Question

Read this text from Rhonda’s notes for her essay.

COUNTERCLAIM: Pets can actually harm the health of their owners.
Which statement is evidence that supports this counterclaim?
Select one:

A: Pet owners tend to have lower blood pressure and less heart disease.

B:Some types of parrot live for nearly a century.

C:Rabies is a fatal disease that can spread from dogs to humans.

D:Most pets, like most people, need attention, affection, and care.

Answer 1

C. Rabies is a fatal disease that can spread from dogs to humans.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the fact that Rhonda's notes contain a counterclaim, we can conclude that she is probably writing an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay is a type of essay that presents arguments about both sides of a certain issue. Its author is making a claim and addresses a counterclaim - a claim someone else may use to rebut theirs. Rhonda is probably writing about how good pets are for people. However, someone may disagree with this and say that pets can actually harm the health of their owners.

Just like Rhonda, they would need to provide evidence that supports their claim. Out of the statements you were given, only statement C would be good evidence. Rabies is a real danger (although it can be prevented by vaccination). The rest of the statements don't show that pets are bad.

This is why option C is the correct one.