A
The nutrients in Activite can all be obtained from a sufficiently varied and well-balanced diet.
B
There are less expensive dietary supplements on the market that are just as effective as Activite.
C
A month is not a sufficient length of time for most dietary supplements to be fully effective.
D
The makers of Activite charge a handling fee that is considerably more than what it costs them to pack and ship their product.
E
The mere fact that a dietary supplement contains only natural ingredients does not insure that it has no harmful side effects.
A
Mourning doves were recently designated a migratory game species, meaning that they can be legally hunted.
B
The trees in the nearby orchards were the only type of trees in the area attractive to nesting mourning doves.
C
Blue jays that had nested in the orchards also ceased doing so after the sprinklers were installed.
D
Many residents of the area fill their bird feeders with canola or wheat, which are appropriate seeds for attracting mourning doves.
E
Mourning doves often nest in fruit trees.
Letter to the editor: When your newspaper reported the (admittedly extraordinary) claim by Mr. Hanlon that he saw an alien spaceship, the tone of your article was very skeptical despite the fact that Hanlon has over the years proved to be a trusted member of the community. If Hanlon claimed to have observed a rare natural phenomenon like a large meteor, your article would not have been skeptical. So your newspaper exhibits an unjustified bias.
Summary
Mr. Hanlon’s claim that he saw an alien spaceship was extraordinary.
The newspaper reported on this claim with a skeptical tone.
Mr. Hanlon has proved to be a trusted member of the community.
Hanlon claimed to have seen a rare natural phenomenon→ /Article would have skeptical
The newspaper exhibits unjustified bias.
Notable Valid Inferences
If the article was skeptical, then Hanlon’s claim wouldn’t have been about a rare natural phenomenon.
A
If a claim is extraordinary, it should not be presented uncritically unless it is backed by evidence of an extraordinarily high standard.
The letter conflicts with the principle in (A), which gives sufficient conditions for the newspaper to be skeptical. Hanlon’s situation met these conditions, so the newspaper should be skeptical. Yet, the letter argues the opposite—that the newspaper should not be skeptical.
B
One should be skeptical of claims that are based upon testimonial evidence that is acquired only through an intermediary source.
This principle does not apply. (B) discusses testimonial evidence acquired only through an intermediary source, but Hanlon’s evidence was provided directly.
C
If a media outlet has trusted a source in the past and the source has a good reputation, the outlet should continue to trust that source.
This principle does not apply. We know that Hanlon has been a trusted member of the community, but we don’t know if this newspaper has trusted Hanlon as a source in the past. We also don’t know anything about the newspaper’s reputation.
D
People who think they observe supernatural phenomena should not publicize that fact unless they can present corroborating evidence.
This principle does not apply to the letter’s argument. The argument in the letter is about the newspaper’s bias, but the principle in (D) would pertain to Hanlon’s actions.
E
A newspaper should not publish a report unless it is confirmed by an independent source.
This principle does not apply. (E) gives a principle for determining when a report shouldn’t be published, but the letter isn’t arguing about whether or not the report should have been published. Instead, the letter’s argument is about the newspaper’s bias.