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Question

Difficulty: EasyStatement and Assumptions

Statement: 'The city health department has issued an advisory asking all citizens to use mosquito nets while sleeping during the rainy season to prevent dengue.'

Which of the following assumptions are implicit in the given statement? (Select all that apply)

  1. Mosquitoes that transmit dengue are active and pose a threat during the rainy season.Answer
  2. Using a mosquito net is an effective method to prevent mosquito bites while sleeping.Answer
  3. C
    The city health department will distribute free mosquito nets to every household in the city.
  4. D
    People can only get infected with dengue during the rainy season and at no other time of the year.

Answer

The correct assumptions are that dengue-transmitting mosquitoes are active during the rainy season, and that using mosquito nets is an effective prevention method.
The correct options are valid assumptions because for the health department's advisory to be rational, the department must take for granted that the threat (mosquitoes) is present during the specified time (rainy season) and that the proposed solution (mosquito nets) is actually effective at stopping them.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core message and purpose of the statement.
The statement is an official advisory recommending the use of mosquito nets during the rainy season to prevent dengue.
Understanding the premise is required to evaluate what unstated facts must be true for the advisory to make sense.
2
Evaluate the validity of the first correct option.
The statement must assume mosquito activity increases or is prevalent during the rainy season; otherwise, the specific seasonal warning would be illogical.
An assumption is a missing link that makes the author's statement rational.
3
Evaluate the validity of the second correct option.
The statement must assume mosquito nets work. Authorities do not advise utilizing ineffective solutions to prevent a disease.
Official advisories inherently assume the recommended action is capable of achieving the stated protective goal.
4
Evaluate the incorrect options against the definition of an assumption.
Free distribution of nets and dengue being exclusive strictly to the rainy season are not necessary premises for the advisory to be issued.
Assumptions must be necessary and taken for granted by the speaker, not just possible inferences or extreme generalizations.

Key Concept

Identifying unstated premises required for an advisory or course of action to be logically sound.
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Topics

Statement and Assumptions

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