Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: A business owner argues against coal mining, claiming that while it adds some jobs, it will destroy the local scenery and kill off more existing jobs in the process.

Conclusion: Permitting coal mining will result in a net loss of jobs for the region.

Reasoning: Coal mining's industrial nature will destroy the area's beauty, forcing the closure of many local businesses that rely on that beauty.

Analysis: This is a 'Role in Argument' question, so we need to map out the blueprint. The statement in question acts as a premise that supports the idea that businesses will close, which in turn supports the final conclusion about job loss. It’s the classic 'one step forward, two steps back' scenario, but with coal dust and closed storefronts. Notice how the owner uses this claim to explain why the job count will drop despite the new mining positions.

Passage Stimulus

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20.

Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the business owner's argument by the claim that many local businesses depend on the region's natural beauty?

Correct Answer
A
A is accurate: the dependence-on-beauty claim is direct evidence for another supporting statement (that mining would force most of those businesses to close), and that supporting statement helps establish the overall conclusion about a net job decrease.
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