Question Type:
Strengthen
Stimulus Breakdown:
Conclusion: Lichens can serve the the same information-gathering function of expensive pollution-monitoring devices.
Evidence: Lichens, in this copper pollution experiment, were as accurate as the best monitoring device.
Answer Anticipation:
If we were arguing the Anti-Conc, we'd be trying to think of how the lichens are NOT a viable replacement. We would basically need to argue that what was true in the copper experiment would NOT be true more generally. Like maybe lichens are a viable replacement for monitoring copper pollution, but not for other types of pollution.
So a Strengthen answer might go the opposite direction and make it seem like "measuring copper pollution is representative of measuring other types", or even "copper pollution is the HARDEST for lichens to get right" (so if they're getting THAT right, they would get other types of pollution right too).
Correct Answer:
E
Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) We don't care were stuff has/hasn't been installed. We only care if, going forward, we could use lichens instead of devices.
(B) Maybe? Did the author fail to connect copper pollution to "devices that measure AIR pollution"? No, the author made it clear that the copper pollution was "airborne". So this answer isn't doing anything for the argument.
(C) This might almost weaken, since we need lichens to be able to thrive in conditional of pollution in order for us to use them as an ongoing measurement of local pollution.
(D) We need the opposite of laboratory usefulness. Are lichens practical for monitoring other forms of pollution besides copper, OUTSIDE the context of this experiment?
(E) YES! This helps us trust that the copper pollution experiment is indicative of how useful lichens would be at measuring other types of pollution.
Takeaway/Pattern: At the heart of most Strengthen/Weaken questions is causality or comparisons. Here, our primary concern was wondering whether it's fair to compare how good lichens were at measuring COPPER pollution to how good lichens would be at measuring OTHER TYPES of pollution.
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