The Quality of a Discussion Often Depends on How Closely

question 69

Essay

The quality of a discussion often depends on how closely the parties attend to the same issue. For the passage below, determine whether the speakers are clearly disputing the same issue, or whether somebody is missing the point.
A: The legislature should pass a bill banning agricultural burning-when they burn those fields the whole area is covered with a layer of smoke.
B: Forget about agricultural burning-automobile emissions cause the greatest percentage of air pollution in this area.

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Definitions:

Annual Productivity

The total amount of goods and services produced by a country or an organization in one year.

Urban Backyard

A small outdoor space behind a city home that is used for personal recreation and gardening.

Food Supplements

Products intended to add nutritional value to the diet, containing vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, or other beneficial substances.

Fresh Water

Water that has low concentrations of dissolved salts (salinity) and other total dissolved solids, commonly found in rivers, lakes, streams, and underground aquifers.