Binh: Undeniably, the insurer is in business to make money. But the mere fact that an insurer draws a profit in no way implies that buying one of its policies is unwise.
Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
Kira concludes that it’s unwise for us to buy the insurance policy. This is because Kira thinks it’s designed to make money for the insurance company.
Binh concedes that an insurance company wants to make money. But Binh points out that this fact doesn’t imply that buying an insurance policy is unwise.
Binh concedes that an insurance company wants to make money. But Binh points out that this fact doesn’t imply that buying an insurance policy is unwise.
Describe Method of Reasoning
Binh points out that Kira’s premise is not sufficient to prove her conclusion.
A
suggesting that Kira has overlooked a fact that, although consistent with her premises, is in direct conflict with her conclusion
Binh doesn’t point out any fact that Kira has overlooked. Binh points out that Kira’s own premise doesn’t support her conclusion.
B
denying Kira’s premises while suggesting that her conclusion, although possibly true, is highly unlikely
Binh does not deny Kira’s premises. He admits that insurance companies want to make money, and he does not deny that insurance companies set prices to ensure profits.
C
arguing that Kira’s premises are not only inadequate to prove her conclusion but in fact point strongly toward its being false
Binh does not argue that Kira’s premises strongly point toward her conclusion being false. Binh simply notes that her premises do not prove her conclusion.
D
conceding Kira’s premises without denying her conclusion, while asserting that the latter does not follow from the former
Binh concedes Kira’s premises (acknowledges insurer wants money and makes profit) and asserts that her conclusion (that the insurance policy is unwise) does not follow from her premises.
E
observing that while Kira’s premises each independently support her conclusion, the premises themselves are inconsistent with one another
Binh does not suggest that Kira’s premises provide any support to her conclusion. He also does not suggest that her premises contradict each other.
"Surprising" Phenomenon
A rise in seawater temperature would melt the ice caps considerably, yet the ice caps would increase in total volume.
Objective
The correct answer will be a hypothesis that explains how something that considerably melts the polar ice caps can also increase their volume. This explanation must result in the ice caps growth outweighing their shrinkage from melting, and provide some mechanism for how this growth occurs.
A
As global temperatures increase, more seawater evaporates into the atmosphere, thereby leading to increased snowfall at the polar caps, which then melts and refreezes as ice.
While a temperature increase would melt the ice caps, it would also cause increased snowfall at the polar caps. In turn, the ice caps would grow in total volume once the snow refreezes into ice. This accounts for both melting and volume growth.
B
As global temperatures increase, more seawater evaporates into the atmosphere, thereby lowering the ocean level, which then results in less contact between the ice caps and the warmer water, thereby stabilizing the size of the ice caps.
According to the stimulus, the ice caps would grow. This says they remain stable.
C
As sea temperatures increase, the difference in temperature between the polar ice caps and the adjacent water becomes greater, which in turn causes the water to melt the ice it contacts at a faster rate.
This intensifies ice cap melt, but it doesn’t explain why the ice caps would grow in volume.
D
As sea temperatures increase, evaporation of seawater causes the concentration of salt in the water to increase, which thereby lowers the temperature needed to freeze the seawater.
If the temperature needed to freeze seawater falls even further, then it seems even less likely the ice caps would grow in volume.
E
As global temperatures increase, more seawater evaporates into the atmosphere, thereby leading to increased cloud formation, which causes smaller variations between the average temperatures of the earth’s hottest climates and those of its coldest climates.
Unless those variations explain how ice cap volume would grow, we don’t care about them. This doesn’t tell us those variations explain anything.