Self-study
Researcher: During the rainy season, bonobos (an ape species closely related to chimpanzees) frequently swallow whole the rough-surfaced leaves of the shrub . ████████████ ███████ █████ ██████ ███ ██████ ████████ ███████ ██ █████ █████████ ███████████ █████ █████████ ██ █████ ██████ ███████████ ███ ███████████ ██ ████████████████ ██████
Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The researcher hypothesizes that bonobos eat Manniophyton fulvum leaves during the rainy season because they have medicinal properties. For evidence, he points to one such property: the leaves help eliminate gastrointestinal worms.
Notable Assumptions
The researcher assumes bonobos eat Manniophyton fulvum leaves because of their medicinal properties, and not for some other reason. This means assuming bonobos benefit from having fewer gastrointestinal worms and that the leaves are not worth eating just for their nutritional value.
1.
Which one of the following, ██ █████ ████ ███████████ ███ ████████████ █████████
a
Bonobos rarely swallow █████ ██████ ██ ███ ██████ █████ ████ ██ ███████
This suggests there’s something unique about M. fulvum leaves—but not necessarily their medicinal value. It makes bonobos’ ingestion of these leaves more anomalous, but throws no weight behind the researcher’s particular hypothesis.
b
Chimpanzees have also ████ ████████ ██ ███████ ██████████████ ██████ █████ ██████ ███ █████ ███████
This is irrelevant. It doesn’t say chimpanzees eat M. fulvum leaves in particular, nor does it imply chimpanzees eat those leaves for their medicinal properties.
Irrelevant corroboration
Irrelevant corroboration
Answers that provide additional support for a claim that the argument doesn't need more support for.
c
Of the rough-leaved ██████ █████████ ██ ████████ ██ ██████ ██████ ███ ███ ████ ███████
This doesn’t suggest bonobos eat them for their medicinal value. It’s equally compatible with the leading alternative hypotheses—for example, that bonobos eat the leaves for their nutritional value.
d
The leaves of ██ ██████ ███ ██████ ██ ███████ █████ ████ ████ ███ ████
This implies bonobos would prefer to eat M. fulvum leaves during the rainy season, rather than the dry season—but not why they choose to eat them in the first place. It doesn’t say the leaves have greater medicinal value when wet.
e
The rainy season ██ ███ ████ ████ ███████ ███ ████ ██████ ██ ██ ████████ ████ ████████████████ ██████
This suggests M. fulvum leaves have more medicinal value to bonobos during the rainy season, since those leaves are more likely to rid them of worms. It makes it more likely the bonobos eat the leaves for their medicinal properties, as opposed to nutritional or other reasons.
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.