Proposals for extending the United States school year to bring it more in line with its European and Japanese counterparts are often met with the objection that curtailing the school’s three-month summer vacation would violate an established United States tradition dating from the nineteenth century. However, this objection misses its mark. True, in the nineteenth century, the majority of schools closed for three months every summer, but only because they were in rural areas where successful harvests depended on children labor. If any policy could be justified by those appears to tradition, it would be the policy of determining the length of the school year according to the needs of the economy.

The argument counters the objection by

(A) providing evidence to show that the objection relies on a misunderstanding about the amount of time each year United States schools traditionally have been closed

(B) calling into question the relevance of information about historical practices to current disputes about proposed social change

(C) arguing for an alternative understanding of the nature of the United States tradition regarding the length of the school year

(D) showing that those who oppose extending the school year have no genuine concern for tradition

(E) demonstrating that tradition justifies bringing the United States school year in line with that of the rest of the industrialized world

C

Proposals for extending the United States school year to bring it more in line with its European and Japanese counterparts are often met with the objection that curtailing the school’s three-month summer vacation would violate an established United States tradition dating from the nineteenth century. However, this objection misses its mark. True, in the nineteenth century, the majority of schools closed for three months every summer, but only because they were in rural areas where successful harvests depended on children labor. If any policy could be justified by those appears to tradition, it would be the policy of determining the length of the school year according to the needs of the economy.

[school year] is determined by [tradition]. But [tradition] was determined by [economy]. Therefore, [economy] has to determine [school year].

The argument counters the objection by

(A) providing evidence to show that the objection relies on a misunderstanding about the amount of time each year United States schools traditionally have been closed - is not true

(B) calling into question the relevance of information about historical practices to current disputes about proposed social change - the information is relevant. But we have to understand genuine reasons of the tradition.

(C) arguing for an alternative understanding of the nature of the United States tradition regarding the length of the school year - the best

(D) showing that those who oppose extending the school year have no genuine concern for tradition - irrelevant

(E) demonstrating that tradition justifies bringing the United States school year in line with that of the rest of the industrialized world - irrelevant
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Argument Counters need for U.S schools to have three months summer vacation by stating rural areas need for child labor. It went on to state the supporters of three months vacation can only justify the need through determining the length of the school year according to the needs of the economy.


(A) providing evidence to show that the objection relies on a misunderstanding about the amount of time each year United States schools traditionally have been closed[Not really, nothing is specified in the argument that mentions misunderstanding about vacation time – eliminate it]

(B) calling into question the relevance of information about historical practices to current disputes about proposed social change [No disputes were mentioned in the passage – eliminate it]

(C) arguing for an alternative understanding of the nature of the United States tradition regarding the length of the school year [Hold it]

(D) showing that those who oppose extending the school year have no genuine concern for tradition [Argument has no proposal to extend the school year – eliminate it]

(E) demonstrating that tradition justifies bringing the United States school year in line with that of the rest of the industrialized world[There was proposal to sync. U.S. school summer vacation with European and Japan, but nothing ever mentioned “bringing the United States school year in line” – eliminate it]

Answer: C

I think E is close but I don't like it. We need assumption of contemporary relation between economy and school year in the United States and in European and Japanese counterparts. We have to assume that now economy in the United States requires extending the United States school year. But we don't know that.

IMO The argument finds a wrong base of the objection rather than justifies bringing the United States school year in line. The argument don't say that bringing the United States school year in line is really required.
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OA is C.