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#33650
Complete Question Explanation

Must Be True. The correct answer choice is (C)

This first stimulus is comprised of a few facts about the living conditions of most mice used for laboratory research intended to benefit human health: Although the conditions are neither normal nor healthy, according to the technician, the mice are kept in small cages. When research animals are not kept in environments that are normal for them, the author of the stimulus provides, the reliability of the research suffers.

This stimulus is a basic Fact Set, predictably followed by a Must Be True question, so the correct answer choice must pass the Fact Test; only one choice will be verified by the information provided by the author.

Answer choice (A): The author does not discuss the prospects for future changes regarding the conditions of laboratory mice, so this choice cannot be confirmed by the information in the stimulus. Since this choice fails the Fact Test, it cannot possibly be the right answer to this Must Be True question.

Answer choice (B): The stimulus only deals with the reliability of research using such animals. Since the author doesn’t take up the issue of whether or not such use (aimed at the improvement of human health) is appropriate, nor whether such use would be appropriate given improved conditions, this choice cannot be confirmed by the stimulus; it thus fails the Fact Test and should be ruled out of contention for this Must Be True question.

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. The technician says that the mice used in research aimed at improving human health are kept in small cages, which is not their normal environment, and then provides that when living conditions for research animals is not normal, results become less reliable, compromising the results of such research:
  • Premise: ..... Mice used in lab research aimed at improving human health are kept in small cages, not their ..... ..... ..... ..... normal environment.

    Premise: ..... When such animals are kept in an environment that is not normal for them, reliability of the ..... ..... ..... ..... research is diminished.
Confirmed answer choice: Research aimed at improving human health is compromised (the reliability suffers) by the animals’ living conditions.

Answer choice (D): Although it could be true that new research techniques will be developed by those who conduct research aimed at improving human health, this issue is not discussed in the stimulus and thus fails the Fact Test, and cannot be the correct answer choice to this Must Be True question.

Answer choice (E): In the first sentence of the stimulus, the author provides that mice used in research undertaken to benefit human health are usually kept in small cages, but there is no reason to presume that other types of lab mice enjoy accommodations that are any bigger. Since this is not referenced in the stimulus, nor is it a valid inference, this cannot be the right answer to this Must Be True question.

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