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- Fri Apr 29, 2016 11:18 am
#23605
Complete Question Explanation
Strengthen-PR. The correct answer choice is (B)
The stimulus reports that biotechnology companies say that self-regulation is sufficient to ensure product safety, and then the stimulus retorts that it is foolish to rely on those assurances. The stimulus then concludes that there should be a product-approval process involving an independent regulatory board.
Because the stimulus casts "trust" as "foolish," it seems that the reasoning is probably based on the idea that one should not expect entities to act altruistically. The stimulus also leaps to the conclusion that an independent regulatory board is necessary, thus neglecting other possible solutions to the problem of presumably self-interested companies.
However, since you are asked to identify a principle that strengthens the argument, you should focus on the broader basis of the argument, not the technicality that there might be other solutions. That is a theme whenever a question mentions a principle-- the correct answer choice will generally address broader assumptions and philosophies rather than technical objections to an argument.
Answer choice (A): This choice establishes that if environmental risk is low, the companies do not have to submit to the independent regulatory board. You should eliminate this choice, because it could serve to attack the stimulus' conclusion that the companies must submit to the board. Alternately, since you do not know the level of environmental risk, you cannot be sure this choice applies.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. This choice establishes that since the biotechnology companies have a financial interest in their products, the companies should not be the only regulators of their products. That supports the assertion that it is foolish to trust the companies, and leads toward the idea that there should be an independent regulatory board.
Answer choice (C): The principle that sometimes we must harm the environment to prevent even greater harm might tend to support the conclusion that biotechnology companies should be allowed to do as they wish, but it would not support the idea that those companies should be regulated from the outside. This choice, if anything, serves to weaken the argument, and is thus incorrect.
Answer choice (D): If the biotechnology companies are not obliged to ensure the environmental safety of their products, that could support the idea that there should be a regulatory board. However, it is not convincing support for the idea that biotechnology companies should not be trusted to self-regulate, because they might self-regulate adequately even if they are not required to.
Answer choice (E): This choice suggests that questions of environmental protection should not be left to scientists, but the stimulus concludes that scientists should compose the independent regulatory board. This choice does not clearly support the board in the stimulus' conclusion.
Strengthen-PR. The correct answer choice is (B)
The stimulus reports that biotechnology companies say that self-regulation is sufficient to ensure product safety, and then the stimulus retorts that it is foolish to rely on those assurances. The stimulus then concludes that there should be a product-approval process involving an independent regulatory board.
Because the stimulus casts "trust" as "foolish," it seems that the reasoning is probably based on the idea that one should not expect entities to act altruistically. The stimulus also leaps to the conclusion that an independent regulatory board is necessary, thus neglecting other possible solutions to the problem of presumably self-interested companies.
However, since you are asked to identify a principle that strengthens the argument, you should focus on the broader basis of the argument, not the technicality that there might be other solutions. That is a theme whenever a question mentions a principle-- the correct answer choice will generally address broader assumptions and philosophies rather than technical objections to an argument.
Answer choice (A): This choice establishes that if environmental risk is low, the companies do not have to submit to the independent regulatory board. You should eliminate this choice, because it could serve to attack the stimulus' conclusion that the companies must submit to the board. Alternately, since you do not know the level of environmental risk, you cannot be sure this choice applies.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. This choice establishes that since the biotechnology companies have a financial interest in their products, the companies should not be the only regulators of their products. That supports the assertion that it is foolish to trust the companies, and leads toward the idea that there should be an independent regulatory board.
Answer choice (C): The principle that sometimes we must harm the environment to prevent even greater harm might tend to support the conclusion that biotechnology companies should be allowed to do as they wish, but it would not support the idea that those companies should be regulated from the outside. This choice, if anything, serves to weaken the argument, and is thus incorrect.
Answer choice (D): If the biotechnology companies are not obliged to ensure the environmental safety of their products, that could support the idea that there should be a regulatory board. However, it is not convincing support for the idea that biotechnology companies should not be trusted to self-regulate, because they might self-regulate adequately even if they are not required to.
Answer choice (E): This choice suggests that questions of environmental protection should not be left to scientists, but the stimulus concludes that scientists should compose the independent regulatory board. This choice does not clearly support the board in the stimulus' conclusion.