WeakenDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: The Sumerians ruined their soil with salt from irrigation and eventually collapsed. Since we use irrigation today, we are probably going to suffer the same fate.
Conclusion: Modern civilizations that depend heavily on irrigation are likely to collapse just as the ancient Sumerians did.
Reasoning: The Sumerian civilization failed because long-term irrigation caused toxic salt buildup in the soil, and modern civilizations are currently using similar irrigation practices.
Analysis: This is an argument by analogy, which is only as strong as the similarity between the two cases. To weaken it, we need to find a 'disanalogy'—a reason why modern irrigation might not lead to the same disaster. Look for an answer that highlights a modern technological advantage, such as the ability to flush salts out of the soil or the use of salt-tolerant crops, which would prevent the agricultural failure that doomed the Sumerians.
Conclusion: Modern civilizations that depend heavily on irrigation are likely to collapse just as the ancient Sumerians did.
Reasoning: The Sumerian civilization failed because long-term irrigation caused toxic salt buildup in the soil, and modern civilizations are currently using similar irrigation practices.
Analysis: This is an argument by analogy, which is only as strong as the similarity between the two cases. To weaken it, we need to find a 'disanalogy'—a reason why modern irrigation might not lead to the same disaster. Look for an answer that highlights a modern technological advantage, such as the ability to flush salts out of the soil or the use of salt-tolerant crops, which would prevent the agricultural failure that doomed the Sumerians.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage2.Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the archaeologist's argument?
Correct Answer
C
C directly attacks the key causal mechanism by stating many modern farmers use irrigation techniques that avoid salt buildup. If the salts don’t accumulate, the Sumerian pathway to collapse no longer follows.
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