Advertisement: Attention pond owners!

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong: most effective19% picked this

   The most effective way to control the numbers of mosquitoes in a given area is to destroy the

   The ad doesn't need to assume that BTI is the best way to control mosquitos. It doesn't promise that it's the best, only that it will greatly reduce mosquito populations.

   19%
2. B

   Irrelevant Quality: dependent on single body2% picked this

   Populations of mosquitoes are not dependent on a single body of water within an area as a place for their

   This answer has a very appealing ruling-out "not", so we would negate it and see if it weakens. Would it hurt the argument if we say that populations of mosquitoes ARE dependent on a single body of water? No that doesn't seem to hurt in any way. This ad envisions that we will treat our one body of water (our pond) with BTI, so it seems like if anything the negation is very compatible with the argument.

   2%
3. C

   Out of Scope: other pests5% picked this

   There are no insect pests besides mosquitoes that pond owners might want to eliminate from in

   This ad just promises that BTI would reduce mosquitoes. The fact that mosquitoes are the only pest mentioned doesn't mean that the argument is assuming that mosquitoes are the only pest that pond owners might want to eliminate. A tutor who only offers services to tutor people in LSAT games isn't assuming that there are no other sections of the test that people might want help with. They're just only offering help with one section.

   5%
4. D

   Irrelevant Quality2% picked this

   The effectiveness of BTI in destroying mosquito larvae in a pond does not require the pond owner’s strict

   This also has the lovable ruling-out "not", so we'll see if the negation would weaken. Does it hurt the ad to say, "the effectiveness of BTI does require strict adherence to specific application procedures"? No, as long as people adhere to the procedure, the conclusion would still be correct to say that by using BTI regularly, you can greatly reduce mosquito populations.

   2%
5. E

   Correct72% picked this

   The fish, frogs, and beneficial insects in and around a pond-owner’s pond do not depend on mosquito larvae as

   Why this is right

   Since this has the Defender style "not", we'll negate it and see if it weakens. Does it hurt the argument to say that fish, frogs and beneficial insects DO depend on mosquito larvae for food? Yes! This would attack the truth of the conclusion. If fish, frogs, and insects depend on larvae for food, then greatly reducing larvae for greatly reduce the food supply they depend on, so it very possibly could diminish the populations of fish / frogs / insects.

   Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   72%