The spillway, a structure for releasing excess water from the dam, may have to be opened during the coming week. It will be opened if, but only if, there is significant rainfall during that time or the temperature rises, melting snow on the mountains. The chance of significant rainfall is 40 percent, provided the temperature does not rise. So it is more likely than not that the spillway will be opened.The argument requires the assumption that
Answer(s): A
The argument suggests that the spillway will be opened if there is either significant rainfall or a rise in temperature that melts snow on the mountains. The key reasoning is that the chance of significant rainfall is 40 percent, provided that the temperature does not rise. The conclusion drawn is that it is more likely than not that the spillway will be opened, which implies a greater than 50 percent probability of the spillway being opened.To assess this argument, we need to understand the assumption that allows the argument to conclude that the spillway will likely be opened. The spillway can only be opened if either significant rainfall occurs or the temperature rises to melt snow. If the only factor considered is the 40 percent chance of rainfall (assuming the temperature does not rise), we would not have a better-than-even chance that the spillway will be opened.Therefore, the argument assumes that there is a non-negligible chance that the temperature will rise (i.e., not zero), which would also contribute to the chance of the spillway being opened. If this assumption is true, then the combined probability of the spillway being opened becomes greater than 50 percent, which supports the conclusion.
Legislator: We should reform the civil forfeiture laws to better protect people's property. It is a travesty that under the current law, Ms. Pierson's car could be seized because it was used by her nephew in the commission of a crime, even though she did nothing wrong and had no knowledge of the wrongdoing.Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the legislator's argument?
Answer(s): C
The legislator's argument is focused on the unfairness of civil forfeiture laws, specifically in the case of Ms.Pierson, whose car could be seized despite her not being involved in any criminal activity and having no knowledge of her nephew's wrongdoing. The legislator's position is that property owners should not lose their property due to the actions of others, especially when the owner has not done anything wrong.Chosen option directly supports this reasoning by stating that property owners should not be forced to forfeit their property because of someone else's misconduct. This principle justifies the legislator's call for reform, as it would protect property owners from having their property taken without their own wrongdoing.
Researchers studying ants attached 1-millimeter "stilts" to the legs of ants at the beginning of their journey home from a food source they had visited before. The ants on stilts typically traveled well past their nest and then began pacing back and forth, apparently looking for home.Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the behavior of the ants described above?
Answer(s): E
The ants' behavior in this study can be explained by the fact that ants typically use a form of "path integration," where they keep track of the distance they travel using a counting mechanism for their steps. When the ants were given stilts, this altered the length of their steps, which led to them walking past their nest and then pacing back and forth, seemingly lost. Since the ants rely on counting their steps to return to the nest, the stilts made their step count inaccurate, causing them to miss their nest.
The Baiya Monastery in Tibet features murals painted almost 300 years ago that are rare examples of the unique Ga style. Structural damage over the years has caused the walls behind the murals to deteriorate. Thus, if the murals are to be saved, the monastery itself must be restored.Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument?
Answer(s): D
The argument asserts that the murals in Baiya Monastery must be preserved by restoring the monastery itself because structural damage has caused the walls behind the murals to deteriorate. To strengthen this argument, it would be helpful to establish that the murals cannot be preserved in another way, such as by removing them from the walls. If the murals cannot be removed, the only way to preserve them would indeed be to restore the monastery, which directly supports the argument.
Farmer: Farming techniques that foster soil conservation increase crops' resistance to drought, which decreases the chances that crop insurance companies will have to pay claims. Thus, just as it is financially smart for car insurance companies to offer reduced premiums to safe drivers, ______.Which one of the following most logically completes the farmer's argument?
The farmer's argument draws a parallel between car insurance companies offering reduced premiums to safe drivers and the idea that crop insurance companies should offer incentives to farmers who use soil-conserving farming techniques. The reasoning is that, just as safer drivers pose less risk to insurance companies, farmers who adopt soil conservation techniques pose less risk of needing insurance payouts due to drought. Thus, offering incentives or reduced premiums to these farmers would be a financially smart move for crop insurance companies.
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