Logical Reasoning

PT3 · S2 · Q9 Although nondairy coffee lighteners made with coconut

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Although nondairy coffee lighteners made with coconut oil contain 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, or 7 times more than does whole milk, those lighteners usually contain no cholesterol.

Manufacturer's Claim

Their coconut oil-based lighteners usually cause a lower rise in typical consumer’s blood cholesterol levels than whole milk as a lightener.

Evidence

The paragraph establishes that nondairy lighteners made with coconut oil contain more saturated fat per tablespoon (2 grams) than whole milk, which has 2 milligrams of cholesterol. However, one tablespoon of the lightener increases blood cholesterol to a higher level than whole milk does.

Evaluate

This feels more like a Paradox question than Strengthen.

GIVEN THAT a tablespoon of coconut oil lightener causes a consumer's blood cholesterol to rise higher than does one tablespoon of whole milk,

HOW CAN WE DEFEND THE CLAIM THAT these coconut oil-based lighteners typically cause a lower rise in blood cholesterol than whole milk?

Goal

It seems like we'd have to say that consumers use a smaller amount of these lighteners than they'd use of whole milk (or that they do something different when they use these lighteners that would lighten the load on blood cholesterol, like maybe they don't finish as much of their coffee mug before dumping out the rest).

9.

Manufacturers of coffee lighteners based on coconut oil claim that their products usually cause the typical consumer’s blood cholesterol to rise to a lower level than does the use of whole milk as a lightener. Which one of the following, if true, provides the most support for the manufacturers’ claim?

  1. Consumers of lighteners made with

    No Impact

    This choice provides irrelevant context, discussing consumers with special habits that aren't typical. It's not addressing the comparison between the lighteners and whole milk for the typical consumer.

    11% picked this

  2. Coffee is frequently consumed with

    No Impact / No Distinction

    This is just about coffee, regardless of which creamer one uses. Since it makes no distinction between the coconut-oil creamer and whole milk, it doesn't help us explain how coconut-oil users would get less of a blood cholesterol boost.

    10% picked this

  3. One popular nondairy coffee lightener

    No Impact

    This choice talks about a nondairy lightener unrelated to coconut oil. It doesn’t relate to the comparison between coconut oil-based lighteners vs. whole milk.

    4% picked this

  4. Correct

    Consumers typically add to their

    Why this is right

    If consumers typically add substantially smaller quantities of coconut oil-based lighteners than of whole milk, it could explain why the increase in blood cholesterol is usually lower compared to using whole milk. Even though 1 tbsp of coco-creamer is worse than 1 tbsp of whole milk, if consumers add less of the coco-creamer, then we really might be comparing the effects of 0.5 tbsp of coco-creamer to 1 tbsp of whole milk.

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

    72% picked this

  5. Most consumers are convinced that

    No Impact

    This choice only discusses consumers’ beliefs about dairy and nondairy products, which doesn't affect the actual comparative cholesterol-raising effects of coconut oil-based lighteners versus whole milk.

    3% picked this

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