People who have spent a lot of time in contact with animals

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People who have spent a lot of time in contact with animals often develop animal-induced allergies, some of them quite serious. In a survey of current employees in major zoos, about 30 percent had animal-induced allergies. Based on this sample, experts conclude that among members of the general population who have spent a similarly large amount of time in close contact with animals, the percentage with animal-induced allergies is not 30 percent but substantially more.

Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest grounds for the experts' conclusion?

A. A zoo employee who develops a serious animal-induced allergy is very likely to switch to some other occupation.
B. A zoo employee is more likely than a person in the general population to keep one or more animal pets at home
C. The percentage of the general population whose level of exposure to animals matches that of a zoo employee is quite small.
D. Exposure to domestic pets is, on the whole, less likely to cause animal induced allergy than exposure to many of the animals kept in zoos.
E. Zoo employees seldom wear protective gear when they handle animals in their care.

What's the best approach to determine the answer? Can any experts show?
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Feb 13, 2018 5:52 am
ardz24 wrote:People who have spent a lot of time in contact with animals often develop animal-induced allergies, some of them quite serious. In a survey of current employees in major zoos, about 30 percent had animal-induced allergies. Based on this sample, experts conclude that among members of the general population who have spent a similarly large amount of time in close contact with animals, the percentage with animal-induced allergies is not 30 percent but substantially more.

Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest grounds for the experts' conclusion?

A. A zoo employee who develops a serious animal-induced allergy is very likely to switch to some other occupation.
B. A zoo employee is more likely than a person in the general population to keep one or more animal pets at home
C. The percentage of the general population whose level of exposure to animals matches that of a zoo employee is quite small.
D. Exposure to domestic pets is, on the whole, less likely to cause animal induced allergy than exposure to many of the animals kept in zoos.
E. Zoo employees seldom wear protective gear when they handle animals in their care.
The key word in the argument is current: the survey included not ALL zoo employees, past and present, but only CURRENT zoo employees.
One way to strengthen the argument would be to show that -- because the survey included only current employees -- the percentage with allergies was UNDERREPORTED.

A: A zoo employee who develops a serious animal-induced allergy is very likely to switch to some other occupation.
Implication:
The survey of current employees overlooked any employees with allergies WHO HAD SWITCHED TO ANOTHER JOB.
Thus, the percentage of people who developed allergies while working at the zoo was likely much higher than 30%, suggesting that the percentage of non-employees who develop allergies will also be much higher than 30%.

The correct answer is A.
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