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- Tue May 10, 2016 6:07 pm
#24373
Complete Question Explanation
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (A)
The stimulus presents two theories about the extinction of dinosaurs, but the stimulus does not evaluate those theories. The first theory is that a large asteroid collided with the earth, causing the extinction. The second theory is that any asteroid strike was irrelevant, because massive volcanic activity was enough to cause the extinction by cooling the earth with atmospheric dust.
The volcano theory, as described, is a bit drastic. It concludes that any asteroid strike was irrelevant, but presents no evidence to rule out that an asteroid strike played at least some small role.
Since you are asked to identify the assumption of the new theory, you should focus on the fact that the new theory needs defense against possible roles that an asteroid strike could have played.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice. The new theory does need to assume that an asteroid strike did not cause the volcanic activity, because if an asteroid strike caused the volcanic activity, it does not make sense to say that the asteroid strike was irrelevant.
Answer choice (B): The new theory is that any asteroid impact was irrelevant, so the argument does not need to assume that no dinosaurs survived the asteroid impact. This incorrect choice tends to support the old instead of the new theory.
Answer choice (C): If the extinctions took place over a longer period than they would have had an asteroid impact been the cause, that would largely support the new theory. However, even if extinctions caused by massive volcanic activity took no longer than extinctions caused by asteroid strikes, the new theory could be correct, so this choice does not contain essential information, and is wrong. Furthermore, the new theory states that existing asteroid strikes were irrelevant, but this choice tends to support the idea that those strikes did not occur.
Answer choice (D): The stimulus offered the massive lava flows in the Deccan region during the proper time period as some of the evidence for the new theory. The new theory would not assume that no other volcanic eruptions existed, because yet more eruptions might make the volcano theory even more plausible. This choice is wrong.
Answer choice (E): Stating that certain potentially relevant information cannot be discovered would seem to make it less likely that the new theory can be proposed with certainty, so it does not seem as if the new theory would assume that it is impossible to know which came first, the massive eruptions or the strike. Furthermore, even without the information it would likely still be possible to determine whether massive eruptions or an asteroid strike caused the extinction, so this incorrect choice addresses a non-critical issue.
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (A)
The stimulus presents two theories about the extinction of dinosaurs, but the stimulus does not evaluate those theories. The first theory is that a large asteroid collided with the earth, causing the extinction. The second theory is that any asteroid strike was irrelevant, because massive volcanic activity was enough to cause the extinction by cooling the earth with atmospheric dust.
The volcano theory, as described, is a bit drastic. It concludes that any asteroid strike was irrelevant, but presents no evidence to rule out that an asteroid strike played at least some small role.
Since you are asked to identify the assumption of the new theory, you should focus on the fact that the new theory needs defense against possible roles that an asteroid strike could have played.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice. The new theory does need to assume that an asteroid strike did not cause the volcanic activity, because if an asteroid strike caused the volcanic activity, it does not make sense to say that the asteroid strike was irrelevant.
Answer choice (B): The new theory is that any asteroid impact was irrelevant, so the argument does not need to assume that no dinosaurs survived the asteroid impact. This incorrect choice tends to support the old instead of the new theory.
Answer choice (C): If the extinctions took place over a longer period than they would have had an asteroid impact been the cause, that would largely support the new theory. However, even if extinctions caused by massive volcanic activity took no longer than extinctions caused by asteroid strikes, the new theory could be correct, so this choice does not contain essential information, and is wrong. Furthermore, the new theory states that existing asteroid strikes were irrelevant, but this choice tends to support the idea that those strikes did not occur.
Answer choice (D): The stimulus offered the massive lava flows in the Deccan region during the proper time period as some of the evidence for the new theory. The new theory would not assume that no other volcanic eruptions existed, because yet more eruptions might make the volcano theory even more plausible. This choice is wrong.
Answer choice (E): Stating that certain potentially relevant information cannot be discovered would seem to make it less likely that the new theory can be proposed with certainty, so it does not seem as if the new theory would assume that it is impossible to know which came first, the massive eruptions or the strike. Furthermore, even without the information it would likely still be possible to determine whether massive eruptions or an asteroid strike caused the extinction, so this incorrect choice addresses a non-critical issue.