton's insecticide'.
But the argument never mentioned non-bioenginereed cotton!!!

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by sam2304 » Sat Mar 17, 2012 4:32 am
raptor1985 wrote: But the argument never mentioned non-bioenginereed cotton!!!
I used that alternative for cotton that does not produce the insecticide its own.

It is said in the argument that cotton that produce its own insecticide to fight against bollworms are bio engineered.

B gives us a reason that if more cotton have been planted which does not produce insecticide on its own [spoiler][non bio engineered][/spoiler] then it supports the conclusion as they give chance to bollworms to affect the cotton and 'No' weakens the argument.

Hope it is clear now !!
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by [email protected] » Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:41 am
'Bollworms, however, are not necessarily developing resistance to the cotton's insecticide.'

The sentence given in the stimulus, makes it clear that since the bollworms from corn are not having any resistance against the cotton's insecticide and still affecting them, means that somewhere the bio-engineered cotton and the not bio-engineered cotton are sailing in the same ship.

So in order to support the conclusion, if the non bio-engineered cotton are getting affected on a large scale, then the argument is complete.

Also when you say a no to the question, the whole argument is negated.

Other options also are very very out of scope (thank god). Thats why i could figure out the option B. Closest answer...

Hope this post would help to understand better...
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