PrepTest 152, Section 4, Question 8
Quartzbrook Farms wanted to test all of its(68 more words not shown)
The government's prohibition of testing(11 more words not shown)
- AGovernments can rightfully(25 more words not shown)
- BGovernments should seek(24 more words not shown)
- CA government should(26 more words not shown)
- DA government should(23 more words not shown)
- EIt is fair(29 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
The farm wants to meet the destination country's testing requirement, but its own government won't let it perform the tests. That leaves a practical problem: the company can't meet the export condition by doing what its government prohibits.
I can understand the government's concern about the message a test sends. Imagine someone offering inspections for an imaginary substance called fairy dust. Letting that service operate might make people think there is a real hazard worth checking. That analogy illustrates the concern about appearances; it doesn't mean the cattle disease is imaginary. Here, the government's claim is that the actual risk doesn't scientifically warrant testing.
What we’re looking for
Still, does that justify banning a company from testing? We could accept the concern and think companies should be free to conduct optional tests anyway. The question asks for a principle at odds with the prohibition. I'd look for a rule against the government's restricting that choice.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
Read the whole answer. Its opening about requiring necessary tests might initially seem to miss the issue: this government is banning tests. But the second part says governments cannot rightfully prohibit testing even when the risk doesn't justify it. That directly conflicts with this prohibition. The first clause doesn't make the second clause disappear; an answer can begin with something that isn't decisive and still state exactly the principle we need.
- B
Giving companies information about when testing is justified doesn't tell us whether the government may also prohibit testing. The government could explain its assessment and then impose the ban. B doesn't establish a conflict with that action.
- C
This supports the government's reasoning. It says unnecessary testing should be prohibited when it would make consumers think the testing should occur. That is close to the government's stated concern. The question asks for a conflicting principle, so an answer defending the prohibition goes in the wrong direction.
- D
This restricts the government's spending on tests. The passage concerns whether the company may test its own cattle; it doesn't say the government would pay for those tests. A ban on spending taxpayers' money doesn't conflict with the prohibition described here.
- E
This concerns the importing country's right to require tests of foreign products on equal terms with domestic products. We are evaluating the exporting company's own government, which prohibits testing. Even if the destination country's requirement were fair under E, that wouldn't directly contradict the home government's ban.
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