#10 - Dairy farmer: On our farm, we have great concern

[afinelli]

On this question, it isn't clear to me by B is right. I chose E, which felt a little strong to say concern for the cows' environment is key. However, I didn't like B because the dairy farmer did not say the improvements made were introduced for the sake of maximizing profits - it seems as though the improvements were introduced out of concerns for the conditions and these improvements also led to increased profits. So - why is B right?
Thanks for any help!

[Steve Stein]

First, you make a good point about answer choice E--calling the referenced concern "the key" is quite strong.

As for the changes that led to increases in the cows' comfort as well as profitability, although the comfort is mentioned first, the farmer specifies that the changes were intended to increase udder circulation, thus boosting milk output and increasing profits.

In contrast, notice that the farmer says they've made changes that increase their comfort--not that they've made changes to increase their comfort. Pretty subtle! let me know if that makes sense--thanks!

[afinelli]

I see. Thank you!

[Oakenshield]

I'm not sure what the type of the question is. Principle? Must be true? or a new type?
At first sight, I thought I was asked to find a principle to connect the premise with the conclusion. The stimulus seems to say that some practices improving the environmental conditions bring farmers profits. That's why I think B) looks weird, which reverses the stimulus, though I know B can be supported by the farmer's statement.

Thanks in advance.

[Emily Haney-Caron]

Hi Oakenshield,

This is a Must Be True - Principle question --- so both your guesses are correct! Good work!

Here's essentially what the diary farmer is saying:
We gave the cows special mattresses because we wanted them to make more milk and make us more money, and it also has the effect of making them more comfortable.

B matches right up with that: The farmer did something in order to make more money, and it also happened to make the cows comfortable.

You might be getting overly caught up with the order of the ideas in the stimulus, here. It doesn't matter which idea comes first, it matters how they are logically connected. Take another look and see if this explanation helps clarify it.

[jbrown1104]

Hi PS!

Like others I see that Answer Choice (E) has language way too extreme for the stimulus at hand. However, I still am not quite understanding how to approach the situation due to the organization of the premises. Because it starts with "on our farm we have a great concern..." is it not logical for the test-taker to assume that the changes were made for the environmental concern and the increased blood flow to the was a secondary benefit? Please help me understand how to deconstruct questions of this nature for future problems!

Thank you!

-JB

[Brook Miscoski]

JB,

Let's assume that the stimulus does not show that the dairy farmer's first priority was profit. The question stem asks you to pick a choice that is supported by the stimulus. The correct choice does not need to incorporate all of the details of the stimulus--this is like a "must be true" question.

From that perspective, answer choice (B) is the clearly correct response. Whether or not profit was this particular farmer's first priority, the scenario illustrates that a farmer could improve the living condition of cows in the pursuit of more profit.

So you can get this question right confidently even with your read of the stimulus. Now, take a look back at the third sentence of the stimulus, which states that the intent was to increase blood flow to the udders (which the 4th sentence tells us was to increase production and profit). So, this dairy farmer's first priority was profit--he states profit, not comfort, as his intended goal.