Read the following sentence from student writing and decide whether it needs hedging:

Different ways of raising animals determine whether an animal is at high risk of being infected and transmitting zoonoses.

Question

Read the following sentence from student writing and decide whether it needs hedging:

Different ways of raising animals determine whether an animal is at high risk of being infected and transmitting zoonoses.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The verb "determine" asserts a definitive causal relationship, so hedging is needed to avoid overstating. Hedging in academic writing uses modal verbs and cautious phrasing (can, may, might, is associated with, tends to) to reflect uncertainty, variability in evidence, and probabilistic effects—especially important in epidemiology where multiple factors influence infection and transmission risk.

Relevant knowledge points:
- Hedging: softening claims to match the strength of evidence.
- Causation vs. association: only strong, consistent evidence supports deterministic language; most epidemiological relationships are probabilistic.
- Complexity of zoonoses: infection and transmission depend on many variables (pathogen, host susceptibility, environment, biosecurity, pathogen load), so rearing method alone rarely fully determines risk.

Step-by-step reasoning:
1. Identify absolute language: "determine whether an animal is at high risk" implies certainty that a raising method will always set risk status.
2. Consider domain facts: transmission of zoonoses is influenced by multiple interacting factors beyond rearing method (e.g., vaccination, hygiene, pathogen prevalence).
3. Match claim strength to typical evidence: unless there are controlled causal studies proving determinism, the claim should be qualified.
4. Propose hedged alternatives: "Different ways of raising animals can influence whether an animal is at higher risk..." or "are associated with an increased risk of being infected and transmitting zoonoses."

Why the correct answer is correct:
Because the original sentence uses deterministic language inappropriate for a complex, probabilistic subject, it should be hedged to avoid overgeneralization and to reflect uncertainty and nuance.

Why the other option is incorrect:
Answer "No." would accept the absolute phrasing as appropriate, but that ignores the need to reflect uncertainty and to avoid overstating causation in epidemiological claims.

Conclusion: Hedging is required; therefore the correct choice is "Yes." This confirms the provided answer.

Read the following sentence from student writing and decide whether it needs hedging: Different ways of raising animals determine whether an animal is at high risk of being infected and transmitting zoonoses. 单项选择题

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