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Agronomist: The widespread adoption of the genetically modified "Xertex-wheat" in the arid Zephyr Valley is a triumph of biological engineering. Over the five years since farmers switched entirely to Xertex-wheat—maintaining the exact same total acreage of wheat cultivation and utilizing the identical irrigation infrastructure—the annual volume of irrigation water required to prevent crop failure has decreased by 30%. Because rainfall and temperatures have remained strictly constant over the last decade, this reduction conclusively demonstrates that an individual Xertex-wheat plant intrinsically requires significantly less water to survive than an individual plant of the traditional wheat varieties.

Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the agronomist's argument?

  1. Due to its highly expansive root system, Xertex-wheat must be planted at a density of approximately half as many plants per acre as traditional wheat varieties.Cevap
  2. B
    Traditional wheat varieties cultivated in the valley possessed exceptionally shallow root systems that permitted rapid water evaporation from the surrounding topsoil.
  3. C
    The genetic modifications that make Xertex-wheat drought-resistant also increase its susceptibility to certain soil-borne pathogens found outside the Zephyr Valley.
  4. D
    The total market value of the Xertex-wheat harvest is significantly higher than the market value of the traditional wheat harvests from the previous decade.
  5. E
    While the absolute volume of irrigation water decreased by 30%, the proportion of the valley's total water supply allocated to agriculture actually increased during this five-year period.

Cevap

The statement that Xertex-wheat must be planted at half the density of traditional wheat varieties.
The argument commits a flaw of division by assuming that a reduction in total water usage across a fixed acreage necessarily implies a reduction in water usage per individual plant. The correct answer exploits this by stating that Xertex-wheat requires planting at half the density of traditional wheat. If there are only half as many plants on the same acreage, but they are using 70% of the original water volume, then each individual plant is actually consuming considerably more water than before. This definitively disproves the agronomist's conclusion.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Identify the conclusion of the argument.
The conclusion is that an INDIVIDUAL Xertex-wheat plant intrinsically requires significantly less water than an INDIVIDUAL traditional wheat plant.
This establishes the precise scope of the claim being evaluated.
2
Identify the premises supporting the conclusion.
The total volume of water required per acre decreased by 30%, while total acreage, irrigation infrastructure, and weather remained constant.
Understanding the evidence highlights the gap between the premise metrics and the conclusion metrics.
3
Analyze the logical gap between the premises and the conclusion.
The agronomist shifts from an observation about an entire group (water per acre) to a claim about individual members of that group (water per plant). This assumes the number of plants per acre remained constant.
Identifying this part-to-whole / density shift is required to find the correct weakener.
4
Evaluate the options to find the one that exploits this gap.
The correct option shows that there are 50% fewer plants per acre. Mathematically, 50% of the plants using 70% of the water means individual consumption went UP, directly refuting the conclusion.
This actively breaks the logical link necessary for the conclusion to be drawn from the premises.

Anahtar Kavram

Fallacy of Division / Compositional Logic (Whole vs. Part)
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