Scientist: Laboratory animals have access to ample food, and they get relatively little exercise. These factors can s...

Skylar on December 21, 2019

@Ryan-Mahabir, happy to help!

The scientist says that laboratory animals have ample access to food and little exercise. The scientist then claims that this can skew results, since studies often rely upon the fact that the animals are healthy.

While reading this, we may be able to notice that there is a jump in logic. How do we know the laboratory animals are not healthy? The word "healthy" is not explicitly defined, but we are made to assume that ample food and little exercise does not meet this definition, allowing for the scientist's conclusion to be drawn. The correct answer should explain this.

(A) states that "laboratory animals are healthy if they are fed a carefully restricted diet and get plenty of exercise." The scientist only argues that ample food and little exercise does not meet the definition of healthy, not what this definition is. This answer choice describes a scenario with a carefully restricted diet and plenty of exercise, which is not the scenario in the passage and is therefore irrelevant to the passage.

(B) states that "laboratory conditions that provide animals with ample food but relatively little exercise can be unhealthy for the animals." This is correct because it clearly connects the conditions described in the passage to not meeting the definition of healthy. Moreover, if negated, this would make the scientist's conclusion fall apart.

Does this make sense? Please reach out with any other questions!