Question

Read the passage.

(1) State leaders must ensure the safety of all citizens by stopping the construction of landfills. (2) Piles of garbage in an area close to homes can cause harmful diseases. (3) My uncle lived very close to a landfill and recently became very ill. (4) I am certain that many of his neighbors have also suffered due to the harmful nature of the landfill.

What is the most accurate analysis of the reason presented in the second sentence?

The reason is logically sound, because the writer is expressing a fact that has been proven.
The reason is logically sound, because the writer validates the reason with empirical evidence.
The reason is not logically sound, because the writer does not include strong factual evidence.
The reason is not logically sound, because the writer does not connect the reason to the claim.

Answer 1

The reason is not logically sound, because the writer does not include strong factual evidence.

Explanation: Sentence (2) is a plausible general claim but is presented without supporting data, citations, or strong evidence; it’s an unsupported assertion rather than a proven fact.