A certain gene can be stimulated

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct90% picked this

   stimulation of the gene by chemicals in cigarette smoke is not the only factor affecting the risk for

   Why this is right

   This is appealingly weak language (X is not the only factor). Stimulation of the gene causes an elevated risk of lung cancer (causing cells in the lung to become cancerous). If stimulation of the gene were the only factor affecting risk of smokers getting lung cancer, then it would be impossible for people whose gene can't be stimulated to have the same risk. Since we're told that people whose gene doesn't get stimulated have just as high a risk, it means there must be some other thing that can also affect your risk of cancer.

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

   90%
2. B

   Out of Scope: nonsmokers5% picked this

   nonsmokers have as high a risk of developing lung cancer as do smokers in whom the gene

   There's no way we can derive a must be true about nonsmokers when we have zero information about nonsmokers.

   5%
3. C

   Contradicted3% picked this

   smokers in whom the gene has been stimulated are more likely to develop lung cancer

   The final sentence says that smokers with a stimulated gene have as high a risk of lung cancer as other smokers.

   3%
4. D

   Out of Scope: Other Chemicals2% picked this

   the gene is more likely to be stimulated by chemicals in cigarette smoke than

   We are only told about chemicals in cigarettes stimulating this gene. We have no idea if any other chemicals stimulate the gene.

   2%
5. E

   Out of Scope: Don't Have Gene1% picked this

   smokers are less likely to develop lung cancer if they do not

   We only talked about people who do have the gene, so we can't derive any must be true about people who don't have the gene.

   1%