Logical Reasoning

PT122 · S2 · Q6 The cattle egret is a bird

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The cattle egret is a bird that lives around herds of cattle.

Curious Fact

Why does the cattle egret live around herds of cattle?

One Explanation

As the cattle graze, it stirs up insects that the egret can eat.

Evaluate

This is an interesting question stem, in that it looks like Weaken, but we're not trying to weaken anything in the stimulus. We just need an additional explanation for why for why cattle egrets follow herds.

Goal

Find an answer choice that offers a different explanation for the presence of egrets among cattle herds.

6.

Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously undermine the claim that the explanation given above is the only available one?

  1. Birds other than cattle egrets

    No Impact

    This choice states that other birds eat the insects stirred up by cattle, reiterating the existing explanation we already know for why egrets hang out with cattle. But we need a new storyline, unrelated to eating the stirred-up insects.

    4% picked this

  2. Cattle egrets are known to

    No Impact

    This suggests egrets also follow other slow-moving animals, which reiterates observed behavior without offering a new reason. It fails to provide an alternate explanation beyond insect access.

    9% picked this

  3. Correct

    The presence of cattle dissuades

    Why this is right

    This provides an alternate explanation: the presence of cattle dissuades egret predators. This gives a new reason for following herds, beyond just the insect-stirring explanation.

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

    82% picked this

  4. Cattle egrets are not generally

    No Impact

    This repeats that egrets like being around large animals but does not suggest an alternate reason for this preference related to the original claim about insects.

    2% picked this

  5. Forests are generally inhospitable to

    No Impact

    This states that forests are inhospitable due to lack of insects, reinforcing the initial insect-related reasoning rather than providing an alternative motivation for egrets following cattle.

    3% picked this

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