Self-study
Science columnist: It is clear why humans have so many diseases in common with cats. ████ █████ ████████ ███ ███████████ ██████ ███ ████ ███ ███████████ ██████ ██ ██████ ████ ███ ███ █████ ███████ ██████ ████████ █████████ ████ ██ ███ █████ ██████████ ██ ███ ██ ████ ███ ██ █████ ███████████ ██ ███████
Summarize Argument
The columnist comes to the implied conclusion that humans share diseases with cats for genetic reasons. Why? Because many diseases are genetically based, and cats and humans are close genetic relatives—as demonstrated by a close correlation between the species' genes.
Notable Assumptions
In order for the reason why humans and cats share so many diseases to be “clear,” the columnist must assume that the diseases humans and cats share are genetically based diseases. The columnist must also assume that any genetic differences between humans and cats are not the type of difference that would change the species' susceptibility to diseases.
3.
Which one of the following, ██ █████ ████ ███████ ███ ███████ ███████████ ███████████ ███ ███ █████ ████ ██████ ████ ██ ████ ████████ ██ ██████ ████ █████
a
Cats have built ██ ██████████ ██ ████ ██ ███ ████████ ████ ████ ██ ██████ ████ ███████
This is irrelevant, because the argument is about why cats share these diseases with humans in the first place, not about either species' immunity.
b
Most diseases that ██████ ████ ██ ██████ ████ ████ ████ ██ ███████ ██████
The columnist’s entire argument is based on the assumption that these shared diseases are genetic. If shared diseases aren’t genetic, then the columnist’s conclusion doesn’t follow.
Plausibility
Plausibility
Presenting evidence that corroborates (in Strengthen) or conflicts (in Weaken) with the author's hypothesized explanation or the predictions that follow from that explanation.
c
Cats have more ████████ ██ ██████ ████ ████████ ████████ ████ ████ ███████
Even if this were true, humans and cats still share many diseases. This has no impact on the columnist's argument that these diseases are clearly shared due to genetics.
d
Many of the ████████ ██████ ████ ██ ██████ ████ ████ ███ ████ ███ ███ ██████ ██████████
Even if these diseases are mild, humans still share them with cats. The strength of the diseases doesn't weaken the columnist’s argument that they are shared for genetic reasons.
e
Humans have more █████ ██ ██████ ████ ████████ ████████ ████ ████ █████
This just reaffirms something stated in the stimulus. Either way, the degree of relationship between humans and any mammal other than cats has no bearing on the columnist's argument.