The Eurasian ruffe, a fish species inadvertently introduced into North America’s Great Lakes in recent years, feeds on the eggs of lake whitefish, a native species, thus threatening the lakes’ natural ecosystem. To help track the ruffe’s spread, government agencies have produced wallet-sized cards about the ruffe. The cards contain pictures of the ruffe and explain the danger they pose; the cards also request anglers to report any ruffe they catch.
Which of the following, if true, would provide the most support for the prediction that the agencies’ action will have its intended effect?
(A) The ruffe has spiny fins that make it unattractive as prey.
(B) Ruffe generally feed at night, but most recreational fishing on the Great Lakes is done during daytime hours.
(C) Most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish because it is a highly prized game fish.
(D) The ruffe is one of several nonnative species in the Great Lakes whose existence threatens the survival of lake whitefish populations there.
(E) The bait that most people use when fishing for whitefish on the Great Lakes is not attractive to ruffe.
Let’s look at the details of the argument
- The Eurasian ruffe was introduced into North America’s Great Lakes
- It feeds on the eggs of lake whitefish, a native species, threatening the lakes’ natural ecosystem.
Plan-
- To help track the ruffe’s spread, government agencies have produced wallet-sized cards about the ruffe. The cards contain pictures of the ruffe and explain the danger they pose. The cards also request anglers to report any ruffe they catch.
We need to find an option that would support the prediction that the agencies’ action will have its intended effect.
- The ruffe has spiny fins that make it unattractive as prey.
If it is unattractive as prey, it would dissuade anglers from catching ruffe. This would go against the agencies’ plan. Eliminate A
(B) Ruffe generally feed at night, but most recreational fishing on the Great Lakes is done during daytime hours.
This tells us that the probability of anglers catching ruffe is unlikely because
- Ruffe generally feeds at night
- most recreational fishing on the Great Lakes is done during daytime hours.
Eliminate B
(C) Most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish because it is a highly prized game fish.
This tells us why anglers would assist the agencies’ plan. The pocket-sized cards contain pictures of the ruffe and explain the danger they pose. If most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish, they would assist the agencies in catching ruffe and reporting it to the agencies. This provides support for the prediction that the agencies’ action will have its intended effect. Hence C is the correct answer.
(D) The ruffe is one of several nonnative species in the Great Lakes whose existence threatens the survival of lake whitefish populations there.
This is data that is already present in the argument. We need to find an option that would support the agencies’ plan. Eliminate D
(E) The bait that most people use when fishing for whitefish on the Great Lakes is not attractive to ruffe.
If the bait used by anglers is unattractive to ruffe, they’ll end up catching few ruffes, weakening the agencies’ plan. Eliminate E.