PrepTest 107, Section 4, Question 7
Conservationist: The population of a certain wildflower is(69 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(10 more words not shown)
- AIt is better(26 more words not shown)
- BIt is better(31 more words not shown)
- CIt is better(22 more words not shown)
- DIt is better(23 more words not shown)
- EIt is better(26 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
We would get hybrids. Would that really save what we wanted to save?
The wildflower population is headed for extinction, and crossing it with the daisy could produce many plants. But those plants would differ markedly from the original wildflower. Having lots of a hybrid isn't the same as preserving the wildflower unchanged.
The conservationist accepts that tradeoff and recommends introducing the daisy because this is the only way to avoid a total loss. I can see the appeal of keeping something rather than nothing. Still, why is that the better option? What if the changes matter so much that we don't want the hybrid? The argument assumes that this altered continuation is preferable to letting the wildflower disappear.
What we’re looking for
The question asks for a principle supporting the recommendation. I'd want a rule that directly addresses that choice: it is better to preserve the organism in a changed form than lose it entirely. That would supply the value judgment the recommendation needs.
Working the answers
- A
This favors preserving the valued organism over accepting a less valuable substitute. The conservationist is willing to accept a markedly different hybrid. A doesn't explain why accepting that changed form is preferable to complete loss. Calling the measures drastic doesn't repair the different tradeoff the rule addresses.
- B
We haven't been asked to choose between weak surviving wildflowers and a more vigorous replacement. The passage says the wildflower is headed for extinction and presents hybridization as the only way to prevent total loss. A preference for preserving a less vigorous original doesn't support choosing the changed hybrid in that situation.
- CCorrect
This says changing an organism, even radically, is better than losing it altogether. The wildflower faces total loss; hybridization would retain it only in a markedly different form. C tells us why that change can still be worth accepting, which supports introducing the daisy.
- D
The argument doesn't describe two competing types both facing extinction or propose destroying one to save the other. It proposes crossing the wildflower with the daisy. D supplies a rule for sacrificing one endangered type, which is a different decision.
- E
The stated tradeoff isn't saving the wildflower at another organism's expense. It's accepting a changed version of the wildflower rather than total loss. We aren't told that introducing the daisy harms another type of organism. E therefore doesn't address the concern the conservationist's reasoning needs to settle.
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