T-3-Q3.争议题( 参考OG12th中 CR分类#69)
Scientists have made genetic modifications to cotton to increase its resistance to insect pests. According to farmers’ report, the amount of insecticide needed per acre to control insect pests was only slightly lower for those who tried the modified seed than for those who did not. Therefore, since the modified seed costs more than ordinary seed without producing yields of higher market value, switching to the modified seed would be unlikely to benefit most cotton farmers economically.
Which of the following would it be most useful to know in order to evaluate the argument?
A.Whether farmers who tried the modified cotton seed had ever tried growing other crops from genetically modified seed.(无关)
B.Whether the insecticides typically used on ordinary cotton tend to be more expensive than insecticides typically used on other crops.(即OG中69题的C项:本题讨论的是改良与为改良棉花的成本比较,与其他作物无关)
C.Whether for most farms who grow cotton it is their primary crop(无关)
D.Whether the farmers who have tried the modified seed planted as many acres of cotton, on average, as farmers using the ordinary seed did.(我选D:首先这里涉及两个成本:杀虫剂&棉花种子,前者与公顷数即种植面积有关,后者跟种子数量有关。现在分析选项:种子上多花的钱要看农民是否多种/少种来提高/降低种植密度,而为了排除这个变量的干扰,使用控制变量法,设定种子数量和以前一样。那么,如果换种前后的种植面积一样,则杀虫剂省下的钱因面积不变而不变,结果是成本上下差不多抵消,没有多大经济效益,就没有必要换改良种子;但是如果前后种植面积不一样,比如比以前种的多,那么杀虫剂上省下的钱就远比多付种子成本多,可实现经济效益,就有必要换了。综上该问题的答案影响两种不同结果,所以有价值衡量)
E.Whether most of the farmers who tried the modified seeddid sobecause they had previously had to use exceptionally large quantities of insecticide.(E中给出的是一个绝对量,而文中说每公顷杀虫剂省的量很微小,所以不管原来用的有多少,在单位公顷下,他们的相对差不变。这个问题的答案变化没有为决策带来更多有效信息,不能判断是否换种)
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