Question 2 • {MDVA} Civics and Citizenship [Semester Only]
Read the scenario.Hector is researching the effects of pesticides on the decline of honeybee populations. He is focusing on the effects of neonicotinoids, a type of pesticide that many farmers use to protect their crops. He finds an article by Jim Daley titled "As Pesticide Turns Up in More Places, Safety Concerns Mount” in the April 30, 2019, issue of Scientific American. The article claims that neonicotinoids are 5,000 to 10,000 times more toxic than DDT, a bug killer that the government banned long ago over safety concerns. Hector has seen this statistic before and thought it was too high to be real. But the Scientific American article backs up its claim with links to scientific studies.
Answer
A
The magazine has the word “scientific” in its title.
B
The article agrees with Hector’s point of view.
C
The article backs up its claims with scientific evidence.
D
The magazine is available in both print and digital formats.
Explanation
A credible source supports its claims with reliable evidence, such as scientific studies. Here, the Scientific American article links to scientific studies to support the claim that neonicotinoids are 5,000 to 10,000 times more toxic than DDT. That evidence makes choice C, “The article backs up its claims with scientific evidence,” the best reason to consider it credible. The magazine’s name or format does not establish credibility, and agreement with Hector’s view is not evidence of reliability.
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