David@VeritasPrep wrote:rx_11 -

To answer your question, I would not treat this as an assumption just because it is asking for a premise that is not yet stated. All strengthen questions are looking for a premise that has not been stated. On official questions the word "assumption" or "assumes" will be there. However, if you do treat this as an assumption A is still the best answer.

sk818020 (Jared) has given a great explanation on answer choice A and that is why I commented on other aspects of the problem - no need for me to duplicate.

The argument already tells you that Spring wheat and Winter wheat are usually equally profitable. So as Selango says, the two wheats should each be fairly well adapted to the soil - or else they are both poorly adapted. In either case I do not think that C is an assumption. What if the wheat is not well adapted? What if it is only "okay" in terms of adaptation? What if the adaptation is average? That would not mean that Spring wheat will not be more profitable given what we are already told. The thing that has changed is that winter wheat yields are down. So this will result in less profit unless the price is up. As Jared says, as long as answer choice A is in place this means that spring wheat will be more profitable. The only way to make winter wheat more profitable is for winter wheat to command higher prices. Choice A eliminates this possibility.

So strengthen or assumption A is the correct answer.

Davison River farmers are currently deciding between planting winter wheat this fall or spring wheat next spring.

Therefore, planting spring wheat will be more profitable than planting winter wheat, since___________.

David@VeritasPrep wrote:No --

Choice B is gone right from the start. Choice B is made irrelevant by the stimulus. The stimulus clearly forbids the possibility of planting both crops. It says

Davison River farmers are currently deciding between planting winter wheat this fall or spring wheat next spring.

Now I am not sure why they must choose between, it could be water, soil minerals, or timing. But there is no possibility here of two crops. Not possible on critical reasoning to short out the whole question!

Also, the portion before the blank says:

Therefore, planting spring wheat will be more profitable than planting winter wheat, since___________.

So you need to show why spring wheat is more profitable. There is not option to say, "plant both."

Nice idea though! Just remember that an assumption, when negated, still has to work within the question and cannot weaken the conclusion by taking out the entire question.