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Difficulty: HardBridging Gap (Supporter) Assumptions

Botanist: The rare *Silene* flower requires extended periods of freezing temperatures followed immediately by heavy rainfall in order to bloom. The university's climate-controlled greenhouse is incapable of simulating heavy rainfall and cannot reach freezing temperatures. Therefore, if our research team is to successfully observe the *Silene* flower's blooming phase, we will be forced to conduct our research in the Torngat Mountains, and we will need to drastically reduce our laboratory budget.

Which of the following statements function as supporter assumptions that are logically required for the botanist's conclusion to be properly drawn? Select all that apply.

  1. The Torngat Mountains are the only location available to the research team where the *Silene* flower can be exposed to the specific sequence of freezing temperatures and heavy rainfall.Answer
  2. Conducting field research in the Torngat Mountains entails costs that cannot be accommodated without drastically reducing the research team's laboratory budget.Answer
  3. C
    If the research team drastically reduces its laboratory budget, they are guaranteed to successfully observe the *Silene* flower's blooming phase in the Torngat Mountains.
  4. D
    The Torngat Mountains experience a higher annual frequency of extended freezing temperatures and heavy rainfall than any other high-altitude mountain range.
  5. E
    Universities typically require science departments to reduce internal laboratory budgets whenever funding long-distance field expeditions.

Answer

The statements that link the required weather conditions exclusively to the Torngat Mountains, and link the Torngat Mountains expedition to the necessary reduction of the laboratory budget.
The argument's conclusion introduces two entirely new elements that do not appear in the premises: a specific geographic location (the Torngat Mountains) and a financial consequence (drastically reducing the laboratory budget). For the conclusion to be logically drawn, two supporter assumptions are required. First, there must be a bridge connecting the required weather conditions to the Torngat Mountains (they must be the only available place with these conditions, otherwise the team isn't 'forced' to go there). Second, there must be a bridge connecting the expedition to the financial consequence (the trip must cause the budget reduction, otherwise the reduction isn't strictly necessary).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core premises of the argument.
Premise 1: Blooming requires freezing + heavy rain. Premise 2: The greenhouse cannot provide freezing or heavy rain.
Understanding the established facts is necessary before identifying what is missing.
2
Identify the main conclusion.
Conclusion: To observe the bloom, the team MUST go to the Torngat Mountains AND MUST drastically reduce the laboratory budget.
The conclusion contains the 'rogue' elements that the supporter assumptions must bridge.
3
Locate the logical gaps between the premises and the conclusion.
Gap 1: Moving from 'need specific weather' to 'must go to Torngat Mountains'. Gap 2: Moving from 'going to Torngat Mountains' to 'must reduce laboratory budget'.
Supporter assumptions function by explicitly connecting new conclusion concepts back to the established premise framework.
4
Apply the Negation Test to potential assumptions to verify they are strictly required.
Negating Gap 1 ('Torngat is NOT the only available location') destroys the claim that they are forced to go there. Negating Gap 2 ('The trip does NOT require reducing the budget') destroys the claim that they must reduce the budget.
The Negation Test definitively separates logically required assumptions from statements that merely strengthen the argument.

Key Concept

Bridging Gap (Supporter) Assumptions in Compound Conclusions
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Bridging Gap (Supporter) Assumptions

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