Most citizens are very conscientious about observing a law when they can see the reason behind it. For instance, there has been very little need to actively enforce the recently-implemented law that increased the penalty for motorists caught leaving a gas station without paying for gas they had pumped into their vehicles. This is because citizens are very concerned about the high cost of gasoline and they know that stealing gas will only further increase the price of gasoline for everyone.
With which of the following statements would the author of this passage be most likely to agree?
A. The increased penalty alone is a significant motivation for most citizens to obey the law.
B. There are still too many inconsiderate citizens in the local community.
C. High gasoline prices can be brought down if everyone does his or her part and pays for the gasoline they use at the pumps.
D. Society should make an effort to teach citizens the reasons for its laws.
E. People would be more likely to speed on a stretch of deserted highway than to not pay for gasoline.
Source: https://www.admissionconsultants.comOE:Choice D is correct because it neatly summarizes the main theme of the passage. We can instantly eliminate answer choice A because the passage never states how the increased penalty affects citizens. Choice B is too extreme, and overly negative. (Such answer choices are rarely correct on the GMAT.) Besides, the overall theme of the passage is positive; the negative tone of choice B is out of keeping with it. Answer choice C is incorrect because the author stated only that adherence to the law would prevent the price of gasoline from rising further. He never said that this action would lower gas prices. E introduces a comparison never mentioned or implied in the argument.