Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
ritula wrote:
Dirt roads may evoke the bucolic simplicity of another century, but financially strained townships point out that dirt roads cost twice as much as maintaining paved roads.
(A) dirt roads cost twice as much as maintaining paved roads
(B) dirt roads cost twice as much to maintain as paved roads do
(C) maintaining dirt roads costs twice as much as paved roads do
(D) maintaining dirt roads costs twice as much as it does for paved roads
(E) to maintain dirt roads costs twice as much as for paved roads
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to getting this question correct; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that the cost of maintaining the dirt roads is twice the cost of maintaining the paved roads.
Concepts tested here: Comparison + Parallelism + Meaning• Comparison must always be made between similar elements.
A: This answer choice incorrectly compares “dirt roads” to “maintaining paved roads”, incorrectly implying that the cost of the dirt roads,
themselves, is twice the cost of
maintaining the paved roads; the intended meaning of the sentence is that the cost of
maintaining the dirt roads is twice the cost of
maintaining the paved roads; please remember, a comparison must always be made between similar elements.
B: Correct. This answer choice correctly compares “dirt roads cost” with “paved roads do”, conveying the intended meaning of the sentence- that the cost of maintaining the dirt roads is twice the cost of maintaining the paved roads.
C: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly compares “maintaining dirt roads costs” to “paved roads do”, incorrectly implying that the cost of
maintaining the dirt roads is twice the cost of the paved roads,
themselves; the intended meaning of the sentence is that the cost of
maintaining the dirt roads is twice the cost of
maintaining the paved roads; please remember, a comparison must always be made between similar elements.
D: Trap. This answer choice incorrectly compares “maintaining dirt roads” to “it (maintaining dirt roads) does for paved roads”, illogically implying that maintaining the dirt roads costs twice as much as maintaining dirt roads for paved roads does; the intended meaning of the sentence is that the cost of
maintaining the dirt roads is twice the cost of
maintaining the paved roads; please remember, comparison must always be made between similar elements.
E: This answer choice incorrectly compares “to maintain dirt roads” to “for paved roads”, leading to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning of the sentence is that the cost of maintaining the dirt roads is twice the cost of maintaining the paved roads; please remember, comparison must always be made between similar elements.
Hence, B is the best answer choice.We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team