Inorganic pesticides remain active on the surfaces of fruits and vegetables for several days after spraying, while organic pesticides dissipate within a few hours after application, leaving the surface of the sprayed produce free of pesticide residue. Therefore, when purchasing from a farm that uses inorganic pesticides, one must be careful to wash the produce thoroughly before eating it to prevent the ingestion of toxins. But one need not worry about ingesting pesticides when purchasing from farms that use only organic pesticides.
The argument above assumes that
A) Consumers are aware of the origins of the produce they purchase.
B) Produce from farms that use organic pesticides reaches the consumer within hours after it is picked or harvested.
C) No farm uses both organic and inorganic pesticides.
D) No pesticide is capable of penetrating the skin of a fruit or vegetable.
E) The use of either type of pesticide does not increase the cost of produce.
My diagram looked like something this:
Premise: Inorganic pest. remain on surfaces of F & V for days
Premise: Organic pest. dissipates within hours
Conclusion: Must wash F&V from farm using inorganic. No wash from farms using only organic.
So in order to make that conclusion, the argument must assume that the people know where their getting their stuff from? No? The answer given was D. I am not sure I agree with that. Aren't we being told that inorganic remains on the SURFACE and the organic dissipates? The conclusion is that consumer should wash or not wash depending on where the F&V are from. How do they know what to wash and what not to wash?
Please help. I took got this wrong twice-- 2 months apart. Picked same answer choice using same diagram.
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- disagree with answer?
- rfernandez
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I understand your point, but there's a good technique for assumption questions that can help clarify why in fact D is the right answer.
For an answer to be the assumption upon which the argument rests, then the OPPOSITE of that statement must completely strike down the conclusion altogether. So when you're debating between choices, try that test: rephrase the answer choice as its opposite and see what effect is has on the conclusion. If it has a neutral (or supportive) effect on the conclusion, then it's the wrong answer. If it has a devastating effect, then that's the right one. Let's try it for A and for D.
not A: Consumers are NOT aware of the origins of the produce they purchase.
That said, it still remains true that produce treated with inorganic pesticides should be washed to avoid ingesting pesticides and that produce treated with organic pesticides poses no risk of ingesting pesticides. This conclusion is true whether consumers know they're purchasing one kind of fruit or the other.
not D: Some pesticides ARE capable of penetrating the skin of a fruit or vegetable.
If this is true, then even fruit treated with organic pesticides are a cause for worry because the pesticides may have penetrated the fruit itself. Ingesting pesticides would be possible for produce treated with either organic and inorganic pesticides.
For an answer to be the assumption upon which the argument rests, then the OPPOSITE of that statement must completely strike down the conclusion altogether. So when you're debating between choices, try that test: rephrase the answer choice as its opposite and see what effect is has on the conclusion. If it has a neutral (or supportive) effect on the conclusion, then it's the wrong answer. If it has a devastating effect, then that's the right one. Let's try it for A and for D.
not A: Consumers are NOT aware of the origins of the produce they purchase.
That said, it still remains true that produce treated with inorganic pesticides should be washed to avoid ingesting pesticides and that produce treated with organic pesticides poses no risk of ingesting pesticides. This conclusion is true whether consumers know they're purchasing one kind of fruit or the other.
not D: Some pesticides ARE capable of penetrating the skin of a fruit or vegetable.
If this is true, then even fruit treated with organic pesticides are a cause for worry because the pesticides may have penetrated the fruit itself. Ingesting pesticides would be possible for produce treated with either organic and inorganic pesticides.
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