medium · GMAT Verbal
A city's parks department reduced pesticide spraying in public parks by half two years ago, citing environmental concerns. Since then, reported cases of a certain pollinator-friendly bee species nesting in those parks have nearly tripled. Department officials now argue that any city wishing to increase populations of this bee species in its parks should adopt a similarly steep reduction in pesticide use.
Which of the following, if true, most weakens the officials' argument?
- In those same two years, the department separately planted thousands of native wildflowers known to attract this exact bee species.
- Pesticide reduction programs are sometimes controversial among residents who worry about increased insect activity near neighborhood playgrounds.
- This particular bee species has been officially classified as pollinator-friendly by regional environmental agencies for well over a decade.
- The department's pesticide budget was reduced by exactly the same percentage as the spraying frequency itself, according to internal records.
- Several nearby cities have not yet implemented any comparable changes to their own municipal pesticide-spraying policies.
Sign up free to see the explanation and track your rank →
More GMAT Verbal practice
- What logical role do the first two statements play?
- Which of the following is the conclusion?
- A gardener says: 'All roses in this garden require daily wat… — What is the role of the st
- What is the conclusion?
- What is the conclusion?
- Which statement is the conclusion?
- What is the conclusion?
- What logical role does the first sentence play in the researcher's argument?