seabird fate

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seabird fate

by NSNguyen » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:09 am
The fishing industry cannot currently be relied upon to help the government count the seabirds killed by net fishing, since an accurate count might result in restriction of net fishing. The government should therefore institute a program under which tissue samples from the dead birds are examined to determine the amount of toxins in the fish eaten by the birds. The industry would then have a reason to turn in the bird carcasses, since the industry needs to know whether the fish it catches are contaminated with toxins.
Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
(A) The seabirds that are killed by net fishing do not eat all of the species of fish caught by the fishing industry.
(B) The government has not in the past sought to determine whether fish were contaminated with toxins by examining tissue samples of seabirds.
(C) The government cannot gain an accurate count of the number of seabirds killed by net fishing unless the fishing industry cooperates.
(D) If the government knew that fish caught by the fishing industry were contaminated by toxins, the government would restrict net fishing.
(E) If net fishing were restricted by the government, then the fishing industry would become more inclined to reveal the number of seabirds killed by net fishing.
Please share your idea and your reasoning :D
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by banker1 » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:23 am
IMO: C

I interpret the argument to be about the government's desire to understand the impact of net fishing on sea birds.

(A), (D), and (E) weaken the argument.

(B) is tricky but wrong IMO. The government is looking for the impact on sea birds killed by net fishing, the fisherman are concerned about fish contamination.

(C) is the right answer IMO since it basically restates the opening line of the argument.

What is the OA?

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by vin2k » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:03 pm
I would say E:

E clearly states that if the fishing were restricted, then the industry would inturn reveal the number of dead seabirds. The last premise:
The industry would then have a reason to turn in the bird carcasses, since the industry needs to know whether the fish it catches are contaminated with toxins.
clealy states this, so anything which would help in finding out the # of dead seabirds would strengthen the argument.

The argument clearly states that the fishing industry is not willing to cooperate, and is hence has to initiate a program to count the # of dead birds. So I do not think C is the answer.

What's the OA ?

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by niraj_a » Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:57 am
i thought E was wrong because it poses an alternate solution to the argument.

i was choosing between C and D, and chose D in the end.

this is one confusing question.

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by pseudononymous » Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:25 am
Assumption 1: Industry cooperation is needed to count dead birds.
Assumption 2: Industry won't cooperate due to possibility of restrictions.
Assumption 3: Industry will cooperate in exchange for contamination testing.

(A) Weakens Assumption 3
(B) Maybe strengthens Assumption 3?
(C) Definitely strengthens Assumption 1
(D) Weakens Assumption 3
(E) Contradicts Assumption 2

(C) strengthens the argument the most. If the fishing industry is not needed to count the dead birds, then the entire argument falls apart. The creation of the toxin program relies on the fact that fishing industry cooperation is needed.

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by john83.amar » Wed May 11, 2016 4:58 am
I believe the answer should be E