Critical Reasoning

Qs: The Eurasian ruffe, a fish species inadvertently introduced into North America's Great Lakes in recent years,feeds on the eggs of lake whitefish, a native species, thus threatening the lakes' natural ecosystem. To help track the ruffe's spread, government agencies have produced wallet-sized cards about the ruffe. The cards
contain pictures of the ruffe and explain the danger they pose; the cards also request anglers to report any ruffe they catch.

Which of the following, if true, would provide most support for the prediction that the agencies' action will have its intended effect?

(A) The ruffe has spiny fins that make it unattractive as prey.
(B) Ruffe generally feed at night, but most recreational fi shing on the Great Lakes is done during daytime hours.
(C) Most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish because it is a highly prized game fish.
(D) The ruffe is one of several nonnative species in the Great Lakes whose existence threatens the survival of lake whitefish populations there.
(E) The bait that most people use when fishing for whitefish on the Great Lakes is not attractive to ruffe.

OA:C

Verbal Experts - can you please let me know why the correct answer is correct? And why A is wrong? I'm not really convinced with OG's explanation. Please share your analysis.

Much appreciate your reply.

Hi RBB,

I'm not an expert but I'm pretty confident that the answer is C.

Regarding A, can u give your reasoning? It seems irrelevant to me.

Regard,

dominhtri1995

You are correct the answer is C. D is not supporting the plan since it indicates that SEVERAL species threaten the white fish.

I too am not sure why spiny fins (choice A) has anything to do with the wallet sized cards being effective.

With Choice C we have a link between the plan "government agencies have produced wallet-sized cards about the ruffe. The cards contain pictures of the ruffe and explain the danger they pose; the cards also request anglers to report any ruffe they catch" and the goal "To help track the ruffe's spread."

You see if the people prize the whitefish they will be eager to actually use the cards to identify the ruffe and furthermore to report the ruffe when they spot it.

RBBmba@2014 wrote:The Eurasian ruffe, a fish species inadvertently introduced into North America's Great Lakes in recent years, feeds on the eggs of lake whitefish, a native species, thus threatening the lakes' natural ecosystem. To help track the ruffe's spread, government agencies have produced wallet-sized cards about the ruffe. The cards contain pictures of the ruffe and explain the danger they pose; the cards also request anglers to report any ruffe they catch.[/b]

Eurasian ruffe feeding on the eggs of lake whitefish----- Threatening the lakes natural Ecosystem.

Govt have produced cards of ruffe explaining the dangers they posse , they also request anglers to report any ruffe they catch.

Which of the following, if true, would provide most support for the prediction that the agencies' action will have its intended effect?

(A) The ruffe has spiny fins that make it unattractive as prey.

Out of scope.

(B) Ruffe generally feed at night, but most recreational fishing on the Great Lakes is done during daytime hours.

Out of scope..

(C) Most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish because it is a highly prized game fish.

Might be true...

(D) The ruffe is one of several nonnative species in the Great Lakes whose existence threatens the survival of lake whitefish populations there.

Though the statement is true , but it is not related to the question in hand - " action will have its intended effect "

So we can negate this option..

(E) The bait that most people use when fishing for whitefish on the Great Lakes is not attractive to ruffe.

Out of scope..

Hence IMO (C)

RBBmba@2014 wrote:Qs: The Eurasian ruffe, a fish species inadvertently introduced into North America's Great Lakes in recent years,
feeds on the eggs of lake whitefish, a native species, thus threatening the lakes' natural ecosystem. To help
track the ruffe's spread, government agencies have produced wallet-sized cards about the ruffe. The cards
contain pictures of the ruffe and explain the danger they pose; the cards also request anglers to report any ruffe
they catch.

Which of the following, if true, would provide most support for the prediction that the agencies' action will have its intended effect?

(A) The ruffe has spiny fins that make it unattractive as prey.
(B) Ruffe generally feed at night, but most recreational fi shing on the Great Lakes is done during daytime hours.
(C) Most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish because it is a highly prized game fish.
(D) The ruffe is one of several nonnative species in the Great Lakes whose existence threatens the survival of lake whitefish populations there.
(E) The bait that most people use when fishing for whitefish on the Great Lakes is not attractive to ruffe.

This is a PLANNING argument.
Plan: To produce cards that request anglers to report any ruffe they catch.
Goal: To track the ruffe's spread.

The assumption is WHAT MUST BE TRUE for the plan to work.
Here, it must be true that anglers will COMPLY with the government's request.
If anglers REFUSE to report the ruffe they catch, then government agencies will NOT be able to track the ruffe's spread.

Only C strengthens the assumption that anglers will comply with the government's request:
Most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes -- in other words, most ANGLERS -- are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish because it is a highly prized game fish.
Since anglers PRIZE the whitefish, they are likely to file reports about the ruffe -- a species that FEEDS on the eggs of the whitefish.

The correct answer is C.[spoiler][/spoiler]