Officials are considering placing the sturgeon on the endangered species list. If such an action is taken, ships, including those that carry goods and produce, will not be allowed to travel on the large rivers in our region that serve as breeding grounds for the fish. If ship travel were restricted in this way, critics argue, prices for goods and produce would rise in the region, and some businesses might even be forced to close.
) If the argument about rising prices is true, then which of the following is also likely to be true?
A) The sturgeon population in the region has decreased significantly in the last decade.
B) All other means of transporting goods and produce in the region are costlier than shipping.
C) Over the years several large cities have developed along the region’s large rivers.
D) Consumer demand for goods and produce is greater in this region than in other regions
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Foru. Any one of these could be true, but I vote for B because other shipping can be much more expensive.
To determine which statement is likely to be true if the argument about rising prices is valid, we need to use logical reasoning and analyze the information provided in the context.
The argument states that if ships are not allowed to travel on the large rivers, prices for goods and produce would rise in the region, potentially leading to the closure of some businesses.
Option A, which states that the sturgeon population in the region has decreased significantly in the last decade, does not directly address the impact on rising prices. It may be relevant to the overall context of sturgeon conservation but does not provide a direct link to rising prices.
Option B, which states that all other means of transporting goods and produce in the region are costlier than shipping, supports the argument that restricting ship travel would lead to rising prices. If shipping is the most cost-effective means of transportation, then alternative methods would likely be more expensive, thus resulting in higher prices for goods and produce. Hence, option B is likely to be true if rising prices occur.
Option C, which mentions the development of several large cities along the region's rivers, does not directly address the impact on rising prices. While it provides additional context about the region, it does not establish a direct connection between city development and the potential rise in prices.
Option D, which states that consumer demand for goods and produce is greater in this region than in other regions, does not directly support the argument about rising prices. The argument focuses on the restriction of ship travel and its impact on prices, while option D addresses consumer demand in comparison to other regions.
Therefore, the most likely statement to be true if the argument about rising prices holds is option B: All other means of transporting goods and produce in the region are costlier than shipping.