StrengthenDiff: Hard

Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: We aren't sure where maté started, but since Paraguay has the most types of it and the most people drinking it, it probably started there.

Conclusion: Paraguay is the most probable place of origin for the beverage maté.

Reasoning: Paraguay possesses a greater variety of maté and a higher level of consumption than any other location.

Analysis: The argument relies on a 'bridge' between current variety/usage and historical origin. It assumes that the place where a tradition is most diverse or popular is the place where it has existed the longest. To strengthen this, we need an answer choice that confirms this link—perhaps a general rule stating that biological or cultural products tend to show the most variation in their geographic point of origin. Look for an answer that makes 'variety' a reliable indicator of 'age.'

Passage Stimulus

Passage Redacted

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21.

Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument?

Correct Answer
E
E links time-in-use to wide usage: typically, the longer a beverage has been in a place, the more widely it is used there. Since maté is used more widely in Paraguay than anywhere else, E makes it plausible Paraguay has had maté the longest. Longer tenure supports the likelihood of origin (or at least earlier adoption than others), directly strengthening the argument’s inference.
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