GWD3-Q32

GWD3-Q32
Q32:
Ecologist: The Scottish Highlands were once the site of extensive forests, butthese forests have mostly disappeared and been replaced by peat bogs.  The common view is that the Highlands’deforestation was caused by human activity, especially agriculture. However, agriculturebegan in the Highlands less than 2,000 years ago.  Peat bogs, which consist of compresseddecayed vegetable matter, build up by only about one foot per 1,000 years and, throughoutthe Highlands, remains of trees in peat bogs are almost all at depths greatthan four feet.  Since climatechanges that occurred between 7,000 and 4,000 years ago favored the developmentof peat bogs rather than the survival of forests, the deforestation was morelikely the result of natural processes than of human activity.
In the ecologist’s argument the twoportions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A.The first is evidence that has been used in support of a    position that the ecologist rejects; the second is a finding that the    ecologist uses to counter that evidence.
B.The first is evidence that, in light of the evidence provided    in the second, serves as grounds for the ecologist’s rejection of a    certain position.
C.The first is a position that the ecologist rejects; the second    is evidence that has been used in support of that position.
D.The first is a position that the ecologist rejects; the second    provides evidence in support of that rejection.
E.The first is a position for which the ecologist argues; the    second provides evidence to support that position.

  Answer: A  B