Free Practice Question
CR · Critical Reasoning
555-605
Weaken
A pottery shard found in a site in Texas, 1,500 miles north of Mexico, is dated to be 9,500 years old. Archaeologists concluded that since the desert conditions prevented human migration north from the Mexico-United States border between 12,000 and 9,000 years ago, humans must have arrived in North America more than 12,000 years ago.
Which of the following pieces of new evidence would cast doubt on the conclusion drawn above?
Answer Choices
Correct answer marked belowA
(A) New dating methods revealed that the pottery shard from the Texas site is at least 9,700 years old.
B
(B) Another archaeological site was discovered in Arizona with artifacts dated at 11,000 years old.
C
(C) A climate model indicated that it was already impossible for humans to travel north from Mexico 12,500 years ago.
(D) New evidence showed that a migration route existed from Mexico to Texas at least 9,700 years ago.
Correct
E
(E) Research on ancient populations demonstrated that, once the desert conditions changed, humans could have migrated from Mexico to Texas in about 15 years.
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Explanation
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Official Explanation
Official
The original conclusion states that humans must have arrived in North America more than 12,000 years ago based on the dating of the pottery shard and the assumption that migration was impossible during a certain time frame. To cast doubt on this conclusion, we need evidence that suggests migration could have occurred earlier than the stated time frame.…
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Comments
3
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D
DevallaJan 7, 2025
thanksss
R
RiyaApr 19, 2024
This is exactly what I needed to practice
K
KasturikaMay 26, 2024
Can someone explain it other way?
What this question tests
What it tests
Whether you can identify the option that most undermines an argument's conclusion.
Common trap
Choosing an irrelevant objection or one that attacks the premise rather than the reasoning.
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Details
Difficulty
555-605
Type
CR