Zoologist: Every domesticated large mammal

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong22% picked this

   in spite of the difficulties encountered, at one time or another people have tried to domesticate each

   We know that they've tried to domesticate each wild large mammal that seemed worth domesticating, but the author doesn't have to assume that people have tried to domesticate every single wild large mammal species.

   22%
2. B

   Correct62% picked this

   it is not much easier today to domesticate wild large mammal species than it was

   Why this is right

   On Necessary Assumption, we know that ruling out language like "not" is often found in correct answers, so when we see it, we slow down and negate the answer to see if that turns the idea into an Objection. If we were to say that "it is much easier today to domesticate wild large mammal species than it was in the past", does that sound like an Objection? Sure! It sounds like we can't trust that species that were too difficult for humans to domesticate thousands of years ago shouldn't automatically be assumed to be too difficult for modern humans to domesticate. This would hurt the author's assumption that "was true of the past is still true now". If you're picky like me, you might hate this correct answer because the evidence says "Since that time ... we've tried innumerable times to domesticate all the ones that seemed worth it". To me, that language doesn't clearly define a past vs. present. It sounds more like over the last few thousand years we have been continually trying innumerable times, and thus it makes little sense to act like the author was saying "We tried a few thousand years ago and it was hard, so it would still be hard". It sounds more like "We've been continually trying for a few thousand years and it's been hard." But the fact remains that this answer is the best available, since on Necessary Assumption we're going by the standard of "Which answer, if negated, most weakens". Suggesting a big disparity between how difficult it was then vs. how difficult it is now is still the best objection available in these answer choices.

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

   62%
3. C

   Out of Scope: extinctions5% picked this

   not all of the large mammal species that were domesticated in the past are

   This is saying the author is assuming that some of the large mammals we domesticated have since gone extinct. Why does the author need to assume that?

   5%
4. D

   Too Strong7% picked this

   the easier it is to domesticate a wild large mammal species, the more worthwhile it

   These "stepladder" ideas are incredibly extreme. Does the author have to assume that any time you go 2 more units of ease of domestication, you get 2 more units of worthwhileness? Of course not. This answer only sounds appealing because it's taking two keywords from the argument and acting like they need to have a special relationship. The author was merely saying that if a large mammal is still wild, it would be for at least one of two reasons: it's not easy or it's not worthwhile to domesticate. Those two reasons don't have to be inextricably mathematically bound to each other.

   7%
5. E

   Too Strong5% picked this

   of all the domesticated large mammal species in existence today, the very first to be domesticated were

   The author doesn't need it to be true that humans started by domesticating the #1 easiest-to-domesticate large mammal. It wouldn't change her argument at all if they started with the #2 easiest. It's likely that old humans started with the #1 most available large mammal that was easy-enough to domesticate.

   5%