PrepTest 158, Section 2, Question 12
Some of the rare pygmy bears should be(48 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(10 more words not shown)
- ASome species are(8 more words not shown)
- BRare animals should(16 more words not shown)
- CIf a species(16 more words not shown)
- DThe rarer a(16 more words not shown)
- EIf an animal's(21 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Why move the bears? Once we learn that they're losing their habitat, I can see the concern. But why is moving them the only option?
What if we stop the habitat destruction? Could a breeding program help? Could the bears live somewhere that isn't quite like their native island? Those are possibilities the argument hasn't explored. Calling the neighboring island the only place with a similar habitat doesn't, by itself, settle every possible way of saving them.
What we’re looking for
Still, the question asks us to help justify the recommendation, not to develop those objections. The argument presents this move as the only viable rescue and concludes that some bears should be moved. I'd look for a principle endorsing the best chance of preventing extinction. That would turn the prospect of saving the species into a reason to undertake the rescue.
Working the answers
- A
We aren't choosing between saving bears and saving another species. Saying some species deserve more protection doesn't tell us what these bears deserve or why moving them is the right action. A introduces a comparison the argument doesn't make.
- B
This restricts when a move is allowed: don't move rare animals unless the habitats are similar. Here, the habitats are similar, so the rule doesn't forbid the proposed move. But clearing a restriction isn't the same as giving a reason to undertake the move. B never says that animals should be moved whenever similar habitat is available.
- CCorrect
The species is in danger of extinction, and the argument presents the move as its only viable chance of survival. This principle tells us to undertake whatever is most likely to prevent the extinction. Applied to the argument's account of the options, it supports the recommendation to move the bears.
C doesn't independently answer all our questions about other possible rescues. It supplies the missing reason to act on the option the argument presents as best. That's enough to strengthen the reasoning.
- D
Doing more for rarer species doesn't specify what should be done here. Greater protection might involve preserving the original habitat rather than moving animals. The argument needs support for this proposed rescue, not a general ranking of conservation effort by rarity.
- E
Permission is weaker than a recommendation. Being allowed to try to find a new habitat doesn't establish that moving these bears is something we should do. E also concerns searching for a habitat, while the argument recommends a particular move. C more directly endorses taking the best available action to prevent extinction.
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