Amber—fossilized tree resin

Answer choices

1. A

   Weak Impact9% picked this

   Amber is often sold by small shops and street vendors that take few precautions

   The fact that shops that sell amber aren't good at ensuring authenticity definitely increases the plausibility that we might buy fake amber. But this answer has nothing to do with convincing us that seeing a "normal-appearing insect" is a sign that the amber is probably fake. This answer applies to any type of supposed-amber. So while it has some strengthening effect, it's mild.

   9%
2. B

   No Impact2% picked this

   Pieces of amber that contain fossilized life forms are generally larger than plain

   The size of the pieces of supposed-amber is not useful or relevant to us. This is just saying that if there's an insect in the amber (whether normal-appearing or abnormal-appearing), the piece will be bigger than if there isn't an insect. But it doesn't help us argue that seeing a "normal-appearing insect" makes it more likely that it's fake.

   2%
3. C

   No Impact5% picked this

   Amber that contains insects usually demands a higher price than does amber that

   This reinforces something that was already implied. We know that forgers often add an insect to improve the value of their piece of fake amber, so the fact that amber w/ insects sells better than amber w/ plants matches that same gist. But we didn't need to be convinced that adding an insect improves the value. We need to be convinced that seeing a piece of supposed-amber with a normal-appearing insect in it is a sign that the amber is fake.

   5%
4. D

   No Impact2% picked this

   It is very difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake amber without destroying

   We're not concerned with what it takes to figure out whether the amber is real or fake, whether that process is destructive or not. We're only concerned with why seeing a normal-appearing insect suggests that the amber is fake.

   2%
5. E

   Correct81% picked this

   Insects struggling to free themselves from tree resin are usually fossilized in awkward

   Why this is right

   This helps us argue that seeing a normal-appearing insect means that the amber is probably fake. After all, when insects get trapped in amber in nature, they aren't normal-appearing. They appear in awkward and grotesque positions. Most of the real amber that contains insects has awkward-appearing insects. Thus, seeing a normal-appearing insect suggests that the amber isn't real.

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

   81%