Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: A rare wildflower is about to go extinct, but it can survive if it breeds with a common daisy. Even though the resulting plants will be hybrids rather than pure wildflowers, it is the only way to keep the lineage alive in that area, so we should do it.

Conclusion: The domesticated daisy should be brought into the wildflower's habitat to facilitate cross-pollination.

Reasoning: Hybridization with the daisy is the only method available to prevent the wildflower from being completely lost in its current range.

Analysis: This argument moves from a factual claim—that hybridization is the only way to prevent total loss—to a prescriptive claim that we 'should' take this action. To justify this leap, we need a principle that bridges the gap between survival and action. Look for an answer that establishes a rule stating that preserving a species' presence through hybridization is preferable to allowing its total extinction. The principle must value the continuation of the genetic line over the purity of the original species.

Passage Stimulus

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7.

Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the conservationist's reasoning?

Correct Answer
C
It states the needed value principle: it’s better to change a type of organism that would otherwise be lost than to lose it entirely. This directly justifies introducing the daisy despite the hybrid being markedly different.
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