Self-study
Nutritionist: Contrary to popular belief, a high-calcium diet does not prevent osteoporosis (decrease in bone density). ███████ █ ███████████ ████ ████ ██ █████████ ██ ██████ ███ ██████████ ███ █ ███████ ████████ ██ ████ ███ █████ ████████ ██ █████████ ███ ███ ██████████ ██ ███ ██████████ ██████████████ █████████ ████ ██ ███████ ██ ████████ ███████ ██ ████ ██████████ █████ █████ ███████ ████ ████ █████████ ███████ ███████████
Summarize Argument
The nutritionist claims—with no support—that a high-calcium diet doesn’t prevent osteoporosis but a low-protein, low-meat, low-dairy, high-fruit-and-vegetable diet is essential for preventing it. She also claims that weight-bearing exercise is essential for the prevention of osteoporosis, and cites support: regular resistance causes bones to thicken.
Notable Assumptions
The nutritionist assumes weight-bearing exercise provides regular resistance not provided by non-weight-bearing exercise. Every incorrect answer will strengthen that assumption or offer support for her other claims—that a high-calcium diet doesn’t prevent osteoporosis, and that a low-protein, low-meat, low-dairy, high-fruit-and-vegetable diet is essential for preventing osteoporosis.
7.
Each of the following, if █████ █████ ███████ ███ ██████████████ ████ ███████
a
Astronauts who have █████ ██ ███ ██████████ ███████████ ██ █████ ████ █████████ █████████ ██ ████ ███████ ███████ ████████ ████████ █████████
This supports the nutritionist’s assumption that weight-bearing exercise offers more regular resistance than non-weight-bearing exercise. It points out a group that exercised in a non-weight-bearing way and suffered high rates of osteoporosis.
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.
b
Certain medical therapies ████ ██ ███ ███████ ███████ █████ ███ ██ █████████ █████ ██ ██████████ █████████████
This implies a low-meat-and-dairy, high-fruit-and-vegetable diet isn’t actually necessary for preventing osteoporosis. It casts doubt on the nutritionist’s claim that such a diet is essential.
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).
c
Populations in countries ████ ███ ██████ ███ ██████ █████ ██ ███████ ███████████ ████ ████ ██ ███ ██████ ██████████ ██ █████████████
This supports the nutritionist’s claim that low-protein diets are essential for preventing osteoporosis by pointing out a correlation between low protein intake and low rates of osteoporosis.
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.
d
Arctic peoples, who ███████ █████ ███████ ██ ████████ ███████ ███ ██ ███ ███████ █████ ██ ████████████ ██ ███ ██████
This supports the nutritionist’s claim that high-calcium diets are not essential for preventing osteoporosis by pointing out a counterexample: one population with both high calcium consumption and high rates of osteoporosis.
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.
e
The incidence of ████████████ ██ █████████ ███ █████ ██████ ███████████ ████ ███████████ ██████
This supports the nutritionist’s claim that low-protein, low-meat diets are essential for preventing osteoporosis by pointing to an example: low-protein vegetarians, who suffer osteoporosis at low rates.
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.