Q3 - The current sharp decline...

[tirzamullin]

I was between answers C and E. I chose C because E had the word can, which meant it may not contribute to the adverse conditions. Why is E correct then?

[ohthatpatrick]

Question Type: Necessary Assumption

Task:
Which answer, if negated, most weaken the argument?

ARGUMENT CORE

conc - Inbreeding is an underlying cause of honeybee decline

why?

evid - Inbreeding has led to less genetic diversity


ANALYSIS OF CORE

Okay, so there is some missing link between "less genetic diversity" and "honeybee decline".

Are we basically assuming "less genetic diversity = bad"?

ANSWER CHOICES

(A) commercial vs. wild is not a distinction we care about. This is just about commercial honeybees.

(B) We're not evaluating whether something bad can be reversed. We're evaluating whether less genetic diversity is something bad.

(C) We're not evaluating whether genetic diversity is STILL on the decline. We're evaluating whether lowered genetic diversity is something bad.

(D) This almost goes the opposite direction. The author is assuming that less diversity has led to declines. He doesn't need to assume that populations WITH diversity are also devastated.

(E) This sounds like "less genetic diversity = bad".

How do we clinch our answer on Necessary Assumption? We negate it and see if it would weaken the argument.

negated (E)
"lack of genetic diversity CANNOT make honeybees more vulnerable to adverse conditions"

That completely blows up the conclusion.

Author:
"inbreeding, which lowers genetic diversity, is an underlying cause contributing to the decline of honeybees; the immediate cause is some viral/bacterial/pesticide/mite adverse condition."

negated (E)
"a lack of genetic diversity cannot make honeybees more vulnerable (cannot contribute) to adverse conditions."

Boom!

Hope this helps. Sounded like your confusion stemmed from the weak sounding language of (E). Remember, weak language is a LOVEABLE quality on Necessary Assumption, because when you negate something weak it becomes something strong.

On Necessary Assumption, we're not judging what effect the answer choice has as written. We're judging what effect it would have when negated.

[XiaoranZ794]

E is the best answer, but I think it is more like a sufficient assumption rather than a necessary one. Genetic diversity must be bad for the commercial honeybee, but it can do harm in many ways. Making them more vulnerable to adverse conditions is just one way. Maybe a limited genetic diversity leads to a higher possibility of some diseases? (I know little about biology just a guess). Would you please explain why E is a necessary assumption but not a sufficient one?

[wendyy601]

E is the best answer, but I think it is more like a sufficient assumption rather than a necessary one. Genetic diversity must be bad for the commercial honeybee, but it can do harm in many ways. Making them more vulnerable to adverse conditions is just one way. Maybe a limited genetic diversity leads to a higher possibility of some diseases? (I know little about biology just a guess). Would you please explain why E is a necessary assumption but not a sufficient one?

Is that because the conclusion says "highly likely," so the negation of the correct answer does not have to be strong even if it's a necessary assumption question?