Self-study
Eight large craters run in a long straight line across a geographical region. ████████ ████ ██ ███ ███████ ███████ █████ ████ ████ █████████ █████████████ ██████ ██████████████ ██ ██████████ ████████ ████ ██████ █████ ██████ █████ ████ ████ ████ ██████ ██ ███████ ████████ ███████ ███████ ██ ███ █████████ ██ ███ ████████ ██ ██ ████ ████████ ████ ████ ██ ████ ████ ██████ ██ █████████ ███ ██████ ████ ██████ ██ ███████████ █████ █████ ███ ███████ ███ ███ █████████ █████ ████ ████ ████████ ██████ ██ ████████ ██████ ██████ ████ ███████████
Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author hypothesizes that the eight large craters in a long straight line were probably caused by volcanic events rather than meteorites. This is because the craters contain rocks that show characteristics that could have been caused by volcanic events, and the linearity of the craters make it unlikely that the craters had different causes. In addition, the craters are all of different ages.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that craters in a straight line that are all of different ages are unlikely to be caused by meteorites slamming into earth. The author assumes that it is possible for volcanic events to produce craters in a straight line that are all of different ages. Another assumption is that there isn’t another more likely cause of the craters besides volcanic activity and meteorites.
23.
Which one of the following ███████████ ██ █████ █████ ████ ██████████ ███ █████████
a
A similar but ███████ ████ ██ ███████ ████ ███ ███ ███ ████ ███ ██ █████ ██ ████ ████ ██████ ██ ████████ █████████
The craters we’re trying to explain are all of different ages. Evidence that volcanic activity can produce craters of the same age has no impact.
b
No known natural █████ █████ ██████ ███████ ███ █████ █████████ ███████ ██ █████████ ████ ███████ █ ████████ █████
In theory, meteorites could have hit Earth over a long time and left craters, but something covered up or removed some craters such that what’s left appears to be a straight line of craters. (B) strengthens the argument by eliminating this possibility.
Alternate explanation
Alternate explanation
Weaken: Introduce or support an alternate explanation for a phenomenon.
Strengthen: Helps to eliminate an alternate explanation for a phenomenon.
c
There is no ███████████ ████████ ██ ██████ ██████████ ██ ████████ ████████ ██ ███ ██████ █████ ███ ███████ ███ ████████
If anything, this might weaken by suggesting the cause of the craters might be something besides volcanic activity.
d
There is no ███████████ ████████ ██ █ ████████ █████ ██████ ██████ ██ ████ ███████ ███ █████████████ ██████ ████ ███ ██████████████ ██ ██████████ ████████ ████ ██████
If anything, this might weaken by suggesting the cause of the craters might be something besides volcanic activity.
e
No known single ██████ ██████ ███ ███████ ███████ █████ ██████ ███████ ████ ████ █ ████████ █████
The craters were all different ages, which already strongly suggests that the craters were not caused by a single meteor shower. So, (E) has no impact. The possibility we really want to eliminate is that they were created by multiple meteor showers over time.
Failed alternate explanation
Failed alternate explanation
Weaken Qs: Answers that try to introduce an alternate explanation, but fall short, or try to explain a different phenomenon.
Strengthen Qs: Answers that try to eliminate an alternate explanation, but fall short, or try to eliminate an explanation for a different phenomenon.