The Biocarb Company wants to build

Answer choices

1. A

   Out of Scope: beliefs6% picked this

   Environmental activists believe that waste treated with steam will

   The president doesn't need to assume that activists believe anything. The president is only making an argument about what is factually the case, not about what people believe.

   6%
2. B

   Correct77% picked this

   Handling of the waste before treatment in the proposed facility will not pose a threat of

   Why this is right

   Whenever we're doing Necessary Assumption and we see an answer ruling out an idea with the word "not / no", we should be very attracted. If we negate this, does it turn into an objection? Handling of the waste before its treated will pose a threat of pollution to the area. Yes! That's a huge objection. The president's argument was only saying there's no potential for danger after the waste has been treated, but this negation is bringing up the salient objection that the waste could potentially pollute the area because of a spill / leak / etc. that would occur before the waste has been treated.

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

   77%
3. C

   Too Strong: only4% picked this

   Fear of pollution is the only argument against construction of an autoclave facility

   This idea is way too strong / not something we could possibly derive from this paragraph. And if we negated it and said, "Hey, author -- there are other argument besides pollution that we could make against building this facility", she would say, "Cool. My conclusion was only about pollution, so the only relevant objections would need to be about pollution."

   4%
4. D

   Too Strong: no others0% picked this

   No others besides environmental activists are concerned about pollution hazards that can result from

   This idea is also too strong and has nothing to do with the argument: If waste will be sterile after processing, then operation of plant can't cause pollution. The argument has nothing to do with who is concerned that there might be pollution. This answer, like so many trap answers, tries to trick students into thinking, "the only thing mentioned is therefore the only thing". They only mentioned environmental activists being concerned, but that doesn't mean they're telling us that only environmentalists are concerned.

   0%
5. E

   Too Strong: surest method13% picked this

   Treatment by superheated steam represents the surest method

   Again, with the extreme language! Does it hurt the author's argument if superheated steam is only the 2nd best method of sterilization? Nope. It's still the case that by using this method we can render waste cleaner than food prepared in the cleanest kitchen. That still sounds plenty clean, even if there is some surer method of sterilizing.

   13%