Argument EvaluationDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: If the weird weather recorded in ancient China was actually caused by a volcano in Sicily, then that volcanic ash must have moved halfway across the world.
Conclusion: Ash from the eruption of Mount Etna must have traveled across vast distances to reach China.
Reasoning: Powerful eruptions cause atmospheric cooling and dimmed sunlight; Mount Etna erupted in 44 B.C., and China experienced these specific atmospheric effects the following year.
Analysis: The argument relies on a conditional link: *if* Etna caused the Chinese weather, *then* the ash traveled far. To evaluate this, we need to know if Etna was the only possible culprit. If there was a different, much closer volcano erupting at the same time, the 'Etna caused it' premise becomes less likely. Look for an answer that addresses whether there were other volcanic events that could explain the atmospheric phenomena in China without requiring ash to travel from Sicily.
Conclusion: Ash from the eruption of Mount Etna must have traveled across vast distances to reach China.
Reasoning: Powerful eruptions cause atmospheric cooling and dimmed sunlight; Mount Etna erupted in 44 B.C., and China experienced these specific atmospheric effects the following year.
Analysis: The argument relies on a conditional link: *if* Etna caused the Chinese weather, *then* the ash traveled far. To evaluate this, we need to know if Etna was the only possible culprit. If there was a different, much closer volcano erupting at the same time, the 'Etna caused it' premise becomes less likely. Look for an answer that addresses whether there were other volcanic events that could explain the atmospheric phenomena in China without requiring ash to travel from Sicily.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage9.In evaluating the support given for the conclusion advanced in the last sentence of the passage, it would be most important to determine whether
Correct Answer
D
D identifies the key alternative cause: if there were eruptions near China at that time, the Chinese phenomena could be explained without Etna’s ash traveling vast distances, which directly affects the strength of the conclusion.
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