WeakenDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: A study found that rats eating modified potatoes got sick while others didn't, so the author thinks we shouldn't feed any modified plants to any animals.
Conclusion: Genetically modified plants should be completely excluded from animal feed.
Reasoning: A study showed that rats fed genetically modified potatoes developed health problems, while rats on a standard diet did not.
Analysis: This argument suffers from a massive overgeneralization. It takes a single study involving one type of plant (potatoes) and one type of animal (rats) and concludes that all genetically modified plants are dangerous for all animals. To weaken this, look for an answer that suggests the health issues were caused by something other than the genetic modification, or that the results of this specific study cannot be applied to other GM crops. The gap between 'these specific potatoes' and 'all GM plants' is where you should focus your attack.
Conclusion: Genetically modified plants should be completely excluded from animal feed.
Reasoning: A study showed that rats fed genetically modified potatoes developed health problems, while rats on a standard diet did not.
Analysis: This argument suffers from a massive overgeneralization. It takes a single study involving one type of plant (potatoes) and one type of animal (rats) and concludes that all genetically modified plants are dangerous for all animals. To weaken this, look for an answer that suggests the health issues were caused by something other than the genetic modification, or that the results of this specific study cannot be applied to other GM crops. The gap between 'these specific potatoes' and 'all GM plants' is where you should focus your attack.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage13.Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?
Correct Answer
A
If potatoes are not normally part of rats’ diets, then feeding GM potatoes introduces a confound (potatoes themselves or diet novelty), weakening the claim that genetic modification caused the harms and thus undermining the conclusion about excluding GM plants from animal feed.
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