Self-study
Bird watcher: Conclusion The decrease in the mourning-dove population in this area is probably a result of the loss of nesting habitat. ████ ████████ █████ ███ ████████ ██████ ██ ███ ██████ █████████ ███ █████ ████████ ██████████ ████ █████████ ██ ███ ████████ ████ █████ ███ █████ ██████ ████████ █████ ██████
Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author hypothesizes that the decrease in mourning-dove population is probably a result of the loss of nesting habitat. This is based on the fact that many doves had formerly nested in the nearby orchards, but the doves stopped building nests in the orchards after sprinklers were installed in the orchards.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that the doves’ stopping of nests in the orchards constitutes a loss of nesting habitat. The author also assumes that there aren’t enough other areas for doves to build nests that could make up for the loss of the orchards as a nest-building location. The author also assumes there’s no other explanation for the decrease in population aside from loss of nesting habitat.
26.
Which one of the following, ██ █████ ████ ███████████ ███ █████████
a
Mourning doves were ████████ ██████████ █ █████████ ████ ████████ ███████ ████ ████ ███ ██ ███████ ███████
If anything, this weakens the argument by providing a potential alternate explanation for the decrease in dove population (they began to be hunted).
Directionally wrong
Directionally wrong
Answers that, if they have any effect, do the opposite of what we want (weaken when we're trying to strengthen, or strengthen when we're trying to weaken).
b
The trees in ███ ██████ ████████ ████ ███ ████ ████ ██ █████ ██ ███ ████ ██████████ ██ ███████ ████████ ██████
This strengthens by providing evidence that loss of the orchards as a nest-building location constitutes a loss of nesting habitat. If there had been other trees available that were attractive for nesting, then there wouldn’t necessarily be a loss of nesting habitat.
c
Blue jays that ███ ██████ ██ ███ ████████ ████ ██████ █████ ██ █████ ███ ██████████ ████ ██████████
This tells us another species stopped nesting in the orchards. But that doesn’t reveal whether the loss of the orchards was a loss of nesting habitat for mourning doves. We already know the doves stopped nesting in the orchards.
Irrelevant corroboration
Irrelevant corroboration
Answers that provide additional support for a claim that the argument doesn't need more support for.
d
Many residents of ███ ████ ████ █████ ████ ███████ ████ ██████ ██ ██████ █████ ███ ███████████ █████ ███ ██████████ ████████ ██████
This tells us that doves might feed at bird feeders. But it doesn’t have a clear impact on doves’ nesting options and whether their nesting habitat has decreased.
e
Mourning doves often ████ ██ █████ ██████
Are fruit trees in orchards? Are they no longer available for nesting in the orchard? Are there fruit trees outside of the orchards? Without knowing the answers to these questions, (E) has no clear impact.