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Difficulty: MediumStrengthen

Match each logical argument with the supplementary finding that most strongly strengthens its conclusion.

  • Ecologist: In alpine meadows, high-elevation bumblebee populations declined by 40% following the introduction of managed honeybee hives, despite ample floral nectar throughout the season. Because direct physical aggression between species was absent, the decline was likely caused by honeybees transmitting novel pathogens to the native bumblebees.Alpine bumblebee colonies in adjacent valleys with identical climate and floral resources, where no managed hives were introduced, showed no increase in pathogen prevalence and maintained stable population levels.
  • Urban Planner: After the city converted two central traffic lanes into dedicated rapid-bus corridors, average vehicle commuting times across downtown decreased by 12%. Because total downtown vehicle volume remained unchanged, the dedicated bus lanes must have improved general traffic flow efficiency by reducing lane-switching disruptions.Traffic monitoring before the conversion indicated that standard buses frequently merging across lanes to reach curbside stops constituted the primary cause of corridor congestion.
  • Art Conservator: Renaissance oil paintings lined with rye-flour paste exhibit significantly less canvas embrittlement over four centuries than those lined with animal-hide glue. Because both adhesives offer comparable moisture resistance, the rye-flour paste must actively inhibit structural degradation by chemically neutralizing acidic paint breakdown products.Laboratory assays confirm that rye-flour paste maintains an alkaline chemical buffer that neutralizes carboxylic acids released as drying oil ages, whereas animal-hide glue does not.

Answer

Argument 1 (Ecologist) pairs with the finding regarding adjacent valley bumblebee colonies maintaining stable health without introduced hives; Argument 2 (Urban Planner) pairs with the finding identifying pre-conversion bus lane merging as the main source of corridor congestion; Argument 3 (Art Conservator) pairs with the finding confirming that rye-flour paste possesses an alkaline buffer that neutralizes linseed oil acids.
Each correct pairing provides crucial evidential support tailored to the specific causal hypothesis of the argument: establishing an unconfounded control group for the pollinator decline, confirming the pre-existing cause of delay for the traffic intervention, and experimentally demonstrating the proposed chemical buffering mechanism for the canvas adhesive.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the core reasoning and unstated gaps in each argument.
Identified three distinct causal claims: pathogen transmission as the mechanism of pollinator decline, elimination of bus lane-switching as the cause of transit efficiency, and chemical acid neutralization as the preservative mechanism in canvas lining.
Strengthening requires identifying the exact causal link or mechanism hypothesized by each speaker.
2
Evaluate the supplementary findings to identify which premise provides targeted support for each specific causal mechanism.
Matched the control group validation to the pollinator argument, the bottleneck confirmation to the transit argument, and the direct biochemical verification to the art conservation argument.
A valid strengthener either confirms the proposed mechanism, provides control evidence ruling out confounders, or corroborates the underlying assumption.
3
Verify that no supplementary finding cross-applies inappropriately or fails to address the specific conclusion.
Each pair establishes a uniquely relevant evidentiary bridge between premises and conclusion.
Ensures mutual exclusivity and rigorous logical validity across all pairings.

Key Concept

Strengthening Causal Arguments and Validating Mechanisms
Estimated Time:1m 45s
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Strengthen

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