The question stem reads: The reasoning in which of the following is most similar to that in the naturalist's argument? This is a Parallel question.

The naturalist begins by claiming that a species can survive the change in an environment as long as the change is not too rapid. The naturalist has provided a general rule saying that the change can be ok for a species, with the caveat that the change does not occur too rapidly. The naturalist concludes that the threats humans create to woodland species arise not from cutting down trees but from the rate at which we are cutting down trees. The naturalist has applied the universal rule about species to the specific example of woodland species. So the problem is not that change we are creating by cutting down trees, but the because we are causing the change too rapidly.

When evaluating an answer choice, we need a universal rule with a caveat. The correct AC will apply that universal rule to a specific example and say that the specific example is failing to satisfy the caveat.

Answer Choice (A) is incorrect. (A) does not provide a universal rule; it only gives a specific rule about fossil fuels. Additionally, (A) 's rule about fossil fuels lacks the caveat we are looking for.

Answer Choice (B) is incorrect. We can quickly eliminate (B) because of the word "many." Remember, we need a universal rule, so if (B) was right, it would begin with "all people." Additionally, (B) 's rule lacks the caveat we are looking for, nor does (B) apply its rule to a specific example.

Answer Choice (C) is incorrect. Similar to (B), we can eliminate (C) because it says "some" when we are looking for a universal rule. Additionally, (C) also lacks the caveat, nor does (C) apply the rule to a specific example.

Correct Answer Choice (D) matches the stimulus. (D) provides a general rule that "people do not fear change," under the caveat people know what the change will bring. (D) then applies that rule to the specific example of the author's company's employees. The company's employees' fears arise from the fact the company is changing, but because they do not know what the change will bring (the caveat is not satisfied).

Answer Choice (E) is incorrect. (E) does not provide a general rule, so we can eliminate it.


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Certain bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide as a waste product would die if directly exposed to oxygen. The hydrogen sulfide reacts with oxygen, removing it and so preventing it from harming the bacteria. Furthermore, the hydrogen sulfide tends to kill other organisms in the area, thereby providing the bacteria with a source of food. As a result, a dense colony of these bacteria produces for itself an environment in which it can continue to thrive indefinitely.

Summary
Some bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide as a waste product would die if exposed to oxygen. The hydrogen sulfide produced removes oxygen from the bacteria’s surroundings by reacting with it. Hydrogen sulfide also kills other organisms which the bacteria use as a food source. Therefore, a dense colony of these bacteria can thrive indefinitely.

Strongly Supported Conclusions
A dense colony of bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide will indefinitely kill enough surrounding organisms for food and prevent oxygen from coming into contact with the bacteria.

A
A dense colony of the bacteria can indefinitely continue to produce enough hydrogen sulfide to kill other organisms in the area and to prevent oxygen from harming the bacteria.
This answer is strongly supported. If the colony is to survive forever, it must be that they will produce enough food for themselves in the form of other organisms and prevent oxygen from coming into direct contact with the colony.
B
The hydrogen sulfide produced by the bacteria kills other organisms in the area by reacting with and removing oxygen.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus how the other organisms in the bacteria’s environment are killed from the hydrogen sulfide. There could be another way than reacting with oxygen in the environment.
C
Most organisms, if killed by the hydrogen sulfide produced by the bacteria, can provide a source of food for the bacteria.
This answer is unsupported. Saying “most” organisms is too strong in this answer. We only know that there must be some organisms that the hydrogen sulfide kills in order to produce a food source.
D
The bacteria can continue to thrive indefinitely only in an environment in which the hydrogen sulfide they produce has removed all oxygen and killed other organisms in the area.
This answer is unsupported. In the stimulus, removing oxygen and killing organisms in the area are sufficient conditions for the continued existence of a colony of bacteria. We don’t know if these conditions are necessary.
E
If any colony of bacteria produces hydrogen sulfide as a waste product, it thereby ensures that it is both provided with a source of food and protected from harm by oxygen.
This answer is unsupported. The stimulus is limited to “certain” bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide as a waste product. We don’t know if these facts are true of any colony of bacteria.

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Principle: It is healthy for children to engage in an activity that promotes their intellectual development only if engaging in that activity does not detract from their social development.

Application: Although Megan’s frequent reading stimulates her intellectually, it reduces the amount of time she spends interacting with other people. Therefore, it is not healthy for her to read as much as she does.

Summarize Argument
The author concludes that it’s not healthy for Megan to read as much as she does. This is based on the principle that an activity that promotes a child’s intellectual development is healthy only if it doesn’t detract from social development. And, we know that Megan’s reading stimulates her intellectually, but reduces the time she spends interacting with other people.

Identify and Describe Flaw
The author assumes that if an activity reduces the amount of time Megan interacts with others, it must detract from her social development. This is the assumption that makes the author believe that Megan’s frequent reading interacts with the principle to prove that her reading isn’t healthy.

A
It misinterprets the principle as a universal claim intended to hold in all cases without exception, rather than as a mere generalization.
The principle is not a mere generalization. It’s a conditional rule that doesn’t have exceptions. If an activity that promotes a child’s intellectual development detracts from social development, then it’s not healthy for children to engage in it.
B
It overlooks the possibility that the benefits of a given activity may sometimes be important enough to outweigh the adverse health effects.
The conclusion is that Megan’s reading isn’t healthy. Whether there are benefits to reading that outweigh health effects has no impact on whether her reading isn’t healthy.
C
It misinterprets the principle to be, at least in part, a claim about what is unhealthy, rather than solely a claim about what is healthy.
The principle is about what’s unhealthy. It tells us that if the activity that promotes intellectual development detracts from social development, then it’s not healthy for children to engage in it. So it’s not “solely” a claim about what is healthy.
D
It takes for granted that any decrease in the amount of time a child spends interacting with others detracts from that child’s social development.
The author assumes that Megan’s reading detracts from her social development because it reduces the time she spends interacting with others. This overlooks the possibility that reducing time interacting with others might not detract from her social development.
E
It takes a necessary condition for an activity’s being healthy as a sufficient condition for its being so.
A necessary condition for an activity’s being healthy is that it doesn’t detract from social development. The author does not argue that an activity is healthy because it doesn’t detract from social development.

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Ethicist: It would be a mistake to say that just because someone is not inclined to do otherwise, she or he does not deserve to be praised for doing what is right, for although we do consider people especially virtuous if they successfully resist a desire to do what is wrong, they are certainly no less virtuous if they have succeeded in extinguishing all such desires.

Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The ethicist refutes the idea that those who are not inclined to do wrong don’t deserve to be praised for doing what is right. Why is that idea flawed? People who succeed in avoiding all desires to do what is wrong are just as virtuous as those who struggle to resist one desire at a time.

Identify Argument Part
This is a commonly held belief that the author says is not enough to support the claim being refuted. Although we tend to think people are especially virtuous for successfully resisting a desire, they are no more virtuous those who get rid of all their immoral desires. Therefore, they are not more deserving of praise.

A
It is a claim for which the argument attempts to provide justification.
The author says this claim is insufficient, and justifies why it is insufficient.
B
It makes an observation that, according to the argument, is insufficient to justify the claim that the argument concludes is false.
This is accurate. This part of the argument would support the claim being refuted, but the author shows why this commonly held belief isn’t enough to say that group deserves more praise.
C
It is a claim, acceptance of which, the argument contends, is a primary obstacle to some people’s having an adequate conception of virtue.
Adequate conceptions of virtue are not at issue in the argument. Additionally, the acceptance of this claim is not an obstacle as long as those who extinguish all desires are considered equally virtuous.
D
It is, according to the argument, a commonly held opinion that is nevertheless false.
The ethicist does not say that this assertion is false. It can be true that those individuals are especially virtuous, perhaps when compared to those who don’t resist desire. They just are no more virtuous than those who extinguish all desire.
E
It reports an observation that, according to the argument, serves as evidence for the truth of its conclusion.
This does not support the conclusion. It almost supports the claim that is being refuted, but the ethicist shows why it is insufficient.

33 comments