Doctor: There will be more local cases

Answer choices

1. A

   Weakens, if anything1% picked this

   Effective approaches have been developed to deal with the strains of flu that were

   The concept of whether or not any treatment or effective approaches are available is totally immaterial to our inquiry. We care about one thing and one thing only: number of cases. If this answer is saying "we now have effective approaches to deal with last year's strain", that sounds like it could mean that we'll be better at avoiding that strain and have fewer cases, which would just weaken.

   1%
2. B

   No Impact1% picked this

   It is rare for new strains of flu

   Whether it's rare or common changes nothing. We know there's a new strain. All we care about is the mathematical comparison of # of cases this year vs. last year, and this answer isn't even addressing number of cases.

   1%
3. C

   Unrelated to Goal: approaches22% picked this

   The new strain of flu cannot be addressed with the approaches used to deal with the strains of flu

   Just like with (A), this is talking about something we don't care about: approaches to dealing with the flu. And it's not talking about what we do care about: number of cases.

   22%
4. D

   Unrelated to Goal: danger4% picked this

   The new strain of flu is expected to be more dangerous than the strains of flu that

   This is talking about something we don't care about: the danger of the new strain compared to last year's strain. And it's not talking about what we do care about: number of cases.

   4%
5. E

   Correct73% picked this

   There will be no decline this year in the number of cases of flu infection due to strains

   Why this is right

   We could find this correct answer simply by looking for the New Concept in Conclusion! This is the only answer to talk about "number of cases", which is the essence of the claim we're trying to prove. We know that this year has more strains than last year (all of the strains from last year + a new one). This answer says that there will be no decline this year in the number of cases due to last year's strains. So if last year's strains caused 1,000 cases last year, then this answer is guaranteeing us that last year's strains will cause at least 1,000 cases this year. But that just proves that this year's number of cases will be at least as high as last year's. How do we know it will be more? We're also told that the new strain has infected some people this year (at least one). So we know that we have at least 1,001 cases of flu this year. If you prefer charts ... LAST YEAR THIS YEAR cases from x x or more old strains cases from 0 1 or more new strain total cases x x+1 or more

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

   73%