PT15.S3.Q23 - Asbestos Question

Hizekiel

Can someone please explain how they got to the right answer? I see that it is E, but how does it strengthen it?

chiwala4dad

Just took this question, it actually question 23. Anyways the argument says that asbestos is harmless unless it is disturbed. Thus the government requiring that it be moved is harmful since the asbestos will be disturbed. Choice E bolsters this point by adding that asbestos will most likely end up in landfills and be disturbed again, causing even more harm, supporting the reason why asbestos should be required.

Basically choice E is another harm that can occur if the government requires the removal of asbestos. Hope this helped!

RaphaelP

It indirectly strengthens it. So, what's our argument? Don't move the asbestos (conclusion); why? because moving it will disturb it and hurt people (premise). OK. So we need to support this by building up our assumptions.

What are we assuming? We're assuming that the biggest asbestos risk is from disturbance, that disturbance isn't some inevitable thing, etc. (E) is going to indirectly bolster these assumptions. (E) tells us that you remove it, you actually keep on disturbing it. This blocks a potential take-out of our argument - "remove it, and it never gets disturbed again." Seems like a good counter...except that (E) tells us that it's not so!