Logical Reasoning

PT152 · S2 · Q13 Shelton: The recent sharp

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Shelton: The recent sharp decline in the number of moose in this region was caused by a large increase in the white-tailed deer population.

Shelton

Recently, the moose population has steeply declined because they picked up a parasite from local white-tailed deer.

Russo

In a nearby region, there's been a big increase in white-tailed deer, but not change in the moose population.

Evaluate / Goal

We need the correct answer to point out some meaningful difference between these two regions / these two situations.

How come in one situation, the increase in deer is leading to a decrease in moose (via parasite), whereas in the other situation, the increase in deer is not leading to a decrease in moose?

13.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent conflict between Shelton's and Russo's statements?

  1. The region with the declining

    Irrelevant Comparison

    We wouldn't care which of the two regions' moose populations is bigger. We're concerned with relative changes within a region (less moose than before vs. same moose as before).

    4% picked this

  2. The region with the declining

    Opposite

    We're looking for a way to explain why in the neighboring region the moose aren't declining, and this answer tells us "in that region, they have worse habitat". So that's the opposite of what we want.

    2% picked this

  3. Wolf packs in the region

    Too Weak

    We're looking for a way to explain why in the neighboring region the moose aren't declining, and this answer tells us "in that region, the wolves at a wider variety of species". Does that mean that wolves don't eat the moose as much and that's why there's a stable number of moose? That's a stretch of a story. Not to mention, it doesn't have a good logical connection to what's different when it comes to more deer here vs. more deer there.

    18% picked this

  4. Correct

    There is a large overlap

    Why this is right

    What an answer for our COVID-19 times. In the neighboring region, the uptick in deer population isn't infecting the local moose with parasites as much because over there the moose and the deer have "socially distanced" habitats.

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

    75% picked this

  5. Moose require a habitat with

    Doesn't Provide Difference

    This just generalizes about moose and deer in a way that will hold true for both regions, both situations. So it's not going to help us explain why those two regions/situations are different.

    1% picked this

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