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Difficulty: MediumAnalyzing Bolded Statement Roles

For decades, oceanographers have contended that deep-sea mining near hydrothermal vents poses an unacceptable threat to unique benthic ecosystems. Recently, several mining consortia announced plans to deploy new autonomous extraction robots that collect mineral nodules without disrupting the surrounding seabed. However, environmental analysts point out that these robots still emit high-frequency acoustic vibrations that disrupt marine mammal navigation systems across vast distances. Therefore, the claim that autonomous seabed mining eliminates ecological damage is clearly unfounded.

In the argument above, which of the following best describes the roles played by the two boldfaced statements?

  1. A
    The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a supporting premise introduced to substantiate that conclusion.
  2. B
    The first provides background evidence supporting the author's overall position; the second is an intermediate conclusion used to support a further unstated claim.
  3. The first describes a proposed technological solution cited by proponents to address an ecological concern; the second is the main conclusion of the argument, which contends that this solution fails to eliminate the concern.Answer
  4. D
    The first is a position advocated by oceanographers; the second is a counterargument intended to refute the oceanographers' position.
  5. E
    The first is an observation that the argument relies upon to establish its main conclusion; the second is a judgment offered as evidence for a rival position.

Answer

The option stating that the first bolded statement describes a proposed technological solution cited by proponents to address an ecological concern, while the second is the main conclusion asserting that this solution fails to eliminate the concern, is the correct answer.
The correct answer accurately identifies that the first bolded sentence presents a technological development (autonomous robots) proposed by mining consortia to address seabed disruption. The second bolded sentence, signaled by the conclusion word 'Therefore', delivers the argument's main conclusion: that the assertion that this technology eliminates ecological damage is unfounded due to acoustic disruption.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Deconstruct the argument components and locate structural transition markers.
The text begins with background context regarding oceanographers' concerns about deep-sea mining. The word 'Recently' introduces the first bolded statement about mining consortia proposing autonomous extraction robots. The word 'However' introduces counter-evidence regarding acoustic vibrations. The conclusion indicator 'Therefore' introduces the second bolded statement.
Identifying transition markers like 'However' and conclusion indicators like 'Therefore' helps map the logical flow of the passage.
2
Determine the role of the first bolded statement.
The first bolded statement presents the plan by mining consortia to deploy robots to harvest nodules without disrupting the seabed. It represents a potential solution to seabed disruption.
Evaluating how this claim functions relative to the author's stance shows it is a proposed innovation whose effectiveness the author subsequently challenges.
3
Determine the role of the second bolded statement.
The second bolded statement is preceded by 'Therefore' and summarizes the ultimate takeaway of the argument: that autonomous mining still causes ecological damage (via sound vibrations) and thus the safety claim is unfounded. This is the main conclusion.
The author uses premise evidence about sound vibrations to justify this final judgment.
4
Match findings to the correct option.
The description in the choice stating that the first describes a proposed technological solution and the second is the main conclusion contending that the solution fails matches perfectly.
This choice correctly captures the structural relationship and stance of both bolded statements without distorting the argument's perspective.

Key Concept

Analyzing Structural Roles of Bolded Statements in Critical Reasoning Arguments
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Topics

Analyzing Bolded Statement Roles

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