Logical Reasoning

PT13 · S4 · Q12 Beverage company representative: The plastic rings

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Beverage company representative: The plastic rings that hold six‐packs of beverage cans together pose a threat to wild animals, which often become entangled in the discarded rings and suffocate as a result.

Conclusion (therefore)

The threat of suffocation that plastic rings pose to wild animals will be eliminated once all beverage companies complete the switchover from the old to the new plastic rings.

Evidence

The plastic rings that hold six-packs of beverage cans together pose a threat to wild animals because these animals often become entangled in the discarded rings and suffocate.

All beverage companies will soon use rings made of a new plastic that disintegrates after three days of exposure to sunlight.

Evaluate

This argument presents a Plan / Goal structure:

Plan: Switchover from old plastic rings to new plastic rings that disintegrate quickly.

Goal: Eliminate the threat of suffocation that plastic rings pose to wild animals.

How could we potentially follow this Plan but fail to achieve the Goal? All the companies have switched to the new plastic rings, but there is still some threat of suffocation posed by plastic rings..

Maybe the new plastic rings are suffocating the animals before they disintegrated (like on day 1 or day 2 of sunlight). Maybe some of the new plastic rings end up in the shade where they never receive sunlight and thus don't disintegrate.

Goal

Let's find an answer that allows us to say that even if we follow this Plan, we will still have some threat of suffocation posed by plastic rings..

12.

Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the representative’s argument?

  1. The switchover to the new

    No Impact

    We don't care how long the switchover takes. We just care if the suffocation threat will be eliminated after the switchover is complete.

    1% picked this

  2. Correct

    After the beverage companies have

    Why this is right

    This gives us a way to argue that even once we've switched over to the new rings, the threat of suffocation from plastic rings will persist, since the animals could still suffocate on the old rings that are still out there in the environment.

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

    70% picked this

  3. The new plastic rings are

    No Impact

    The cost comparison between the new and old rings doesn't address the elimination of the suffocation threat.

    0% picked this

  4. The new plastic rings rarely

    No Impact

    This option relates only to the logistics of shipping and does not address the environmental impact on animal suffocation.

    3% picked this

  5. The new plastic rings disintegrate

    No Impact

    While harmful substances from disintegrated rings pose environmental concerns, the conclusion is only about suffocation. Although this option introduces a new problem, it doesn't directly undermine the conclusion about suffocation.

    27% picked this

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