Alex: Shrimp farming results in damage to the environment, because investors make quick profits from such farming and then abandon the farms.

Jolene: I disagree. Although some shrimp farms have proved unsustainable and have been quickly abandoned, properly built shrimp farms take a long time to construct and are costly to operate. Most owners try to make sure that their farms are productive for many years.

Speaker 1 Summary
Alex claims that shrimp farming results in environmental damage because investors make quick profits and then abandon the farms.

Speaker 2 Summary
Jolene disagrees with Alex's reasoning, arguing that although some farms have been unsustainable and abandoned, properly built shrimp farms are expensive, take a long time to construct, and are intended to be productive for many years.

Objective
Disagree: Alex and Jolene disagree over whether Shrimp farming often results in quick profits and quickly abandoning the farms.

A
most owners of shrimp farms eventually abandon their farms
Alex would likely agree. He believes investors make quick profits and leave. Jolene does not have an opinion on this. Although she says most owners “try to make sure” their farms are productive for many years, there is not enough information to know her opinion of this statement.
B
shrimp farming often yields a quick, easy profit
Alex agrees with this when he argues that investors make quick profits before abandoning the farms. Jolene disagrees when she acknowledges that properly built shrimp farms are costly and take a long time to operate. She specifies that “most owners” try to be productive.
C
shrimp farming hardly ever damages the environment
Alex clearly disagrees with this, and it is too strong for Jolene to have an opinion on. Jolene never specifies whether she thinks shrimp farming “hardly” damages the environment.
D
abandonment of a shrimp farm results in damage to the environment
Alex likely agrees with this statement. However, Jolene does not mention the negative impact of abandoning shrimp farms. If anything, she may agree (but that would not make this answer right)
E
some shrimp farmers are environmentally irresponsible
Alex would likely agree with this. Jolene does not mention anything about the environment and whether shrimp farmers are irresponsible.

35 comments

Carpal tunnel syndrome, a nerve disorder that affects the hands and wrists, is often caused by repetitive motions such as typing on a keyboard. A recent study of office workers found that, among those who do similar amounts of typing, workers reporting the least control over their own work had almost three times the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome as did those who reported the most control.

"Surprising" Phenomenon
Among workers who do similar amounts of typing, why do those who report the least control over their own work have a significantly higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome as do those who report the most control?

Objective
The correct answer should help differentiate feeling the least control (or reporting the least control) from feeling the most control (or reporting the most control). This difference should provide a potential theory that could lead to those feeling the least control (or reporting the least control) to develop carpal tunnel syndrome at a higher rate.

A
Office workers who have the most control over their own work tend to do significantly less typing than do those who have the least control over their own work.
The stimulus already controlled for different amounts of typing: “among those who do similar amounts of typing...”
B
Feeling a lack of control over one’s own work tends to put one under emotional stress that makes one more susceptible to nerve disorders.
The stimulus told us carpal tunnel syndrome is a nerve disorder. If feeling lack of control can make one more susceptible to nerve disorders, this could account for why those reporting the least control get carpal tunnel syndrome (a nerve disorder) at a higher rate than those reporting the most control.
C
The keyboards on which office workers type tend to put typists’ arms and hands in positions that promote the development of carpal tunnel syndrome.
This doesn’t differentiate workers reporting the least control from those reporting the most. We have no reason to think workers reporting the least control are more likely to use the keyboards described in this answer.
D
Among office workers who rarely use keyboards, the rate of carpal tunnel syndrome is much higher for those who feel that they lack control over their own work.
The stimulus already controls for typing amount. Whether workers rarely use keyboards or use keyboards a lot, among those who do similar amounts of typing, people reporting the least control get carpal tunnel syndrome at a higher rate. Why? This answer doesn’t provide a theory.
E
Office workers who have the most control over their own work tend to perform repetitive motions other than typing more often than do office workers with the least control over their own work.
This makes the discrepancy more difficult to explain. If those who have the most control perform repetitive motions more than those who have the last control, we’d expect those who report feeling the most control to get carpal tunnel syndrome at a higher rate.

23 comments