- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 8948
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Mon Jan 20, 2014 12:00 am
#34886
Complete Question Explanation
Weaken. The correct answer choice is (A)
This author discusses laundry detergents, which all contain surfactants, substances that can
harm aquatic animals, as well as a majority of ingredients with unknown environmental effects.
This includes those detergents that are marketed as "ecologically friendly." As such, the author
concludes, there is no basis to believe that the detergents branded ecologically friendly do any less
damage than any of the others.
The stimulus is followed by a Weaken question, so the correct answer choice will undermine the
author's conclusion, likely by providing some reason to believe that ecologically friendly laundry
detergents actually are less damaging to the environment than other detergents.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice, as it provides a basis to refute the author's
conclusion. If the "ecologically friendly" detergents contain less surfactants on average, that
provides reason to believe that such products are less damaging to the environment than other types
of detergents.
Answer choice (B): The author's conclusion is based in part on the fact that all laundry detergents
contain surfactants. Thus, even if there is no reason to suppose significant damage is being caused
by most of the ingredients of non-ecologically friendly detergents, that does not weaken the author's
conclusion—that there is no basis for the claim that ecologically friendly detergents are any less
damaging than the others.
Answer choice (C): The author's conclusion is that there is no reason to think that so-called
ecologically friendly soaps are any better than other detergents, based in part on the fact that all such
detergents have surfactants. Even if such surfactants' levels of harm vary from detergent to detergent,
without any additional information, there remains no reason to suppose that the ecologically friendly
soaps are any less harmful. Since this choice does not undermine the author's argument it cannot be
the correct answer to this Weaken question.
Answer choice (D): The author of the stimulus points out that the majority of non-surfactant
ingredients in the detergents are unknown. If the other ingredients are even more harmful, that
would strengthen the author's argument, that there is no reason to think that detergents which market
themselves as ecologically friendly cause any less damage to the environment.
Answer choice (E): If larger amounts of the so-called environmentally friendly detergent are
needed, that increases the likelihood that such detergents damage the environment, what with
their surfactants and other unknown ingredients. Since this choice would strengthen the author's
conclusion, it should be ruled out of contention for this Weaken question.
Weaken. The correct answer choice is (A)
This author discusses laundry detergents, which all contain surfactants, substances that can
harm aquatic animals, as well as a majority of ingredients with unknown environmental effects.
This includes those detergents that are marketed as "ecologically friendly." As such, the author
concludes, there is no basis to believe that the detergents branded ecologically friendly do any less
damage than any of the others.
The stimulus is followed by a Weaken question, so the correct answer choice will undermine the
author's conclusion, likely by providing some reason to believe that ecologically friendly laundry
detergents actually are less damaging to the environment than other detergents.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice, as it provides a basis to refute the author's
conclusion. If the "ecologically friendly" detergents contain less surfactants on average, that
provides reason to believe that such products are less damaging to the environment than other types
of detergents.
Answer choice (B): The author's conclusion is based in part on the fact that all laundry detergents
contain surfactants. Thus, even if there is no reason to suppose significant damage is being caused
by most of the ingredients of non-ecologically friendly detergents, that does not weaken the author's
conclusion—that there is no basis for the claim that ecologically friendly detergents are any less
damaging than the others.
Answer choice (C): The author's conclusion is that there is no reason to think that so-called
ecologically friendly soaps are any better than other detergents, based in part on the fact that all such
detergents have surfactants. Even if such surfactants' levels of harm vary from detergent to detergent,
without any additional information, there remains no reason to suppose that the ecologically friendly
soaps are any less harmful. Since this choice does not undermine the author's argument it cannot be
the correct answer to this Weaken question.
Answer choice (D): The author of the stimulus points out that the majority of non-surfactant
ingredients in the detergents are unknown. If the other ingredients are even more harmful, that
would strengthen the author's argument, that there is no reason to think that detergents which market
themselves as ecologically friendly cause any less damage to the environment.
Answer choice (E): If larger amounts of the so-called environmentally friendly detergent are
needed, that increases the likelihood that such detergents damage the environment, what with
their surfactants and other unknown ingredients. Since this choice would strengthen the author's
conclusion, it should be ruled out of contention for this Weaken question.