Critical Reasoning

The earth's resources are being depleted much too fast. To correct this, the United States must keep its resource consumption at present levels for many years to come.
13. The argument above depends on which of the following assumptions?
(A) Per capita resource consumption in the United States is at an all-time high.
(B) The United States wastes resources.
(C) The United States uses more resources than any other country.
(D) The United States imports most of the resources it uses.
(E) Curbing U.S. resource consumption will significantly retard world resource depletion.


14. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument above?
(A) New resource deposits are constantly being discovered.
(B) The United States consumes one-third of all resources used in the world.
(C) Other countries need economic development more than the United States does.
(D) Other countries have agreed to hold their resource consumption at present levels.
(E) The United States has been conserving resources for several years.

IMO

13) E

14) D

"(B) The United States consumes one-third of all resources used in the world."

Why can this not be considered??

sridevipavan wrote:"(B) The United States consumes one-third of all resources used in the world."

Why can this not be considered??

If you look carefully, the argument is somewhere concerned about the rate with which the consumption is increasing.
Now,

(B) The United States consumes one-third of all resources used in the world.

Its tempting because one-third seems like a large amount and so u conclude that US should not go beyond that....but that gonna be wrong as u can't say one third is the limiting factor beyond which US consumption should not go further in order to control the depletion rate...the limiting factor may be two-third etc who knows...hence incorrect

Hi atul,

if i go by assumption then the argument assumes that "US consumes large number of resources then any other country"...............if we go by D then "even if other countries have agreed to hold resource consumption then it doesn't gurantee that US will use less resources as by the lesser resource consumption automatically the rate of depletion would go down" .......i feel that B should have been better in 14th question..........please correct me if i am wrong

@aspirant2011

Hi, the question is bit tricky and its important to personalize the argument...Let me show u a way, suppose there is a meeting of UN regarding this same issue of the depletion of the natural resources...okay...

Now suppose, you are the president, the final authority who will take the decision, and I'm the representative of US...finally you say:

The earth's resources are being depleted much too fast. To correct this, United States YOU must keep YOUR resource consumption at present levels for many years to come.

In response i strongly say...why only my country???? Look at others, for ex: look at China and India and others, in these countries also the consumption rate of resources is increasing and with this increasing consumption rate, in two years they gonna use the same amount of resources which we are using...so why only me???

Now in reply if you answer back Op B, and say

Its because you are using one-third of all the natural resources in the world..

I'm gonna answer:

So what...huhhh??? China is also using one-third of resources..or if not using the same then after an year with its current consumption rate it will be on the same spot...then why me???

Now, do you have any answer of my question, Mr. President...you see, your reply containing Op B was not able to justify or strengthen your point.

But, when i asked WHY ME?? That time if you would have answered, The other nations agreed to stick to the same consumption rate...so u better keep your consumption rate constant...

In this case do i have any answer or excuse in reply...certainly the reason this time (Op D), strengthen your order and put a zip on my mouth...

Hence Op D

I hope this help...

ya i agree with you atul..........actually i went with a different approach i.e

Premise: The earth's resources are being depleted much too fast

Conclusion: To correct this, the United States must keep its resource consumption at present levels for many years to come

Assumption: US uses more resources

Now, we need to connect premise with conclusion and need to strengthen the assumption.

This is how I approached this question.......i am really weaker in CR's and RC part

aspirant2011 wrote:ya i agree with you atul..........actually i went with a different approach i.e

Premise: The earth's resources are being depleted much too fast

Conclusion: To correct this, the United States must keep its resource consumption at present levels for many years to come

Assumption: US uses more resources

Now, we need to connect premise with conclusion and need to strengthen the assumption.

This is how I approached this question.......i am really weaker in CR's and RC part

Actually, i think, the fault is here:

Assumption: US uses more resources

This is not a genuine assumption..why?? Suppose, there are total 100 resources (though its illogical to say this), now US uses 33 resources...the maximum as u assume...on the other hand, China is using 30 resources, But, the rate of consumption is such that, after an year, China will be using 40 resources while US is using only 35...so do u think its logical to conclude that US u must make your consumption rate constant??? answer is NO...it should be China who must constant their consumption rate....the argument is not concerned much about current consumption, it is concerned about THE CONSUMPTION RATE...thats the point and that's why the answer of previous question related to assumption is

Curbing U.S. resource consumption will significantly retard world resource depletion.

The meaning of the bold part is "fixing the current consumption of US constant"

yup got it, thanks a lot atul