T4W5 TS Q22 – Selective High School

Brazil’s President has shown support for the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest for agriculture and mining.

President: “The Amazon Rainforest is not the lungs of the world. It is not the heritage of humanity. You have to understand that the Amazon is Brazil’s, not yours. If all this devastation you accuse us of doing was done in the past, the Amazon would have stopped existing; it would be a big desert.”

Which one of these statements, if true, most weakens the President’s argument?

The Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming, but alarmingly, its rate of deforestation this year was the highest ever recorded. The sheer size of the Amazon means that humans can use its resources for many years to come. Agriculture and mining have created numerous new jobs in Brazil, boosting its economy and providing a means to survive for many of its citizens. Resources within a country’s boundaries belong to the people and the government that serves said people.

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Which one of these statements, if true, most weakens the President’s argument?