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- Tue May 03, 2016 10:48 am
#23847
Complete Question Explanation
Resolve the Paradox. The correct answer choice is (B)
The paradox here is that, despite a tenfold increase in pesticide use with no concurrent increase in acres planted, there has been an increase in crop loss from insects. Therefore, we need to find the reason why the insects’ have become better able to devour crops, when it would seem that the increased use of pesticides would have led to a decrease in crop loss.
Answer choice (A): While the fact that the government had, in the past, promoted heavy pesticide use may help explain the increase since 1945 in pesticide use, it does nothing to explain why the crop loss from insects has increased during that period.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. Previously, farmers rotated their crops, which disrupted the stable food supply of the insects. Now that crop rotation is not occurring, so insects are able to survive and thrive to destroy more crops. At the same time, the pesticides used to combat the insects are becoming less effective, as pesticide-resistant strains of insects have developed.
Answer choice (C): We don’t care about how lethal pesticides are to people or fish, as this does nothing to explain why crop loss from insects has increased. This is especially true given the information in this answer choice that the replacement pesticides are equally effective against insects.
Answer choice (D): This answer choice does nothing to assist us, as we already know that pesticide use has increased tenfold. That is true regardless of some possible year to year fluctuations along the way.
Answer choice (E): This answer choice would seem to lead to a conclusion that pesticide use may be decreasing due to market pressures, but we already know that is not the case, as the stimulus tells us that pesticide use has increased tenfold.
Resolve the Paradox. The correct answer choice is (B)
The paradox here is that, despite a tenfold increase in pesticide use with no concurrent increase in acres planted, there has been an increase in crop loss from insects. Therefore, we need to find the reason why the insects’ have become better able to devour crops, when it would seem that the increased use of pesticides would have led to a decrease in crop loss.
Answer choice (A): While the fact that the government had, in the past, promoted heavy pesticide use may help explain the increase since 1945 in pesticide use, it does nothing to explain why the crop loss from insects has increased during that period.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. Previously, farmers rotated their crops, which disrupted the stable food supply of the insects. Now that crop rotation is not occurring, so insects are able to survive and thrive to destroy more crops. At the same time, the pesticides used to combat the insects are becoming less effective, as pesticide-resistant strains of insects have developed.
Answer choice (C): We don’t care about how lethal pesticides are to people or fish, as this does nothing to explain why crop loss from insects has increased. This is especially true given the information in this answer choice that the replacement pesticides are equally effective against insects.
Answer choice (D): This answer choice does nothing to assist us, as we already know that pesticide use has increased tenfold. That is true regardless of some possible year to year fluctuations along the way.
Answer choice (E): This answer choice would seem to lead to a conclusion that pesticide use may be decreasing due to market pressures, but we already know that is not the case, as the stimulus tells us that pesticide use has increased tenfold.