Logical Reasoning

PT145 · S4 · Q7 It is widely believed that the

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It is widely believed that the most environmentally sensible thing to do is to buy food from local farmers whenever it is available.

Conclusion (so)

Sometimes it's environmentally preferable to buy non-local food.

Evidence

The distance food travels is only a small part of its environmental impact. Certain foods can be produced with far less impact in some places rather than others.

Evaluate

Whenever we're reading arguments on Role / Main Conclusion, we're anticipating rebuttals, since a majority of these arguments are rebuttals.

The paragraph opens with an attribution: the most environmentally sensible thing is to buy food locally.

We'd anticipate, from that, that our author is going to argue against that, and following the BUT pivot, we see that indeed she is pushing back against that idea.

It's most common on Main Conclusion / Role to have a disagreement conclusion like "But this is wrong" followed by evidence.

But in this case, the author pivots into premises and ends with the conclusion (marked by "So").

Goal

We're being asked about the attribution claim from the first sentence, which is an Opposing Idea. Our author's argument is designed to refute that. Her conclusion is essentially saying the opposite of that first idea.

7.

The claim that the most environmentally sensible thing to do is to buy food from local farmers whenever it is available plays which one of the following roles in the argument?

  1. It is a principle upon

    Premise

    We're looking for an answer that describes an Opposing claim. This describes a Supporting claim. If the argument is based on something, then it's part of the support.

    4% picked this

  2. It is a general principle

    Premise

    We're looking for an answer that describes an Opposing claim. This describes a Supporting claim, something used to support.

    1% picked this

  3. It is a general principle

    Premise

    We're looking for an answer that describes an Opposing claim. This describes a Supporting claim. If the author is using a claim to do something, then it's part of her support. The claim we're being asked about is the claim the author is rejecting, not a claim the author is using to reject something else.

    5% picked this

  4. Correct

    It is a view that

    Why this is right

    Here is our Opposing Idea. The conclusion rejects the idea that the most environmentally friendly thing is to always get your food locally when possible.

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

    90% picked this

  5. It is the conclusion of

    Conclusion

    We're looking for an answer that describes an Opposing claim, not the Main Conclusion. The main conclusion is the final claim, and it's directly opposed to this first claim we're being asked about.

    1% picked this

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